Green Arrow seems to be a series that benefits from a high profile, despite featuring what you could charitably call a B-list hero. Whether it's writing by someone better known for his movies or, in the latest development, featuring an HIV-positive hero, the book tends to get press and be a "love it or hate it" book. Except that I don't, really, not either one. I was a huge fan of Winick's early run on the book, and very much loved the look that Hester and Parks brought to the book, but a growing disinterest in the more "realistic" take on heroes that Winick uses, brought on largely by seeing the logical extension of that style in Identity Crisis, put me off a little bit. However, with a new art team coming onboard, I figured I'd give the book another look, and my take is the same: It's a solid enough book, but I'm not really sure it's for me.
One thing I should say right away is that I'm of two minds on Mia's increased role in the book, and the high-profile storyline that got this book so much attention a couple months back. On the one hand, having an HIV-positive heroine is a socially responsible thing from my point-of-view, and thanks to Winick's real-life experience with the issue, the book does tend to steer away from "movie of the week" moments for the most part, although they're certainly to be found from time to time. On the other hand, I don't buy that Mia suddenly gets to be a sidekick because she's HIV positive, as it is arguably irresponsible to put her into a role where she's likely to spill blood and have blood spilled pretty frequently, and more to the point, it has the unfortunate side effect of making her story look forced, which is the worst thing you can do when you've got something with real social issues.
Fortunately, while the first couple issues of Mia's new storyline felt a little bit too afterschool special, that is not really to be found in this issue. Instead, we've got a pretty decent little action sequence against one of the lamest villains we're likely to see (until next issue, when the *snicker* Duke of Oil makes his appearance) and some fun stuff as Mia is introduced to the Teen Titans. The Titans sequence is actually relatively short, but it's got some really fun moments, including Green Arrow's bet with Cyborg and Mia's decision about whether or not to tell her new friends about her HIV status. I was also pleased with the sequence early on showing Mia's training... it's become a cliche to show how hard the heroes train, but it's a cliche I like, so I can forgive it, especially when Winick does it with such style.
Which brings me to the artwork. Hester and Parks were the definitive Green Arrow team for me, and so Fowler and Ramos had some big shoes to step into. Their artwork is good, but not as distinctive and fresh as Hester and Parks, and ultimately, I was a little disappointed. Especially since I've seen Fowler do much stronger work, most notably on Winick's Caper miniseries. The work here seems a little loose and cartoony, especially in some of the wonky facial expressions that Green Arrow shows, and it has the effect of looking more suited for a comedy book than for a superhero melodrama, which is essentially what Green Arrow is under Winick's pen. The art most definitely gets the job done, but it's also definitely a step down from my point of view.
Which is basically how I feel about Green Arrow as a title at the moment. It gets the job done, but it's not the compelling read that I once found it. I just don't really connect with or care about these characters on anything more than a casual basis, and it's a little too easy right now to see the strings that Winick is pulling behind the scenes. Reinforcing the paternal relationship between Green Arrow and Speedy, showing how someone with HIV can live a normal (well, for the DC Universe) life, even showing the early steps of a sidekick in training, these are all worthwhile story elements, but Winick makes it a little too easy to pinpoint the story elements and why they're there, and as a result it's hard to get lost in the story. 6/10
