Review by Ian Keogh

A forest grew overnight in Star City, and has been gradually expanding. It definitely has mystical properties, and all science is rendered inactive within, as proved by a couple of Justice League members visiting during Into the Woods. J. T. Krul doubles down on visits from other DC universe worthies, and ensures Green Arrow has a pithy comment about them all.

The visitors appear to be characters Krul just fancies playing around with, as only the Demon has any bearing on what happens. However, as with the end of the previous volume, there’s too much marking time and not enough movement forward, and it’s not as if there aren’t plot threads dangling from Into the Woods that could do with clearing up. Time has also diluted a project intimately tied into the twin crossovers of Blackest Night and Brightest Day, and much that may have been obvious back in the day is now confusing, especially the random resurrection of heroes as agents of destruction. Without reference to the events elsewhere the ending is haphazard, abrupt and unsatisfying, and having created a good new character in Galahad, Krul reduces him to something mundane and almost pitiful. It’s poor, and a better writer would have been more creative.

All chapters of the title story are drawn by Diógenes Neves, and due to what’s happening the stiffness affecting his superhero action is diminished. These are still unnecessarily crowded pages, though, not bringing out the best of the possibilities.

The final three chapters are a new creative team on a new story. The head of a religious cult has become a terrorist, his followers outfitted with high-tech flying armour. They’re a grim judgemental type of sect, holding society to their supposed godly standards and prepared to sacrifice themselves and innocents to achieve their aims.

James Patrick certainly creates a repugnant foe, and a belief isn’t as easily defeated as a super villain. There’s an emphasis on arrows and what they’re capable of, although it’s disappointing that when new ones are devised it’s by Batman, not Oliver Queen. While the threat isn’t exactly credibly inflated, there’s enough to keep Green Arrow busy, and artist Agustin Padilla keeps the action moving, although these are pages telling the story effectively, but no more. Speed appears to be of the essence. Overall, though, this is an action thriller that keeps moving forward and doesn’t require reference to a crossover for its impact, and so a better story.

Despite that, it’s Krul who takes Green Arrow’s continuity forward, beginning a new series with The Midas Touch.