Green Arrow has never had so much of his life upended, which makes for better superhero storytelling. If you strip away everything our heroes hold dear what’s left? Writer Benjamin Percy seems to be peeling away at what we thought we knew about Oliver Queen and in some cases he’s putting in new elements that have changed him forever. The latest arc has certainly put the character on a new path, especially with Seattle literally being taken from him.
So what’s it about?
“THE RISE OF STAR CITY” finale! The Ninth Circle’s plan for Seattle comes to its horrifying conclusion as the city is reborn as Star City! Sponsored by Queen Industries, it’s the first privately controlled metropolis in America—and Green Arrow’s worst nightmare. How can Oliver Queen fight back when the fat cats literally own the city? The answer will shock you in this stunning conclusion.
Why does this book matter?
Artist Juan Ferreyra continues to deliver art that makes a statement every single issue. The sheer number of full page spreads or incredible double page layouts he squeezes in each comic are enough to make your jaw drop. The character has been written in a way that has mixed politics with personal growth and that’s not something you can say for most comic books.
Fine, you have my attention. What’s good about it?
A regular Robin Wood.
This issue develops the villains’ plot further, which is good because they’ve been sort of sitting back for a few issues now waiting. The fall of the Space Needle last issue apparently was the first step in creating a new type of city government, which ties capitalism and corporate greed into Ollie’s world. If ever there was a comic to make you scream, “Fight the power,” this issue is it. Percy progresses the villains’ side of things while also allowing Ollie to go deeper into how his family’s past was involved in nefarious acts. This issue as a whole moves at a brisk pace and seems to jam pack a lot, which also includes a cliffhanger that changes things incredibly.
There’s also plenty of action and moody art to go around too. Ferreyra draws quite a few double page layouts, which helps extend scenes and make them open up. In an excellent set of panels, Ferreyra draws Green Arrow following a baddy into a secret underground lair. It’s done in a platform style 2D look that gives the underground area structure and video game sensibility. Later, Green Arrow encounters ancient tombs of sorts, which are drawn beautifully and add to the history of the city and Ollie’s family. There’s an interesting structure at the center–really it’s all kind of satanic–and you’ll never lose sight of where characters are due to strong blocking. Ferreyra is also very talented with capturing a realism in faces and whenever a panel gets close up on a character’s face it adds a realism that’s unshakable.
Dig the use of stars in this book.
It can’t be perfect can it?
Remember how I said the cliffhanger shakes things up? It’s good things are changing, but this issue also seems to get from point A to point B too conveniently. Green Arrow for instance, basically yawns his way to victory at one point even though the villains had the drop on him in the first place. Arsenal, Emi, and Black Canary have a bit of fighting to do too, which seems to serve as giving the issue action rather than have any real purpose. The issue may be good, but it also reads like the characters can trot through otherwise difficult moments to serve the plot.
Is It Good?
Another gorgeous issue that changes Green Arrow forever! Benjamin Percy and Juan Ferreyra drop another beautifully drawn issue that continues to make Green Arrow more interesting than ever. It may do so in a somewhat forced way though.
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