It is Tuesday again and that means it is time to catch up with everyone's pal Green Arrow. This week I am covering Green Arrow Volume 2: Island of Scars. This volume includes issues #6-11. Since it is broken down into three smaller stories I am going to recap and talk about them in three posts. For part one I will be looking at issues #6 and #7. If you want to read the events of Volume 1 click this link (here). On to the family drama.
Sins of the Mother: Emiko (the younger half-sister of Oliver) gives the readers a recap. She betrayed Oliver to help her mother, then she betrayed her mother to help Oliver. All to take down an evil bank called The Ninth Circle. Shado (said mother) drugs Emiko and takes her away. (Quick note: At the end of Volume 1, we see this happen and that Oliver ended up stranded on some island, like he does.) Emiko and her mom argue about who should be grateful and how everyone is a double agent.
Next we flash back one year. Emi is recounting how Ollie showed her some tough love while training her to be his partner. She was struggling to be a good guy having been raised by a supervillain named Komodo. While on patrol the pair stop a kid from robbing a woman at gunpoint. Emi tells us the kid was an honors student and no one understood why he was committing the crime or why later that night in jail, the poor kid's heart just stopped.
Ollie made Emi go to school and try to be social. Instead she decided to spend her time infiltrating a group at her school called the Overachievers, because her gut told her they were up to something shady.
Back in the present, Shado takes Emi to Tokyo, where she explains that she was always still working for the Yakuza. Emi deduces that this means since she destroyed the Inferno and all the money on board, her mother has been ordered to kill her. Her mother doesn't deny it but does look sad. Shado prays that she will be able to convince her boss to let Emi go. Emi offers up some gems suggesting her mother just buy her freedom, that there is more to life than being someone else's fist. Shado does not agree and tries to force Emi to pray claiming they are both owned by the Yakuza. Emi is not having it though and distracts her mother long enough to make a run for it.
We flash back again to see Emi tracking the Overachievers into a clock shop. They come out looking super hyped up, so she sneaks in. She meets the owner of the shop, a man calling himself and his shop Clock King. Emi buys the watch that all the cool kids are wearing.
In present day Tokyo, Emi finds herself in a club wondering if she can save her mother from yet another evil. A bouncer tries to give her a hard time and she takes care of him in a very effective way (see picture below). She makes her way to an underground arena where the leader of the Yakuza (name is Oyabun) holds court. The only way to get Oyabun's attention is to fight in the ring, so she uses her gems to bet on herself against a guy she just watched brutally take down (maybe killed) the previous fighter.
Back in Seattle one year ago, Emi, while wearing the watch, had been crazy productive; cleaning, getting homework done, and fighting crime with Green Arrow. Oh and following her classmates, who are now robbing a bank. Green Arrow easily stops the kids, but they are so hyped they are out of their minds. In the same moment Emi's watch slows down and so does she.
Cut to Emi busting into the Clock King's store where he kindly explains that his watches, “hyper-stimulate the heart and adrenal glands." If he doesn't wind the watches they stop and so does the heart of the person wearing it. The Clock King doesn't just want money, he wants service too (which is gross phrasing for an adult to say to a child, just saying). Emi must pay him because later we see her and Oliver hugging and he is happy she is feeling better and that the two of them are doing better too. However, Emi is crying and we see that now Oliver is wearing a Clock King watch too.
In Tokyo Emi fights (and maybe kills) the guy she had to fight. Some guys come and tell her that Oyabun wants to chat and discuss her future. Then for some reason like 50 people pull guns on her (I guess because she is a crazy badass, probably a killer).
The Killing Time: We start this issue in Seattle, still about one year ago. Some very upset loggers monolog about how hard it is being a logger. So as a fuck you to the Department of Natural Resources they are cutting down some trees by their offices in protest? (This is what is happening, but even I feel this is too over the top.) Anyway, Green Arrow and Emi arrive to stop the, "Angry, white, mouth breathing, red meat fascists." (Oof, tiny bit heavy handed there.)
Green Arrow goes to take the leader down, but his arrow misses, so we all know something is very wrong. He shoots another arrow and accidently maims the leader of the loggers, who then runs off. The watch Emi gave Green Arrow starts playing a message about how Emi betrayed Oliver and now he too belongs to the Clock King. The message is really long, but basically, Oliver's dad fired Clock King (real name William Tockman) and blaa, blaa, blaa, revenge for injustice, give me all the money or you and your sister die. Emi wants to help but Oliver is not happy and tells her no.
In the Tokyo of today, Emi comes face to face with Oyabun (who doesn't seem to be totally human since he can breath fire and calls himself the Dragon). He monologues a bunch about how he uses the arena to control people and how he owns her mother. Then he asks what her next move is. She wants to kill him, but that is not really an option, so she offers to fight anyone in order to earn her mother's freedom.
In the Seattle of old, Oliver (dressed as himself, not Green Arrow), busts in the Clock King's shop ready to take him down. Instead the Clock King cleans Ollie's clock, with a clock (sorry, I had to). Then for some crazy reason, he ties Oliver to a table and intends to slowly kill him James Bond villain style (see picture).
