Roy Harper Officially Red Arrow?

[Ill Communication]

Have you guys already drawn this conlcusion?

http://www.newsarama.com/dcnew/mar07/solicitations.html

He's not listed as Arsenal on his DC Direct action figure (which is something I would get if I could afford action figures anymore).

I think I like the name "Arsenal" better.

[skally19]

i like red arrow personally. and i prefer that "red arrow" suit to that one he's in now.

[The Shadow]

I think I like the name "Arsenal" better.

well, the colour possibilities are now endless though!

When his daughter grows up she can be Pink Arrow... when Mia gets older she can be Mauve Arrow and with Green Arrow and Red Arrow they can be the Arrow family!

[Matthew E]

Well, with Green Arrow and Red Arrow, all we need now is White Arrow and we'll be able to hang them from the eavestroughs for Christmas.

[Cayman]

I thought Arsenal was a cooler, more distinctive name, but if Roy is going to basically stick with arrows as his weaponry then I'm fine with Red Arrow.

[Hush Little Batman]

DC sure loves qualifying their heroes by color, don't they?

When you hear the name "Green" Arrow, you'd logically assume that because the quantifier "Green" is used, that there must be Arrows of other colors, like "White" and "Blue", but there isn't.

Same goes for Green Lantern, Red Tornado, Blue Beetle, Black Canary, Black Lightning and more. Are there any other Arrow's, Tornado's, Beetle's, Canary's and Lantern's around that the hero needs to have their color as part of their name? There's an obscure character named White Lightning, but I don't know if they debuted prior to BL's first appearance.

I don't like the moniker 'Red Arrow', it makes sense, but meh. The new costume is great though.

[Ill Communication]

Yeah, he's not exactly an arsenal when he only uses bows and arrows, huh?

[skally19]

black lightning is black so people would know who they're dealing with. ha.

[Ian J.N.]

I would've preferred "Red Archer" as something similar to Green Arrow, but not so similar that it's goofy. M'eh, it's still better than "Arsenal" (or "Speedy" for that matter).

[Gottaluvit]

I'm not thrilled about the new name, but it's still Roy and I'll get used to it.

The thing I'm looking forward to is finding out exactly what went on between Ollie and Roy for him to take on this name, IMO it shows that they've very much set aside the past issues they've had and Roy has accepted who he really is.

The whole 'Arsenal' gig was to distance himself from Ollie in the first place, he even went as far as dropping to bow and useing a crossbow for awhile, but that was when he and Ollie were very distant because of past hurt between them, so the new name change seems to indicate that those past issues have been left in the past.

[rick]

He'll always be Speedy to me.

[sly_kat]

As of JLA #4, it is Red Arrow:)

[Albert]

I like it. Arsenal always brings to my mind guns and grenades, and seems more suited to a Deathstroke or Punisher type.

[Shade]

I'm not thrilled about the new name, but it's still Roy and I'll get used to it.

The thing I'm looking forward to is finding out exactly what went on between Ollie and Roy for him to take on this name, IMO it shows that they've very much set aside the past issues they've had and Roy has accepted who he really is.

The whole 'Arsenal' gig was to distance himself from Ollie in the first place, he even went as far as dropping to bow and useing a crossbow for awhile, but that was when he and Ollie were very distant because of past hurt between them, so the new name change seems to indicate that those past issues have been left in the past.

Once Connor came along it made sense to distinguish Roy from him and from Ollie. One of the only good things about Grayson's run on Titans was how she played Roy as being able to use ANYTHING as a weapon. He was and ARSENAL no matter what he had. I always looked at it like a special ability beyond the archery. Like there were certain people, like Deadshot, Roy and even in the future like Karate Kid, who could just look at someone or someTHING and see the killshot. See the weakest point to hit and take them out whether it be with a bullet, a kick or a quarter found on the ground. That's how I saw Roy as Arsenal. Having that sense. Unlike Deadshot though, Roy always "misses" just a little because he isn't out to kill anyone, like Deadshot. Just how it all played out in my head...not that that place makes any sense.

[Hellstormer]

Wow the DC has the frikken power rangers in their aresnal.

Anway I liked Arsenal better but I liked the suit he had on the JLA 1 cover, so I think he should keep the name change the suit.

