Rating: 
Summary: Grell's Best
Review: Green Arrow, just a guy with no special powers other than hard won skill with a bow. Mike Grell's artwork and storytelling are superb. This is however a story that has some more adult themes that are graphically presented. (Killing, Torture) I'm not sure that I would let my 10 yr old son read this just yet, but when he gets old enough this is a must read. If you enjoy this, you must pick up a copy of Jon Sable, Freelance.
Rating:
Summary: Grell's Best
Review: Green Arrow, just a guy with no special powers other than hard won skill with a bow. Mike Grell's artwork and storytelling are superb. This is however a story that has some more adult themes that are graphically presented. (Killing, Torture) I'm not sure that I would let my 10 yr old son read this just yet, but when he gets old enough this is a must read. If you enjoy this, you must pick up a copy of Jon Sable, Freelance.
Rating: 
Summary: midlife crisis for ollie
Review: i had heard so much about this book i decided to check it out.i found it to be a solid work of art.great art,story,and just the right mix of action and dialog.it tells the story of ollie in his years past his prime trying to start a new life in a new part of the country with his lover the black canary.he tries to decide if he made the right decisions in the past while a killer goes on a rampage.black canary tries to go after the killer alone.she gets in trouble and ollie to the rescue.but is he hero or just one of the crazys he chases.you will not be disapointed by this book.i gave it 3 stars because it was good but it was missing something.i just can't put my finger on what that is.
Rating:
Summary: A stunning work that raises the bar on comic books!
Review: If you can find this graphic novel, get it! I have no idea why Amazon lists it with "Horror Fiction." It's nothing of the sort. Green Arrow, the modern-day Robin Hood superhero, is confronted by a series of gristly murders in Seattle, and his investigation leads him into a web of intrigue involving the Japanese mafia and illegal CIA money laundering. Grell's writing and artwork are simply amazing, but be warned: This isn't a children's funnybook. It's written for mature, intelligent readers. With Green Arrow's 60th anniversary coming up, DC really needs to reprint this epic book!
Rating:
Summary: The Super-Hero Genre Finally Grows Up
Review: Longbow Hunters forever changed the US comic book industry with its graphic novel format. With the series' mature, sophisticated and finite story arc, comic books finally gained a level of much needed credibility and acceptance from the public as well as the media. With landmark projects such as The Dark Knight Returns and Watchmen, DC Comics drastically altered the landscape of presenting costumed heroes with their simplistic banal stories but it is Mike Grell's masterpiece that set the professional standards. To this day, no project of this magnitude has been able to reach or surpass its artistic level and excellence in storytelling.
Since his first appearance in 1941, Green Arrow was considered nothing more than a second rate Batman with his trick arrows and an alter ego which quite resembled Gotham City's most famous philanthropist. Dennis O'Neil and Neal Adams classic Green Lantern/Green Arrow stories brought a certain depth to the character with their alterations that heightened his popularity but it is Mike Grell who was able to launch off the Emerald Archer's first ongoing title. Perhaps Mike Grell's name may sound unfamiliar to new and younger comic book readers but his work on DC's Warlord & Jon Sable, Freelance (published by First Comics) had already garnered him a strong fan base way before Longbow Hunters solidified his reputation as a stellar writer and outstanding artist. Grell also pencilled the third Green Lantern/Green Arrow series back in 1976 with writer Dennis O'Neil. For all the faults that fans may bestow upon Bill Jemas and Joe Quesada, the decision to bring Mike Grell aboard the Iron Man series is nothing short of genial. The return of this prolific creator to mainstream comics will benefit the industry but even more so for Marvel and fans of ol' Shell Head.
I always mock those who consider explicit graphic depiction of violence, implicit sexual scenes and profane language as realism in comics. They obviously have no idea that these themes must be handled with a mature approach and sensibility in presenting such matters. Otherwise, we are left with comic books depicting a World War II veteran who wants to kill his nephew for no viable reason and has an insatiable sexual appetite for Asian prostitutes while a detective just cannot get enough of being analy penetrated by Luke Cage.
