Customer Reviews

Green Arrow: Sounds of Violence (Book 2)

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Like the first volume (Quiver), the production values for "Sounds of Violence" is really very good. These two volumes are the most beautiful hardcover comics that I've ever seen (and I've got quite a lot of hardcover comics myself!). This volume collects issues 11 to 15 from Kevin Smith's run on the title.

After establishing the resurrection of Green Arrow (Ollie Queen) in the previous story, we see him adjusting to his new life here. He deals with his fatherhood issues (with son Connor Hawke) and goes out on a date with his one-great-love, Black Canary (Dinah Lance) - a "first" date that went a little too far! Finally, we have the appearance of a new enemy who is more than a match for Ollie - the Onomatopoeia, a psychotic villain that we still know very little of (except that he's obsessed about "sounds" when he kills vigilantes).

Two complaints. Firstly, too many "oral sex" references!!! And secondly, the book is so good but it leads to the anti-climax of the century (no, that is not another oral sex reference!). We end the book knowing next to nothing about this new killer, Onomatopoeia. And to date, the story is still unresolved. I do hope that Kevin Smith comes back and resolve it one day.

Overall, like the first volume, this is an excellent comic. It is also the end of Kevin's run on this title. Although the excellent art team of Phil Hester and Ande Parks are still sticking around with the next writer Brad Meltzer (check out Volume 3 : The Archer's Quest).

To be honest, I've always found Green Arrow to be a bit silly. I mean, I knew who he was, but like a lot of people, I was like 'Pfft, just a guy with a bow'. But the thing is, Green Arrow always knew that he was just a guy with a bow and a sense of Robin Hood worship. He never tried to hide it. And Kevin Smith is a master of just owning up to your flaws and BEING you, whatever that may be. In that regard, he makes perfect sense to write Green Arrow, and he writes the HELL out of it. It wasn't until Kevin Smith landed the title that I originally picked up and started reading, and I've been a GA fan ever since. (Green Arrow: Quiver (Book 1)) That greatness continues here with action, more than a little drama, and one of the strangest and BEST super villains to come along in a LONG time. Or rather, I should say new and original super villains. Without going into too much detail, the villain's name is Onomatopoeia, which is a word made up from the sound the object or person makes. And he makes something so intelligent COOL. Not just cool, WICKED. *shivers* Suffice to say it was one of the best darn stories I've ever read, and the supporting cast is terrific. I've been a Kevin Smith fan for a long time, of his films I should say. But the guy can WRITE, and not just movies. So in all honesty folks, if you're a Green Arrow fan, or a Kevin Smith fan, or both, and you don't own these books, then do yourself a favor and get them. They're both relatively cheap, and sooooo worth it. I don't think you'll be disappointed.
Thanks for your time folks.
Sincerely, R.A. McDowell

Hawkman: "You know, Oliver -- the ancient Egyptians had a word for people like you."
Green Arrow: "Oh, yeah? What's that?"
Hawkman: "'Schmuck.'"

GREEN ARROW: SOUNDS OF VIOLENCE is the second trade paperback reprinting issues from the Emerald Archer's new monthly series, and it's definitely worth getting. True, this one, at 128 pages, is much shorter than the preceding Green Arrow: Quiver (Book 1) collection as this one only compiles 5 issues (#11-15). But what it lacks in quantity it makes up in quality. Film director turned comic book scribe Kevin Smith finishes up his Green Arrow run in this volume, and even though the very capable Brad Meltzer would take over for him, things would never be quite as good.

These issues, much like in QUIVER, focus on Green Arrow's settling back into his superhero niche in Star City and renewing relationships with his family, friends, and colleagues. So, yes, the reader treads in emotional undercurrents here and sees plenty of character development. The first issue here ("Ultimate Speedy") centers on Mia, the teenaged girl Ollie's taken into his home (see Green Arrow: Quiver (Book 1)). Mia wants to be the next Speedy, but Ollie has deep reservations. The second issue ("Feast and Fowl") is my favorite and is very funny, highlighted by Ollie's date with Dinah and Ollie's run-ins with the ultra-conservative Hawkman (who's also a recently returned-from-the-dead). This little storyline carries over into the next issue, and, honestly, it's almost worth this TPB's cover price just to watch Ollie and Hawkman trade insults. Then there's Dinah, in a gloriously indecent state, to break it all up (thanks for nothing, Mr. Terrific!).

But things take a somber turn once "The Sound of Violence" story arc really gets going. Smith bolsters Ollie's Rogue Gallery by introducing a great new supervillain, Onomatopoeia, a possibly super-powered serial killer targeting costumed crimefighters. This crazy's shtick is verbalizing sound effects, but this gimmick doesn't take away from how lethal this guy is. Before it's all over, he puts a serious hurting on someone very close to Green Arrow. Yet another sad thing about Smith's departure is that the 411 on Onomatopoeia's been put on the backburner. Maybe, someday...

