Warning: spoilers ahead for Let Them Live!: Unpublished Tales from the DC Vault #5!
In a new comic, Green Arrow just became DC's version of John Wick. Let Them Live!: Unpublished Tales from the DC Vault #5 focuses on Green Arrow in a fight against Clock King. Through the issue, Green Arrow takes the journey from trapped hero purely surviving to taking control in aggressive, uncharacteristic ways.
Let Them Live!: Unpublished Tales from the DC Vault - a digital-first series on DC Universe Infinite - is a comic that provides new, random stories about an assortment of DC characters. Written by Elliott Kalan with art by Mike Norton, the first four issues have focused on the Suicide Squad, Nightwing, Batman, and The Flash (Wallace West). Now, Green Arrow is in the spotlight and he's about to give in to his dark side just a little bit - but as usual with the character, it is for a reason. The John Wick franchise kicked off in 2014, with the release of the first film, in which a retired assassin engages in a violent personal vendetta - following the trashing of his house and the murder of his beloved dog. In this issue, Green Arrow has his own John Wick moment.
This issue features the story "Time's Arrow" written by Alex Grecian with art by Jorge Fornes. Green Arrow faces off against Clock King, who traps the archer in a replica dimension parallel to reality. The alternate dimension is limited in area, condensing as time goes by. It's also cold, forcing Oliver Queen to survive the elements while trying to find a way home. While in this parallel dimension, he comes across a dog which was formerly Clock King's, and is therefore aptly named Watchdog. Ollie adopts her and tries to find a peaceful way home - until Clock King forces his hand in a different direction.
Clock King returns with plans to kill Green Arrow before the hero succeeds in finding a way home. By this point, Watchdog is attached to Oliver and attacks Clock King in defense of the hero. Fans of the John Wick franchise are familiar with what happens when a beloved pet of a trained individual is killed in cold blood. This is something that Clock King must not be aware of, as he kills Watchdog, angry that she turns against him - her original owner. Luckily for him, Oliver Queen is a hero through and through, with a code, only killing people when it is the only option left.
Initially, Green Arrow only intends to find a way to leave, without stranding Clock King and basically leaving him for dead. Once Watchdog dies, Oliver snaps. He shoots off Clock King's watch, uses it to return home, and leaves the villain stuck in a diminishing prison of his own creation. He plans to return for his adversary eventually, but this issue reveals that his limits for villainous behavior stretch not only to his human companions, but furry companions he gains - even if only for a brief time.
Like John Wick and his canine companion, Watchdog means something to the hero - staying by Green Arrow's side at a time when he's alone. This issue should definitely earn her a rank amongst other heroic animal companions in comics. Companions are sources of comfort in the darkest times and killing a man's dog is like writing a death sentence. Clock King is fortunate that Ollie keeps to a heroic code of conduct, taking the high road to try and teach others valuable lessons. Otherwise, his life would be forfeit at Green Arrow's hands, just like the lives of the villains who killed John Wick's dog.