Green Arrow #31

Writer: Benjamin Percy

Artist: Otto Schmidt

Letterer: Nate Piekos

And thus ends the Hard-Travelling Hero arc, a story that's been going on since June. Ultimately, this is a story I've been wrestling with. I understand the intention behind it, which was clearly evident in the very first issue of the arc; Green Arrow will encounter a member of the Justice League, save for Aquaman for some reason, and will gain their trust. And if it wasn't made obvious by the cover of the issue, they do indeed somewhat come together. Despite my apprehensions about the storyline itself, the ending satisfied me to a certain degree. Green Arrow definitely comes across as a hero by the end of the story, which is something the reader obviously is already aware of.

One aspect that really irks me is the sudden friendship between Oliver and Hal Jordan. Sure, they came together in the last issue but they barely spent any time together. I cannot believe for a second that this brief, possibly hour-long experience would create such a bond between the two.

But the art… the art was incredible. I've not made clear enough how much I love the artists on this title, and Otto Schmidt is one of them. There's epic stuff here, especially a sequence in which the Justice League individually reacts to something particular happening in the story.

While I admired the endgame and the execution of the ending, I didn't think it felt particularly earned despite how much Benjamin Percy clearly thinks it is. The art was stellar as I expected.