Emi arrives wearing a bomb with a Deadman's switch (it will blow up if her heart stops). Clock King offers her the winding key, but she says not until Oliver is free. Clock King just lets Oliver go, knowing that Emi is not bluffing and calling her scary (it is actually a pretty funny scene).
In Tokyo, Emi and Oyabun walk into the ring, because she is fighting none other than Oyabun himself. Their fight is of course epic and Shado arrives right as Oyabun is about to kill Emiko. Shado tells her daughter that she would have begged for her life. Emiko tells her mother that she wasn't fighting for her own life but for her mother's. There is a page of split screen showing Emi apologizing to Oliver and Shado apologizing to Emiko.
Shado begins to fight Oyabun, telling him she is done fighting in the shadows, oh and she puts a ton of explosives all over the arena. The two women make a quick exit as the bombs go off. On a nearby roof the mother and daughter share what might be the first nice moment of their relationship. Shado tells Emi to return to Oliver so that they may protect each other. Emi hugs her mother and then jumps off the roof as the narration tells us that she is going to find Ollie.
Sins of the Mother: Emiko (the younger half-sister of Oliver) gives the readers a recap. She betrayed Oliver to help her mother, then she betrayed her mother to help Oliver. All to take down an evil bank called The Ninth Circle. Shado (said mother) drugs Emiko and takes her away. (Quick note: At the end of Volume 1, we see this happen and that Oliver ended up stranded on some island, like he does.) Emiko and her mom argue about who should be grateful and how everyone is a double agent.
Next we flash back one year. Emi is recounting how Ollie showed her some tough love while training her to be his partner. She was struggling to be a good guy having been raised by a supervillain named Komodo. While on patrol the pair stop a kid from robbing a woman at gunpoint. Emi tells us the kid was an honors student and no one understood why he was committing the crime or why later that night in jail, the poor kid's heart just stopped.
Ollie made Emi go to school and try to be social. Instead she decided to spend her time infiltrating a group at her school called the Overachievers, because her gut told her they were up to something shady.
Back in the present, Shado takes Emi to Tokyo, where she explains that she was always still working for the Yakuza. Emi deduces that this means since she destroyed the Inferno and all the money on board, her mother has been ordered to kill her. Her mother doesn't deny it but does look sad. Shado prays that she will be able to convince her boss to let Emi go. Emi offers up some gems suggesting her mother just buy her freedom, that there is more to life than being someone else's fist. Shado does not agree and tries to force Emi to pray claiming they are both owned by the Yakuza. Emi is not having it though and distracts her mother long enough to make a run for it.
We flash back again to see Emi tracking the Overachievers into a clock shop. They come out looking super hyped up, so she sneaks in. She meets the owner of the shop, a man calling himself and his shop Clock King. Emi buys the watch that all the cool kids are wearing.
In present day Tokyo, Emi finds herself in a club wondering if she can save her mother from yet another evil. A bouncer tries to give her a hard time and she takes care of him in a very effective way (see picture below). She makes her way to an underground arena where the leader of the Yakuza (name is Oyabun) holds court. The only way to get Oyabun's attention is to fight in the ring, so she uses her gems to bet on herself against a guy she just watched brutally take down (maybe killed) the previous fighter.
Back in Seattle one year ago, Emi, while wearing the watch, had been crazy productive; cleaning, getting homework done, and fighting crime with Green Arrow. Oh and following her classmates, who are now robbing a bank. Green Arrow easily stops the kids, but they are so hyped they are out of their minds. In the same moment Emi's watch slows down and so does she.
Cut to Emi busting into the Clock King's store where he kindly explains that his watches, “hyper-stimulate the heart and adrenal glands." If he doesn't wind the watches they stop and so does the heart of the person wearing it. The Clock King doesn't just want money, he wants service too (which is gross phrasing for an adult to say to a child, just saying). Emi must pay him because later we see her and Oliver hugging and he is happy she is feeling better and that the two of them are doing better too. However, Emi is crying and we see that now Oliver is wearing a Clock King watch too.
In Tokyo Emi fights (and maybe kills) the guy she had to fight. Some guys come and tell her that Oyabun wants to chat and discuss her future. Then for some reason like 50 people pull guns on her (I guess because she is a crazy badass, probably a killer).
The Killing Time: We start this issue in Seattle, still about one year ago. Some very upset loggers monolog about how hard it is being a logger. So as a fuck you to the Department of Natural Resources they are cutting down some trees by their offices in protest? (This is what is happening, but even I feel this is too over the top.) Anyway, Green Arrow and Emi arrive to stop the, "Angry, white, mouth breathing, red meat fascists." (Oof, tiny bit heavy handed there.)
Green Arrow goes to take the leader down, but his arrow misses, so we all know something is very wrong. He shoots another arrow and accidently maims the leader of the loggers, who then runs off. The watch Emi gave Green Arrow starts playing a message about how Emi betrayed Oliver and now he too belongs to the Clock King. The message is really long, but basically, Oliver's dad fired Clock King (real name William Tockman) and blaa, blaa, blaa, revenge for injustice, give me all the money or you and your sister die. Emi wants to help but Oliver is not happy and tells her no.
