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Green Arrow: Year One #1-6

Green Arrow: Año Uno

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Oliver Queen ha sido miembro de la Liga de la Justicia de América y ha defendido Star City en todo lo posible con su arco y sus flechas y hasta ha dirigido el ayuntamiento. Ahora puedes descubrir el primer año de Queen como Green Arrow en esta obra de Andy Diggle y Jock (Los perdedores), desde su deriva a una isla y posterior entrenamiento hasta su regreso a la sociedad plenamente formado.

144 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2007

71 people are currently reading
3075 people want to read

About the author

Andy Diggle

532 books171 followers
Andy Diggle is a British comic book writer and former editor of 2000 AD. He is best known for his work on The Losers,Swamp Thing, Hellblazer, Adam Strange and Silent Dragon at DC Comics and for his run on Thunderbolts and Daredevil after his move to Marvel.

In 2013 Diggle left writing DC's Action Comics and began working with Dynamite Entertainment, writing a paranormal crime series Uncanny. He is also working on another crime series with his wife titled Control that is set to begin publishing in 2014.

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5 stars
2,684 (35%)
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3 stars
1,522 (20%)
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57 (<1%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 508 reviews
Profile Image for Anne.
4,745 reviews71.3k followers
December 19, 2016
Re-Read 2014

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I read this for the 1st time about 5 years ago, and thought it was amazing.
So, I re-read it this year...just to make sure.
Since the tv show started, quite a few people have asked me to recommend a good Green Arrow comic book.

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And this was the only one I could think to point them towards.
Shame on you, New 52!
Anyway, I got a little nervous when I realized it had been a while since I had actually read this one. What if I was remembering it wrong?
What if it sucked!?
Long story short, I bought it...and read it again.

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Turns out, I was (for once) right.
This is still the best Green Arrow title that I've ever read, and it's one of the rare books that stands the test of time.
If you're looking for a well-written origin story about Oliver Queen, look no further.
This is the definitive Green Arrow.

description

Original review 2009

Honestly, this is really the first time I've really read anything about Green Arrow, so I can't compare it to anything else, but I really enjoyed this one! In fact, I think this is one of the better origin stories that I've read. I'd recommend it to anyone who loves to read comics.
Profile Image for Jon Nakapalau.
6,500 reviews1,023 followers
May 5, 2025
What a great example of taking a 'third-tier' character and reimaging him...now he is one of the hottest DC characters around! Should be a 'text book' for other characters - (Hawkman). A really interesting situation because of the popularity of Hawkeye over at Marvel: almost like the two are competing for the cowl of Robin Hood!
Profile Image for Kemper.
1,389 reviews7,642 followers
January 11, 2014
Apparently there are two methods on how to survive if you find yourself marooned on an island:

1) Go almost crazy from loneliness and start talking to a volleyball.

2) Teach yourself to be a master archer using the bow and arrows you cobble together.

The first alternative will get you an Oscar nomination while the second will enable you to become a superhero with your own TV show.

Wealthy Oliver Queen is a feckless thrill-seeking playboy. After embarrassing himself with a drunken incident at a charity auction, Oliver decides to lay low by taking a business trip on his yacht. Unfortunately, things don’t go quite as planned, and he ends up washed ashore on an island. In order to eat, Oliver makes a bow out material he scavenges from a deserted village and becomes a hunter. But when he discovers a gang of criminals using the island for heroin production, Oliver finds himself taking a stand for the first time in his privileged life.

This was a great comic that updated the Green Arrow origins while still being a highly enjoyable story by itself. A spoiled billionaire becoming a socially conscious crime fighter isn’t the most believable character on paper, but Andy Diggle and Jock do a great job of establishing pre-island Oliver as a bored guy seeking something bigger than himself so that the transition flows naturally. The story is just gritty and violent enough to have some heft, but not so overwhelming that it makes it less fun.

This was obviously a big influence on the CW series Arrow in tone and the way that the island changes Oliver. (The show named a prominent character ‘Diggle’ as a nod towards the comic’s writer.) Any fan of the TV series looking to read Green Arrow’s comic adventures would probably find this one a very satisfying read even though there are significant plot differences between the two.
Profile Image for Scott.
2,258 reviews269 followers
February 6, 2021
"I should run. Hide. But that was the old Oliver Queen. That's not who I am anymore. I am a hunter." -- Oliver Queen, a.k.a Green Arrow, facing down the bad guys on pages 54-55

I admired author Diggle's work after reading one of his more recent 007 graphic novels last month, so it seemed like a no-brainer to check out some of his other efforts. His Green Arrow: Year One is a 21st century updating of the DC's crimefighting bowman, that character who used to be considered a Batman knockoff (still somewhat applicable) crossed with folklore hero Robin Hood. In this latest incarnation it appears Diggle also places a heaping helping of Robert Downey Jr.'s version of Tony Stark / Iron Man in the mix as well, and subjects playboy Oliver Queen to an energetic-if-predictable streamlined origin story. While I don't dislike Green Arrow, I think part of my cool reception on the volume is that I think the guy works better when paired with Black Canary (as they often have great banter, if there is a good writer at the helm) or is working with his pals in the Justice League.
Profile Image for Ronyell.
990 reviews338 followers
August 31, 2014
Green Arrow

5.5 stars!!!

