Unofficial Green Arrow Week: A Retailer Looks at Issue One

DC has sent retails a full look at Green Arrow's return to publishing, and Joshua Williamson has been on his grind.

Folks, we have a bit of a bonus post this week. I tried to talk myself out of it, but here we are.

All this week, writer Joshua Williamson has been putting a focus on Green Arrow on his Substack in preparation for his upcoming title launch. This was a great idea, because as of now, we’re a week away from retailers having to set their final numbers to their chosen distributor. Folks have a chance to look at the passion Williamson and co-creative Sean Izaake are bringing to the title.

What’s more, in their latest retailer newsletter, DC provided retailers access to the full contents of the first Green Arrow issue to give them some context before having to place orders - which means I’ve had a chance to read the thing. When creators and publishers are working to provide retailers with resources like this, I like to reward it.

So - in an unofficial contribution to Williamson’s set of “Unofficial Green Arrow Week” posts, I’m presenting to you, a retailer’s take on the upcoming first issue of Green Arrow.

SEASON ONE | Green Arrow #1 (DC Comics)

by Joshua Williamson, Sean Izaake, Romulo Fajardo Jr., & Troy Peteri, w/ editorial support by Ben Abernathy

There’s something outside the actual content of the book that I’d like to point out before we get too deep: I am very pleased with the way DC has been approaching their line as of late. For example, this book has been announced as a mini-series, or a “season” of comics, that will be “renewed” if they find the proper support for the book.

This has been something that has been done on a more informal level in the past, with series like Dial H for Hero, The Wonder Twins, Swamp Thing, and Poison Ivy all getting extensions as required. In a few of those cases, the books took a bit of time off to craft what was to come next - something I think would benefit a lot of series at The Big Two.

With series featuring smaller characters, you want the content to be rock solid all the time. You can run a few fill-ins with Batman, because he’s a character that generates enough interest just by existing. With the next tier down, you have to be more careful - and this “seasonal” approach really appeals to me for this reason. You have Dennis Culver, writer of this week’s Unbeatable Doom Patrol talking about how that series is being set up to hit yearly if response is good, instead of running month to month with a need for fill-in artists. You have books like Poison Ivy getting a chance to sell, and then note the potential for longevity. This is a good thing. It helps folks manage expectations when it comes to runs, and then capitalize on some buzz with each “renewal”, keeping the title in the forefront.

Green Arrow is part of this “program”, with an initial run planned for six issues. This season of storytelling is being put forward to see if there’s a taste for more, just like how it happens in television. If there is? Great. The runway expands. If not, well, at least we got to read some great stories, right? Speaking of…

THE PITCH | This Green Arrow book bleeds for this character, and his family. It is a book steeped in the lore of the character and the continuity that he’s taken on over the years. Because of this, I would be hesitant to recommend it to a fresh reader of Green Arrow.

The story does stand on its own quite well, and builds in an incredibly interesting conceit that pulls on Ollie’s history, while offering something vibrant and new to explore. You also get to see everyone, which is wonderful and cathartic as hell. Arsenal, Conner, Black Canary, and more… this truly is a book about the family Ollie built whether he intended to or not, and one that is very loving about it. However, because of this, someone fresh to the character might feel a little untethered. I know some new readers thrive on that, and use that as an excuse to dig in deeper - but there will be some that this just won’t click with right away. And there isn’t anything wrong with that, especially if they are interested in digging into Green Arrow. As a retailer, it’s just a matter of being aware of who to market the book to, and as such, I wouldn’t put this into the hands of anyone who is… well, “green”, regarding the character.

That said, anyone who has even a passing fondness for Ollie and the folks he surrounds himself with are going to be over the moon regarding this run. It is a fantastic vehicle for the character’s return, and I’m personally excited to see where things are going next.

That’s it for today’s bit. There will probably a bit more content than usual on this Substack this week, just due to the timing of a few different things, so check back (wow), daily? For more stuff through to Friday, after which I’m probably going to take a wee break. We’ll see.

Talk with you soon.

-B.