Grell sets Oliver Queen and his lover, Dinah Lance (Black Canary), as a newly arrived couple in the city of Seattle. This move was to get these two characters out of a mythical Metropolis and steer away from presenting stories where they would come across bizarre villains with ludicrous powers and motivations that can only work in the super-hero genre. Green Arrow was going to be presented as an urban vigilante who fights a level of crime that can be read about in any newspaper on a daily basis. You know the kind that I mean; Drug related, rape, murder and criminal gang warfare.
Oliver Queen is also portrayed in a manner which added to the realistic dimensions of these stories to make the character plausible besides credible. He is faced with his own sense of mortality as he reaches the age of 43 and is now a grandfather. This causes a friction between him and Dinah Lance as he wants children but considering their life of vigilantism, it is unacceptable to raise a family although their love for one another is indisputable.
On the hunt of a serial killer whose target are prostitutes, Green Arrow encounters another archer who is later revealed to be Shado. She plays a major role in the story as she rescues Black Canary and Green Arrow in his attempt to save the woman he loves. In a scene which is still talked about to this day amongst comic book fans, Dinah has been tied up and tortured by a sadist who is part of a major drug distribution ring in the city in a covert operation to bring them down. This time, no amount of trick arrows or sonic screams was going to save the day as they both came within the grasp of death. Nor will a visit to the Justice League Satellite to bicker with Hawkman have any effect to overcome the emotional, mental and psychological trauma which they both must now overcome together.
Grell has been criticized for the "rape" scene but I assure you that it is not trivialized nor used for shock value a la Brian Bendis or Mark Millar. This is a pivotal point in Green Arrow's career which shows the reader that crime fighting is not a game but rather a deadly choice of life. The true villains are the degenerate drug dealers, murderers, rapists and violent criminals who are allowed to roam freely amidst our society. Not some egomaniacal bozo in an armoured outfit that wants to rule the world and constantly says "Bah & Feh" to four costumed idiots who thwart his doom like plans on a weekly basis. Although Oliver Queen finally hunts down those who would take a life so callously, the repercussions were to be felt for the next six years during the ongoing series and brought a new vision to the costumed hero genre. In the climatic scene on Mount Ranier, Shado points out to Oliver that recent events have made him a changed man. Indeed it did.
Not only does Grell bring the hero genre to the next logical level but does so with incredible art work. Grell skilfully portrays the humanity of the characters with such realism that you cannot help but believe that you are reading about living breathing people. His depiction of Seattle is absolutely breathtaking while no effort is spared to bring about all the necessary background detail in every panel for each scene. Grell effectively uses cinematic views to bring exceptional visual to all the pages. You will also notice how Grell did not ink certain panels which causes a film like atmosphere to the book. A true piece of comic book art.
Color artist Julia Lacquement should also be noted for her exceptional skills. Her rendering fools the eye into believing that you are looking at painted art work. In an era where computer coloring was not a tool for production, one cannot help but be amazed at how much effort there is injected to make the pencil work unique.
What makes Longbow Hunters a unique and important piece of comic book history is that these characters posses no super powers although they wear the spandex. No boxing glove arrow and Canary Cry shtick. The plot, dialogue and characterization is so powerfully and naturally realistic that we can associate ourselves with the heroes and cast members.
Pick up the Longbow Hunters collected edition which features the real authentic Green Arrow. You will never look at the super-hero genre the same way again and demand the same level of quality from all of your comic book purchases.
Rating: 
Summary: Back to Sherwood ...
Review: Mike Grell brings Olliver Queen (Green Arrow) back to his basic roots in this book. Green Arrow is not an easy character to write. Throughout his 50-60 year history, many attempts have failed - either too fancy or too sci/fi. The most memorable run seems to be Dennis O'Neil and Neal Adams run during the 1970s during the "Relevance" period (in Green Lantern/Green Arrow). However, that era mixed Ollie in with too much sci-fi still - e.g. confrontations with the Guardians of Oa!!!Mike Grell here strips Ollie down to reality. In fact, the book doesn't read like a superhero book at all. Ollie and Dinah (Black Canary) moves to Seattle (a real city unlike the fictional Star City or Gotham or Metropolis) and opens a flower shop (the aptly named Sherwood Florist). Then Dinah gets captured and tortured - she loses her Canary Cry and her ability to have children after this event. Ollie goes on a rampage against the bad guys - showing his new form as an "urban hunter". And he meets up with Shado, a mysterious female archer, for the first time. This book marks the beginning of a largely successful run of Green Arrow stories (mostly by Grell with other artists). However, looking back at it now, I think the book at times tries too hard to fit into the "grim-'n-gritty" mood so prevalent during the late 1980s (as a result of "Dark Knight Returns" and "Watchmen"). Lots of cruel violence, killings and some brief nudity.
