caterpie_reading's review against another edition
4.0
Actual rating: 3.5/5 - and I am leaning towards four stars, but this volume didn't quite reach it yet
Well.., I was extremely anxious to read this book. Why? Because I love the the CW Arrow so, so much and I knew that it would be hard for me to accept another, different portrayal of the characters I grew to love over so many years. I hesitated to pick this up because first, I had to lower my expectations. Clearly this book couldn't give me the same things that the TV show can and once I let that sink in, I was ready to read Green Arrow with a relatively open mind.
And I found myself actually enjoying reading this volume. I liked the characters and the plot, but I loved the art. It was definitely one of the reasons this book went down well with me. The colors that were used were just gorgeous, the color spectrum was beautiful. It gave the story a unique atmosphere, something very distinct from other comics I've read. The characters were fantastically drawn (by both artists) and I loved the way 'The Burned' were depicted. So yes, the art was a selling point for sure.
The characters and the plot were good as well, but in my opinion, there is definitely some room for improvement.
I was quite engaged in the story, even though it was a "safe" one. However, on the other hand, the idea of the Underground Men, The Burned, The Ninth Circle and the human trafficking felt like a typical Green Arrow story to me, which I loved. The headquarters of the Ninth Circle, floating on international waters was a really fascinating scenery and I also enjoyed the "reveal" of what the Ninth Circle really was. A+ for that as well. Everyone betraying or turning their back on Oliver was a very good plot element, which helped to move the story forward. I don't care if this plot element is over used, I enjoyed it this time. Over all, the story was very fast paced, which can be a good thing, but the pacing sometimes did not quite fit the story. There was so much content and so little time that the story felt a little bit rushed, especially in the last issue, or maybe in the last two. Oliver and Diggle were just arriving, then there was a fight and then Ollie blew everything up. Especially the "fight" felt too underdeveloped for me, since there wasn't really any fight at all. There was potential for one and I would have loved to see a little bit more action scenes during the last issue. The ending was quite intriguing and I am excited to see what Benjamin Percy comes up with next. Other than that, I genuinely liked the story. I highly enjoyed myself when Oliver was hooding up and out on the streets as Green Arrow. His fight with Shado was stunning to look at and well done in general.
Furthermore, I thought that Olivers development throughout this volume was nicely done. I like the inner conflict about him being one of the 1 per centers, living his luxury livestyle and him being a vigilante, wanting to make Seattle a better place. His slow understanding that those two things are hard, if not impossible, to intertwine felt quite realistic to me. I would have liked a few more issues on his "developement" though, since it felt a little bit too rushed - again - that he would throw away his life as billionaire, his fortune and his company on a whim and be accepting of that choice in such a short amount of time. Him being humbled was a little bit too fast in my opinion. However, in general, I liked how Oliver Queen/Green Arrow was portrayed. It is definitely different from the CW show, but throughout the issues, I was beginning to like this Oliver as well. A young man with a heart of gold, trying to do good, funny and brave - this is a Oliver I love reading about - the likable jerk. I do hope, however, that he will get a little bit more depth and complexity as a characters. There were times where his character was really flashed out, and other times he felt a little bit flat.
I loved his interaction with John, those two are just the cherry on the cake. The element with Emico and Shado I loved as well. It was just fascinating to read about Shado and her principles, her way of looking at the world. And Emico has already won her place in my heart - stubborn, outspoken and brave, I love that. And hopefully she will prove to be a very loyal friend and support for Ollie. Excited to see what will happen with her (and Shado). Black Canary was a little bit problematic for me, especially in the beginning. She felt a little bit too judging of Oliver and his lifestyle, disregarding every bit of good he has done for the city. I thought she was sitting on a little bit of a high horse, which I did not like. But after Ollie's "death" she was indeed more likable. I could appreciate her honesty and she felt like quite a strong character and brought a nice dynamic into the story. And I loved seeing her and Oliver back together again in the end, kicking some ass.
So, to put it all in a nutshell: I loved the art to pieces, the story was good and intriguing as well and the characters are enjoyable to read about. Overall, a steady first volume with a lot of potential.
Well.., I was extremely anxious to read this book. Why? Because I love the the CW Arrow so, so much and I knew that it would be hard for me to accept another, different portrayal of the characters I grew to love over so many years. I hesitated to pick this up because first, I had to lower my expectations. Clearly this book couldn't give me the same things that the TV show can and once I let that sink in, I was ready to read Green Arrow with a relatively open mind.
And I found myself actually enjoying reading this volume. I liked the characters and the plot, but I loved the art. It was definitely one of the reasons this book went down well with me. The colors that were used were just gorgeous, the color spectrum was beautiful. It gave the story a unique atmosphere, something very distinct from other comics I've read. The characters were fantastically drawn (by both artists) and I loved the way 'The Burned' were depicted. So yes, the art was a selling point for sure.
The characters and the plot were good as well, but in my opinion, there is definitely some room for improvement.
