Sick Burn
Written by: Ben Percy
Art by: Juan Ferreyra and Nate Piekos
Cover Price: $2.99
Release Date: August 3, 2016
Green Arrow has been one of my biggest surprises of Rebirth and it goes beyond the actual writing and art. You see, I am not a huge Green Arrow fan. On the best of days, I can usually take Ollie or leave him and not have a second thought with either. It's because of that, though, that makes me take a girls just want to have fun approach to it all. Give some fun and adventure and I'm in and that's what Ben Percy is giving me. Yea, we also are getting to see Ollie lose his life, money, friends and family, but in a action packed way that has me on the edge of my seat. Does this issue continue it all and have me dancing around like Cyndi Lauper? Let's find out...
The issue opens with Ollie at the wrong end of the Seattle PD. It's right where we left him last issue and I really couldn't think of any way he could escape except fighting his way out. That's exactly what happens and Ben Percy really stresses how far our hero has fallen in such a short time, even if we do know he is still a good guy.
After a little catch up that really was good enough for me to say this is a good jumping on point for anyone, Oliver looks dead to rights until he's saved by...a mystery man from his past.
Oh screw it, it's Diggle!!! I know that some people pish posh the idea of the TV characters jumping into the comics, but Diggle was in the book as far back as the Jeff Lemire run and I love him. It looks like he is mighty pissed off.
We then are off to visit Black Canary as she makes her way to the Inferno. After she drops a little hint about the Burned, she runs straight into Emiko who delivers a sick burn of her own. I can't believe Emiko is bad so I look for any hints that say otherwise and here it's her telling Dinah that Ollie is alive...right before shooting her with a tranq for that ugly ass Dante.
Back to Diggle and Oliver, we get hints of what drove them apart and then an awesome action scene that ends even better...with the two of them looking like bygones are bygones and the band getting back together.
Back on the Inferno, we get to see the hazing ceremony for the Burned and it's pretty much what you would think. Yep, the Burned don't scoop up unfortunate burn victims, but make their own. After two misdirections, we see that Black Canary is set for a little initiation ceremony of her own. She's also still bait to get Green Arrow, but that kind of goes without saying.
After some more rooftop bonding between Diggle and Ollie, they head off to Henry's apartment and while I really was waiting for them to treat him as a loose end that needs to die (hey, he knows way to much about Ollie to just "quit"), they go looking for help. After Diggle calls him a "little bitch" (his words, not mine...though I agree) and almost threatens to pay him, Henry is in and Oliver goes right back to treating him like shit. Some habits are hard to break, I guess.
Henry does get the goods on the Ninth Circle and they have some very interesting ties to the greater DCU, but the issue ends with a little face time action that sends Oliver off to sea and heading for a showdown.
This issue was a gathering of the troops type of setup issue and I really liked it. The over the top dialogue of last issue was gone and in it's place was a bit of mystery, a bit of bonding and a whole lot of promise. Promise of some major ass kicking coming up soon. Ben Percy has me back in the front seat of the Green Arrow trolley and I am so glad for that.
It's not just Ben Percy that has me excited, however. Juan Ferreyra's art is so, so, so, so good. Yes, that means it's great and I don't know why I didn't just say that right away. This is one of the best looking books in all of Rebirth and if you aren't reading it yet, you should just pick it up to look at the pretty pictures. Sure, you should also read the story, but damn, this book looks fantastic!
Bits and Pieces:
Green Arrow continues being such a pleasant surprise and Ben Percy strengthens his book by getting Team Arrow back in business. Diggle and Oliver make such a great team and Percy brings them together in a way that feels natural and awesome. All the while, we are still left to wonder where every one's allegiances lie and the issue ends with the promise of war. I can't wait.
8.5/10
Man I hope Emi is just bullshitting everyone and that she's still on Ollie's side. I really want her to be part of GA's team w/ Black Canary.
ReplyDeleteshe is (was???) my favorite character...a little female Damian Wayne who thought Ollie was her sidekick. I do think she is bullshitting...she had to be the one who planted her tracker on Ollie's body and she is trying to draw Green Arrow to the Inferno...to team up with him to kick Dante's ugly ass!!!! I hope
DeleteHoping right there with you. I wasn't reading percy's previous run, heard enough about how shit it was on the podcast, but I fell in love with Emi that first issue. I still miss Mia from before flashpoint and Emi is a good replacement for her as a sidekick.
DeleteI continue to be suprised just how much I am liking this book. I didn't eve care about the cheese in this issue.
ReplyDeleteDo the Burned live in a state of constant pain? Being burned to the point that you can’t tell whether a person is male or female is overkill.
ReplyDeleteSome of the art on Dinah was a little strange. One panel when she is smiling and jumping made me think of the Joker.
“The burning lye cleans them, and when they emerge from the baptismal font, their old skin PEELS off like a glove.” So gross. I just imagine the world’s largest sunburn peeling.
In one panel, Diggle is standing behind Oliver just talking, and in the next he has a gun drawn like once he finishes his monologue he’ll cap Oliver. However, then Oliver starts apologizing and Diggle thinks twice about killing Oliver.
If you watch the panels before Henry spills the water bottle, it looks like there is a lid and the water is out of the way. It seems like Henry spilled the water on purpose.
maybe he did... the Burned are disgusting! They gave eric nightmares!!!! what do you think of Juan Ferreyra's art?
DeleteWhen I first started reading this series, while Otto Schmidt was doing the art, it took a bit to get used to, but I ended up really liking it. Juan took over on issue #3, he's good but not great. I really like the close ups that he does, but some of the art that he draws for characters turns out...strange. Like in this issue, when Dinah is sneaking around one of the Burned on patrol looks like he might have claws instead of fingers. And the first panel with Dante talking to Emiko, his skull has a odd shape to it.
DeleteSince I'm not a huge Green Arrow fan, I'm okay with Ferreyra doing the art for this series.