In October 2012, Arrow premiered on the CW. The show, developed by Greg Berlanti, Andrew Kreisberg, and Marc Guggenheim focused on the story of Oliver Queen. While Green Arrow had a history of outstanding stories like The Longbow Hunters and Here There Be Dragons, the character was not widely known.
That would change during the 8 seasons of the show. The program also delved into the back stories of lesser-known characters from the comic series. Here are some key appearances for some of those figures.
Green Arrow Year One #1
Oliver Queen's first appearance as Green Arrow came all the way back in More Fun Comics in 1941. It is well out of the price range of almost any collector. But the writers of Arrow borrowed heavily from Green Arrow Year One, written by Andy Diggle with art from Jock. The series shows playboy Oliver Queen stranded on a deserted island, learning the skills that would make him a superhero.
The issue is highly collectible and quite affordable for pretty much any comic fan. The first issue of the mini-series sells in a CGC 9.8 for around $60.
The Fury of Firestorm #23
The original comic version of Felicity Smoak is much different than the one portrayed in Arrow. Her first appearance came in an issue of the Fury of Firestorm. The manager of a computer software company, she married Edward Raymond, the father of Ronnie Raymond.
In the show, she is a member of Team Arrow and eventually marries Oliver Queen. Eventually, her comic character was reimagined to better reflect her portrayal on the show. The Fury of Firestorm 23 has become more popular with collectors and sells for around $75.
Green Arrow #24
Felicity Smoak was a minor character who was reimagined for the show. John Diggle, the other prominent member of Team Arrow, was created just for the show. Played by David Ramsey, Diggle has grown from a bodyguard for Oliver into a superhero in his own right.
In 2013, DC Comics decided to introduce the character into their print universe. John Diggle made his first appearance in the comic world in Green Arrow 24, written by Jeff Lemire with art by Andrea Sorrentino. There aren't all that many CGC copies out there, but collectors can expect to pay between $50 and $100 for a 9.8 grade.
New Teen Titans #2
Deathstroke the Terminator first broke into the DC Universe as an antagonist of the Teen Titans. The supervillain is very popular with collectors and is sometimes seen as an anti-hero. In comics, Deathstroke and Green Arrow became blood rivals when the emerald archer put an arrow in his empty eye socket during Identity Crisis. Slade Wilson becomes one of the key villains in Arrow, attacking both Oliver and his family.
Deathstroke's first comics appearance came in New Teen Titans 2. One of the top keys from the 1980s, the issue sells for around $900 in a CGC 9.8.
Justice League of America #94
In the first season of Arrow, the main antagonist is Malcolm Merlyn, a wealthy businessman who was friends with Oliver's father. He is later revealed to be an archer trained by the League of Assasins. It is also revealed that Merlyn is the true father of Oliver's sister Thea.
Merlyn has long been an antagonist to Green Arrow in the comics. He made his first print appearance in Justice League of America 94. A CGC 9.0 copy of the comic can be had online for around $100.
*Any perceived investment advice is that of the freelance blogger and does not represent advice on behalf of GoCollect.