Writer: Benjamin Percy
Art & Color: Otto Schmidt
Letters: Nate Piekos of Blambot
Green Arrow #31 not only wraps up the Hard-Traveling Hero storyline but also is the culmination of an over arching story that began back in Green Arrow Rebirth #1 and is a satisfying conclusion for both. For over a year now Percy has been pitting Green Arrow against a massive criminal organization known as the Ninth Circle and they have broken just about every facet of Green Arrow’s life, from stripping him of his fortune to framing him for murder as well as destroying his hometown (Seattle) and rebranding it as a corporate nightmare known as Star City. Yet Percy has an excellent understanding of Oliver Queen and that is that he endures, even when the world is against him, he sticks to what he believes is right and he endures.
Hard Traveling Hero has taken Green Arrow to every major city of the DCU as he has encountered and enlisted the aid of the individual members of the Justice League as he escalates his war against the Ninth Circle and their foot soldiers, the Burned Men. It was fitting that the final team up ended up being the original hard traveling duo of Green Arrow and Green Lantern (Hal Jordan) as they took their travels to a space station on the Dark Side of the Moon, where of course everything went horribly wrong. Green Arrow #31 picks up the story here, with Green Lantern unconscious in the vacuum of space and Green Arrow left to his own devices and skills, and what follows is a very enjoyable fight scene as well as example of why Green Arrow is one of DC’s most, dare I say it, enduring heroes.
Green Arrow #31 isn’t just an Ollie story, as Percy has invested time and effort in incorporating Green Arrow’s supporting cast and making them vital to the series. We see how vital as Star City still needs protecting and Ollie still needs help proving his innocence and luckily Black Canary and Red Arrow (Emi Queen) are ready and willing to assist. I love the inclusion of Emi in this series as she is as pig headed and confident as her brother and I await an eventual team up of her and Damian Wayne, which could be one of the most enjoyable team ups in the DCU in some time. On a whole the entirety of the Green Arrow series has been a wonderful run for the character who has needed some love after the past few years (except for the Jeff Lemire & Andrea Sorrentino run which was magnificent) and as this issue and arc conclude Green Arrow finds himself in a historically familiar situation and thankfully fully ingrained in his classic Silver Age mindset.
Verdict: Green Arrow #31 is a BUY! Green Arrow has been a highlight of DC Rebirth and it is at it’s best here with the excellent writing of Benjamin Percy and the fantastic art of Otto Schmidt only increases the quality of this issue. I hope this team isn’t going anywhere as I look forward to more Green Arrow stories from them in the months and years ahead.
