Green Arrow #1

Ny Benjamin Percy, Otto Schmidt, and Nate Piekos

Green Arrow #1 continues to expand upon the ideas that were established in the Rebirth Special. The issue also continues to bring new ideas to the table while setting up possible conflicts for later on in the series. The issue kicks off by show us that things are ramping up in the city of Seattle. Oliver and Dinah begin crackdown on human trafficking and questions surface about Queen Industry’s.

Percy wastes no time this issue as he brings Oliver’s half-sister and sidekick, Emiko, into the book. He also shows us that while Oliver and Dinah still have chemistry, they have complicated their relationship with both of their pasts’ feelings. Dinah has this interesting outlook about how any one that she becomes close with gets hurt – this will play a larger role in a moment. When Dinah and Oliver get to talking about the people in his life Percy has Dinah point out that all of his relationships, save Emiko, are based around money. She does not outright say he has no friends or the one he does have are fake or artificial in any way, but she persists to poke holes in every point he attempts to make. Oliver asks how Dinah feels about them she pulls no punches and tells him that they barely know each other, and tells him she needs space. This feels just a little rushed; in the Rebirth Special the two connected quite well. It seems that they connected well enough to warrant a gorgeous page by Schmidt, of the two of them in bed together. It would seem that because Oliver asked a serious question concerning the relationship between the two of them Dinah feels the need to create space. Because she walks away it could cost Olivier everything.

Before leaving, Dinah questions Queen Industries. Percy takes this opportunity to give Oliver the appropriate response when faced with a challenge by a woman he wishes to win over, he becomes motivated. Oliver becomes motivated enough to confront his Chief Finance Officer about shady business. This is a really interesting route that Percy and co. set up for Oliver to take because he has been fighting in the name of the common man while handing out hundreds of dollars to those he considers to be on his side. The way people react when Oliver is in the building leads us to believe that he rarely if ever shows up to the office. So him even going is kind of a big deal for his character considering how much he is half trying to pull away from the company.

Oliver is left in a less than ideal position at the end of the issue leaving us with some unexpected questions. We also get our villain reveal that sets up conflicts Oliver can’t necessarily shoot arrows at. What’s being set up has the potential to change things for Oliver because once he has dug deep enough in the goings on of his company he may have to take more responsibility and actually interact with his name sake. The people who Oliver is crossing aren’t really the kind that your run of the mill common man can take on. Theses men have millions of dollars and the ability to organize a human trafficking ring. It’s not as simple as knocking them out, tieing them up and leaving them outside of the police station. For all we know this could become half street-fighting action and half quasi-business game of numbers. What we know now is that Oliver is getting in over his head.

Schmidt really flexes his artistic muscles, during an action sequence we get to see not only Oliver and Dinah in action but Emiko as well. There is a full-page and several silent sequences that have beautiful visual story telling. Schmidt is able to convey kinetic energy through the arrows as each is fired and as it hits its mark.. Towards the end of the book Schmidt puts together this double page spread that features two large panels and nine smaller separate panels at the bottom of the page. It’s a stunning balancing of Oliver fighting for his life and our creepy masquerade human traffickers in a meeting.

The development feels just a little pushed in comparison to the last issue with Dinah leaving in such a hurry; however, it doesn’t take away or distract from the larger story. Getting to see Oliver take on even the slightest responsibility for the company with his name on it is a promising change of outlook for his character. On the last page Oliver was left in pretty bad shape, once the dust clears here who knows what’s in store for not only Oliver and his family but his future with Dinah as well.