After the mess that was Crossroads, Green Arrow seemed almost directionless. That epic storyline (or a set of unconnected stories to put it more accurately) reinforced the idea that Green Arrow, as a character and a person, was pretty close to useless. He failed to stand up there with the mightiest heroes, but also failed to stand up for the ordinary person on the street. However, it wasn’t just the character that was directionless. Crossroads featured so many writers and as it lacked a coherent and sensible overarching plot, the title appeared to be going through a wilderness period. Well, that all changed with Green Arrow (vol 2) 0. With the advent of a new character who is very much connected to Oliver, there is also a regular writer. Actually, there are two, but it’s still better than three or four writing random stories. Kelley Puckett and Chuck Dixon write here what is the end of an era. By 1995, Oliver Queen had been Green Arrow since the character was created fifty-five years prior. But, when Oliver travels to where angels fear to tread, a new age begins…
Green Arrow (vol 2) 0, 91-101 was published from October 1994 to October 1995. Although officially beginning in Green Arrow (vol 2) 96, Where Angels Fear to Tread starts with 0 and ends with 101. The story was written by Kelley Puckett and Chuck Dixon with art by Jim Aparo, Gerry Fernandez, Michael Netzer, Rodolfo Demaggio,
Frank McLaughlin, Rob Leigh and Robert Campanella. I’ve read these issues in their original format, as DC still haven’t got round to reprinting them.
So, with Crossroads over, the run really begins. However, for some reason, Kevin Dooley left the series even though editor Mike Gold had presented him as the new regular writer. Instead, we have Puckett for several issues before Chuck Dixon comes along and takes over for the remainder of the run. Finally, some consistency. With that, we get Where Angels Fear to Tread. Unlike Crossroads, it is actually one long story and it changes the title radically. It begins with Green Arrow (vol 2) 0. After Crossroads, Oliver Queen has effectively given up as Green Arrow. But meanwhile, a new evil lurks. A mysterious government agency decides that Green Arrow has become a liability and he has caused too many problems with the people he has worked with (Eddie Fyers and Deathstroke to name two). They believe that Green Arrow has become unpredictable and dangerous. Therefore, he must be killed. Oliver Queen himself arrives at a monastery he once trained at and he meets Master Jansen, his old teacher. Oliver decides to stay for some time and train with a fellow archer named Conner Hawke. Conner, aware that Oliver was Green Arrow, decides to train with him and he asks for Oliver’s help in competing in a special archery test, which he has failed at twice before as he basically wasn’t zen enough. Oliver confronts Conner’s master about this, before he watches Conner train his martial arts skills. From there, Oliver decides to train him in both martial arts and archery, to the point where Conner attempts the test again. But, he gives his bow to Oliver, who passes the test and shocks the masters. Amazed, Conner asks Oliver why he gave up the bow, but Oliver tells him that he had done bad things with it. Later that night, a group of assassins break into the monastery in an attempt to kill Oliver, but he and Conner take them out. Knowing he is in danger, Oliver leaves the monastery, but Conner decides to tag along with him. Much more so than Crossroads, this is real beginning to a new era. In fact, you didn’t really need Crossroads as directly after Grell’s final issue, this story could have begun. I’ve already done enough bashing of Crossroads previously, but that’s partly because it’s the only thing to heavily criticise. This opener is one of the most key Green Arrow stories as it introduces us to Conner Hawke. It is already obvious that there is a link between the two characters of Oliver and Conner, but he is already being set up as a star character and he makes a good addition to the cast. Sure, it may be full of that zen-stuff which I’m not too keen on, but Oliver himself is rather dismissive of it and we leave the monastery at the end of the first part. Overall, it’s a great start and already, the tone of the story feels different. The villains are just much more mysterious, but they appear to be government officials, showing just how many people Oliver has annoyed in Crossroads and the stories before it. The story continues in San Francisco, where Oliver and Conner manage to get to Conner’s mother’s house undetected. Meanwhile, an assassin named Defoe is informed by his employers about the Green Arrow situation after he took out the previous assassins. At the same time, Oliver realises that the assassins after him are high-class