Batman and Green Arrow make a very good pair. Both started their hero careers as independently wealthy men with an arsenal of nifty gadgets at their disposal. (Green Arrow's alter-ego, Oliver Queen, later lost his fortune.) Both are excellent fighters who rely on skill and no super powers to fight crime.

They find themselves cooperating against a common foe in The Poison Tomorrow, a superhero team-up book that, refreshingly, avoids the old cliche of two heroes who have to pound each other for a while before realizing they're on the same side. The enemy here is Batman villain Poison Ivy, whose latest scheme and a chance encounter have left Green Arrow's girlfriend, Black Canary, on the brink of chemical-induced death. The heroes have to uncover the plot, find the villain, locate an antidote and save Canary's life -- while at the same time saving the general public from infection.

Michael Netzer's art is very good, particularly in his depictions of Green Arrow and Poison Ivy. The story, by Dennis O'Neil, is solid and stands comfortably outside any of the usual Batman, Green Arrow and Justice League monthly titles. Highly recommended.

[ by Tom Knapp ]
Rambles: 5 October 2002