DEATHSTROKE versus GREEN ARROW

Crawling Through the Wreckage Part Three: An Eye For An Eye (DC)
Where: Green Arrow #62 When: July 2006
Why: Judd Winick How: Scott McDaniel

The Story So Far...
Green Arrow has spent a year reclaiming his life from the wreckage of Star City's destruction at the hands of Doctor Light and Merlyn. The time away allowed him to recover some of his lost fortune and retrain in new fighting arts. It also allowed his alter-ego Oliver Queen to campaign his way into the city of Mayor of Star City!

The more things change, the more they stay the same. As the emerald archer returns to the streets to fight new enemies, his life as Mayor brings a familiar nemesis back to confront him. Corporate rival Theodore Davis has employed the mercenary Deathstroke to setup a deadly rematch in the Mayor's Office!

Tale of the Tape...
Strength: Deathstroke 3 (Athlete)
Intelligence: Deathstroke 4 (Tactician)
Speed: Deathstroke 3 (Athlete)
Stamina: Draw 4 (Athlete)
Agility: Draw 3 (Acrobat)
Fighting: Deathstroke 7 (Living Weapon)
Energy: Green Arrow 4 (Arsenal)
Total: Deathstroke 26 (Metahuman)

Deathstroke is widely recognized as one of the deadliest mercenaries in the DC Universe -- even if our record hasn't always reflected that.

Training and artificial enhancements granting access to 90% brain function means Deathstroke can conceive and enact a range of highly effective combat tactics and skills. Our best examples of this include fighting the Justice League to a standstill in Identity Crisis #3, and single-handedly defeating Marvel's X-Men in the classic Uncanny X-Men and New Teen Titans crossover one-shot!

Key to Deathstroke's effectiveness is his hand-to-hand fighting skills, which The Tape shows outclasses Green Arrow. Oliver Queen is a skilled martial artist, but his greatest point of difference has been specialized archery, as in the battles with The Penguin [Justice League of America #135] and Black Hand [Green Lantern: Rebirth #1].

Deathstroke's sword and speedy reflexes are his best weapon against Green Arrow's trick projectiles, but GA doesn't always need to rely on a bow to make the most of them. We saw him endure a fight with Brick long enough to wield arrows by hand for the win in Green Arrow #45. He also successfully rammed an arrow in Deathstroke's bad eye during the Identity Crisis fight.

That example showed both that Deathstroke basically outclasses Green Arrow, but that GA can also fight hard enough to overcome any perceived disparity.

Today's confrontation is coming after a one year break that allowed Ollie to re-train in new fighting disciplines. We saw the fruits of his labour when he faced Red Hood with the skills of a swordsman in Green Arrow #71. Sharpening his skills with a blade is a good way to offset some of the disparity with Deathstroke, who used his to cut down Phantom Lady in Infinite Crisis #1!

Green Arrow outranks Deathstroke in the Fight Club Rankings, but The Terminator stands well ahead in The Tape. So far their history has ended in an inconclusive draw. Let's see if we can break the tie with today's featured battle!

History: Draw (0-0-1)
The Tape: Deathstroke Ranking: Green Arrow (#23)

What Went Down...
A poisoned dart to the throat silences the objections of Mayoral advisor Frederick Tuckman. Mayor Queen can only grit his teeth and ask the intruding assassin what it is that he wants while nerve toxin floods Tuckman's body.

Deathstroke has been hired to kill the Mayor of Star City, but he fires another dart into Oliver Queen's chest and promises him total ruination before death. A complete political assassination from a petty mercenary to a bitter foe.

Lying on the floor of his public office, Mayor Queen clutches his chest while producing a small electronic device. A beep from the telephone is the only warning Deathstroke gets that The Mayor has wired his office to blow!

A Kord Industries miniature explosive was small enough to evade Deathstroke's earlier sweep of the office, as was the armored vest beneath the Mayor's shirt.

He produces bow & quiver and fires an arrow into Deathstroke's shoulder while the mercenary is still embedded in the office wall. His incredible mind processing what has occurred, The Terminator counter fires with a handful of small, self-propelling explosive beads!

Green Arrow leaps clear of the blast, but it buys Deathstroke the time he needs to retrieve his sword and go on the offensive! A single, precision swing of the blade cuts three arrows clean out of the air!

More arrows go astray, forcing Green Arrow to tumble clear of the rampaging Deathstroke. His sword completely cuts through the Mayor's desk, leaving him vulnerable to an arrow to the rear. A speedy flip saves him from its point!

Deathstroke lands in a dominant position over his target, but Green Arrow has prepared for an attack on his office. The exterior window shatters as a cable and dart flies straight for the assassin's chest -- dousing him in adhesive!

Another automated trigger yanks Deathstroke out the window by the cable attached to his chest, onto the roof and into the seat of a catapult! As he's fired into the city air he finally realizes he's been played: it was Green Arrow who hired him in the first place!

The speed and trajectory is too great for Deathstroke to shift his landing: a great open pit with reinforced walls he can't dig his sword into! When he hits the bottom, a ten-inch deep soup of adhesive bogs him to the ground.

