Green Arrow

Green Lantern and Green Arrow here.. :)

it goes out from an old idea I sketched a few time ago

for a private client.. now I completed it.. I hope..eheh





Green Arrow, Green Lantern © DC Comics

Comic Book Review: Identity Crisis

Identity Crisis

Writer: Brad Meltzer 

Artist: Rags Morales

Issues: 7

Published by DC Comics 

When the spouse of a Justice League member is brutally murdered, the superhero community was left in panic, fearing that their wives and relatives might be next. They hunt the one responsible for the murder, as long forgotten-secrets re-surface, threatening to separate team and cause rifts to their friendship. What started as a big manhunt has now become a battle from amongst them. 

DC's controversial 2004 miniseries tells the story of the greatest human tragedy of them all . Battling through pain, despair, and most importantly, doubt - these superheroes find out that they're still not as close as a group as they thought they were, as they search for the person responsible for the wicked assassinations. Finding themselves collectively afraid and in panic, they must do whatever it takes and even at some point - bend their view of what is right and wrong - to bring about the justice that they are looking for.

This is what sets DC stories apart from its contemporaries. They target the deepest of human emotions and make the readers relate to the story, which is a testament to the writer's writing skills. Brad Meltzer did what I think no writer has done before - that is to test the Justice League and each hero's moral code to the absolute limits. No more "black and white" cliches.

Artistically, it expresses and tells the story just as much as the dialogues. Its not as pretty or as modern as the art that we see today, its kinda bit old school actually, but it perfectly fits. Morales did a good job in relaying the mystery and drama of Meltzer's writing,  with his own melodramatic narrative illustration making it even more compelling. 

Such is this panel, where Batman and Robin race off to save Mr. Drake (Robin's dad):

See FEAR looking straight at you, Batman?

They say that Batman is the embodiment of fear, but the look on his face shows that after all the bravado , the mystique lying underneath the costume - he is just a human after all.  Probably the most haunting panel I have seen in a long time. You don't get to see him looking so scared like this.

Such as the other Leaguers like Superman, The Flash, Green Arrow, Hawkeye, etc, they are all engulfed by their own fears and there is nothing that they can do about it. Not even their powers can stop the natural human impulse to feel fear and hopelessness - and yes, even the  bullet-proof Kryptonian  can do nothing about it. All they can do is wish that their wives, fathers, mothers, or friends are safe - but in this story, nobody is safe.. not until the last page.  

Maybe Green Arrow put it better than anybody else when he said:

"Bulletproof skin is no match for grief." 

... and it is.

You can guess and guess on who the culprit is, but at the end of the last issue, I'm sure even you will be surprised when all the smoke has cleared. Its a total shocker. It is nothing like any superhero story you have ever read.  This is one graphic novel that you shouldn't miss. Haunting and immensely full of suspense till the last page, Identity Crisis would surely give you a whole new meaning to the word "superhero". 

Green Arrow Year One

Green Arrow: Year One
Writer: Andy Diggle
Artist: Jock
Published By DC Comics

I have never been a fan of Green Arrow and never read a single GA comic book. But since I see the character in CW's "Smallville" every week, I kinda got interested in looking out for a good GA title. And thank God for Andy Diggle and Jock for creating Green Arrow: Year One.

The story tells us how Star City's resident billionaire playboy Oliver Queen changed his ways from a happy-go-lucky and reckless guy with no sense of direction, to a Robin Hood-esque hero who fights for the oppressed after being stranded in a deserted island for two years where he learns how to hunt  for himself using his wit, resourcefulness, and archery skills. Things were looking good for Ollie until he discovers that the island is not really deserted as he initially thought, and from that point on, we get to see his character develop to the hero that he is destined to become. 

Diggle is absolutely masterful on his writing and I really liked the way he gave emphasis to the Oliver Queen's transformation to Green Arrow. His storytelling and pacing is great, and combined with good characterization, i can't really say anything else but praise for doing such a great job. Same thing with Jock who just killed the whole book with his impressive illustrations and panels, backing up Diggle's writing while providing action-packed art that will surely make you wishing a Green Arrow movie soon.

 

I would recommend this comic book to anyone even to those who aren't familiar with Green Arrow. Diggle makes it easy for everyone by creating a story that is easy pick-up and understand even by new readers. You won't need a comic book background or GA history lessons to enjoy this book because the whole thing is just that plain and simple. Its Robin Hood meets Robinson Crusoe with high-octane action sequences ala-Die Hard. A definite four-star blockbuster from DC.

Download Green Arrow: Year One via Hotfile (66.2 MB)