Most anniversary sized issues seem to fit into one of 3 main categories: a major team up that fans have been clamoring for, a death or resurrection of a major character, or a major life event like a wedding, promotion to a team or new child. Very rarely it seems these very special issues act in celebration of the vast history of the character or team that the subject of said comic is truly reflected in terms of an 'anniversary.' Yet that is what Mike Grell and Rick Hoberg achieved in issue #75 of the 1988-1998 series of Green Arrow.
During a New Year's Eve celebration in downtown Seattle, Oliver Queen is near fatally wounded by an arrow welding assassin. Because of his war on organized crime in the Emerald City, Green Arrow has been targeted by the Yakuza, who are trying to gain a foothold in the Pacific Northwest. As Oliver recovers, the three ladies in the Archer's life, long-time love Black Canary, mother to one of his children, Shado, and Marianne, a youthful woman who writes fairy tales and just declared her love to Ollie at the beginning of the story. Even the mysterious assassin is found to have a deep bond with Green Arrow in this retrospective of a character that editor Mike Gold compared to a cross between 'Robin Hood and Peter Pan' in his farewell address to the readers in the letters column.
Rick Hoberg provided the pencils and inks for this oversized issue from 1993. Mike Grell does double duty as the cover artist in a powerful image that features all of the main characters of this story.
Completing this review completes Task #9 (With The Word GREEN in the Title) the 2025 Comic Book and Graphic Novel Reading Challenge.
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