September 23, 2016
Green Arrow #7
“Sins of the Mother Pt.2”
“The Killing Time”
The story so far, (In case you don’t know.) The Ninth Circle organization has been brought down by Green Arrow and his cohorts, their ship destroyed and the group scattered to the winds. Emiko and her mother, Shado fought for The Ninth Circle, since it had direct ties to the Japanese Yakuza, which supplied the group’s funding. In the end, Emiko changes sides and saves Oliver from harm from her mother. In turn, Shado renders her unconscious and escapes the sinking ship as Green Arrow looks helplessly on.
When Emiko comes to, she finds herself on a helicopter piloted by her mother, flying them to a rooftop temple in Japan. It is here that she questions her mother’s allegiance to the Yakuza and the choices she has made. Shado explains that what she does is from a debt of dishonor brought on by Emiko’s grandfather which now has fallen on Shado and Emiko since they are of his blood. Emiko vows to sever the debt and free them both of the Yakuza. Before Shado can stop her, Emiko disappears to find Oyabun, the head of the criminal gang, in spite of her mother’s warnings. Her quest leads her to an underworld fighting arena, which she challenges and defeats the reigning champion. This gets the attention of Oyabun .
Also in a flashback story of a year before, Emiko and Oliver train all the while Emiko tries to live the life of a normal teenager. In school, she encounters some students exhibiting some odd behavior and sporting some odd looking wrist-wear. When she witnesses them robbing a bank, she decides to investigate further and in doing so, finds herself in the same predicament as she falls victim to The Clock King. The wrist-wear you see, acts as a reverse pacemaker, slowly winding down the wearer’s heart until eventually stopping it…unless you get wound back up by you know who, for a price. Emiko’s price? Get one on her brother, Oliver.
Now, in issue 7, the stories conclude. In the present, Emiko finally reaches the end of her search and comes face to face with Oyabun. Oyabun is intrigued by this young, brash girl and reveals to her that he is much older and much more than he appears to be. After he reveals to Emiko what he expects of her and why, she and her mother will be forever in debt to him. Playing on his love of games and arrogance, she draws him into battling her in the arena himself, where he shows his terrifying true self. As the battle rages, a mysterious figure steps from the crowd…it’s Shado! Why is she there? To help or harm? Read the comic to find out!
In the flashback portion of the book, Green Arrow is back to his 90’s roots as the environmental warrior as he takes on some law-breaking lumberjacks. Mid-way through the fight, Oliver begins to wind down. (Remember the Clock King’s wrist-thingy?) The Clock King reveals his reason for revenge to Green Arrow via the watch at that moment and what he must do to save his life. Oliver believes that Emiko has once again betrayed him and orders her away. After Oliver gets himself in a harrowing situation with the Clock King ala’ Pit and the Pendulum, Emiko redeems herself by swooping in to play a wild card and save the day.
The Verdict: Another great installment in this Rebirth Green Arrow. The artwork here is reminiscent of an animated film as I have started to see in several other titles. The color is rich and vibrant with strong inks. As I have said before about Green Arrow, I can see why this title is one of DC’s most popular and best selling titles. The story is interesting and strong with characters that I am anxious to see develop further. A big thumbs up for this one!
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