Comics / Comic Reviews / DC Comics

The Rise of Arsenal #2

By Hervé St-Louis
May 4, 2010 - 14:03

Arsenal gets a new arm and lashes out at the world for the loss of his daughter Lian. But when he last expects it, Lian’s mother, villainess Cheshire pays him visit with revenge on her mind.

 Krul is really not a great writer. It’s not that he doesn’t understands the basics of storytelling. He does. He knows how to stage a story, and put a plot in motion. What he lacks is judgment and perspective. He seems to think that everyone who loses a daughter in a world cataclysm will lash out at the world and just become unbearable. Most people would probably crumble in a catatonic state and refuse to speak with people or go into a depression. But that would be too hard for Krul to write. It would deprive him of the opportunity to write the most stupid comic book clichés. He could not write about angry Roy Harper who lost an arm and already has a fake one waiting for him. The moment they ripped his arm, I knew he would get a new one. With characters like Aquaman losing their hand was at least interesting. Here, they just replace what’s missing with a knock off. Krul has done research on Arsenal, but has only retained the most idiotic parts of the character. As has been done many times before Harper blames everything bad that has happened to him on his “father” Green Arrow. And like the stupid punching bag he is, Green Arrow just takes it in and recoils. I’m not interested in another stupid vigilante with angst roaming the country trying to avenge the unavengeable and trying to choke innocent girls that helped him.

 The art was solid and good. The dream sequence by Mayhew and Troy was the best. I just wonder in all the group shots, where was Hawkgirl, the last flame of Roy Harper?

Last Updated: August 31, 2023 - 08:12