We saw Oliver running around Earth doing his best to help out during Justice League: No Justice. Now learn the rest of the story!
GREEN ARROW ANNUAL #2 “Fail-Safe”
Writer: Julie & Shawna Benson
Artist: Carmen Carnero
Cover Artist: David Lopez
Colorist: Trish Mulvihill
Letters: Deron Bennett
Publisher: DC COMICS
What You Need to Know:
In the pages of Justice League: No Justice, Brainiac kidnapped superheroes and villains from across the globe to battle a threat unleashed by the cracking of the Source Wall (see Dark Knights: Metal… oh what a tangled web we weave!). Over the course of No Justice, readers get glimpses of Ollie working with/against Amanda Waller on Earth as one of the only heroes not kidnapped or put into stasis. Now, witness the rest of the story of Oliver’s role in No Justice.
What You’ll Find Out:
As an audience, we follow the adventures of an Oliver out of his depth, but through grit and determination, he manages to hold his own as long-time fans would expect him to do. While battling Brick in Star City, a Brainiac ship descends with the intent to capture Ollie, but a few well-placed arrows keep our intrepid hero on the run until Barbara Gordon/Batgirl is able to raise him on comms and fill him in to the No Justice reality. Oliver escapes Star City on the wings of the Arrowplane and flees for Happy Harbor to attempt to rescue an already in-stasis Black Canary, another callback to the reintroduction of love and relationships in the post-Rebirth DCU—relationships that were sorely lacking in the New 52 DCU. When the rescue of Dinah fails, as it was always doomed to, Oliver sets a course for the Antarctic to confront Amanda Waller. There isn’t really a lot to add in the annual that wasn’t previously covered in No Justice, to include J’onn J’onzz’s gift of a secret anti-Justice League weapon, but the characterization and detail provided in this issue shone brightly.
What Just Happened?
It is all I can do to contain my excitement over the introduction of the Benson sisters to the series. I have loved Ben Percy’s run. It was intelligent, sharp, and poignant, and I look forward to reading his last two issues on the title before handing over the reins. But the Benson sisters seem to bring something to character writing that is ineffable, and they are being handed an Oliver without restraints. He has his company back. He has the love of his life back. He has all members of his team back. And he has the one item that can nullify the Justice League safely tucked into the trunk of an old beater, next to a quiver of arrows. We may be on the brink of a Mike Grell-esque, a Denny O’Neil-esque, a Kevin Smith-esque era in the sage of Oliver Queen, and from what I’ve gathered here, I personally cannot wait to embark on this journey.
Aside from the absolutely brilliant writing job, Carmen Carnero provided an absolute force of nature with her artwork. As an unabashedly self-advertiser who is also covering X-Men: Red for Comic Watch, I have to say that my excitement here is difficult to contain. In an era of comics art where I’m frequently left to question why everybody has the same face, or why backgrounds no longer matter, Carnero gave me characters that, in a phrase stolen from Tom Taylor, breathe. When I see Barbara’s dimples or Dinah’s eyes, I know who they are. Not just recognize them. I know them, as I have known them for decades. The worlds that they inhabit are the worlds I know. I have seen them; I have inhabited them. When I say that my first real introduction to her artwork reminds me of the feelings I had when I first encountered Bryan Hitch (way back in Stormwatch vol.1), I say that as the best imaginable compliment.
Rating: 9.5/10
Final Thought: If I thought No Justice lived up to the hype, this would undoubtedly be a 10/10 issue for me. As it stands, it was an issue that elevated a writing team and an artist that I previously respected into a circle where I will be in on any project they hang their hats on. If Carmen wants to chronicle a series that illustrates the life of a New York City trash can, I’ll be on time for that. If the Bensons want to write a 200-page opus to paint drying on a wall? Sign me up.
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