Green Arrow #75 (2025 Comic Book & Graphic Novel Reading Challenge)

Most anniversary sized issues seem to fit into one of 3 main categories: a major team up that fans have been clamoring for, a death or resurrection of a major character, or a major life event like a wedding, promotion to a team or new child. Very rarely it seems these very special issues act in celebration of the vast history of the character or team that the subject of said comic is truly reflected in terms of an 'anniversary.' Yet that is what Mike Grell and Rick Hoberg achieved in issue #75 of the 1988-1998 series of Green Arrow.

During a New Year's Eve celebration in downtown Seattle, Oliver Queen is near fatally wounded by an arrow welding assassin. Because of his war on organized crime in the Emerald City, Green Arrow has been targeted by the Yakuza, who are trying to gain a foothold in the Pacific Northwest. As Oliver recovers, the three ladies in the Archer's life, long-time love Black Canary, mother to one of his children, Shado, and Marianne, a youthful woman who writes fairy tales and just declared her love to Ollie at the beginning of the story. Even the mysterious assassin is found to have a deep bond with Green Arrow in this retrospective of a character that editor Mike Gold compared to a cross between 'Robin Hood and Peter Pan' in his farewell address to the readers in the letters column.

Rick Hoberg provided the pencils and inks for this oversized issue from 1993. Mike Grell does double duty as the cover artist in a powerful image that features all of the main characters of this story.

Completing this review completes Task #9 (With The Word GREEN in the Title) the 2025 Comic Book and Graphic Novel Reading Challenge.

Batman: Masque

Both DC and Marvel love to explore the realms of alternate histories and realities. While Marvel is great looking at small decisions that could have huge impacts. Like what if a character decided to go left instead of right on the way home from work and didn't become a superhero?

With DC's Elseworlds, they like to explore what would happen if characters existed in works of fiction. DC Comics explores other time periods and some small decision changes. But I think their alternate books are best when they tackle the classic story variants.

In this Elseworlds graphic novel from 1997, the members of the Batman Family are still in Gotham City, but it's now around the turn of the 19th century and the characters are now players in the Gaston Leroux gothic classic, The Phantom of the Opera. 

Selina Kyle is the Christine archtype; an up-and-coming opera singer in whom fate has begun to smile on her career thanks to an assortment of tragedies that have occurred at the Gotham Opera House.

Bruce Wayne is playing the Raoul role- a wealthy socialite and paramour of Selina.

But who is the mysterious Phantom that haunts the Gotham Opera House? Is it the urban viglante known as the Bat, who assists the Gotham Police at night? Or is it another unknown factor from Selina's past?

Batman: Masque was a fun read to get in the Halloween spirit (Yes, I am a little behind on my reviews.) I could so see this an an alternate reality musical episode of Gotham. The double duty of art and writing of Mike Grell (Action Comics) was near perfection. I felt that story ends a little too abruptly. Plus, I was really put off by the cover being just a recycled image from the book and not an all-new image. I just feel like that's a cheat against loyal Elseworlds readers who shelled out their hard earned money for this book. Forgivable- YES. But still annoying.

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 8 out of 10 stars.