DC Declares a Non-Gotham Hero the Best Fighter in the World

Warning: Spoilers for Green Arrow #16!Batman’s good at everything: being a detective, sword-fighting, contingency plans, even bare-knuckle brawling. But he’s nowhere near the best fighter, considering there are heroes like Black Canary and Wildcat out there. More than that, there’s one father who believes in his son more than anything, as Green Arrrow reveals that his son Connor Hawke is the best fighter the world has seen.

In the preview pages for Green Arrow #16 by Joshua Williamson, Amancay Nahuelpan, Sean Izaakse, Romulo Fajardo Jr., and Troy Peteri, Team Green Arrow is up against the wall fighting their newest enemy, Bright, an agent of Amanda Waller’s from the Absolute Power event. But as Green Arrow defends his family, he does so with a little filial help.

Instead of shooting an arrow at Bright, Oliver Queen frees his son, Connor Hawke, who immediately ties a wrap around his eyes to protect himself from Bright’s light attacks. Green Arrow then proudly reveals that his son can confidently beat Bright with his eyes closed – that’s how good of a fighter he is. Let’s see Batman do that.

Who Is Conner Hawke, DC’s New Green Arrow?

DC’s Second Green Arrow – and Oliver Queen’s Son

Debuting in 1994’s Green Arrow #0 by Kelley Puckett, Jim Aparo, Gerry Fernandez, Lee Loughridge, and John Costanza, Connor Hawke is the second hero to take on the mantle of Green Arrow. He was a major piece of DC’s initiative in the nineties to replace major icons with new heroes, such as Kyle Rayner’s rise to being the sole Green Lantern and Wally West’s ascension to the Flash. Connor is the son of Oliver Queen, and after Oliver’s death, Connor Hawke took on the mantle of Green Arrow, replacing his father and increasing his legacy.

Connor Hawke even became part of the Justice League at one point. Unfortunately, due to the events of Flashpoint by Geoff Johns and Andy Kubert, Connor Hawke was erased from the timeline and Oliver Queen returned to the mantle of Green Arrow, now the sole hero to ever wear the hood. But Connor eventually returned to DC continuity, and all the special fighting training that he had learned in his previous iteration remained with him.

How Did This Green Arrow Become the World’s Best Fighter?

Character Design by Sean Izaakse

Before his removal from continuity, which saw more than one Green Arrow family member erased from existence, Connor Hawke studied extensively in the monastery he grew up in. Unlike his billionaire father, Connor grew up like a practical monk, much more in the way of Batman and his intense physical studies. Under Master Jansen’s tutelage, the same master who taught Oliver, Connor became a master in Zen philosophy, Aikido martial arts, and Kyudo archery.

While Batman has some lesser known powers, like control over his mind, he has never quite become a Zen master like the Green Arrow of the ’90s. To be a master in martial arts as well as Zen philosophy means to completely empty oneself, honing in on the flow of battle in such a focused way that no hero of DC has been able to emulate. Green Arrow’s son shows the simplicity of this training as he binds his eyes before a battle. As Green Arrow says, Connor doesn’t need his eyes to fight, because he’s not only the best fighter there is, he’s completely entrenched in the Zen calm that comes with his fighting style.

Green Arrow Doesn’t Need His Eyes to Win a Fight

Father and Son Fight With Their Fists Instead of Bows

Connor Hawke never explicitly says he’s the best fighter – like all loving fathers, Oliver does the bragging for him. Connor’s exploits also detail just how powerful he is without him having to say a word. Early in his career, he encountered Lady Shiva, the deadliest assassin in the DC Universe. However, they fought to a standstill, which is about the best outcome for an encounter with Shiva. Connor Hawke is one of the few DC heroes to have fought Shiva and lived, Batman being another. But Batman still fights with his eyes open.

It’s vitally important that Connor Hawke was DC’s main Green Arrow once, and not just another member of the complicated Green Arrow family. Just as with Batman, there are many in his family that can take on the mantle, but only one of them is right for the vision of the future. Connor Hawke is that future, and he is the completion of all the training and more that Green Arrow has undergone to become the hero he is. As a son, Connor Hawke is the future of his father’s legacy and the perfection of his cause. Connor Hawke can live up to the legacy of Green Arrow with his eyes closed.

Connor Hawke: the Green Arrow of the Past and the Future

Connor Hawke Dons the Mantle of Green Arrow Once Again

At a time when his father has apparently turned traitor to the Justice League, Connor Hawke once again lives up the Robin Hood legacy. taking up his father’s hood to protect the poor and destitute. Connor has become Green Arrow again, and there is no one more suited to this title. He carried the mantle through the increasingly dangerous world of DC’s Crisis events in the nineties and the aughts, and when the world is threatened once again, he rises to the challenge. This Green Arrow of the past – and of the future – is not only DC’s best fighter, beating out Batman – he’s the torchbearer of the Green Arrow legacy.

Green Arrow #16 is available September 25th, 2024 from DC Comics!

Batman

One of DC’s most iconic heroes, Batman is the vigilante superhero persona of billionaire Bruce Wayne. Forged by tragedy with the death of his parents, Bruce dedicated his life to becoming the world’s leading martial artist, detective, and tactician. Recruiting an entire family of allies and sidekicks, Bruce wages war on evil as the dark knight of his hometown, Gotham City.

Created By

Bob Kane , Bill Finger

Alias

Bruce Wayne

Alliance

Justice League, Outsiders, Batman Family

Race

Human

FIRST APP

Detective Comics #27 (1939)

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