Green Arrow #10 is written by Joshua Williamson and published by DC. Artwork is by Sean Izaakse and Tom Derenick. Colours are by Romulo Fajardo Jr. Letters are by Troy Peteri. Main cover art (left) is by Sean Izaakse and Fajardo Jr.
Green Arrow #10 is available from, in print and on digital, where all good comic books are sold. Grab your digital copy from Amazon Comixology UK right here.
Synopsis
Roy Harper is missing. Green Arrow and Connor Hawke investigate what happened to him and what Amanda Waller has done to the rest of the Arrow family…which makes it difficult when they are attacked by surprise agents of Waller! Red Arrow, Red Canary, Arrowette, and Speedy!
Review
Green Arrow returns this month after a pivotal issue back in February. With part of Amanda Waller’s plan revealed to Oliver, the Green Arrow now has no choice to but work alongside her. At least until he can find Roy and figure out his next move.
So this month Oliver is tasked by Waller to collect the remaining Sanctuary files. Something we all thought had been destroyed in the wake of Heroes in Crisis. But no. It transpires the files are hidden in a Justice League base deep in the arctic and it was here that Roy and his team went missing. So Ollie and Hawke embark on a mission could ultimately expose some of the DCU’s biggest secrets.
Before we get down to the bones of the mission, writer Joshua Williamson gives us a quick refresh on the events of Heroes in Crisis and how it impacted on both Oliver and Roy. Their relationship has been key to the book since Oliver returned to Earth and this is a perfect, succinct way to catch readers up on aspects of the story they may have missed.
In the here and now it seems Roy had quite the team for his attempt to break in to the base. The cast is stacked with appearances from Arowette, Red Arrow, the recently introduced Red Canary and an unexpected appearance from Speedy aka Mia Dearden. It’s busy, but never overstuffed. Williamson is careful to give each of the characters their moment without overloading the narrative. For many of these sidekicks this is their first time seeing Oliver since his return. So these interactions, however small, are a key part in him reintegrating himself back in to the family.
Proceeding in to the base is where things begin to get complicated. Firstly, it becomes very clear why Waller needed Oliver on side. That plot development alone raises questions about how much Waller may have engineered this entire scenario. It alludes to the scale of her operation which is ramping up in readiness for the Absolute Power arc happening over summer. Then there are questions over how and why the Sanctuary data still exists. Williamson opens up old wounds from the Tom King-penned series by even flirting with the notion that one of the DC Trinity decided it was worthwhile to keep this data in case it was required. I certainly have my suspicions who decided upon it (I forget if the end of that series alludes to it).
The finale of issue #10 is able to balance the moment where Ollie and Roy and reunited with the reveal of their oncoming battle. There’s not a lot of time for either moment to settle in which gives a good burst of tension and anticipation for the next issue.
Artist Sean Izaakse has some backup this month from Tom Derenick. The two are able to work succinctly to a point I’m not sure how the work was divided up between them. That is to say there’s no jarring change in style between the two. There’s a consistency and symbiosis which doesn’t pull the reader out of the experience. The arrival of the Arrow Family and the final splash are two huge highlights in this issue.
Verdict
Green Arrow continues to hurtle along. Energised by the events of last month, Oliver is now in over his head and facing a Justice League-level threat.
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