Green Arrow #23
Writer: Jeff Lemire
Art: Andrea Sorrentino
Colors: Marcelo Maiolo
Letters: Rob Leigh
Review by Patrick Brennan
Warning: Spoilers from Green Arrow #22 are in this review!
If there’s one thing you can expect from Green Arrow since Jeff Lemire and Andrea Sorrentino have taken over (besides fast paced storytelling and incredible art) it’s that your monthly need to see arrows going through bad people’s heads will be met in full. Issue #23 certainly didn’t fail us in the headshot department, and though it lags at some points, it continues the new creative team’s solid run so far.
We pick up directly where we left off last month as Green Arrow learns that not only did Shado and his father have an affair, but they also had a child together who just happens to be the adopted daughter of Komodo. Ollie doesn’t get much time to dwell on this, however, as our heroes are soon attacked by Count Vertigo and his forces. As he and his new companion attempt to escape Vlatava and its leader, he learns more about his father’s past and the mystery Robert was searching for.
Overall, part two of “Shados” is a pretty entertaining and satisfying set-up arc for what’s to come in the series. The fight scenes are spot on, bookending the issue with the type of action eye-candy we’ve grown used to since issue #21. Shado’s flashback, though somewhat convoluted at times, gave some payoff in the backstory department, building on hints from previous issues. It’s pretty obvious from the seeds Lemire has been planting (Ollie’s connection to Komodo, the Outsiders, the mystic Green Arrow) that he has some big things planned for the Emerald Archer. Hopefully he’ll be able to keep up the momentum in the upcoming Villains Month issue.
Sorrentino’s art is fantastic as usual. Coupled with Maiolo’s colors, its sheer visual beauty and distinctiveness continue to set Green Arrow apart from most of DC’s other titles. Shado’s flashback sequence is a standout moment in this issue, but the details in Sorrentino’s character work also shines bright. Fyff’s dilemma in the bathroom mirror and subsequent heart-to-heart with Naomi highlight this, and the pain he feels when she tells him her secret is communicated perfectly in his face. To quote Bart Simpson, “you can almost pinpoint the exact moment that his heart rips in half.”
Verdict:
Buy this book. Lemire and Sorrentino continue to craft an exciting take on Green Arrow, pouring globe-trotting adventure, kick-ass actions scenes, tantalizing mystery, and some genuinely fun moments into the once doomed series. And if you’re just into seeing arrows fly through heads, they’ve got you covered.
