Starting with Green Arrow #17, the emerald archer heads into a whole new direction with a new creative team. Writer Jeff Lemire and artist Andrea Sorrentino take over creative duties for the series. The new issue features a new character called Komodo and decides to dismantle Green Arrow/Oliver Queen’s life. It’s systematic and quick in how it goes down leaving our hero at square one and starting from scratch.

And it’s appropriate that in this issue the character is completely dismantled and taken to the basics. Oliver Queen is no longer a DC version of Marvel’s Tony Stark, instead the character finds himself at the street level with nothing, and no one to help him. It all has to do with some mystery hinted at and something to do with Queen’s father.

It’s a character coming to terms with the loss of his fortune, his company and his past.

And that’s a perfect spot for new readers to give the series a shot. Lemire has proven he’s an amazing writer having penned many of last year’s praised comics, Sweet Tooth and The Underwater Welder to name two. The writing is as solid as I’d expect. Lemire has stripped the emerald archer from his toys, remarking on them in the comic. We’re getting a back to basics character and it should be interesting to see where this goes.

Sorrentino’s art is solid work. The artist had been knocking it out of the park in I, Vampire and the art isn’t quite as sharp at some points, overall it’s great art with some cool visual angles and use of panels.

Mysteries abound in an all new direction. There’s not many answers, but while this usually frustrates me, here it works as there’s so much action thrown at you, it feels like a thriller with the hero on the lamb. The changes or quick and swift, ripping the band aid off. I was a lapsed reader of Green Arrow but the new team has got me interested in seeing what the next issue holds.

Story: Jeff Lemire Art: Andrea Sorrentino

Story: 8 Art: 8 Overall: 8 Recommendation: Buy

DC Comics provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review