Green Arrow returns to Seattle to find the city in chaos! What’s causing this destruction, and can Ollie stop it before it spreads beyond the city?

If you want lots of Arrow action in Green Arrow #41, you may be disappointed. While Oliver Queen is present a lot, Green Arrow himself is in only 5 of the 20 pages. Writer Benjamin Percy has done a rather bold thing in this “first” issue, bringing us a slow building, dark and brooding, murder mystery. The Green Arrow comic more closely resembles Arrow the show when it comes to the tone. It’s very fresh, and interesting, and had my attention for numerous reasons.

I like the rather slow build through the issue as we learn about murders being committed around the Seattle area. By the end of the issue, we still don’t know everything about who/what is causing them, just like Ollie.

The comic has a vibe that might feel more at home in a Batman comic, a mix of a cool murder mystery noir. This isn’t a knock at all, and fits the recent vibe Green Arrow has had (at least the little that I’ve read). It’s dark, and somewhat brooding, but it’s also a solid read. This isn’t the humorous, social justice version of the character, instead he feels more like he should be teaming up with the Dark Knight instead of the Green Lantern.

Percy is joined by Patrick Zircher on art whose style matches the tone perfectly. The use of colors, the shadows, and Zircher’s style all come together to create a darker look that matches the feel of the writing. It also reflects the rainy overcast nature of Seattle where the story takes place.

I’ve never been the biggest Green Arrow fan, only reading some runs here and there. This issue though has me interested to see how this plays out. It might not be the Green Arrow that everyone knows and likes, but for me it’s something I want to see how it plays out.

Story: Benjamin Percy Art: Patrick Zircher
Story: 7.75 Art: 7.75 Overall: 7.75 Recommendation: Read

DC Comics provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review