Green Arrow In Comics

[bijoux]

I didn’t even notice that. I just appreciated that it was a chorus of young girls that saved people. And maybe Killer Croc? 

[lemotomato]

I had PBS on TV in the background tonight, and I wasn't paying attention until I heard "Green Arrow" mentioned. Turned out it was a featurette about Ben Percy. He talked about writing for comics (dream come true, loves that he was a part of GA Rebirth and bragged a little about how successful the relaunch was, how important it was to "do that character justice" fans because the story might go one for another hundred years). He also talked about writing books and giving writing workshops. It was all very "Writing is serious business, I am a serious writer" and (I thought) explains his attitude treating comics like elevated literature while poopooing the TV versions.

Edited April 3, 2018 by lemotomato

[tv echo]

Green Arrow #39 ("The Children of Vahkar, Part 1 of 2"), written by Jackson Lanzing & Collin Kelly, and art by Marcio Takara (the first Rebirth issue not written by Benjamin Percy), came out today. Here's a first look...

(source)

Edited April 4, 2018 by tv echo

[tv echo]

One review and one interview for GA #39...

Green Arrow #39 Advance Review: A Stellar Start for the New Creative Team
Posted by Joshua Davison April 3, 2018
https://www.bleedingcool.com/2018/04/03/green-arrow-39-advance-review/

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Oliver Queen arrives in the nation of Rahapastan to deliver food and supplies. He had previous experience in this country thanks to a duel with Deathstroke that left the nation in worse state than when the two men arrived. Now, he hopes to do some good for the people. The nation is in shambles, and the locals tell him that he should turn around and leave. Unfortunately, his transportation is shot down shortly after arrival, and it looks like Green Arrow will be needed if any good should come to Rahapastan.
*  *  *
This issue of Green Arrow, now with the writing team of Collin Kelly and Jackson Lanzing as well as artists Marcio Takara and Marcelo Maiolo, takes the idea of the “white savior” to task by having Oliver Queen fall flat on his face upon arrival in Rahapastan.
*  *  *
That brings me to the one sticking point with this story; Green Arrow really should know better. This story would make a little more sense for the character if he were following along someone else and showing them why something like this goes wrong.

In any case, the twists work well and are shocking. Lanzing and Kelly seem intending to take this to serious places. It also makes the idea that Ollie can’t just fix things with his money and gadgets work. It captures why these are complex situations. It even dives a bit into nihilism. Plus, it coincides well with the current Justice League story from Christopher Priest.

Oh, also the Trick Arrows are back and abundant. I’m really happy about that.
*  *  *
Green Arrow #39 is a promising first step for the new creative team, capturing the adventure mixed with political commentary that makes a truly great Green Arrow story. Takara and Maiolo bring some impressive talent to the table too. This one gets a recommendation. Pick it up.

GREEN ARROW vs. Child Soldiers (And How To Help Them) in #39
By Vaneta Rogers    April 3, 2018 03:20pm ET
https://www.newsarama.com/39361-green-arrow-delves-into-child-soldiers.html

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Collin Kelly and Jackson Lanzing are taking Oliver Queen out of his comfort zone in this week's Green Arrow #39, starting a two-issue run that addresses the issue of child soldiers raised in a war-torn country.

The story, which is being drawn by artist Marcio Takara, comes after the departure of regular writer Ben Percy on the title and before new writers Julie and Shawna Benson join the title this summer.
*  *  *
Newsarama: Jackson and Collin, this week's issue of Green Arrow goes to the war-torn city of Vahkar, which becomes central to the story. What is this city, and what does Oliver encounter there that drives the story?

Jackson Lanzing: Phil Hester put out a book a couple years back, Deathstroke Annual #2 [in June 2016]. In it, he introduced a country called Rhapastan, sort of a DC equivalent to a post-war, leaderless Middle Eastern country like Afghanistan or the like.

Over the course of the issue, Deathstroke takes out what remains of the leadership in this country and leaves it completely rudderless and kind of in chaos, which is a totally acceptable way for Deathstroke to be in a story.

But we thought, what a great place to put somebody like Green Arrow in there and see what he would make of the wreckage left behind by Slade Wilson.

So what excited us about going back to Rhapastan was that chance to look at the ramifications of the way other heroes or other villains behave, and the way Green Arrow's sense of justice, and his inability to stand aside while injustice is happening in front of him, might drive him to make some really bold and rash decisions.

Collin Kelly: We also really wanted to tell a story that really puts the lens on Oliver Queen. There are some situations, like a more global, political tragedy, where Green Arrow isn't necessarily the right answer but where Oliver Queen can really do something.

So we wanted to tell a story where Ollie could be the best version of himself away from the mask, at least to start the tale.
*  *  *
Lanzing: This came from us. We were brought in around the time that Ben Percy's run was coming to an end. We were big fans of Ben's run and its iconic Star City story.
*  *  *
Lanzing: But what it did was focus on Seattle, or for a period there, Star City, and what Green Arrow and Oliver Queen brought to that city.

