Arrow Episode Guide: Season 8, Episode 7 - Purgatory

For a summary of the episode guide layout & categories, click here.




Plot

Once again stranded on Lian Yu, Oliver and his allies must face a familiar enemy alongside Oliver's first ally in the battle against evil, as they struggle to build a weapon to aid the Monitor in the coming Crisis.


Influences

The flashbacks of Arrow: Season 1 and the comic-book storyline The Rise of Arsenal.


Goofs

As Roy, Rene and Dinah are flying to Lian Yu, Roy comments that it looks beautiful from above, saying that he's never seen it before. This contradicts the Arrow: Season 2.5 tie-in comic, where Roy and Oliver went to Lian Yu to check on Slade Wilson in his cell in Issue #19. (The canonicity of the comics has always been in question and this could be explained as something  Barry Allen's time-travel changed.)

It never is explained just who resurrected Fyers and his men or how Yao Fei came to know all about what brought them back. The obvious answer is that the Anti-Monitor brought them back in the same manner that the Monitor resurrected Lex Luthor and the Monitor brought Yao Fei back to mentor Oliver again, but the actual forces trying to stop Oliver are not named beyond their being responsible for the odd energy spikes.


Artistry

The scene where Roy has to have his arm cut off is tensely directed and tightly shot.


Trivia

As a result of the events of this episode, Roy Harper loses his right arm. In the pre-New 52 comics, Roy Harper lost his right arm just before the Rise of Arsenal mini-series, in a battle with the supervillain Prometheus. Roy officially lost his arm in Justice League: Cry For Justice, but the aftermath was explored in the Fall of Green Arrow and Rise of Arsenal mini-series.

This episode ended with a scene involving Nash Wells from The Flash, setting up Crisis on Infinite Earths. This scene is described in detail in the entry for F608.


Technobabble

The past few days have seen several odd energy spikes on Lian Yu. Somehow, this has restored the island's vegetation, which had all been killed after Adrian Chase firebombed the island in 523. The device which Dr. Wong designed should enable them to harness those energy spikes for some undefined purpose.

Mia knows the formula for calculating the volume of a sphere by memory: 4/3 pi times radius squared. She does not, however, know the Pauli exclusion principle of quantum physics.

William says the coding and design sequences for Dr. Wong's device are more complicated than anything he's ever seen, including 2040 technology.

There is a double helix genetic sequence in the code for Dr. Wong's device. William thought it was an error at first, but he now believes a person with a certain genetic sequence needs to trigger the device. After Oliver tries and fails to activate it, they seize upon having Lyla Michaels try it.


Dialogue Triumphs

Oliver: (voice-over) The name of the island they found me on is Lian Yu. It's Mandarin for "purgatory". Now I understand why. The memories, the pain... I've never escaped them. They're always with me; a reminder of what I had to endure with only one thought, one goal... Survive. To save the multiverse, I must become something else. To do that, I have to return to where my journey began. Purgatory.

Oliver: There's no easy way to say this. Mar Novu has seen my fate. I don't survive Crisis.
William: What do you mean?
Oliver: I mean that he told me what would happen to me the day that he walked in and asked for my help.
Mia: And when exactly were you planning on telling us?!
Oliver: I've been fighting my fate because of the two of you, and I can't fight it, I can't change it.
Mia: So you're just giving up?!
Oliver: I am attempting to save the multiverse, and I'm trying to keep the two of you safe. We're gonna build the weapon, we're gonna finish this mission, and that's the way that it has to be.
Mia: (cooly) Well, then I guess we better get to it.

Lyla: I'm sorry our first meeting had to be this. I envisioned getting to know my future son over a meal, not en route to a plane crash.
Connor: This... this feels about right for our family. Most of our milestones got interrupted by some sort of international emergency or another.
Lyla: Yeah. I guess your dad and I weren't really there for you and J. J.
Connor: You were there when it counted. Besides, I was beyond proud to be the son of the two superspies that co-founded Knightwatch.
John: You never mentioned that.
Connor: I.. think maybe I wasn't supposed to. Time travel rules and all.

Oliver: Yao Fei? Are you real?
Yao Fei: As real as the men you hunt.
Oliver: Why'd you try to shoot me?
Yao Fei: Like the first time. To keep you from danger.
Oliver: No one can keep me from danger. Okay? Not even you.
Yao Fei: Because you are fated to die? There are forces at play that want you to not succeed.
Oliver: Fyers and his men know about the weapon, and they want to use it for themselves? 
(Yao Fei just nods.)
Oliver: All right. Well, who else has, um, returned?
Yao Fei: Only those who were with you from the beginning, but you must not let the evil that tempted you at the start distract you at the end.
Oliver: He's coming after more than my mission, Yao Fei, you understand? I'm not gonna let that happen.
Yao Fei: Last time you tried to do alone did not end well.
Oliver: I'm not that person anymore.
Yao Fei: I will hope.

