Absolute Green Arrow #4 Review: More Action, More Horror, and the Oliver Queen Question

I just read Absolute Green Arrow #4 that came out this week. It picks up directly from the Solomon Grundy fight in #3 and leans harder into action while still keeping the dark, unsettling tone that has defined this series so far.

The Setup

Black Canary is in the middle of a showdown with Absolute Solomon Grundy. Meanwhile, Hammond is still inside the facility with Edvin Zytle. They’re experimenting on people with modified versions of the Miragro serum — including Holloway (previous employee of Oliver Queen’s) who ends up with multiple arms in a very creepy, Doctor Moreau-style sequence. Hammond is still missing the hand Green Arrow took from him earlier.

Black Canary finally gets the chance to end Hammond, but he plays a strong card: he claims he can take her to Oliver Queen. That single line keeps the central mystery of the series alive for a few moments before it is (maybe) answered.

Highlights

There’s a flashback sequence done in the distinctive green-tinted, older comic-printing style the series has used before. It’s a good visual choice for a flashback even if the sequence itself isn’t one of the stronger ones in the book. We see more of Oliver Queen’s relationship to the darker activities happening around him. There’s a video of him punching Jubal Slade that comes across to the public as deliberate macho signaling, and conversations about the possibility of Ollie becoming mayor (or president) to actually make a difference. He clearly hates Hammond, but he’s still moving in those circles to some degree. This all puts Absolute Oliver Queen’s character in question.

Back in the present, Grundy proves extremely hard to put down. He keeps coming back. The fight escalates when Absolute Green Arrow joins Black Canary, and the three of them go at it in a bigger, more chaotic sequence. They’re still limited in how they can fully deal with him, which keeps the tension high and that tension certainly isn’t relieved by the final page.

The horror elements remain front and center. Grundy is covered in what look like mouths with teeth and eyes across his body — pure nightmare fuel that continues the series’ body-horror streak. The issue feels more action-oriented than some of the earlier ones, but it still delivers a few more pieces of the larger puzzle without fully resolving the biggest questions.

Final Verdict

Absolute Green Arrow #4 is a solid, more action-driven chapter. It advances the Oliver Queen mystery, gives us a better look at how deep (or not) Ollie was in the worst of the operations around him, and keeps the Solomon Grundy threat feeling genuinely dangerous. The horror vibe hasn’t gone anywhere, and the “what’s real versus what’s manipulation” atmosphere is still very much present. Honestly, a little bit like the current Strawman arc in Absolute Batman.

You’re getting more answers this time, but maybe it is just me – it seems like the series is careful not to let you feel too certain about any of them yet (or maybe that is just me). That uncertainty continues to work in its favor. It’s not the most groundbreaking issue in the run, but it’s a strong, focused entry that keeps the momentum going and leaves you curious about where the Oliver Queen threads actually lead.

Did you feel like this finally answeres the“is Oliver Queen alive?” question? Tag me on X @NostalgicNestEg!

Affiliate links are used in this post. I may earn a commission from qualifying purchases—no extra cost to you.