and that they must know much about him as they found him in the monastery. Oliver then decides to contact Eddie Fyers, (a regular guest in this era of Green Arrow), before ordering pizza, a risky move when assassins are after you so closely. Anyway, Conner convinces Oliver to become Green Arrow again and the next morning, Conner finds a note from Oliver, telling him that he has gone to Seattle alone. Then, with the help of a friend, Conner follows a TV van, before suddenly stopping and finding a woman being held hostage. In his own Green Arrow costume, Conner performs his first superhero act and takes out the criminal, but when he heads home, he is attacked by Defoe. However, Conner manages to take him out and he throws him into the cupboard under the stairs, next a photograph of Conner’s mother and Oliver Queen. Meanwhile, that bearded vigilante finds a gun pointed to his head in Seattle. However, it’s only Eddie and after a case of mistaken identity, the two decide to work together to locate Oliver’s assassin in a pretty comedic scene in which Eddie kisses Oliver’s assassin so he can escape. Scenes like this remind me of why Eddie Fyers is such a great character. Sure, he is serious in the sense that he is a mercenary who could change sides at any moment depending on how much money is involved, but he isn’t one of those bland character from the 1990s who decides to just kill anything that moves. That being said, that does happen directly afterwards when more assassins arrive, but you get my point. Anyway, with the help of a friend, Eddie finds the location of the assassin’s employer’s mysterious phone number. Meanwhile, Conner is tricked by somebody claiming to be a friend of his mother’s and as Defoe and his allies hold Conner captive, Oliver and Eddie arrive and take them all out. With that, Puckett’s three issues of the run are over. It’s odd because not only does he actually begin an ongoing story, but that same story is continued by Dixon and really, it’s quite hard to differentiate between the two’s writing styles. That’s not to say that both of their styles are bland, boring and predictable because they aren’t. They’re both from the 1990s school of Batman. They both know how to write decent epics and detective stories. Due to that, the can both write Green Arrow well, but Dixon certainly embellishes Puckett's story with his first issue in Green Arrow (vol 2) 93. At the location of the hacked phone number address, Oliver, Conner and Eddie sneak into the house in the hope of finding the employer. However, Conner falls over in an attempt to calm down an angry dog (not even joking) and all hell breaks lose. As more assassins are sent, Ollie, Eddie and Conner take out the assassins in the house before finding a secret underground tunnel which leads to an aqueduct. Here, there is a great moment between Eddie and Conner in which they speak about Oliver and how he picked one hell of a role model (more (continued)
great Fyers sarcasm. Meanwhile back in the house, Borzoi arrives (the real boss) and he takes out the failed assassins, while the heroic trio arrive in an abandoned shopping mall. As Oliver and Eddie search the place, they speak about Conner and his potential, along with Oliver’s self-admitted lack of responsibility. Suddenly, the heroes find themselves surrounded by assassins. Elsewhere at the same time, a group of foreign gun-wielders enter an apartment in search of a woman. After they effectively shoot the place to the ground, they are attacked and defeated by Camorouge, who uses her camouflage powers to her advantage. She is disappointed that Don Alvarado sent puny assassins after her. What is the relevance of this scene? Only time will tell. Meanwhile, more serious things are happening as Eddie is shot and seemingly killed by the assassins. Dixon certainly knows how to end a story. From this, you can tell that Dixon writes issues differently. As opposed to Puckett (who is still very good), Dixon tends to cram in as much plot as possible, especially in huge stories such as this one and as he has done it so many other times before in other titles, Dixon certainly knows what he is doing. With Eddie barely alive, Oliver and Conner fight back against the assassins and somehow manage to not get violently killed as they escape, taking one of the assassins hostage. I have no idea how they survived that, but there you go. Like before, Borzoi arrives and kills all the failed assassins and continues to hunt Oliver using the dog from the house. Meanwhile, Camorouge meets with Griswold, her employer, and learns that her next target is Oliver Queen. Things are really getting serious for Oliver at this point, who is hiding in a motel interrogating one of the assassins. Meanwhile, Eddie is recovering while sitting down and watching