Writer: Joshua Williamson
Art: Sean Izaakse, Romulo Fajardo Jr., and Troy Peteri
Publisher: DC Comics
Price: $4.99
Release Date: September 26th, 2023
PARALLAX RETURNS as Green Arrow #4 by Joshua Williamson kicks off! Years ago, Oliver Queen died and was resurrected by his good ol’ buddy Hal Jordan. But it wasn’t really Hal, it was Parallax. And did no one think that would come with a cost?! Now Parallax has returned to collect! Meanwhile, Arsenal and Black Canary’s search for Oliver Queen leads them to a long-lost Green Arrow family member…who isn’t so happy to be found!
If you’re interested in this comic, series, related trades, or any of the others mentioned, then simply click on the title/link to snag a copy through Amazon as you read the Green Arrow #4 Review.
THE DISPATCH
The wonky time travel narrative with Ollie is all a bit weird. However, we do reasonably figure out who sent Ollie around time, who’s displacing his family, and how. But the why is still left open for readers after Green Arrow #4. Parallax “Ghost of Christmas Pasts” Ollie all over time and space this issue showcasing the effect Green Arrow and his family have on the time stream. The purpose is to get Ollie to understand why they need to be apart by showing the effect but not the cause. It’s a similar trope used by numerous movies, television shows, and books in order to labor the point and force the action.
Ultimately, Williamson is doing the very same without showing Ollie the moment nor explaining exactly what was done or needs to be altered. Plus, Williamson uses another “Mano a Mano” trope to de-power Parallax and provoke a fair fight between a human and an alien parasite with superpowers. It’s all quite silly BUT offers some well-needed action in a comic that was more talk and less bite than normal. That being said, Green Arrow #4 was quick and still reasonably entertaining. I’m still confused as to how Ollie and his family destroy Coast City and how Ollie knows he’s going to do it.
Who told him? Who sent him down this path and why? Also, how did Ollie connect with Parallax in the first place if he put himself in the future to hide? How would Ollie even know where to look for him and if he was even alive to begin with? The point is that we get loads of questions that don’t make much sense which is ultimately why my interest is still piqued. Nevertheless, we discover that these questions make little to no sense or that these questions just become dangling plot threads without answers It will seriously impact my score for this series overall and make me feel as though my time and money were wasted if we don’t get answers soon. The ball is in Williamson’s court now. Let’s hope he can deliver!
FINAL THOUGHTS
Green Arrow #4 felt like it had so much potential with the reintroduction of Parallax as well as the time travel component of the story. However, the easy tropes almost handcuffed the issue and took away from what could have been a pretty epic installment. Readers will figure out who is behind the time jumps as well as a generic why. But, they won’t know how exactly it was all set up nor will they know how Ollie even made contact with Parallax in order to orchestrate this entire premise represented in Green Arrow #4.
Again, as I stated above in the review, even with the tropes and skimming of pertinent information, Williamson’s run is still entertaining. This is why I’m still holding out hope for this series to really hit its stride. Right now, it’s starting to flatline. I thought the Parallax introduction would have elevated the story more than it did. But sadly, it was in and out before you knew it. Hopefully, the cliffhanger will shed some much-needed light on events while also elevating the intensity and action of Williamson’s Green Arrow run. Let me know what you think, have a great week, and God Bless!