[Gottaluvit]

Once Connor came along it made sense to distinguish Roy from him and from Ollie. One of the only good things about Grayson's run on Titans was how she played Roy as being able to use ANYTHING as a weapon. He was and ARSENAL no matter what he had. I always looked at it like a special ability beyond the archery. Like there were certain people, like Deadshot, Roy and even in the future like Karate Kid, who could just look at someone or someTHING and see the killshot. See the weakest point to hit and take them out whether it be with a bullet, a kick or a quarter found on the ground. That's how I saw Roy as Arsenal. Having that sense. Unlike Deadshot though, Roy always "misses" just a little because he isn't out to kill anyone, like Deadshot. Just how it all played out in my head...not that that place makes any sense.


It makes perfect sense. I really can't see why they can't have him use the bow as a main, and fall back on the other stuff as needed, but Roy hasn't been written to his best ability sice Wineck got him, Meltzer can only be an improvement of that (I hope)

Roy took up the Arsenal mantel a long time before Connor was even created as a character, seems like so much character work over the last couple of decades has been tossed aside.

The thing that worries me is that having him as just another archer IMO makes him that much more expendable and easy to kill off.

Didio was saying the 'Tweeners' like Roy and Dick are redundant, to me making him just another archer makes him way more redundant.

[Jmacq1]

Yeah, I don't mind if he calls himself "Red Arrow" or whatever, but he really should have more in his (no pun intended) arsenal than just the bow and arrows.

Playing up the strengths he's been given in earlier titles makes him much more unique and quite frankly much more useful.

I always viewed him as the best "all around natural marksman" of the Arrow family. Ollie might be better with the bow (by a hair), but Roy can pick up -anything- and be a world-class sharpshooter (sharpthrower?) with it.

Plus his secondary skills (Detective work, Secret Agent experience, hand-to-hand combat) are probably far more well-rounded than any of the other Arrows (Connor's martial arts being the exception, but I see Connor as ever-so-slightly inferior as a marksman).

Basically, Roy's got a whole lot of potential that could be put to good use, if the writers aren't afraid of making him stand on his own and occasionally outshining other members of his family.

[astronato]

The Red Arrow is so much cooler than Arsenal.

Superheroes shouldn't have Arse in their names. Its just wrong.

[Gozwald73]

Arsenal was (and still is) cool.

Red Arrow seems a little silly.

[Ill Communication]

When did the storyline of Roy's messing around with Cheshire go down? Was that in the pages of Checkmate, or in one of the Titans incarnations?

[Jmacq1]

Actually I think it was retconned into continuity/revealed in....Action Comics? Back in the late 80's/early 90's?

[Gottaluvit]

Actually I think it was retconned into continuity/revealed in....Action Comics? Back in the late 80's/early 90's?


Yeah, in flashback in Action Cimics 313 or 314- 319 or 320

Also first revealed in Titans.

[Candyland_Assassin]

I would've preferred "Red Archer" as something similar to Green Arrow, but not so similar that it's goofy. M'eh, it's still better than "Arsenal" (or "Speedy" for that matter).

Much agreed.
Red Arrow > Arsenal >>>>>>> Speedy

Although whoever suggested Red Archer, well done, thats a better solution.

[PastePotPete]

Among myself and my comic-book reading friends there is a schism. Some of us love names and concepts that harken back to (I won't say Silver Age) a more classic style. We think they sound cleaner, more iconic, more classically heroic.

We like Red Arrow.

But there are other friends of mine who lump a name like Red Arrow in with all the silliness of the Silver Age. They think a name like that sounds goofy, old-fashioned, naive, whatever. These friends prefer names and concepts that are more progressive, more modern, more black ops/special forces-y.

They would prefer Arsenal.

They should also, I keep kidding them, stick to reading their big guns, big breasts, 1000 pouches on the belt, 90's comics that had no story and ridiculous over-the-top killer fanboy visuals. You know the comics I'm talking about, right? Every character had a name like Magnum, Deathpyre, Vindicator, or, ahem, Arsenal.

Read those and stay away from DC. It's just going to disappoint you, I tell them. DC is always going to veer toward more classic comic book ideas.

[shadow of a madman]

Hal calls Roy Red Arrow in the latest JLA.It felt sorta like it just popped out,since Roy then went "Red Arrow?"
It would be interesting if they played it as "Hal just said it by accident,and it stuck",but how would that explain the R on Roy's belt?

[Candyland_Assassin]

It would be interesting if they played it as "Hal just said it by accident,and it stuck",but how would that explain the R on Roy's belt?

R for "Roy"?