Digg:  How you feeling?
Roy: I... I've been better.
Digg: I'm so sorry, Roy. I should have found another way to get you out.
Roy: This wasn't your fault.
Digg: Yeah. Well, that's where you're wrong. I mean, you wouldn't even be in this situation if I hadn't come to find you in Hub City. (sighs) Roy I can't protect the people I care about.
Roy: You know I worked with you and Oliver for a really long time. And if I've learned anything, it's that this team has each other's backs no matter the cost. Things just didn't exactly go as planned.
Digg: That's an understatement.
Roy: No, but I would rather be here. I would rather be here with you and with the team than back in Hub City, living a life all alone. Heroes make sacrifices, John, and for better or for worse, this just had to be mine.

Digg: You know, Oliver, I once told you a long time ago that a soldier never lets a brother go into battle alone. I think that's why it was so hard for me to accept the idea that you weren't gonna make it out of this. I felt like I'd be failing you.
Oliver: You could never fail me, John.
Digg: I'm gonna stick by your side for as long as I can, but I know you have to do this alone.
Oliver: Every mission has an end.
Digg: I wish this one didn't.
Oliver: I couldn't have done any of this, any of it without you. You've always been my rock.
Digg: Don't mean the best man you've ever known?
Oliver: I also mean that.
(The two hug.)

(Oliver is looking over the graves of those he left behind on Lian Yu. Mia emerges behind him.)
Mia: Um, William said I might find you here.
Oliver: Figured you'd be the first one on the boat. You okay?
Mia: My whole life I heard nothing but stories about you, you know, this legendary Green Arrow and his team. I should have been proud of you, because you were a hero, and All I could see is that that is the reason that you weren't with me, and it's it's kind of hard to let that go.
Oliver: I never meant to cause you any pain. Your mom and me just wanted to protect you.
Mia: I know. I, uh I understand that now.
Oliver: For a very long time, I have hated this place. Just I'd think about all the people that it took from me. It would just It would just make me so angry.
Mia: But you're not now?
Oliver: I'm still a little bit angry. This island taught me to survive. It turned me into someone else, somebody better than the person I was before. So despite my feelings... There are no stories about the Green Arrow to tell if I don't make my way to Lian Yu. And I'm also not standing at this moment, looking at my daughter.
Mia: Thank you for letting me be a part of your story. Even if it was only for a little while.
Oliver: (smiling) Mia, something tells me you're gonna create your own stories.
(The two hug.) 

(As Oliver and Mia head toward the beach, the skies suddenly turn read and thunder fills the air. Lyla Michaels appears before them, wearing odd armor.)
Oliver: Lyla?
Harbinger: Not anymore. I'm now a Harbinger of things to come.
Mia: And that's-?
Harbinger: Yes. The Crisis has begun.


Continuity

William refers to his first trip to Lian Yu, as seen in the flash-fowards of 701.

William, Connor and Mia were brought to Lian Yu by ARGUS agents storming the Bunker, under Lyla's orders.

Lyla reveals that Dr. Wong from 802 has been experimenting with the dwarf star particles Oliver retrieved in 801 and has devised schematics for something they need William to build.

Dinah, Roy and Rene are flying in from Star City with the plutonium John and Roy retrieved in 805.

Oliver tells William and Mia about how the Monitor said he is fated to die during the Crisis.

Lyla explains that she first saw the Monitor years earlier when she survived an IED explosion that took out the rest of her unit in Afghanistan. The Monitor revealed that he had saved her for a purpose and that she would have to help him years later to find heroes strong enough to fight the coming Crisis.

Dinah knows how to fly a plane.

Roy has apparently never been to Lian Yu before.

Some kind of missile shoots down Dinah's plane.

Something is jamming the radio signals, preventing Team Arrow from communicating across Lian Yu.

William is able to pinpoint where the cockpit of the plane wound up as well as where the plutomniu, canister went.

Diggle, Connor and Lyla go to find the rest of the team, as Oliver and Black Siren go to get the plutonium. 

Connor lets it slip that Lyla and Diggle go on to found Knightwatch in the future.

They find Dinah helping a limping, wounded Rene to walk away from the crash site. They say they have no idea where Roy is.

Lyla helps Rene back to their base camp, while Connor, Dinah and Diggle go to search for Roy.

Oliver and Black Siren find the plutonium, but are attacked by Eddie Fyers and Billy Wintergreen and their men.  They are able to fight them off, but Fyers and Wintergreen get away.

Fyers says that he was given a new lease on life but does not elaborate how he is alive.

Oliver sends Black Siren back to camp with the plutonium while he goes chasing after Fyers alone.

Oliver runs into Yao Fei, who is also somehow alive again.

Dinah, Diggle and Connor find Roy trapped near a puddle of fuel that is near sparking plane wiring. His arm is pinned by a piece of the plane's landing gear and he says he can't feel it.

Connor has a medical kit in his pack that could allow him to safely amputate Roy's arm. Diggle, however, refuses to give up on trying to lever the landing gear off his arm.

Dinah leaves to investigate someone crashing through the brush nearby. It turns out to be Black Siren.

Dinah and Black Siren move to distract Fyers men as Connor cuts off Roy's arm.

Oliver and Yao Fei find Fyer's camp, but get caught in a pair of steel wire net traps.

Mia goes after Oliver on her own when she learns he went off on his own.

William tells Mia about how Felicity let him watch their dad in action through a video monitor in 611 and how that showed him how Oliver could cheat death better than anyone.

Digg apologizes to Roy for not being able to save his arm but Roy says he's happy to be here with his friends doing something to save the universe than living an ordinary life along in Hub City.

