Green Arrow (2001 Series) #46

January 10, 2005

Quick Rating: Very Good
Title: Teamwork

There’s a new Speedy in town… and it’s time for her to join the Teen Titans!

Writer: Judd Winick
Pencils: Tom Fowler
Inks: Rodney Ramos
Colors: Guy Major
Letters: Rob Leigh
Editor: Bob Schreck
Cover Art: James Jean
Publisher: DC Comics

For casual Green Arrow fans or Teen Titans readers thinking of picking up this issue just so you don’t miss an important development for your own favorite title, fear not. This is a good, solid, done-in-one issue that seamlessly integrates the new Speedy into the ranks of DC’s underage superstars.

Now that Ollie Queen has agreed to let Mia take up the bow and arrow as the new Speedy, he’s decided that she needs a bit more interaction with her peers to balance her out, so taking a cue from Superman, Batman and the Flash, he sees to it that his younger counterpart joins the Teen Titans. She meets the team and is put through a test before being allowed to try to mesh with her new teammates… but will she grow to trust them with her biggest secret?

This is a pure character issue – there’s almost no fighting (save for a nice action scene at the beginning) and a fun “training sequence,” but for the most part it’s a simple story. It’s the New Girl in School trying the make friends. And it works very, very well.

Tom Fowler and Rodney Ramos take over the art chores this issue, and they’ve got big shoes to fill. Phil Hester and Ande Parks really made this comic their own over the past few years. Fortunately, the new team is solid in their own right. They have more of a classic style, reminding me somewhat of the likes of Joe Staton, but that’s a good thing. I’m admittedly not crazy about the new Speedy costume, but it could have been worse.

Overall, it’s a good done-in-one story that GA or TT fans will want to pick up, because there’s something here for all of you.

Rating: 8/10