Review: Green Arrow Volume 3 - Harrow

Upon returning home from a mission to China, Green Arrow discovers a war has broken out in the skies of Seattle. The Thanagarians, a winged alien race, are in pursuit of Hawkman, who has been accused of murdering a member of their royal family. Recognizing Hawkman’s innocence, Green Arrow throws his hat in with the winged wonder and fights alongside him to help him clear his name.

Green Arrow Volume 3: Harrow collects Green Arrow #0 and #14-16, as well as Savage Hawkman #14 and Justice League #8, with writing by Ann Nocenti, Rob Liefeld, Geoff Johns and Judd Winick.

On paper, a Hawkman and Green Arrow crossover is a fantastic idea. For diehard fans of the DC Universe, they’ll remember some of the epic clashes the two have had in the Pre-Flashpoint continuities. Therefore, it’s not hard to imagine such a crossover would entail plenty of the pair butting heads and just narrowly saving the day by putting aside their egos to get the job done. Instead what we get is a bit of an uneven paint-by-numbers team-up that doesn’t fully capitalize on the infamous rivalries between these two heroes. Part of the problem is that this crossover happens in just two issues and that Green Arrow is, in essence, a guest star in Hawkman’s story. This creates confusion for the reader, particularly if they haven’t read any of the preceding Hawkman material.

Having blasted Ann Nocenti’s writing on Green Arrow in my review of TripleThreat, it’s a relief to note that she’s only responsible for three issues in this collection. She penned one issue of the Hawkman crossover and a two-part story of Green Arrow duking it out with a gunrunner named Harrow. Her writing in these issues are an improvement, but they’re largely unforgettable stories that don’t leave much of an impression.

In an interesting twist of irony, Judd Winick takes over from Nocenti to write Green Arrow #0. This mirrors the way in which Winick was ousted from Catwoman, only to have Nocenti take over for that series’ #0. Comparing the two zero issues, there’s no denying Winick is the superior writer. He has a firmer grasp on the characters at hand, as he should considering he’s a veteran Green Arrow scribe from before the New 52 relaunch.  That said, not a whole lot actually happens in the story, but it’s worth noting that Winick introduces Tommy Merlyn to the DC Universe and gives readers a pretty big indication of how he may eventually turn against his one-time friend.

The most interesting thing about Harrow is the inclusion of Justice League #8. For starters, it’s not contemporary to the issues collected here. In fact, its narrative happens several months before the rest of the stories in this volume. Its inclusion in this trade was likely due to a lack of material necessary for printing a graphic novel, considering it would otherwise be five issues (rather than DC Comics’ traditional six). It also serves as a stark contrast in the area of quality. The art, by Carlos D’Anda and Ivan Reis, is vibrant and dynamic. Geoff Johns’ writing is also on point, though it’s admittedly a little too light in its tone. In this issue, Green Arrow does everything possible in order to join the Justice League. He tags along on their missions, like an unwanted younger sibling desperately trying to hang out with their cooler older brother or sister. It’s an amusing dynamic, particularly since we get a lot of tension between Green Arrow and Green Lantern, but it doesn’t feel quite right. Green Arrow shouldn’t be seeking the validation of being on the Justice League. In fact, I would otherwise expect him to have a jaded and cynical view of that team. Luckily, Johns redeems himself with the epilogue bar scene between Steve Trevor and Oliver Queen. It’s subtle, but it presents a nice segue into the characters teaming up for Justice League of America.

Much like Triple Threat, Green Arrow Volume 3: Harrow can easily be skipped. The Hawkman crossover is a bit of a bust, the two-part “Harrow” is forgettable and Winick’s zero issue isn’t essential reading. The only material worth reading is Johns’ Justice League #8. However, if you’ve already got the Justice League trades in your collection then you’ll have no need of having this issue duplicated. In other words, skip right over the two Nocenti-penned books and dive right into Jeff Lemire’s run instead.

RATING: D+