Green Arrow #15 Review

Reign of Arrows

Written by: Benjamin Percy
Art by: Juan Ferreyra and Nate Piekos
Cover Price: $2.99
Release Date: January 18, 2017

I have been enjoying Green Arrow and while I might like things to be a little more fun, I can deal with Ollie fighting for his name while also trying to save Seattle.  Last issue introduced Malcolm Merlyn as the "Arrow Killer" and while I was hoping it was something a bit more original, it is legacy and that's what Rebirth promised.  The Dark Archer making an appearance also put Ollie back on the right side of the law which I prefer and sets up this arc to get more and more interesting from here on out.  So, does it all pay off in part four of the Emerald Outlaw?  Let's find out...


The issue opens with Ollie catching us up on what has happened as far as Malcolm is concerned.  Basically, he's been a piece of shit who has attempted to sully the good name of Green Arrow by hurting and killing people.

In case you weren't around or forgot, Benjamin Percy quickly reminds us that the Dark Archer has not cornered the market on douchery in this book. Nope, Sergeant Notting and his Vice Squad are vying for the lead as well and when they poison a bunch of prisoners and eventually fight the Seattle Police, they may have won the contest.

In the meantime, Percy continues catching readers up to the events of this book since Rebirth and thanks to artist, Juan Ferreyra, it looks fantastic.  We get a really nice page of Ollie and Dinah sharing a quiet moment, but in Green Arrow's world that usually means trouble is just around the corner and this issue is no exception.  It's off to stop the Vice Squad!

What follows is a high speed chase with gunfire, arrows, explosions and one kick ass canary cry that leaves our main players battered, but not beaten.  Unfortunately, Notting has the upper hand and before you can blink an eye, he has Ollie in a very bad position.  I actually thought Percy was going to end it there, but he continues and gives fans a cliffhanger that isn't shocking, but is so, so good.  Seriously, it's what I've been spending a handful of issues waiting for.

This issue is so full of recap that I can easily recommend it to anyone looking to jump on this series, but those who have been reading every issue may feel a bit slighted.  Actually, that might be a bit strong since we do get some major events that should make this book very interesting moving forward.  While I wish that Notting and the Vice Squad would have kept in the shadows a bit more, them being fully exposed should lead to more Merlyn and I'm all for that.

I love Juan Ferreyra's art so much.  The only complaint I ever had with it was it sometimes was a bit static (though still beautiful), but the panels we get here are so full of movement and action and really, Juan stole the show.  By the way Juan, the use of Prison Bars as panel borders in the jail scenes was awesome!  I can't help it...I'm a fanboy!

Bits and Pieces:

If you are looking to jump on the Green Arrow train, this is a great issue to do so.  There is enough recap to get everyone up to speed and while that may turn of some steady readers, there are some pretty big things for them to sink their teeth into as well.  I know it's cliche to say, but Juan Ferreyra's art is worth the price of admission which only makes the awesome cliffhanger a nice bonus.  My guess is things are about to get crazy!

7.5/10