Green Arrow #25

By Jeff Lemire and Andrea Sorrentino

After the events of past issues with Count Vertigo, the Green Arrow series uses issue 25 to take a look at the past, Ollie’s return from the island and his first encounter with Batman. While most series that take an issue to tie-in to other books tend to slow down the pace, this issue adds to the mystery that writer Jeff Lemire and artist Andrea Sorrentino are weaving and adds new insight for Diggle’s character.

The story of Green Arrow #25 is a fairly straightforward one that has Ollie traveling to Gotham City after the blackout, to look for his mother. In the search for his mom, the Green Arrow has his first run in with not only the new Killer Moth, but also the Dark Knight himself.

The main story is nothing special and serves more as a prequel to “The Outsiders War” that begins next month. Where Lemire really shines is with the Diggle back-up. You get to see a lot of how Diggle and Ollie operated in the past and it hints at what happened to break them apart.

Sorrentino and colorist Marcelo Maiolo knock another issue out of the park. Their darker, grittier tone fits in perfect in a Gotham City setting and considering the city is suffering from a blackout, the pages work even better. On top of it all you get to see Sorrentino draw Batman again which is always a treat.

Green Arrow #25 might not be the most important issue to read if you are following Lemire and Sorrentino’s saga but it doesn’t stop them from making it a good time. There are some funny interactions between Green Arrow and Batman that lighten the mood, and lets be honest, Ollie’s beard alone is worth the $3.99 price tag.