Green Arrow #22

Ollie meets the people destroying his city and fights to protect it with his family by his side. Dinah and him have an argument. It actually surprises me.

SPOILERS AHEAD

There's a lot to like with the police looking the other way while outlaw Green Arrow helps them save lives. The villains are all threatening though I could do without them naming themselves and what horseman their supposed to be. It seems kinda silly. To his credit Ollie knows when he's out matched.

The part that I have a problem with is the scene with Dinah and Ollie in the graveyard. With the reveal of his father's secrets last issue it's starting to sink in that what Ollie thought was false. Robert was a member of the Ninth Circle, Ollie feels shame at being an heir of a man like that. He questions what this means for the Queen legacies of the company and himself. Dinah apologies (probably to express sorrow for his recent disappointments) and Ollie says she should be sorry. He's mad that she told him to forget being Oliver Queen and his responsibilities to his company.

Now I don't think Ollie approached this right and I haven't read the issues in question. Be that as it may it does sound like Dinah was giving him bad advise. That she was basically saying to forget a huge part of his identity and duties. Making it sound like he was doing more harm than good by using the Queen name. While Dinah does make a good point that he doesn't have to have all of that to be a hero Ollie is right about his company being used for ill means. Also about the mayor ruining the city.

Her argument seems to be "the people voted for this" which he counters with them not knowing the truth. He knows he needs to prove it to them while undoing the damage done in his family's name. When Ollie grumbles that she doesn't understand she blows up over his privilege and apparently imposing his will on the city. Except she was the one that said they were showing the city a better way earlier before saying this was the people's fault and now this. You know I'm usually on Dinah's side. I'm not here. She tells him Oliver Queen is dead and wants him to say buried.

Yeah I don't think she understands either. This is the most responsible I've seen Ollie bring in a long time and she's trying to make him live a lie. To pretend he has no ties to these events. Sure he shouldn't lose himself in his quest to undo things but I see no evidence of that happening.

Henry calls in Roy for help saying Ollie needs him. For some reason Roy forgot his promise to help Ollie and is pissed at him again. Look, he doesn't have to pretend there's no tension but this ignores what previously went down in this same series. 

There's some issues with character motivations but otherwise this was a solid read.