Green Arrow #11 Review: Team Arrow Hits the Mark With Compelling Family Drama

Green Arrow does his best to navigate some complicated family drama.

By Timothy Adams

Green Arrow #11 feels like two comics in one, but the stories connect so seamlessly that it becomes an overall better experience. While Oliver Queen has butted heads with Amanda Waller recently, he's also been reuniting with his rather large family. If you ask any Green Arrow fans they will say this has been the most enjoyable part of the series, since a lot of these characters have been in limbo for several years, dating back to the pre-New 52 era. While the Amanda Waller business is semi-resolved (for now), the real fun comes with the return of a familiar foe.

Team Arrow vs. the Justice League isn't a fight I had on my bingo card, but I'll take it! Yes, it may not be the real Justice League, but just seeing Green Arrow, Hawke, and Red Arrow fighting alongside the returning Speedy, Arrowette, and Red Canary put a smile on my face, and I'm not even a veteran Green Arrow fan. However, I recognize how important these heroes are to the fandom, and so I still find joy in that. The art team excels in choreographing the battle, giving each character a chance to shine, even if they're only shown in the background. I wish the story spent more time on the topic of Sanctuary and how controversial it was at the time of Heroes in Crisis' release, but I can understand how that wasn't the best use of this page space.

The back half of the comic book gets personal, as readers receive a history lesson on the rivalry between Green Arrow and Malcom Merlyn. This was helpful for me since my only knowledge of him comes from the Arrow TV series. The only thing I'll call out is that I wish there was an explanation as to how Merlyn's face became disfigured. Either way, Merlyn catches readers up on the latest happenings, so he can give Oliver Queen his undivided attention later. This leads to another big throwdown with Team Arrow, except everyone gangs up on Green Arrow this. It doesn't hurt that we get a lot of throwback costumes and looks from our heroes, as Green Arrow keeps delivering in the nostalgia department.

Another thing I've loved about the new Green Arrow series as a whole is how each issue ends on a compelling cliffhanger. Of course, it isn't the first comic series to do this and it won't be the last, but Green Arrow has successfully pulled it off each month. There's a surprise around every corner, with sprinkles of feel-good moments as an appetizer. If you like comics with great supporting characters and a hero who doesn't mind sharing the spotlight, then Green Arrow is the perfect title for your pull file.

Published by DC Comics

On April 23, 2024

Written by Joshua Williamson

Art by Sean Izaakse, Phil Hester, and Eric Gapstur

Colors by Romulo Fajardo Jr. 

Letters by Tory Peteri

Cover by Sean Izaakse

Colors by Romulo Fajardo Jr.

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Letters by Troy Peteri

Cover by Sean Izaakse

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