This Issue Has Issues

Green Arrow 0
DC Comics
Judd Winick, writer
Freddie Williams II, artist

Right off the bat, this issue has some problems. The cover lists the writer as current series scribe Ann Nocenti, but apparently that is not the case based on the interior credits.

Next, DC has apparently taken a single character trait of Oliver Queen and made it his sole defining characteristic. Oliver -- especially young Oliver -- has always been irresponsible, but this guy is just brash and impulsive. After apparently being kicked out of several Queen Industries jobs, Oliver has been banished to a clerk's job on an off-shore oil rig. He opts to invite all of his friends and turn the rig into a metal beach party platform. Also in attendance are best friend Tommy Merlyn in a nod to the continuity of the new television show, "Arrow," and girlfriend du jour, Leena.

This new version of Oliver is not without a conscience, as he quickly steps up and tries to defend the platform when the party allows armored pirates to sneak aboard and attempt to steal some of the crude the rig is producing. But again, irresponsibly, he doesn't think his actions through and ends up causing an explosion that kills most of the workers, pirates and his party guests, including Leena. In fact, Oliver himself likely wouldn't have survived without the intervention of a badly burned Tommy. That's not just irresponsible; that's criminally negligent and/or reckless.

This is now how Oliver winds up marooned alone on an island where he hones his archery skills. I assume that part of this origin story is the same as before because that time is glossed over with just a few, nearly wordless panels.

Same goes for Oliver's partnership with Roy Harper. We get snippets over a couple pages that clue us in that Roy hacked into Queen Industries computers, got caught, was arrested and jailed. Oliver is so impressed with Harper's tech and weapons prowess that he bails Roy out of jail and offers him a job. We're given little evidence of this tech and weapons prowess, and we're left to assume that Roy becomes Green Arrow's sidekick, Speedy, and later the adult hero, Arsenal, much like in the old DCU. None of this is shown.

Even with a different writer, this story is still very weak, although Williams' art is MUCH better than regular artist Harvey Tolibao's. There's another creative change coming on this title in a few months. Fingers crossed the new folks do better by Oliver Queen.