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WonderCon ’18: Julie Benson, Shawna Benson, and Javier Fernandez Take Over “Green Arrow” in August

By | March 24th, 2018
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We knew that with his move over to “Nightwing” that Benjamin Percy’s stint on “Green Arrow” was ending. After a number of writers doing one or two part stories (Colin Kelly and Jackson Lanzing, Mairghread Scott), it is now official: Julie Benson and Shawna Benson, late of “Batgirl and the Birds of Prey,” will be writing the Emerald Archer as of August. Joining them on art duties will be Javier Fernandez (“Nightwing,” “Doomed”), as well as Alex Maleev on covers.

““As we mourn the loss of our beloved Birds, hope in the form of an arrow has struck us through the heart with the opportunity to take on Oliver Queen,” said Julie Benson and Shawna Benson. “Ollie’s made a few appearances alongside the Birds since we began writing at DC with Rebirth, and we can’t wait to continue making our mark on the 77-year old marksman this summer. And we won’t be leaving our ladies behind! Black Canary, aka Ollie’s “Pretty Bird,” will continue to star in GREEN ARROW.”

After making their name as writers on the CW series The 100, the Bensons were announced two years ago at WonderCon as the writers of “Batgirl and the Birds of Prey.” That series, which wraps up in May with #22, featured Green Arrow’s longtime love interest Black Canary, alongside Batgirl and Huntress, and established itself as the most street-level title of all of DC’s Bat books. That approach will likely fit “Green Arrow” nicely as well. It is unknown at this time if the Bensons will be carrying over any of Oliver’s other supporting cast, though it appears that Red Arrow – Oliver’s half sister Emi – will be a part of the new Teen Titans series, teased in the June solicitations.

The first Oliver Queen story from the writing duo will drop in May in “Green Arrow Annual” #2, with art by Carmen Carnero and a cover by David Lopez.

Cover to Green Arrow Annual #2 by David Lopez

GREEN ARROW ANNUAL #2
Written by JULIE BENSON and SHAWNA BENSON
Art by CARMEN CARNERO
Cover by DAVID LOPEZ

Retailers: Includes a code for a free digital download of this issue.
Entitled rich boy Oliver Queen grew up a member of elite society. But after a drunken escapade left him stranded on a deserted island, Oliver learned to survive and become more than a man—he became a hunter. He became a survivor. He became a hero. But when Green Arrow comes face-to-face with a challenge he never saw coming, his entire worldview—his reason for being a hero—comes into question. Because that challenge has a name: Amanda Waller!
On sale MAY 30 • 48 pg, FC, $4.99 US • RATED T+

Read the full press release below.

JULIE BENSON AND SHAWNA BENSON TAKE AIM AT GREEN ARROW
Fan-Favorite Co-Writers of Batgirl and the Birds of Prey Make Their Mark on The Emerald Archer

(ANAHEIM and BURBANK, CA) – (March 24, 2018) – During the DC Universe panel today at WonderCon 2018, the fan-favorite writing team of Julie Benson and Shawna Benson were announced as the new co-writers for GREEN ARROW’s comic book series, beginning this summer. Their first issue, GREEN ARROW ANNUAL #2, will be published on May 30 before their debut story arc in August’s GREEN ARROW #43.

Through their career, Julie Benson and Shawna Benson have penned episodes of Pemberley Digital’s Emmy-winning webseries, EMMA APPROVED and wrote on Seasons 3 through 5 of CW’s action-packed sci-fi show, THE 100. Their current DC comic book series, BATGIRL AND THE BIRDS OF PREY, starring Batgirl, Black Canary and Huntress, will wrap in May 2018 as the writing team transitions to their new project starring the Emerald Archer.

“As we mourn the loss of our beloved Birds, hope in the form of an arrow has struck us through the heart with the opportunity to take on Oliver Queen,” said Julie Benson and Shawna Benson. “Ollie’s made a few appearances alongside the Birds since we began writing at DC with Rebirth, and we can’t wait to continue making our mark on the 77-year old marksman this summer. And we won’t be leaving our ladies behind! Black Canary, aka Ollie’s “Pretty Bird,” will continue to star in GREEN ARROW.”

Continued below

In GREEN ARROW ANNUAL #2, entitled rich-boy Oliver Queen grew up a member of elite society. But after a drunken escapade left him stranded on a deserted island, Oliver learned to survive and become more than a man—he became a hunter. He became a survivor. But when Green Arrow comes face-to-face with a challenge he never saw coming, his entire worldview—his reason for being a hero—comes into question. Because that challenge has a name: Amanda Waller!

“We’re both humbled and flabbergasted,” continued the pair, “to follow in the footsteps of comic greats like Mort Weisinger, Denny O’Neil, Mike Grell, Kevin Smith, Brad Meltzer, Jeff Lemire, Ann Nocenti, and of course, Ben Percy. We’re honored to be included in their ranks and proud of DC for seeing our strength and for moving us over to GREEN ARROW. Joining us in August is the amazingly talented Javier Fernández on interiors and the masterful Alex Maleev on cover art.”

GREEN ARROW ANNUAL #2 arrives in stores May 30 with art by Carmen Carnero and a cover by David Lopez. Julie Benson and Shawna Benson will begin their ongoing run on GREEN ARROW with issue #43 in August 2018, featuring art by Javier Fernández.

For more breaking news about the greatest and most recognizable characters in the comic book industry, check out the website at www.dccomics.com or the DC YouTube channel.

About DC Entertainment:
DC Entertainment, home to the iconic brands DC (Superman, Batman, Green Lantern, Wonder Woman, the Flash, etc.), Vertigo (Sandman, Fables, etc.) and MAD, is the creative division charged with strategically integrating across Warner Bros. and Time Warner. DC Entertainment works in concert with many key Warner Bros. divisions to unleash its stories and characters across all media, including but not limited to film, television, consumer products, home entertainment and interactive games. Publishing thousands of comic books, graphic novels and magazines each year, DC Entertainment is one of the largest English-language publishers of comics in the world.


Brian Salvatore

Brian Salvatore is an editor, podcaster, reviewer, writer at large, and general task master at Multiversity. When not writing, he can be found playing music, hanging out with his kids, or playing music with his kids. He also has a dog named Lola, a rowboat, and once met Jimmy Carter. Feel free to email him about good beer, the New York Mets, or the best way to make Chicken Parmagiana (add a thin slice of prosciutto under the cheese).

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