Green Arrow looms over the pit and draws a sword before diving in!

A surprised Deathstroke blocks the diving sword slash and admires the archer's new weapon. The blade's quality is matched only by Green Arrow's ability to wield it. He swings it deftly, forcing The Terminator to duck and avoid!

The adhesive surrounding his feet slows Deathstroke, while Green Arrow moves faster than ever -- unhindered thanks to specially treated boots. The bowman leaps gracefully over his foe, while Deathstroke swings at air.

The archer locks eyes with his target and attacks head-on. Deathstroke swings wildly just to meet his attacker's blade at equal measure. Their swords spark as they collide and Deathstroke realizes his opponent has undergone a change!

They cross swords again and Deathstroke manages to drag his feet out of the mire to jump and lunge forward. He's forced right back down into a deep lean backward as Green Arrow continues to press on.

GA leaps over Deathstroke again and successfully slashes his back!

Deathstroke swings wildly with his sword, but Green Arrow leaps clear and forces an evasive duck with his own blade. His fighting style has changed so much after a year's re-training than Deathstroke knows he can't possibly adjust to match him. He pulls the pin on a flash grenade and covers his eyes!

The blinding light leaves Green Arrow momentarily dazed, allowing Deathstroke to fire off a grappling hook. His escape seems assured until a gunshot severs the tie that would take him to safety and he notices the guns.

Armed with armor piercing rounds, a sniper division of the National Guard surrounds the pit, poised to shoot by order of Mayor Oliver Queen. He thought of everything. Deathstroke is under arrest.

The Hammer...
That's one way to stop a hired killer! Green Arrow laid the perfect trap, utilizing everything at his disposal: prep time, his re-trained fighting style, the ultimate trick arrow, and the special resources available to the Mayor of Star City!

It's nice to be back talking Green Arrow -- especially with an opponent as worthy as Deathstroke! Theirs is an interesting rivalry that almost shouldn't have the chemistry that it does. There isn't a whole lot that innately or thematically ties the two characters together. It just seems to work.

I suppose some of the appeal lies in a test of fighting ability. Green Arrow is the expert marksman with competent fighting skill. Deathstroke is the venerable fighting machine better known for his close quarters skills. Throw them together and see who can get the better of the other, or slip out of mortal danger.

There is some overlap between their roles as senior figures in the lives of extra-ordinary young students. I'd call the rivalry an upgrade from beating up Robin and the kids in the Teen Titans, but without that history, there wouldn't be a Deathstroke to begin with, so maybe I need to get that old bias in check.

Of course, Deathstroke matches up more naturally with a lot of the adult DC Universe, operating best as a freelance mercenary with enough character and gimmicks to be interesting unto himself. The suspension of disbelief is a little less strained when he fails to apply his supreme skills to beating adult heroes.

Success rate has a way of undermining the legend of Deathstroke ever so slightly. From six fights we've recorded three outright victories: wins against Robin, the X-Men, and a shared victory over the Freedom Fighters.

Attempts to parlay the success of the character into a villain-driven solo series no doubt helps address success rate, but also inevitably balances the books with forgettable patsies invented to die without collapsing a major franchise. At some point we will take a closer look at a Deathstroke starring title, but it hasn't been as attractive a spotlight as other battles involving better known heroes.

Today's featured fight owes a lot to the brief but popular encounter in Identity Crisis #3, which was published just a couple of years prior. Without that issue, we might not regard Green Arrow and Deathstroke as the rivals they are.

Seeing Deathstroke go all-out against the Justice League was part of what made Identity Crisis memorably satisfying. It helped broadcast the potential of the character, and finally seeded more regular appearances in the larger DCU as a member of groups like The Society and Injustice League.

Flash forward to 2020 and Deathstroke is even starring in his own animated series for CW Seed: Deathstroke: Knights & Dragons. This expands upon the character's live-action appearances in Arrow, Titans, and a much discussed cameo in the Justice League movie. Plenty more reason to talk Slade Wilson!

If you haven't had your Deathstroke fix you can check out this issue in full collected in Green Arrow: Crawling Through The Wreckage. Using the Amazon link provided to shop will help support Secret Wars on Infinite Earths at no extra cost!

You can also find more from both of today's characters by following links throughout this post, or by diving into the Secret Archive for a complete index of featured battles in order of publisher, series, and issue! You can also get daily links to topical fights by following on Twitter and Facebook!

Today's result propels Green Arrow into the highly disputed #20 rank! He edges out Steel, with some of the biggest DC heroes hot on their heels! Check out the 2019 Rankings Recap for the movers and shakers of last year, and keep your eyes on the bottom of new entries for updates!

Winner: Green Arrow
#20 (+3) Green Arrow
#71 (-2) Deathstroke

RED HOOD versus SPEEDY
Seeing Red Part Four: Back To School Night (DC comics)
Where: Green Arrow #72 When: May 2007
Why: Judd Winick How: Scott McDaniel

The story so far...
Red Hood has teamed with former Star City criminal mastermind, Brick, to initiate a sinister plan against Green Arrow and his former ally, the Batman, but to what ends?

