Comic Book Review: Green Arrow #5

Literary & Artistic Credits

Writer: J.T. Krul

Penciller: Diogenes Neves

Colorist: Ulises Arreola

Letterer: Rob Leigh

Cover Art: Mauro Cascioli

Editor: Adam Schlagman

My Awe-Inspiring Opinion

Take into account that this issue’s focus seems to be all over the place and very organizationally unsound, I find #5 to be the better of all five issues that has been published thus far.  Many of the literary choices made by Krul seem very contrived, as if the script could have been found at the bottom of a Cracker Jacks box.  But there is a lot more substance and gusto within this issue than any other, and that is exactly what Green Arrow needs if this title is to survive.  Green Arrow is such a good character, so I’m glad to see this series finally moving along in the right direction.

Page one puts us smack dab in the center of a fight with new villainess Nix, a master of disguise as Ollie called her.  Speed and anonymity, as well as holding a seemingly shape-shifting blade, keep Green Arrow on his toes as he does all he can to defend the lovely black haired woman he would probably court were he given the chance.  But all the rules of comic book folk-lore are broken when nix slices and dices an unsuspecting bystander, spilling his guts on the Star City streets.  Remembering that his Lazarus Pit within the forest saved him, doing the same for this man seemed logical.  Little did he know that it would trigger an uprising of returning Black Lanterns.

Krul is a good writer, he has proven that much in the past with his work on Aspen MLT’s Fathom and other Marvel and DC Comics titles.  I think this issue proves that when Krul can write his own story without having to worry about a tie-in, the story will be just as good as any other writers’.  Brightest Day has been very disappointing, and Krul has obviously been bogged down by it’s presence in Green Arrow.  So he took it upon himself to write a story that seemed a little more independent of Brightest Day.  I know that seems strange to say seeing as how the issue was flowing with Brightest Day tie-in’s, but I don’t think many can deny that this issue was a step up from normal.

Even with the boost in literary quality, the use of Black Lanterns in this issue was a bit over the top and unnecessary.  But it did help explain a little more about the White Lantern tree, even though I’m still up in the air as to what the hell this tree is here for!

In the words of blogger extraordinaire from It’s A Dan’s World, “Now THAT’S a splash page!”  The final page of this issue is fantastic and finally proving that Ollie really is one of the better heroes in the DCU.  It’s nice to see that Krul is finally putting Green Arrow back into the “tough man” suit and not pussy-footing around the forest anymore wallowing in self pity and chasing his own shadow. 

Could I have been more shocked to see an innocent bystander murdered so brutally and suddenly, without warning?  What a bloody mess!  I couldn’t have been more pleased with this unorthodox approach at involving the common, everyday innocent working man.  I hate seeing people murdered of course, but it’s so refreshing to see a different approach taken, especially when it shocks the fuck out of you!

The art, like always, is up and down for me.  Some panels are spectacular and make me wish I had Diogenes talents!  Others are sub par and make me wonder what the fuck DC is trying to do to my eyeballs!  Consistency is not something that seems to define the Green Arrow artistic team-up.

My Majestically Climactic Conclusion

If nothing else, Brightest Day will be the death of DC as we know it.  It’s bogging down on the majority of the titles more than Blackest Night was, and Blackest Night was handled appropriately!  I do think that once Krul can get away from the mandated Brightest Day inclusion, this title will really start to shine.

Rating: 6.33 out of 10

Writing: 8

Art: 5

Themes: 6

Comic Book Review: Green Arrow #4

Literary & Artistic Credits

Writer: J.T. Krul

Penciller: Diogenes Neves

Inker: Vicente Cifuentes

Colorist: Ulises Arreola

Letterer: Rob Leigh

Cover Art: Mauro Cascioli

My Awe-Inspiring Opinion

I think I’ve figured out why this new Green Arrow run feels like it’s lacking so much.  Ollie has always been a wise cracker and funny man while still being more than the mere comedic relief; always kicking some major ass, and doing it with a smile.  J.T. Krul, while being a fantastic writer, seems to have forgotten what made Ollie such a great character.  Issue #1 to #4 has been very consistent in making Ollie very lifeless and bent set on maintaining his solitude without giving it real purpose.

Now it doesn’t help that He’s also including the out of place Brightest Day tie-in involving the Manhunter and his crazy, out of control metamorphic condition.  I don’t blame Krul though as I’m sure DC is requiring him to write this into the story.  But even so, this whole Robin Hood motif being generated in the story isn’t truly being executed like it should.  The concept is great, but the choices being made to bring this title’s beginning to a good start is not where it needs to be.

The pain and torment plaguing Ollie from the destructive events from Star City is thankfully still being utilized, but the supporting cast of characters seems to be more intrusive in the story than helpful.  Galahad’s depth of character only extends as far as my arm can reach, and even that is a stretch.  He seems to be a quite odd and unnecessary addition to the story.  I understand there is still the mystery of why he is around, but Krul hasn’t given me any reason to care about it.  Likewise, the new owner of Queen Industries has a very one-dimensional aura to her which makes her even less appealing than Galahad.

The excitement in reading this issue was so far gone that I was even more disappointed to see the art be an even more inconsistent aspect of the book.  It’s not terrible, but it does feel like Neves got lazy, or Arreola did.  Either way, the art didn’t keep my attention.  In no way does it compare to this title’s first issue, where Neves truly showed his artistic potential.  I found that certain panels were brilliant, while others felt like my 10 year old self had drawn them.  All in all, I’m sadly unimpressed by what Neves brought to this issue.

