Review: GREEN ARROW Volume 4: THE KILL MACHINE

GREEN ARROW Volume 4: THE KILL MACHINE
Written by Jeff Lemire
Art by Andrea Sorrentino
Published by DC Comics
Release Date: March 19, 2014

GA_Cv17_R1Sometimes, the wait is worth it to get something so right.

When the New 52 debuted, one of the most notable age shifts hit Oliver Queen. Literally halved in years from a randy 50 to a sprite 25, Green Arrow was reinvented — sans goatee, which to this day drives my husband bonkers — and brought more in line with his upcoming portrayal in the now massively popular Arrow TV show. The problem wasn’t his age, or vanished hirsuteness, really. It was that the stories weren’t that great. And shifting ground with four writers in 16 issues didn’t help much either.

And then issue #17 arrived, and all was forgotten AND forgiven. Because what Jeff Lemire and Andrea Sorrentino have done with Green Arrow is nothing short of majestic.

In every sense, from characterization to backstory to motivation, from unique page layout to action scenes to talking heads, The Kill Machine is a revelation for a character that hasn’t had so much creativity and thought put into his stories in over twenty years. Gone is the spoiled rich kid who battles bland opponents, and in his place is a young man whose entire history unravels before his eyes, and is faced with new threats with twice his prowess and old villains reimagined for greatness.

ga_24_1Lemire has worked a significant amount of magic to mine Oliver’s history for the best of his previous rogues’ gallery — i.e. Count Vertigo in this volume — but also create a villain out of whole cloth that feels just as classic and grounded in Ollie’s past. The introduction of Komodo, the first of three dragons that will cross Green Arrow’s path in this book, is only the tip of the iceberg in what Lemire sets up for the future, however. As Oliver’s past, previously unknown to him, is revealed — slowly, like layers of an onion being peeled away — we are treated to a deep mythology for a character who hasn’t had anything resembling such in a very long time, if ever.

The elements were always there: the deserted island, the rich father, a band of totem-esque warriors who flitted in and out of Ollie’s life. Imbuing each one of these aspects with deeper, hidden meaning has elevates this story far more than the sum of its parts. When Oliver must chase the dragon — what a double meaning if I’ve ever seen one — out of the country to Prague, he’s not after a person, place or thing, but the truth, and that search gives Green Arrow a greater purpose than we’ve seen before. All that is even before we hear what he’s truly found. It only gets better from there.

3228709-untitledAndrea Sorrentino is at the least equal partner to Lemire in re-envisioning what the Green Arrow can mean, both as a character and as a mythology. I was beyond impressed with the artist’s glorious layouts and moody, emotional renderings as series artist for the late, lamented I, Vampire series in the New 52, but that was only the beginning of the honest-to-God holy grail of art brilliant that is his work on Green Arrow. Sorrentino illustrates the entire volume — and the next, by the way — without interruption and the sheer power of his work is nearly overwhelming. His layouts are some of the most creative in the market today, and, not willing to settle for just one trick, Sorrentino develops a trademark way to break and slow down action for Green Arrow. From the very start, key milliseconds of action, far too fast for the eye to catch in real life, are squared out and color blocked to emphasize the skill, and the human eye’s inability to catch them. It’s a smart technique that, when combined with advanced color application, gives the book yet another reason to be on the top of your collection pile.

If you’ve been hedging on Green Arrow, or simply ignoring this title with the belief that it’s subpar to what had come before, you are doing yourself a grave disservice. The Kill Machine is nothing short of the first volume of a masterpiece series that belongs on every serious comic aficionado’s shelf. My only complaint is that we’re getting this volume in paperback and not hardcover. Heck, buy this book if only to encourage DC Comics to release an absolute edition, because the only thing that could make this experience more gratifying would be to experience it bigger and bolder, all over again.

The Verdict: 10/10

 

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One Comment;

  1. Matthew Garcia said:

    Agree with this review.

    One of the best things about this title, too, is that it’s just really fun. Adventurous, mysterious, funny, and a blast. Like a good old adventure movie.

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