Green Arrow #42

Matthew Clark, Sean Parson, and Jason Wright played with some cool elements of the Stryker's Island sewers in this issue. The shadows, the damp lighting, and explosive colors of Parasite and his power set kept me engaged throughout the entire issue. Clark's character models for Oliver, and everyone else in the issue was very consistent and clean. It's a shame to see this creative team go after this arc, but they definitely made these issues more memorable for what Green Arrow should be. Read Full Review

While this issue is sure to send those who whine about politics in their comics screaming to their Twitter accounts Green Arrow #42 offers a serious look at a real problem without pretending to offer any easy solutions or an enemy that can be beaten into submission. What's most amazing is it does it in a way that is balanced and nuanced, defying the usual cliches that sneak into stories like this. Read Full Review

Scott and Clark dare to peer deep within the darkest recesses of human nature and showcase what it really means to be a monster. Read Full Review

This is a great issue. The art is creative and energetic. I like the themes the issue deals with while still being able to have fun. It's worth checking out. Read Full Review

I'm glad to have read this comic. Not only was it a fun and exciting story, but had a deeper meaning as well. It's more thoughtful than you would expect, and I never felt there was an agenda being forced upon me. I know Green Arrow does lean in a bit on our morality usually, but this just felt very gentle. That, my friends, is great comic book writing. Read Full Review

This issue manages to do both, to provide a fully entertaining comic book adventure, while at the same time dealing with some larger ideas, and not giving simple solutions to them. Read Full Review

What began as a filler arc turned into something special. With a few minor tweaks to pacing and framing, this arc could have been Eisner material. As it stands, it was very good and definitely worth a read! Read Full Review

Green Arrow #42 is a borderline polemic in how directly it acknowledges the problems with the U.Ss prisons. Its not quite as eloquent as Sam Wilson: Captain America was on the subject, but its probably easier to digest and still has a fast and fun superhero fight attached to it. Does that make it less classy or more muddled? Maybe. I still had fun with it though, and I appreciate a comic trying to make a point. This one earns a recommendation. Check it out. Read Full Review

The second part of "Better Than" continues and concludes the prior entry's plot & characterization very efficiently, and the art, well-handled in part one, becomes even better in the second. The story crafts a terrific conflict for a Green Arrow comic, and one that highlights a very real problem and concern when it comes to how people are treated while incarcerated. Highlighting very real social problems is something some of the best Green Arrow stories do, and this two-parter is no exception. I highly recommend giving it a read! Read Full Review

In the end this storyline doesn't have a ton of consequences, but makes for a nice fill-in arc with a creative team that warrants another shot at the Emerald Archer. This isn't essential reading since a new creative team is coming on board, but it was a classic Green Arrow story and worth grabbing for fans. Read Full Review

The conclusion of this mini arc goes in a couple different directions, but that's all the more reason to love it. Read Full Review

This writing in this issue was great because it really made Oliver question some things and at the same time tackled some issues often left untouched. This story with this amazing art team made for some beautiful pages that was just fun to read. Im giving this issue 4 stars and would suggest anyone interested in this issue to go back and read the previous ones to get the full story. Read Full Review

In a way, the issue is more like a one shot. If you skip it, you'll be fine. That said; the issue raises some tremendous moral questions and coffee talk with your friends Read Full Review

There's a lot of promise here, but it ends on ambiguous note " as stories about social injustice have to, I suppose. Read Full Review

Mairghread Scott and Matthew Clark tell a well written Green Arrow story, with art that is just short of a bullseye. Read Full Review

Green Arrow continues to be a pretty run of the mill read under Mairghread Scott.  It looks good and there is enough of the do-gooder vibe that people like to keep some fans satisfied until the Bensons begin their run.   Read Full Review

Once again, this arc just doesn't do it for me. I feel like it should have been something more, and it's a shame that it's wasn't given the time to do that. Next issue, we move onto the new creative team. I hope they fully take advantage of the type of stories they choose to tell. Read Full Review

Dani

Jul 07, 2018

Part 2 of Better Than was a huge improvement from Part 1. A hero truly needs a great villain to be great. In this issue we got some background into Parasite and by elevating his character Green Arrow was also elevated. Parasite's backstory was truly sad and it is easy to see why he chose the path he went on. Green Arrow was compassionate but still fierce and showcased why he is a top hero in DC. The artwork and composition of the panels were great. The last panel in this issue left me wanting more & wondering what journey Green Arrow is about to go on. This was a great read.

VanillaCone

Jul 07, 2018

The politics in this comic are very smart, and I enjoyed it as a whole. However, if this is ultimately the conflict that the story was going to end up with, then thematically this should have been there from the very beginning. I wish Scott had been more bold with his 2 issue arc and just made it entirely about Oliver's problem with Parasite's handling in prison. Either way, this was another very good issue and really extracted the potential out of Oliver's character in the way all of the best Green Arrow comics do.