The Rise and Fall of the Green Arrow apparently has begun in Green Arrow #31. In a familiar and somewhat tired story, the hero’s home/city (in this case the Green Arrow’s Star City) has been devastated by an attack of an arch-villain (Prometheus) and the hero is out for revenge throwing aside everything he stands for.

Though nothing terribly original, I did enjoy writer J.T. Krul’s telling of this story. I have never been a huge Green Arrow fan, but Krul managed to keep me interested in what was going on in the life of Oliver Queen throughout the issue. The issue definitely contained some interesting moments like when Queen was fighting off Black Canary, one of the heroes trying to bring Ollie in after he supposedly killed Prometheus in a previous issue… Aren’t Arrow and Canary married? I don’t know, seems like super-hero marriages last about as long as celebrity ones do. Another nice scene is between Ollie and his son Connor.

Artist Federico Dallocchio’s artwork is probably the best thing about this issue. He really does a nice job presenting Ollie in a way that shows the emotional turmoil and conflict he seems to be experiencing – along with those around him who have to deal with the consequences of Ollie’s actions.

If you are looking for an original story concept here, then you may find yourself disappointed. Still, some nice in-depth character reflection combined with some nice visuals makes this one worth checking out.


Written by: J.T. KRUL
Art by: DIOGENES NEVES
Cover by: MAURO CASCIOLI, 1:25 variant Cover by MIKE MAYHEW
Publisher: DC Comics
Cover Price: $2.99
On Sale: Now