Here are some new reviews of my recent Graphic Novels that I have read over the last month or so. Hope you enjoy them
Green Arrow: The Longbow Hunters
This highly acclaimed Green Arrow story from writer and artist Mike Grell, who is currently is on art duties for the comic series Arrow based on the hit TV series. This three issue mini series see’s Oliver Queen and his partner Dinah Lance/Black Canary relocate to Seattle. Green Arrow is the urban hunter patrolling the streets, back alleys of crime ridden Seattle. He soon comes on the case of a serial killer and Dinah goes on her own investigation into the city’s drug lords. Ollie also learns that he is not the only archer on the hunt. This is a great, gritty and dark realistic approach to a superhero story. Suggested for mature readers it’s easily one the bloodiest and most violent stories since Frank Miller’s The Dark Knight Returns both released in the 1980’s.I admired how near the beginning in issue one where he recalls past events, his time on the island, becoming The Green Arrow, losing his fortune and that infamous moment from the Green Lantern and Green Arrow series from the 70’s series depicting Oliver discovery of Roy being a heroine addict.
The plot which starts as Oliver tracking down the serial killer leads that to a much bigger threat and the meeting of the mysterious archer. The story plays out like a good thriller while keeping you intrigued to the very end to learn of the connection to everything that is in play. And as I said before one the most violent stories I've read. The art and layout is great. It’s a unique opportunity for a writer and artist to fully express their vision. Even though it is a three issue mini series that sounds short but the each issue is double the length as a standard comic book issue, so it's just as long as a six issue series. As far as I can tell it is the first appearance of Eddie Fryers and Shado, two prominent figures of Oliver’s time on the island in the Arrow TV series first season.
After the success of The Dark Knight Returns, DC decided to create another mature themed series. Led by Mike Grell, The Longbow Hunters gave us a darker, harder Green Arrow ridding himself of his trick arrows and donning a new more antiquated costume. Grell even insisted on never calling the hero "Green Arrow" within the actual pages of the comic, a similar trait to the TV series. The mature plot and great illustrations re-launched Green Arrow making him accessible to adult graphic novel readers. The success of this series would lead the Emerald Archer into his next Green Arrow comic book series in 1988, that ran for 11 years, gaining a surge of new fans.
Green Arrow: Hunters Moon
This volume collects the first six issues of Mike Grell’s Green Arrow series, taking place after the events of groundbreaking graphic novel - The Longbow Hunters, these are dark and gritty realistic stories. Oliver and Dinah are dealing with the events directly after the Longbow Hunters and throughout the stories and have the same mature tone and plot for mature readers. In these cult favorite stories from the 1980's Green Arrow hunts down a child killer, races to find a lost biological weapon before Chinese spies can find it and tackles a rash of violence against gays. These stories help re-position Green Arrow as an inner city crusader for justice who deals not only with super-villains but also with street level crime. The first volume of the new trade editions of the original Green Arrow run reprints Issues #1-6, including the arcs “Hunters Moon,” where Oliver hunts down a child killer and Dinah wrestles her assault by a psychopath following the events in Longbow Hunters, “Champions,” where Oliver is hired to hunt down a weapon that could destroy the world and Dinah finally comes to terms with her assault, and “Gauntlet,” where the duo try to help a kid on the streets escape the clutches of a local gang leader. Mike Grell helped reinvent Green Arrow into the dark gritty crime fighter that fans best know from the Arrow TV series. If you enjoyed the Longbow Hunters this would be worth checking out. It provides Oliver with new challenges, but he and Dinah still deal with the outcome of traumatic experiences from its predecessor. Great set of dark and realistic 80’s Green Arrow stories.
The Archer's Quest continues the theme that was the foundation of Meltzer's Identity Crisis, he explores to the human side of superheroes. Oliver seeks to reclaim personal items in order to protect his loved ones safe from harm should identity made public. Oliver seeks to avoid that situation that Barry Allen/The Flash's loved ones were put following the death of the speedster.This is how Meltzer see these heroes as real people with families. The theme of Identity Crisis was all about when the loved ones of heroes were being targeted by an unknown assailant and it is a risk that every costumed hero takes. Oliver goes on a trip for his personal items and like his infamous road trip he's joined by a colleague; his ward and former partner Roy Harper now know as Arsenal.
You don't feel like you're missing too much if you haven't read the previous two story arcs in the series. There is no required reading, this is a good self contained story and a good place to start as it feels like a road trip down memory lane as Oliver seeks out meaningful items from his past. I really enjoyed this book that was a great idea for a story. I like how it reminiscent of Oliver's earliest and best known stories by Neal Adams and Denny O Neil's hard travelling heroes where he and Hal Jordan went on a road trip of their own in the 70's. It's a great story, giving an insight into the history of Green Arrow. I'm a new reader to the character, this being my third book and the first modern story. I will be getting into the legendary tales of Hal and Ollie's road trip adventures that'll help bring more meaning to this story. The story has some sweet and heartfelt moments which was surprising but matched the story well. Oliver's quest is not the kind of story that leaves you on a massive cliffhanger, it's simply a brilliant self-contained story that you don't need a huge amount of Green Arrow knowledge to enjoy it. An overall great story that is a very enjoyable read that's fun, lighthearted and sweet in parts, but it in final pages contain a shocking revelation.
