Green Arrow #36 - A Review

Saved from a watery grave by Black Canary, Oliver Queen must confront his treacherous mother and The Ninth Circle in order to save his city. Little does he know that the assassins Malcolm Merlyn and Shado are coming to join the party as well, as Kate Spencer struggles to clear Oliver's name of murder charges as The Trial of The Century begins in Star City!


Click On The Picture Above For A Full-Screen Scan.
There is very little I can say about this issue without spoiling it. Suffice it to say, Benjamin Percy managed something impossible after several issues of doubting the direction of the story and the point in resurrecting Moira Queen only to turn her into an even more treacherous figure than she was on the TV Series Arrow. For that, if nothing else, he has my respect. For his perfect encapsulation of the Green Arrow and Black Canary romance in this issue, he has my gratitude.

I regret that I can't show you every wonderful two-page spread that Juan Ferreyra has put together for this issue. The layouts for this issue are fantastic and Ferreyra's use of color throughout is amazing.This is rightly applauded as one of DC Comics best-looking books.

The Final Analysis: 10/10.

Green Arrow #35 - A Review

With his trial on murder charges fast approaching, it would be a foolish thing for Oliver Queen to leave Seattle on a quest for sunken treasure. Yet when his mother Moira Queen - who reveals that she faked her death and is in debt to The Ninth Circle - asks for her help, he can hardly say no to raiding the wreckage of a sunken Ninth Circle base. Yet even as his enemies move to harm him on the surface, the greatest threat to Green Arrow may be closer than he thinks.



Quite honestly, the only thing keeping me going on this series is my trust in Benjamin Percy as a writer based on what came before. The idea of resurrecting Moira Queen as a villain holds no appeal for me, particularly in light of all the aspects of the Arrow TV Series that work which have been rejected for inclusion in the comics and all of the terrible things from The New 52 reality that could have been jettisoned in Rebirth but weren't. Tommy Merlyn: Assassin, anyone?

Ignoring my protestations regarding what I should and should not like to see in Green Arrow, this issue is a bit of a mess. An entire subplot is devoted to two police characters we haven't seen before, which is rendered largely meaningless by the end of the issue. And while I appreciate that Percy writes a strong, capable Black Canary, it strains credibility that she just happened to put a tracking device on Ollie just when it was needed.

At least Juan Ferreyra's artwork is as grand as ever. The posing, the colors, the use of shadows and light - all of these elements are fantastic. I just wish he'd had a better story to illustrate this time around.

The Final Analysis: 6 Out of 10. 

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.

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.

Green Arrow #21 - A Review

As Oliver Queen ponders his life and the father he never really knew while visiting the Queen family tomb, a sinister plot unfolds. Four villains - all in the employ of Queen Enterprises CEO Cyrus Broderick - have set about bringing Hell to Seattle in one form or another. Soon Green Arrow and his allies will find themselves tested as never before...


It's difficult for me to show any scans of Green Arrow #21, given the unique way in which Juan Ferreyra illustrated this issue. Up until the final three pages, the top third of each page depicts Oliver Queen's as he visits his father's grave. The bottom two-thirds depict the various villains in action and the story spans across both pages, splash-page style. It's a bold breakage of the standard comic-book format but Ferreyra pulls it off beautifully, taking advantage of the extra space in some truly unique ways.

Benjamin Percy's script is more concerned with the practicalities of reestablishing several members of Green Arrow's rogues gallery than any fancy aesthetics. More, the story attempts to reconcile the new origin for Robert Queen presented in Jeff Lemire's Green Arrow with something somewhat closer to the Arrow TV series character. Far from being overly expository, Percy balances this set-up and some thrilling action sequences like a master plate-spinner.

Personally, I regret the necessity of needing to stick with the story where Shado is Oliver Queen's weird step-mom. But what do I know? I'm one of the three people who miss Mia Dearden and Felicity Smoak from The Kingdom story arc!

Final Analysis: 9 out of 10. 

Green Arrow #11 - A Review

The mission had been to stop an illegal drug shipment on a high-speed underwater train. Yet somehow Green Arrow, Black Canary and John Diggle found themselves in the middle of a secret international peace summit just as one of the lead diplomats was murdered. Now, with security convinced that they're the killers and the real assassin on the run, our heroes will have to act fast to clear the names, catch the real killer... and save everyone's lives!



