Bludhaven Saviors

Nightwing (Volume 4) #24
Written by Tim Seeley
Art by Miguel Mendonca

Nightwing is being hunted by a bunch of villaisn from aroudn the DCU inside a submarine. Now that is a fun idea for a comic book. Time Seeley pulls this off well (except for maybe when he has Dick Grayson refer to himself as the Dickster!) Some of these villains have only been created recently in the comics and not by Tim Seeley, which means Tim is reading all the books or the editors are just that good. Either way, I love it when the DCU comes together nicely. Blockbuster’s motivations for hurting Nightwing is interesting. He wants to be the hero of Bludhaven and sees Nightwing as a Gothamite who doesn’t understand the city. As for the final page, I wonder how Nightwing survives the explosion?

Villainous Relations

Nightwing (Volume 4) #23
Written by Tim Seeley
Art by Minkyu Jung

I love how Tim Seeley is making Bludhaven a living breathing city with it’s own characteristics. For example, in this issue there is a sunken whaling ship in the bay that people call an Island because it has been there so long. In this issue, it looks like Nightwing and Defacer’s relationship is breaking down and while I don’t mind her, it will be interested to see her possibly turning back to crime and becoming a foe for Nightwing. The cliffhanger was something I did not see coming and I am excited to see how it plays out next issue and if Blockbuster really double crossed Nightwing.

 

 

Green Arrow Rebirth 1 – 19

Green Arrow (Volume 7) #1
Written by Benjamin Percy
Art by Otto Schmidt

Out of all the new Rebirth series, this series seems to be the one most tied to its “Rebirth” one-shot because this comic starts off right where that left off and Benjamin Percy doesn’t really take time to explain what is going on which I think that is a mistake. But it is the only mistake really made here. We have Green Arrow and Black Canary back together and great art, the books seems to have regained its social conscience. In today’s political climate, it is important that Green Arrow be political. I think this was a good start and I was genuinely surprised by the cliffhanger ending, but I think I would be more surprised if I knew anything about his sister since I did not read New 52.

Green Arrow (Volume 7) #2
Written by Benjamin Percy
Art by Otto Schmidt

So everyone thinks that Oliver Queen is dead and he has apparently been framed by his company and his own sister seemed to be in on his murder. Black Canary is searching for clues and it all has to do with Ninth Circle group. Meanwhile, Ollie awakes from his coma and goes to his bunker. Honestly this was a little decompressed, not much happened to further the plot at all since last issue.

Green Arrow & Black Canary 5 – 14

 

Green Arrow & Black Canary #5
Written by Judd Winick
Art by Andre Coelho

Get me my damn bow…awesome line. This was another good issue of this series, a series which has been a vast improvement since the relaunch. Green Arrow and Black Canary get married for real in a small ceremony this issue while Ollie grieves over his brain dead. I liked all the flashback explaining that Ollie knew about Connor all these years. I know that Connor is going to be back, but this was still a heartwarming issue.

 

Green Arrow & Black Canary #6
Written by Judd Winick
Art by Cliff Chiang

As they continue their hunt for Connor this issue I find myself really enjoying Winick’s dialogue. The banter between Black Canary and Green Arrow is fantastic and fits the character’s perfectly, which is something Winick usually doesn’t excel at. I like how he doesn’t write Dinah as being a damsel-in-distress, she is just as capable a hero as Ollie. As for those aliens, I wasn’t expecting that either.

Green Arrow & Black Canary #7
Written by Judd Winick
Art by Mike Norton

So the aliens turn out to be guys in costumes in a rather amusing scene where Green Lantern shows up Ollie. But the part where the Arrow team threatens the thugs with a clown and an old lady just seemed weird and out of the blue?! Didn’t really make sense character-wise.

Green Arrow & Black Canary #8
Written by Judd Winick
Art by Mike Norton

Umm….all I can say is hell ya it’s Plastic Man! Anytime he is in a comic it is good in my eyes. (Except for that stupid Kyle Baker series, I prefer my Plas in continuity) and this was a decent issue. Still feels like this story has gone on forever.

Green Arrow & Black Canary #9
Written by Judd Winick
Art by Mike Norton

Now one book I wouldn’t mind Winick writing at all is a Plastic Man book, he does have a knack for one-liners and that is what Plas is all about. Gosh every second he is “on screen” I love it. What a great character…okay that’s enough gushing over Plastic Man. This was an okay issue, but not much happened, a lot of fighting. Pretty standard stuff.

Green Arrow & Black Canary #10
Written by Judd Winick
Art by Mike Norton

Eh another okay issue with more fighting the League of Assassins who may not actually be the League of Assassins. Batman shows his badassness in this issue and Plas is always fun but otherwise really this story is taking too long.

Green Arrow & Black Canary #11
Written by Judd Winick
Art by Mike Norton

Finally we get some movement on this story after a couple of issues of just fighting. It looks like Shado is behind everything and it is good to see Winick dipping into Green Arrow history and using her.

Green Arrow & Black Canary #12
Written by Judd Winick
Art by Mike Norton

Ummmmm yaaaaaa what the fuck was this issue. This was the dumbest writing I have ever read in comics. How exactly is Connor just okay now? Why did Doctor Sivana even want Green Arrow dead? Have they even met before? This makes no sense. I really think Winick was just making this up as he went along and just wanted to use Sivana because he uses him in everything he writes. Seriously, after this issue, I am ultra glad Winick is leaving this book. What an awful waste of a year-long story arc.

Green Arrow & Black Canary #13
Written by Judd Winick
Art by Mike Norton

The pain that was the year long arc of the search for Connor still looms over this title but this was the best issue in a while. Dodger and Speedy’s first date was heartwarming and made me actually like the character of Dodger. As for Connor, something isn’t quite right with him and he seems to have a little bit of Plas’s powers or something. Hmmm….I just hope he is not a clone or something. Guess we will find out next issue.

Green Arrow & Black Canary #14
Written by Judd Winick
Art by Mike Norton

This is really the end of an era for Green Arrow. This is Winick’s last issue and Winick has been writing the character for five years straight. To be honest, while there was some good stuff, most of his run was rather bland so I can’t wait to see how the next writer does. It was time for Winick to move on. Despite the whole thing with Connor being so ridiculous, I do like that he does not remember how to be an archer because now it makes the character more unique in a world full of superhero archers. Which is the perfect time for Winick to leave, on something good he did for the Green Arrow mythos.