Introduction:

Alright, so I have been reading “Batman” and “Superman” comic books from DC Comics so far, but I have yet to read comic books from other superheroes like “Flash,” “Green Lantern” and “Wonder Woman.” But now I finally got the chance to check out another DC superhero that I have not read about at all and that is “Green Arrow!” Now, I have been watching the “Arrow” TV series for a while now and I had always wanted to read more about “Green Arrow” as a character. So, when I heard so many good things about a comic book called “Green Arrow: Year One,” I just had to check it out and man, was I blown away by this awesome comic book!

What is this story about?

Oliver Queen was a rich playboy who was always spoiled and seemed to only care about what he wanted rather than what others wanted. But, when Oliver’s friend Hackett ended up betraying him and throwing him out of the boat to die, Oliver manages to survive by ending up on an abandoned island. It was there that Oliver starts to realize his true potential in life while slowly becoming the famous GREEN ARROW!

What I loved about this story:

Andy Diggle’s writing: Oh my goodness! I will be honest here, I have never read any of Andy Diggle’s works on comic books before, so this comic book is not only my first introduction to Green Arrow, but also my first introduction to Andy Diggle’s works and his writing on “Green Arrow: Year One” has definitely blown me away! I loved the way that Andy Diggle wrote the action sequences as they were truly intense and I was literally on the edge of my seat seeing if Oliver manages to survive against a group of violent and cruel drug lords who are trying to kill Oliver in order to keep their plans a secret. I also loved the way that Andy Diggle developed Oliver’s character as Oliver started out as a spoiled brat who did not care about anyone but himself. But when Oliver’s life is in great danger and he sees a group of people on the island being enslaved by the drug lords, it was then that we start seeing Oliver grow as a character and having him realize the true potential inside himself by becoming the hero for the people. I also loved the fact that Oliver was portrayed as being a laid back yet assertive and courageous character, especially during his time on the island and I really felt the growth that Oliver went through on his adventures. What was interesting to me about this comic book were the similarities with the “Arrow” TV series, as in both this comic book and the TV series had Oliver stranded on an island and trying to survive, while also training to use a bow and arrow which would benefit him GREATLY in the future.

Jock’s artwork: Just like his artwork in “Batman: The Black Mirror,” Jock has done an astonishing job with the artwork in this comic book! I just loved the way that Jock made all the characters look realistic while providing a scratchy look to the characters. I especially loved the way that action sequences were drawn as the explosions really glow off the pages and I loved the way that whenever the characters are standing underneath the sun or some kind of light, the lights literally glow off the characters, providing so much beauty to the image.

Green Arrow

What made me feel uncomfortable about this story:

For anyone who does not like language and gory violence in a comic book, this comic book has some language (even though it is not as strong as some comic books I had read over the years) and some violence where some characters are shot with arrows and you can see the blood spurting out as the arrows hit the characters.

Final Thoughts:

Overall, “Green Arrow: Year One” is POSITIVELY, ABSOLUTELY and SERIOUSLY one “Green Arrow” comic book you have to check out if you are a huge fan of everyone’s favorite arrow toting superhero and if you want to know the origin story of Oliver Queen!

Review is also on: Rabbit Ears Book Blog

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Profile Image for Sam Quixote.
4,804 reviews13.4k followers
March 1, 2013
I've never been a fan of Green Arrrow's and have only seen the character crop up in big events like Final Crisis a few years back, so I didn't know what to expect from the character. He's basically just Robin Hood right?

Well I was pleasantly surprised. Oliver Queen is a rich playboy who lives a directionless life until one day while practicing archery in the Pacific, his friend betrays him and leaves him for dead. He washes ashore a desert island and hones his skills with a bow and arrow until he realises he's not alone on the island. It's a massive grow farm for heroin and the indigenous population have been enslaved by a ruthless Chinese woman called China White.

I thought the action was really well done. Seeing Oliver change over time and develop his look, see the things that would go into making him the hero he becomes at the end was cleverly put together by Andy Diggle who made me care about a character I didn't previously know about in the space of just 6 short issues. Jock's artwork is great throughout and the "Castaway" type sequences were excellently rendered.

Overall, "Year One" is a very decent comic book that does a great job of introducing one of DC's lesser characters. The only thing is this came out in 2007 and DC have recently begun rebooting every one of their 52 characters so I guess this was kind of a moot exercise. It's still a good read though and worth checking out.
Profile Image for James DeSantis.
Author 17 books1,204 followers
September 21, 2018
Not a huge Andy Diggle fan (Nothing against him, he seems awesome, just don't love a lot of his work.) but this was pretty fun!