The team of Phil Hester (SWAMP THING, CLERKS: THE LOST SCENE) and Ande Parks continue to churn out some of the most stylized and fantastic artwork in the field. Cannot get over how great Green Arrow looks. And Kevin Smith, before he jetted, did some serious inroads in re-establishing Green Arrow as a relevant character in the DC universe. This collection also has the added candy of Phil Hester's 3 paged introduction, as well as reprints of the original covers and an artist gallery, including Hester and Ande's tiny rendition of Kevin Smith as the Emerald Archer. Dare I say it, GREEN ARROW: SOUNDS OF VIOLENCE hits the *ahem* bullseye (so sorry).

Reprints Green Arrow (2001 series) #s 11-15.

Following the resurrection Of Oliver Queen in Green Arrow: Quiver (Book 1) (note- this write-up, by necessity, contains some spoilers for the 'Quiver' storyline, which reprinted GA #s 1-10) and the 're-integration' of the two halves of the character, Ollie has some adjusting to do as he transitions back into day-to-day life, and the personal/emotional side of things looks to be more complicated than the crime-fighting side, which he swings back into easily. The Oliver Queen that appeared in # 1 of the relaunched series was the pre-1988 series version, the Green Arrow of the seventies and early eighties (in our time, not in DC Universe time), and there was a reason for that. When Hal Jordan, when he was the almost-omnipotent Parrallax, decided to re-create Ollie as his last act on Earth before heading off to face the Sun-Eater in 1996's 'The Final Night' crossover event, he opted to make him the way he was when he was happier in life, before he started killing his enemies - which always haunted him - and before his personal relationships with his friends and loved ones started to go to Hell in a handbasket. This had unintended consequences - the Ollie he resurrected on Earth was a shell of a person, a 'quiver', despite outward appearances, while the bulk of his soul remained in Heaven as a separate conciousness. When the afterlife version of Green Arrow decided to re-merge with the earthly Green Arrow in order to save the lives of several of his dearest friends, it resulted in an Oliver who basically 'was' the younger version from his pre-killing days, but once again had all the memories of his life after that point. Now, that's gotta muddle a guy's mind up a bit.

The newly whole Green Arrow is determined not to repeat the mistakes of his past - which in some ways doesn't seem as much like the 'past' as another lifetime - and to repair the personal relationships that went downhill in the years before his death. Now, Green Arrow, even in the 80s series, was never a take-no-prisoners, kill-'em-all machine like the Punisher, but he did end up racking up a pretty high body count (albeit against some pretty reprehensible bad guys) and in the back of his mind it always haunted him that he'd become a pretty prolific killer, he always was secretly tormented that maybe there was another way if it hadn't been for that first kill setting the pace. So he's determined not to go that route, but at the same time, we (and he) already know that potential for great violence is still there in his soul. At the same time, despite the fact that he's always been a good guy, there have been repeated times in his life when he hasn't done right by his closest friends and loved ones, and he's determined to do better on this front too. The fact that Ollie was a noble character who nonetheless always kept fouling up his personal life was a strong part of the character's unique appeal - a hero but very flawed, no matter how hard he tries to change his ways.

In # 11, Ollie is coming to terms with his 'fatherly' role to Mia, the girl he rescued in 'Quiver', who seems to quickly be falling into a new 'sidekick' role, despite Ollie's best efforts. It's entertaining and almost surreal to see free-spirited, notorious playboy Ollie falling into 'grumpy old man' mold as he attempts to steer Mia clear of following in his own dangerous footsteps, an endeavor he seems to know deep down is likely to fail. This angle plays out throughout the collection, not just issue 11. #s 12 & 13 see Ollie attempting to rebuild his old romantic relationship with Dinah Lance, aka Black Canary. He also runs into Hawkman for the first time since his return from the dead, and the interplay between these two perpetual adversaries (they're on the same side, they just don't seem to play well together) provides some of the rare, true laugh-out-loud moments in comics history. Utterly golden. # 12 also introduces the new villain Onomatopoeia, a mysterious bullseye-masked serial killer who targets costumed crimefighters and speaks in 'sounds of violence' - 'scree', 'blam', 'crash', etc. Onomatopaeia quickly establishes himself as a lethal adversary, murdering several heroes and nearly killing Ollie's son Connor (aka the 'second' Green Arrow, who headlined the 80s/90s GA series after Oliver's death) and dominates the action aspects of this volume, including a brutal, extremely intense series of encounters with Ollie in the collection's latter portions.

With action, romance, comedy, tremendous tension and a slew of other attributes perfectly meshed together, 'The Sounds Of Violence' very, very nearly matches 'Quiver' in the Green Arrow pantheon of tales, not an easy task. In ways, such as the humor angle that's always been part of the Green Arrow title (even in its darkest days) it even surpasses 'Quiver'. 10/10

Resurrecting Green Arrow from the dead in volume 1: Quiver, writer Kevin Smith follows up on the superhero's role in volume 2: Sounds of Violence as Star City guardian and a struggling father.

Collecting Green Arrow #'s 11-15 (with a foreword by artist Phil Hester, a gorgeous cover gallery and three pages of sketches), this book is barer than last book, and anyone looking for the DC Universe here would be disappointed, because here we see less Green Arrow: superhero, and more Oliver Queen: father.

