*This article contains spoilers for Green Arrow #1 (2023)*
Green Arrow is back in his own series and this time he’s not alone! Green Arrow (Oliver Queen), Black Canary (Dinah Lance), Connor Hawke (Connor Hawke), and Arsenal (Roy Harper) are finally reunited! It has been years since this lineup of archers shared the page, not since Green Arrow/Black Canary (2007) and it is about time.
The issue starts with Oliver Queen (Green Arrow) unconscious in the ocean surf. As he stirs, he calls out to Dinah Lance (Black Canary) as if she is there, where in reality it appears he is utterly alone. It is then the reader realizes Oliver Queen is once again trapped on an island. How fitting.
Meanwhile, the Arrow family is searching for Oliver, knowing little more than he vanished during Dark Crisis on Infinite Earths (2022). He was being teleported, but never emerged with the rest of the Justice League. The Arrow family has been following leads on information pertaining to Oliver, the most recent taking them to Gotham City. It is there they face a group of low-level gangsters before receiving a hand from an unlikely person. Extremely unlikely. Someone Roy Harper recognize
Roy recognizes it to be his daughter—his dead daughter—Lian! Lian, who died years before during “The Fall of Green Arrow/Rise of Arsenal” story arc in Green Arrow/Black Canary (2007)! He tells her he does not care how it happened, but she is welcome home whenever she is ready. At that moment, Lian rips off her mask and hugs her father. LIAN IS BACK FROM THE DEAD!
She recognizes all the members of her family: Dinah and Connor. But the question remains, why did she keep her identity a secret? She continues, sharing love with her family before ominously mentioning, “They’ll never let our family be together,” before she and Connor are mysteriously teleported away. So, who are they and how/why did they revive Lian?
When Lian gets her barings after being teleported, a Manhunter attacks her, only for an arrow to cut straight through the robot’s head—possibly a nod to “The Fall of Green Arrow” where Green Arrow put an arrow through Prometheus’ head. Of course, it was Oliver’s arrow which saved Lian. Olliver tells her to run with him, which she does without question. After Oliver reveals how he knew Lian was coming, he brings her to a teleporter, the one which drew them both to the island. Lian has the idea to turn it on and return home, Oliver has a different idea. He shoots an arrow into it and destroys the machine—leaving the two of them stranded.
This revival of Lian is ominous and exciting. Part of me wants to believe it is really Lian, but the other part is suspicious. We’ve seen fake revivals before, or revivals with a twist. So is this really Lian? Or is it a trick to manipulate the archers? In general, archers never have much luck, so I am cautious. I remember when we lost Lian, it was an extremely shocking moment in comics. For the sake of a happy ending, I hope this is really her.
I love that this is building off “The Fall of Green Arrow/The Rise of Arsenal” arc, because it was such a momentous story for Green Arrow and Red Arrow. It’s great to see the legacy of Green Arrow comics still being honored instead of rebooted. I am excited for what else is to come.
Rating: 4/5 Stars. Fast but invigorating read.
Suggested reading: Justice League: Cry For Justice (2009) This series leads directly into the story of Roy Harper’s biggest story from the 2000s. It is important in understanding what superheroes thought of their roles being—well, I’ll let you read it. This series leads directly into “The Fall of Green Arrow/The Rise of Arsenal”.
“The Fall of Green Arrow/The Rise of Arsenal” (2010). This is Roy Harper’s biggest crucible. The aftermath of what happened to Lian and the grief Roy Harper faces. This is a dark and real story. Be warned, it can be intense, but aren’t the archers always?
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