Though Green Arrow and Batman successfully defeat their opponents in the villain swap, the realisation that they were being distracted while the real plan was enacted comes too late.

With Speedy subdued, the Red Hood plans t ocontinue his path of corruption, turning to the current generation of sidekick. Will the Red Hood allow Speedy to live? Will he convert her to his extreme tactics? Read on to find out!

Previous Form:
Red Hood (#26): Victorys against Hyena, Captain Nazi, Count Vertigo & Brick.
Speedy: Mia Dearden has not yet been featured on the site.

Tale of the tape...
Strength: Red Hood 3 (Athlete)
Intelligence: Red Hood 4 (Tactician)
Speed: Draw 3 (Athlete)
Stamina: Red Hood 4 (Athlete)
Agility: Red Hood 4 (Gymnast)
Fighting Ability: Red Hood 5 (Martial Artist)
Energy Powers: Red Hood 4 (Arsenal)


The battle of the sidekicks! One all grown up, the other still in the infancy of her career, despite a considerable degree of training behind her. It presents an interesting situation!

Technically both are fairly evenly matched, bringing most of the same sorts of attributes to the table by the nature of their humanity. To compensate for the extraordinary threats they face each has honed their fitness, physicality and fighting skills to the sharpest degree. Adding to this natural arsenal comes an array of weapons.

Red Hood has turned his back on the non-lethal utility built from his days as Robin, opting instead for a more diverse range of weaponry. Hidden up his sleeves is anything from knives, high explosives, automatic pistols, and a range of other handy little gadgets.

Speedy stays true to her origins, wielding the bow and arrow like her master and mentor, Green Arrow. While her skills are probably not quite as sharp as GA's, her determination, will and extensive training cannot be doubted.

In this particular match-up, a lot has to be said for experience.
As comparable as any of the characters in these families are, Speedy is a new kid on the block. Despite only being resurrected a few years ago, we mustn't forget a lifetime of experiences that have been laid on top of the Jason Todd character. He's as street as Speedy, and as skilled as Green Arrow. [Green Arrow #71]

At the end of the tape, Red Hood is bigger, older, and better than Speedy.
The Math: Red Hood (Champion Class)
The Pick: Red Hood

What went down...
Our issue opens with Speedy, blindfolded and tied to a chair, sharing a dialogue with her captor; the sinister hero who ecsaped death -- Red Hood!
A fancy curved blade slits the ropes that hold the arrow slinging youngster in her chair, as the Red Hood informs her that their duel will not be one of violent interrogation. Her hands freed, Speedy removes the blindfold and is surprised to find her bow before her.

Her eyes adjust to present a second surprise -- her high school gym. With the standium lights on overhead, Red Hood stands at centre court, suggesting she take hold of her bow, because he has a lesson in store for her.

Speedy happily takes the opportunity to leap into battle, firing off several arrows. The Hood slices them out of the air with his curvy dagger, suggesting the young Speedy is only as good as her quiver's supply. She threatens to put an arrow in his eye in retort, but slashing at the airborne missiles, the Hood scoffs at the conviction of her threats.

Red Hood lords his expertise over his junior, calculating her range of attacks limited to thirty-three, all non-lethal.
The debate of morals continues, as the Hood guarantees to come for her the moment she runs out of arrows.

Perhaps out of agitation or provocation, the young arrow slinger fires an arrow that sneaks past Jason Todd's blade, finding his protective helmet. Physically fine, he offers his approval, before moving his mentoring to the next stage.

Red Hood fires off a barrage of hot led, offering little opportunity for Speedy to literally duck and dodge for her life. She does so with relative ease, emulating her teacher's training. Though she survives the assault, the string of her bow does not, leaving her unarmed.

Red Hood chuckles to himself about his skills with the lethal weapons, remarking, "Got real good with guns to piss off the old "boss"."
He tosses his opponent two blades and removes his helmet, declaring the next stage "higher learning."

Speedy doesn't spare a moment to look the gift horse in the mouth. She leaps at Red Hood, who competently defends against her two sword attack with his single dagger. He comments on her performance, complimenting her ability to hold her own. She replies with threats to be holding more than her own momentarily.

Todd takes the tough talking, and relates it to the similarities between the two of them. The crimson clad sidekick verbally spits in the Hood's face, whilst delivering a swift knee to his mid-section. She follows with a cracking elbow that spills blood from Todd's mouth, whilst defying his evolution, referring to him as, "Another one of the sick @#$&s who couldn't handle staying on the right side..."

Todd repeats that the two are alike, ducking a lunging attack to strike the younger hero hard in the back. She strikes back with a stiff kick, but Todd takes it and brings his knife down like an axe: Speedy blocks it in time with her own blades.

Red Hood lets flow the vivid information he has on Mia Dearden, making up the milestones of what have made her character. She interrupts him, using the gym seats to lean back and throw her legs out in a kick that topples the Red Hood.

He lands on his feet, and continues, arriving at one of the most defining facts of Speedy's young life: her testing positive for HIV. He asks if HIV is the reason she finds it so hard to kill, as though it has bestowed her with a new appreciation for life. She lunges at him in response, but the Hood gets in low, sliding under her leap. He throws his dagger up into her cape, tearing it as he fights to bring her down.