My Majestically Climactic Conclusion

For lack of a more distinguished phrase, this issue was boring.  There is no real substance and Green Arrow himself seems to be going through an unnecessary change in character.  The only reason I’m sticking with this title further is my confidence in J.T. Krul as a writer.  He’s proven himself again and again and I’m hoping that once this arc is over, the title will begin to show some real potential.

Rating: 3 out of 10

Writing: 2

Art: 4

Themes: 3

Comic Book Review: Green Arrow #3

Literary & Artistic Credits

Writer: J.T. Krul

Penciller: Diogenes Neves

Inker: Vicente Cifuentes

Colorist: Ulises Arreola

Letterer: Rob Leigh

Cover Art: Mauro Cascioli

My Awe-Inspiring Opinion

May I just start off by praising Cascioli for one of the best covers I’ve seen this year?  Why can’t DC just hire him to do more art work for DC’s books?  He and Alex Ross are pure masterminds within the comic book genre.

Ok, now onto the story.  My hopes that this book will rise up to become one of DC’s more popular titles has not waivered in the least, but this issue was not what I was hoping for it to be.  The idea is interesting and I can see where Krul is going with the whole story, but the execution was very weak.

We start where we left off last month, with Green Arrow lying on the ground with an arrow smack dab in the middle of his forehead.  But by some miracle, an archer by the same name as a knight of the round table dunks our anti-hero into a forest pool which acts as a Lazarus pit, reviving Ollie to full strength.  During his time submerged, Ollie recalls on his life as a negligent father and husband and goes through what could be equated as a religious journey into his subconscious. 

I’m not sure what I think of the art this month.  Half it is very impressive, and the other half felt lazy.  The scenes I was most unimpressed with were with our main character and Galahad in the heart of the forest surprisingly enough.  When the story went other places outside of the forest, and dealing with back stories of other characters involved, that’s when my eyes perked up and became much more visually involved.

I found the addition of Galahad to be odd and out of place, even though I’m sure that’s what Krul is going for huh?  But also to discover that Galahad wasn’t Green Arrow’s attacker was even more daunting.  That and his random bit of oratory seemed very contrived and preachy.  I certainly hope that Galahad becomes a little more useful then a mere “all knowing” presence in this section of Green Arrows life.

And speaking of out of place plot devices, where the fuck did those dogs come from?  If Galahad and Ollie are the only ones in the forest, then who is the rightful owner of the rabid K-9’s? 

I certainly enjoyed the idea behind issue #3, making this about Green Arrow’s fight against himself.  It was hard to determine what the hell Ollie was shooting at until the outline of the arrow and hood on the shadowy figure became much more defined and clear.  However, the idea that Ollie is going to have to fight his evil, inner demon (at least that’s what I deduced from that last page) is a little too hokey for my tastes.  But it is creative none-the-less.

My Majestically Climactic Conclusion

A good idea does not always equal a great story.  And while the “battling of one’s self” is a proven effective plot progression, the execution within this issue of that idea was not successfully planned out.  There are still many interesting parts of this title that keep its potential strong, such as the mysterious woman who has taken over Queen Industries, so my fingers are still crossed!

Rating: 6.66 out of 10

Writing: 7

Art: 7

Themes: 6

Comic Book Review: Green Arrow #2

Book Information
Written by J.T. Krul
Penciled by Diogenes Neves
Inked by Vicente Cifuentes
Colors by Ulises Arreola
Letters by Rob Leigh
Cover by Mauro Cascioli

My Awe-Inspiring Opinion
James Robinson certainly didn’t leave J.T. Krul in a very good position. With the random Star-shaped forest stemming all throughout the God forsaken Star City, it was obvious no writer would be able to take the mess that Robinson left Green Arrow in and clean it up easily. Mr. Krul however does show his stuff in creating an interesting story despite the lack of creativity left by Robinson.

Green Lantern descends into the forest only to discover that his ring has no power among the trees. Green Arrow, who has put upon himself the responsibility of keeping the forest safe from evil outsiders, shows Hal his new domicile within the forest plain. The new owner of Queen Industries (I can’t give this away, it’s too good!) has it out for the man in tights as she believes Ollie Queen is the only thing holding her back. With the help of his friend Hal, Green Arrow goes on the defensive, trying to stay alive. But that last page makes me wonder what kind of a future is in store for Green Arrow.

The first issue didn’t leave people in high hopes that Green Arrow will stand the test of time. I on the other hand feel this series has all the potential in the world. It’s just like Alan Moore’s “Promethea,” give it some time and it will grow on you. J.T. Krul has a way with building a story up, especially when a series is just getting started. Longevity aside, #2 is a wonder in and of itself, providing great action and sentimental moments with a shocker of and ending. Hal and Ollie learn of each others misfortunes and decide that, despite their incredible bond of friendship, they must fight their own fights alone. It’s an incredible moment in the comic’s world when a hero decides to venture off on their own to stop the evil at hand. Ollie understood this and told Hal this is the way things must be, at least for now. Green Arrow has developed into a much more mature character than ever before.

I did think the battle sequence to be a bit long, as if Krul had to do something to fill the 22 pages, so he told Diogenes Neves to draw and extensive battle scene to make up for his writers block. That’s probably not the case, but I do wonder about the lengthy fight scenes in comics that seem to replace dialogue and storyline on a consistent basis.

Neves does quite the job with his artistic approach. The detail of the bodies and surrounding trees really stick out in a good way. The stubble on Ollie’s face is very well done, as are the definitive leaves blowing in the trees. Naturally, Neves is doing all he can to make Green Arrow a work of art, and it’s been done quite successfully.

My Awesomely Climactic Conclusion
I would like to see Krul move this title along, which I’m sure it will with the completely shocking cliffhanger.

Ratings
Writing: 9
Themes: 9
Art: 9
Overall: 9 out of 9