Wednesday, November 27, 2024

Green Arrow #18 Comic Review




  • Written by: Chris Condon

  • Art by: Montos

  • Colors by: Adriano Lucas

  • Letters by: Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou

  • Cover art by: Taurin Clarke (cover A)

  • Cover price: $3.99

  • Release date: November 27, 2024


Green Arrow #18, by DC Comics on 11/27/24, finds Oliver Queen settling back into his nightly rounds in Star City when he learns about a serial killer targeting executives of a chemical company.

Is Green Arrow #18 Good?


Writer Chris Condon, most known for his Image offerings That Texas Blood and The Enfield Gang Massacre, joins DC to take a crack at the Emerald Archer as Oliver Queen gets back to the business of being a vigilante in Star City. After a first read, Condon's take shows potential with a few caveats.

Green Arrow #18 begins with a brief flashback to years ago. A boy named Kenny notices a strange puddle of black goo on the school playground. A wider panel shows the goo comes from chemical waste barrels that have begun to leak.

Now, we catch up with Green Arrow during his nightly patrol after moving back to Star City. He intercepted an armed robber when the latter fled a convenience store hold-up. After a job well done, Ollie heads back to his apartment to catch up on sports and the news, but his relaxation is cut short when he sees a news report about the death of Donald Sherman, CFO of Horton Chemical and once business partner to Oliver Queen. The two did not end their working relationship on good terms, and the police believe Sherman's death is one in a string of murders.

Later, Green Arrow breaks into the crime scene to look for clues. He spots a photo of Sherman at an awards dinner, and he recalls his contentious behavior during the same event when he accused Sherman of illegal chemical dumping.

Green Arrow's search is interrupted when a police detective enters the same crime scene. A brief standoff ensues, but the two protagonists agree to lower their weapons and talk. The issue ends with Green Arrow learning another attendee of the awards dinner was just found murdered.


What's great about Green Arrow #18?


Depending on your tastes and preferences, it's good to see Green Arrow get back to basics with a rock-solid murder mystery that suits a street-level hero. There are only so many cosmic threats a guy with a bow and arrow can face before things get silly, so Chris Condon is moving the title in the right direction.

Further, a murder mystery connected to an unscrupulous chemical company is a perfect fit for Oliver's socially minded personality.


What's not great about Green Arow #18?


Honestly, there's not much to criticize above minor nitpicks with the story. After everything Oliver went through to finally reunite with his family and endure the Absolute Power event, it seems ridiculously weird that his first order of business is to move away from his family and into a bachelor pad, but it's likely a DC editorial mandate to give the "family" a break.

How's the Art?


Here comes the biggest caveat. I'm not sold on the costume redesign or the rough inks in Montos's art style. The layouts and perspective look great, and you get the right tone for a detective noir-inspired story, but the lack of crispness in the lines gives off an indie comic vibe, which doesn't fit well for a member of the Justice League.


About The Reviewer: Gabriel Hernandez is the Publisher & EIC of ComicalOpinions.com, a comics review site dedicated to indie, small, and mid-sized publishers.

Follow @ComicalOpinions on YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter



Final Thoughts

Green Arrow #18 begins a fresh start and a murder mystery for DC's Emerald Archer and a new creative team. Chris Condon's detective noir plot is a perfect fit for a street-level hero, so the new direction for Oliver Queen shows promise. That said, the art style and costume redesign may not be the best choice.

8/10


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Nightwing #120 Comic Review




  • Written by: Dan Watters

  • Art by: Dexter Soy

  • Colors by: Veronica Gandini

  • Letters by: Wes Abbott

  • Cover art by: Dexter Soy (cover A)

  • Cover price: $3.99

  • Release date: November 27, 2024


Nightwing #120, by DC Comics on 11/17/24, turns a bad situation worse when the investigation into Spheric Solutions gets explosive, and Olivia Pearce uses the incident to her advantage.

Is Nightwing #120 Good?


Well, bless my soul. I'm really starting to like where Dan Watters is going in Nightwing #120. Gang Wars spawned from misdirects are nothing new, but Watters uses clever thinking and trickery to make Nightwing a pawn in a bigger game, and I'm all for it.


When last we left Dick Grayson in Nightwing #119, the best former Robin struggled to maintain peace in Bludhaven due to a simmering gang war. Meanwhile, Mayor Melinda Grayson considers an offer to upgrade the police with high-tech weaponry, much to Dick's dismay. The issue ends with Nightwing infiltrating the warehouse of the weapons supplier, Spheric Solutions, while he's secretly watched by Spheric's boss, Olivia Pearce, and the head of the new player in town, Cirque Du Sin.


In Nightwing #120, we pick up during the cliffhanger from the previous issue with Nightwing chased by automated security bots in a Spheric Solutions facility. Nightwing pulls off fancy acrobatics to leap onto the bot and laser open its hull to disable the CPU, but he soon finds this is no ordinary bot. Spheric encased a rabbit in the hull to use the animal's fight or flight response for quick reaction time. Nightwing rescues the bunny and flees before the bot explodes, taking out most of the storage facility with it.


Dan Watters concludes the cliffhanger with action, speed, and curious surprise. The last thing Nightwing needs is another pet, especially one that historically doesn't get along with dogs, but here we are. Plus, we get further confirmation that Spheric is not above unethical experimentation for its fancy weapons.



The next day, Mayor Grayson calls Dick to find out what happened the night before and inform him about a Spheric press conference happening right now. During Olivia Pearce's presentation, she applauds Nightwing for stopping The Teddies Gang from getting a hold of the fancy weaponry she presumes would be used to break the fragile peace between street gangs. Also, the attack confirms that Bludhaven Police need upgrades now more than ever, so Pearce unveils the upgraded and highly lethal Helios Project.


The issue concludes with Helios police using very aggressive tactics and Nightwing witnessing the price even children will pay for Spheric's influence.


What's great about Nightwing #120?


Dan Watters gives everything they're looking for in a superhero comic. You get action, formidable villains, dramatic tension, plot twists, and hard-hitting moments. It's amazing how much better this run is turning out when compared to the previous creative team.

What's not great about Nightwing #120?


Olivia Pearce and Spheric present as an exciting villain presence, but the hints and teases concerning the Cirque Du Sin are completely absent. It's a bit of bad form to tease a frightening puppet master, especially one with ties to the hero, and then pause further development on the puppet master.

How's the Art?


Dexter Soy is the bee's knees. The action, drama, figure work, gestures, and big moments hit with equal impact and visual appeal. As with the writing, Soy's presence in the title is a serious upgrade.


About The Reviewer: Gabriel Hernandez is the Publisher & EIC of ComicalOpinions.com, a comics review site dedicated to indie, small, and mid-sized publishers.

Follow @ComicalOpinions on YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter


Final Thoughts


Nightwing #120 ups the ante when Spheric Solutions tricks Nightwing into making a devastating mistake. Dan Watters's plot bristles with action, drama, and high intrigue, and Dexter Soy's artwork is stellar.

9/10


We hope you found this article interesting. Come back for more reviews, previews, and opinions on comics, and don’t forget to follow us on social media: 

Connect With Us Here: Weird Science DC Comics / Weird Science Marvel Comics

If you're interested in this creator’s works, remember to let your Local Comic Shop know to find more of their work for you. They would appreciate the call, and so would we.

Click here to find your Local Comic Shop: www.ComicShopLocator.com


As an Amazon Associate, we earn revenue from qualifying purchases to help fund this site. Links to Blu-Rays, DVDs, Books, Movies, and more contained in this article are affiliate links. Please consider purchasing if you find something interesting, and thank you for your support. 


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