What we wanted to do was look further back at something like the Denny O'Neill stories, and look at how this character operates when he's confronted by the real problems of the real world. Ben was dealing very much with domestic issues, layering supervillains on them. We want to look at, OK, what else out there in the world would Oliver Queen feel a real need to step in and stop?
*  *  *
Lanzing: One of the things that's going on right now all over the world is the very real practice of child soldiers and the recruiting from very young ages kids who don't know any better and raised in the lines of war.

We thought that would be a place where Oliver Queen would say, "Absolutely not. I have to stand in the way of this."

But ultimately, one man, especially against an army of soldiers that he can't lift a finger against, creates a really dynamic, interesting conflict that isn't as simple as Ollie firing an arrow.

We really were looking to find a story that Ollie couldn't just solve by shooting a new kind of trick arrow. We wanted to find a way to give him issues that made him demonstrate new growth as a character.
*  *  *
Kelly: And then, of course, as we were telling this story, we found a whole bunch of really exciting ways to introduce a whole bunch of new trick arrows.
*  *  *
Nrama: Can you describe the villain at all?

Lanzing: It's a new character we're introducing named Nothing. He's a supervillain raised in Rhapastan with his own backstory, and actually a direct character tie-in to Deathstroke Annual #2. And to say any more would be a bit of a spoiler.

We're really interested in looking at supervillainy develops differently depending on where you grew up, what your circumstances were and what that's made you into.
*  *  *
Nrama: Is there anything else you want to tell people about the two-issue story you're telling in Green Arrow?

Lanzing: We're deeply honored that DC took a chance on us for this character for these issues. Following up Ben Percy is no small feat. And what we're seeking to do here is tell a story that acts as a coda for the emotional journey that Ollie has been on for the past 38 issues, looking at a character that has gone through so much in his city and in his personal life and now is trying to do something on his own to clear his head.

And it turns out to be much more complicated and much more challenging than he ever expected, a little bit like us picking up Green Arrow for the first time!

Edited April 4, 2018 by tv echo

[BkWurm1]

I tend to see the scope of the story as too big (a whole war-torn nation) and too far away from Star City for me to connect with so I'll be curious to see how readers react.  Plus the art seemed a step down in quality.  

[tv echo]

[tv echo]

The Batgirls and BC only make a brief appearance in Bombshells United Chapter 33 ("Taps, Part 1"), written by Marguerite Bennett and art by Siya Oum, which was released digitally yesterday - you cannot see Felicity or Oliver in any of the panels...

Read here: http://www.comictab.com/bombshells-united/chapter-33

Edited April 7, 2018 by tv echo

[tv echo]

From what I can tell, the final story arc for Bombshells United just began with Chapter 33 and will end with Chapter 38...

[tv echo]

[tv echo]

March 2018 comic book sales figures were just published (GA #38 was the last Benjamin Percy issue)...

March 2018 Comic Book Sales to Comics Shops
http://www.comichron.com/monthlycomicssales/2018/2018-03.html

Quote

Units    Dollars    Comic-book Title    Issue    Price    On sale        Publisher        Est. units
*  *  *
99          88           Green Arrow               38       $3.99     03/07/18        DC                 21,935

To compare, here are the February 2018 numbers:

Quote

98           94          Green Arrow               37       $3.99     02/07/18        DC                 22,425

Edited April 10, 2018 by tv echo

[tv echo]

As you know, Julie & Shawna Benson will be taking over writing the Green Arrow series starting sometime this summer (I believe), and they've said that they intend to include Black Canary in their version of the GA comics. So this is like a preview of what we might expect...

 

Edited April 11, 2018 by tv echo

[BkWurm1]

"Where to Babe?"

Ugh.  I really don't like Babe.  

Otherwise the writing had a nice kind of introspection and mingling of the action and the deeper narrative.  

[scarynikki12]

They’ve done great work with Birds of Prey so they’ll probably do the same with Green Arrow but I’m still smad that the former is ending. 

[tv echo]

Tween Felicity appears in Bombshells United Chapter 34 ("Taps, Part 2"), written by Marguerite Bennett and art by Siya Oum, which was released digitally yesterday. Here are a few highlights...

Read here: http://www.comictab.com/bombshells-united/chapter-34

[tv echo]

[tv echo]

Bombshells United Chapter 35 ("Taps, Part 3"), written by Marguerite Bennett and art by David Hahn, was released digitally yesterday.

It contains no tween Felicity, no Dinah and no Oliver. However, if you're following along this "Taps" story arc (which did include them in other chapters of this arc), you can read the issue here:
http://www.comictab.com/bombshells-united/chapter-35

Edited April 21, 2018 by tv echo

[tv echo]

The Batgirls, tween Felicity, Dinah and Ollie all make brief appearances in Bombshells United Chapter 36 ("Taps, Part 4"), written by Marguerite Bennett and art by David Hahn, which was released digitally yesterday...

