Absolute Green Arrow #6 Review – Exposition Explains It All

Absolute Green Arrow #6 (DC Comics, 10/21/26): Writer Pornsak Pichetshote & artist Rafael Albuquerque unmask the second Green Arrow, charting a course for justice and revenge. The last issue in the arc wraps up all the loose threads with tons of exposition. Whether it satisfies or not depends on you. Verdict: A complete but weak ending.

• Writer: Pornsak Pichetshote
• Artist: Rafael Albuquerque
• Colorist: Marcelo Maiolo
• Letterer: Jeff Powell
• Cover Artist: Rafael Albuquerque (cover A)
• Publisher: DC Comics
• Release Date: October 21, 2026
• Comic Rating: Teen
• Cover Price: $4.99
• Page Count: XXXX
• Format: XXXX

Covers:

Analysis of Absolute Green Arrow #6:

First Impressions:

Going into Absolute Green Arrow #6, I was super curious about how DC could explain the existence of a second Weapon and tie up all the loose threads. Well, they did it the only way they could – by telling you instead of showing you.

Recap:

In Absolute Green Arrow #5, Dinah and the one-handed Weapon were held captive in a Jubal Island lab, where Hammond arrived to unmask the emerald archer as Malcolm Merlyn, who revealed that he had taken up Oliver Queen’s mantle after his nephew was kidnapped and experimented on by Jubal. As Hammond ordered Grundy to kill Dinah and Merlyn, Roy burst in to start a battle that left Merlyn dead, Hammond escaping, Roy’s fate uncertain, and Grundy fighting the mutated Hallaway. The issue ended with a second Green Arrow arriving on the scene, leaving Dinah’s mysterious connection to Merlyn’s unnamed partner as another unanswered question.

Plot Analysis (SPOILERS):

The issue begins with the second Weapon lamenting the death of his mentor, Malcolm Merlyn. Who is the second Weapon? It’s Connor Hawke. He tells Dinah that he was the one who stole Garcia’s body as proof to force Oliver Queen’s hand and take up arms against Hammond and the Zytles. All of this is revealed with a little flashback and a LOT of exposition.

Suddenly, a wounded Grundy attacks Dinah and Connor. Dinah uses a well-placed Helium tank and a flaming arrow shot to blow up the zombie. Just when they think they’re safe, Hammond’s mercenaries charge in with blazing guns. In her rage, Dinah lets loose a canary cry (somehow) to blow the mercenaries away.

Later, Dinah meets with Roy and Mia to understand how they were helping Connor the whole time. They explain their involvement with even more exposition, peppering in heaps of pontification about the rich never being held accountable. Later still, Dinah visits Hector Hammond at home with an offer. She has the proof to expose him, but she’s willing to advocate for witness protection if he exposes his network and the Zytles. Hammond refuses, and later hangs himself.

The issue ends with all parties gathering in a hospital room to plan their next move, even as Green Arrow’s name is spreading among the press and social media as synonymous with ‘murder’.

How is the story in Absolute Green Arrow #6?

Oof! If you were struggling with this series for its heavy-handed, ripped-from-the-headlines plot points and bizarre focus on Dinah as the main character, Pornsak Pichetshote’s tell-don’t-show script knocks the enjoyment factor down even further. The net effect is a script that reads like there was too much story to tell and not enough pages to tell it, which is odd since DC has already announced that the miniseries has been extended.

Furthermore, when did Dinah get her superpowers? It’s never explained, and it simply manifests out of nowhere. This is really lazy work by Pichetshote.

How is the art in Absolute Green Arrow #6?

Rafael Albuquerque’s art is fairly solid, making great use of noir shadows and high contrast to convey mood and drama. Albuquerque’s habit of drawing misshapen or distorted faces rears its ugly head (no pun intended) in this issue, but it’s not so noticeable that you’ll be completely pulled out.

Characters

Dinah is still the central figure in this issue, which is generally odd, as she moves from one scene to the next for side characters to explain how everything happened. That said, Connor takes the second position as the driving force for murderous justice behind the scenes, which creates an ethical dilemma, as Pichetshote essentially uses Connor as a Luigi Mangione stand-in.

Originality & Concept Execution

It’s tough to tell if this issue is original or not because so much is going on that happens off-panel. Plus, an excessive dose of modern, real-world events thrown in for good measure almost makes the issue read like a Wikipedia page of 2020s-era news reports. Can you say the story is original if half of the plot points are copy/pasted from real life? Probably not.

Pros and Cons

What We Loved

• The mysteries are resolved (sort of)
• Actions have consequences (sort of)
• The art is good (sort of)

Room for Improvement

• The issue is almost all tell and very little show
• Ripped-from-the-headlines insertions are excessive
• Dinah gets powers with no explanation

Art Samples:

The Scorecard:

Writing Quality (Clarity & Pacing): 1.5/4
Art Quality (Execution & Synergy): 3/4
Value (Originality & Entertainment): 0.5/2

Final Thoughts:

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Absolute Green Arrow #6 brings the first arc to a close when Dinah gets an earful from every side character about what happened. Pornsak Pichetshote’s conclusion to the first arc is rushed and lazy. Thankfully, Rafael Albuquerque’s dramatic art saves the day (almost).

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