Green Arrow #33

Writer: Benjamin Percy

Artist: Jamal Campbell

Letterer: Deron Bennett

This issue kicks off a new arc that finally deals with Oliver's trial. This is a storyline I've been wanting to see conclude since June, and the extended HARD-TRAVELLING HERO arc this summer didn't do much for me personally aside from presenting us with stellar art from the likes of Juan Ferreyra, Otto Schmidt, and Jamal Campbell. Campbell returns for this issue, and I think he has provided such excellent work whenever he's on this book. Campbell's work feels like a great blend between Ferreyra and Schmidt.

Simply put, not much happens in this issue. All this could have been a short prologue in this issue or an epilogue here, yet I still feel like Percy is stretching the story out for the sake of claiming to have told a long-form, 30 plus issue story. The fact of the matter is that the Ninth Circle has turned into quite a farce of a force, and it's about time for Oliver to face new threats and for Percy to tell new stories. Looking at the recently released January 2018 solicits reveals that Oliver will STILL be dealing with the Ninth Circle, which is made even worse that this is the final bi-weekly issue of the series; yes, this series is going to be monthly with the release of the next issue, #34. I don't want to insinuate anything, but people might not be buying the book for a reason.

In any case, the best parts of the issue were scenes that had little to do with the Ninth Circle and Oliver's trial. His hot and steamy reunion with Black Canary and an interaction with a certain family member are standouts for me. Despite liking their scenes together, Percy broke up the characters for this particular reason; to simulate a bravado reunion that feels like such a payoff when the reason they broke up in the first place was tacky.

As you can tell, this series just keeps on disappointing me. Percy's insistence on keeping the Ninth Circle around and attempting to pay off weird storytelling decisions he made earlier in the series don't come across as satisfying in the slightest. The art, however, is absolutely great.