Green Arrow #7 is written by Joshua Williamson and published by DC Comics. Artwork is by Carmine Di Giandomenico and Trevor Hairsine, colours are by Romulo Fajardo Jr. and letters by Troy Peteri. Main cover art (left) is by Sean Izaakse and Fajardo Jr.
Green Arrow #7 is available now, in print and on digital, where all good comic books are sold.
Synopsis
OLIVER QUEEN IS BACK! He’s returned with his family to the present day, but the Green Arrow family reunion is just getting started! Green Arrow still has lots of secrets to uncover. Like, why has Amanda Waller taken an interest in his family?
Review
What a brilliant way to bring Green Arrow back down to Earth. Last month we saw Oliver Queen finally return home to his family. It was a jubilant moment which finally had Joshua Williams’ story grabbing me with both hands and refusing to let go. But where does the story go next? Thankfully, Williamson has chosen to double-down on Oliver’s integral part of the current DCU by throwing him right in to the centre of the unfolding Dawn of DC events.
Issue #7 feels like the perfect next step in the story. Rather than simply kicking off a brand new arc by thrusting in some new villain. Williamson has chosen to allow Oliver to catch his breath, sort of, for a moment. He’s been gone for a while and so for much of “Homecoming?” he’s catching up with old friends and learning the current status quo. Of course he’s missed out on a lot since he’s been traversing space and time. The Justice League is no more and the Titans reign supreme and DC’s foremost super-team. Roy is still missing and that mystery bubbles only just below the surface, informing most of Oliver’s latest moves. He needs to find his place in the world again and following his latest entanglement with Merlyn he naturally doesn’t trust that all is right.
The opening pages, drawn by Carmine Di Giandomenico feel more hopeful and optimistic. A great recap reminds us of Oliver’s dedication to the Justice League. We also quickly learn he’s still as rich as when he left and he’s not too proud to tell us about it. The trademark showmanship remains intact and it feels like Oliver has a tangible excitement which ripples from page to reader. Of course Williamson writers from Oliver’s perspective so as he arrives at the Hall of Justice we are far more aware of what waits him than he is. For a moment Williamson allows us all to be in on the joke as Oliver learns his former colleagues have disbanded in his absence. All of which leads him on a journey across the country which picks up on great emotional and highs and lows of the current line-wide stories in DC.
This month Green Arrow features a number of cameos, all of which feel natural to the story Williamson is telling. There is a sense that the book is guide to navigating the Dawn of DC. Someone new to this era could easily pick up this issue and leave it understanding most of what’s happening around the DCU, particularly with the former Justice League members. But there’s a never a sense of a corporate mandate to grasp on to the various plot threads. Williamson keeps events perfectly in-line with Oliver’s reacclimatisation to life on our Earth. When the curtain begins to pull back it’s clear there’s a little more than meets the eye. But, again, Williamson deftly ensures it’s all to serve the purpose of Oliver’s story.
Di Giandomenico is joined by Trevor Hairsine who takes on artistic duties in the second half of the book. The change fits in with a slight emotional pivot to the story. The change is artist accidentally signifies a shift from Oliver’s earlier optimism to something more profound and soul searching. This is exemplified when he catches up with Hal, arguably Oliver’s closest friend, in a sequence which really allows Hairsine to show his ability to amplify smaller, more emotionally driven moments with really incredible artwork.
Verdict
Another excellent issue from Williamson and his artistic team. A real moment for Oliver (and the reader) to stop and think about everything the Dawn of DC movement has brought to the table so far. It also signifies perhaps the beginning of the journey towards a new Justice League forming.
⭐⭐⭐⭐
