Green Arrow: The Sounds of Violence

Rating:
Summary: Second Half of Kevin Smith's Green Arrow Run
Review: 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).