So this is the origins of Green Arrow. Oh, you don't know it? It's almost as famous as Batman or Spider-man at this point. Especially since Arrow became a hit. A lot of what Arrow does is taken from this comic actually. So Oliver is a rich prick who plays to much in life. What happens? His best buddy backstabs him, throws him in the ocean to die, and then he ends up on a island. He has to learn to survive, becoming the Green Arrow in the process, and then of course meets his friend again but not in the way you'd expect.

Good: The art is pretty great, with some awesome fight scenes and badass posses. I also thought Oliver's internal monolog was pretty fun. You can tell he's a conflicted guy sometimes but he a liberal tree huger no matter what.

Bad: The storyline isn't epic or brand new, everything you expect happens happens, and the pacing can be a little slow int he middle.

Overall a perfect book for people who haven't read many Green Arrow stories. It's actually solid no matter what, but can't help but feel like been here before. Still, good stuff, solid 3.5, I'll bump it to a 4 just because I think it's worth reading for any fan of the green arrow himself.
Profile Image for Subham.
3,077 reviews102 followers
May 7, 2022
This was so good!

Such a simple, fun and fast paced origin story for Ollie and its done so well. The way the writer catches the robin hood complex and like getting stuck on the island and how it happens is awesome and then bringing in hackett and showing the opium drug operation with a new villain "China white" and then having characters like Taiana who helps ollie and like the struggles of people there and how seeing it changes him for the better from the rich partyboy to hero of the "common man" and I love the whole thing, its perfect!

This is such a great modern origin and its fun and great, Diggle really captures the hero transformation really well and gives the hero a good motivation and introducing background characters like them was great and it really challenges his perception of right and wrong. Though I would have liked to know more about the villain its forgooten really quickly which is sad but then again its an origin and focused on Ollie and so in that regard, great! Plus the art by jock makes this book look like a million bucks! So yeah a must read!
Profile Image for Artemy.
1,045 reviews964 followers
January 28, 2018


This is the origin story of Green Arrow, and it leaves a much better impression than the godawful TV show right away. The basic premise is the same — billionaire playboy gets lost at sea and stranded on an island where he learns to survive, and then meets some bad guys and fights them. But because it's a comic book and not a live action show, there's 100% less Stephen Amell in the mix, and of course no Berlanti/Guggenheim to turn the story into a cheeseball of horrible writing and plotting. Andy Diggle's comic is sharp and gets right to the point, it easily reads in one sitting and is entertaining throughout. Jock's artwork was kinda meh in this one but it also wasn't terrible, and certainly did its job well enough.

Thanks for the rec, Anne! That was a fun one.
Profile Image for M. Tatari.
Author 36 books305 followers
August 21, 2021
Beklentilerimin altında kalan bir macera oldu ne yazık ki. Green Arrow'un köken hikâyesini anlatan etkileyici bir macera beklerken "ıssız bir adaya düşen ve hayatta kalmak için bir anda aslan kesilen" birinin mantık hatalarıyla dolu, klişe öyküsünü okudum.

Green Arrow'un köken hikâyesinin 90'larda değiştirilip işin içine ıssız ada etmeninin katıldığını biliyorum. Bu çizgi romanın o hikâyenin modern bir anlatısı olduğunu da biliyorum. Yine de iyi işlenemediğini ve vasatı geçemediğini düşünüyorum. Her şey çok hızlı gelişiyor bir kere. Hayatında elini sıcak sudan soğuk suya sokmamış birinin başı sıkışır sıkışmaz elinden her iş gelen, kusursuz bir atıcıya dönüşmesi bana hiç inandırıcı gelmedi. Tamam, bu bir çizgi roman. Hatta bir süper kahraman çizgi romanı ama "ıssız adaya düşme" konusu çok daha iyi işlenebilirdi bence. Tom Hanks'in Castaway filminde de bir güzel kanıtladığı gibi...

Arrow dizisini izleyip sevenler bu cildi benden daha çok çok daha fazla beğenecektir kanımca. Çünkü dizinin çıkış noktası kendisi. "Issız ada"dan ipucunu kapmış olabilirsiniz belki. Hatta China White karakteri de ilk kez burada ortaya çıkıyor. Dizide sıkça işlenen "Adada ne oldu?" konusunu ilk elden öğrenmek istiyorsanız tam yerindesiniz.

Bense o diziyi sevmeyenlerdenim, Yeni 52'deki Green Arrow'u da öyle. Injustice'teki klasik, esprili, kendinden emin Green Arrow'u daha çok seviyorum. O nedenle karaktere bir şans daha vermek için İlk Yıl'a başladım, ama hayal kırıklığına uğradım. "İlk Yıl" ibaresini görünce daha farklı, kült seviyesine yaraşır bir şeyler bekliyor insan.

