Green Arrow: Year One

by Andy Diggle

book data

60 ratings, 3.68 average rating, 12 reviews (more data...)

rating	frequency	%
5		18%
4		33%
3		44%
2		3%
1		0%

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published

April 2nd 2008 by DC Comics

binding

Hardcover, 160 pages

isbn

1401216870 (isbn13: 9781401216870)

description

Oliver Queen has been a faithful member of the Justice League of America and defended Star City with his trusty bow and an arsenal of deadly arrows fo...more

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Great Graphic Novels for Teens? 2007-2008

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12/31/08

Chris rated it:

bookshelves: graphicnovels

Read in January, 2009

In general, I'm sort of "over" long retellings of superhero origins. While there's usually something interesting unearthed when the magnifying glass is brought over an origin story that only took two or three pages to cover in the 1950's, I've suffered through too many languidly paced Year One mini-series to very much care anymore.

That being said, I was surprised to find myself loving Green Arrow: Year One as much as I did. I had heard amazing things about the creative team...more

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05/16/09

Dufour rated it:

bookshelves: graphic-novels

I'm amazed this didn't turn out better. Diggle and Jock murdered the action genre with their Vertigo LOSERS series, which is perhaps one of the most surprisingly fun series I've read in the past 5 years. So one would expect their take on Green Arrow's origin to be similarly cool, right?

Wrong. Lame characterization. Lame plot. Nothing interesting about this story at all. This could be ANYBODY in the Green Arrow role. Nothing sounded remotely Ollie Queen to me. And by a different token...more

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08/31/08

Caroline rated it:

bookshelves: comics

Read in August, 2008

It's not really fair to say, because this came out first, but "Green Arrow: Year One" reminds me of the "Iron Man" movie in a couple ways. Ollie Queen's character arc is similar to Tony Stark's (irresponsible playboy discovers, through betrayal and adversity, that he has a greater purpose in life). Both are also retelling of potentially corny, highly implausible origins that make them feel like they could (almost) work in the real world.

In short, anyone who li...more

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06/05/08

Seth rated it:

bookshelves: graphic-novel, superheroes

Read in March, 2009

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

Ollie Queen--the man who will be Green Arrow--as a young, wealthy feckless twit. This is the latest Green Arrow origin story, and though it doesn't have too many twists and turns, sometimes all you have to do is strand a young good-for-nothing on a remote island and see if he can survive using a bow and arrow.

Ollie Queen is kind of like Bruce Wayne, but it's not an act. His friend and business associate, a Brit named Hackett, tries to keep Ollie from going out in a blaze of glory d...more Ollie Queen--the man who will be Green Arrow--as a young, wealthy feckless twit. This is the latest Green Arrow origin story, and though it doesn't have too many twists and turns, sometimes all you have to do is strand a young good-for-nothing on a remote island and see if he can survive using a bow and arrow.

Ollie Queen is kind of like Bruce Wayne, but it's not an act. His friend and business associate, a Brit named Hackett, tries to keep Ollie from going out in a blaze of glory due to one of his daredevil stunts, and tries to tell him to settle down and grow up, but Ollie likes drinking, partying, seducing women, and risking his life for no good reason. Hackett, with his lectures and advice, really seems like a good, if frustrated mentor for the reckless young Mr. Queen, right up until he takes $14 million off Ollie for a supposed real-estate investment in Fiji, when there really is no investment at all. Hackett didn't count on his pal joining him on the boat chartered to meet the mysterious "China White", after Ollie embarrasses himself one last time at a charity auction where he bought a famous archer's bow & arrow, and decides he needs some new surroundings. Hackett pleads with Ollie not to go--just to trust him with the money and not to come along and muck up the purported deal. Buuuut, Ollie, the spoiled rich kid with nothing to do in a society that laughs at him behind his back, insists on coming along for the ride.

Soon, he's washing ashore on a forgotten island that's really a miniature jungle; he's half-dead, and the jungle wants the other half. Betrayed and lost to civilization, Oliver Queen uses his anger over his recent betrayal to propel him into a fight for survival, using what little he knows to come up with food, water, and fire. The hobby of a wastrel (at least in his case)--bows and arrows--becomes his only salvation, as he comes across just enough junk and miscellany at a mysterious, decimated village to make iffy versions of what will one day become his supreme weapons.

