Tomorrow, DC will release an 80th anniversary special, celebrating the history of Green Arrow. The character, who has become a mainstay even outside of comics as a result of years of appearances on Smallville and Arrow, originally appeared in 1941, but there is an argument to be made that the modern interpretation of Oliver Queen was born when Dennis O’Neil and Neal Adams teamed up on Green Lantern/Green Arrow, which embraced the politics of the day and made the two title characters best friends, all while pitting them against each other ideologically. O’Neil passed away in 2020, and to celebrate his contributions to the Green Arrow mythology, his son Larry has written a short, dialogue-free story about his father.
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Titled “Tap, Tap, Tap,” the story is a bird’s eye view of O’Neil’s life and career, both personal and professional, from the time he was a kid reading comics until his death in 2020. The title refers to the sound of the typewriters and keyboards that were the soundtrack of his life. The story features art by Jorge Fornes (Rorschach) and colorist Dave Stewart (Plunge).
Readers who are subscribed to DC Universe can read the story for free.
Additional stories in this anthology include:
- “The Disappearing Bandit”
Written by Mariko Tamaki, Art by Javier Rodriguez - “Punching Evil”
Written by Tom Taylor, Art by Nicola Scott, Colors by Annette Kwok - “Who Watches the Watchtower?”
Written by Stephanie Phillips, Art by Chris Mooneyham, Colors by Mike Spicer - “Out of the Shadows”
Written and Art by Mike Grell, Colors by Lovern Kindzerski - “The Arrow and the Song”
Written by Ram V, Art by Christopher Mitten, Colors by Ivan Plascencia - “One”
Written by Brandon Thomas, Art by Jorge Corona, Colors by Matheus Lopes - “Green Man and Autumn Son”
Written by Devin Grayson, Art by Max Fiumara - “Star City Star”
Written and Art by Phil Hester, Inks by Ande Parks, Colors by Trish Mulvihill - “Happy Anniversary”
Written by Vita Ayala, Art by Laura Braga, Colors by Adriano Lucas - “The Sympathy of the Woods”
Written by Ben Percy, Art by Otto Schmidt - “The Last Green Arrow Story”
Written by Jeff Lemire, Art by Andrea Sorrentino, Colors by Jordie Bellaire
The variant covers for this must-have collector’s item come from some of the most prolific artists in comics:
- 1940’s Variant: Michael Cho
- 1950’s Variant: Daniel Warren Johnson
- 1960’s Variant: Neal Adams
- 1970’s Variant: Derrick Chew
- 1980’s Variant: Gary Frank
- 1990’s Variant: Howard Porter
- 2000’s Variant: Jen Bartel
- 2010’s Variant: Simone Di Meo
Green Arrow 80th Anniversary Super Spectacular will be released in print and digital tomorrow.
