Art by: Phil Hester, Eric Gapstur
Colors by: Romulo Fajardo Jr.
Letters by: Troy Peteri
Cover art by: Sean Izaakse, Romulo Fajardo Jr.
Cover price: $3.99
Release date: January 23, 2024
Green Arrow #8 sets Connor Hawke on a mission to find Onomatopoeia after the man of a million sound effects killed Oliver Queen.
Is Green Arrow #8 Good?
I regularly harp on the idea that every comic needs to have at least one big idea. Green Arrow #8 has a big idea, but it doesn't show up until the end, so what you get for most of the issue is a fairly vanilla detective noir story with a twist you can see coming from orbit. Joshua Williamson's latest entry in the mini-series-turned-ongoing-turned-maxi-series is fine for what it is.
When last we left the Arrow family, we spent an entire issue reassessing everyone's status quo as Ollie finds out what happened to everyone since he "died" during the Dark Crisis event. Now, Connor Hawke mourns his father's death after Ollie is gunned down by Onomatopoeia on a paid hit. Connor's investigation leads to longtime enemy Brick, but the gangster only paid for the kill to test a hero-hunting program initiated by none other than Amanda Waller.
What's the big idea? We learn somebody else close to Ollie is involved in Waller's hero-hunting program. To Williamson's credit, it's a surprise that works to build anticipation for the next issue.
What's great about Green Arrow #8? Underneath the covers, Williamson loosely uses this issue for bonding time between Ollie and Connor. Father and son have a rocky relationship, so it's nice to see them build some bridges that can make for a fun dynamic in the future or be torn down for dramatic effect.
What's not so great about Green Arrow #8? The detective noir plot is more formulaic than a middle school algebra class. You know immediately Ollie isn't really dead, and you know a bait-and-switch is about to happen when it happens. But for the revelation about Waller and the last page reveal, the plot is mostly forgettable.
How's the art? Oy! Critiquing the art in Green Arrow #8 is tough. I like Phil Hester's art for what it is, particularly because his blocky style is tailor-made for the detective noir aesthetic. I'm just not sold that it works here.
About The Reviewer: Gabriel Hernandez is the Publisher & EIC of ComicalOpinions.com, a comics review site dedicated to indie, small, and mid-sized publishers.
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Bits and Pieces:
Green Arrow #8 begins the last third of the maxi-series with a formulaic detective noir murder mystery that ends with an intriguing surprise after the mystery is solved. Phil Hester's art is tailor-made for detective noir visuals, and Williamson uses the story to create father/son bonding between Connor and Ollie, but the murder mystery is as formulaic as it gets.
6/10
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