Ann Nocenti, famous for her status quo-changing run on Marvel's "Daredevil" in the 80's and 90's, is taking up the writing chores for "Green Arrow," starting with issue #7 that's due in March.
Since Nocenti's resume includes such great work for one two-fisted, street fighting crime fighter at Marvel, it's to be assumed that DC's expecting her to do the same with one of theirs. Nocenti sat down with Vaneta Rogers at Newsarama for a Q&A to divulge some of what she's got in store for readers.
Nocenti was quick to clear up any assumptions that she'll write Green Arrow as the tortured hero Daredevil was under her pen. Green Arrow's going to be fun. Ollie's young, single, and a billionaire, so he's not going to have the same baggage Matt Murdock did.
She crystallized her view of the character pretty simply: He's an arrow.
"He shoots off in a direction and he finds his target. His aim is true. He's got a good moral compass. And that's one of the big things I think about when I'm doing a story. He's an arrow. Somehow his aim is true. And that's my guide.
"I think a lot of his initial actions are going to be informed by that, the fact that he can be incredibly reckless and follow some adventure without having to really worry about having any responsibilities."
Oliver Green is 24 and doesn't know who he is yet. Nocenti sees him as a clean slate, and she's running with that.
"Yeah! I see him as very restless. I don't see him as the kind of guy, yet anyway, who is going to stick to a routine. He's not going to go into an office every day. He's not going to be looking to get married and have kids. He's going to be a bit wild."
But he's got a lot of internal strength as well. After all, why does a privileged guy without superpowers or a tortured background become a hero anyway? It's got to be something from within that motivates him, according to Nocenti.
"I think we're answering that through his actions. But I don't want it to be too heavy. What I want to do, more than anything, is to have fun on this book."
She's early in her run but plans for each three issue set to have some kind of theme or tone. The first three will be straight-up adventure, the next three maybe film noir. Ollie's going to be finding himself and discovering who he is along the way. It's too early for him to be a straight-up philosophizing philanthropist.
"I want that to come. I don't want him to suddenly be that way because I think it needs some time and experience to back it up, you know? I have friends in their 20's who are reacting to this new 'Occupy Wall Street' movement, and they're extremely passionate suddenly about politics. And they go to these foreclosure events in neighborhoods where people are losing their homes. And there's a useful passion with wanting to help the downtrodden. But I don't get the sense that these friends in their 20's who are doing this even know why they're doing it."
And since he's a young, reckless playboy, Nocenti figures that he's going to have a weakness for women, so she's created a new dangerous opponent for him named Skylark, similar to how she created Typhoid Mary for Daredevil.
"I see his Achilles heels would be women, as it is for any healthy, testosterone, burgeoning 24-year-old."
For details on Nocenti's plans for the character, check out the link below!