TV. However, Oliver interrogates him too and learns that there is a group named Tencount in the National Security Agency. The group have a list on Oliver on the basis that he has seen too much. While Oliver leaves to get food, Conner learns from Eddie about his experience with Oliver (referencing many Grell stories) and how Shado changed him. Eddie then lets Conner know that he changed Oliver because he reminds him of when he was younger and naïve. Then, both Conner and Eddie hear a noise. Nearby, Oliver is captured in his van by a helicopter with a magnet attached to it and although he fires his arrows at his kidnappers, they manage to knock him out by electrocuting him. Back with Conner and Eddie, they too are both attacked by assassins, who kill their captured ally as Borzoi demands to know from Conner where Oliver has gone. Meanwhile, Oliver awakens on a plane and meets Mr Pendrick and his crazed dentist. Pendrick tells Oliver that he has an interest in hard-to-find information and he believes that Oliver can help him. Meanwhile, Borzoi confronts Eddie and Conner, but he is knocked out by Camorouge. Together, they take out Borzoi, but Camorouge, insisting that she hasn’t been ordered by the US government to kill Oliver and she is only searching for him. Instead, she works for a date syndicate in Brussels and they require Oliver for his knowledge and in exchange, they will offer him asylum. At the same time, Oliver is interrogated by Pendrick and his men violently. But, using his broken teeth and a throwing knife he catches in his teeth, Oliver fights back and manages to break free, capturing Pendrick and his men. Meanwhile in the White House, a government official named Callendar murders a Tencount member and proceeds to find the rest due to their failure in the Oliver Queen mission. As Oliver orders the plane’s pilot to land, Camorouge, Eddie and Conner search for Oliver and once again, there’s a great moment between Eddie and Conner, in which, to put it bluntly, Eddie works out that Conner is Oliver’s son. It’s not much of a surprise I guess, especially because of their mutual hair colour and love of bows. It seems that Oliver is ironically the only one who couldn’t tell. Suddenly, Camorouge reappears and tells Eddie that Oliver was taken away in his van and he repays her by shooting her, telling Conner that she was only using them. Meanwhile, the plane lands and Oliver decides to go to a restaurant (in spite of people after him). Nearby, Eddie and Conner find Oliver’s van, but they are quickly surprised when sentry guns appear out of the ground. Then, even more shockingly, Oliver hears a familiar voice in the restaurant, only to find that he is sitting next to Hal Jordan. If you’ve read Zero Hour: A Crisis In Time, you’d know that Oliver was the one who defeated Hal Jordan (or Parallax) and he felt personally damaged because of it. Also, the next part (or Green Arrow (vol 2) 96) actually claims on the cover that it is Part One of Where Angels Fear to Tread. However, it simply isn’t as it continues this story. While Eddie and Conner take out the sentry turrets, Oliver struggles to cope with the fact that Hal Jordan is next to him. This part of this issue is great because Hal wants to change everything back to how it was in the era of Green Lantern/Green Arrow. He wants the world to be normal again and he wants he and Oliver to be friends once again. Of course, Parallax has changed that forever and although Hal shows Oliver the great fun they both had
in the past (with Hal conjuring up Black Canary and they all find themselves in their 1970s costumes), Oliver orders Hal to stop. Meanwhile, Eddie and Conner fight against Oliver’s kidnappers (partly so Eddie can get his van back), while Mr Callendar decides that Tencount must be removed from the NSA with his new secret weapon: the New Force of July. For those unaware, the Force of July were a group of heroes created by the US government to compete against Batman and the Outsiders team. Apart from the similar name and background, this new Force of July seems to have no link to the old one. In fact, it’s not exactly as if the original was that successful anyway, so why they brought them back beats me. At the same time, Hal loses his temper with Oliver, just telling him that he wants things to return to how they were. But, Oliver tells him that his younger self is gone forever. Then, Hal turns his attention to Conner Hawke and it’s then that Oliver realises that he is his son. Wondering why Conner didn’t tell him, Oliver refuses Hal’s help in “fixing things” and as Oliver walks away, Hal transforms back into Parallax and vanishes. With that fantastic moment, the friendship of Oliver Queen and Hal Jordan ends. Meanwhile, Eddie and Conner learn that Pendrick kidnapped Oliver (unaware that they are