Read here:
http://www.comictab.com/bombshells-united/chapter-36 

Edited April 28, 2018 by tv echo

[tv echo]

[tv echo]

Green Arrow #40 ("The Children of Vahkar, Part 2 of 2"), written by Jackson Lanzing & Collin Kelly and art by Marcio Takara, was released today...

Quote

“THE CHILDREN OF VAHKAR” finale! Nothing and his army have left Green Arrow for dead in the desert. In order to get himself back to full strength and take out the army, Green Arrow will have to team up with a band of rebel heroes in Vahkar—but will they trust him? Or will he only find himself with more enemies to fight?

https://www.dccomics.com/comics/green-arrow-2016/green-arrow-40:

(source)

Edited May 2, 2018 by tv echo

[tv echo]

[statsgirl]

If I didn't know better,  I'd think that was a picture of the   villain.

[bijoux]

He looks like a cannibal unhappy with the spread of villagers he was offered. Is that all, those scrawny things?

Edited May 3, 2018 by bijoux

[tv echo]

Bombshells United Chapter 37 ("Taps, Part 5"), written by Marguerite Bennett and art by Aneke, was released digitally yesterday - Batgirls appear briefly, Felicity is not mentioned or clearly shown but you can see the back of her head in one panel, and there's one panel shot of Dinah and Ollie...

Read here: http://www.comictab.com/bombshells-united/chapter-37

ETA: This is the second to last chapter of the Bombshells United series.

Edited May 5, 2018 by tv echo

[tv echo]

April sales figures just came out...

April 2018 Comic Book Sales to Comics Shops
http://www.comichron.com/monthlycomicssales/2018/2018-04.html

Quote

Units    Dollars    Comic-book Title    Issue    Price    On sale        Publisher        Est. units
*  *  *
112        101          Green Arrow             39        $3.99     04/04/18        DC                 21,269

To compare, here were the March sales figures:

Quote

99           88          Green Arrow             38        $3.99      03/07/18        DC                 21,935

Edited May 10, 2018 by tv echo

[BkWurm1]

Do those numbers reflect the old comic or the one with the new writers and storyline?

[tv echo]

GA #38 was the last issue written by Benjamin Percy.

GA #39 was the first issue of a 2-part story arc written by Jackson Lanzing & Collin Kelly (interim writers after Percy).  

GA #40, which came out this month, is the second part of that Lanzing/Kelly story arc.

Then a different interim writer (Mairghread Scott) takes over GA #41 (out in June) and GA #42 (out in July).

Julie & Shawna Benson take over writing the GA comics in August, beginning with GA #43.

Edited May 10, 2018 by tv echo

[BkWurm1]

I would have expected the numbers to get some kind of a bump with a new writer, just for curiosity's sake.

[tv echo]

Final chapter! Bombshells United Chapter 38 ("Taps, Part 6"), written by Marguerite Bennett and art by Marguerite Sauvage, was released digitally yesterday. It's 15 years later. We see one panel of Dinah & Ollie traveling the world. There's also a mention that Felicity Smoak is now working at NASA, but no pic of her. And there's one panel showing the Batgirls as a group...

Read here: http://www.comictab.com/bombshells-united/chapter-38

Edited May 12, 2018 by tv echo

[BkWurm1]

I think EBR would be pleased that in another life Felicity Smoak works at NASA.  Ties back to her childhood dream of being an astronaut. :D

[tv echo]

Get a Look Inside the Wonderful Bombshells: United's Final Chapter 
James Whitbrook  May 10, 2018
https://io9.gizmodo.com/get-a-look-inside-the-wonderful-bombshells-uniteds-fin-1825919646

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Bombshells may have started out as a line of retro-styled statues of DC Comics’ best female characters, but over the past three years it’s flourished—not just on the collectibles front, but as a long-running digital comic. The Bombshells’ story comes to an end tomorrow, and we’ve got a first look at the last chapter.

Set decades after the events of the war, Bombshells: United chapter 38 sees creative team Marguerite Bennett and Marguerite Sauvage follow up on what became of the team and their allies, and the fallout of what came afterward on American shores.
*  *  *
As you’ll see below, this fond farewell to these beloved takes on Wonder Woman, Batgirl, Harley Quinn, and a whole host of other DC heroines is framed through the inquisitive eyes of another familiar face: a grown-up Bruce Wayne, who remembers the days when a mysterious masked madam saved his family’s life outside a movie theater. The now-adult Bruce only has one question on his mind: Whatever became of the legendary Bombshells?

Edited May 14, 2018 by tv echo

[tv echo]

Green Arrow Annual #2 was released today...
https://www.dccomics.com/comics/green-arrow-2016/green-arrow-annual-2

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Entitled rich boy Oliver Queen grew up a member of elite society. But after a drunken escapade left him stranded on a deserted island, Oliver learned to survive and become more than a man—he became a hunter. He became a survivor. He became a hero. But when Green Arrow comes face-to-face with a challenge he never saw coming, his entire worldview—his reason for being a hero—comes into question. Because that challenge has a name: Amanda Waller!

