Green Arrow #13 is written by Joshua Williamson and published by DC. Artwork is by Amancay Nahuelpan. Colours are by Romulo Fajardo Jr. Letters are by Troy Peteri. Main cover art (left) is by Phil Hester, Ande Parks and Ryan Cody.
Green Arrow #13 is available from today, in print and on digital, where all good comic books are sold. Grab your digital copy from Amazon Comixology UK right here.
Synopsis
Oliver Queen has become an AGENT OF AMANDA WALLER. Roy and the rest of the Green Arrow family want to know why Green Arrow would betray his family and friends and choose to work with Amanda Waller and her deadly plans for the heroes and villains of the DC Universe!
Review
I knew it was too good to be true! Just when it seems that Oliver has found peace back with his family, Joshua Williamson is seriously twisting the knife this month. Placing Oliver in a completely unexpected position for Absolute Power, this is an issue which is not to be missed. But be prepared Arrow fans, we’re going to go through the wringer on this one…
Green Arrow #13 picks up in the warm afterglow of the family reunion on Lian Yu. The entire Arrow Family is back together and our hearts are warmed to see Ollie, Dinah and the rest of the gang enjoying some down time. Of course we know that an event is looming large. But how this issue plays in to it is what nobody will see coming.
An incredible sequence, entirely devoid of dialogue or even narration, plays out as a restless Ollie looks over the family. As they sleep he seems to be plagued by something and instantly audience anxiety is on the rise. Something is wrong. But what? And why? It’s only the next morning when Dinah needs to head back to the Birds of Prey that anyone begins to sense that something is wrong. Williamson gleefully shows us what it means to these characters to be back together. It’s almost cruel know that there’s an inevitable twist coming.
Cut to 48 hours later and there’s no room for interpretation on what is happening. Ollie has made his choice and has chosen to get in to bed with Amanda Waller, Peacemaker and her team. Williamson is taking us in to the beautiful grey area which exists between the various heroes and villains in the DCU. Something which the writer has done very clearly throughout this run is document Ollie’s feelings and his philosophy towards family and the currently defunct Justice League. That has seemingly led him to believing metahumans are out of control. But it doesn’t mean he’s fully on board with Waller’s actions. It’s clear what Williamson is placing Ollie in the middle of the fight. Doing as he always does and trying to fight for what he thinks is right. It looks as though he may try to use his position to temper Waller’s actions. Something which doesn’t seem possible at this stage.
It’s worth noting I haven’t read further in to the Absolute Power event. There could be a twist down the line that Ollie is working with Bruce or one of the other heroes. It wouldn’t be a total surprise if he is a mole amongst Waller’s people. But for now Williamson is playing it straight and setting up conflict which immediately rips apart Team Arrow’s newfound happiness. As Roy attempts to reunite his own family he is confront by Ollie, now fully suited up as a soldier in Waller’s army.
It injects an extra level of philosophy and ideology in to Mark Waid’s upcoming event. It’s exciting to see heroes falling on both sides of the argument. Particularly someone as highly regarded as Ollie. It’s going to be interesting to see how this plays in to the rest of the event. As Green Arrow #13 comes to a close there’s time to witness the fallout amongst the family. It overlaps with the beginning of Absolute Power #1 and leaves the DCU in a very precarious position. But one which is going to be exciting to play out. Will a new Green Arrow emerge to help save the day?
Verdict
A delicious tie-in to DC’s Absolute Power event. Oliver is potentially about to land on the wrong side of history. But with the road ahead unclear, Joshua Williamson is using this issue to setup some incredible philosophical and physical conflict for the coming months.
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