Emiko Queen had an odd childhood. Raised to hate The Queen Family by one of their rivals, she was trained in the arts of the bow, only later learning of her parentage. She did not take kindly to the idea of living with her half brother, Oliver, or his efforts to force her into a normal life when all she knew was combat and conflict. He, likewise, did not approve of her efforts to follow his example as The Red Arrow.

Now, trapped beneath Star City in the massive vault established by their ancestors, both must fight for their lives and the lives of their city alongside Black Canary. Surrounded on three sides by the forces of The Ninth Circle, the assassin Shado and a vengeful Moira Queen and Malcolm Merlyn, even the 11th Hour arrival of an old ally may not be enough to get them out alive.

Even if they do escape with their lives, Oliver Queen still faces a trial on charges of murder in Star City. And while they do have an ace hidden up their sleeves to prove Oliver’s innocence, The Ninth Circle may already be onto them.

The penultimate issue of Benjamin Percy’s Green Arrow run is a bittersweet read. While I haven’t always liked the stories that Percy has told in this series, I have always admired the craft he used in telling them. We can see him starting to tidy up his toys in this issue and while there are some aspects of the plot here that reek of being rushed for the sake of closure (including the sudden and utterly awesome reveal of a classic pre-Flashpoint character), the action of the issue is still engaging.

Juan Ferreyra’s artwork is as fantastic as ever, thankfully. I regret that due to the constraints of the Internet I can’t fully show you this awesome two-page panel-spreads that are his bread and butter. Still, I’ve grown fond of Ferreyra’s style and use of color and think I will follow him wherever he winds up  when the new creative team takes over in two months. Until then, we have one more issue and The Trial Of Oliver Queen to look forward to.