SPOILER ALERT: The following feature contains mild spoilers from Absolute Green Arrow #1.
 

You are not ready for Absolute Green Arrow. I know I wasn’t. 

In 1941, Green Arrow was a colorful crimefighter. In 1970, he became the original social justice warrior. In 2012, he moved to the small screen as a lethal avenger. Absolute Green Arrow turns things up a dozen notches and makes him the stuff of nightmares. This Green Arrow is a ruthless killer who stalks his prey from the shadows. He’s like the shark from Jaws, a killing machine that strikes, tears apart his victims and then disappears until his next attack.

I was excited when Absolute Green Arrow was announced. We’ve all seen the way the Absolute Universe has reimagined the DC mythos and given its characters some great mic drop moments. We got Wonder Woman wielding a kaiju-sized sword, Batman maiming his enemies and some truly mind-bending stuff with Martian Manhunter. I couldn’t even begin to guess what they would do with Oliver Queen.

Then Absolute Evil #1 was released. In it, we get to see the young tech mogul begin his mission as Green Arrow, preparing to go out and hunt for a corrupt billionaire named Jubal Slade. The next time we see him, Hawkman is dumping Ollie’s bludgeoned corpse onto a conference room table. I guess his superhero career didn’t go as planned. 

Not only was this a shocking moment, but it left me with countless questions. If Oliver Queen was dead, what did this mean for Absolute Green Arrow? Was the series going to be a flashback, or would another character be donning the mantle? This is one of the great things about the Absolute Universe—it keeps us guessing. 

So, how do you publish an Absolute Green Arrow series without Oliver Queen? I don’t want to give the whole comic away, but the first issue opens with the murder of Jubal Slade, the corrupt tycoon Oliver had been targeting before his death. Slade and his entire security team are slaughtered by a terrifying new Green Arrow, and he makes it as painful as possible. Arrows cut through skulls and poisoned arrowheads turn even non-lethal shots into an excruciating death sentence. Slade, however, is given a worse fate. The wealthy executive accused of numerous sexual crimes is repeatedly stabbed in the eyes, his fingers are severed and so are his genitals. 

It was noted that these were the body parts Slade couldn’t keep off his trafficking victims. Like I said, this book doesn’t play around.

Earlier, I compared Absolute Green Arrow to Jaws. I made the comparison because the first issue deals with the mysterious archer the same way that Jaws deals with its famous shark. We only get a few glimpses of Green Arrow, and instead, the story is told from the perspective of those who are hunting him. The Longbow Killer, as he’s been dubbed, disappears into the shadows the same way Amity Island’s great white hides in the ocean.

So, who is this new Green Arrow? The answer isn’t revealed in the first issue, and seeing how this limited series is as much a mystery as it is a horror tale, we probably won’t find out until its final act. However, there are a few suspects: Roy Harper, Mia Dearden and Tom Hallaway. If you’re a longtime DC fan, those names might be familiar to you. My neighbor also came up with the theory that this is an undead Oliver Queen, who served his exile in hell instead of on Starfish Island or Lian Yu. That does fit in with Green Arrow’s demonic look and seem like the type of thing the Absolute Universe would do. Keep in mind, I don’t know where the story is going, so this is just a theory.

If this new Green Arrow isn’t Ollie, don’t worry. There is still plenty of Oliver Queen in Absolute Green Arrow. Although the character is dead, his legacy is central to the story and he’s frequently seen in flashbacks throughout issue #1. Considering Absolute Green Arrow’s POV character is Dinah Lance, I can only imagine those flashbacks will continue for the duration of the series. This Dinah is an ex-MMA fighter (I love that for her) who now works as an executive protection specialist. In other words, she protects the super wealthy, even if more often than not, she can’t stand them.

Like her DC Universe counterpart, the Absolute version of Dinah has a romantic history with Oliver Queen, and it didn’t end well. Through her flashbacks, we learn more about Ollie, his views on social justice and his history with Jubal Slade. In many ways Absolute Green Arrow is Dinah’s story.

I feel like there will be so much more to unpack, debate and theorize on as the series continues, but for now, suffice it to say that Absolute Green Arrow is one of the most intense comics you’ll read this year. It’s not a superhero book. It’s a horror slasher that thrills while asking some pretty provocative and timely questions. In other words, a perfect addition to the Absolute Universe.

Absolute Green Arrow #1 by Pornsak Pichetshote, Rafael Albuquerque and Marcelo Maiolo is now available in print and as a digital comic book. For more on the series, read our exclusive interview with Pichetshote!