Green Arrow #28 Review

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Arrow, Benjamin Percy, Black Canary, comics, DC Comics, DC Rebirth, Green Arrow, Green Arrow #28, Green Arrow #28 review, Hard Travelling Hero Part 3, Juan Ferreyra, Lex Luthor, Oliver Queen, Superman, The Flash, The Ninth Circle, Wonder Woman

Green Arrow #28

Review by Paul Bowler

Oliver Queen’s ongoing crusade to bring down the Ninth Circle brings him to Metropolis in Green Arrow #28, where the nefarious secret cabal of financiers have targeted the only person rich and powerful enough to have rejected their ideology: Lex Luthor! Not even Oliver can deal with the scale of this threat alone. Look up in the sky, is it bird, is it plane? Nope, its Superman and Green Arrow, teaming up to save the day!

Lex Luthor finds out there’s no such thing as a glass ceiling when it comes to dealing with the Ninth Circle during his tense face-off with Green Arrow in this issue. The initial exchanges might be heavy on exposition, but with Hard Travelling Hero: Part Three writer Benjamin Percy skilfully sets Oliver’s new outlook since the Ninth Circle destroyed his life on a collision course with Luthor’s ruthless business acumen.

The results are thrilling to say the least, with Luthor going all Sherlock on Green Arrow, before a malicious hack sends Lex’s employees, along with Lexcorps share price, into freefall when the one-percenters that grease the wheels of his all-powerful business empire prove to be the Achilles heel the Ninth Circle have been looking for. Fortunately the Man of Steel is quickly on hand to swoop in to assist Green Arrow with saving those affected, but will Lex Luthor be able to find a way to repel the deadly cyber-attack in time?

The impeccable art and colors by Juan Ferreyra are as impressive as ever. Every page provides a seamless blend of drama and characterization: the brooding atmosphere as Oliver’s and Lex’s vastly opposing ideologies clash is almost palpable, everyday settings that suddenly become infused with chaos are awash with sharp colors and diffused light, and vibrant action is punctuated by Ferreyra’s glorious rendition of the Man of Steel. There’s also a brief interlude as we catch up with Black Canary’s and Emi’s plan hunt down the Underground Men and the Auctioneer, along with an update on the status of Oliver’s impending trial.

We’ve already seen the Oliver team-up with The Flash and Wonder Woman during Hard Travelling Hero, and it’s great to see Green Arrow and Superman working together here. Their scenes towards the end of the issue are the undoubted highlight of this issue. Oliver have evolved so much since his fall from grace at the hand of the Ninth Circle, its been a tough journey back for him, and to hear get praise from Superman is a really defining moment for the character. I’m guessing this story-arc will probably lead to Green Arrow finally being accepted by the Justice League. I certainly hope so anyway, because it feels like it’d be the next natural step for the character to take, and it would really enhance his presence in DC Comics new Rebirth continuity.

It seems Green Arrow has even given Lex Luthor a new perspective on a few things as well, his help provides Oliver’s quest with some new leads, and sets Green Arrow on the road to the darkest city of all… Green Arrow #28 continues this series’ incredibly strong run with another breathtaking paced story from Benjamin Percy and the spellbinding art of Juan Ferreyra. In short, Green Arrow’s road trip through the DCU has turned out to be a real thrill ride and his visit to Metropolis is one issue you don’t want to miss!

Publisher DC Comics

Writer: Benjamin Percy / Art and Color: Juan Ferreyra

Lettering: Nate Piekos of BLAMBOT

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Green Arrow #5 Review

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Arrow, Benjamin Percy, Black Canary, comcis, DC Comics, DC Rebirth, Diggle, Dinah Lance, Green Arroe #5 review, Green Arrow, Green Arrow #5, Green Arrow Rebirth, Juan Ferreyra, Oliver Queen, Otto Schmidt, Seattle, The Underground Men

Green Arrow #5

Review by Paul Bowler

Oliver and Diggle break into the Inferno, the gargantuan battleship bank of The Ninth Circle in Green Arrow #5 to rescue Black Canary from Dante – the leader of the secret society that has ruthlessly destroyed Oliver Queen’s life and reputation. Now, as the Emerald Archer uncovers the full extent of what his company has been secretly funding, desperate times will call for desperate measures as Green Arrow and Black Canary take on their former ally Shado and the forces of the Ninth Circle in the depths of the Inferno…

Green Arrow #5 throws Oliver Queen and Digle into the belly of the beast that is the floating fortress called the Inferno, as writer Benjamin Percy drives the intense narrative of this arc forwards at a break neck pace to deliver one of the most thrilling issue yet of DC Comics new Green Arrow Rebirth series.

From their stealth infiltration of the Inferno amidst raging seas while Dinah endures being Dante‘s captive, Oliver and Diggle quickly decide on their next move. The banter between Ollie and Diggle is especially well written, Percy excels at making scenes like this come alive on the page, and I like how Diggle acts of the voice of reason here. The issue quickly unfolds with a series of interconnected scenes as Oliver makes his way through the Inferno, eavesdropping on a clandestine meeting headed by his CEO, and one time friend, Cyrus Broderick, which gives us a shocking insight into exactly what Queen Industries has been involved with. Its powerful stuff, packed with revelations that drag the vile people trafficking activities of the Underground Men and the insidious global machinations of the Ninth Circle into the cold light of day for Oliver.

The standout scene in the whole issue for me was the reunion between Oliver and Dinah. As ever, the characterization here is spot on, I love how Percy makes Black Canary sassy, vulnerable, and kick ass all at the same time. It’s also great how the Rebirth Green Arrow works on so many levels, there’s always lots of key moments for long term fans to pick up on, but not enough to bewilder or spoil the fun for new readers. There is also one big game changing plot twist that will makes you see this arc in completely unexpected new light, and serves to enlighten Oliver about how much the people he cares about believe in him.

