Green Lantern/Green Arrow Collection - Volume 2 [Paperback]

Dennis O'Neil (Author), Elliot S. Maggin (Author)

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

Around the same time the Batman stories appeared, Adams was involved in another ambitious attempt to make comic books grow up. He and writer O'Neil teamed Green Lantern, a faltering superhero, with a second-string character, Green Arrow, and sent them on a road trip to rediscover America (the series was launched the year after the hit movie Easy Rider) and confront such social ills as racial discrimination and pollution. In one story in this collection, Green Arrow's teen sidekick turns out to have a heroin habit; another story introduces an African American counterpart to Green Lantern (with a moderate 'fro, just slightly militant). Frequently heavy-handed, as when greedy corporate bosses crucify a long-haired environmentalist with a biblical name, the well-meaning series represents a heartfelt effort to extend the subject matter of mainstream comics and lead the way toward subtler treatment of touchy issues. Gordon Flagg
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

About the Author

Dennis "Denny" O'Neil is a comic book writer and editor, principally for Marvel Comics and DC Comics in the 1970s. His best works include Green Lantern/Green Arrow and Batman with Neal Adams, The Shadow with Mike Kaluta and The Question with Denys Cowan, all of which were hailed for sophisticated stories that expanded the artistic potential of the mainstream portion of the medium. As an editor, he is principally known for editing Batman. His 1970s run on Batman is perhaps his most well known endeavour, turning Batman from the campiness of the 1960s TV show, to "The Batman", getting back to the character's darker roots and emphasizing his detective skills. This grimer and more sophisticated Dark Knight, as well as new villians such as Ra's Al Ghul, brought back Batman from the verge of pop culture oblivion. His work would influence later incarnations of Batman, from the seminal comic "Batman: The Dark Knight Returns" by Frank Miller, to the movie Batman Begins in 2005.

Product Details

• Paperback: 200 pages
• Publisher: DC Comics (August 1, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1401202306
• ISBN-13: 978-1401202309
• Product Dimensions: 6.6 x 0.5 x 10.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #819,856 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Cutting edge stories, January 2, 2005

By 

Doug62 (Arnold, MD United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Green Lantern/Green Arrow Collection - Volume 2 (Paperback)

Like the original Star Trek series, this series was cancelled while still in full swing for some reason. The high point is the story about drug addiction as well as the first appearance of John Stewart as Green Lantern. The stories may seem dated now, but at the time, they were taking comics into a new direction, and they remain one of the high points in comic book history.

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great comic series that addressed important social issues!, November 20, 2004

By 

PFunkster - See all my reviews

This review is from: Green Lantern/Green Arrow Collection - Volume 2 (Paperback)

The Adams/O'Neil Green Lantern and Green Arrow series was truly revolutionary. I always thought that a real cool animated movie could be made from them. If you enjoy comics and care about social/political issues, you won't be disappointed with this book. Check out Volume 1. The two books compliment each other.

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Still relevant, June 9, 2005

By 

Babytoxie (Dallas, TX USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Green Lantern/Green Arrow Collection - Volume 2 (Paperback)

Volume 2 of a trade collection of Denny O'Neil and Neal Adams' GL/GA team-ups, this book collects the remaining stories from GL #83-87, 89, plus a handfull of backups from from The Flash. As in the first volume, these stories from 1970 are full of harsh social commentary that sometimes borders on the absurd. Nevertheless, they make a point and bring important issues to the fore in comics, a medium that, up to that time, was notorious for ignoring such. In many cases, the final point of each story forces the reader to take a look at themselves, wondering what they would do in the same situation. Particularly outstanding is the two-part story in which Green Arrow finds that his former sidekick, Speedy of the Teen Titans, is a drug addict: quite a powerful conclusion that doesn't put on the brakes. Neal Adams' artwork for these stories is simply stunning. These heroes have never looked, and maybe never will look, so good again. The pencils enable the reader to feel the rage and anguish on their faces.

While I will always feel that these stories are overwhelming in their yearning to address the problems of their particular era, these issues are just as relevant today. You can still see racism, corporate greed, drug use, and pollution everywhere you look, so DC is doing a good thing by reprinting these stories. It seems that, even though we are more aware, times really never change.