The current run of Green Arrow is a prime example of what a smart artistic change can do for a title. Writer Benjamin Percy stayed on the book for its Rebirth relaunch, but the artists, letterer, and editor are all new; the editorial shift has had the biggest impact, and bringing Andy Khouri onto Green Arrow explains why the book has experienced such a dramatic upswing in quality. Khouri edited some of the most exciting titles of the DC You initiative (Constantine: The Hellblazer, The Omega Men, Dr. Fate, Justice League United), and he’s revitalized Green Arrow by adding exceptional artists Otto Schmidt and Juan Ferreyra and letterer Nate Piekos to the creative team.
Percy did strong work on his Detective Comics two-parter with artist John Paul Leon, but his run on the previous volume of Green Arrow suffered from overwrought narration and inconsistent artwork. His new story has a much stronger sense of direction, and while this preview of next week’s Green Arrow #3 shows that there’s still plenty of narration, Percy has gotten better at pairing that text with action in the visuals to give the plot a more dynamic pace.
This is Ferreyra’s first issue on the series, and his artwork is stunning from the very first page, revealing an eye for clever design and bold, textured coloring. A rush of wind sweeps the reader into setting, and that swift motion continues into the following two-page spread showing Queen swinging from the Space Needle to the Queen Industries building. Piekos’ slanted lettering amplifies that sense of movement, and those types of subtle but effective creative decisions are a big reason why this new Green Arrow run is such an improvement.