Green Arrow Vol. 5: The Outsiders War (The New 52)

I got into Green Arrow when Kevin Smith brought him back from the dead. Don't get me wrong, any kid growing up in the early 80's loved Green Arrow, but mostly as a member of the Justice League of America. No, I started seriously following the character when Smith returned Oliver Queen to the land of the living and then began expanding his cast of characters. Then Meltzer came along with "The Archer's Quest" and took an already complex character to a whole new level of sophistication.When The New 52 began, I heard that Green Arrow really suffered in terms of story quality. I steered clear. Even as the show on the CW captured my interest, I still kept my distance from the comic book because of its negative reviews.However, when Jeff Lemire came aboard the title, I knew it was time for me to join as well. "The Outsiders War" is a fantastic read.First of all, the mythology Lemire built concerning clans centered upon The Spear, The Sword, The Fist, The Axe, The Mask, The Shield, and The Arrow is something both fresh and unique. Lemire delivers a fascinating story involving Green Arrow's past on the island, his father, his half-sister, as well as both Shado and Katana. The repercussions of this story could have lasting effects upon the character for years to come.However, Andrea Sorrentino is an even greater force behind this title. I've honestly never quite seen art such as this, and I've read comic books for well over thirty years. The layouts, the pictures within pictures, the sheer fluidity from panel to panel - it is the work of an extremely talented person. But, even with that being said, the art is even further enhanced by Marcelo Maiolo, surely one of the most interesting colorists in the industry. If I sat here and described the colors to you, you'd think me insane because nothing is the conventional color you'd expect . But they work. They work beautifully.If you're a fan of the character, I definitely recommend "The Outsider's War" as well as it's predecessor, "The Kill Machine."

I won't lie, two other things drew me to this comic. First was Arrow the TV show. The second was the name The Outsiders. I enjoyed the pre-New 52 Outsiders that had Nightwing as the leader. I had always written off Green Arrow as a rip-off Batman, which is probably why I like Arrow as they portray Oliver as very Batman-esque.Back to the comic. So the title and my like of the show I decided to give this comic a chance. The synopsis of the multiple weapon clans really intrigued me. After reading some other reviews I also bought Vol. 4, just to have Jeff Lemire's full run on Green Arrow.This is a must read for Green Arrow fans, especially if you like Arrow. There have been few comics that have enthralled me so much in recent memory. Scott Synder's Batman: The Black Mirror is one. This is another. Lemire really does a great job fleshing out Oliver Queen. He's definitely more than just a rip off Batman. The addition of all the weapon clans definitely gives Green Arrow and DC Comics plenty of material to use in future comics that will keep me reading. The entire story line reminds me a bit of 2006's The Immortal Iron Fist (coincidentally, another comic featuring a rich, blond haired, super hero) which was a spectacular comic series. That's not a bad thing at all. They created a rich background for Iron Fist, and Lemire has done the same for Green Arrow.I wanted more background for all the different weapon clans, and did feel shorted with them. They were barely touched upon in my opinion. It is a Green Arrow comic in the end, and he does get the most focus.Like I said, this comic is great and definitely worth the read. Biggest disappointment, Jeff Lemire is no longer writing Green Arrow. The Outsiders War goes up to issue 31 of Green Arrow, and Lemire's run ends with #34. So the next trade may only have some of his material. Good news is that one of the writers from Arrow is now writing the comic.Jeff Lemire's really brought Green Arrow back on the map as far as comics go. Even though he's not writing anymore, I am going to add this to my monthly plus list at my local comic shop.

Good.

The more Lemire books I pick up, the more of a fan I become.This book picks up and continues from the last volume. Ollie has lost his company, theres an insanely good archer named Komodo after him who apparently killed Ollie's dad years ago. He also stole a child when she was younger and brainwashed her into thinking she was his daughter. Ollie also meets an ex-lover of his dad's and they go on a quest back to the island where Ollie was stranded and has one huge hell of a blast from the pastI don't wanna spoil anything, but theres some truly great dialogue between Ollie and a few choice characters. I don't want to spoil anything but he has to confront people who tortured him, who mislead him, manipulated him, and just basically used him. Just like volume 4, it feels like the action doesn't stop at times. Theres also a memorable Batman cameo in a flashback which is really cool if you read Zero Year in the new 52.The overall theme of this volume is confontation and resolution, between Ollie and those who've lied to him and used him, and the Outsiders and weapon clans. While the title is called "Outsider's War", it feels like it takes a backseat to the problems and issues Ollie is facing, but its still great stuff. Just such a shame that the other clans, like the Shield clan, Sword clan, arrow clan, gauntlet clan never saw much use outside vol 4 and 5 of the new 52. Such is life, but they make for great antagonists/allies and add to the lore of Green Arrow. Definite recommendation if you liked/loved Vol 4. Theres also some stuff going on with a side villain named Dragon who John Diggle tries to take on but its honestly forgettable

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