Rating: 
Summary: A guy's book, not for this guy.
Review: Mike Grell's run of the Green Arrow book is supposed to be so good, yet when I read it, I felt so bored within five minutes.
Sure the artwork is all right, but the story is so out there in terms of poor character development, and long blown out action scenes, that I felt like I wasted my money buying this worthless book.
Rating:
Summary: Great-looking comic, content is fairly good.
Review: Okay, first things first. This book looks gorgeous. It's superbly painted with Grell's fairly realistic renderings. Grell's style is a bit like Neal Adams (1970s Green Arrow) and 19th century Robin Hood illustrator Howard Pyle. It's really a shame that Grell doesn't draw more often, because I think he's a better artist than a writer. Now, the story. Set around his 40th birthday, superhero Oliver Queen and life partner/fellow superhero Dinah "Black Canary" Lance move to Seattle, ditch Ollie's gimmick arrows and start tacklingly street crime as they come to terms with age, politics and more. I have to admit that I'm still more fond of the left-wing, chili-eating Ollie of the 1970s. But it makes sense that he would change as he gets older. And his new back-to-basics approach is a good idea. Green Arrow works very well as an avenger of street crime. I don't like what was done to Dinah though. Grell took perhaps the strongest heroine (personality-wise) and made her a victim. And a plot point. Also, the Irangate politics might seem a bit dated. Yeah, it's definitely a guy's comic. Still there is a lot of good stuff here. Especially in the art, but also in the writing.
Rating:
Summary: An overlooked gem
Review: With all of the hype surrounding filmmaker Kevin "Clerks" Smith's revamp of Green Arrow, I decided to give Mike Grell's classic a try. WOW. Every comic fan should read this. The story concerns itself with the aging Oliver Queen, A.K.A. Green Arrow, a Super-Hero/Vigilante. He and his lover, Dinah Lance, the heroine known as Black Canary, have relocated to Seattle, and soon find themselves getting involved with Serial Killers, Drug Smugglers, and a Japanese assassin known as Shado. To say any more would be to do potential readers a great injustice. There are some truly stunning moments....
Grell's art is fantastic, as is his writing; the only thing keeping this book from perfection is a handful of double page spreads that didn't (at first glance) LOOK like double page spreads; I found myself reading the left-hand page from top to bottom, then realizing I was meant to read both pages across....the art just wasn't drawing my eyes where they were meant to be. But that's a small beef. Let's hope DC Comics collects some more of Grell's Green Arrow stories. I know I'd buy them!
Rating:
Summary: Green Arrow meets "Dark Knight Returns" review redux
Review: [...]FIRST, I just picked up a long overdue re-release of "Longbow Hunters," and am so happy it's back in my collection. I first picked up this mini-series when I was in high school (1989). A couple of things have changed since I first followed this groundbreaking series: 1) I've grown up. 2) I put in four years in Seattle, so I have a much better perspective of the story's locale. Needless to say, going back to this story now, I developed an all new appreciation for Mike Grell's work. Ever since Denny O'Neill & Neal Adams breathed new life into the Emerald Archer 30 years ago by teaming him up with Green Lantern, Oliver Queen has made it clear that he is here to tackle real issues, albeit in a green costume with trick arrows. In "Longbow Hunters," gone are the boxing glove arrows, and people get hurt and might not make it home that night, if ever. I recommend this to anyone who incorrectly assumes that comics are just kids stuff. Beautiful art, and fantastic story. SECOND, Kevin Smith HAS heeded the call, and has done an incredible job making GREEN ARROW currently the number one bestselling comic for DC Comics. Anybody who considers themselves a Green Arrow fan has to already be all over this, plus those who considers themselves DC loyalists have to pick up this title. Thanks, Kevin! [...]Kevin Smith, are you listening? Give DC a call, and let's resurrect the title in a grand fashion. And I think it can be done with Oliver Queen AND Connor Hawke. BRING BACK THE ARROW!"
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