Warning: Spoilers for Green Arrow #17DC Comics has just set up a new rivalry betweenBatmanandGreen Arrow. During theAbsolute Powerevent by Mark Waid and Dan Mora, Green Arrow went deep undercover to take down Amanda Waller, but he left his friends and family in the dark. As a result, Oliver has become a pariah among the superhero community for his actions. And if you lose the trust of DC’s heroes, you’re certain to get a house call from the dark knight himself.
Green Arrow#17 by Joshua Williamson, Amancay Nahuelpan, Romulo Fajardo Jr., Troy Peteri, Chris Condon, Montos, Adriano Lucas, and Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou serves as an epilogue to Oliver’s arc within theAbsolute Powerevent. Part of that shift to Oliver’s future storylines is establishingGreen Arrow’s new standingamong the heroes of DC’s Justice League. Despite his actions, the Justice League and his family have largely welcomed him back into the fold (recognizing he is still the friend they’ve known for decades previous). Superman notes that the League’s vote to accept Oliver was unanimous, and his family quickly makes amends with him. However,Batman is openly cold to Green Arrow, as he surprises Oliver in his new safe house.
Batman makes it a point to tell Oliver that he should have told the League about his plans, whileOliver reminds Bruce thathe never told anyone about his Batman-esque Failsafe, his dangerous anti-Justice League robot who ended up serving Waller.Batmanconcludes this encounter by noting the difference between forgiveness and trust, and tells Oliver that he’ll be watching.
Batman & Green Arrow Start A Major New Rivalry, Despite Being Justice League Allies
The Two Heroes Have Often Been at Odds
Batman and Green Arrow have always had a deeply strained relationship with one another, despite their similarities and mutual respect. Both of their strong personalities lead to them clashing with one another on nearly every subject. The 2007 storySeeing Red, published inGreen Arrow#69-72 by Judd Winick, Scott McDaniel, Andy Owens, Guy Major, and Pat Brosseau, shows their abrasive personalities on full display, as the climax of their brief team-up is punctuated with barbs and insults thrown towards one another regarding their history of failing their sidekicks.
Both men’s own actions have added fuel to the fire, giving them strong reasons to dislike one another.
While Batman and Green Arrow’s rivalry does mostly end in verbal clashes, both men’s own actions have added fuel to the fire, giving them strong reasons to dislike one another.Batman’s contingency plansand his creation of Brother Eye have earned him the ire of his friends before, especially during the Countdown to Infinite Crisis era. Similarly, Oliver’s complicity in the Justice League’s mind wiping of their enemies and his role in covering up Batman’s mind wipe inIdentity Crisisby Brad Meltzer and Rags Morales lead to an increase in tensions between the pair, withneither Batman nor Green Arrow completely reconciling with one another.
Both Batman and Green Arrow Are Right to Call the Other Out for Their Major Mistakes
Regarding Oliver’s recent actions, though, both Batman and Green Arrow have legitimate points to their side in the argument. Batman is right that Green Arrow should have told more people than Martian Manhunter, as his being deep undercover without telling anyone led to unnecessary difficulty for the heroes. Oliver, however, is right to point out the hypocrisy in Batman of all people telling off Oliver for secrecy, citing Failsafe and how that caused as many, if not more problems, than Oliver’s stunt.This new feud is emblematic of their history, where both men see their flaws reflected in one another.
Green Arrow Finally Has His Own Version of Joker (But Way More Powerful)
Green Arrow’s family finally meet one of Waller’s vilest underling. a hulking monster known as Bright who absolutely despises Oliver and his allies.
WithAbsolute Powerbehind the Justice League, it seems that most of the League is willing to move forward into the future. However, the renewed tensions between Batman and Green Arrow prove that forgiveness is not the same as forgetting, and that both men have a long road to walk before they can trust one another again. Hopefully, the tensions and mistrust between them will simmer in time, but history has proven that there will always be a sense of animosity betweenBatmanandGreen Arrow.
Green Arrow#17is available now from DC Comics.
Batman
One of DC’s most iconic heroes, Batman is the vigilante superhero persona of billionaire Bruce Wayne. Forged by tragedy with the death of his parents, Bruce dedicated his life to becoming the world’s leading martial artist, detective, and tactician. Recruiting an entire family of allies and sidekicks, Bruce wages war on evil as the dark knight of his hometown, Gotham City.
