Green Arrow: The Longbow Hunters

Bought this after reading a list of top 100 comic stories and, having become a fan of the TV show "Arrow", was interested to see a different take on the character. This is great stuff. A more mature character, very well presented and thought out with an intriguing story and some excellent artwork. Please note that this is an adult title and has a few shocking scenes.A notable departure from the TV show version of the character and also from the Robin Hood buffoon with trick arrows/poor man's Batman that had shaped my impression of the character before.

What a great storey. This was my intro into Green Arrow comics after being a fan of the CW telly show and it was a great intro.

I discovered this via it's superb sequel 'Hunters Moon'. This book is a visually stunning and a very grim and violent take on an under-rated DC character. Grell's story is credible but his artwork is unlimited and superb.This is a prime example of the amazing output of DC in the mid-late 80s. It stands alongside the best Batman work of Frank Miller for me.

The perfect combination of a well written and intricately plotted story, coupled with stunning artwork throughout the book makes this one of the all-time great graphic novels. And I echo the comments by an earlier reviewer - why does Hollywood turn out endless reboots and remakes when there is an original story of this calibre that is just crying out to be turned into a film?

Great reading an old story from my childhood although I don't see the need to update the colouring,it was fine the way I remember it

no superheroics (no spandex or whatsoever), just an amazing well written story & amazing artwork by Mike Grell. Green Arrow thinking about his life, him being a grandfather ...

Good book, good service.

This highly acclaimed Green Arrow story from writer and artist Mike Grell, who is currently is on art duties for the comic series Arrow based on the hit TV series. This three issue mini series see's Oliver Queen and his partner Dinah Lance/Black Canary relocate to Seattle. Green Arrow is the urban hunter patrolling the streets, back alleys of crime ridden Seattle. He soon comes on the case of a serial killer and Dinah goes on her own investigation into the city's drug lords. Ollie also learns that he is not the only archer on the hunt. This is a great, gritty and dark realistic approach to a superhero story. Suggested for mature readers it's easily one the bloodiest and most violent stories since Frank Miller's The Dark Knight Returns, both released in the 1980's.I admired how near the beginning in issue one where he recalls past events, his time on the island, becoming The Green Arrow, losing his fortune and that infamous moment from the Green Lantern and Green Arrow series from the 70's series depicting Oliver discovery of Roy being a heroine addict.The plot which starts as Oliver tracking down the serial killer leads that to a much bigger threat and the meeting of the mysterious archer. The story plays out like a good thriller while keeping you intrigued to the very end to learn of the connection to everything that is in play. And as I said before one the most violent stories I've read. The art and layout is great. It's a unique opportunity for a writer and artist to fully express their vision. Even though it is a three issue mini series that sounds short but the each issue is double the length as a standard comic book issue, so it's just as long as a six issue series. As far as I can tell it is the first appearance of Eddie Fryers and Shado, two prominent figures of Oliver's time on the island in the Arrow TV series first season.After the success of The Dark Knight Returns, DC decided to create another mature themed series. Led by Mike Grell, The Longbow Hunters gave us a darker, harder Green Arrow ridding himself of his trick arrows and donning a new more antiquated costume. Grell even insisted on never calling the hero "Green Arrow" within the actual pages of the comic, a similar trait to the TV series. The mature plot and great illustrations re-launched Green Arrow making him accessible to adult graphic novel readers. The success of this series would lead the Emerald Archer into his next Green Arrow comic book series in 1988, that ran for 11 years, gaining a surge of new fans.Check out my Blog http://supercomicsmovieblog.blogspot.ie/