too late), while the Force of July takes out all Tencount members, claiming it’s because of government downsizing . With Tencount gone, Callendar believes that they should find Oliver as they may be able to use his talents. Some time later, Oliver meets with Eddie and Conner, angry that he didn’t learn the truth earlier. Although Conner tells him that he was waiting for the right time, Oliver tells him that he hid the truth from him and decides to leave them both, driving away in a random woman’s car. Typical Oliver right there. Eddie reassures Conner, telling him that his father doesn’t like to take any responsibility. Arriving at an airport, Oliver beats up a government spy looking for him, before taking his phone and speaking to his boss, Callendar. He wants Oliver to come in, telling him that they no longer want to kill him. Four days pass and Callendar continues to wait for Oliver, who strikes when he least expects it. Stealthily, Oliver takes out Callendar’s guards before confronting him. However, Oliver finds out that Tencount has been disbanded and he is no longer wanted. Instead, Callendar asks Oliver to help him on a mission with the Force of July. Callendar explains that a nuclear weapon was created by the Soviets, but it was rushed in their attempt to create weapons quicker than the US. As a result of that, the nuclear weapon released some kind of genetic agent on the city, killing everybody. Callendar confirms that a similar weapon has been found in the US and is in the possession of a group known as the Eden Corps. Oliver accepts the job. Elsewhere, Camorouge strikes again, taking out more of Calendar’s guards in order to find Oliver. Some time later, Oliver meets the leader of the Eden Corps, Veronica Dale. Aware of Oliver’s concern for the environment, the two have dinner together when they are both held under arrest by the FBI. Meanwhile, Conner and Eddie wait for one of his contacts to arrive and when he does, it’s Arsenal, Oliver’s old sidekick from back in the day. Meanwhile, Oliver and Veronica take out the FBI suits like it’s nothing and simply walk out of the restaurant. At the same time, Camorouge searches the woods near Callendar’s base, but she is caught and knocked unconscious by the Force of July. Back with Oliver, he manages to get closer to Veronica, who recognises him as a friend of the planet and later at night, he phones Callendar, thanking him for the FBI set up earlier which helped him appear closely devoted to Veronica’s cause. Flying above in the sky, Eddie, Conner and Arsenal locate Callendar’s base, still believing that the NSA are after Oliver. This trio seem to work well with each other and it’s a shame that this is all we really get from Arsenal throughout the whole run. I mean, in Grell’s gigantic run, he only appeared once in Green Arrow (vol 2) 75. I really think that he should appear more, not as a regular character but a guest that shows himself once in a while. Anyway, Oliver is driven to a secret meeting with Veronica by Leon, another member who remains quiet and sceptical of Oliver’s real intentions. But, when Oliver arrives, he finds Veronica calling herself Hyrax and she asks Oliver to join the Eden Corps as a close member. After some reluctance, Oliver finally joins when he realises how attractive Veronica is, perfectly reflecting his character. At the same time, Camorouge is confronted by Callendar, who tells her that she has been working for somebody who has been employed by him and therefore, they should be working together. Although she rarely appears and it’s only really in the background, I do like what Dixon is doing with Camorouge. Sure, it could be argued that so far, she hasn’t had much purpose in the story, but it’s interesting in showing how linked everything is with the government. Anyway, while this is going on, Oliver arrives home to find Arsenal, Eddie and Conner in his apartment. He orders them to leave, but when Arsenal asks whether he has chosen the right side yet, Oliver admits he doesn’t know. The next day, Oliver, back as Green Arrow, meets Hyrax and Leon at a dam where the government is planning to put a power plant. Green Arrow and the other Eden Corps members plant the explosives when suddenly, Arsenal, Conner and Eddie arrive, fighting against Hyrax and her men. However, it ends when Green Arrow sides himself with Hyrax, betraying his friends. Green Arrow, powered by his hormones more than his friends. As Eddie confronts Green Arrow over his real intentions, Leon detonates the explosives and the dam explodes. In the action, the heroes escape (nearly losing Eddie in the flood) while Green Arrow, Hyrax and Leon retreat, in spite of sacrificing many Eden Corps members. When they arrive back, Arsenal decides to give up with Oliver, telling Conner and Eddie that