In the Tokyo of today, Emi comes face to face with Oyabun (who doesn't seem to be totally human since he can breath fire and calls himself the Dragon). He monologues a bunch about how he uses the arena to control people and how he owns her mother. Then he asks what her next move is. She wants to kill him, but that is not really an option, so she offers to fight anyone in order to earn her mother's freedom.
In the Seattle of old, Oliver (dressed as himself, not Green Arrow), busts in the Clock King's shop ready to take him down. Instead the Clock King cleans Ollie's clock, with a clock (sorry, I had to). Then for some crazy reason, he ties Oliver to a table and intends to slowly kill him James Bond villain style (see picture).
Emi arrives wearing a bomb with a Deadman's switch (it will blow up if her heart stops). Clock King offers her the winding key, but she says not until Oliver is free. Clock King just lets Oliver go, knowing that Emi is not bluffing and calling her scary (it is actually a pretty funny scene).
In Tokyo, Emi and Oyabun walk into the ring, because she is fighting none other than Oyabun himself. Their fight is of course epic and Shado arrives right as Oyabun is about to kill Emiko. Shado tells her daughter that she would have begged for her life. Emiko tells her mother that she wasn't fighting for her own life but for her mother's. There is a page of split screen showing Emi apologizing to Oliver and Shado apologizing to Emiko.
Shado begins to fight Oyabun, telling him she is done fighting in the shadows, oh and she puts a ton of explosives all over the arena. The two women make a quick exit as the bombs go off. On a nearby roof the mother and daughter share what might be the first nice moment of their relationship. Shado tells Emi to return to Oliver so that they may protect each other. Emi hugs her mother and then jumps off the roof as the narration tells us that she is going to find Ollie.
Thoughts: I enjoyed the two stories in one here. It seems I am also a bit of a sucker for some family drama. It could just be me, but it feels like DC Rebirth is spending a lot of time on the younger characters. Giving them more backstory and chances for growth. I am cool with it, I like some young blood.
I think some of the lines in these two stories are really heavy handed and if I am honest are a little gross when thinking of a 13-14 year old girl and all the things she is dealing with from the people in her life. So many people are treating her like a tool and I do like that she is fighting it all the time and that she is fighting for her family even if it is really messed up. I guess it hits hard thinking about how the two women in this story spend a lot of time being considered property. I am glad that for the moment they are both free and very capable of taking care of themselves.
The writer for this volume and volume 1 is Benjamin Percy. He has been writing for a long time, publishing stories for DC, Marvel, and even recently wrote the story for the podcast Wolverine: The Long Night, which I highly recommend if you are a podcast fan. While the writing of this volume is not my favorite of his work, he is without a doubt a great writer that you should check him out.
The main artist for issues #6 and #7 are Stephen Byrne and we will see his work again in issue #9. Issue #8 was penciled and inked by Otto Schmidt who also did a lot of work back in Volume 1, having worked on the Rebirth #1, as well as, issues #1 and #2. Juan Ferreyra rounds out the artists who worked on these two volumes having worked on issues #3-5 and issues #10 and #11. If you want to see more of what these artists are working on, click on their names. I try to link either Instagram or Twitter depending on what they prefer to use.
See you all on Friday when we catch up with Green Arrow, who is probably fighting to stay alive on an island and reliving some trauma.
Last Week: Superman Volume 2: Trials of the Super Son, Part 3
Next Post: Green Arrow Volume 2: Island of Scars, Part 2
Note: All images belong to DC™
I think some of the lines in these two stories are really heavy handed and if I am honest are a little gross when thinking of a 13-14 year old girl and all the things she is dealing with from the people in her life. So many people are treating her like a tool and I do like that she is fighting it all the time and that she is fighting for her family even if it is really messed up. I guess it hits hard thinking about how the two women in this story spend a lot of time being considered property. I am glad that for the moment they are both free and very capable of taking care of themselves.
The writer for this volume and volume 1 is Benjamin Percy. He has been writing for a long time, publishing stories for DC, Marvel, and even recently wrote the story for the podcast Wolverine: The Long Night, which I highly recommend if you are a podcast fan. While the writing of this volume is not my favorite of his work, he is without a doubt a great writer that you should check him out.
The main artist for issues #6 and #7 are Stephen Byrne and we will see his work again in issue #9. Issue #8 was penciled and inked by Otto Schmidt who also did a lot of work back in Volume 1, having worked on the Rebirth #1, as well as, issues #1 and #2. Juan Ferreyra rounds out the artists who worked on these two volumes having worked on issues #3-5 and issues #10 and #11. If you want to see more of what these artists are working on, click on their names. I try to link either Instagram or Twitter depending on what they prefer to use.
See you all on Friday when we catch up with Green Arrow, who is probably fighting to stay alive on an island and reliving some trauma.
Last Week: Superman Volume 2: Trials of the Super Son, Part 3
Next Post: Green Arrow Volume 2: Island of Scars, Part 2
Note: All images belong to DC™
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