Çizimleri hikâyeye nazaran gayet güzeldi. Ve bir de Brian K. Vaughan'ın önsözü. Çevirisinde de ufak tefek sıkıntılar var ne yazık ki... Sanırım ben en çok Injustice'teki klasik Ollie'yi sevmeye devam edeceğim.
Profile Image for Donovan.
734 reviews108 followers
August 30, 2016
Absolutely awesome. Great writing that created deep, believable characters, solid dialog, and a conceivable island storyline that wasn't as weird as the show (think Lost). Ollie's dialog was a bit dorkier than the show but it didn't really bother me. There were good quality comic art panels and stunning splash pages that seemed to combine photography and illustration. I was glad I checked this out.
Profile Image for Sesana.
6,285 reviews329 followers
August 8, 2014
I really have nothing to compare this to. I've never read a Green Arrow solo book, and I've barely seen him show up in somebody else's book. So I'm coming in about as fresh as possible. Maybe that's a good thing, because I ended up really enjoying this. I don't know if it's a fresh take on his origin or a skilled rehash, and I don't really care. I had fun reading it.
Profile Image for Justin.
308 reviews2,536 followers
December 2, 2015
So this is the first graphic novel I've read, or what some try to tell me is just a big comic book. I walked out of the library this week and ran into some friends who noticed "Man of Steel" and "Iron Man" DVDs under my arm along with this thing and a couple of actual novels.

"I'm on a bit of a superhero kick right now," I said with my head hung low.

"Ohhhh... our son reads those, too," says the wife pointing to my graphic novel slash comic book.

He's five.

But, to make a long story longer, I started watching "Arrow" on Netflix. I don't know why. People like it. It's pretty cool if you can look past some of the cheesy dialogue and CW everyone-is-beautiful stuff. I wanted to learn more about Green Arrow so I grabbed this.

I also put some Captain America and Iron Man stuff on hold, too.

Anyway, this was really a lot of fun. It was great to read a story told in a different medium and it never felt like a kid story. I mean the whole thing is about a partying billionaire with drugs and gun (and arrow) violence all over the place. Kids shouldn't be reading this.

Especially not five year olds.

It's action-packed and really pulled me into the story. Sure, it's over the top and crazy at times, but that's the point. I'm officially a fan of this stuff now.

I'll apologize in advance if my updates and reviews start to get a little more superhero- ish in the future.
Profile Image for Mike.
1,586 reviews149 followers
November 1, 2014
First review: Still stands up to my insane devotion to Diggle and Jock on repeated readings. This is a helluva modernization - feels like all the antiquated foolishness of Green Arrow's olden days is washed away, leaving only the core of a real live flawed man who needs so badly to find purpose in his life. I know exactly how he feels, so maybe this resonates so much with me because I see myself so easily in this Oliver Queen.

Fantastic, rapid-paced action, none of the usual braying by heroes or villains, and not a note of klangy "comic-booky" crap among these pages. I would read this stuff for years if they kept creating it.

Additional review:

Arrow the TV show hasn't nearly done Diggle's premise justice. They completely hacked off the few measures of self-awareness and self-doubt in Oliver Queen that Diggle brought to this incredible alternate origin story, and they surgically shrunk his latent abilities, turning his origin story from redemption to complete Deus Ex Montage.

In the TV show he's a blank slate, a worthless human scrap, and all his trainers are there to gift him with skills and perspective he never had himself. A character not able to elicit sympathy and identification from the audience, but rather he's an empty shell - an LMD with a face but no lights on in that pretty little head - that isn't meant to be relatable but instead above us all. In the worst tradition of DC "Gods looking down", Oliver Queen in the TV show is either looked down on by gods (amazing mercenary, gorgeous zen warrior) or becomes the emotionless brooding ruler over Star City.

Diggle and Jock craft a more nuanced man with arch, sharp writing and exaggerated sketches and camera angles. A little indulgence for Ollie to be self-pitying and Iron John about his plight, but nonetheless 100x better than any of the whiny whelp bullshit that Geoff Johns whips out of Green Arrow in his New 52 jaunts.

Jock's art is so gorgeous - not because of some photorealistic devotion to copying the real world (see Deodato and Land), but instead because he captures in one sparse panel the feeling of pain of getting an arrow through the shoulder, of leaping for your life, of terror or dread or calm.

Jock took the same style to his earlier Losers collaboration with Diggle, and for a time I thought Diggle/Jock might rival Brubaker/Philips or Bendis/Mack in their long and indelible impression on the industry. There haven't been nearly as many co-creator projects between them alas, but I will hold out hope that their bro-love will spark again and again.
Profile Image for Sud666.
2,330 reviews200 followers
November 21, 2019
Green Arrow Year One clearly draws inspiration from the Frank Miller Batman Year One story arc. This is an origin story for Oliver Queen, who will one day be the Green Arrow.