Oliver doesn’t want what he needs. Elsewhere, the Force of July learns of Green Arrow’s betrayal by working with the Eden Corps and decides it’s time that they take him out. Meanwhile, Camorouge heads to Kazakhstan and finds the city devasted by the nuclear weapon, a rather pointless move since there’s nobody alive there and it simply confirms that the Eden Corps must be stopped. At the same time, Green Arrow is conflicted over what happened at the dam and he speaks to Callendar, who is angry that he has taken part in destroying government property. Secretly, Callendar traces the call and gives it’s location to the Force of July. Later at an abandoned warehouse, Green Arrow is shown the nuclear weapon by Hyrax, who explains that’s it’s environmentally-friendly as it doesn’t eat anything organic, only plastic. Suddenly, the Force of July appears, but as Green Arrow fights against them, Hyrax and Leon release a device, which destroys the Force of July’s armour and they are forced to retreat. Hyrax then tells Green Arrow that with a concentrated version of the bomb, they should find a larger target to advance their cause. With that in mind, they pick Metropolis. Good and dramatic choice, but there’s one person in Metropolis who might be able to stop them. With that revelation, we have the penultimate issue in Green Arrow (vol 2) 100, a double-size issue split into three parts. In the ruined area of where the bomb was released, Green Arrow casts his doubts over Hyrax’s plan, but she tells him that destroying Metropolis is the only way to make a difference. However, once Green Arrow learns that Hyrax became an Eden Corps member when her father destroyed her garden as a child to build a tennis court, he believes that she is simply self-absorbed. But, later on, Oliver decides to go with Hyrax and Leon on the plane to release the bomb over Metropolis. But, as Hyrax explains that the bomb has a twenty-second detonation time and that they are arriving closer to their destination, Leon reveals himself to be an NSA member. Green Arrow tells him that he is too, but he doesn’t believe him. Hyrax then orders her guards to shoot and in the gunfire, Leon is killed and both Green Arrow and Hyrax are injured. However, in an attempt to stop Hyrax from releasing the bomb, Green Arrow holds one of release switches on the detonator. However, once Green Arrow releases his grip on the detonator, the bomb will explode. And, in her dying moments, Hyrax tells Oliver that there are no parachutes. Suddenly, the plane door smashes open and it’s Superman, not surprised to find Green Arrow. Now, before we get to what appears to be a set-up to a great ending, we have twenty pages of Conner and Eddie basically breaking into the President’s Guest house in search of the NSA boss. It isn’t as exciting as it sounds, partly because it goes on a bit. Regardless, they stealthily break into the building and with Camorouge’s help, they find Callendar. When Conner confronts him, he laughs that he is looking for his father until Camorouge appears and orders him to reveal where Green Arrow is, especially since he sent her on a mission involving him and the Eden Corps. With Callendar surrounded and Eddie taking out all of his guards, he aids them in locating Hyrax’s stolen plane. When they find it, Eddie, Conner and Camorouge head out to save Oliver. Now, back with Superman. As Green Arrow is bleeding to death and the bomb would detonate instantly if the switch is released, Superman thinks over numerous different ways he could save Green Arrow, but the only option he can find is to remove Green Arrow’s arm in order to save him. Naturally, Green Arrow refuses, but Superman tells him that it isn’t his choice to make. How will Green Arrow escape this one? Of course, with (continued)
Superman there, he’ll be fine, right? Green Arrow (vol 2) 101 begins with Green Arrow releasing the switch. In an instant, the bomb detonates and the plane explodes. Oliver Queen is dead. But, before we can all pay tribute to him, Conner’s, Eddie’s, and Camorouge’s plane is about to crash due to the explosion. But, Superman saves them and tells Conner that there is no sign of Oliver as he must have been vapourised in the blast. However, he reassures Conner by telling him that he sacrificed himself to save millions. As Conner wonders what to do next, Camorouge escapes and (to my knowledge) she never meets Conner again). With Oliver’s death, many heroes and teams pay tribute to him, including Batman who recognises the similarities between himself and Green Arrow, and how the playboy mask that Bruce Wayne puts on is genuine for Oliver Queen. Despite this, Superman feels saddened that Green Arrow’s funeral is small compared to Oliver’s. Meanwhile, Conner visits Dinah Lance, who is shocked to learn about Green Arrow’s