Review – Green Arrow Annual #2: ‘Justice League: No Justice’ Tie-In
Posted on May 30, 2018 by Ray Goldfield 
https://geekdad.com/2018/05/review-green-arrow-annual-2-justice-league-no-justice-tie-in/

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Ray: The Benson sisters, recently of Batgirl and the Birds of Prey, are jumping onto Green Arrow in a few months and this annual serves as a preview. It’s also a tie-in with Justice League: No Justice – oddly, coming out the week that the main event closes but set during the events of the first issue. It’s also, to my eye, a significant level-up over the Bensons’ previous work. It begins by revealing that Green Arrow has been given something powerful in the aftermath of the event – a mysterious box that is supposed to be able to keep the Justice League in check if they ever go rogue. Its exact nature isn’t revealed here, but the story then flashes back to the day of Brainiac’s seeming attack, and what this issue does is pretty clever – while the main event told the story from the perspective of the big heroes who were drafted by Brainiac, this one shows the event from the perspective of the people on the ground. And as massive skull-shaped spaceships descend and countless heroes go into comas, it’s terrifying for a street-level hero like Green Arrow.

While most of Green Arrow’s supporting cast are missing in action this issue – Emiko and Roy can’t be reached, while Black Canary is unconscious with the rest of the Justice League of America. However, Ollie does get a partner in Barbara Gordon, who is mostly in her Oracle role behind the camera and trying to figure out exactly what’s going on in the chaos of Brainiac’s invasion. The two have a good banter, between Ollie’s typical snarky anger and Barbara’s sarcastic cool. It feels like Bensons; take on Barbara is better when away from the Birds of Prey framework. The issue flags a little when it follows the plot of the main No Justice event more closely, like when Ollie confronts Amanda Waller in the Arctic. However, it leaves an intriguing hanging plot thread in the mysterious fail-safe that Ollie is given by Martian Manhunter. This will be followed up on in the second arc of the Bensons’ Green Arrow, and so far I’m intrigued.
*  *  *
Corrina: I approached this comic with trepidation, having not enjoyed the Bensons’ previous stories, but was pleasantly surprised. Whether it’s being freed from the restricting framework of using the Birds of Prey without any of the main characters being the same as in the original conception of the series, whether the Bensens have leveled up with comic storytelling, or whether the improvement is because they’re working on plot points set up by other creators, I have no idea.

Readers should simply be pleased that it’s good. I find most cosmic event stories to be more interesting at the street level, so this use of Ollie was perfect, and his banter with Barbara worked much better than any use of Barbara as Oracle in the recent series. (How come we didn’t get this kind of thing in Batgirl and the Birds of Prey?)

I’m less thrilled with the “box of power” that Ollie receives, annoyed that he wouldn’t confide in Dinah about it, and a bit skeptical that it’s a good enough plot device for an entire run, but we’ll see.

Edited May 30, 2018 by tv echo

[BkWurm1]

7 hours ago, tv echo said:

However, Ollie does get a partner in Barbara Gordon, who is mostly in her Oracle role behind the camera and trying to figure out exactly what’s going on in the chaos of Brainiac’s invasion. The two have a good banter, between Ollie’s typical snarky anger and Barbara’s sarcastic cool.

 

7 hours ago, tv echo said:

so this use of Ollie was perfect, and his banter with Barbara worked much better than any use of Barbara as Oracle in the recent series. (How come we didn’t get this kind of thing in Batgirl and the Birds of Prey?)

Maybe because it sounds like they are channeling Felicity in this role?  

[tv echo]

Some pages from Green Arrow Annual #2 (courtesy of a May 25th SyFy advance preview article)...

 

Edited May 31, 2018 by tv echo

[tv echo]

Justice League: No Justice #4 was just released this week (May 30, 2018)...

Green Arrow Just Became the DCU’s Most Powerful Hero (We’re Not Kidding)
by Justin Carter   June 1, 2018
https://www.cbr.com/green-arrow-justice-league-most-powerful-hero/

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The following contains spoilers for Justice League: No Justice #4 by Scott Snyder, James Tynion IV, Josh Williamson and Francis Manapul, in stores now.
*  *  *
Since DC Comics rebooted its universe with the New 52, Green Arrow has been held one notch below the Justice League. More than that, he’s proved to be a massive irritant to them on multiple occasions. Even when he decided to sign on as a part-time member of the League and got caught up in the madness of Dark Nights: Metal, he remained on the fringes rather than the front lines.

But Ollie’s never really minded, and even has admitted that he wouldn’t be able to gel with the team’s heavy hitters since he’s used to operating on a street level. But things changes, and since Brainiac sent the Justice League to space in No Justice, Earth has found Oliver Queen to be her biggest defender.

Thanks to the machinations of Amanda Waller, the person in charge of the Suicide Squad and other metahuman Task Forces, the same cosmic energy trees the League battled on Brainiac’s home planet were allowed to fully grow on Earth. Worse, the Omega Titans have landed on Earth as the final issue of No Justice opens.