Diggle's version of the story is pretty good. It shows Oliver go from being a super spoiled version of Bruce Wayne to developing into the man who would become the Green Arrow. The story of Queen dealing with internal betrayal and then his time on the island surviving his alleged demise was fairly well done, though nothing truly original. The pregnant lady fighting along side him was rather stupid, but at least it explains the name of the hero. Still, the entire Oliver goes "rambo" with a bow on an island infested with drug dealers story wasn't poorly done.

This could have been a 4 star book, but the artwork isn't to my liking. A story like this, with the settings, could have really shined under a better artist. Still, Diggle's origin story is pretty decent and entertaining. Did it make me a Green Arrow fan? Nope. But, at least I know his origin story.
Profile Image for George K..
2,760 reviews374 followers
December 2, 2019
Πρώτη επαφή με τον Green Arrow και δηλώνω αρκετά ικανοποιημένος, έστω και αν δεν εντυπωσιάστηκα και τόσο πολύ. Η ιστορία είναι καλή και ψυχαγωγική, με κάμποση δράση, φοβερά σκηνικά και κάποιες πολύ δυνατές στιγμές, αλλά είναι αρκετά απλή και μάλλον κοινή. Ο ήρωας έχει το ενδιαφέρον του και είναι ικανοποιητικά σκιαγραφημένος για κόμικ, μπορώ να πω ότι τον συμπάθησα και δέθηκα με τον αγώνα του για επιβίωση και εκδίκηση. Το ότι έμαθε να χειρίζεται τόσο τέλεια το τόξο του σε σχετικά μικρό χρονικό διάστημα, μπορεί και να μην πείθει και τόσο, αλλά δεν είναι κάτι που δεν μπορεί να συμβεί, αν έχεις το χάρισμα (άλλωστε, αν δεν υπάρχουν και υπερβολές στα κόμικς, τι νόημα έχει;). Όσον αφορά το σχέδιο, είναι πολύ ιδιαίτερο και όμορφο, σίγουρα διαφορετικό από άλλα σχέδια που συναντάει κανείς σε κόμικς με υπερήρωες. Τον Jock τον θυμάμαι από το καταπληκτικό Wytches, οπότε ήξερα τι να περιμένω και δεν απογοητεύτηκα. Είναι ένας σχεδιαστής με ιδιαίτερο στιλ που μου αρέσει πολύ. Γενικά, είναι ένα απόλυτα ψυχαγωγικό και ενδιαφέρον κόμικ, σίγουρα αξίζει μια ανάγνωση.
Profile Image for Mark.
1,275 reviews149 followers
February 2, 2022
Today I developed a sudden interest in reading a Green Arrow origin story, and my searches came up with this. Having read it, I doubt I'll ever want to read another, as anything else would pale before it.

In it we get the story of Oliver Queen, drunken socialite who goes on a cruise in the Pacific in his yacht only to be betrayed by the one person he trusted. Left for dead, he washes up on an isolated Pacific island where he develops into the Green Arrow of fame. If the story seems familiar, it's because it served as the template for the CW show, the creators of which openly acknowledge Andy Diggle's influence. As entertaining as the show may be, though, it's really in the pages of Diggle's comic that the story is best told, thanks to the pared-down narrative and the excellent artwork. For anyone interested in reading a Green Arrow story, this is an excellent place to start.
Profile Image for MischaS_.
783 reviews1,462 followers
June 19, 2014
Když jsem to našla v novinkách v naší knihovně... jasný to-read! :)

EDIT:
Asi i nadále zůstanu u seriálu, ale Ollie je vždycky zlatíčko. :)
Nevím, co bylo dřív, jestli seriál nebo komix. Osobně je mi sympatičtější ten seriál. :)
Profile Image for nidah05 (SleepDreamWrite).
4,717 reviews
July 29, 2016
So I don't know much about this character except maybe now and then from the Justice League cartoons and now the show Arrow. So I thought, well, might as well read a comic with this character. And this was pretty good, interesting but good.

It does make me want to continue watching Arrow. The flashbacks to him on the island were honestly, the most interesting moments and when he meets the later characters, at least in the first season.

So it was interesting reading about Oliver on the island in a different story at least. Anyway, this comic, pretty good read. Like the art as well.
Profile Image for Stewart Tame.
2,477 reviews121 followers
June 5, 2022
Nice!

Year One storylines are a dime a dozen. Every time I turn around, it seems like there are more of them. And, to be fair, they might all be good. I haven't read most of them, just noted their existence.

So what grabbed my attention about this one? Well, Andy Diggle for starters. His name gets attached to lots of interesting projects, and the more of his work I read, the more I like it. And I know Jock's name on the cover means I'm in for some decent art. And having a rave quote from Brian K. Vaughan on the cover doesn't hurt either.