death. She quickly realises that Conner is Oliver’s son and she decides to give him Oliver’s belongings. She wishes him luck and hopes that he will continue his father’s legacy. As he leaves, her mourning begins. Conner then decides to head back to the monastery, where he finds Master Jansen packing away everything. He learns that the monastery has lost its tax-exempt status as the ground has been sold to Winston Keever Enterprises to build a WinkyWorld. More on that business next time. Before Conner takes on his first quest as the new Green Arrow, he shoots an arrow into the nearby forest in memory of Oliver. And with that, an era of Green Arrow ends, but another begins. In some respects, it’s obvious from early on that this will be Oliver’s last story as Green Arrow. It’s because not only does he get himself involved in a scheme which is so large and significant, but because the story brings back all sorts of characters from his past, such as Arsenal and Hal Jordan. Also, by introducing another one in Conner Hawke (and the fact that you just couldn’t imagine Green Arrow having another sidekick), it just seems obvious that the mantle is going to be passed sooner or later. But, as an epic that ends Oliver Queen’s time as Green Arrow, Puckett and Dixon write a very dynamic and complex story. As opposed to Crossroads, it flows together brilliantly and it certainly feels like one story, a huge problem that Crossroads had. It's a story that works well in reflecting Oliver's character, particularly his egotistical side and how easily he can be converted when he meets a woman. But, that is ultimately his downfall and he makes bad choices. However, in the end he saves Metropolis and that is a fitting way for him to bow out. It's a shame that writers like Dixon and Puckett are not held in higher regard because this is evidence that they can write fantastic epics and stories with fantastic characters. As this is the last time we'll see it, it is worth mentioning that the relationship between Oliver and Eddie here is brilliant and their contrasting characters make for some great moments. But, I also think that Dixon builds up the relationship between Conner and Eddie very well, an aspect of the run that doesn't end here. It continues until the very end and after reading this, that is great to see. The real point is that Chuck Dixon and Kelley Puckett can stand tall with the likes of Mike Grell. Their stories may not be revolutionary or game-changing, but they are more than a safe pair of hands. They write stories which are rarely dull and because of their extensive knowledge on writing Batman stories, they certainly know what to do. Therefore, Where Angels Fear to Tread doesn't really have any slow or boring moments. It's well paced and because the writer's add so much plot in there, the overall story benefits because of it.
In terms of the art, the majority of it continues to be Jim Aparo with Gerry Fernandez’s inks. Like before, the layouts are totally Aparo and they are clearly very dynamic, unique and interesting. But, Fernandez’s inks remove some of those great aspects of the art. Along with that, the inks also modernise (in a 1990s way) the art, adding weird areas of crosshatching and lines that remove the simplistic appeal of Aparo’s art. But, it is still clearly Aparo in its storytelling and because of that, I wouldn’t classify it as a failure. Apart from those two however, there aren’t any other artists here which you can write home about. Rodolfo Demaggio is somewhat important as he becomes the regular penciller on the title, but his art is somewhat typical of that era and it’s just about average. Michael Netzer also returns, with Aparo strangely inking him. It’s certainly an odd mix, but I just wish that Aparo could ink himself as that would be something great to see.
VERDICT
Overall, Green Arrow: Where Angels Fear to Tread is an epic finale to the end of Oliver Queen's time as Green Arrow. Puckett and Dixon introduce a great new character in Conner Hawke while writing an epic and complex story that never slows down, nor becomes tiresome. It also features a number of unexpected twists and turns that ultimately lead to the death of the hero. The final scenes featuring Oliver with Superman are incredibly memorable and in many ways, sum up the story and Oliver's character. He knows that if he lost his arm, he would lose Green Arrow and that means so much more to him. Not only that, but he knows that Green Arrow will continue with Conner Hawke. It may be a radical change, but from this epic story, it appears that Green Arrow is in safe hands.
Story: 9/10
Art: 6/10
Next Week: Batman: Prey (Legends of the Dark Knight 11-15). Written by Doug Moench with art by Paul Gulacy and Terry Austin.
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