Green Arrow - Why Oliver Queen is the best Superhero.

 "Armed with only his bow and quiver, Oliver Queen has been targeting the criminals of the DC Universe for 75 years as the Green Arrow." - Beginning of back cover blurb on the collection Green Arrow: A Celebration of 75 Years.

"A thrilling reimagining of Oliver Queen's beginnings as Green Arrow." - CBR review on back cover of Green Arrow: Year One

"Green Arrow is one of the most inviting and well done comics of the bunch." - USA Today review on front cover of  Green Arrow: The Midas Touch Vol. 1 

"Delightful and quirky" - Nerdist review on back cover of Green Arrow Vol. 1 The Death and Life of Oliver Queen 

"One of DC's best ongoing titles." - IGN review on front cover of Green Arrow Vol. 2: Island of Scars

"A heroic future forged by a tortured past." - A tagline for Arrow Season 1

"His city burns. Will he fight fire with fire?" - A tagline for Arrow Season 2

"Those closest to you can hurt you the most." - A tagline for Arrow Season 3

"It's darkest before the doom." - A tagline for Arrow Season 4

"His fight. His city. His legacy." - A tagline for Arrow Season 5

"Mayor. Hero. Father. The Green Arrow's hands are full." - A tagline for Arrow Season 6

"Revelation and Repentance." - A tagline for Season 7

"Heroes fall. Legends rise." - A tagline for Season 8

I finished rewatching all 8 seasons of Arrow, not long ago. Don't ask how many times this makes, because I can't answer that. No, seriously, I can't answer that because I have no idea. It's been a lot. This superhero has been my favorite since I was 6 years old. 

Green Arrow was my introduction into the world of comic books and superheroes. I was 6 years old and my grandmother had taken me to Woolworth's in Eastland Mall. I know! What a throwback for all the Gen Xers out there. Anyway, Grandma was looking for something - I don't remember what. She told me I could wait for her at the candy counter at the front of the store. Remember kids, this was 1983 and it was nothing for a 6 year old to not have to stick to their guardians side. Just one of the many reasons we are called the feral generation. 

When Grandma came to find me, I was not looking at the candy. Even at that young age, I was not your typical kid. The metal spinning magazine rack at the end of the counter had caught my eye. More specifically, the cover of a comic book with a guy dressed in a green hooded costume, aiming a bow and arrow. I just had to have it. 

I begged Grandma to buy it for me and she did. Firmly pulling me into and cementing my place in the world of DC, comic books, superheroes, and the wonderful world of being a geek. So, thank you Grandma! For years, I collected the comic books. As I got older, I went down a darker path of rebelling and being a wild child and my love of comic books got left behind, as I found less healthy vices. But anytime the subject of Superheroes came up, I always insisted that Green Arrow was the best of them all. 

Sometime in 2011, I heard that they were going to make a tv show based on Oliver Queen and Green Arrow. I was both excited and nervous. Excited because my superhero was finally getting the recognition he had long been denied. Nervous because this was a big deal. It was going to take a very special actor to bring Ollie to life and a very special team to bring his story to the screen. And to do it right. All I could think, during the lead up to the premiere of the Pilot, was these people better not mess this up. 

They did not. 

Casting Stephen Amell as Oliver was pure genius. He embodied everything that made Oliver special and made Green Arrow the ultimate vigilante. 

"I'm the original Vigilante." 

Oliver says this to Barry Allen in the 2nd part of the Elseworlds crossover in Season 7. The two of them go to Gotham City - along with Kara Danvers - looking for answers to what is going on. When the question of whether or not Batman is an urban legend, in the Arrowverse, arises, Barry insists he is real. This is Oliver's response. And I agree, wholeheartedly. I have always said that Batman is overrated. I never understood why DC chose to focus on him as their main hero. But, then, there has always been a rivalry between the Green Arrow and Batman fandoms. 

Back to the show - from the very first episode, I loved it. It was dark and gritty and suspenseful. Amell played Ollie with just the right amount of brooding and angst. Though the show played it fast and loose with some of the Green Arrow lore - i.e. the Arrow/Canary romance and the history of Roy Harper - the changes didn't bother me. Berlanti and Guggenheim handled the stories well and they made the changes work. Katie Cassidy and Colton Haynes - who played Canary and Roy, respectively - took the new storylines and ran with them. Colton played Harper so well, that he quickly became one of my favorite characters on the show. 