While Waller wants to use her SAT phone to nuke one of the trees from orbit, Ollie was quicker and managed to get a call to Hal Jordan and the rest of the human Green Lanterns, who had been working on repairing the destroyed Source Wall. This proved to be the right move, as the Lanterns came to rescue just as Brainiac’s son Vril Dox was about to murder Waller and Ollie.
*  *  *
After the Justice League successfully charges the seed Brainiac planted on Earth with all four cosmic energies (Mystery, Entropy, Wonder and Wisdom), Hal constructs a giant green gun to fire the seed into the Entropy Titan so its siblings will eat each other instead of Earth.

And since the fate of the world is at stake, there’s no one more fit to pull the trigger than the Emerald Archer — after the construct is appropriately converted into a giant green crossbow, naturally. His aim true, Ollie hits the Entropy Titan and the other Titans turned on their sibling, vanishing from Earth without a trace.
*  *  *
In the requisite table setting for future adventures, Oliver post-battle sequence is a bit more dangerous than everyone else’s. While the seeds are planted for the launches of Justice League Dark and Justice League Odyssey, Martian Manhunter takes Ollie aside to hand him an ornate box. Now that the League is changing, J’onn is building safeguards just in case they go too far one day. Someone honorable will have to stop them if that day comes, and as far as the new leader of the team is concerned, Oliver is the only candidate.

The box contains various ways to destroy the Justice League, making Oliver the most dangerous person in DC Universe right now. Of course, Ollie wouldn’t be him if he didn’t have the right when learning of the box’s importance: “Well…#$%@.”

It’s unclear what form the contents of the box take, but its mere existence tells us quite a lot. The grand finale of No Justice is packed full of table setting for DC’s upcoming books and events, so it makes sense that this would be setting the stage for an updated version of the 2000 Tower of Babel storyline, which saw Batman’s plans for disposing of the Justice League get acquired by Ra’s al Ghul. Giving the box to Ollie says a lot about how far he’s come in the eyes of the League, and of the Martian Manhunter in particular. It’s definitely a responsibility that he’ll be taking seriously.
*  *  *
With Lex Luthor poised to create the Legion of Doom, learning that Green Arrow has ways of taking out each member of the League is something that would catch his eye. We expect, then, that it’s not really a matter of if Luthor will attempt to get that box from Ollie, but when, and how far Ollie will go to make things right with the League if/when it happens.

Oliver only recently proved that he’s changed in the League’s eyes, so he has a lot to lose when everything goes pear-shaped (and you know it will). That’s a lot of pressure for someone who’s more comfortable taking down crime lords and street thugs than holding the fate of the world in their hands – literally.

Edited June 2, 2018 by tv echo

[tv echo]

Two other GA-related pages from Justice League: No Justice #4 - courtesy of May 25th ComicsBeat advance preview article...

 

Edited June 2, 2018 by tv echo

[tv echo]

[tv echo]

As the above posts indicated, Green Arrow plays a key role in the #4 finale issue of the Justice League: No Justice series. If you're interested in reading the first three issues of this series, here are some links...

GA does not appear in Justice League: No Justice #1:
https://www.readcomics.xyz/justice-league-no-justice/chapter-1

GA first appears in Justice League: No Justice #2 - here's pages 4, 5, 10 and 11:
https://www.readcomics.xyz/justice-league-no-justice/chapter-2

GA also appears in Justice League: No Justice #3 - here's pages 7, 19 and 20:
https://www.readcomics.xyz/justice-league-no-justice/chapter-3

 

Edited June 5, 2018 by tv echo

[tv echo]

Green Arrow #41 will be released tomorrow (June 6) - here's its synopsis (written by Mairghread Scott) and some preview pages...

Green Arrow #41
https://www.dccomics.com/comics/green-arrow-2016/green-arrow-41

Quote

“LESS THAN” part one! At Superman’s request, Green Arrow escorts Parasite back to Stryker’s Island Prison, but Parasite feeds off the super-powers of the other inmates, breaks away from Arrow and causes a prison riot. On his own, with only the arrows in his quiver, Green Arrow will have to keep all the villains at bay and take out an overpowered Parasite!

(cover pic source) (other pics source)

Edited June 5, 2018 by tv echo

[tv echo]

Green Arrow #41 Review
Jim Werner   June 6, 2018
http://www.weirdsciencedccomics.com/2018/06/green-arrow-41-review.html

Quote

Mairghread Scott jumps on Green Arrow this month and while I was really looking forward to starting the Benson's run, I'll keep an open mind going in here.  It is a bit odd though that after such a lengthy run by Ben Percy, we've been playing musical creative teams here (including the Benson's on last week's Annual), but again, as long as we get quality stories, I'm down.  So, was this a quality story and am I remaining down?  Let's find out...

The issue opens with a bit of a "This is Oliver Queen/Green Arrow" page that seems more there for Scott to show us that she knows the character more than to teach the reader anything new.  That's a good thing because there really is nothing new to see here.  

