Well, the end is here, folks. This holiday season, we are saying goodbye to the Green Arrow title. While this is a heartbreaking way to end the year, I’m trying to smile because it happened rather than crying because it’s over. While we only got two full arcs, I think the work that Chris Condon and Montos delivered throughout those issues were nothing short of spectacular. Both arcs, which focused on two heavy social issues in our society, were shared with the creative team’s hearts on their sleeves. Without those issues, I fear many new readers would have missed out on one of the best opportunities to reinforce the political nature that Green Arrow has carried as a character. And while the fun may be ending, it’s important to note that we get one last hurrah with the team. In this issue, we learn a little about how one person can make a difference.
DC
The story here is Condon at his best. There’s little to no action in this story, and thank goodness for that. Part of what has made this run so successful is how the lack of constant fighting has given each issue space to fill the pages with more depth, and this issue is no different. The story, much like each of Condon’s others, grapples with very heavy themes. This finale tackles the emotional turmoil that comes along with someone who has experienced the trauma of with loss, grief, and abuse, but we come to learn that (surprise) Green Arrow’s interaction with this person has long-lasting repercussions. By the time the issue ends, you begin to wonder if Condon had just watched It’s a Wonderful Life before writing this story, as the message feels all too similar. As a result, this is a very sincere final issue that ends by hitting all the high notes necessary for a slam dunk.
DC
Montos and Adriano Lucas end their team-up on Green Arrow perfectly, too. The issue takes advantage of the lack of action by having high stakes action and filling the pages with more basic paneling that provides focus on individual character reactions to the story itself. I’m really going to miss how expressive Montos made Ollie – in this series, the Emerald Archer is just as emotive as Spider-Man. Adriano Lucas similarly provides perfect shadows and colors to the issue that align with the tone of the story. While heavier moments are full of intense shadows, the more hopeful ones are full of vibrant colors. This issue is nothing short of a visual masterpiece.
DC
Green Arrow might be over, for now, but this issue reminded me things don’t have to be so bleak. Hopefully other readers will find the same comfort from this issue, as Condon, Montos, and the entire crew remind us that there always is a light at the end of the tunnel. As a result, Green Arrow #31 is a heartwarming goodbye to our friend Ollie, at least for the time being. Maybe one day we’ll get another ongoing Green Arrow title, maybe not. But if this is the end for the foreseeable future, if Ollie is to be relegated to cameos in Detective Comics, Justice League Unlimited, or DC Black Label stories, then at least this chapter of Ollie’s life ends on a high note. Green Arrow #31 is a perfect series finale as well as a perfect standalone story about how much of a difference we all can make in other people’s lives.
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