Well, we're three issues in, and I think it's safe to assume now that Winick's Green Arrow is going to maintain the high level of quality that he started off with. Winick has kept the sense of humor and strong characterization that Kevin Smith brought to the title and blended it with some interesting new supporting cast members and an intriguing plot, and with Hester and Parks continuing to provide great art, this is probably among the best runs the character has had. The beauty of it is that we're right at the beginning, and I hope that this crew are in it for the long haul, because I'm loving their work in the short term on "Straight Shooter."
What really makes Green Arrow work these days is the take on Ollie, which comes out of the various incarnations of the character in the past and blends together to make one interesting lead full of conflicts. Ollie is a dedicated hero, an idealist, but he's got deep flaws, including a womanizing streak and a tendency to get himself into trouble. He also has a stubborn streak which can be both good, in that it manifests in an inability to give up the fight, and bad, in that he doesn't necessarily know when he's in over his head or maybe fighting for the wrong thing. In this issue, his stubbornness and impulsiveness gets him in some trouble, including a new romantic entanglement and a brutal beating from a new villain.
Winick hooked me but good with the introduction of Joanna Pierce, and given his take on Anissa in Outsiders and Jefferson in a previous issue of Green Arrow, I'm prepared to name him the go-to guy for modern takes on Black Lightning and his newly created family. Joanna is a very likable character, and she also introduces a compelling subplot, as Ollie once again digs himself into a hole in regard to his romantic life. Connor's disapproval of what's going on is a beautiful scene, and I like that Ollie is well aware of how bad he's screwed up as well. And yet, though the larger context makes the hookup between Ollie and Joanna a mistake, I can't help but like them as a pairing, thanks to the likable personality of Joanna and the chemistry between them that Winick has brought to the page.
It's not all banter and characterization, though, even if that is a big reason that I'm drawn to the book. No, Winick also knows how to write action, and he's got a talented pair of artists to create it. The opening chase/fight with the monsters has a great sense of motion, and though we know that Green Arrow isn't really going to get killed, there's a sense of danger in the pages. The same is true of the finale, and I loved the sense of speed and grace that we get from Drakon as he effortlessly takes Ollie apart. Several things can make a good villain, from a stirring visual to a neat origin, but all Drakon really has going for him is a suit and sunglasses and a gig as a hired assassin. Fortunately, Winick gives the character such an interesting voice, and Hester and Parks such interesting moves, that he's a good villain despite his seemingly bland exterior. That's true talent at work.
Green Arrow is a great straightforward super-hero read. It doesn't do away with costumes, codenames and some of the other trappings that many writers seem embarrassed about, but it also doesn't swing the other way and wallow in cliche or continuity. Instead, Winick and company provide graceful and exciting action, strong characterization, humor and an intriguing plot, and though Green Arrow may not be the sales phenomenon it was when Kevin Smith was on the book, in many ways its more solid now.
