Here is part of a great article by Babs on Comicvine. It does a great job of describing Ollie's original story-line.
"If we had to sum up Green Arrow in a single phrase it would have to be "multi-faceted." The character is a man comprised of many different personas. He is the greatest archer in the DC Universe, a billionaire playboy with a taste for the irresponsible and embarrassing, and he is also a man who found redemption in the unlucky cards dealt to him by life. A man who grew from being selfish to selfless, and perhaps that's why he is so popular to comic fans. That, or maybe because bow and arrows are totally cool right now (since everyone from Lara Croft to Hunger Games has them). But just who is Oliver Queen now, what has he been up to lately and where is he going?
Oliver Queen (or Ollie, if you please), may be seen as this charismatic, easygoing billionaire playboy type character but his origin story has historically been a little bit on the dark side. In some adaptations of Ollie's origin, the character lost both his parents, washes up on an island and has had to struggle to survive. In other versions, as in GREEN ARROW: YEAR ONE, Oliver is betrayed by his close friend and thrown off a ship onto the island. The result is the same. The marooning of Oliver Queen on a deserted island leads to the cultivation of his skill with a bow and arrow and his sense of survival. Queen learns to appreciate the things he has when he has them, but most importantly, he learns a lot about redemption. His time on the island prepares the character for crime-fighting in Star City, to be a member of the Justice League, and his role as a mentor to characters like Speedy and Connor Hawk and Roy Harper(pre New 52)."
The new writer of the series (starting in Feb.) stated:
"If we had to sum up Green Arrow in a single phrase it would have to be "multi-faceted." The character is a man comprised of many different personas. He is the greatest archer in the DC Universe, a billionaire playboy with a taste for the irresponsible and embarrassing, and he is also a man who found redemption in the unlucky cards dealt to him by life. A man who grew from being selfish to selfless, and perhaps that's why he is so popular to comic fans. That, or maybe because bow and arrows are totally cool right now (since everyone from Lara Croft to Hunger Games has them). But just who is Oliver Queen now, what has he been up to lately and where is he going?
Oliver Queen (or Ollie, if you please), may be seen as this charismatic, easygoing billionaire playboy type character but his origin story has historically been a little bit on the dark side. In some adaptations of Ollie's origin, the character lost both his parents, washes up on an island and has had to struggle to survive. In other versions, as in GREEN ARROW: YEAR ONE, Oliver is betrayed by his close friend and thrown off a ship onto the island. The result is the same. The marooning of Oliver Queen on a deserted island leads to the cultivation of his skill with a bow and arrow and his sense of survival. Queen learns to appreciate the things he has when he has them, but most importantly, he learns a lot about redemption. His time on the island prepares the character for crime-fighting in Star City, to be a member of the Justice League, and his role as a mentor to characters like Speedy and Connor Hawk and Roy Harper(pre New 52)."
Babs continues the Ollie's story in the New 52. But, I would suggest picking up back-issues or checking out the new series "Arrow" instead.
The Green Arrow comic books might be worth picking up again after its reboot in February.
The new writer of the series (starting in Feb.) stated:
"It [GREEN ARROW] really is totally a clean slate, so I can alter and change and rebuild his mythology however I want to, at the same time, trying to stay true to the core of that character that everyone always loves…His character is a really clean slate for me to kind of do something new with him. And I want to take full advantage of that and build him into something people like as much as the old Oliver Queen, but he's his own man and they like him for who he is rather than how he interacts with other heroes."
For more on the New 52 Green Arrow, the TV show, and the reboot, click here.
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