REVIEW: ‘Green Arrow’ Issue #14

Green Arrow #14 is published by DC Comics, written by Joshua Williamson, art by Amancay Nahuelpan, art by Sean Izaakse, colors by Romulo Fajardo Jr and letters by Troy Peteri. This is part of the Absolute Power event. Green Arrow has betrayed the superhero community, siding with Amanda Waller in her war against those with powers. Batman tells Green Arrow’s supporting cast to stay on their island, but they decide to help in their own way.

In the first Green Arrow comic since the start of Absolute Power, Williamson approaches it through an interesting lens. Green Arrow is present in the chapter, but the story primarily focuses on the rest of the Arrow Family. Red Arrow, Cheshire, and many others are isolated from the rest of the community, partly for their safety but also because Batman just doesn’t trust them. The pacing is slow for the first part of the tie-in, with so many moving parts involved.

This series has an exciting twist that isn’t present in the other tie-ins. Where Wonder Woman and Superman have been hounded by Amazo robots, Arrow’s friends and family approach the problem differently. The story has many surprising reveals regarding the Absolute Power storylines and what is happening within the Green Arrow series.

The cast is massive within Green Arrow #14. Almost every character with a mask that could be considered part of Green Arrow’s corner of the DC appears. His children, his protegees, his lovers. It leads to an extensive array of voices. Williamson allows most of the heroes to let their personalities shine through despite the vast ensemble.

The most prominent example is Roy Harper, now second-in-command in the absence of Oliver. He is inherently defiant and not great at following orders, even from Batman. Whilst there is space within the comic for dialogue from all characters, the action can struggle to fit everyone in. It’s still exhilarating and superbly written, but it will be fascinating to see how Williams grapples with so many heroes for the remainder of the tie-in.

The art is incredible. There are some immaculate, clean lines for much of the book. The characters all look impeccable, with some costume reveals happening exclusively within this issue. It connects to other forms of media beyond just the comics with a superb adaptation of an iconic costume. Many locations and outfits crafted will now have ramifications in a new era of Green Arrow.

The book’s opening features many stationary characters, but their facial expressions and body language are sensational. Even with many eyes hidden behind domino masks, they crease and mould to the shape of faces to denote their feelings. Every single villain included in the comic is terrifying. Their designs are creepy, verging on body horror. The fights are sudden and flashy, and the speed of the archers is executed brilliantly.

The colors draw out the prominence of the costumes, which is crucial when many characters included have colors in their monika. Green and red are the most common shades within the book, staying vibrant and intense. When they are in the “real world,” they can look out of place because of how bright the tones are, but that is largely intentional. The lettering uses a font that isn’t regularly seen in comics, which is novel. It does not change across the entire issue but matches every character’s voice.

Green Arrow #14 enlists everyone to the event. The book is so exciting because it takes off in unique directions whilst still staying integral to the Absolute Power series. The Amazos is still a target, as is Green Arrow’s allegiance with Amanda Waller, but the approach is stealthier than in other comics. The characters have identity and presence even among an army of archers and vigilantes. Given Green Arrow’s distinct role in the wider event and Williamson’s involvement in previous crossovers, this series could be one of the more crucial tie-ins.

Green Arrow #14 is available where comics are sold.