Lyla activates the device, which causes all the previously dead people on Lian Yu to vanish. She then says she has to go and vanishes through a breach.

Lyla arranged for an ARGUS boat to come pick everyone up before she vanished.

Oliver says his goodbyes to Dinah and Rene and Roy.

Roy says John has arranged for him to get to see a fancy ARGUS doctor about his missing arm.

William tries to give the Queen family Hozen back to Roy Harper. Roy says it should stay in the family.

Oliver says his goodbyes to Digg, but makes two requests: make sure their kinds get back to 2040 safely and tell Felicity that she needs to make sure William and Mia grow up together. Diggle agrees.

Oliver goes to visit the graves of those he left on Lian Yu before going. Mia finds him there and they make their peace.

Mia and Oliver are confronted by Lyla, as the skies turn red and lightning fills the air.


Location

Lian Yu.


The Bottom Line

A bit lackluster in terms of action, but absolutely essential in giving all the regular players a chance to take a final bow and Oliver to make peace with everyone he hadn't had a chance to talk to yet. Also pivotal to Crisis since it sets up Lyla's transformation into Harbinger.

Apart from that nothing really notable happens, which makes it all the stranger they chose NOW of all times to adapt The Fall of Arsenal into the Arrowverse. Maybe they're setting up Colton Haynes to appear as Cyborg Roy in Green Arrow and The Canaries? Either way, it's am unpleasant addition to the canon,

Arrow Episode Guide: Season 8, Episode 5 - Prochnost

For a summary of the episode guide layout & categories, click here.




Plot

The search for a weapon to use against The Monitor leads Oliver, Black Siren, Mia and William to Russia, as Diggle seeks out an old friend for help in procuring the plutonium they need for the weapon. But treachery is afoot and a trusted ally will turn upon Team Arrow before their business is concluded.


Influences

The flashback sequences of Arrow Season 5 set in Russia.


Goofs

Diggle says that Thea told Oliver that Roy left her without even saying goodbye, yet two episodes ago Thea said nothing of the kind and indeed said that Roy was off dealing with his demons and that he would be back. (Maybe Oliver knows a BS departure story when he hears it and figured Thea was just justifying Roy's running off?)


Performances

As always, David Nykl is a delight as Anatoly and it is good to see the show gave him one last hurrah in the final season.


Artistry

The arena fights are well choreographed.


Trivia

Diggle and Roy go to a facility in the nation of Bialya to get the plutonium they need.  In the DC Comics universe, Bialya is a fictional Middle Eastern nation located on the northern borders of Iran and Saudi Arabia. It is usually depicted as a haven for terrorists and supervillains, having at one point been ruled by the villain Queen Bee.


Technobabble

Oliver trains Mia in the use of his various trick arrows. These include explosive arrows (lighter payload, meant to divert and disable), acidic arrow (meant to breach covertly or weaken structurally) and bolo arrows (to secure and subdue). Oliver notes it is good not to become dependent on the trick arrows, but they can be useful in stopping a fight that needs to be ended quickly or ending one before it truly begins.

Oliver uses variable acceleration to break the pattern of an enemy's attack and get past their guard.

William creates a facial recognition algorithm to track down the general Curtis mentioned.

Before going off the grid, General Alexi Burov was working on a weapon called a pulse wave generator that could replicate the energy effect that destroyed Earth 2.

The pulse weave generator requires plutonium to power it.


Dialogue Triumphs

Anatoly: Now, I have seen some very crazy things in my life, but adult children of Oliver Queen sitting in my bar... (To William) I hope you do not think badly of me. Last time we met, you were little, and I was on wrong side of history.
William: (in Russian) Water under the bridge.
Anatoly: (pointing to William) I like this one already.
Oliver: I was surprised to learn that you were in Russia. I thought the Maldives would be permanent.
Anatoly: Oh, with Diaz dead, so reason to stay away.
Oliver: (smiling) You got bored.
Anatoly: I miss borscht. So I reinvent myself. Bar owner. Heh! But I got inspired, too. I got really good recipe for piña colada. You should try. It's delicious.
William: Who wouldn't want to be reminded of the tropics in these cold Russian winters?
Black Siren: (looking around empty bar) Well, apparently, his customers.
Anatoly: (dryly) Nice to see this one's still charmer.

William: Have you ever hacked a CCTV camera?
Black Siren: No.
William: Well, congratulations. You're about to learn the only upside of a Russian surveillance state.

Diggle: You may have started on Lian Yu, Roy, but that's not where you ended. Felicity sent William to that island to find you because she believed in you. You go back to Star City, man. You work with the kids. You help them save the city, Roy.
Roy: How is that possible?
Diggle: Because you found the way to control your bloodlust. You found that it was by being part of a team. You kept your distance because you believed that you were a danger to everyone around you, but the real danger was believing that you can deal with your past alone.
Roy: It's pretty ballsy thinking you can give me the answer 20 years earlier.
Diggle: Yeah, well, hopefully, this time, you don't have to wait that long.