We continue towards the gist of the issue (and two-issue arc) when Ollie, on orders from the Justice League goes to ride shotgun for a prisoner transfer.  It's no ordinary transfer, however...it's Parasite.
*  *  *
The rest of the issue is basically Ollie fighting off prisoner after prisoner and while they are a colorful bunch (Count Vertigo in the house among others!), it goes on a bit too long and ends up feeling really padded out.  Plus, I am not sure that Ollie didn't kill a bunch of them.
*  *  *
It all leads to a cliffhanger that isn't a surprise reveal or much of anything...just a promise of more Green Arrow vs Parasite which sadly, I've had enough of already.

This is a cookie cutter, generic issue of Green Arrow.  While it is non-stop action, it manages to be pretty boring and there was nothing here that has me the tiniest bit excited for next issue.  It feels like a throwaway and even when Scott tries to tie the reader in with Green Arrow staples like trick arrows, they are clever or fun so why even bother?  My advice is to skip this and wait until the Bensons start up their run in August.

Edited June 6, 2018 by tv echo

[tv echo]

Green Arrow #41 Review
Chris Aiken   June 6, 2018
http://blacknerdproblems.com/green-arrow-41-review/

Quote

If there is one thing that anime and comic books share – and it’s something I dread more than anything – it’s filler season. We’ve reached that point yet again in Green Arrow. Ben Percy’s great run cemented Green Arrow’s return to form. In between the change up to the new female-led creative team of Shawna Benson and Julie Benson, we get the comic equivalent of a filler arc.
*  *  *
It’s hard for me to get behind a hero like Green Arrow being trapped in prison with powered people and all it takes is a bunch of trick arrows to dispatch them. There’s no sense of desperation, or feeling that he might not make it out of this. Like I said, by the numbers. Thankfully, Matt Clark’s gets to play with the different powered villains, trick arrows and a certain situation in a vent that’s pretty funny. His art is this issues saving grace from total mediocrity. Hopefully, next issue’s conclusion to this story offers more surprises than the beginning did.

Edited June 7, 2018 by tv echo

[tv echo]

Review – Green Arrow #41: Classic Oliver Queen
Posted on June 6, 2018 by Ray Goldfield
https://geekdad.com/2018/06/review-green-arrow-41/

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Ray: Before the Bensons (who had their Green Arrow debut in last week’s annual) take over this title, it’s time for a two-issue story, starting in Green Arrow #41, by up-and-coming writer Mairghread Scott, who is taking over Batgirl in a few issues. With the series in between big stories, Scott takes a minimalist approach to her Green Arrow story, paring back the supporting cast and focusing solely on Ollie in a tense, intimate story that pits him against an army of supervillains. As the issue begins, he’s been called in on a Justice League mission to supervise a villain transfer from prison to trial. That villain? The Parasite, which explains why the League sent one of their non-powered heroes, so he wouldn’t have anything to leech off. As soon as Ollie arrives – with some pointed commentary about the prison system – he’s met with hostility from the guards and warden, who don’t trust outside intervention. What’s more, Parasite doesn’t seem like the big threat he usually is – he seems scared of something or someone.

He instantly panics when faced with other supervillains, and the dim-but-strong villain Mammoth makes the mistake of spitting on him – which gives him the contact with the DNA he needs to absorb his powers. Parasite turns into a super-strong hulk, and the issue is on as he rampages through the prison, escaping and freeing all the other inmates in the process. In some ways, this feels more like a Suicide Squad issue than a Green Arrow issue, with a focus on the prison system and an outgunned hero. Ollie goes up against a full horde of villains, including his own rogue Count Vertigo and obscure Batman villain Doctor Phosphorous, but most of them just get a brief appearance. Next issue’s actual fight with Parasite, where the follow-up to the hints we got about what’s wrong with him will play out. It’s an intriguing setup to a short story, but it wastes little time jumping into the chaotic action, and as such doesn’t make the impression it otherwise could with a stronger narrative about the supervillain prison system.
*  *  *
Corrina: This was my favorite Green Arrow story in some time. Why?

Oliver Queen, liberal bleeding heart? Check, with the added bonus of Ollie’s political views being absolutely relevant to this story. They do not read as if they are needlessly inserted, a mistake made by many GA writers.

Oliver Queen against villains he has no business fighting? Check! Green Arrow works well as an underdog and it’s a treat to see him go up against a plethora of villains who underestimate him. He wins in his own way, though not without a few setbacks. These fight sequences read as if they could have been an episode of Justice League Unlimited, and I mean that as a compliment because JLU Ollie is terrific.

Ollie, with a sense of humor about his skills and his odds? Check. Ollie’s saving grace has always been that he recognizes his limitations, while always finding ways to, if not win, at least escape death. He does that here, with style.