Speedy flows with the leap, taking the advantage from behind, but the Hood throws an instinctive fist behind him, connecting hard with Dearden's jaw.

The Hood gets in personal, grabbing the grounded Speedy by the throat to pin her down. He explains himself, telling her that his "surrogate daddy" comes from the same pampered upbringing as hers, and that like her, he was made on the streets. Streets where like her, he had to make hard choices to persevere.

The Hood retrieves his knife from the court floor, as Speedy struggles to regain her breath. "And I know that sometimes very bad things have to be done to do a great right." As though the message had someone fallen on her, the young girl agrees, "I don't think either of our "fathers" will ever understand that."

Todd replies, "But you do."

The hammer...
Batman and GA roll up the school as the gym explodes, but Speedy is safe, having escaped the explosion set by the victor - Red Hood.

Though it might not seem like it, this was a fight that actually contained a good amount of story and character development.
Red Hood isn't a particularly unique scenario. The hero who chooses more extreme methods became perhaps the most popular type over the course of the eighties and nineties, but what is interesting to read in this issue is the stake that Red Hood takes in the matter.

This doesn't revolve around any kind of seduction of the innocent, or scenario of revenge, which would be the more obvious result. Instead, Jason Todd's history as a homeless street child provides a bridging understanding between the two characters, once they work through their differences by fighting, of course.

One might have expected something far less subversive from Red Hood, who has more often than not been characterized as leaning closer to "evil" than the anti-hero stylings of a Punisher, or other heroes who kill. It's a pleasant surprise then to discover this storyarc, which has been pretty blatantly disposable, in it's conclusion was more than another attempt to destroy or brainwash a sidekick.

Instead, Todd opens a relatively sincere dialogue, and seems to relate his reasons for doing what he is. It could almost be read more like a final confession to someone who understands, rather than an attempt to sway Speedy away from the oath she's sworn with Green Arrow. Because, honestly, despite a frosty moment between Speedy and her mentor when he finally arrives, there doesn't seem to be any reason to expect the character to be anything but her usual heroic-self.

Thus, Secret Earths continues to sponsor the return of Jason Todd, even if this was a less than stellar chapter in the new history of the character.
We continue to watch over the character as he finds his way into the weekly DC mega-series, Countdown, where he's been tying up with his former surrogate big brother, Nightwing. It doesn't sound like things are getting much better for the character, but we'll keep our fingers crossed there's something more in his history than sacrificing himself to stop a new Anti-Monitor, or some such.

As the Red Hood/Winter Soldier debate rages ever on, one can't help but feel Jason Todd is starting to lose the stakes where focus is concerned. While Winter Soldier has been splashed around since his return as the shiney new toy, he seems set to benefit greatly from the death of Captain America, with his latest objective being to kill Tony Stark.

Granted, it's still a little whimsical in it's direction, but Winter Soldier's new mission, similar to Red Hood's time on the streets of Gotham, does highlight something intriguing about this new breed of character. That being, despite their inherent connection to mainstream icons like Batman and Captain America, they seem to be free to take things steps much farther than even some of the well established anti-heroes of the big two companies. Which is very interesting.
These guys go further than just extreme methods. They're practically heroes applying the methods of villains.

Anyway, we'll wrap it up here. Looks like I'm not going to get caught up before the end of the month, but stay tuned anyway for lots more Infinite Wars!

The Fight: 5 The Issue: 4.5

GREEN ARROW versus RED HOOD
Seeing Red Part Three: Change Partners (DC comics)
Where: Green Arrow #71 When: April 2007
Why: Judd Winick How: Scott McDaniel

The story so far...
The Red Hood has rolled into town and he's survived the fight with Brick long enough to team-up with him in a diabolical plot against the Batman and Green Arrow!

Red Hood orchestrates a series of scenarios across the city to lure out the heroes, and lead them into an opponent swap! Having educated Brick in the ways of his former mentor, the plan is going without a hitch, except for the presence of a fifth wheel: Speedy!

Will the young hero come to the rescue of the legends, or is there something more than meets the eye to Red Hoods plans? What are those cries in the distance? What lies behind door number three? Doom for Speedy, perhaps?...

Previous Form:
Green Arrow (#11): Green Arrow has two victories over Brick.
Red Hood (#15): Red Hood is undefeated against Brick and The Society.

Tale of the tape...
Strength: Draw 2 (Average)
Intelligence: Red Hood 4 (Tactician)
Speed: Red Hood 3 (Trained Athlete)
Stamina: Draw 4 (Athlete)
Agility: Red Hood 4 (Gymnast)
Fighting Ability: Red Hood 5 (Martial Artist)
Energy Powers: Draw 4 (Arsenal)


Well, according to the tape, there isn't a field in which Green Arrow gets the better of Jason Todd. I guess there's no category for lady killing smarm, or dodgy goatees...

If you asked me flat out who would win a fight between these two, I think I'd be leaning toward Green Arrow. This guy's got the experience over Jason Todd, and that's not even including the time he spent dead. Time considerably less than Todd's time taking a dirt nap... In the real world, at least.