Anatoly: I don't know about you, but I could handle drink without umbrella.
Oliver: I'm good, thank you.
Anatoly: If by good you mean...How you say moody, yes, you are. Is this because you ruin family vacation?
Oliver: I have to send them home for their protection.
Anatoly: Do you not think they can handle it?
Oliver: They can handle it. I just I want to keep them away from the Bratva.
Anatoly: You mean keep them away from your Bratva past.
Oliver: Dark time for me.
Anatoly: That is understandable. You are ashamed. You have truly done some terrible things.
Oliver: Thank you for the reminder.
Anatoly: But you also have done some good things. It's important that the kids see both.
Oliver: Right, but why would I want to share some of the worst mistakes of my entire life with my children?
Anatoly: That is the thing about teaching. It's not about what you want to say. It's about what they need to hear. Remember first thing I taught you?
Oliver: "Living is not for the weak."
Anatoly: Your children are not weak, Oliver. They're also not children. Whatever it is you have to say, they can handle it. If you do not, they will never learn to be heroes.

Oliver: Thank you. I always seem to end up in your debt.
Anatoly: We are beyond keeping score. We have been friends, we have been enemies. From now on, let us just be brothers.
Oliver: Not the Bratva kind.
Anatoly: No! Real family, like the one you have now. I can be the fun uncle.

Anatoly: Oh, Laurel, uh There's something I want to say.
Black Siren: What? One last hilarious Russian joke for the road?
Anatoly: Sorry to doubt you. I guess leopards really can change spots. Or in your case, bird, feather.
Black Siren: (smiling) I thought you said you weren't sentimental.
Anatoly: Maybe I change, too. Like you.


Continuity

Oliver trains Mia in archery using the tennis ball test we first saw him utilize in the Pilot. He explains he uses bouncing tennis balls as targets because only a direct, precise hit will pin the ball. If you are off just a little bit, it deflects the arrow.

Mia doesn't cook.

General Alexi Burov is the man in Russia Curtis mentioned in 804 who has plans for a weapon that can replicate the energy blast that destroyed Earth-2.

The pulse weave generator requires plutonium to power it.

Diggle says he knows of a facility in Bialya, where a two-man team should be able to steal some plutonium. Bialya was briefly mentioned in 117.

Connor left to check up on his mother, Sandra, and his past self.

Black Siren figures out that Lyla is working for The Monitor and against Oliver, before Lyla gives her orders on behalf of The Monitor.

Lyla tells Black Siren she needs to get the plans for the pulse wave generator before Oliver.

Diggle finds Roy Harper, who is once again posing as a mechanic - this time using the name Jason.

William apparently tracked Roy down.

Anatoly was last seen in 706. He moved back to Moscow and became a bar owner, having become bored hiding out under the fake identity Felicity made for him and having no reason to stay in hiding with Ricardo Diaz dead.

William can speak Russian.

Oliver asks Anatoly not to use his Bratva contacts in finding information on General Burov.

Diggle's plan is to do a smash-and-grab on a delivery truck going into the facility in Bialya rather than break into the facility itself.

General Burov frequents a Bratva-run club known as Krovavaya Banya - "The Blood Bath"

William tells Oliver that he met Mia in an underground fight club.

Oliver had no idea that Mia was a cage fighter for a while.

Oliver refuses to let Mia or William get involved in this mission. They think it is because he thinks the Bratva is too dangerous. In truth, he doesn't want them to know about his dark past in Russia.

Oliver is still recognized as Kapiushon from his time in Russia.

General Burov agrees to give Oliver the plans for the pulse weave generator if he can win a fight against The Blood Bath's current champion.

Before General Burov can make good on his deal, the Bratva steps in.

Mia is caught trying to sneak around The Blood Bath, leading to her and Oliver being captured.

Oliver tells Mia about how he used to be part of the Bratva and how he was really trying to hide his dark past from her and William.

Mia is put through the "ring the bell" gauntlet which Oliver faced to join the Bratva in 502. Unlike Oliver, she doesn't quite make it.

Diggle tells Roy about the events of the flash-forwards of Season 7 and how Roy went back to Star City to help Oliver's children save the city. He also tells him that he eventually discovered that the secret to controlling his blood lust was to surround himself with friends and fight with them - not close himself off from everyone he loved.

Oliver demonstrates his old trick of dislocating his thumbs to escape from handcuffs. Mia asks him to teach her that trick.

Oliver comes up with a new plan - he and Mia go into the ring as a team with William posing as the rich guy bringing them in. While they are distracting everyone, Anatoly and Black Siren will steal the plans.

Oliver tells Mia about his time in Russia and on Lian Yu, so they know about the mistakes he made and the worst times of his life.

Roy decides to stick around in Star City for a while.

Oliver and Anatloy agree that they consider one another brothers now.

Black Siren tells Oliver and Diggle about the deal Lyla made with her to try and get her to betray the team.

Oliver, Diggle and Black Siren are taken out with tranquilizer darts when they confront Lyla.


Location

Moscow, Russia
Bialya


The Bottom Line

A worthy tribute to one of the more underrated aspects of Arrow's history and a fantastic swan song for its greatest guest player. More, it finally brings an end to the far-too-stretched out will-she/won't she Black Siren arc and plays off the build up to Crisis beautifully. You almost forget that nothing of importance happens plot-wise until the final scene.