Edited June 7, 2018 by tv echo

[tv echo]

Green Arrow’s Comic Finally Brings a Supermax Story to Life
06.08.2018   by Justin Carter
https://www.cbr.com/green-arrow-comic-super-max-movie-adaptation/

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Nearly a decade ago, Green Arrow was poised to star in his own solo film called Escape from Super Max. The movie, the script for which has become a genuine Internet legend, would’ve seen the Emerald Archer sent to jail for a crime he didn’t commit, only the jail would’ve been a high security prison filled with an assortment of supervillains and rogue heroes.

Though this story never came to fruition as a film, it’s managed to live on through other mediums. Not only does this seem to be the basis for Ollie’s story in the upcoming seventh season of Arrow, DC’s Green Arrow comic has also decided to take a stab at the concept for a story arc titled “Better Than.”
*  *  *
It’s here where the issue gets into what the Super Max movie could’ve possibly been, as Ollie goes through a gauntlet of villains. He really does have the worst luck during this time; not only does a brief bout with his old enemy Count Vertigo lead to one of his ribs being broken, he nearly gets devoured by King Shark, who just decides to start skulking around in the vents to find someone to eat. Still, Oliver does get to take down some criminals, including noted villains Dr. Phosphorus and Red Volcano. But they’re all small fries compared to Parasite, who managed to feed on not just Mammoth, but also Kryptonite Man and Neutron during all the chaos.

“Better Than” refers to Ollie’s thoughts that, even as he’s kicking the teeth in of these various villains, they’re still human deep down and deserve a fate better than being Parasite’s dinner. Even with his recent promotion to being perhaps the most dangerous hero in the DC Universe, he hasn’t lost his bleeding heart, and that may just be what he needs to reach through to Parasite in next month’s issue.

Edited June 10, 2018 by tv echo

[BkWurm1]

3 minutes ago, tv echo said:

Even with his recent promotion to being perhaps the most dangerous hero in the DC Universe,

I wonder if GA's more prominent place in the minds of casual fans at all prompted them to up his status in the DC comic universe.  Arrow has relatively small numbers but that's still a few million more than now think of him as pretty important compared to just knowing him from comic books.  And Arrow has presented Oliver Queen as the leader to pretty much all that came after him, a status that he doesn't have in the comics, so maybe this was their way of making him more important in a league where all the big roles had already been handed out to other heroes.

[tv echo]

Eight Irish Superheroes from Cú Chulainn to Captain America
Miles Murphy  June 15, 2018
https://www.irishcentral.com/culture/entertainment/irish-superheroes-cu-chulainn-captain-america

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The Black Canary

Like many modern comic book heroes, the Black Canary has a number of stories and backstories.  In one version, she is Dinah Drake, member of the Golden Age Justice Society of America and mother of Dinah Laurel Lance, the second Black Canary who eventually became a member of the Justice League of America and married her hero Green Arrow.  On the Arrow TV show, there have been a number of versions of Black Canary/White Canary, culminating in the death of Black Canary, Laurel Lance and the resurrection of Black Canary, Tina Boland, real name Dinah Drake.  Some story line. Whew!

Among Black Canary’s considerable abilities, including extensive martial arts training is her signature “canary cry”, a sonic blast created when she screams that can shatter animate and inanimate objects alike.

One of the more interesting re-imaginings of Black Canary is the Black Canary of Earth 31, an anonymous Irish bartender who works in a seedy bar called the Black Canary. Her serving uniform also serves as her costume. After beating up a number of rowdy patrons who have harassed her, she heads down to the waterfront where she confronts a group of gangsters but is badly outnumbered.  Batman shows up and rescues her and they proceed to have a romantic liaison.  Afterwards she returns to the bar and sets it on fire.  Modern romance!

Edited June 15, 2018 by tv echo

[tv echo]

May comics sales figures have just been published...

May 2018 Comic Book Sales to Comics Shops
June 18, 2018
http://www.comichron.com/monthlycomicssales/2018/2018-05.html

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Units    Dollars    Comic-book Title                 Issue    Price    On sale    Publisher        Est. units
*  *  *
116         116          Green Arrow                       40          $3.99    05/02/18    DC                20,995
*  *  *
129          95           Green Arrow Annual            2          $4.99    05/30/18    DC               18,514

To compare, here were the April 2018 sales figures for GA:

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112           101        Green Arrow                         39         $3.99    04/04/18    DC             21,269

FYI:
GA #39 and GA #40 were written by interim writers, Jackson Lanzing & Collin Kelly.
GA Annual #2 was written by Shawna Benson & Julie Benson.
GA #41 (June) and GA #42 (July) was and will be written by interim writer, Mairghread Scott.
GA #43 (August) will be the first regular issue written by Shawna Benson & Julie Benson.

Edited June 18, 2018 by tv echo

[tv echo]

Green Arrow #42 goes on sale tomorrow (July 4th) - this is the second part of the two-parter that began in GA #41 (written by Maighread Scott)...
https://www.dccomics.com/comics/green-arrow-2016/green-arrow-42

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It’s Parasite Season for Green Arrow. The Emerald Archer must hunt down the power-sapping purple powerhouse—alone, in a maximum-security prison, running low on arrows—and after the tapeworm terror has feasted on a buffet full of metahuman criminals. Prison reform, Ollie? You shoot arrows in people; that’s straight up medieval!

