Green Arrow #27 – Review

By: Jeff Lemire (story), Andrea Sorrentino (art), Marcelo Maiolo (colors)

The Story: Fathers—you can (barely) live with them, and you can live without them.

The Review: I was a bit wary when last issue revealed that Ollie’s time on the island involved more than him playing out his own version of Cast Away.  Given the timing, it was hard not to be a little cynical and see the move as an attempt to capitalize on the popularity of Arrow.  But upon reflection, giving Ollie a more humanly oppressive environment on the island does make sense, if only by giving him a reason to become a crusader for the oppressed once he returned.

So just as I started to approve of Lemire’s new developments, he threw in another, one that I find a lot harder to take.  It’s impossible to get through this review without discussing it in full, so spoiler alert: Ollie’s dad not only planned his son’s stranding on the island and most of the torments he suffered there, he’s alive to see the current fruit of his work.  Make no mistake, it’s a twist you weren’t totally expecting,* but one that saps the grandeur of Ollie’s origin story.