GREEN ARROW/BLACK CANARY #14

One Door Closes, Another Opens

January 2009

Written by Judd Winick

Pencils by Mike Norton

Inks by Wayne Faucher

Cover by Cliff Chiang

Synopsis

At Justice League headquarters, Dr. Mid-Nite and Batman examine Connor Hawke and despite the changes to his physical body and his lack of memories, the tests show it is Connor.  In an effort to get Connor to remember who he is, Ollie takes Connor for target practice.  Connor is unable to hit the target.  Later, Mia notices that Connor is gone.  Elsewhere, Connor breaks up a drug deal.  His ability to heal himself allows him to defeat them all. Nearby, Ollie watches and notices that Connor retained his fighting ability.  He tells Connor that if he wants to continue, he can, but if he wants to lead a quiet life, well he can do that to.  Ollie will be there for him.  That night, Ollie and Dinah remark about all the good they have in their lives and are grateful for a happy ending.     

Review by Binkley (e-mail)

Really?  This is how Winick leaves the book.  By taking a fairly popular minor character, stripping away all of the characteristics that make him who he is, and then leaving a blank slate for the next writer to something with it?  I hope this is a case of DC having future plans for Connor and not Winick deciding to leave Connor’s fate up in the air.  Because, frankly, if I were the next writer, I would add a panel or two letting the reader know that Connor is back to normal just to be done with it.  Anyway, this is not a bad issue, per se, but given the way Winick leaves this book, it just a left a sour taste in my both, especially since he is going for the “happy ending.”  And I get how he is showing Ollie to be a great dad in letting his son make his own choices and under normal circumstances I would heartily applaud the scene.  But in a shared universe, it seems rather callous to leave such a change to Connor for the next writer to pick up. 

I want to add one final comment:  there was no reason to rename and renumber this book.  In fact, this issue right here should’ve been the final issue of Green Arrow (except for the Connor situation, but let’s leave that out of it for now).  Not only does it end Winick’s five-year run with the character, but it is also a happy ending, of sorts with Ollie and Dinah and their dysfunctional together in the same house.  It is a good place to leave these characters.  I think after this issue, if DC had canceled Green Arrow and given these characters a small breather, then relaunch with the combo title, it would felt like a more natural transition to something new rather than a lame attempt to resuscitate a flagging book (sales wise), which is what this new title was supposed to be.  But, I guess that is just me.

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