Adventures In The DC Universe #16
DC Comics (July, 1998)
Green Lantern & Green Arrow: “The Fix”
WRITER: Steve Vance
PENCILER: John Delaney
INKER: Ron Boyd
COLORIST: Bob LeRose
LETTERER: Janice Chaing
ASSOCIATE EDITOR: Dana Kurtin
EDITOR: Kevin Dooley
Connor Hawke, the current Green Arrow at the time, visits with Kyle Rayner, the current Green Lantern at the time. Visiting one of Kyle’s neighbors, they meet his nephew, whose brother was connected to Roy Harper, ward of the heroes’ predecessors and a former druggie. Since then the older brother has been in and out of jail many times, and the brothers haven’t seen each other in years. That changes when a chance encounter brings them together while Kyle and Connor have to keep the younger brother alive.
What they got right: Hal Jordan and Oliver Queen were best friends, even sharing a title together for a time. I like seeing Kyle and Connor getting along and working together as they did. The twist is well done for a kids comic, even if older readers who have seen a lot more stories might see this coming sooner. It’s still a good reveal and a good character moment for the brothers.
What they got wrong: Kyle, Connor, and the neighbor start talking about the celebrities who have been victims of their own drug use. (Kyle was returning a jazz CD with a performer who was on heroin.) It might not have been intended but I could see it coming off as a bit preachy, especially since this isn’t really an anti-drug story despite drug’s negative influence on Lewis’ life and his family’s.
Recommendation: This is definitely a story worth checking out if you can handle the cartoonish art style, which I rather enjoy.