Life for Oliver Queen as he knew it is over. Presumed dead, the only thing Oliver has left is his alter-ego, Green Arrow.

However, is that enough?

That's a question Oliver continues to ask himself in Green Arrow #3, which brings Green Arrow back to where it all started: Queen Industries, the company that once belonged to Oliver, but now has an evil man from the Ninth Circle at its head.

Please note that the following contains minor spoilers for Green Arrow #2 and Green Arrow #3.

In Green Arrow #3, Oliver must break into his company to begin uncovering the truth behind the Ninth Circle, the organization responsible for the black market slave trade in Seattle, and the group that wanted him dead. He also must confront his former ally Shado to learn why she betrayed him to work for that organization.

The latest issue of Green Arrow is still a refreshing take and reset for the character, who lost everything in the previous issue. Rebirth introduced him as a character that often used his wealth to battle the bad guys. That, obviously, solved nothing (as Black Canary continued to point out), and now, Oliver must face that money can't fix the world's problems. That lesson is clear in the writing by Benjamin Percy, who, fortunately, shows us that Oliver still has enough street smarts to break into the most secure building in the city and confront the man responsible for all that is wrong with Seattle.

However, this issue also brings more of Diggle and Black Canary into the story, as they start uncovering the secrets of the Ninth Circle in their own individual storylines. Meanwhile, Emiko begins questioning her loyalties. It's only a shame that it seems that this series' two female characters will soon become pawns that the Ninth Circle plans on using against Green Arrow, which seems almost a letdown after how well the two have been set up in this title. That is enough a letdown, not only because of its predictability, but because these characters hardly represent damsels in distress.

What really stands out the most about Green Arrow #3 is the artwork by Juan E. Ferreyra: each panel feels hand-painted, done in loving detail to convey not just the wonderful action sequences in this story, but also the emotions felt by all three characters as they face their individual journeys. It's a slight step up from the previous issues' artwork and really brings a new kind of cohesiveness to the comic. The excellent cover is a good example of the artwork inside the book, too.

Green Arrow #3 is now available on comic book store shelves and online.

Story

★★★☆ ☆

Art

★★★★★

Overall

★★★★☆