Green Lantern/Green Arrow: World’s Finest Special #1 – Jeremy Adams, Writer; Lucas Meyer, Travis Mercer, Artists; Marcelo Maiolo, Andrew Dalhouse, Colorists
Ray – 9/10
Ray: Jeremy Adams has been doing a space epic for most of his Green Lantern run, which hasn’t left as much time for smaller-scale adventures past the first issue. So this flashback issue is very welcome, turning back the clock to the sliding-timeline equivalent of the 1970s. Obviously, Green Arrow was once Hal’s most common partner – with the two having a wildly acclaimed team-up book – and this issue’s main story takes us back to their road trip days, with Hal driving Ollie insane with requests to see strange roadside attractions and the two arguing over politics – at least until they get pulled over by the cops. But it’s not a cop coming out of the car – it’s an assassin, one with an oddly familiar costume.
I wasn’t sure if it was Deathstroke at first due to the color scheme, but this is an early Slade looking for admission to the League of Assassins, and he has to take out the two heroes to get it. Armed with yellow bullets, he manages to incapacitate Hal and send Ollie on a rampage of revenge – but Hal naturally never stays down for long. There are a lot of great details in this story, including an appearance from a Dinah with a look we haven’t seen in a long time. There’s a fun, old-school pulpy vibe to this story, fitting in neatly into past continuity while also feeling like a modern display for Adams’ writing. I know why Batman and Superman get the main focus, but it’s great to see other friendships revisited as well.
But that’s not all! There’s a ten-page backup with art by Travis Mercer, taking place immediately after and pitting Hal and Barry against Deathstroke for round two. This time the ruthless assassin has wired Central City with bombs and tripwires, willing to take out as many civilians as he has to. Deathstroke’s been around for so long that it’s easy to forget what a threat he was right out of the gate, and this issue overall is a great addition to what Adams has been building with Green Lantern since the first issue.
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GeekDad received this comic for review purposes.