I felt the need to upgrade GA's energy power stats to reflect the arsenal of weaponry at his disposal, and while I haven't done so yet, I feel there may be need to recognise his prowess as a hand-to-hand combatant. I was reluctant to rate GA with the other martial artists, but given the strength of his recent training during the One Year Later flashbacks, it might be time.

Of course, that said, Red Hood has eaten, lived, and slept [hello!] with the Batman, which means this guys lives and breathes fighting. He's all about the tactical edge, and delivering every necessary blow with tempered precision and deadly accuracy.

Green Arrow's no slouch in the accuracy department. You don't get a reputation as the world's greatest archer without shooting a few apples off heads, but it could be said that GA's talents and scope are narrow. Certainly compared to the forward planning of a Red Hood, ala Batman training.

Maybe I'd be wrong in my initial assessment, if you asked me who would win a fight between these two. Maybe when we pull out the tape and measure everything up, the mechanics of the two characters lean toward Red Hood.
Then again, maybe the mechanics lie. Maybe Red Hood's impetuousness is a weakness exposed and fileted by Green Arrow's experience...

The Math: Red Hood
The Pick: Green Arrow

What went down...
While Speedy abandons her mission of aid to the heroes under fire, Green Arrow finds himself diving for cover from the afforementioned spray courtesy of Red Hood and an automatic weapon.

GA lands on his back, slinging a few arrows Red Hood's way, but the kid is good. He sees it coming before the arrows have even left the bow, and slips out of the line of fire, accordingly.

The Hood returns the favour with another spray of ammunition, forcing Green Arrow to backflip his way out of trouble and search for a new solution.
Still on his back, he spies water piping across the lab ceiling, and as mayor has the privilege of knowing water has been restored to this part of the Earthquake torn city.

He uses one of his trick arrows to set off the sprinklers.
Water cascades down on them both, distracting the Red Hood sufficiently enough to give Green Arrow an opportunity to fire off an arrow at his achilles.

The Hood blocks the arrows path with the blade of a sword.
He challenges the senior hero, questioning whether or not he'd had time to practise with his new sword in the rain. Green Arrow draws his blade, and gladly boasts his ability to cope with the terrain. He charges into battle.

Sparks fly as the two titans clash swords.
Locked together, Red Hood acknowledges GA's progression beyond "... just a sharp shooter!"

Green Arrow ducks a wild swipe from Red Hood, and props up to catch the Hood on the completion of his swing with one of his own. GA's sword slices across the armored helmet that is Todd's namesake. The slash leaves a line straight across the eye area.

"You missed. Either that or you weren't going for the throat. That's the problem with all of you. Limits."

GA ducks another swipe, and strikes back with a lunge that pierces the Hood's jacket. The sword provides a guideline for Red Hood to move into close quarters, using his helmet to viciously headbutt his opponent.

Arrow indulges the grapple with Todd, and uses it to throw his feet out onto a shelf of chemicals, pushing them back to the ground.

He follows with a swinging roundhouse kick that knocks the Hood silly enough to disarm him. With that, GA takes possession of his sword and forces him to yield, his neck in a scissored vice.

Despite the predicament, Todd mocks the situation.
"You and me fight with a few pig stickers and I'm going away in cuffs?"

He challenges GA to connect the dots, asking him if he really thinks a katana is a regular piece of his carry-on arsenal. He then highlights the fact that he's where he is, and Batman is across town. Then as the handle of Red Hood's katana begins to sizzle in his hand, Green Arrow gets it.

He tosses the sword into an adjacent wall, and on advice of a fleeing Jason Todd, does more than just toss it. They both make a dramatic escape, but it's Todd who has the barings to leap on a motorcycle to make his getaway.
GA fires an arrow into the air, but Red Hood is able to narrowly steer clear of it, getting notification of his package's arrival: Speedy.

The hammer...
Despite letting the baddie get away, Green Arrow earns comprehensive victory against a sword wielding Jason Todd!

As you may have gathered, this issue also contains a fight between Brick and Batman, and while that probably would've been the easier choice of the two, there was certainly a lot more meat to Green Arrow/Red Hood. Which you would really expect for the title character. Even so, hopefully we'll get a chance to revisit this issue just to get Batman/Brick on the board.

Though he's suffered a substantial fall from grace, I really like the idea of Brick as a criminal presence big enough to become regularly involved in the Gotham underworld. It's the kind of development that could've really slot well into Winick's period on Batman, with a more flowing and developing sense of Gotham City and it's criminal activity.

Another great reason to feature Green Arrow/Jason Todd was that it meant would could continue to diversify our featured characters, and maybe reflect a little bit of what's going on. Even though we've been talking about Red Hood more this year than last, when he was a lot more relevant.

To the former point, hopefully you've noticed a conceited effort to feature a greater balance of DC material. I fully acknowledge that I was more of a Marvel kid growing up, but I really have a great affection for many of DC's characters, and in the latter years really jumped the fence to their side.
Right now I fall somewhere in the middle, but for integrity's sake I just like the notion of getting more DC material on the site. And heck, we all know the Marvel zombies that probably visit us here could use the education. Oh yes! I went there!