Titans #21 - A Review

Roy Harper is convinced he has uncovered a super-villain conspiracy but Donna Troy fears he may be back on heroine and hallucinating. When Dick Grayson and Wally West go to confront their friend and former teammate, who will emerge victorious in the fight that follows?


Usually whenever you have a comic where the heroes are fighting other heroes, it is lazy padding. Granting I may be biased as a Roy Harper fan who is thrilled to see a story that remembers that Arsenal is a master strategist and no mean detective, Dan Abnett still writes a fantastic issue full of pathos, ethos and action.  The artwork is top-notch, with Paul Pelletier giving every panel a sense of active motion - even the simple scenes of characters talking on the phone. The finishes by Andrew Hennessy and Adriano Lucas are also excellent.

The Final Analysis: 10 out of 10.

Titans #18 - A Review

Facing the power behind their enemies The Key, Psimon and Mister Twister, The Titans are horrified to find that it is one of their own... a version of Donna Troy from the future, determined to kill her former allies and push Donna down the path to becoming her. Can Donna overcome her dark future self?


Titans #18 brings The Rise of Troia to a satisfying, if rushed conclusion. Dan Abnett still seems to be struggling to balance the overly large cast and the subplot involving Bubblebee's amnesia - probably the least developed storyline since the series started - is resolved with little explanation or fanfare. The story isn't bad but there's little of the depth Abnett delivers in his writing on Aquaman.

The artwork is similarly competent but hardly outstanding. Brent Booth can draw a good fight scene, but his facial expressions are horrendous. People smile at the oddest times in the worlds that Brent Booth creates resulting in some incredibly awkward fight scenes.

The Final Analysis: 5 out of 10.

Green Arrow Annual #1 - A Review

It's Christmas time but visions of sugar-plums dancing aren't filling the heads of the people of Seattle. Count Vertigo has come to town seeking revenge and uped his game, trapping Team Arrow and the rest of Seattle in their worst nightmares! Only Black Canary remains unaffected to save the day.



There's a lot to like about Green Arrow Annual #1. How Benjamin Percy develops a new yet wholly logical secondary super power for Black Canary. The return of Count Vertigo with a new yet logical extension of his powers.The dream and nightmare sequences, illustrated so well by Eleonora Carlini. The beautiful colors by Hi-Fi. This is one Christmas special worthy of the name.

The Final Analysis: 10 out of 10. 

Titans #16 - A Review

Wally West is dead, having seemingly stopped his own heart to save his friends! Now, as the other Wally West races to his side, feeling a disturbance in The Speed Force, the rest of the Titans must face Psimon and the approaching evil he claims Lilith Clay is responsible for summoning...



In the past, I've complemented Titans for being amazingly accessible to new readers. I can't do that this month. Indeed, I had to reread the issue several times to figure out what was going on myself. Part of the problem is Brett Booth's page layouts are confusing. Worse yet, some of the forced poses he places the characters in look goofy as all get out. The "berserk" Donna Troy is particularly egregious.

In the end, I think it says a lot that this issue hypes the appearance of "the other Wally West" on the cover and that the issue synopsis focused on that aspect of the story despite it only taking up four pages of the issue. Most of the book is devoted to a nonsensical battle which introduces too much and haphazardly ends one of the book's major subplots in a way that doesn't pay off well at all. Maybe Dan Abnett can salvage this next month but it's not looking likely.

The Final Analysis: 3 out of 10. 

Titans #15 - A Review

The traitor among The Titans stands revealed as Nightwing, who has been a double-agent for HIVE all this time! Can the team continue to be Titans Together in the face of their leader's treachery? Is there more than meets the eye here? What of Mal Duncan and Gnaark's mission to infiltrate a HIVE lair in search of Bumblebee's stolen memories? And what about Psimon's prophecy that Lilith Clay will destroy the world and only HIVE can save it?





The only real flaw to Titans #15 is its inaccessibility to new readers. There's too many subplots and too much going on for a new reader to comfortably jump in on this issue. Those who have been reading this book since the beginning, however, will find more of the same great characterization, high-octane action and amazing artwork that make it one of DC Comics' most underrated titles.

The Final Analysis: 8 out of 10. A great issue marred only by being for established Titans fans only.

Titans #14 - A Review

Multiple sources have confirmed a traitor among The Titans! As tensions mount and tempers flare, the team's secrets will be lain bare. With the distrust among them stronger than ever, can The Titans pull together when an old enemy of Garth's rises up from Atlantis seeking to poison the surface world?


The biggest problem with Titans #14 is that there's too much going on. This is a common problem with team books and Dan Abnett tries to ensure that the entire cast gets a little bit of time devoted to their issues. Unfortunately, the end result shortchanges everyone. Ironically, the worst victim of this minimization is Garth, who is nominally meant to be the central character. Easily the least developed of the Titans thus far, more time is spent on the tension between himself and Nightwing than on the revelations regarding Garth's past or his relationship with Lilith.

This is unfortunate, because Garth's romance with Lilith is far more interesting and seems more natural than the sudden love triangle between The Flash, Arsenal and Donna Troy. This story line, in turn, has gotten more page time than Donna's identity crisis in the wake of the revelation that everything she knows about her past is wrong. And those are just three of the subplots that are touched upon in this issue. There's many more I'm ignoring.