I was quite engaged in the story, even though it was a "safe" one. However, on the other hand, the idea of the Underground Men, The Burned, The Ninth Circle and the human trafficking felt like a typical Green Arrow story to me, which I loved. The headquarters of the Ninth Circle, floating on international waters was a really fascinating scenery and I also enjoyed the "reveal" of what the Ninth Circle really was. A+ for that as well. Everyone betraying or turning their back on Oliver was a very good plot element, which helped to move the story forward. I don't care if this plot element is over used, I enjoyed it this time. Over all, the story was very fast paced, which can be a good thing, but the pacing sometimes did not quite fit the story. There was so much content and so little time that the story felt a little bit rushed, especially in the last issue, or maybe in the last two. Oliver and Diggle were just arriving, then there was a fight and then Ollie blew everything up. Especially the "fight" felt too underdeveloped for me, since there wasn't really any fight at all. There was potential for one and I would have loved to see a little bit more action scenes during the last issue. The ending was quite intriguing and I am excited to see what Benjamin Percy comes up with next. Other than that, I genuinely liked the story. I highly enjoyed myself when Oliver was hooding up and out on the streets as Green Arrow. His fight with Shado was stunning to look at and well done in general.
Furthermore, I thought that Olivers development throughout this volume was nicely done. I like the inner conflict about him being one of the 1 per centers, living his luxury livestyle and him being a vigilante, wanting to make Seattle a better place. His slow understanding that those two things are hard, if not impossible, to intertwine felt quite realistic to me. I would have liked a few more issues on his "developement" though, since it felt a little bit too rushed - again - that he would throw away his life as billionaire, his fortune and his company on a whim and be accepting of that choice in such a short amount of time. Him being humbled was a little bit too fast in my opinion. However, in general, I liked how Oliver Queen/Green Arrow was portrayed. It is definitely different from the CW show, but throughout the issues, I was beginning to like this Oliver as well. A young man with a heart of gold, trying to do good, funny and brave - this is a Oliver I love reading about - the likable jerk. I do hope, however, that he will get a little bit more depth and complexity as a characters. There were times where his character was really flashed out, and other times he felt a little bit flat.
I loved his interaction with John, those two are just the cherry on the cake. The element with Emico and Shado I loved as well. It was just fascinating to read about Shado and her principles, her way of looking at the world. And Emico has already won her place in my heart - stubborn, outspoken and brave, I love that. And hopefully she will prove to be a very loyal friend and support for Ollie. Excited to see what will happen with her (and Shado). Black Canary was a little bit problematic for me, especially in the beginning. She felt a little bit too judging of Oliver and his lifestyle, disregarding every bit of good he has done for the city. I thought she was sitting on a little bit of a high horse, which I did not like. But after Ollie's "death" she was indeed more likable. I could appreciate her honesty and she felt like quite a strong character and brought a nice dynamic into the story. And I loved seeing her and Oliver back together again in the end, kicking some ass.
So, to put it all in a nutshell: I loved the art to pieces, the story was good and intriguing as well and the characters are enjoyable to read about. Overall, a steady first volume with a lot of potential.
groblinthegoblin624's review against another edition
4.0
Solid comic book arc. I really enjoy Oliver Queen’s abrasive, leftist personality, and I love the art in this run. Looking forward to reading more
redhead_witch's review
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
joshgauthier's review against another edition
4.0
With Rebirth, Percy and the rest of the creative team find the freedom to create the arrow series that they want. Especially comparing Percy's previous work with New 52 Arrow to now, everything--from character to story--feels consistently well-developed as the different elements of the volume come together for a single vision.
There are moments throughout (volumes 2 and 3 as well) where dialogue and situations feel a little on-the-nose, but everything mostly works together quite well. Blending darkness and humor, Percy, Schmidt, and the rest have here a notably different version of Queen than the (fantastic) one which existed under Lemire's hand in New 52, but adjusting to the new direction, Percy is heading up some great storytelling with strong character dynamics and effective artwork.
There are moments throughout (volumes 2 and 3 as well) where dialogue and situations feel a little on-the-nose, but everything mostly works together quite well. Blending darkness and humor, Percy, Schmidt, and the rest have here a notably different version of Queen than the (fantastic) one which existed under Lemire's hand in New 52, but adjusting to the new direction, Percy is heading up some great storytelling with strong character dynamics and effective artwork.
krystofsubr's review against another edition
4.0
Better than i expected. The story is simple, but engaging enough to keep me interested. The art is fine, but the covers are mostly really great. Better than i am gotham (Please don't kill me) 7/10.
charitytinnin's review against another edition
5.0
Though Dante and the Ninth Circle are CREEPY and confusing -- why the gore??? -- I'd still say that this volume is everything I love about Green Arrow/Oliver Queen. The characterization of everyone, the family/team aspect, a flawed yet self aware Oliver, Dinah and Ollie together(!), the dialogue, AND Otto Schmidt's art, it's all spot on.
This is my favorite Rebirth Volume 1 by far.
This is my favorite Rebirth Volume 1 by far.
gothamshire's review against another edition
2.0
I didn't hate this, but Ollie and Dinah's relationship just felt sooo forced and lame. The only bad thing about Dinah Lance is pretty much that she loves Oliver Queen. I also kinda hate that they pulled people from Arrow into this, meh.
nolo42's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
justkristykay's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5