Green Arrow #26

Is Lemire going to release an Outsiders Role Playing Game when this is over?

More stuff has been taking place in this comic book than I'm able to remember and recap. Green Arrow was driven out of Seattle by Komodo and into the desert arms of that blind guy Magus or whatever his name was. I'm surprised I even came up with Komodo! Anyway, in a hallucinogenic ritual, Green Arrow learned (or remembered?) that Komodo was chosen by his father to be his apprentice. But Komodo had ants in his pants and couldn't wait, so he killed Ollie's dad so that he could be the Leader of the Arrow Clan. But the Arrow Relic was never found, so he kind of jumped the gun on that one. He took Ollie's sister, daughter of Shado (one of three Dragons Magus tasked Ollie to find), and began raising her as his apprentice. Meanwhile, Richard Dragon, Master of Kung Fu (and probably the leader of the Fist Clan), has rolled into Seattle and is threatening to take over all of the criminal territories. Also, Diggle and The Clock King are up to something as well. Count Vertigo kind of sidetracked the Outsiders story arc a bit but now he's safely tucked away in Belle Reve awaiting a call from Amanda Waller.

If any of that is wrong or I missed anything important, I'm sure it'll be cleared up by the comic book when I begin reading it!

The issue begins with Ollie proving that his balance is back and his ear, blown out by Vertigo, is all better.

Goddammit, Sorrentino! Are you trying to make me forget my precious Tig by making Naomi just as fucking cute?! Well it won't work because J.T. Krul made Naomi a stupid fuckface and I probably won't ever be able to work my way past that!

Why is the word "fuckface" an insult? I keep repeating it and it's kind of turning me on!

*sigh* Just look how cute Naomi is! I hope she really is a fuckface!

While Green Arrow wants to go kick Komodo's ass, Shado tells him what the real plan is going to be.

One Arrow to rule them all and on the island bind them!

Shado claims to know where the Arrow Totem is because Ollie's dad showed her a secret map. She seems to think it showed the location of the Arrow Totem but I bet it was just a map with a hole cut in it that Ollie's father stuck his dick through. But Shado convinces Green Arrow and they head off to the island where Ollie learned how to utilize a bow and arrow. I think he met an imaginary monk while stranded on the island who taught Ollie everything he knows.

Meanwhile in Arizona, Magus is meeting with The Butcher, the head of the Axe Clan. Apparently there are some Rogue Clans that aren't working with the World Dominating Outsiders. Unless Magus is talking about offshoots of the main clans. Like the Axe Clan is working with the other Outsiders but there is a Rogue Axe Clan called The Hatchets. Maybe that's how Ann Nocenti's Dagger Clan fits into things. They're just a rogue part of the Sword Clan.

What am I saying?! Ann Nocenti's writing has no place in Lemire's Outsiders War! And with Katana cancelled, she won't even be able to confuse anybody with strange ambiguities and horrible scripts.

As Green Arrow and Shado arrive on his island and begin following Shado's map, Ollie remembers his time on the island and how much he grew. He shed the skin of the spoiled rich kid and became a man able to take responsibility on his own shoulders. He finally learned how to shoot an arrow straight. And he was eventually captured by The Others! But that story will have to be finished another time because Ollie and Shado have arrived at the "X" on Shado's map.

Sometimes thinking outside the box means thinking inside the box, stupid!

Inside the cave are a bunch of sixty foot tall statues carved into the rock and a pedestal with a glowing green arrow.

Back in Prague, Golgotha, leader of the Spear Clan and, apparently, leader of all the Outsiders, informs Komodo that Green Arrow and Shado will soon be dead because he has sent the Shield Clan and their leader, Kodiak, to the island to complete the job that Komodo couldn't handle.

Green Arrow #26 Rating: +10 Ranking. Lemire has put Green Arrow's shit back together and things are progressing nicely. I suppose I can finally, mostly, forget the past atrocities perpetrated on this character. Forget but not forgive! Because if I forget, I won't have to bother with forgiving! I should also say this so that it's fresh in my memory next issue: Spear, Shield, Fist, Arrow, Sword, Axe. Those are the six Outsiders Clans that have been revealed. One mystery one remains! I think they're the Bird Clan and they're represented by the Court of Owls.