A fantastic debut for thriller novelist Brad Meltzer. I'd highly recommend this great, character driven story that's one of the definite highlights of the Green Arrow graphic novels I've read. I was confident that this was going to be a standout read as I thought Brad Meltzer's Identity Crisis tale was an exceptional story. One the best Green Arrow stories and one of my early favorites. Fantastic.
Green Lantern: The Sinestro Corps War
Earth's Green Lanterns; Hal Jordan, Kyle Rayner, John Stewart and Guy Gardner and the rest of the Green Lantern Corps must fight an interstellar war against the Sinestro Corps, an army led by the former Green Lantern Sinestro. Armed with yellow power rings and seeking a universe ruled through fear. The epic story is told back and forth between issues of Green Lantern 21-25 and Green Lantern Corps 14-19. The arc is great and is referred to as the second big epic in the trilogy of Green Lantern stories, starting with Rebirth, The Sinestro Corps War and finally The Blackest Night.
Previously collected in two separate volumes but now available in a trade paperback collecting the 12 issues of the story. The story kicks off with a brilliant double length feature Green Lantern Sinestro Corps Special#1 which see’s the return of Sinestro since he last escaped Green Lantern’s Hal Jordan and Kyle Rayner near the climax of the Green Lantern Rebirth series. This story is all out war, action fills every issue as Sinestro creates his own corps to rival the Green Lantern’s to bring order to the universe but seeks to do so under his totalitarian control with his corps including The Anti-Monitor, Cyborg Superman, Superman Prime and the return of Parallax the living entity of fear that once possessed Hal Jordan.
This is the fourth Green Lantern book I've read and as a general fan of Green Lantern it’s great to get a story with Hal Jordan’s former mentor as the main antagonist. As a casual reader it was easy to follow. I was mostly interested in the Green Lantern issues that were the best parts of the story featuring; the four human Lantern’s that we best got to know from Geoff Johns previous Green Lantern epic, Rebirth. I particularly enjoyed the Green Lantern issues. The Corps issues followed Kilowog, Sodam Yat and other members in side line events that ran along side the main story. It was a great read that I enjoyed thoroughly filled with some great moments and changes to the Green Lantern mythos. It’s a brilliant story full of amazing moments and great art of double page spreads. The ending served up some details and a minor tease in anticipation of its next epic tale; The Blackest Knight.
Green Arrow: Crawling Through The Wreckage
I was really looking forward to this volume, out of all the Green Arrow graphic novels I had intended to purchase this one had similar influences to the Arrow TV series. Crawling Through The Wreckage is a One Year Later story in which all titles in the DC Universe jumped forward one year in the wake of the large scale event known as Infinite Crisis.Oliver Queen finds himself in the unlikely role of Star City's mayor. How Oliver Queen made the transition from super-hero to politician doesn't be revealed initially. In the wake of a disaster in one of Star City's underdeveloped districts known as The Glades and since said disaster Green Arrow has not been seen since, evocative of Season 2 of the hit TV series Arrow.
Oliver, having once again amassed a large personal fortune is the newly elected mayor of Star City. He continues his fight for justice both on the streets and within the political system. He also has a new costume, which appears to be a combination of the classic Neal Adams look and the Mike Grell The Longbow Hunters costume. The new Mayor proves unpopular with some of the corrupt city’s corrupt investors, that hope to cash in on the disaster, prompting their order of an assassination on the Major. The world's greatest assassin; Deathstroke is accepts the contract to take out the Mayor ending their rivalry that started within the events of Identity Crisis. Their face off is the high point of the story and has a few surprises. Ollie is doing what he does best playing both sides as the new Mayor of Star City by day and the Emerald Archer by night, but all his efforts aren't appreciated by some other parties. The story is great and full of great moments and is quick read. One of the reasons for the One Year Later was to allow a fresh start of many of its titles allowing a starting point for new readers. I am looking forward to reading the next volume which answers some questions from the past year.
Daredevil Volume 5
Mark Waid’s Daredevil run
has gotten better and better. Each issue is brilliant, this is the fifth volume
of his series and collects issues 22 -27 of his highly acclaimed run. Chis
Samnee’s art is great and really sets the tone for this new take on the Man Without Fear. This tale is about a more somber moment in Matt Murdock’s
life as he receives sad news about one of his closet friends and a much loved
character. At this difficult time in Matt's life, the villain
behind Daredevil's recent problems is revealed along with the creation of a new one
that we will hopefully get to see more of. One of the biggest talking points in
the Marvel Universe of recent is featured in this story in its earliest stage; The Superior Spider-man. Doc Ock has taken over Peter
Parkers body and is determined to be a better Spider-man. It’s fantastic that one of Marvels most
popular events has crossed over into Daredevil series. It was teased in the
last issue in the previous volume. Overall the entire book is great, action
packed and fun mystery drama series by one of my favorite comic book writers. The
series now in its second year has maintained the momentum and high standards of
the previous books and I always look forward to the next. It is one of the best
series of comics today. Bye for now
K
No comments:
Post a Comment