Judd Winick's been a pretty regular feature on the site, but I haven't really talked at length about Scott McDaniel. It's interested me that he's remained on the title for so long, because after the initial departure of the art team of Phil Hester and Ande Parkes, I really didn't expect him to last it out.

While I'm reluctant to really slam the quality of his art, I personally feel it's somewhat lacking. I don't think the inks are doing it a lot of favours [this issue inked by Andy Owens] in respet to refining and cleaning some of the lines up, but to be fair, that isn't really the inker's job description.

It continues to work conceptually, following on from the cartoony vibe established previously, despite the book's tendency to delve into more traditionally dark and psuedo-realistic themes. Which has helped the title keep it's charms, but I still can't help but feel the style of energy, and the exaggerated limbs and action produced, just isn't feel right.

I've been quite surprised by some of the positive reviews I've heard, that specifically mention McDaniel as a highlight. iFanboy is a recent source of interest that springs to mind.
I'd have to honestly say, if the subject material wasn't so fun, and the characters featured weren't of initial interest to me, I probably wouldn't be buying.

The Fight: 6 The Issue: 5

RED HOOD versus BRICK
Seeing Red Part Two: The Buddy System (DC comics)
Where: Green Arrow #70 When: March 2007
Why: Judd Winick How: Scott McDaniel

The story so far...
Jason Todd, former Robin and protege to the Batman, has returned from the dead and isn't in the best frame of mind.
Walking a line between good and evil, Todd assumes the identity that gave birth to The Joker - Red Hood - and begins a lethal war against crime for control.

Danny "Brick" Brickwell arrived on the Star City underworld scene abruptly, and his rise to power was swift.
Though his extraordinary strength and rockhide durability were key to his success, perhaps his greatest tool was intelligence and guile.
It was this that set him apart from the other gangsters of the city.

Red Hood has brought his vendetta to Star City, and sought out Brick with a deal too good for a man of his intelligence to pass up. The only question that remains now, is whether or not he'll survive long enough to propose it...

Previous Form:
Red Hood (#29): Red Hood teamed with Batman to defeat members of The Society.
Brick (#197): Brick has suffered defeat at Green Arrow's hand twice.

Tale of the tape...
Strength: Brick 5 (Super Strength)
Intelligence: Red Hood 4 (Tactician)
Speed: Red Hood 3 (Trained Athlete)
Stamina: Brick 4 (Trained Athlete)
Agility: Red Hood 4 (Gymnast)
Fighting Ability: Red Hood 5 (Martial Artist)
Energy Powers: Red Hood 2 (Projectile Weapons)

Well, a pretty interesting way to start out the year, I must say.
As a fan and wannabe-writer, I have a great interest and affection for good independent street villains. These guys are arguably two of the best new comers to the scene, and pitting them together is just really interesting. It's not the kind of match-up you'd expect to see.

Anyway, fawning aside, who measures up how?

The most overt advantage here is Brick's rocky exterior which not only makes him invulnerable to fatal wounds from most basic weaponry, but also grants him incredible strength and striking power.

We've seen time and time before how the Batman has been able to overcome overwhelming odds of muscle through strategy and preperation. Victories against Superman, Captain Nazi and Amazo remind us of that.
What's important to recall is not only that Red Hood has had conditioning to approach such obstacles in a likeminded fashion, but is also willing to extend his strategies to incorporate lethal force. Something Batman would never condone.

Thus, in many ways, this makes Red Hood even more dangerous than Batman.

Likewise, Red Hood's acrobatic agility and training in the martial arts put him a level up on Brick, whose school was one of hard knocks. Street wise scuffling may get you to the top of the gang pile, but against guys relying on nothing but skill, your odds start to dwindle.

Certainly it isn't an easy pick-up for Red Hood, but given the difference in experience and style, it's difficult to tip the man-brute that is Brick.

The Math: Red Hood (Champion Class)
The Pick: Red Hood

What went down...
Red Hood shows up on the scene just in the nick of time to mow down his own men, as they threaten to open a can of urban warfare on Brick's ass on a count of a lost shipment of weapons. Foiled, of course, by Green Arrow and Speedy (with a mysteriouso assist from Batman).

Red Hood proposes the notion of Brick helping him with his problem, but when Brick says he isn't interested the helmeted vigilante starts to press his point.

Using his fantastic agility to leap in the path of the hometown advantage, he draws his pistols. Brick shows him just how much he likes that, revealing the hard way how fast he can be.

The crimson cowled one finds himself in the grip of a far more powerful opponent, and unable to breath as he crushes down on his protective helmet.

Reaching for the back of his belt, the Hood produces an explosive grenade which puts distance between he and his potential partner in crime.

Breaking the seal on the helmet, Red Hood reveals the man underneath, still wearing the red domino mask that mirrors his past as a boy wonder.

Red Hood unload a clip of lead in Brick's rocky hide at point blank range, which rocks even his mighty head to the core. Stumbling back, Brick keeps talking, sharing his understanding of the dramatic with a heavy fist that breaks a building wall built with his namesake, as the Red Hood ducks it.

