GREEN ARROW #1
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Art by DIOGENES NEVES
Cover by MAURO CASCIOLI
Variant cover by ETHAN VAN SCIVER
Size: 40 pages
Price: 3.99
This review contains spoilers, click here to read
For what feels like the better part of a decade, Green Arrow's title has been gasping for air. The glory days of Meltzer and Winnick are long over, and one would be hard pressed to find a truly great GA moment that doesn't pre-date Identity Crisis. The character remains a fan-favorite, but he always seems to shine the brightest when he appears in someone else's book. Oliver Queen holds firm at the top of the B-List. But like most B-Listers, when his book doesn't work, it really doesn't work. DC's answer to this is typically to violently shake the character's universe as if it were some kind of creative snowglobe. "Sales are low? Let's make him the mayor! Sales are still low? Let's marry him off and make it a team book! Still low? Let's make them argue and be chased by a stalker for a year and a half! Still low?! Let's ruin his entire family and make him a murderer! And throw in yet another costume change. They love that shit." This method is like throwing a handful of darts at a board and reaching for the next handful before you check for a bullseye. We've found ourselves wondering if Green Arrow can really carry a title anymore. Some fans are probably even hoping for a mercy-cancellation. When a book is trudging through a rough patch like this, the answer is not always to change the status quo. Very rarely a writer will jump on board and save a title by turning it on its head, but more often than not shake-ups fall by the wayside and the continuity would've been better served by a cancellation. So as we approach another #1, few would envy J.T. Krul.
The atrocities DC and James Robinson recented commited against the Arrow Family are at best a case of unneccessary roughness, and at worst a case of George Lucas-level character abuse. Krul makes a wise choice to reference Cry For Justice as little as possible, though when events have been overly earth-shattering, it's no easy task. This issue opens with a scene we're all too familiar with. Hero saves damsel in distress, scares off her attackers without actually apprehending them, said damsel suddenly feels empowered and pelts the fleeing punks with a quick "Take that!". What we don't often see is the hero taking a leisurely stroll with the total stranger he just rescued, all the while pouring his heart out and having a personal conversation about his recent bad luck. This is not only out of character for Ollie, but costumed heroes in general. It's a unique way to catch the reader up on recent happenings, but makes for a rather weak start to a #1. Queen remains uncharacteriscally stoic and reflective throughout the issue. One could argue that he's dealing with a lot of baggage, and therefore not as boisterous as usual. That argument would be valid, but he can't stay that way. Hopefully Krul will have him back to slinging right-wing hyperbole by the second arc.
Krul does succeed in creating an interesting nemesis for GA in the form of Isabel Rochev. She appears both intelligent and a bit insane, and her character design is Morrison-calibur creepy. It's almost always fun to see a masoginist like Ollie face off against a formidable female. The weapons manufacturing angle Krul seems to be exploring is intriguing, but may ring one too many iron bells in the ears of many bi-company fanboys. It's impossible to deny the similarities between Tony Stark and Oliver Queen, but when two characters are obviously similar, it's usually best not too constantly point it out. Especially when one character is more successful than ever, and the other is not.
The aspect of the relaunch that shows the most promise is also one of the most unique (funny how that works), and that is the Star Forest. In one fell swoop, it simultaneously gives Green Arrow a new hideout, and helps to mask the overkill of Cry For Justice. It also helps create a neccessary difference between the destruction of Coast and Star City. At least GL and GA have something new to bond over at Warriors, though another glaring difference is that Hal was possessed when he went on a killing spree, and Olliver was not. We can only hope Krul handles the redemption of Oliver Queen with the same skill that Johns did with Hal Jordan. The forest constantly changing is a neat little bit, and the metaphor of the forest as a place of much needed solace and growth for GA is nice and subtle. The Robin Hood angle shows a great deal of promise, and may serve as the redemption Queen needs. The scene with Ollie giving food to the homeless is a bit on-the-nose, but Krul is smart to have GA win back the city's trust by appealing to its masses.
Diogenes Neves is more than competent, but his pencils are somewhat inconsitent. When he takes his time, the pages look great. But it's obvious when he gets rushed. His Ollie appears younger than he has in a while, but one could argue that it's all part of the gradual and constant de-aging of superheroes. His action is solid, and some of his angles are quite original, even if they don't always work. Unfortunately, the best piece of art work of the issue is on the outside. Mauro Cascioli's cover is one of the most wonderfully rendered #1's we've seen in a while, and if the solicitations are any indication, he's welcome to stay on for as long as he likes.
Overall the issue could've been worse. After a change this violent, there's a great deal of bumps to be smoothed over. Krul is taking on a serious clean-up, and it may be a smart move to start off slow. There's enough intrigue here to keep readers waiting for #2. The true test will be whether or not both the fans and DC can have the patience to let Krul find his footing before demanding another shake of the snowglobe.
Art: 2 - Average
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