Spotlight:: Green Arrow and Black Canary #4

Issue: Green Arrow and Black Canary #4

Title: Please Play Where Daddy Can See You

Credits: Judd Winick (script) Cliff Chiang (cover, pencils) Trish Mulvihill (colors)

Synopsis: When we last left our intrepid band, they were fleeing Paradise Island after having rescued Oliver Queen from the clutches of the Amazons. Before the victory celebrations could begin, a shot rang out, hitting Connor Hawke in the chest. As the issue opens, Ollie manages to keep his head long enough to summon Superman, who carries Connor off to the hospital at super-speed.

Connor is in surgery, but that isn't good enough for Ollie. He screams for someone else until he finally arrives: Hal Jordan. Ollie unceremoniously orders him into the operating room to save his son. Hal manages to calm Ollie down a bit and promises to do everything he can. Hours pass, and finally Green Lantern returns with news: his ring was able to fully heal Connor's body, but the bullet had some kind of poison on it which had destroyed Connor's brain. His body was fine, but Connor was now effectively brain dead. The issue ends with Ollie comforting his son, telling him that "Daddy's right here."


Thoughts: Well, first off, I'm kinda bummed that Connor is a vegetable now, because I really like his character. As for the rest of the issue, I liked it. I really think that Winick got Ollie's reaction down to a tee: angry, inconsolable, and uncompromising. I also liked the bit where Black Lightning expresses his concern about the fact that Green Arrow is shouting people's real first names, in public. It's about damn time someone pointed out that that's a bad idea. I'm anxious to see where Winick is going with this, as there's a kidnapping coning up, and a mysterious kidnapping+crippled/dead person usually = Ra's Al Ghul, and I loves me some Ra's.