Green Arrow: Stranded: 05/08/22

Green Arrow: Stranded by Brendan Deneen and Caleb Hosalla (Illustrations) is another version of the plane crash, island survival backstory that is the start of Oliver Queen's transformation into the Green Arrow. In this version he's still a teen and is on board with his father, another teen, and that teen's father.

Arrow the TV series ran from 2012-2020. I watched the first three or four seasons but gave up when the series couldn't let go of Oliver's time on the island. The Batman stories / movies / TV shows also tend to get hung up on Bruce Wayne's tragic backstory but that particular TV series took things to extremes.

Now seeing a standalone YA comic I have to wonder if any Green Arrow story can be told sans island and plane crash. Yet, you'll notice that despite my grumbling I've rated this particular version five stars.

Despite rehashing the same old series of events there are a few key important changes. The first is, Oliver is younger and isn't portrayed like the spoiled rich man-boy he is in the first season of Arrow. Second, it's a significantly shorter story, heavy on illustration and light on text or dialogue. Finally, the inclusion of adults and a known rival, all who are struggling to survive minus the den of bad guys also on the island, changes and narrows the focus.

Five stars

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