If
I have a complaint about Green arrow #4, it’s that it was so short. To compare
it to a TV episode, it seemed less like an episode, and more like a segment
between commercials. It features a total of six scenes, bouncing between Green
Arrow (and Diggle) and Black Canary. Does the plot advance? Yes. Are questions
answered? Yes. Do more questions arise? Yes. Will it keep you interested? Yes.
But
as I said, it’s only part of a greater whole, and I am reluctant to judge the
title based on only a portion of a story that has yet to fully unfold. Still,
of the Rebirth titles I’ve read so far, it’s one of the ones I look forward to
the most. Perhaps because of the overall cast of the title, writer Benjamin
Percy offers a depth to the GA franchise that comic books these days should
aspire to, which many don’t.
Juan
Ferreyra’s artwork is very strong, and the fact that he colors it himself I
believe ads a quality missing from many other comics. I expect that because he
has an idea of what he wants in the final product, he is able to plan ahead,
enabling him to blend his rendering and coloring in a manner that can genuinely
be regarded as art. He is able to convey mood and tone for a given scene
without resorting to muddy, ineffective Photoshoppery.
If
you’re not reading Green Arrow now, you should be. I strongly encourage you to
pick it up, at least until the first story arc concludes. Then we’ll all be
better able to judge this latest incarnation on its own merits, which I expect
to be considerable.