I have to say that this is one of the best retellings of Green Arrow's origin I've ever read. We've got rich playboy Oliver Queen, lost at sea, washed up on the island, learning to hunt with bow and arrow to survive … all of the familiar beats are there, but Diggle and Jock throw in a few twists as well. The use of gimmick arrows is downplayed. Fair enough. There have certainly been some wildly implausible ones over the years.

Overall, I really like this take on the character. It manages to be realistic without lapsing into the grim and gritty cliches that often get mistaken for realism. Highly recommended!
Profile Image for Himanshu Karmacharya.
1,150 reviews113 followers
February 19, 2020
A spoiled billionaire gets stranded on an island, where he learns a valuable lesson that changes his life forever.

The book is filled with action packed scenes and emotional moments that perfectly show the transformation of Oliver Queen from a spoiled brat to a masked vigilante. Brilliantly written and decently drawn, Green Arrow: Year One may just be the definitive origin story of the Emerald Archer.
Profile Image for Kayıp Rıhtım.
375 reviews299 followers
Read
May 20, 2017
“İlk Yıl” ibaresini görünce insan pek bir beklentiye giriyor değil, mi? Özellikle de Batman: İlk Yıl’ı okuduysanız… Ama ne yazık ki Green Arrow’un köken hikâyesi bu ibarenin ağırlığını taşıyamıyor. Durun durun, gömmeye başladım hemen. En iyisi sayfaları başa çevireyim.

2007’de Andy Diggle ile Jock ikilisi tarafından hazırlanan tek ciltlik bu mini seri Starfish Adası’nda yaşananları ayrıntılı bir şekilde ele alan, modern bir köken hikâyesi. Oliver Queen trajik bir kaza sonucu ailesini yitiren, büyük bir servete konan ve çocukken okçuluk konusunda yetenekli biri olarak çıkıyor karşımıza. Hatta küçük bir çocukken Howard Hill’le tanıştığına ve ondan övgü aldığına da değiniyor arada. Lâkin sınırsız paraya ama sıfır sorumluluk bilincine sahip olduğundan her şey gibi okçuluğa olan hevesini de bir kenara atıp kendini alkole ve çapkınlığa vermiş artık.

Hackett adında eski bir İngiliz askerini işe alan Ollie, onun yardımıyla kutuplara gidiyor, okyanuslara dalıyor, dağlara tırmanıyor ve her türlü çılgınca şeyi yaparak hayatına heyecan katmaya çalışıyor. Bu esnada Hackett’la aralarında sıkı bir dostluk da kuruluyor. Ya da o öyle sanıyor… çünkü eski askerin “emeklilik” için başka planları var. Gizliden gizliye Chien Na-Wei, ya da Ollie’nin deyişiyle China White (Arrow dizisini izleyenler bu satırı okuyunca sevinçten havaya uçtu şu anda) adındaki bir kadın için çalışan Hackett, Oliver’la birlikte çıktığı bir yat gezintisi sırasında kahramanımıza ihanet edip onu bayıltıyor. Ama China White kafasına iki tane sıkmasını emretmesine rağmen bunu yapamıyor ve onu denize atıp boğulmaya bırakıyor. Tabii işler tahmin ettiği gibi gitmiyor ve Ollie kendini Starfish Adası’nda sahile vurmuş bir vaziyette buluyor.

Genç Oliver kendine geldikten kısa bir süre sonra yanmış bir köyün kalıntılarına denk geliyor, burayı cesurca araştırıyor, elleriyle balık tutuyor, eski bir jeneratörün parçalarından kendine bir yay yapıyor, sırtına yeşil bir yelken bezi atıyor ve kısa sürede ormanda avlanan bir avcıya dönüşüyor. Çok geçmeden buranın o kadar da ıssız olmadığını, adanın haşhaş üreticilerinin eline geçtiğini ve köylülerin esir alınıp zorla çalıştırıldığını keşfediyor. Patronlarıysa China White’ın ta kendisi. Hackett da yanında elbette… Böylece hikâyemiz bir hayatta kalma macerasından intikam öyküsüne, oradan da kendini yeniden bulan ve adalet dağıtmaya karar veren kahraman klişesine evriliyor.

Hikâyenin bundan sonrasını anlatmayacağım ama neler olduğunu az çok tahmin etmişsinizdir zaten. Green Arrow: İlk Yıl’ın sorunlarından biri de bence burada yatıyor: Çok tahmin edilebilir, çok klişe. Evet, biliyorum, elimizdeki en nihayetinde 1959’dan beri süregelen bir köken hikâyesinin yeniden anlatımı ve bazı şeylere sadık kalması şart. Bununla ilgili bir sorunum yok. Asıl mesele ıssız adada kalan Oliver’ın bir anda aslan kesilmesi. O sarhoş ve züppe şehir çocuğu bir anda gidiyor ve yerine azimli, elinden her iş gelen biri geliyor. Hâlbuki “ıssız adada kalan adam” klişesinin bunca yıl sonra bile çok güzel işlenebileceğini gösteren Castaway (Tom Hanks) gibi bir örnek var önümüzde.

