Green Arrow #23 Review

Green Arrow is now officially about a guy named Green Arrow searching an ancient artifact called The Green Arrow. It sounds silly... and it kinda is, but the high adventure spirit this series has taken on is fantastic. There's almost an Indiana Jones feel, a sense of long-lost mystery and high-octane action. Those looking for a street-level vigilante should search elsewhere, but if you want to spend some time in a crazy, mysterious world where everybody – seriously, everybody – is armed with a bow and arrow, then Green Arrow is your book.

Much has been said about the look Andrea Sorrentino and Marcelo Maiolo provide these pages with. If you liked what came before, you'll what you get here. As usual, there are big dynamic pages that look great and other smaller, dryer pages that come across as slightly stiff. The most interesting sequence here is a silhouette-driven flashback sequence. While it might not be a complete success, it's something unique and interesting; it's a step outside the bounds when few superhero books are taking such risks.

Jeff Lemire deserves mega credit for doing something different, as well. He's transformed this little title into a huge mythological vision quest. It's the not tone or feeling we have come to expect in a Green Arrow title, but Lemire makes it work. There are deep family secrets, violent pasts, ancient orders, and powerful artifacts. It's big stuff, at times a bit too big, but it's interesting and engaging. Green Arrow deserves your support; DC needs to know this is the kind of book we want more of.

Benjamin is a drinker of root beer and a lover of fine cheeses. Follow Benjamin on Twitter @616Earth, or find him on IGN.

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