There's no touching character moments or heart-felt speeches this time, kids. This issue is nothing but action, action and more action! Personally I prefer my Green Arrow stories a little more thoughtful, but this issue is good for what it is - a summer blockbuster on paper - and Benjamin Percy writes a damn good action movie.


I'm afraid the images I've chosen to include with this review don't do full justice to Juan Ferreyra's art. They're great images - particularly the splash page (no pun intended) of Black Canary and Green Arrow outrunning the cresting water in a flooding tunnel.  Yet the most impressive bits of this issue involve the glorious two-page spreads Ferreyra crafts for most of the issue's action sequences.

Green Arrow #10 - A Review

Running under the ocean floor from Seattle to Shanghai, the Trans-Pacific Railway is a miracle of modern engineering. It is also a tool of the criminal synidcate known as The Ninth Circle, useful for ferrying drugs across the world. It is for that reason that Green Arrow, Black Canary and John Diggle intended to raid the train  but soon they find themselves caught in the middle of a secret peace conference. They are not alone in their infiltration, as an old enemy of Green Arrow's is also there...

Fans of Mike Grell's run on Green Arrow will rejoice at the return of everyone's favorite mercenary, Eddie Fyers. Percy writers Fyers true to form as an affably amoral man who is good at being bad but doesn't take any joy in his work apart from the knowledge of a job well done. Black Canary fans will be equally pleased by the scenes where Dinah easily throws herself into the spy game - no damsel in distress here!


Juan Ferreyra also invites comparisons to The Grell Era of Green Arrow. His art style differs from that of Grell in The Longbow Hunters and the various artists who drew the monthly Green Arrow comic, being more stylized than realistic. However, Grell and Ferreryra both use color in similar ways and their splash-pages are equally eye-catching and poster-worthy.

Green Arrow #5 - A Review

With the good name of Oliver Queen, his family fortune and Black Canary held hostage, Green Arrow has no choice but to storm the secret fortress of the criminal syndicate known as The Ninth Circle. Thankfully, Green Arrow has an unexpected ally on his side. Yet when push comes to shove and it looks like everything may be lost, how much will Green Arrow sacrifice in the name of justice?


There is a lot about this opening arc I haven't liked. I dislike Black Canary being captured so easily and not winning free on her own. I dislike Emiko (easily the most annoying and least original of Jeff Lemire's contributions to the Green Arrow mythos, being a second-rate Damien Wayne) suddenly making an 11th Hour decision to pull a heel/face turn. And I dislike Shado being turned into an outright villain.

Yet, I realize that is the part of me that is a Green Arrow purist talking. And while I may quibble with certain aspects of the story, the greater part of what Benjamin Percy has written is good. His takes on Green Arrow and Black Canary are picture perfect. The romantic scenes between them have been enjoyable, if a bit rushed in execution. Percy also managed to do more to make Emiko a tolerable character than Lemire ever did, so full credit on that feat!


Whatever reservations I may have about have the story, I have none about the art. Juan Ferreyra is a phenomenal artist and proof positive of how effective it is when an artist handles their own inks and colors. Not to disrespect all the wonderful creative teams out there but the artwork in this issue of Green Arrow offers something wholly unique, full of energy and excitement from the base pencils to the colors chosen.

Green Arrow #3 - A Review

Framed for a murder he didn't commit and presumed dead, Oliver Queen is out for revenge. As he storms the fortress that is Queen Industries in a bid for answers, Black Canary begins her own hunt for justice. Yet neither of them can begin to imagine the scope of the evil they face...


Benjamin Percy and Juan Ferreyra are nailing it on this book. The action sequences are fantastic and both Green Arrow and Black Canary are being written the way they should be. I particularly liked Percy's take on Canary in this issue, which remembers a fact that most writers forget - ever since the days of Dennis O'Neil, Ollie was the nice one and Dinah was the one with a vicious streak. And the artwork by Juan Ferreyra reminds me of Mike Grell's work on The Longbow Hunters, particularly in how the colors are utilized. This is the book Green Arrow and Black Canary fans have been dying to read for years!