ABSOLUTE GREEN ARROW #1 – Secrets in the Dark

Creative Team – Pornsak Pichetshote, Rafael Albuquerque, Marcelo Maiolo, Jeff Powell

Published by DC Comics

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This is a joint review by Matt of Hops ‘Geek’ News and Megan of Vigilante Vibes Podcast!

The Story

Matt – This run has been highly hyped up for months since we saw what happened to Oliver Queen in the one-shot, and Pornsak has absolutely delivered on an intense story. The choice to make the Green Arrow work as a sort of horror vigilante who appears and brutally murders his enemies delivers some intense action sequences and sets up a ton of mystery. There are moments when I am questioning if this is Oliver returning from the dead or someone else, as we see a list of familiar names come across a panel. Could this be the introduction of the Lazarus Pit into the Absolute Universe, even? Pornsak sets up a lot of intriguing questions with this first issue.

The story is told from Dinah Lance’s point of view, and it works well as she is a former MMA star turned bodyguard with a history with Ollie as well. Her narration adds mystery, and we learn how Queen was always out to change the world for the better. The Green Arrow’s first victim is his partner, which thickens the plot a fair amount. I can say I am beyond excited to see where these plot threads take us down the road.

Megan – I was really looking forward to Absolute Green Arrow’s debut and, good lord, Pornsak Pichetshote did not disappoint. In the aftermath of Oliver Queen’s death, there’s a serial killer on the loose who’s hunting down billionaires. These billionaires are the scum of the earth, and all their wrongdoings are being made public, so it’s hard to have empathy for them. They needed the best protection they could get, so they offered a job to Dinah Lance, AKA Absolute Black Canary. Dinah is desperate for a payday to help pay for her dying father’s treatment, and the billionaires make it nearly impossible for her to turn them down. Now, Dinah is to watch after these awful people while they’re being hunted, but is it enough to keep them alive?

From the first page, I was hooked. Pornsak Pichetshote does such a fantastic job at keeping you guessing and making it hard to look away from the comic.

The Art

Matt – The artwork is amazing and delivers on the brutality when the action kicks in. The team has crafted a familiar look for Green Arrow’s suit; however, the addition of the skeleton mask adds the right horror element that helps create the vibe they are going for. We don’t see a lot of him in this book, which is a smart thing, but when we do get Arrow, there are the additions of his trick arrows leaning into his gimmick. It gets bloody at times when hands get chopped off, or arrows are shot into the eye sockets, which the team colors and details extraordinarily well. I couldn’t help but oddly be into it. We’re off to a fantastic start, and the character designs are familiar with some twists to them, which I think fans will enjoy.

Megan – The artwork of Absolute Green Lantern #1 is raw, it’s gritty, and it’s perfect for the story. Rafael Albuquerque, Marcelo Maiolo, and Jeff Powell did such a fantastic job with this comic that it’s hard to look away. What I love the most is the facial expressions of the characters. Telling the story themselves through their expressions, you can see the fear on Dinah’s face or the sadness on the face of her father. Alongside that, the colors were dark and ominous, which highlighted the mystery of it all. Jeff Powell knocked the lettering out of the park, perfectly capturing the heightened emotions of the story. Together, the creative team did a phenomenal job on this!

Final Thoughts

Matt – 10/10 Arrows. Absolute Green Arrow #1 explodes onto the scene in such a violent manner. There is a lot of mystery tied up in this issue, which drops breadcrumbs to follow, but also delivers on the brutality of the action. This issue has been rightfully hyped up, and it’s lived up to it in my opinion!

Megan – 10/10. The creative team showed up and showed out for Absolute Green Arrow #1! There were so many things to love about the story and the art that this deserves a solid 10/10.

Overall Grade – 10/10

Let us know in the comments what you thought of Absolute Green Arrow #1!