Eski Green Arrow’larda Oliver’ın küçükken nasıl okçuluk dersleri aldığı anlatılır mesela, ama bu kez öyle bir şeyin esamesi bile geçmiyor. Dahası annesiyle babasının nasıl öldüğünden, bunun onun üzerinde nasıl etkileri olduğundan da hiç söz edilmiyor. Ama Oliver neredeyse yayıyla sadağını eline alır almaz üstün bir başarı gösteriyor. Hadi onu geçtim, elimizdeki bir süper kahraman çizgi romanı sonuçta; adamımızın üstün yetenekli olduğunu takmak komik kaçabilir.

Gel gelelim senaryoda da mantık hataları var. Örneğin Oliver bir noktada düşmanlarından kaçarken sahilde eski yatıyla karşılaşıyor. Onca yer varken gelmiş, bu adada kıyıya vurmuş. Dahası içine saklanıp burada üç-dört gün kendinden geçmiş bir hâlde yatıyor veee teknelerle, botlarla, makineli tüfekli gruplarla adanın her yerinde onu arayan düşmanları bu süre zarfında onu bulamıyor. Adada. Sahilde dımdızlak duran bir yat. Kimse görmüyor… Onu da geçtim, Oliver kendine geldikten sonra düşmanlarının dikkatini çekebilmek için tekneyi yakıyor! Belki de adadan tek kaçış yolunu… Yahu madem kimse bulamıyor, saklasana şunu! Yok… Yakması lazım, ormanda ağaç sıkıntısı var çünkü…

Onu da geçtim, esir kadınlardan biri Oliver’ı bir noktada kurtarıp ona yardım ediyor. Ama adını hiç söylemiyor. Buna rağmen Oliver birdenbire ona ismiyle hitap etmeye başlıyor. Hadi onu da geçelim, bir de Hackett var. China White’tan ödü kopmasına rağmen arkadaşlıklarının hatırına Oliver’a kıyamıyor, öldüremiyor onu yatta. Daha sonra ormanda tekrar karşılaştıklarında onu gördüğüne bir parça seviniyor. Esirlerin gördüğü muameleye katlanamıyor. Diyorsunuz ki bu adamın içinde bir parça iyilik var, düzelecek, doğru yola girecek. O ışığı veriyor çünkü. Ama yok! Bir karede Oliver’a üzülürken bir sonrakinde onu öldürmek için canla başla çalışıyor. Çok karaktersiz adam, ama karakteri otur(tula)mamış anlamında… China White da kötüyüm ben, kötüyüm, kötüyümden ileri gidemeyen, hiç gelişme göstermeyen bir karakter olmuş ne yazık ki… Green Arrow’un da o ciddiyetten uzak, şakacı tavırlarının kitapta yer almaması beni üzen bir diğer nokta oldu.

Peki bu kadar gömdüm, hiç mi iyi yanı yok bu öykünün? Var efendim, var. Bir kere Green Arrow isminin nereden çıktığına dair gayet zekice ve anlamlı bir açıklama görüyoruz bu sefer. Ve okurken insanın bayağı hoşuna gidiyor. Ek olarak eğer Arrow dizisinin müptelasıysanız bu çizgi romanı benden çok çok daha fazla seveceksiniz demektir. Çünkü her sezon sürekli bahsi geçen “o adada” neler olduğunu birinci elden öğrenme şansını yakalıyorsunuz. Zaten dizinin çıkış noktası da bu çizgi romanın ta kendisi. China White karakteri ilk kez burada ortaya çıkıyor mesela. Ek olarak yazar Andy Diggle’ın soyadı size bir yerlerden tanıdık gelecektir. Çünkü dizideki John Diggle karakteri ona ithafen yaratılmış, hatta kardeşi olarak tanıtılmıştır. Tüm bu ayrıntılar Arrow hayranlarını mutlu etmeye fazlasıyla yetecektir kanımca.

Cildin bir diğer güzel yanıysa o şahane çizimler. Jock takma adıyla çalışan Mark Simpson’ın işlerini daha önce Batman: Kara Ayna ve Savage Wolverine gibi eserlerde görmüştük zaten. Ve o ciltlerle Green Arrow’u yan yana koyduğunuzda çizerin ustalığını hemen fark edeceksiniz. Batman: Kara Ayna ne kadar karanlık ve karamsar, Savage Wolverine ne kadar kanlı ve kırmızıysa Green Arrow da o kadar güneşli ve yeşil. Tarzını çizdiği işe göre bu kadar başarılı bir şekilde değiştirebilen çizer sayısı çok azdır herhâlde.