Brett Booth's artwork is similarly mixed. Booth is a fine artist but his poses are often forced and the flow of action from panel to panel often looks ludicrous. Booth seems unable to draw his characters at rest. Everyone's hair and bodies seem to be continually in motion even when they are meant to be standing still, as if there were a stiff wind continually causing capes to billow and hair to blow. The inks by Norm Rapmund and Andrew Dalhouse's colors are fine enough and this is still a good-looking comic. It just appears to be off-center at times due to the continual sense of motion.

The Final Analysis: 6 out of 10. A busy story with artwork that doesn't suit the action at times.

Green Arrow #23 - A Review

The Ninth Circle's Four Horseman continue to reign chaos down on Seattle. As Black Canary hits the books to find the method to their madness, Roy Harper and Emiko Queen will join forces to save the city's water supply from being fouled by Cheshire as Oliver fights to save what remains of his secret base from Eddie Fyers.


Is there any superhero scenario more tried and true than stopping the town reservoir from being poisoned? I can think of three Batman stories alone based around that concept. Thankfully, while the set-up of Green Arrow #23 may seem somewhat familiar, Benjamin Percy offers more than simple action and adventure. His command of the characters and dialogue make everything old seem new again and it's a real treat to see the interaction between Red Arrow and Arsenal. Roy Harper fans will also be glad to know there is confirmation that he has some kind of history with Cheshire in the Rebirth reality but no details are given here. Hopefully that tale will be told sometime in the near future.


Juan Ferreyra's artwork continues to amaze. I'm particularly impressed by his use of negative space and color. The above page is a fine example of this, with the muted background colors serving to make the reds seem all the stronger while further enhancing the aura of sorrow blanketing the scene.

Final Analysis: 8 out of 10.

Titans #11 - A Review

Slade Wilson is the greatest assassin on Earth - a position he earned by being wise enough not to hold grudges. Yet even his professionalism was tested when his eldest son and heir apparent, The Ravager, was killed during his combat with the original team of Titans. Many years have passed since that day but Slade has not forgotten the debt The Titans owe him. Now, they will make amends for what they did - one way or the other!


Reluctant as I am to encourage the myth of the invincible Slade Wilson (a Winickian conceit that's somehow grown in power since the ridiculous Identity Crisis) I found myself enjoying Titans #11 even as I wished for an explanation as to just how the heck Deathstroke could abduct Wally West unseen in a public space without his friends noticing.

"But whatever", as the late great Mako would say. Dan Abnett's script (based on a story by hmself, Priest and Benjamin Percy) doesn't waste time with such trivia. It's too busy reaffirming one of the greatest villain/team rivalries in comics history for a new generation of readers and showing the circumstances that led to Deathstroke's grudge against The Titans in the reality of Rebirth. To Abnett's credit, he does this without any lengthy exposition dumps, conveying just enough information to move the story forward and editorial boxes (oh, how I've missed those!) informing the reader where they can read the full details.

The artwork is up to the usual standard of Titans' art team. Brett Booth is a wonderful fight choreographer but still has an unfortunate tendency to capture his characters with awkward expressions. Norm Rapmund keeps his inks delightfully light, allowing the bright colors utilized by Andrew Dalhouse and Carrie Strachan to shine all the brighter.

Final Analysis: 8 out of 10. A solid start.

Green Arrow #22 - A Review

With Seattle suffering on multiple fronts and the corrupt Mayor Domini doing nothing to help, the city is more in need of its heroes than ever. Yet even as Green Arrow does what he can to undo the damage wrought by The Four Horsemen, he can't help but wonder about the secret room he discovered in The Queen Family mausoleum and the revelation that his father was part of The Ninth Circle syndicate that seeks to destroy everything Oliver Queen has ever fought to protect.


At this point, I think you can safely assume I'm going to love anything Benjamin Percy and Juan Ferreyra do together. Theirs is one of the greatest partnerships in modern comics. And this issue of Green Arrow is a near-perfect symphony of art and script working together in perfect unison.

There's only one false note in that symphony and that is the scene between Black Canary and Green Arrow near the end of the issue. While I'm relieved to see Oliver reject the notion that Dinah is his conscience (a concern I voiced nearly a year ago), this whole conversation seems forced. I can't see Dinah holding the belief that the need for people to be free to make their own mistakes absolves Oliver of the need to do something about the evil being done in his family's name. Particularly given that her pre-Rebirth solo series (is that still canon?) was based around Dinah trying to learn about her mother and uphold her legacy.


The irony is this conversation does a fantastic job of showcasing one of the classic conflicts of Oliver Queen's character,and modern liberalism in general. Oliver Queen honestly does want to help people but Dinah rightly points out that drive is somewhat inspired by a belief in Noblesse oblige - that the rich and powerful are obligated to look after their sociological "lessers". The problem is it's difficult to be a man of the people when you're mentally placing yourself above the people you're trying to help.

As Terry Pratchett noted, the root of all evil lies in viewing people as things, As Dinah points out here, that attitude can come just as easily to a humanist who views "the people" as something to be saved as to a fascist who views people as property. Regardless of where you stand on this discussion, I think it is impressive that Green Arrow has once again become so thought-provoking even as I decry how awkwardly the ideas are presented.

