Green Arrow #26 Review

Written by: Jeff Lemire
Art by: Andrea Sorrentino
Cover Price: $2.99
Release Date: December 4, 2013

My Clan is Better than Your Clan

Jeff Lemire and Andrea Sorrentino took over Green Arrow at the beginning of 2013 and it has been so good since.  The book features great plot, character moments and action framed by excellent art.  Green Arrow #26 continues this trend starting a new arc that is both exciting and new user friendly.  Everyone should jump on the bandwagon now while the gettings good.

Green Arrow #26 starts with Oliver acrobatically patrolling the rooftops of Seattle, which is a good thing since last time we saw him he was still combating the effects of Count Vertigo and a shattered ear drum. After assuring his crew he was OK, Shado drops a bomb that her and Oliver need to return to the Island to find the totem of the Arrow Clan.  Yep, the Island.  Ollie can't escape that place.  He finally agrees and the two of them jump in a helicopter (kind of thanks to Steve Trevor) and off they go.  On the Island, Oliver recalls his early days when he was stranded there and Shado shows him what he couldn't find all those years ago.  Meanwhile, they are not the only ones searching for the totem and are not even alone on the Island.

Like Britney or Mr. Magoo, Jeff Lemire has done it again.  Each month he not only gives us a great push to the ongoing storyline, but makes it easy for newcomers to jump on board.  This is a smartly written action adventure romp that is so unlike the other books DC is putting out.  It's real and gritty but in a fun and exciting way.  Oliver is a superhero because of his actions and beliefs, not because he wears a cape and flies.  Jeff Lemire gets this and it shows.

Another thing that shows is that Andrea Sorrentino can draw comics.  This issue looks so good.  I know some people don't like his minimalist style (I'm looking at fellow Weird Science writer, Eric), but I think even they would be impressed with this issue.  Everything looks great, but when Oliver and Shado get to the Island, Sorrentino outdoes himself.

Bits and Pieces:

Green Arrow #26 is a great start to the Outsiders War arc and a great comic in general.  The art and storytelling are fantastic and has the bonus of being newcomer friendly.  To say there is no reason not to read this is ridiculous because everyone is reading it already, right?  If not, go out now and buy Lemire and Sorrentino's entire Green Arrow run and get cracking!

9.5/10