Toparlamam gerekirse, Arrow dizisinin iflah olmaz bir hayranıysanız Green Arrow: İlk Yıl’ı okumamak için hiçbir nedeniniz yok. Hatta muhtemelen çok seveceksiniz. Çizgi Düşler’in dizideki karakteri konu alan Green Arrow: Yeni 52 ciltlerini de dilimize çevirdiğini hatırlatayım. Karakterle ilk defa tanışacak olanlar da yine bu cildi tercih edebilirler. Öte yandan benim gibi keçi sakallı, şakacı Green Arrow’u seviyorsanız aradığınızı tam manasıyla bulamayabilirsiniz.

- M. İhsan TATARİ/i>

İncelemenin tamamı için:
http://kayiprihtim.com/inceleme/green...
Profile Image for Blindzider.
969 reviews26 followers
June 12, 2015
I think my expectations were too high on this. I saw the names Diggle and Jock (whose art I really like) and got really excited. I knew the basics of GA's origin but never any of the specifics of just what happened on the island figured this would be an excellent (albeit modern version of the events.

The story is really well done, a couple cool moments and lines, but in the end it didn't feel like a really unique and original take. Nowadays it's a bit of a cliche origin which may be why I'm less than enthused: Hero is a jerk/loser, gets into a bad situation, learns the wrongs of his ways and dedicates his life to helping others.

Jock's art is good. I know him more from his pin ups and art pieces. The only other time I can think of reading his sequential art is Batman Black Mirror. Overall, it's fine. I see a little bit of Jae Lee in it and I enjoyed the covers for the series more than the interiors.

If I could I would give 3.5 stars. It really is worth reading, but it just didn't elevate itself enough for me to rise above all of the average books.
Profile Image for Brendan.
1,277 reviews53 followers
April 30, 2020
4.5

This is my first Green Arrow book since Rebirth first kicked off. I had picked up Huntress Year One and noticed this Green Arrow Year One. This has a strong style and a storyline that keeps this moving at a fast pace. The author and artist have a strong first issue and it lays the groundwork for our hero. I was a little worried I might find this underwhelming, but luckily that wasn't the case. I'm eager to get the Mike Grell Omnibus when it comes out.

Why the 4.5?

The book is a little anticlimactic and doesn't have that strong fist pumping finale. The storyline tends to box in the author and if it wasn't for the frenetic pacing, this might've been a missed opportunity. The book is a great introduction to the characters origin storyline and once that is covered there's a large library of Green Arrow books to read. Andy Diggle has created a strong book and it's slightly odd he hasn't attempted resurrect some other year one titles.
Profile Image for Kačaba.
1,149 reviews253 followers
June 20, 2014
Malých dětí se ptáte, jak jsou veliké..

Vhodná otázka pro mě je, jak moc žeru Olivera Queena! Odpověď?
->Tááááááááááááááááááááááááááááááááááák moc.

btw. Já snad začnu mít ráda zelenou!
http://www.girlsfrag.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/Green_Arrow_0016.jpg

A hned mám trochu víc ňuňánkovací náladičku!
Profile Image for Daniel Sepúlveda.
848 reviews86 followers
August 1, 2021
Puntaje: 4.8 Estrellas

Green Arrow es uno de mis personajes favoritos, y leer esta reinterpretación de sus inicios fue una experiencia magnifica.

Este comic logra recoger la esencia de Oliver Queen y como cambia su vida 180 grados.

Super recomendado!
Profile Image for Anna Kay.
1,458 reviews161 followers
July 9, 2015
More like 3.5 stars. Was interesting to read, especially knowing this is where the main source material for the show (of which I've watched all three seasons) was taken from. I liked the light re-working of Oliver's origins, while still staying true to his character. I am glad that I read this and wish the show had stuck closer to Green Arrow territory and not ventured so far into Bat-land. I'd recommend it if you're a fan of the show, or interested in something similar. Otherwise, not truly necessary.



Oh, and P.S. I really appreciated the Errol Flynn reference. And for all you people who "know" the story of Robin Hood, watch that movie and be amazed at how well it holds up -- even with the dorky hat. Flynn had charisma in spades, for sure. Not to mention it's just a superior action movie.

Profile Image for C.J. Edmunds.
Author 9 books33 followers
March 29, 2014
Although I'm not a fan of the art but definitely great writing by Andy Diggle. I wonder if the Diggle character in the series Arrow is purposely named to pay homage to this writer, but nonetheless a little different from the origin story we've seen played out over the CW.

Oliver Queen still is the same spoiled rich kid who finds himself betrayed and left for dead after being thrown overboard his own ship. He washes up on an island and it is here where his mettle is tested and is faced with the hard truth about life, survival and friendship.

If you have not watched the tv series, I suggest you do ASAP after reading this or let the series supplement what you would discover about Ollie upon reading this reworked origin story.

He may be not my favorite DC character, but ya gotta admit, it does have heart. And that matters much when you wanna be pulled into reading something of value and substance.
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