Friday, April 3, 2020

Retro Review: Green Arrow Year One #1 Review (2007)


Long Bow

Written by: Andy Diggle
Art by: Jock, David Baron, and Jared K. Fletcher
Cover Price: $2.99
Release Date: August 22, 2007

I have really enjoyed the various Year One stories that I have read so far, but this one kind of just popped up at me and here I am reviewing it.  Yep, I was going through a bunch of Green Arrow stuff and just figured I would read a few pages and get on with other things, but suddenly I was done the first issue in what felt like seconds.  That kind of is a hint that I really enjoyed it, but here is a review for it anyways...

The issue opens with Ollie and his buddy, Hackett, at the North Pole looking for a challenge.  Actually, it's Oliver who is all about the challenge, while Hackett is his tough, British guide being paid to help Oliver risk his life.  After saving Ollie, Hackett does wonder why the hell he even bothers, but Oliver reminds him it's all about the benjamins.  Oh Ollie, if you only knew the whole story!

We move quickly to a charity event in Star City where Oliver is drunk, looking for some female companions and is drunk.  Did I already mention he was drunk?  Well, he is REALLY drunk!!!  He ends up bidding on and winning the bow of Howard Hill, the guy who did all of Erol Flynn's trick shots and then acting like a complete and total ass much to the amusement of nobody.

While this is going on, Hackett tells Ollie about a deal he is going to make with China White in Fiji and since Oliver is now the laughing stock of Star City, he demands to go along.  Hacket wants no parts of it, but Ollie insists.  At this point, if you weren't suspecting that Hackett was up to no good, the look he gives Ollie will spell it out for sure.



The trip starts out okay...Ollie shooting arrows off the back of the boat and telling the story of actually meeting Howard Hill...then things go wrong.  Hackett makes his villain reveal and admits he is embezzling Ollie's money, but can't pull the trigger on his friend.  So, a fight breaks out on the yacht and Hackett knocks Ollie out and throws him overboard instead of putting a bullet (or two as China White tells him via radio)  in his brain.  We all know what this is the start of and I loved it so much!



This is a really quick read and there is nothing at all shocking about what happens if you know even a little about Green Arrow.  That doesn't stop it from being awesome!  Jock's art is fantastic, with big panels that focus on the characters and the action at hand.  This first issue is all about setting up the spoiled Oliver Queen who can't seem to find his way in life and it has one of the best lines I've read in a Green Arrow book when Hackett tells Oliver, "You're not Robin Hood, you're Peter Pan".  Epic Burn!  The only thing I can complain about is this first issue went by so quick and really only had three scenes.  That's a minor nitpick, though, since it left me wanting to read the next issue immediately.

Bits and Pieces:

Green Arrow Year One #1 is such a quick read that I had to make sure it was a complete issue.  Andy Diggle sets up the spoiled Oliver Queen heading for a fall really well and Jock's art is fantastic.  Even going in knowing what was bound to happen, I was still on the edge of my seat and can't wait to read the next issue.  Highly Recommended!

9.5/10


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