[glennsim]

DC sure loves qualifying their heroes by color, don't they?

When you hear the name "Green" Arrow, you'd logically assume that because the quantifier "Green" is used, that there must be Arrows of other colors, like "White" and "Blue", but there isn't.

Same goes for Green Lantern, Red Tornado, Blue Beetle, Black Canary, Black Lightning and more. Are there any other Arrow's, Tornado's, Beetle's, Canary's and Lantern's around that the hero needs to have their color as part of their name? There's an obscure character named White Lightning, but I don't know if they debuted prior to BL's first appearance.

I don't like the moniker 'Red Arrow', it makes sense, but meh. The new costume is great though.


There may not be any other "color" Lantern characters, but lanterns, tornados, beetles, canaries, and lightning exist, so the color says that this is a different kind of lantern, tornado, etc.

[glennsim]

I don't dislike "Red Arrow", but does anybody else have Red Arrow Car Washes in their town? 'Cause that's what I keep thinking about.

[MaxofSteel]

"Red Arrow" is good enough. I liked "Arsenal" though, and "Red Archer" sounds even better.

I was considering the names "Crimson Arrow" or "Scarlet Arrow" personally, but those names sound lame in comparison to the first three.:rolleyes: :p

[Gottaluvit]

I just hope they come up with a better excuse for the name change than Hal is too stupid to remember his name in a fight.

[Hellstormer]

R for "Roy"?
Or R-senal :D

[SKETCHSANCHEZ]

The costume could be better, its just a red version of Ollies to me.

[shadow of a madman]

My bad,he doesn't technically have the red version of Ollie's costume yet.It's only on the cover to #1.So no R on the belt YET

[Gottaluvit]

My bad,he doesn't technically have the red version of Ollie's costume yet.It's only on the cover to #1.So no R on the belt YET


No LOL..he has a 'G' on the latest cover, which is even more confusing.

[Blueferret]

When did the storyline of Roy's messing around with Cheshire go down? Was that in the pages of Checkmate, or in one of the Titans incarnations?

New Teen Titans v2 circa issues 20-21. The Titans, led Donna Troy, guard a summit in the mountains with Speedy and Chesire shows up and all is revealed.

[Lex]

I like that "Red Arrow" came from Hal starting to say "Roy" in mid-battle, and trying to correct it. It's kind of funny that way. And, if it sticks, he'll have a fun "How you got your superhero name" story.

[StarsAndGarters]

I say it's pretty goofy but livable. I liked Arsenal better. Liked Speedy better but we're never getting that back.

I think they needed to rename Green Arrow Jr. before they renamed Roy.

[saintsaucey]

Hal calls Roy Red Arrow in the latest JLA.It felt sorta like it just popped out,since Roy then went "Red Arrow?"
It would be interesting if they played it as "Hal just said it by accident,and it stuck",but how would that explain the R on Roy's belt?

He borrowed the belt from dick's old robin costume. I prefer arsenal that was the first name i knew of his when i picked up graduation day by winnick.

[Gottaluvit]

I say it's pretty goofy but livable. I liked Arsenal better. Liked Speedy better but we're never getting that back.

I think they needed to rename Green Arrow Jr. before they renamed Roy.


I'm sure Connor's name change is coming in his new series...well I'd hope so anyway.

[Hellstormer]

I'm sure Connor's name change is coming in his new series...well I'd hope so anyway.
For some reason the name Red Tip comes to mind. Not sure why.

[saintsaucey]

his new series isn't set during current timeframe im affraid. at least according to a friend who is a big green arrow buff one of the characters in it is currently dead. i could be mistaken though

[jtd]

I like "Red Arrow".

It's weird, a few weeks ago I was thinking it'd be pretty cool to see DC introduce a character/story about a "Red Lantern".

Damn, DC...and their brain scanners!

-Peter

[Hellstormer]

Funny joke from a sig over on the Superherohype boards.

"Where did you guys get your names?"
Nightwing: "A Kryptonian vigilante Superman once told me about."
Donna Troy: "It's my name."
Flash: "I run fast."
Red Arrow: "Hal Jordan is retarded."

[shanejayell]

*lol*
I like that.

Still, I'll wait & see if Red Arrow sticks.

[Gozwald73]

<sigh> I miss Arsenal already :(

[Paul Newell]

<sigh> I miss Arsenal already :(
I miss Speedy.

See, it's all relative. ;)