People often ask what books we are looking forward to the most and Green Arrow: Year One by Andy Diggle and Jock, the team that brought us the little action gem known as The Losers, is right at the top of my list.
CBR talked to Andy Diggle about the upcoming mini-series.
If you like action shoot-em ups and you didn’t read The Losers, you really should do yourself a favor and check it out. It’s like a modern day, gritty A-Team where people actually hit what they’re shooting at. One of the best things about reading that book was the discovery of Jock, who is a major artistic talent and the idea of him teaming back up with Andy Diggle on a mini featuring one of my favorite characters is exciting to say the very least.
Here’s my favorite quote from the interview:
Origin stories should categorically not remain unchanged across the decades. They were written for the children of the 1930s and ’40s, not grown adults of the 21st century. If we didn’t revamp and update origin stories, Batman would still carry a gun and Superman wouldn’t be able to fly!
I could not agree with this statement more, which is why I am so looking forward to a revamp of Ollie Queen’s origin.
The words “modern day retelling” and “origin” can often be met with periods of hyperventilation from certain sections of fandom. I think that some comic readers hold on too tightly to the stories of the past, stories that no longer make sense in the modern world, in modern contexts. Characters have to be updated and brought into the modern world every so often for them to remain (somewhat) realistic in a present day setting. This is why The Punisher is now a Gulf War vet and not a Vietnam vet.
It’s about time the wheel of updating got around to Oliver Queen.
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Green Arrow is my favorite DC character and Diggle is one of my top five favorite writer so im excited. To quote antifanboy ifanboys sworn enamies “IM DIGGING THE DIGGLE”
I loved The Losers, and Ollie is one of my favourite DC characters, so i’m definitely looking forward to this.
Its hard to accept Winick not doing Green Arrow… I fell in love with Green Arrow when Winick did it. I felt it was his book.
Diggle is the one who’s writing Batman Confidential right? I was disappointed with that. Hopefully, Diggle can pull it off…
Its hard to accept Winick not doing Green Arrow… I fell in love with Green Arrow when Winick did it. I felt it was his book.
He’s still going to be doing Green Arrow in some for or another, just not this mini-series.
I’m really excited about this, I loved the losers, though I don’t have much exposure to Diggle outside of it, I love Jock’s art he does too little interiors. I’m wary though becuase Mike Grell did an amazing origin in the 80’s with Green Arrow: The Wonder Year. I’m still eager for this though
I had no idea this was coming, but I am excited. For the most part, I like origin reboots. I’m not too worried about Diggle handling it even though Batman Confidential is major barf. That title really suffers more because of the art than the story.
My fingers are crossed for this books amazingness.
I’m a Marvel guy but DC has been getting my attention recently with Phil Noto doing Jonah Hex and now this. With Green Arrow being one of my fave DC characters(Green Lantern and Flash being the others) I’m looking forward to “crossing the aisle” for this mini.
Good article, thanks for the link. Ollie has always been a favorite of mine. Diggle seems to have a handle on the character, it should be an interesting read. “Not a soap-box”. Nice.
I never read Losers, would I know anything else Jock has drawn?
http://www.4twenty.co.uk/gallerychoose.html
Well Diggle & Jock started out at 2000AD – Diggle was Editor of that illustrious organ for a few years, before going freelance as a writer. He & Jock did a wonderful series (set in Dredd continuity) about a character called ‘Lenny Zero’ which sadly hasn’t been reprinted (Rebellion really are dropping the ball there)…
http://www.2000adonline.com/?zone=thrill&page=profiles&choice=lenny
The only thing about updating origin stories is that I can’t help but feel that whole throngs of history get thrown out in the process when so much of the character’s background gets built upon them and continually re-referenced. For golden age characters, we’re talking about ancient history, but for silver age characters, I think it’s a little different. It kinda makes a mess of continuity.
I do agree that characters do need to be updated, though, so I’m not really bitching all that much. I just didn’t expect to open Iron Man #1 and discover that his origin has been moved from Southeast Asia to Afghanistan.
*shrug*