Matt reviews Green Arrow 14

Well, Comic Con is in the history books. Another grand event behind me. I met with some artists, some writers, some publishers, and a few others in between. I didn’t land any major deals, so I’m still scraping the bottom of the proverbial barrel in hopes of someday managing to make a living in the publishing world.

I’ve got a few projects in mind…any artists out there care to work with me??? Anyone???

Well, anyway, I just read the latest issue of Green Arrow. In the latest chapter, our hero is still working with government operatives to locate a violent, religious zealot whose minions aren’t above using themselves as cannon fodder. Batman joins the fun, donating a few nifty trick arrows to Ollie’s arsenal, and there’s a battle with a guy in a giant, mech-warrior suit.

And…that’s about it.

This wasn’t a bad issue. It certainly had its entertaining points. It just…didn’t really offer much. Truth be told, this chapter could’ve probably been completely left out, and the story wouldn’t have suffered. It could be argued that this sort of thing falls in line with the current trend of publishers focusing more on trades rather than single issues, and stories are dragged out longer than necessary in order to fit into trade paperback…but that’s another debate for another day.

If that is indeed what’s happened here, this issue has suffered for it.

The story of Green Arrow taking on a dangerous extremist in the form of Rev. Billy Miggs is an intriguing concept. Ollie’s political leanings are usually glossed over in favor of appealing to a wider market, often to the detriment of his character. (After all, without his opinions, Green Arrow is really just Batman with a bow.) While those opinions aren’t formally addressed in this story arc, pitting Ollie against a conservative character indirectly brings them to the forefront. Unfortunately, this unnecessary chapter really hampers the dramatic impact such a story could’ve had.

What started as a dramatic, emotional story with intriguing themes is reduced to Ollie vs a giant robot.  Kind of a disappointment.

I give this entry three out of five stars. This story would deserve a higher rating, but this issue feels like nothing more than filler. With that in mind, I think I’m being generous.