Green Arrow

GREEN ARROW: THE WONDER YEAR:

When Dick Giordano brought Mike Gold over to DC from First Comics, it was with the understanding that Gold would bring talent with him just as Giordano would bring talent from Charleton when Carmine Infantino recruited him. One such talent was Mike Grell. The first project assigned to Grell was a new Green Arrow series (inked by Dick Giordano no less!).. After it had proven to be a success, Grell set about updating Green Arrow's origin in the style of Frank Miller's Batman: Year One.

In the first issue editorial, Mike Gold sets out exactly why 1972 was established to be "The Wonder Year." At the time, Green Arrow, in his mid-40s, was know to have been about "the oldest fart in comics." I was not yet 30 at the time, and that sounded pretty old to me. The plot script and layouts were Grell's, and the inks were Grey Morrow's. They just don't make comics like this anymore (they made damn few of them at the time), and I honestly don't expect anyone will ever make superhero comics this good again. 

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  • LEGENDS OF THE DCU: "PEACEMAKERS":

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    "Peacemakers" (Legends of the DC Universe #7-9) details the previously untold first meeting of Green Lantern and Green Arrow. It is written by Denny O'Neil, drawn by Greg Land and inked by Dick Giodano. The action is set in the fictional Far Eastern country of Minglia. The Miglian government is friendly to the United States, the rebels are not. Hal Jordan is there to deliver a jet sold to the government by Ferris Aircraft. Oliver Queen is there to investigate some rebel thefts of Queen Industries property. Green Lantern sides with the official government, Green Arrow with the rebels.

    While living with the rebels, Oliver Queen teaches a young boy to shoot a bow. There is also a monk, Than, who is trusted by both the rebels and the government. During an attack made on the village by government forces, a young missionary Oliver was sweet on stepped on a land mine manufactured by Queen Industries' munitions department and is killed. Later, the boy Oliver trained attempts to assassinate the monk. GL and GA pursue him, but when they return they find that Than dead of a bullet wound, shot through the heart by Minglia's leader.

    Back in the states, Oliver Queen sells his company and he and Hal become friends.

  • LOTDK #127-131: "The Arrow and the Bat":

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    "The Arrow and the Bat" is the follow-up to "Peacemakers" and tells the previously untold story of the first meeting of Batman and Green Arrow. It is written by Denny O'Neil and drawn by Sergio Cariello, whose style looks like a cross between Norm Breyfogle's and Mike Zeck's. Hugh Fleming painted all five covers, as he painted all three of "Peacemakers." The story takes place three months after the Legends of the DCU one, which coincides with Batman's second year. In "The Wonder Year," Oliver Queen wore a false beard and mustache as Green Arrow, but in the latter two he goes clean-shaven. 

    The threat this time comes from the country of Dhabar, which has acquired an illegal defoliant from someone working from within Wayne Enterprises and Oliver Queen's former company. Skave, the Prime Minister of Dhabar, has placed a young boy on the throne by faking a prophecy. Green Arrow encounters a superior archer and loses his confidence. There is a plot thread left dangling at the end I'm not sure was ever resolved. 

    NEXT: I don't know. I might go to the Golden Age Green Arrow omnibus or The Longbow Hunters omnibus. the stories I've chosen so far seem to point to the latter, but I want to return to my "Green Lantern" discussion first. 

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