Slasher Green Arrow? 'Absolute Green Arrow' creative team interview

This week on the AIPT Comics Podcast, we’ve got a full-length interview with Pornsak Pichetshote and Rafael Albuquerque all about Absolute Green Arrow, their bold new take that turns Oliver Queen into something far more dangerous. It’s a deep dive into the horror influences, the mystery at the heart of the story, and how the duo is reshaping one of DC’s most iconic heroes. Visit our Patreon page to see the various tiers you can sign up for today to get in on the ground floor of AIPT Patreon. We hope to see you chatting with us on our Discord soon! NEWS ‘DNX’ pits X-Men and Fantastic Four against a virus in 5-issue event, with new blind bags revealed Marvel’s 'Queen in Black' gets new blind bag covers and bizarre Venomworld Bouncers Rocket Raccoon gets 50th anniversary special 'Rocket Rewind' #1 for July Marvel adds even more Doctor Doom to release slate with 'Challenges of Doom' starting July 2026 Spider-Man and Punisher’s first team-up goes off the rails in new series in time for 'Brand New Day' Marvel layoffs! Dark Horse brings Marvel Comics villains into focus with new 'Most Villainous' collections Dark Horse announced even more Marvel Comics horror collections: The Best of Marvel's Vampire Tales Mike Mignola returns to Hellboy Universe with 'The Foundry: In Peril on the Seas' #1 this August Ring Magazine and Dark Horse launch boxing comic series 'The Man Who Beat The Man' by Gail Simone DC Comics solicits July 2026 A hidden traitor and a war from the deep threaten to tear ‘Dark Knights of Steel II’ apart Lono returns as '100 Bullets' enters its most dangerous chapter yet with 'The US of Anger' #1 DC releases even more 'Absolute Batman' #19 covers with official Absolute Robin designs First look: DC reveals The Art of Supergirl book bridging comics and the upcoming film DC unveils noir horror 'Clayface: Celebrity Dirt' focused on Basil Karlo out July 98th Meet the New Jersey killer who was supposed to be a star in ‘Exquisite Corpses: Rascal Randy’ #1 Dynamite sets July 22th for 'Buffy the Vampire Slayer' return Our Top Books of the Week: Dave: Absolute Batman #19 (Scott Snyder, Nick Dragotta) Alias: Red Band #2 (Sam Humphries, Geraldo Borges) Alex:​​ Fireborn #1 (Curt Pires, Franklin Jonas, Patrick Mulholland) The Thing on the Doorstep (Simon Birks, Willi Roberts) Standout KAPOW moment of the week: Alex: Magik & Colossus (Ashley Allen, German Peralta) Dave: Lobo #2 (Jorge Corona, Skottie Young) TOP BOOKS FOR NEXT WEEK Alex: In Your Skin #1 (Aditya Bidikar, SOM) & Absolute WW #19 (Thompson, Sherman) Dave: The Amazing Spider-Man #27 (Joe Kelly and Friends) & Spider-Man/Superman #1 (Various) JUDGING BY THE COVER JR. Dave: Marc Spector: Moon Knight #3 (Ryan Stegman) Alex: Sorcerer Supreme #5 1:25 Mingyi Gan Variant Interview: PORNSAK PICHETSHOTE and RAFAEL ALBUQUERQUE - Out May 20 - (FOC April 27)  For Pornsak Pichetshote: This book leans hard into urban horror and murder mystery. What drew you to reimagining Green Arrow through that lens rather than a more traditional superhero approach? For Rafael Albuquerque: The visuals carry a lot of mood and unease. How did you approach designing a version of this world that feels grounded but still heightened enough for horror? Trick arrows, yes or no? For Pornsak: Dinah Lance is effectively our entry point into this mystery. What made her the right character to lead the story instead of Oliver himself? For Rafael: This series deals with violence in a more unsettling, investigative way. How do you balance making those moments impactful without overwhelming the reader? For Pornsak: The suspect list of archers is a clever way to tap into DC history. How did you decide which characters to include, and how do you make each feel distinct within the mystery? For both: This series is arriving after several Absolute titles have already established the tone and expectations of the line. How did you think about fitting into that larger world while still carving out your own identity? For Pornsak: There’s a question at the heart of issue #2 about whether the killer is something to stop or understand. How important is moral ambiguity to this version of Green Arrow? For Rafael: Oliver Queen’s presence looms large even in death. How did you approach visual storytelling around a character who is central but not always physically there? Fun question for both: If you had to survive in this world and pick one DC archer to have your back, who are you choosing… and who are you absolutely avoiding?