Green Arrow #35 – Benjamin Percy, Writer; Juan Ferreyra, Artist
Ratings:
Ray – 8.5/10
Corrina: Moira Has an Agenda
WARNING: SPOILERS BELOW!
Ray: If there’s one thing this series is great at, it’s set pieces. Percy and his elite art team don’t limit the story to one location, but instead send Ollie into some of the most dangerous locations in the world – including, this issue, the depths of the ocean, where Ollie and Moira Queen are heading to the sunken ruins of the 9th Circle’s old base. Juan Ferreyra is a great choice for the art here, as he gets to really sink his teeth into the bizarre creatures that lurk down in the ocean depths. Despite this, though, the story is grounded nicely in the tense but hopeful relationship between Moira and Ollie. It’s clear that Moira has her own agenda, but she’s still the first person in a long time outside of his core circle who Ollie feels like he can trust. And with potential death only a tiny malfunction away, that intensity makes the sense of uneasy trust all the stronger.
The segments outside the ocean are fairly strong this issue as well. Kate Spencer, while just a bit character in this series so far, takes a larger role as she starts investigating the truth behind Wendy Poole’s disappearance and taking on the corruption in “Star City”. One of the last honest policemen in the city tries to do the same thing, and meets the fate you’d expect. Emiko’s segment, where she continues her attempt to rehabilitate Wendy and heal her from the trauma she experienced, is surprisingly affecting and shows Emiko’s attempts to atone for the things she did while working for her mother. Dinah doesn’t enter the story until later, but after a shocking betrayal in the depths, it seems she might be Ollie’s best hope. This series has a great ensemble working for it, and Percy seems to be getting stronger with characters every issue. I wouldn’t mind if after this mega-arc is over, he got to slow down and let the characters relax a bit.
Corrina: The only thing shocking about Moira’s betrayal is that it happened so fast. Nothing in Moira’s history in this comic indicated she should be trustworthy and, indeed, she’s not.
Ray’s right in that this comic is great at setpieces but it skips plot and character steps to get to them. Moira comes back from the dead and immediately Ollie trusts her. Why? Given how she was a member of this international cabal that Ollie’s been fighting for Percy’s entire run, and given how his father was involved in it, you would think Ollie would be far more wary of his mother. But, no, the plot wants him to be glad his mother’s back and trust her and not even let the rest of the people he does trust know about any of this. It’s that kind of thing that makes reading this book a terribly frustrating experience: the lack of a middle. For instance, the central romance: Dinah shows up, she and Ollie banter, and then they have sex and they’re in love for the rest of the run. How did they get there? We still don’t know. But it’s presented as fact, without a basis, much like Ollie’s faith in Moira.
The follow up to these set pieces is sometimes lacking as well. This city has been basically destroyed (plus invaded by werewolves) but yet there’s no natural plot follow up to how everyone is doing in the wake of that destruction. What’s changed? How is the Court even proceeding with Ollie’s case when the judges or court employees might have lost their homes/lives?
But, yes, the art on this series has always been stellar, especially the action set pieces. But, sadly, the book still leaves me emotionally cold.
Disclaimer: GeekDad received this comic for review purposes.
