Although Justice League is back in business thanks to Green Arrow, Ollie’s life is a bit different than when we last saw him. In “Fresh Water Kills” Part One, readers can step into Chris Condon and Montos’s era of Green Arrow with a new riveting mystery as a serial killer enters Star City. In this first arc, it appears that an environmental disaster is about to hit Star City in the wake of the death of an important businessman. Through these two stories, Chris Condon delivers an intriguing story that works well to refocus the series on being a more grounded street-level book.
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The book opens with Green Arrow preventing a store robbery from happening. Through these first few pages, it becomes clear just how street-level readers can expect things to be. Not only will Ollie be working double time trying to learn more about the new mysterious killer, but there’s also a good focus on how important preventing smaller crimes remains to him.
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That said, the main focus of the story is showing off Ollie’s detective skills. Batman isn’t the only hero who can crack open a case and work on it, after all. Here, Condon provides insight into what direction the series seems to be heading in. Seeing how the connection between the recent murder and the mysterious environmental problems coincides and provides a clearer view of what challenges lie ahead for Green Arrow. When put together, the layers upon layers of interconnectivity between Oliver’s past, the string of murders, and future problems in Star City create a giant spider web of problems for Green Arrow. That said, the more problems for Green Arrow, the better the story! Through these varying plot points, the book becomes more captivating because of how different this challenge is from anything Green Arrow has faced recently. Moreover, this return to roots for the character helps revitalize some of the book’s core pillars, such as showing Oliver solving crimes in a more traditional manner despite society being pushed into a new era.
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Not only does Condon weave everything together masterfully, but he also does a great job adding small moments showing how jaded, witty, and intelligent Oliver is when he’s on his own. Whether it’s how Oliver adds some classic smarminess to a robber, insulting politicians, or undermining authorities, he’s constantly adding brief moments of humor to the story.
This is further bolstered by the brilliant team of Montos and Adriano Lucas. Montos adds to Ollie’s charm and character through small, nuanced moments that go a long way. However, even more than that, Montos’s strengths help to add to the gravity of the situation. This isn’t Green Arrow fighting an Amazo robot, after all, he’s working to solve a string of murders.
A story like this, one ripe with crime and grittiness, benefits from Montos’ detailed art style. There’s a roughness to the art that makes things look a bit more worn down. This works perfectly with the tone of the story because it helps things look a bit more gloomy and ominous. Adriano Lucas works quite well with Montos to add deep, sharp, and cold colors to the book. Furthermore, the issue becomes more engaging through artwork that highlights the tone, emotion, and intensity of the story.
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Altogether, Green Arrow #18 is a great book that leaves you wanting for more. While the book seems a bit shorter than expected, not a single page is wasted. In fact, its ending perfectly sets up the next issue as the threat begins to take a more defined shape. Additionally, the issue benefits from spectacular art that adds depth to the story through deep shading, intense colors, and roughness. Given the tone of the book, its roughness helps to intensify the story. Green Arrow #18 is a great story that should leave readers wanting for more!
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