Who's This? The Emerald Archer.
The facts: Gradually, the Golden Age Green Arrow morphs into the Silver Age model, getting that trademark desert island origin and joining the Justice League of America (with issue #4, May 1961), interacting with other heroes and cementing the "change" that Who's Who actually places on Adventure Comics #250 (July 1958) when Jack Kirby starts on the strip. But it's not until he's revamped by Neil Adams and Denny O'Neil in The Brave and the Bold #85 (Aug-Sep 1969) - visually and attitudinally - that the Oliver Queen we know today is born. He soon loses his fortune and becomes an advocate for left-wing issues. Not for nothing, but Black Canary becomes his love interest around this time. In the early 70s, he starts to share Green Lantern's book in a run by the same two creators that put "relevant" comics on the map (at least at DC). From there, he becomes a back-up star in The Flash, Action Comics, Detective Comics and World's Finest (with a brief return as Green Lantern's partner, but without the social themes). It isn't until 1983 (!) that G.A. gets his own series, or rather, mini-series. After Crisis, the adult-coded The Longbow Hunters prestige mini is released by Mike Grell, and this gritty take is a hit that launches his first monthly. It will last 139 issues (1988-1998), though Ollie bows out before the end, seemingly killed and replaced by his son Connor Hawke. He's back in 2001 with a new title (75 issues from '01 to '07), and then another (15 issues, 2010-2011). The New52 reboots Green Arrow, beardless at first but progressively more like the G.A. we know (52 issues, 2011-2016). He goes back to #1 with Rebirth (50 issues, 2016-2019), and then again with Dawn of DC (still going after a year and a half). Starting as the "guy everyone teams up with", he's become the central character of a large family of archery-related characters and a key figure in the DCU.
How you could have heard of him: Most recently, Green Arrow was instrumental in taking Waller down in Absolute Power, but the normies will know him as a TV star. Arrow wasn't just a long-running program, but launched a bunch of other CW superhero shows, collectively known as the "Arrowverse".
Example story: Green Arrow #2 (June 1983) "A Slight Case of Vertigo..!" by Mike W. Barr, Trevor von Eeden and Dick Giordano
Granted, Trevor von Eeden's art can get pretty abstract, but his work on the Green Arrow mini-series is gorgeous. We start this particular chapter with Ollie the C.E.O. (he just inherited a corporation again), distracted from business by superhero concerns. But some of this biz stuff is important too!
That bleeding heart of his immediately goes to deceased, and of course to whether this old friend was the victim of foul play. This is a Mike Barr comic, there's bound to be a mystery afoot! Especially if our hero is going to run through the various family members/suspects AND likely be their next victim as the unworthy inheritor of the woman's money and controlling interest in the family company. Indeed, in the previous issue, an arsonist tried to have Oliver Queen die in a fire. It's kind of time for a more superhuman assassin to try his hand (see cover and title). But Green Arrow plans to be ready for whatever, and it's a rather paranoid Ollie who checks his car for bombs, his phone for taps, and builds some new trick arrows from his huge new apartment.
Hardly worth putting the foam pellet on a shaft, is it, Ollie? Going through files on Abby's murder, G.A. discovers the tantalizing detail that she was found clutching her wedding ring rather than wearing it. But before he can get much further, he's caught be a cop and they have a bit of a shoot-out. I don't think you can outshoot Green Arrow, though.
Over the next couple of days, Ollie tells each of the suspects that he knows who killed Abby - he's lying - to lure the killer out into the open. All he gets for his trouble is the family's lawyer making threats so he stops disturbing the poor grieving rich kids. Although some in the grieving party WANT him to keep digging and/or reveal the killer. He's got to parse all this. Another attempt on his life shows us his quick-change skills...
You gotta admit this is impressive. Green Arrow's costume is fairly complex. The assassin is one of the suspects, but he may not have been working alone, because next thing you know, he's Vertigoed into falling off a cliff. Normally, Green Arrow would be able to get to him in time, but his world's gone topsy-turvy too. He had to kill the assassin before he revealed too much. And now G.A. is in a world of nauseating illusion where his skills are useless!
But there has to be a trick arrow for every situation, right? Meet the feedback arrow:
It follows the signals from Vertigo's ear piece and reversed them on the Count. G.A. then walks up to him and punches him out. And we're off to check out clues left by the assassin because there are two issues to go!
It's a neat little story that returns Green Arrow to his Batman-cloned roots - C.E.O. of a company and detective - but the contrast is set to High. Unlike Bruce Wayne, he's completely discombobulated in the corporate environment, and he has to resort to long shots and desperate maneuvers to solve the mystery. The sometimes-overwhelming passion that's been key to the character since his O'Neil-Adams revamp is still there, and in many ways, dictating his actions. And plenty of trick arrows! See, that's why I never really connected to the Mike Grell series.
Who's Next? A hero afraid of wood.
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