Green Arrow #17
Most people will go into this issue because of Jeff Lemire, but Andrea Sorrentino does an amazing job. His artwork is very similar to that of Tim Sale and it just makes everything about this issue better. The simplistic nature of every panel does a great job at conveying the plot, but also gives it a very dark tone that will please a lot of fans. The coloring also makes this issue so much better. The majority of the colors are dark and mild, but when the red and white enter the panel, it conveys action and other things very nicely. The story starts off bold showing a Olivier all alone and on the verge of death. Lemire then takes the story back to see how the Emerald Archer ended up there. The dialog is fantastic and feels very real and natural. The internal dialog especially grabs you and really puts you inside the head of Oliver. This issues does a great job at conveying the feeling of loss that Oliver is feeling and in doing so, really invest the readers into the conflict. The action is just as great as the dialog and will really put you on the edge of your seat.
The Bad:
There is a slight reference to characters that must have appeared in past issues. There is a part where something happens to those characters and if you are a new reader, it may not have the emotional impact of what it should. Besides this, it's still a fantastic issue.
The Verdict: 5/5 (Perfect)
I have tried to read Green Arrow when the New 52 started, and it was okay at the best. This issue really makes Green Arrow more likable and more interesting in the first few pages. There is tons of character moments that will really make you like Oliver, even if this is the first time you are reading one of his comics. The art goes perfectly with the story and Sorrentino is now one of my favorite artist. If you don't want to get this because of the past issues in the series not being great, I promise that it's a solid and fantastic adventure from page one to the very end. Highly recommend this issue and I will definitely will be returning for the next issue.