Krul off Green Arrow

[Wood]

I really want to like GA but honestly the only issues I have ever enjoyed were from the Mike Grell run. I was really hoping they would go back to that.

Grell's stuff was the dope scene. And, like you Timmy, I have tried most incarnations of Green Arrow and just rarely found him an interesting character. I think part of the problem is that I'm not a Robin Hood or Errol Flynn fan, and he's basically a superhero mashup of those two concepts. The other issue is that I'm a Marvel Zombie from way back and so, for me, he's the "other" archer to Hawkeye.

[BobBretall]

Grell's stuff was the dope scene. And, like you Timmy, I have tried most incarnations of Green Arrow and just rarely found him an interesting character. I think part of the problem is that I'm not a Robin Hood or Errol Flynn fan,

That's really funny because the time the character was closest to Robin Hood was when Grell was doing it.....

    (....but I agree that Grell's has been the take on the character that I've enjoyed most)

[Wood]

That's really funny because the time the character was closest to Robin Hood was when Grell was doing it.....

    (....but I agree that Grell's has been the take on the character that I've enjoyed most)

You're right, but my only response to that is "great = great."  I'll take anything that's done really well and can look past issues I might otherwise have with it.

One thing about Longbow Hunters though...

Robin Hood was not a killer, whereas the whole "wow!" to Longbow is that Green Arrow was willing to cross that line. I loved that he was willing to make that choice, when superhero comics had for so long insisted that it could never happen as part of their code.

[TimmyWood]

that's got to be a major challenge when writing a bow and arrow character. How often can you write the scene where he pins the persons clothing to the wall behind them. it's either that or trick arrows.


I say, take him out of the city. Send him on indiana jones-esqu adventures around the world. Let's see how he reacts to exotic jungles and stuff.

that's what I would do at least. Any other way he comes off as a Jovial Batman-lite with arrows.

[DGoodhart]

Any other way he comes off as a Jovial Batman-lite with arrows.

Well, to me anyway, I don't think there's anything wrong with that, there's still a lot of fun stuff you can do with the character... 

I was surprised at just how much I did enjoy the new book, I liked the idea of re-inventing Oliver as this sort of Steve Jobs type of guy and I thought it was cool that he had his own trusted personal assistants.  I don't think there's anything at all wrong with taking him back to being this sort of lighter character and have actually found myself more excited about Green Arrow than I've been in a long time.  I'm almost sorry now that J.T. Krul is leaving the book, but after reading Keith Giffen's interview about Green Arrow today on Newsarama, I'm even more looking forward to what's planned here... (and man, it was a beautiful book, Jurgens and Perez just did a fantastic job on the art).

[Shingi_70]

I see this as a blessing and a curse.  On one hand it shoes DC is looking at feedback from the readers and going to work.  On the other books that may be good or I may enjoy such as mister terrific and I avmpire may be canceled due to low sales and DC may take it as helping readers.

[rook187]

I kind of applaud this because at least they are willing to make changes if they feel its not working but also you have to question the decision making/makers when hiring some of these writers if its clearly not working early then this has to be looked at as a bad choice for that book in the first place.

Wonder if its not working on Green Lantern if the writer will get taken off that book  

Or Hawk and Dove? 

[petrorabbit]

I adore the mike grell run, I thout they would do something in that vein

[Jim B.]

New GA writer, Part Deux.

It's Ann Nocenti, best known for a killer run on Daredevil post-Frank Miller.  Color me surprised... and intrigued.

[DGoodhart]

Not quite as excited as I was when it was Keith Giffen... we shall have to see, though it will help if the art team stays the same.

[InspectorSpacetime]

need to bump grills run up my regina. krul has done nothing good with GA in 2 years and 2 volumes of GA, but when you fumble a character after a relaunch you dig a grave for other writers and the future of GA.


Leave character better than you found them, or at least as you found them.

[BobBretall]

New GA writer, Part Deux.

It's Ann Nocenti, best known for a killer run on Daredevil post-Frank Miller.  Color me surprised... and intrigued.

I have zero interest in jumping onto DC books that I dropped after the relaunch when they switch up creative teams.  They lost me.

If I hear REALLY stellar reviews, I'll go looking for the stuff down the road.

[valance_the_hunter]

Anne always had an adept hand at inserting societal issues into her comics without coming off preachy or phony.  I'm excited.

[legion of daves]

i think nocenti is a great fit for a title like GA.

[JohnBoman]

You're right, but my only response to that is "great = great."  I'll take anything that's done really well and can look past issues I might otherwise have with it.

One thing about Longbow Hunters though...

Robin Hood was not a killer, whereas the whole "wow!" to Longbow is that Green Arrow was willing to cross that line. I loved that he was willing to make that choice, when superhero comics had for so long insisted that it could never happen as part of their code.

Why haven't DC republished any of this run (other than a Long Bow Hunters trade)? One of the best runs of 80's comics in my opinion 

[Dean S.]

If I hear REALLY stellar reviews, I'll go looking for the stuff down the road.

Ya know....this kinda illustrates how much content they're pumping out right now.  It's soooo easy to have 80 titles on your pull list and have them all be pretty good.  And you know there are other comics out there that are also pretty good....you just don't have time to read them.  That's kinda how I feel about most of the DC relaunch.  It isn't that I hate DC or anything, but my comic life is pretty happily full without much DC in it and I don't feel like dropping other stuff to make room.

Anyhow....about Nocenti.  She's a pretty good writer, so this is promising.  It does make you wonder why they gave JT Krul the series in the first place.  His last run on GA wasn't setting the world on fire and they clearly had him on a very short leash, so why let him taint the relaunch in the first place? 

[Kenney]

Ya know....this kinda illustrates how much content they're pumping out right now.  It's soooo easy to have 80 titles on your pull list and have them all be pretty good.  And you know there are other comics out there that are also pretty good....you just don't have time to read them.  That's kinda how I feel about most of the DC relaunch.  It isn't that I hate DC or anything, but my comic life is pretty happily full without much DC in it and I don't feel like dropping other stuff to make room.

I was just thinking about this. I think it's easy right now to only read good to great comics. When you consider all of the great stuff that comes out month to month, and then add all of the old great comics you haven't read yet, there really is no reason to settle for the "just ok" books. Granted, you don't know how a book is going to be until you read it, but when you have a pretty good idea, why waste your time?

[JasonF]

Not quite as excited as I was when it was Keith Giffen... we shall have to see, though it will help if the art team stays the same.

The exact opposite for me.  I've certainly enjoyed plenty of Giffen's work in the past, so no knock on him, but Nocenti is one of the most under-rated writers of the past 30 years.  This is now going on my pull list.

[Dean S.]

Granted, you don't know how a book is going to be until you read it, but when you have a pretty good idea, why waste your time?

Not to hijack the tread, but that's one of the best things about digital.  There is no more scarcity because you can always download the comic later.  So, you can read comics you really want to read now and if, when you're finished with those comics, all the EOC guys are raving about Green Arrow, you can go give it a try without mail ordering or visiting multiple LCSs to get the issues.

[Felt Martin]

The exact opposite for me.  I've certainly enjoyed plenty of Giffen's work in the past, so no knock on him, but Nocenti is one of the most under-rated writers of the past 30 years.  This is now going on my pull list.

Me too.
I've never bought a Green Arrow comic in my life but I will now.
Ann Nocenti's Daredevil run is one of the most scandalously overlooked runs I can think of.