If you enjoyed the characters in volume 1, then you'll definitely enjoy this book. The dialogue as always remains strong; the characters come through shining, but the plot is much weaker. To be sure, Dinah and Ollie go on a date to talk about their relationship - with hilarious ramifications; liberal Green Arrow talks to conservative Hawkman - with an inevitable fight; Oliver deals with a potential sidekick - with good humor, but the book ends very softly and doesn't resolve the enigmatic super-villain Onomatopoeia.

If you enjoy Green Arrow as a character along with his supporting cast, you certainly won't be disappointed, but if you're looking for the same strong plot you saw in volume 1, you'll probably regret your purchase.

When Kevin Smith resurrected Oliver Queen in the preceding "Quiver" story, he told one of the best DC stories I have ever read. In ten issues, he brought Ollie back to the land of the living, introduced a new supporting character, brought back a few old ones, and created a new status quo for Ollie. Now, in this slim second volume, he explores this new status quo a bit on his way out the door.

The stories contained here focus on Ollie's new ward, Mia Dearden, his reconnection with his former lover Black Canary, and addresses what the status of his son Connor is to be in the new world order. In the first case, Mia harbours dreams of being the new Speedy, and fantasizes about donning her costume (and other things). Ollie, however, is not interested in taking on another partner like he did with Roy, and, in a quite touching scene, gives a meta-explanation for the earlier Silver Age sidekicks, and why the new age of comics simply seem too dangerous for them. Mia does eventually become Speedy some thirty issues later, under the pen of writer Judd Winick, which may or may not have been Smith's idea when he introduced the character. In the romantic department, the minefield of the Green Arrow/Black Canary relationship is addressed, and Smith finds time for another fight with Hawkman, recalling their Silver Age service on the JLA. Smith writes Canary quite well, although he indulges his love of oral sex humour a few too many times for my liking (although there's a quite hysterical sequence where BC is nude and artist Phil Hester does gymnastics to preserve her modesty).

Finally, in the major story of this trade, Smith introduces a new villain, and hints that Connor/Green Arrow II may be killed off as unnecessary now that Green Arrow is back. Smith's new villain is intriguing, but this story is left unfinished, and, as yet, Smith has not returned to complete it, leaving him an unsatisfactory mystery.

This is a rather disjointed end to Smith's short but brilliant run, but it is well worth getting. It is certainly superior to anything later penned by Judd Winick in his more than fifty issues on the title.

Fantastic villain idea in this one. Slaughtering football icons is hilarious, too. I wonder if Smith is a fan of one of the opposing teams of the D level hero he has Onomatoepeia bump off in this trade. Definitely a nice original psychopath he has come up with, with some pretty serious consequences for the Arrow family.

Picks up right where Quiver left off. GA and GA Junior are still getting to know each other. Black Canary and Ollie are defining their relationship, and young Mia wants desperately to be part of the Arrow family. Throw in the homicidal villain Onomatopoeia, and you've got fantastic entertainment! This guy is a ruthless stalker of heroes.

As with Quiver, Phil Hester's pencils and Ande Parks' colors are awesome. I do think the brighter inks in Quiver were a bit better, but Hester's no slouch in these issues. The art has a timeless feel. Could've been drawn yesterday or 15 years ago.

After reading Quiver (book 1) and Sounds of Violence back to back, I was surprised at how very similar in writing style and story line Kevin Smith stayed with both books. Which is a good thing as far as comics go.
I have also come to the conclusion that I found Sounds of Violence to be a more exciting read.
Although half as long as the first series of comics which appeared in Quiver, Sounds of Violence isn't necissarily a better book, but more to my taste. A bloodier, meaner, more dramatic read with a genuinely original bad guy, which is a rare find in comics.
I wouldn't suggest reading Sounds of Violence until you've read Quiver though, as you will most certainly be lost for most of the book.
Although not in any way superior to Frank Miller's Dark Knight series, or anything by Frank for that matter, Kevin Smith (writer) and Phil Hester (artist) have given the Green Arrow comics a much-needed harder edge, badder image.

I loved the first book that Smith did, so I looked for this book on Amazon, but the one I found was sold out. So, on a recent trip to Barnes and Noble, I found it and immediently bought. The result was a fantastic read. It starts off with the girl from te first book dreaming about taking revenge against her pimp as Speedy. We soon find out that the girl living with Ollie and his son, and going to school, the two Green Arrows are working together, and a new hero slayer is running around mimicking sounds he hears. When you hear him say "blam", you know your time is up. He then goes to Star City and proceeds to try and take out "a" Green Arrow, not "the" Green Arrow.

Of course there is the few guest stars such as Hawk Man, The Riddler, and Black Canary (can you really call her a guest though?). Canary and Arrow go out to eat, and run into the Riddler (cant a hero ever have a night out?) and proceed to kick the c**p out of him and "enjoy" eachothers company. After that, Hawk Man and Ollie get into a comical fight, with Canary (nude) having to break it up. However, the book does get much serious after this though. Great book, wished Smtih could've stayed on a little longer though. If you liked the first one, you'll like this one.