WARNING: The following article contains spoilers for Green Arrow #43 by Julie Benson & Shawna Benson, Javier Fernandez, John Kalisz and Deron Bennett, in stores now.
At the conclusion of the recent DC event Justice League: No Justice, Oliver Queen was entrusted with a very secret mission by Martian Manhunter. Oliver was made the sole guardian of a mysterious box -- a box that could, somehow, take out the entire Justice League, if needed. Such a responsibility is one that shouldn't be taken lightly, and Oliver Queen is the first to recognize that fact. In Green Arrow #43, the Emerald Archer recognizes that while this task was appointed to him and him alone, he should perhaps inform a successor in case the worst should happen to him. After all, he wouldn't want the box to fall into the wrong hands, or be lost forever.
For that reason, the first half of the issue is dedicated to Oliver Queen realizing that it's time to mend his relationship with Roy Harper, aka Arsenal. The two were once partners, although they eventually went their separate ways. Roy joined the Red Hood's Outlaws and Green Arrow found himself in a relationship with Black Canary. While both red and green archers are rarely on the best of terms, we see both make an effort to fight side-by-side once again... and maybe even trust each other.
RELATED: Heroes in Crisis Means A Total Shift in the DC Universe As We Know It
Oliver proves that he's ready to trust Roy more than ever by deciding to divulge the secrets of the mysterious Justice League box. But before Oliver can tell him all about it, Roy entrusts his former mentor with a secret of his own: He has checked into Sanctuary.
Sanctuary, as we now know, is the mysterious establishment at the heart of DC's next event series, Heroes in Crisis, by Tom King and Clay Mann. The series is set to explore a murder mystery that takes place inside Sanctuary, a recuperative center for superheroes suffering from the psychological drag innate to their profession. As the launch of Heroes in Crisis approaches, DC has been discreetly seeding worry as to which character may be the one to die in the series -- and which is the culprit. With Green Arrow #43, Roy Harper just became a person of interest in the upcoming event.
In the issue, we learn that Roy has checked into Sanctuary, but a big deal isn't made out of this reveal. In fact, it's almost easy to miss. The entire discussion takes place in a single panel, where Roy tells Oliver that he has been through a lot lately and that it was time for him to get some help. Before Oliver can get an answer to his question ("Wait, what's Sanctuary?"), he's interrupted by Dinah Lance and the subject is changed. This is clearly meant to add a bit more fuel to the Heroes in Crisis mystery, with Roy now jumping on the list of potential victims... as well as potential killers.
It's also interesting to note that Green Arrow, one of the main heroes of the DC Universe, isn't aware of Sanctuary yet. We still don't know much about the establishment -- its origins, roots, employees or methods -- and it appears many characters don't either. And yet, Roy knows all about it. In the coming weeks, it wouldn't be surprising to see more series drop various teases about Sanctuary to show how it's becoming known in the superhero community.
Heroes in Crisis #1 will be on sale Sept. 26 and, by then, we should find out who the victim at the center of the event really is.
KEEP READING: Batman Submits to Harley Quinn on Heroes in Crisis Cover