But then, I know enough about the business that I went into watching the show with the expectation that this was NOT going to be a verbatim telling of the comic books. I fully expected changes and new storylines. This was no different than a book to movie adaption. 

The addition of John Diggle as Ollie's best friend and Felicity Smoak as Ollie's love interest were interesting moves that worked out well. In my opinion, anyway. Of course, there is a lot of debate in the fandom about Felicity. There are those of us that accepted her and her romance with Oliver, and enjoyed it. And there are those that remain vehemently opposed to Felicity and her role in Oliver's life. Like any fandom, the Arrow one is quite outspoken and opinionated. Though nowhere near as toxic as the Supernatural and Teen Wolf fandoms. John is rather popular in the fandom, though. As he should be. David Ramsey did a phenomenal job with the role and made John a true part of the GA family. As far as I'm concerned, Emily Bett did the same with Felicity. 

Thanks to the superb casting and writing, the entire show was magnificent. I include the not-so-great storylines in this because they gave us these amazing characters and story arcs and set future storylines for the entire Arrowverse into motion. I enjoy every single season. Even Season 4 - which is considered, by most of the fandom, to be the weakest season. 

Season 8 is a masterpiece, though. Many times, Stephen and Greg and Marc and everyone else involved has referred to it as a love letter to the fans. And it truly is. Each episode is a tribute to its corresponding season. Episode 8 is a tribute and love letter to Oliver Queen and Stephen Amell. It is well crafted and so so beautiful. It even makes this jaded girl get all teary eyed. 

Arrow is one of the few shows that brought on a new team and even a younger generation and I did not hate either. Adding Curtis, Rene, and Dinah to the team just gave Oliver more people to play off of. And the next generation gave us hope that the Arrowverse will continue in some Alternate Universe. Since the CW was foolish enough to not pick up The Canaries spinoff. But for 2 seasons, we got to watch Mia, William, Connor, Zoe, and JJ tell their story and let us know that Star City would remain in good hands. In the end of the series special 'Hitting the Bullseye', Colton says that he loves the kids. I agree 100%. 

So, what is it about this hero - this vigilante - that spoke to me at the tender age of 6? And continues to speak to me, all these years later? What makes him so special that I got a tattoo to honor him? Well, there are several answers. 

Oliver is unconventional, brash, sassy, and sarcastic - all qualities that I have had most of my life. He is simple in that he only needs his bow & arrow and motorcycle to get the job done. He doesn't need fancy gadgets or tricked out vehicles to prove that he is capable - well, not since the 70's, anyway. Once becoming the Green Arrow, he never felt the need to show off that he came from money. Ollie is real and down to earth, yet vicious and thorough. To me, he has always been the ultimate badass of both the comic books and the screens. 

Though the show may now be over - as well the entire Arrowverse - Oliver and the Green Arrow lives on in the comic books. There are even ones based off the show, now. He lives on in the DVD's and Blu-Ray's and on streaming. And in the hearts of the Green Arrow fandom. 

As they say in Season 8 'For Oliver!'

Ollie has not made an appearance on the big screen, yet. As a diehard fan, I continue to hold onto the belief that he will, soon enough. Maybe that will be one of the first movies I get to write. Maybe I will get to be the one to bring this enigma to the silver screen where he should be. How great would that be?! 

I know exactly who I would cast as Ollie. There is only one movie actor that could give justice to a big screen Ollie in the same way that Amell gave justice to our small screen Ollie. If you know me at all, you know exactly where I am going with this. 

Dylan O'Brien just screams Oliver Queen/Green Arrow. He has the build, the skill, the sass, the sarcasm, the talent, and the looks. Oh yeah, he is the perfect Oliver Queen! 

And on that thought, let me end this blog and go brainstorm movie ideas... 

Originally posted on August 29, 2023

UPDATE - Nothing really new to update on this one. Oliver/Green Arrow is still the best superhero of all time. DC is still crazy for not giving him more attention and affection. And I am still holding out hope for a big screen Ollie. While I have not actually written a movie script, I did brainstorm and have had some ideas floating around in my head for the last 9 months. Maybe I really should write something. And I would still cast Dylan in the role.