Juan Ferreyra brings all the distinct qualities of his interior artwork and colors to the fore in Green Arrow #5 with some beautifully eye catching page layouts that effortlessly immerse you in the story. With sumptuous attention to detail lavished throughout, Ferreyra’s art complements the pace of Benjamin Percy’s story perfectly. The opening scenes on rough seas as Green Arrow and Diggle board the Inferno are stunning, and then we have the dark moody interiors, the layers of Shado’s and Emi’s treachery are peeled away as Black Canary waits her fate, the cavernous opulence of the vault, and a spectacular face-off between Green Arrow, Diggle, and Black Canary against Shado and the Ninth Circle in a blood boiling chamber of horrors.

Green Arrow #5 is another hugely impressive issue from Benjamin Percy and Juan Ferreyra. The frenetic pace, strong characterization and wonderful artwork make this one of the best DC Rebirth titles around at the moment in my book. The Emerald Archer’s adventures have been elevated to a whole new level of greatness by Benjamin Percy, Otto Schmidt, Juan Ferreyra, and Nate Piekos of BLAMBOT’s work on this series, and with Green Arrow #5’s action-packed closing moments and cliff-hanger to die for ending, it looks like we are going to be in for one hell of a ride!

Publisher: DC Comics

Writer: Benjamin Percy / Art and Color: Juan Ferreyra

Lettering: Nate Piekos of BLAMBOT / Cover: Juan Ferreyra

Variant Cover: Neal Adams and Bill Sienkiewicz with Jeromy Cox

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Green Arrow #3 Review

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Benjamin Percy, Black Canary, comcis, DC Comics, DC Rebirth, Diggle, Dinah Lance, Green Arrow, Green Arrow #1, Green Arrow #3, Green Arrow #3 review, Green Arrow Rebirth, Juan Ferreyra, Oliver Queen, Otto Schmidt, Seattle, The Underground Men

Green Arrow #3

Review by Paul Bowler

Oliver Queen’s life has been torn apart. Betrayed by those closest to him, he was left for dead, vilified by the media, and lost everything. Now in Green Arrow #3 the Emerald Archer’s enemies are closing in. Green Arrow has become an outlaw in his own city. Breaking into Queen Industries to investigate those responsible for his downfall, Green Arrow must confront his former ally – the assassin Shado – who has been sent to stop him uncovering the truth…

Green Arrow #3 finds Oliver Queen going on the offensive against the mysterious cabal that has engineered his fall from grace. From the opening moments, writer Benjamin Percy throws us – and Oliver Queen – right into the thick of the action, as Green Arrow brakes into Queen Industries in search of answers. I really like the way Green Arrow takes out the guards and swiftly bypasses the buildings advanced security, but this all proves to be just an appetiser for the intense excitement, action, and revelations which soon follow.

Benjamin Percy maintains the frenetic pace of the previous issue. The narrative feels much more measured and assured in this issue, cleverly unfolding on several fronts, we learn more about the mysterious cabal known as the Ninth Circle, with James Diggle – a brilliant surprise addition to the series last issue – conducting his own investigation in Italy, while Green Arrow discovers the full extent of the betrayal and corruption lurking right at the heart of Queen Industries, and Black Canary looks into the shipping containers the Underground Men used for their people trafficking operation.

Having hit the ground running with DC’s Rebirth, Benjamin Percy’s gripping new Green Arrow storyline has quickly gathered momentum, and completely reenergized the character of Oliver Queen / Green Arrow. It’s also been fascinating to see how Oliver has clawed himself back from the brink after his life was so spectacularly and publicly ruined. We gain more insight into Black Canary and James Diggle in Green Arrow #3, as each in turn presents us with very refreshing, and contrasting viewpoints on Oliver’s character, together with the current situation, and their faith in him never wavers for a moment – even though they believe he’s dead.

Another key factor that has made Green Arrow standout from the crowd during DC’s Rebirth event has been the work of artists Otto Schmidt and Juan Ferreyra and letterer Nate Piekos on this title. Green Arrow #3 is Juan Ferreyra’s first issue on the series’ interior art, his artwork is stylishly dynamic, the intricately structured panels are layered with subtle details that catch the eye and makes the action flow seamlessly across the page, and the rich use of color brings added texture and definition to every scene. Green Arrow’s moonlit transit from the Space Needle to gain access to Queen Industries is a joy to behold, a fiery confrontation with the forces of the Ninth Circle finally allows Green Arrow to strike back at his enemies, the intriguing interlude on The Inferno as honcho Dante plots and schemes with Emiko Queen, and the high-speed face-off with Shado – were we finally learn the reasons for her betrayal – are just some of the many highlights in this issue. Nate Piekos letters skilfully accentuates the tone and pace of the narrative, and the cover by Juan Ferreyra, needless to say, is absolutely stunning.

The is perhaps the most satisfying issue of this new Green Arrow series so far, the story, the art, everything meshes together here perfectly as the creative team really hits their stride, and the issue builds to a thrilling double edged cliff-hanger that spells terrible danger for Oliver Queen and one of his closest allies. With its exciting story be Benjamin Percy and great artwork by Juan Ferreyra, Green Arrow #3 is one of those comics you want to read again right away as soon as you‘ve finished it. This is the Emerald Archer at his very best!

Publisher: DC Comics / Writer: Benjamin Percy / Art and Color: Juan Ferreyra

Lettering: Nate Piekos of BLAMBOT / Cover: Juan Ferreyra

Variant Cover: Neal Adams and Sandra Hope and Dave McCaig

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