This is a spoiler free review
Green Arrow #2 is written by Benjamin Percy with art by Otto Schmidt.
Previously
Green Arrow and Black Canary teamed up to take down a human trafficking organization. Upon further investigation, Oliver discovered that Queen Industries had direct ties to the organization. This turned out to be true as the CFO, Cyrus Broderick, ordered Oliver to be killed. This order was carried out by Emiko and Shado.
Summary
Oliver’s life crumbles around him as evil machinations begin to take shape.
Positives
This issue is not as much fun as the first issue and the Rebirth one shot. It has more of a somber tone that completely works. Percy is putting Oliver at his lowest here and the mood is captured well. It feels desperate and harsh and I cannot wait to see how Green Arrow will overcome this. I am curious how long this current story will go considering this is part three and we’ve hit the lowest point already. Unless this isn’t the lowest point. Can Ollie’s life possibly get worse? Is Percy capable of such madness?
There are interesting hints about what is to come for Emiko. This is a character I have quite enjoyed since she was created in Jeff Lemire’s run and Percy has put her in a potentially exciting situation.
A surprise character makes an appearance that I was not expecting at all. I won’t say who it is but I will say that fans are going to be ecstatic to see this person. I am really intrigued by how the character will play into the story.
Schmidt’s art continues to rock. I particularly love the way he draws and colors Seattle. It comes to life in a way it hasn’t before. There is one in particular that involves Black Canary standing on a roof in the rain that looks amazing. While I do like his other art, Schmidt’s colors are the big standout in his style. It’s such a vibrant book that I love to look at.
Juan Ferreyra’s cover is dynamite. It’s a striking image that immediately evokes ideas of hell which the story does as well. Above all, it just looks cool.
Negatives
This is mostly a set-up issue. It’s putting the pieces into place and and hinting at what it is to come. As a result, it isn’t the most exciting issue. It’s more of a tease than anything else. It’s necessary and I certainly like a bit of teasing but this will likely read a bit better in the context of the whole story. I feel that the previous two issues worked really well on their own as well as a piece of a whole.
Verdict
Overall, this another solid issue. The characters are all put into interesting places by the end and I am really invested in seeing where it goes. That is a really important compliment for a comic book, I think. The fact that I am so excited for the next issue means that the creative team is doing a really good job. I do think the issue needs a tiny bit more pay off and less teasing but it’s still highly enjoyable. I definitely recommend picking the issue up.