Edited July 3, 2018 by tv echo

[tv echo]

Here's an advance preview...

A babysitting mission goes horribly wrong in this Green Arrow exclusive
Oliver Sava  July 2, 2018
https://www.avclub.com/a-babysitting-mission-goes-horribly-wrong-in-this-green-1827294436

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Babysitting can be hard, but it’s a lot harder when you’re asked to keep watch of a supervillain that sucks the life force out of others, becoming bigger, stronger, and gaining new abilities in the process. Green Arrow learns this the hard way in the current storyline of his ongoing series, teaming writer Mairghread Scott with artist Matthew Clark, inker Sean Parson, and colorist Jason Wright to pit Oliver Queen against The Parasite. It’s an action-packed two-parter that takes Green Arrow deep inside Stryker’s Island prison, where he faces off against a variety of supervillains before making his way to his escaped target, who has been steadily growing in power as he feeds off of his fellow inmates.

This exclusive preview of this week’s Green Arrow #42 kicks off the big showdown, with the art team creating a terrifying image of The Parasite that highlights what a hulking monstrosity he becomes when he’s all juiced up. Clark makes excellent use of targets and arrows in his layouts to give pages bolder graphic impact, with the opening page putting Oliver at the center of a target to indicate that he’s The Parasite’s next meal. Later, Clark uses arrows as panel borders, and the direction of the arrows also guides the viewer’s eye across the page. This team is only filling in until writers Julie and Shawna and artist Javi Fernandez take over the ongoing adventures of the Emerald Archer next month, but Scott, Clark, and their collaborators craft a thrilling tale that showcases the dynamism of Green Arrow.

 

Edited July 3, 2018 by tv echo

[tv echo]

Review of Green Arrow #42...

Green Arrow Comic Tells Prison Story The TV Show Won't
BY MATT MORRISON – ON JUL 04, 2018 IN COMICS
https://screenrant.com/green-arrow-prison-comic-tv-show/

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The seventh season of Arrow seems ready to bring the concept of the cancelled Green Arrow movie Supermax to life on the small screen. Meanwhile, the monthly Green Arrow comic is tackling an entirely different sort of story involving prisons - one that Arrow seems unlikely to address.
*  *  *
As Green Arrow #42 opens, Oliver Queen has tracked The Parasite into the sewers under the prison. Rather than seeking to turn The Parasite into a pin-cushion, Green Arrow tries to talk him into returning peacefully. The Parasite dismisses this idea, telling Green Arrow about the man he was before an accident turned him into The Parasite. And how, despite being promised that the government would try to find a cure for him, he was shoved in a hole in the ground and left to rot by the prison's warden.
*  *  *
Once The Parasite is recaptured, Green Arrow asks to see The Parasite's cell, which is covered with suicidal graffiti. When he confronts the warden over the abusive treatment The Parasite has suffered, the warden doesn't deny keeping the prisoner locked away in inhumane conditions. He defends his actions, however, by pointing out that he is doing the best that he can with a limited budget.

The warden goes on to list the difficulties in running a standard prison, and how those problems are exacerbated by the need to take care of metahuman prisoners. He says the state doesn't given him the budget to provide his guards with a decent health care plan, much less construct a special cell that would allow The Parasite - who can also drain energy from electronic devices - to watch TV without being an escape risk. Green Arrow concedes the point, but says that prisoners "only stay men if we treat them that way. Otherwise they really are monsters... And so are we."

Perhaps the most stunning aspect of this story is the nuanced portrayal of the warden, who resists the usual genre cliches of being a petty tyrant who relishes the chance to violently put his charges in their place, calling them all animals and monsters. This is the expectation Green Arrow holds until he tries to talk to the warden in the same way that he spoke to The Parasite.

This story shows that sometimes there are no easy answers and no true villains - a lesson it is shocking to see delivered in a comic book and one we probably won't see conveyed in the upcoming season of Arrow.

Edited July 4, 2018 by tv echo

[BkWurm1]

4 hours ago, tv echo said:

This story shows that sometimes there are no easy answers and no true villains - a lesson it is shocking to see delivered in a comic book and one we probably won't see conveyed in the upcoming season of Arrow.

I feel there is a low-level hostility coming through from this writer about Arrow.  Arrow is doing our hero imprisoned and fighting to survive and perhaps escape.  I don't see Oliver Queen being given a chance to have tea and chat with the Warden about prison conditions but if they ARE doing Supermax, then we will see I'm sure some of the villains portrayed in a more sympathetic light.  

But no matter what, why pit the two mediums against each other unless there's an ax to grind?

[statsgirl]

That's Matt Morrison is Starman, isn't he?

I think he's one of the better, more thoughtful reviewers of the TV show.  I read that review as being "I love ya, but you could do better"  in terms of the show.