Final Analysis: 8 Out of 10. Great action and artwork with some honest-to-goodness social commentary. It could be handled more smoothly, though.

Titans #10 - A Review

Nightwing and The Flash have been captured while investigating Meta Solutions and their connection to The Fearsome Five. Not even the rest of the Titans may up to the task of saving them! Yet help can come from the most unlikely of sources...


While I can forgive a lot in the name of a story where the power of love and friendship win the day, I can't quite forgive Dan Abnett for this issue. The action sequences are good but the Deus Ex Machina employed here strains credibility and Abnett is capable of writing so much better.

By contrast, the artists seem to have upped their game, with Brett Booth's artwork looking less posed and more fluid than usual. Norm Rapmund's inks are light, adding to the continual sense of motion that dominates Booth's art and Andrew Dalhouse's colors create some truly amazing eye-catching light effects.

Green Arrow #20 - A Review

Green Arrow #20 works perfectly on multiple levels. It satisfies as a thrilling action story in the vein of Dennis O'Neil and Mike Grell, but this is the least of Benjamin Percy's accomplishments as a writer. The most impressive part of this issue is the redemption of Roy Harper.


As I mentioned in my review of the previous issue, Roy's background in The New 52 reality was left largely undefined. The flashback sequences in the past three issues have done much to restore Roy's past and, in doing so, define his current character. Some cosmetic changes have been made - such as the name of Roy's adoptive Native American father and what tribe they were part of - yet all of this, curiously, has helped to restore Roy to his Golden Age roots as an orphaned boy-adventurer.

Another aspect of Roy's past that is finally explored in detail is his history of drug abuse. Given Roy's new status as a homeless youth, this makes sense, with the real world statistics regarding homeless teenagers and drug use being depressingly high. Percy does not go for shock value in this, however, and if there is any justice the same people who gave the atrocious The Rise Of Arsenal an award for its depiction of drug use will give the same award to this story arc.


Another change of note that will interest long-time Arrow-heads is Percy's revamp of Count Vertigo. As with Percy's new take on The Clock King, the changes here are largely cosmetic and limited to a brilliant - but logical - twist on a classic character's modus operandi. In this case, Vertigo uses his powers to help a withdrawn Roy Harper get his fix by simulating a heroin high, in order to convince the young hero - recently abandoned by Green Arrow - to work for him.  On that note, the story also does a fair bit to redeem Oliver Queen for his reactions to his young ward's habit while still leaving Oliver firmly in the wrong.


I must not forget to praise the art team in all of this. Both Eleonora Carlini and Mirka Andolfo do a fantastic job of illustrating this entire story arc. The colors by Arif Prianto are perfectly chosen throughout. Quite frankly, if this story arc doesn't see a few Eisner and Harvey nominations, I will be very surprised!

Bottom Line: If you are any kind of Green Arrow and Arsenal fan, you need to read these last three issues.

Green Arrow #19 - A Review

While many characters suffered from poor characterization and a lack of development in The New 52, it's hard to think of a complex character who underwent greater devolution than Roy Harper. Raised Native American and a proud single-father, his history was scrapped in favor of a vague backstory that hinted at his being a homeless petty criminal whose employment and subsequent falling-out with Green Arrow was never explained... until now.

The story of Green Arrow #19 alternates between flashbacks showcasing the Green Arrow/Speedy relationship and action sequences in the modern day. It is here that Roy Harper and Oliver Queen have crossed paths again, with Roy having come home to aid the tribe that raised him and Oliver tracking the latest crimes against humanity being perpetuated with his company's resources - i.e. building an oil pipeline across sacred Native land.


In just two short issues, Benjamin Percy has done much to negate the damage dealt to Roy Harper. Roy's Native roots have been reaffirmed, though the details of how he came to be adopted have yet to be divulged. And Percy has rebuilt the friendship between Dinah Lance and Roy Harper, albeit under different circumstances than in the original universe. The "big sister looking out for little brother "vibe is there again, even if this Dinah didn't check this Roy into rehab.


Despite there being two separate teams at work in this issue, there is no discontinuity between the pages. Both Eleonora Carlini and Mirka Andolfo utilize a style based around detailed pencils and light inks, so the two complement each other to the point that I'm not entirely certain that one did the flashbacks and the other did the modern day sequences!  Well, whoever did what, the artwork in this issue is fantastic!

Titans #9 - A Review

When Mal Duncan expressed concerns about the company Meta Solutions - who were treating his wife's sudden development of super-powers after her pregnancy - his friends in The Titans were all too willing to listen... particularly when Mal said that he saw Mammoth of The Fearsome Five in the company building!  It turns out The Fearsome Five are in the employ of Meta Solutions but they claim to have turned over a new leaf. Is it too good to be true?  Almost certainly...


Dan Abnett is a great writer and he handles the ensemble cast of Titans extraordinary well. I do wish that he'd focus more on certain members than others in the wake of the opening arc (Omen and Donna Troy, in particular, who I don't think have had a single scene together as the only women on the team in nine issues) but there's some great character moments here for Arsenal and Tempest. The story is good for what it is - an action/thriller -and the sequence of Nightwing and The Flash infiltrating Meta Solutions together is a great one.


