By Jeff Lemire, Andrea Sorrentino and Marcelo Miaolo

greenarrow-cvr18A fair share of hype accompanied the arrival of last month’s Green Arrow #17. Writer Jeff Lemire and artist Andrea Sorrentino promised to deliver a darker, street level version of the Emerald Archer. Critics and fans alike were incredibly receptive to the series’ new direction and couldn’t wait to get their hands on the next installment in this reimagining of the Green Arrow. Thankfully, the wait is over and Green Arrow #18 is upon us!

Green Arrow #18 builds upon the seeds of mystery that Lemire had already sewn in the previous issue. Despite being on the lam and the would be target of a crazed archer named Komodo, Oliver Queen can’t help but be pursue the mystery behind his supposed birthright. Unfortunately, this lands Ollie knee deep into more trouble than he bargained for. Fortunately, Ollie’s perils make for an incredibly entertaining read.

One of the more intriguing aspects of Green Arrow #18 is that Lemire is able to shed some light on the mysterious character of Komodo. The twisted relationship he shares with his young daughter adds an extremely sick layer to a character who shaping up to be the perfect foil to Oliver Queen. However, hopefully as this story arc progresses and we learn more about Komodo’s backstory, Lemire will give us something more to differentiate the two characters other than one is the villain and the other is the hero.

Henry Fyff is a welcomed addition to Green Arrow’s supporting cast. In a series that has been incredibly dark, Henry Fyff not only provides a bit of comedic relief, but also serves as an extremely relatable character that is caught in the midst of all the violent action.  It appears as if Henry will serve as the Microchip to Oliver’s Punisher and, believe it or not, that’s something that every reader should be happy to see.

Green Arrow’s art continues to impress. Sorrentino handled both the art and the coloring last issue, but this issue he is reunited with colorist Marcelo Maiolo of whom he lasted worked with on I, Vampire. Fans of their work in I, Vampire will be happy to see that the duo employee a similar style in Green Arrow #18. The stark use of heavy shadows and muted colors compliment this book’s increasingly dark, noir-like story.

Like the previous issue before it, Green Arrow #18 lives up the hype and then some. Mystery, intrigue, action, suspense – this book has it all and the future appears to be incredibly bright for a series that has floundered since it’s New 52 relaunch. Needless to say, Lemire and Sorrentino are brilliantly crafting a series that should be on everybody’s radar.

Writing: 9/10
Art: 10/10
Overall: 9/10 

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Corey Fryia

Corey Fryia

Associate Editor at ReadComicBooks
When it comes to his RCB responsibilities, Corey Fryia wears a lot of different hats. Not only is he part-owner of the site, but he also serves an Associate Editor, Managing News Editor, a columnist, reviewer and hosts/produces our official podcast – RCB Central. On top of all that, Corey is an aspiring comic book creator with a few different projects currently in the works. Some of his favorite creators that inspire his work are Jeff Lemire, Scott Snyder, Greg Capullo, Mikel Janin, Andrea Sorrentino, Brian Wood and Frank Miller to name a few. Outside of the world of comics, Corey is the proud writer of an Emmy winning News Feature, a lifelong Pittsburgh Penguins fan and owns a lovable Boston Terrier named Sonny. You can follow him on Twitter @coreyfryia
Corey Fryia

@coreyfryia

@hookmoney @ReadComicBooks @Beaconxdr nope still in the Dominican until tomorrow. - 8 hours ago
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