After going years without a focus on the Arrow Family, Green Arrow comes back with a new book and a new mission: to tell the stories of each member of Oliver Queen’s family. We also get a more in-depth look at our new Doom Patrol in the newest issue. Let’s dive into this somewhat spoiler-y comic recap and review!
Green Arrow (2023) #1 Recap:
If I had to rank them, I would put the Arrow Family at number 2, tied with the Flash Family, under the Super Family for my favorite DC families. And while we’re talking about families, I have to applaud DC’s overall direction for several of their legacy heroes to be more family-focused. It allows the main heroes to breathe, while also telling stories of the younger (and often, more popular) characters. This is exactly what this new Green Arrow book does.
We catch up with wherever Ollie is, while elsewhere, finally getting a reunion we’ve been waiting for since Infinite Frontier launched. Connor Hawke, Roy Harper, Dinah Lance, and Lian Harper are all given their moments in this issue to shine and it surely tugged on all heartstrings. [SPOILER] But the reunion was cut short by otherworldly drama, as per usual, and now we’re off on another adventure with Oliver and his grandkid.
Green Arrow (2023) #1 Review:
So far, so good. I ended the first issue with a smile. There’s something so comforting about seeing families brought back together, especially when it’s earned. Roy, in particular, has had a rough go of it these last few decades: from drug addiction to becoming a single father to losing his daughter to being MURDERED BY HIS BEST FRIEND to being brought back as a Black Lantern (yeah, you read that correctly) to dealing with Dark Crisis chaos. It’s thrilling to see him get this too-brief moment of pure joy, he’s earned it.
Meanwhile, I have no clue where Oliver is, but I’m sure we’re going to have a blast figuring it out, especially with his granddaughter at his side. The small amount of Black Canary we did get was not enough and I demand more!
Rating: 5/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
FAMILY MATTERS. The Emerald Archer is lost, and it will take Oliver Queen’s whole family to find him! But dangerous forces are determined to keep them apart at any cost! Spinning out of Dark Crisis on Infinite Earths, Green Arrow by DC architect Joshua Williamson (Dark Crisis on Infinite Earths, Superman) and artist Sean Izaakse (Thunderbolts) is an action-packed adventure across the DCU that sets the stage for major stories in 2023!
Written by: Joshua Williamson
Art by: Sean Izaakse
Colors by: Romulo Fajardo Jr.
Letters by: Troy Peteri
Cover by: Sean Izaakse
Price: $3.99
Unstoppable Doom Patrol (2023) #2 Recap and Review:
The new version of Doom Patrol gets explored a little more, as we go into their base of operations, where they call home. We also see callbacks to past teams, which was a nice nod to fans of previous iterations that include characters like Rebis, Coagula, Tempest, Lotion the Cat and others.
Unfortunately, we have a side plot with Peacemaker that kind of feels shoehorned in at this point, with Peacemaker weirdly filling in a role that has always been Amanda Waller’s (fun fact: she was name-dropped in the newest Green Arrow issue!). I’m not loving this characterization of Christopher Smith and I feel bad for what happens to the “meta” he employs to spy on the Patrol. With four issues left of the mini-series, here’s hoping it becomes more clear why he was the choice for this.
Rating: 4/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
HOME SWEET HOME. Explore the World’s Strangest Superheroes’ new headquarters, the Shelter, as they welcome their brand-new member, the Worm! Catch up with Niles Caulder, Mento, Flex Mentallo, and more as we learn terrible secrets that could bring the new team to their knees before they even have a chance to get started. There’s a traitor in their midst and it’s not who you think!
Written by: Dennis Culver
Art by: Chris Burnham
Colors by: Brian Reber
Letters by: Pat Brosseau
Cover by: Chris Burnham and Brian Reber
Price: $4.99