Turns out that--though the Fiji deal part was a crock--there really is a China White. She has taken the island. She has killed many villagers, and enslaved whoever was left, drafting them into the criminal enterprise she's got going on the east end of the island. Oliver Queen is on the west side. Needless, to say east will meet west. Arrows meet lots and lots of guns, and an army of ruthless criminals who work for a woman who tosses people she doesn't like down into a pit full of rats and forgets about them (despite the days of shrieks and begging that result). Hackett, when he finds out the guy he was supposed to kill is alive and has washed up in the general vicinity, decides he's not going to end up in the rat-pit of his disappointed and ticked-off boss, and leads the hunt to crush Ollie once and for all. And all Ollie has for a friend is his bow, his arrows, his aim, and one pregnant villager who believes he has a chance to avenge her people. Of course, Ollie becomes more of a longshot once there's a bone sticking out of his arm.

This mini-series--now repackaged as a graphic novel--was cranked out at double the normal speed (two issues per month, not one), and the artwork rides the line between Rather Rushed and Brilliant In Its Stark Simplicity. Mostly, it's effective in its stark simplicity, and occasionally brilliant (like the 2-page spread of Ollie taking in his new island paradise). The storytelling is not deep or thoughtful; we have one guy with maturity issues trapped on an island full of enemies who, once they find out he's alive, engage him on all fronts with everything at their disposal. This causes Oliver Queen to consider growing up and setting things right, using his only skill. It's cool seeing him reject guns that become available, and stick with his bow. This is the Green Arrow emerging, learning to trust himself. It's also cool to see him fight to protect the lone pregnant woman who helps him when she can, and doesn't give up on him even when he looks like he can't possibly go another round with the East Side Creeps from Hell led by That Awful Bitch.

I got excited about Green Arrow when he fought Deadshot in Deadshot's 5-issue mini, and when I read Identity Crisis, which exposed some old dirty secrets of the JLA, and Green Arrow's dubious part in them. I also checked out his fight with Solomon Grundy (not a guy a mere archer should really expect to beat!). By then, I realized that I had become something of a Green Arrow fan, and this "Year One" story had immediate appeal. It's an adventure story without much sophistication, but a lot of heart, and a few arrows in various hearts as well. Plus several other breath-taking trick-shots.(less)

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01/19/09

Mark Desrosiers rated it:

bookshelves: comics

Read in January, 2009

Wow, I knew that the Green Arrow had amazing abilities in archery and... jumping. But obstetrics?

Still, pretty ballsy of Diggle to co-opt the title of Frank Miller's seminal Batman comic, and he doesn't disappoint. Oliver Queen is a spoiled rich goatee brat stranded on a tropical island. He learns some arrow-shooting and survival skillz, unearths a massive heroin operation, frees some enslaved poppy workers, delivers a baby, etc. etc. Pretty entertaining.

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12/23/08

Steve rated it:

bookshelves: comics

Read in January, 2007

Before reading this miniseries, I felt it was a bit unnecessary, since Green Arrow's origins had already been so masterfully retold by Mike Grell during the ‘80s. But the creative team behind The Losers stepped up to the plate and hit a homerun with this new revisitation of Oliver Queen's early days, telling a rollicking tale of high seas adventure and espionage.

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11/23/08

Jennifer rated it:

bookshelves: graphic-picture-comics, read-in-2009

Read in February, 2009

Oliver Queen reminds me of what Bruce Wayne could have been like if he'd had say, a bogan personality and thrown in with a few amphetamines and a social conscience to kick-start. The story begins a little slowly, but soon becomes a spectacular romp of Survivor meets Die Hard. Discover how Ollie embraced the Robin Hood persona, destroyed an international drug ring, helped a pregnant woman give birth and all the while maintain his colourfully sardonic, obnoxious personality.

The art by ...more

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05/25/09

Lisa rated it:

bookshelves: graphic-novels

Read in May, 2009

Very enjoyable. I liked the story and the art style was very cool.

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04/28/09

Snow rated it:

(review of isbn 1401217435)

bookshelves: 2009-reads, adult-comics, teen-comics

Read in April, 2009

read for fun

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04/19/09

Dru rated it:

bookshelves: ya-adventure, ya-contemporary

a great take on how a billionaire in his early 20s becomes a modern day robin hood

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09/11/08

Christo Smith rated it:

The art is fantastic, the story isn't half bad, add in a shout out to one of the original trick shooters to popularize bows and arrows in the 30's (and no, it's not Errol Flynn) I can only assume the only reason you don't like this book is because "comics aren't your thing" well pick this up anyway, because it's a character driven bonanza of interesting story bits.

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