Why GA, you ask?

Well, I'll tell you why! Ollie does seem an odd choice, especially in light of the other characters on which I lavish my fanboy love. Most of them are tide-of-battle-changing powerhouses (like my boy Martian Manhunter or good ol' Doc Strange) that inspire awe and wonder with their many powers.

Of course, both of those characters tend to be writer short cut fodder as well. How many times has the newest JLA villian beat the crap out of MM to prove how bad ass he is? How many times has the newest mystical threat cold cocked Doc Strange, forcing other heroes to pick up the slack?

::sigh::

Sorry, I digress. My point is, that most of my fav characters are supremely powerful indivduals. Ollie (along with Moon Knight) stands out as an exception. I mean, come on, this is the 21st century and the dude uses a bow and arrow? Seriously? But that's part of his charm. Ollie COULD pick up a gun or any more modern weapon, but that's not his style. He's good at archery damnit and he's going to make it work! You have to respect someone who lacks the sheer power of Supes or MM and the supreme intellect of Batman or Mr. Terrific (Ollie's no slouch in the INT department, though) going out there and mixing it up with villians who can level cities with their minds. That takes moxie.

Then there's the politics angle. I know, I know, touchy subject. But in an era when most comic characters lived in a world of pure black and white, Green Arrow took politcal stands. He looked out for the little guys, and he is, as an ep of Justice League Unlimited so aptly put, an old leftie. I share a good many of those beliefs (if you want a counterpoint, visit my friend luke ) and I think its admirable for a tights-wearing superhero to stop and think about the issues that effect their non-alien, non-irratiated and non-super-gadget wielding fellow human beings.

Of course, we can't forget old GA's supporting cast. Sure, Speedy was kinda lame (he got better!) but come on, who doesn't love them some Black Canary! That chick is all woman and all bad-ass, all in one package.

Green Arrow is awesome, and now you know why!


PS: This post will have to do for today. I plan to do an overview of the first two issues of "Green Arrow and Black Canary" next, as they're the most current GA goodness out there. Unfortunately, I'm currently at work, and while I have #2 with me, #1 resides in a long box at home.


More later!