What is “Arcadia”? It is something that brings together three of DC’s most infamous vigilantes. Bruce Wayne. Oliver Queen. Vic Sage. Each have their own unique way to fight crime. Some more “quirky” than others. All don’t really play well with others.
How long can these three work together? Better yet, do they even want to?
BATMAN/GREEN ARROW/THE QUESTION: ARCADIA #1 by Gabriel Hardman, Romulo Fajardo Jr. & Simon Bowland welcomes the three into a gritty Black Label tale for the ages.
Let’s take a deeper dive into what unfolds here.
BATMAN/GREEN ARROW/THE QUESTION: ARCADIA #1 by Gabriel Hardman, Romulo Fajardo Jr. & Simon Bowland (DC Comics)
*** POSSIBLE SPOILER WARNING ***
Combining all 3 of these vigilantes can be difficult, especially dealing with Sage. Hardman instantly adds in the gritty aura of the Question to kick things off. Sage’s ever-growing paranoia blends in with his current investigation. It leads the way to have the other two leads slowly added into the mix. This works better for Queen, who’s brash persona instantly causes drama. Once Sage contacts Queen, the story really picks up steam.
Readers watch as all key players get caught up in the mystery of Arcadia. There’s a fair share of brooding mystery as an attack in Belize w/ Batman harbors more than it lets on. Sage’s path takes a more darker twist as he and Queen start their mission. Hardman takes full advantage of the Black Label banner to present this story. Each character gets enough page time to build their cases. Once at the final act, themes get tighter as all roads appear to come into one. It’s a refreshing spin on the character’s and their visions of truth.
Hardman is pulling double duty for this saga with art duties. The Question’s bleek outlook comes into light with grizzled coloring. Fajardo Jr. gives this story a very dated look to a throwback time. If it was anything else, the visuals just wouldn’t work here. From Queen’s night out to Batman dealing with some young upstarts, the imagery connects to how tough this take is going to be.
As the globe-trotting begins, the art brings out different looks of each lead. Wayne leans heavy into his billionaire persona. This switches into Dark Knight mode to thwart an attack. Each look tracks to compile Batman’s status as a wild-card. This shines in the aftermath of stopping the uprising strike.
Sage’s situation is more complex. Readers see the seedy world he steps in for answers. This results in a dire outcome. Queen walks in-between both worlds for his portion. Once at the end, he embraces his alter ego in search of the truth. The final page shows Queen might have some issues in achieving goal. Suffice to say, a first impression was made here.
FINAL GRADE: 9
Merging a gritty view of a starling conspiracy with three classic heroes equals a promising new tale. Hardman hits the key aspects of his leads while presenting the visuals in spectacular fashion. Expectations are high for this saga via a strong first impression.
Let me know your thoughts on BATMAN/GREEN ARROW/THE QUESTION: ARCADIA #1 in the comments below. Thanks for reading!