There is one thing I noticed in this issue that I hadn't before about Brett Booth's artwork - the subtle differences he puts into each character's body-type. Many artists merely draw a generic fit form for superheroes but Booth draws a runner like Wally West differently than archer Roy Harper or trained-acrobat Dick Grayson. That sense of detail dominates Booth's work in general and is part of why this book always looks fantastic.

Titans #6 - A Review

In order to save his friends and the woman he loves, Wally West had to run faster than he had ever run before. That action trapped him in The Speed Force - just as the mad mage Abra Kadabra had planned! Now, as the Titans battle Kadabra, Wally must face the battle of his afterlife to escape the perfect world The Speed Force has created for him...


Dan Abnett's conclusion to Titans' opening arc proves as thrilling as one could hope. The ending is a tad predictable even without Abnett's foreshadowing in earlier issues. Nevertheless, this critic found the conclusion enjoyable and uplifting in a way few modern comics dare to dream of being.


The art team continues to impress in their efforts to bring Abnett's scripts to life. Every page of this issue is filled with intricate, eye-catching artwork that dazzles the readers with its quality craftsmanship. Brett Booth, Norm Rapmund and Andrew Dalhouse are a team worthy of The Titans themselves!

Titans #4 - A Review

Wally West restored the memories of his closest friends but the woman he loves - journalist Linda Park - remains a stranger to him. Now Abra Kadabra - the mad mage from the future Wally is destined to destroy someday - has taken Linda and given him one hour to find her. It's an impossible task, even for the Fastest Man Alive! Good thing Wally West has all those friends...


Despite Brett Booth's figures being somewhat forcibly posed at times, this issue boasts some impressive artwork. Booth has a great talent for depicting figures in motion, which works well during the issues' action scenes. The inks by Norm Rapmund enhance the pencils without obscuring them and the colors by Andrew Dalhouse are vibrant.


While I still wish more of the Titans had been better developed as characters n this opening arc (Lilith and Garth particularly), Dan Abnett still writes a solid action-based comic better than most. The fight scenes are fantastic and it's heartening in these cynical days to see a team book where all the cast get along and can deliver a battle cry without irony.

Titans #3 - A Review

The Titans have won their first public battle since reforming, but the mad mage Abra Kadabra remains at large. The problem of their altered memories still remains. And The Titans are far from alone in feeling manipulated and ill at ease...


Dan Abnett takes a step back with this issue, allowing the ensemble cast more time for character interaction and development. Arsenal and Donna Troy get the lion's share of these scenes, with a suggestion that Roy Harper is starting to recover his romantic feelings (if not his memories) for his Amazon teammate. Omen is still poorly served in all of this but at least Garth is shown to have some signs of personality, even if it's an incredibly formal one that seems at odds with what I remember of the character. Still, the scene featuring Mal Duncan and Bumblebee suggests another slice of missing history that will be developed and the mystery is well-paced and intriguing.


This mystery is further developed in the artwork, where a subtle visual clue in one scene with Kadabra hints once more to the revelations in DC Universe Rebirth #1 regarding who is ultimately responsible for manipulating the timeline. The art team does a fine job of handling this while simultaneously depicting the action of the story.  Brett Booth does a fantastic job of giving each character their own unique look.  The inks by Norm Rapmund are perfectly balanced and the colors by Andrew Dalhouse are well-chosen throughout.

Titans #2 - A Review

The Titans have had their memories of their past together restored. Unfortunately, in Omen's efforts to restore their minds, she discovered - and accidentally awoke - another person trapped in a false-life. And that person is The Flash's old enemy - the mad mage Abra Kadabra!


Dan Abnett's script for this episode is thrilling enough, pitting the Titans against Kadabra's puppet versions of their Teen Titans equivalents. However, the characterization is still uncharacteristically shallow for Abnett's work. Only Wally, Roy and Donna are given any sort of character moment. And even then, Donna and Roy's moments are limited to their apparently remembering their love for one another.


The artwork is similarly mixed. Brett Booth draws a great action sequence but the characters' poses frequently seemed forced when they aren't meant to be in motion. Despite this, everything still looks good. Norm Rapmund does a fine job on the inks for the issue, finding the perfect balance between merely outlining the pencils and enhancing them. And the color art by Andrew Dalhouse and Carrie Sirachan perfectly finishes the final art.

Arrow: Season 2.5 #19 - A Review

In order to synthesize a fresh dose of the Mirakuru antidote, Oliver Queen and Roy Harper must journey to the last place on Earth Oliver wants to go - Lian Yu.  Because the antidote requires a blood sample from someone who recently took Mirakuru and the only one who can provide that is Slade Wilson.  And even though he's locked up in an ARGUS holding facility, the man called Deathstroke will not bleed without a fight...


Marc Guggenheim's script for this issue is a thrilling one. As one would expect, the fight between Slade and Oliver is a suspenseful one. What really sells this story, however, is a wonderful opening monologue which I would place among the greatest Oliver Queen lines in any medium.


The artwork remains at its usual level of quality. Joe Bennett blocks the action sequences like a master choreographer and does a fine job capturing the likenesses of the actors from the show.  The inks by Craig Yeung enhance the artwork rather than concealing it. And Jim Charalampidis' colors prove well chosen.