In this issue, the hero screws up... big time, but it has nothing to do with fighting bad guys or shooting arrows. Winick portrays Oliver Queen as a man who is, to a certain extent, a slave to his impulses. The writer delves into what makes the title character unique, and that's his flaws. It makes a world full of urban trolls, perfect assassins and unerring aims seem, well, plausible. It brings credibility to incredible characters, and it makes for entertaining reading.
Green Arrow finds himself running from not one ugly, green-skinned monster, but a trio of them, and it's only when he gets some backup that he's able to get the situation under control (or a reasonable facsimile thereof). The emerald archer has a hunch about the brutes, and he heads off to compare notes with Joanna Pierce, the young lawyer (and niece of a good friend) with whom he's been working. Unfortunately, both become... distracted in rather short measure. Meanwhile, Drakon begins his bloody work for his corporate employers.
Hester and Parks bring an edgy, tense atmosphere to every issue of Green Arrow (well, you know, except the ones they didn't work on... oh, shut up). There's also a clear simplicity to their style as well, and it reinforces the fun side of the super-heroics. They really capture Drakon's menacing but stoic nature. They also capture the sense that the title character isn't exactly a young turk, but I wish they'd conveyed Joanna's contrasting youth more clearly. It would have really reinforced the pivotal plot point.
The cover sums up this issue quite well. Oliver Queen and his ally against social injustice, Joanna Pierce, get it on. Initially, it's a passion-filled and envious scene, but Winick quickly points out that it's also a huge mistake. In a sense, Oliver is betraying those around him, especially Joanna's uncle (Black Lightning) and Ollie's supposed soulmate, Black Canary. His attempt to cover it up makes it clear that he knows it's a mistake, and it gets to the heart of the character. He's just come back from the dead, and worked to patch up his life and his relationships. And now, a short time later, he's falling back into old habits. Oliver Queen is a man who gives in to his appetites -- for adventure and for sex -- without thought to the consequences.
Winick also offers up a powerful scene that firmly establishes the threat that Drakon presents. The scene is remarkably effective. Here we have what is essentially a generic hired assassin -- they're a dime a dozen in comics -- yet Winick mesmerizes the reader with Drakon's cold and efficient personality.
