Rating: 4/5 – The start of a new storyline…Jump on board!
Green Arrow number twenty-six begins the the Outsiders War storyline. Since jumping on board this series with the first Jeff Lemire written issue, this has quickly become one of my favorite DC books. It draws a lot of parallels to the Arrow TV show which is a good thing, but takes the violence and history of Green Arrow further by exploring themes and ideas that the TV show just can’t. Writer Jeff Lemire is establishing a great backstory to Green Arrow, similar to that of when DC decided to add multiple colors to the Lantern Corps. Lemire is adding to the Arrow legacy by adding other “weapons” to the mythology, such as the sword, and in this issue the first hints of the shield.
In this issue, Oliver heads back to the island. Much like the first season of the Arrow show, we’re seeing flashbacks to Ollie’s time on the island and how he survived. I’ve just caught up on season one of the show so I’ve seen similar ideas to the ones presented in this issue, but the action still feels fresh and Andrea Sorrentino’s art makes it that much more enjoyable. In addition to diving into Oliver’s past, he’s also searching after his missing step sister, as well as the mysterious Arrow which is extremely important to the now established Arrow Clan. With this being book one of the Outsiders War, I’m not sure how long this storyline will last, but it has so many great ideas that it could go on for quite some time and I couldn’t be happier.
Sorrentino’s art is beautiful to look at in this book. He goes from the modern to the tropical settings of the island seamlessly. His art on the island in particular truly gives you scale, and looks like an island should. He puts so much effort into making it feel like an overgrown and untouched island that’s both dangerous and beautiful. Marcelo Maiolo’s colors add to the overall look by providing the atmosphere and right shades of yellows, greens and more. This is one of DC’s best written and drawn books. This is a chance to jump on board if you haven’t given it a try. You’ll be glad you did.
Reviewed by: Shawn Hoklas – shawn@comicspectrum.com
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Arrow vs Shield – coincidence? Hmmm, I think not. Sounds a lot like Arrow vs Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D to me. Most likely intended to be that way, but I think the writers need to stop with the show tie-in references. Concentrate on writing good stories first. Then the show would have more great material to delve into. And when it does… the writers would have a much better tie in product to sell.
This issue seemed pretty weak to me. But like you mentioned, it is the first segment of the entire Outsiders War, hopefully it gets better from here. Because I want to like it.