He leaps high into the air, again leaving the Hood to use his speed and agility to narrowly escape certain doom.
The shockwave of Brick's impact rattles Red Hood, but puts enough distance between the two of them to give the smaller of the two opportunity to produce another fantastic gadget.

He fires off a rocket that buries itself into Brick's mighty arm.
With an explosive in his arm and a smiling Red Hood holding a remote detonator, Brick finally stops to reconsider the offer proposed. A deal that will prove mutually beneficial.

The hammer...
Well, even though there's somewhat of a peaceful resolution, I'm going to call this one on points and declare the winner, and king of all the dichotomous gangsters - Red Hood.

If you've been reading Secret Earths for a while, or even tracking back through various links or archives, you'll know there's an invested interest in Judd Winick; or more specifically, his period on the flagship Batman title. [Batman #637, #647, #648]

Something that's been key to my distinct slant toward Marvel titles lately has been the deterioration of my interest in the Bat-titles. Certainly Batman was key to my DC interests this decade, but a shift away from the stoic urban super crime drama of the first half of the 00s, toward retro influenced 'lighter' adventures has curbed my interest.

What's nice about this new storyarc in Green Arrow is that it pays service to Wininck's time on Batman, and continues on the unfolding saga of Red Hood.
The shift in priority of the core Bat-titles meant Red Hood was somewhat lost to the shuffle, reduced to guest-spots in books like Teen Titans, which relied on deviations from his chief objective as displayed in Batman.

Here we are obviously somewhat diverted [to Star City], but Winick is at least able to maintain a consistency of the criminal interactions the Red Hood involves himself with.

Unfortunately Green Arrow remains far less solid as a piece of writing versus the well used issues of Batman. Likewise, Scott McDaniel's overtly cartoony pencils and relaxed inks [by Andy Owens] paint a much less attractive and suitably subdued picture. Which is probably the key difference between he and predecessor, Phil Hester, who, along with Ande Parks, presented a familiarly cartoony look, but with well grounded personal exchange.

Curiously Green Arrow appears to consistently be a touch-and-go title, and while it very much appears to be Judd Winick's stomping grounds, it reads much more B-list than his higher profile work. I don't really have any theories as to why that is, other than perhaps the necessity of editorial decisions forcing Winick to make the decision to cram all his ideas in with immediacy, rather than wait-out the interruption.

Though resembling somthing I'd expect to be more at home in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Brick continues to be an exciting new character in the DC landscape.
As a physical "supervillain" he has an interesting presesnce, but in the vein of the Batman Rogues, he is perhaps most interesting as a character who is capable of astute, almost deadpan understandings of the world in which he operates, and how he can benefit from that.

Though bestowed with extraordinary strength, and a Tombstone-esque theme of resilience, he in many ways reflects real world criminals more accurately.

The Fight: 4 The Issue: 4

MONTHLY PUNCH-UP #10 (October, 2006)
GREEN ARROW versus THE BRICK
Crawling Through the Wreckage Part One: "New Sheriff In Town!"
Where: Green Arrow #60 When: May 2006
Why: Judd Winick How: Scott McDaniel

Quick Fix...
Judd Winick is a really peculiar case.
He seems to be one of those writers who has his hand in many pots, some considerably high amongst the annals of comics writing -- but he still evokes that of a mid-tier guy.

I probably stradle the fence somewhere between.
His work with Doug Mahnke on Batman went from a six issue step down from Jeph Loeb and Brian Azzarrello, to liquid brilliance.

Winick wrote Gotham in the kind of way I would want to.
A very editorialized style that's as much about the map of the city, as it is the pawns that are moving around the battlefield.
It was about motivation and agenda, and that's the kind of writing style I have a great interest in. Lots of moving cogs, all turning at different speeds and interacting accordingly.

This is something Ed Brubaker has probably taken considerably further with his earlier work on Daredevil. Stuff that's wound particularly tight as it operates within the confines of a single locale - a prison.
As for this fight:

It's one year later in Star City, and Oliver Queen has run for mayor, which presumably leaves him less time to patrol the streets as Green Arrow.

Thus, under circumstances unknown, Danny Brickwell has become a lethal guardian to the patrons of a city that has been decimated by disaster.

Whilst taking care of goons, Brickwell finds himself the victim of a sneak attack that encases much of his head in a sticky solidifying solution.

"Who's dumb enough to do this!?"

A second arrow makes the goo brittle, and attached is a note: Nice work but stop killing them.
The Brick is reminded exactly who's the bitch.

I've got to admit, something that bothers me about Winick's Green Arrow work is that it's kinda laced with cheats. Brickwell had the potential to be a fantastic villain in Star City, but was really forced into that spot without any kind of legitimate growth.

Now you have the ultimate cheat across the DCU, where writers and editors were free to unleash any amount of carnage and disaster on a city, with the luxury of skimming over it all to move one year later into the future.

