DC Comics Review: Green Arrow #18 By Philip Schweier March 1, 2017 - 07:48 Publisher(s): DC Comics Writer(s): Benjamin Percy Artist(s): Eleonora Carlini Colourist(s): Arif Prianto Letterer(s): Nate Piekos Cover Artist(s): Juan Ferreyra; Mike Grel, Lovern Kindzierski Green Arrow #18 variant cover by Mike Grell with Lovern Kindzierski When Green Arrow Rebirth was announced way back when, it was said that Benjamin Percy’s stories would be “ripped from the headlines.” I absolutely DESPISE that overused description, but I can appreciate the strategy if it is executed well. In Green Arrow #18, Roy Harper returns to the stage in a story that uses a pipeline across Indian land as the backdrop. It is told partially in flashback, as we see juvenile delinquent Oliver Queen take in Roy Harper, and take him on as a partner. But in present time, Roy is returning to the reservation where he grew up, where a growing conflict between Big Oil and Little Indian is about to boil over. And of course, Roy seems to have a turbulent history with his First Nations people. Again, a cliché: not white enough for the white man, not red enough for the red man. And that leads to all manner of identity issues, which Roy is all too happy to take out on his closest friends. *Sigh* I don’t mind the ret-con of Roy’s origin, though the super-hero-takes-in-juvenile-delinquent-channeling-his-talents-more-productively has been done before. Originally, Roy got his bow & arrow skills in the circus, but even Ringling Brothers has admitted the circus isn’t PC enough for the 21st century. But I’ve been a Green Arrow fan a long time, partly because of writer/artist Mike Grell. I actually own an original drawing of GA in his Longbow Hunter costume. Grell returns to the character with this issue’s variant cover, but as much as I appreciate his work, I found the cover somewhat disappointing. It's a standard pin-up, featuring Black Canary leaping above a charging Green Arrow. She dominates the cover, and she's not even in this issue. Perhaps there was a mix-up on the schedule, but the whole image seems rather generic, as if it was something he had available on short notice. Regardless, I’m happy to see Grell working again. I know it's unlikely, but perhaps we’ll get to see his interior artwork in an upcoming issue. When he devotes adequate time and energy, it can be nothing short of fantastic. © Copyright 2002-2020 by Toon Doctor Inc. - All rights Reserved. All other texts, images, characters and trademarks are copyright their respective owners. Use of material in this document (including reproduction, modification, distribution, electronic transmission or republication) without prior written permission is strictly prohibited.