Today, I take a look at two vigilantes looking for justice on those who have wronged them and a team taking down some threats on a trip to Ireland. Let’s focus on Green Arrow, The Shadow: The Death of Margo Lane and Ghostbusters International.
The Shadow: The Death of Margo Lane 3
Written and illustrated by Matt Wagner
Matt Wagner seems to have an affinity for old pulp characters. Last year, he took Will Eisner’s The Spirit and produced one of the best comics of the year (according to me, of course). Now that The Spirit has concluded its 12-issue run, the talented writer and artist has once again turned to Lamont Cranston, telling a tale of The Shadow, avenging the death of his confidant and companion, Margo Lane.
Whereas The Spirit had an aspect of levity to its character, The Shadow is much darker and watching his most trusted agent die at the hands of the Red Empress and her Tong gang drives him further into the darkness. In the third issue, Cranston brings other agents with him to take down the Tong gang, and his hesitation to see harm come to those who work with him is apparent.
Now midway through the 5-issue miniseries, the action is starting to ramp up and I imagine that things will get even crazier in the last two issues of the story. Wagner has a great track record with The Shadow and other pulp heroes, so I’m looking forward to how he wraps up the tale.
Green Arrow 4
Written by Benjamin Percy
Art by Juan E. Ferreyra
Thanks to the CW series, I would imagine Oliver Queens is a more recognizable name than it was 5 years ago, but the Green Arrow has a long history with a lot of interpretations. The DC Rebirth version of Green Arrow seems to be trying to reconcile some of the best-known aspects of the character: Losing his company, connecting with Black Canary and now, thanks to the CW TV show, fighting with John Diggle at his side.
Ollie has been beaten down for the last few issues: he was booted from his company and had his fortune taken from him, and he discovered that his company has been aiding a criminal collective. Thinking the Green Arrow has been taken down, Black Canary goes on a mission to take down the bad guys and gets captured when Queen’s sister Emiko – now a member of the Ninth Circle – hit Canary with a Tranq Arrow. So now, Arrow and Diggle need to travel to Inferno to rescue Canary.
The new Rebirth Green Arrow has been a much better representation of the character than most of the New 52 version – and they even gave Queen his goatee back! I wouldn’t mind an end to all the origin-type stories (especially the ones that take Ollie’s fortune from him), but writer Benjamin Percy seems to have a good grasp on the character, and I think Green Arrow is safe in his hands.
Ghostbusters International 7
Written by Erik Burnham
Art by Dan Schoening
Last week, I finally got to the theater to see the new Ghostbusters movie. Earlier that day, I bought and downloaded the new comic from IDW featuring the original crew in new stories. The Ghostbusters have gone from being vilified and questioned for their tactics to becoming a recognized municipal agency whose services are sought after all around the world. Burnham’s comic easily captures the feeling of fun from both the original movies and the early-90s cartoon.
In this issue, the team (minus Egon, who is recovering from an injury) are shipped off to Ireland after a mission in Paris to help their governmental liaison Walter Peck (yes, THAT Walter Peck) with a personal matter involving banshees and a very long lifespan. Meanwhile, back in New York, Egon gets a visit from someone who has answers on a long-standing mystery, which I’m guessing sets up the next story arc.
I don’t see how any fan of the original Ghostbusters can not love this book, it really is a great tribute to the a classic franchise. And if you want new adventures of Venkman, Stanz, Spengler and Zeddemore, the IDW comic is probably your only option, but it’s a really great option.