The Brick's a great new character, but it's a shame he's been cheated into being a hero now, barely a heartbeat since being punked as crimeboss. [Green Arrow #45 - Mickey Blue Eyes]

The Fix: 4 The Issue: 3.5

The Monthly Top 5...
#1 Batman (-) (10) (DC Comics)
Well, after ten weeks I'm sure we're all very surprised by this.
If you've been paying attention, you'll notice Secret Earths has fallen into something of a Marvel slump. This isn't necessarily a reaction to Batman's dominance in our top five, but as you can see, it's not really changing much.

That recent bias, based purely on spontaneous interest, will probably offer up a slim chance that Batman will be knocked off, but if I should happen to get a hankering to try to balance things out... Batman's probably a safe bet to represent DC.

Don't hate the player, hate the game.

#2 Spider-man (-) (2) (Marvel Comics)
Spidey kinda swept into the top five without my even anticipating it, so it's probably a surprise to see him hold his spot, despite not appearing.

Spider-man 3 buzz isn't going to hurt his momentum, but one has to wonder if he can truly be the one to knock Batman off his perch.
Spidey, like previous front-runner Daredevil, has a well-known capacity for defeat, which makes him a strong, but outside chance.

#3 Iron Man (+1) (2) (Marvel Comics)
Despite only scraping in with a draw against Venom, Iron Man manages to continue his forward momentum on the chart.
You'd have to say this mirrors the character's franchise movement. Not only is he frontrunning the Civil War universe-wide crossover, he's also generating buzz with an upcoming feature film in 2008, and a direct-to-video animated film release coming up very soon.

Iron Man's always been a favourite of mine, but these things have helped pique my interest in the character, which means he could be the legit contender to topple the Batman.

#4 Daredevil (-1) (9) (Marvel Comics)
Well, the site favourite continues to slide downward. A bitter defeat at the hands of his arch-rival Bullseye facilitates the switch between he and Iron Man.

Previously the great white hope, it begins to seem unlikely that this urban ninja will have the legs to take what has become a race to beat Batman.
All it would really take is a couple of good wins, but with December looming, it might just be too much to ask.

#5 Hulk (-) (4) (Marvel Comics)
Hulk still live off glory of Hulk month in June! Hulk not mind!

There's nothing keeping the Hulk in the top five right now.
World War Hulk, whenever and whatever that may be, could definitely turn things around for the jolly green giant, but for now, it's blandsville. Planet Hulk has looked as green as they come.

Hulk go bye-bye, soon enough.

Super Stock...
1. Batman (-) (DC)
3. Iron Man (+1) (M)
4. Daredevil (-1) (M)
8. Captain America (-) (M)
9. Thor (+6) (M)
10. Green Arrow (+4) (DC)
13. Mr. Fantastic (+13) (M)
17. Venom Symbiote (+2) (M)
22. Invisible Woman (+64) (M)
24. War Machine (+20) (M)
25. Human Torch (new) (M)
44. Civil War Thor (+1) (M)
45. Thing (+54) (M)
46. She-Hulk (-) (M)
51. Thundra (-11) (M)
55. Bullseye (+104) (M)
56. Venom (+3) (M)
105. Luke Cage (+41) (M)
161. Super-Skrull (new) (M)
162. Sub-Mariner (-4) (M)
165. The Brick (-52) (DC)

The hammer...
Well, here we are! The beginning of October, and today is actually December 17.
Still, three posts yesterday. You've got to admit, that's pretty damned good!

The interesting point to note is apparently that we've been getting more hits this month that was without updates, so many thanks to everyone checking out the site.

Obviously December will retain the regular Friday schedule, rather than the additional posts I had hoped to make. By abandoning the schedule and posting spontaneously, hopefully we'll get more comic booky goodness up here.

Speaking of comic booky goodness, I did mention I had been busy working on my own projects. It seems things are actually finally wrapping up on what will be my first venture in self-publishing comics. We're also working simultaneously on the follow-up issue, where I've begun dabbling in lettering.
Not only does this speed things up, it makes me happier as a writer/editor. I can format more specifically, and make edits as I please.

That said, penciller/inker extrodinaire, Pedro Cruz, has done a fantastic job lettering the first issue.
It's a bit of a weird issue, and has undergone so many rewrites I sometimes forget which version it is, but I think as the story unfolds in following issues, it's going to be a great read.

Since it's what I'm working on now, I'll chuck up a page from issue #2, but let's just keep it between us. We don't want everybody getting spoiled prematurely! Wink wink, nudge nudge.
Not that it's too spoilery. I decided to go with an action scene, that really shows off Pedro's pencils more than my script. It's also one of my favourite scenes, and it only gets better from this page!

If you dangle the mouse of the pic (before you click to enlarge), you'll be informed that this page features intrepid hero The White Ghost, besieged by Anthony Romano and his armed goons in the parking lot. How will he get out of this one?!
You'll have to hold your breath, and pick the book up when it's out in order to find out!

Anyway, I better get to updating again!
Thanks for all the support guys, and if I don't see you before then, happy holidays and a sweet Christmas to you all!

Also, a quick gracious shoutout to Any Eventuality! A comics blog that's linked Secret Earths among other prominent comics blogoverses. Cheers!

NEXT: No schedule! Just comics!!!
September Hit Count: 2028* (+307)

* Hit count was recorded October 1. Hits for September posts may be reflected in November and December count.