Connor Hawke: Green Arrow appreciation 2021

[Restingvoice]

I'm just nervous that Connor is going to be made into a villain.
I thought his tenure in the GA title #101-137 was top notch and did a stellar job fleshing out the character.

Pre 52, he was top 3 martial artists in the DCU - battling Shiva to a draw.
In his mini series he was exposed to (I kid you not) dragon blood giving him abilities.
He was given ANOTHER upgrade in the GA/Black Canary title.

Wiliamson has a few credits with me, so I'm giving him the benefit of the doubt here...

It wasn't a draw. He wounded her, which is an achievement, but he lost.

[failo.legendkiller]

Connor is in Damian book?

Damn! Now I have to get this book.

[Timber Wolf-By-Night]

One thing I've always been curious about Connor is why, during Chuck Dixon's tenure writing him and setting the parameters of his characterization, did outside writers try to hijack Connor's characterization away from what Dixon was doing, not once but TWICE? During the first crossover/team-up with Kyle Raynor as Green Lantern, the GL creative team deliberately tried to engineer a coming-out scene for Connor, despite the fact that Dixon had no intention of making Connor gay. And later, during Grant Morrison's run on the JLA and his original plans for expanding the team's membership, Morrison gleefully said in comics press interviews that he was deliberately ignoring how Connor was being characterized in his own book and instead was going to write Connor as being 'just like Oliver,' which was the antithesis of what Dixon was doing. I've always believed that it was no coincidence that the original expansion of the JLA roster, which included Connor, was short-lived and was instead replaced with the longer-lasting (and Connor-free) "Gods of Olympus" model.

Did the other creatives at DC at the time just dislike Connor Hawke for replacing Oliver, or Chuck Dixon for being a conservative, or was there something else going on?

[The Cool Thatguy]

One thing I've always been curious about Connor is why, during Chuck Dixon's tenure writing him and setting the parameters of his characterization, did outside writers try to hijack Connor's characterization away from what Dixon was doing, not once but TWICE? During the first crossover/team-up with Kyle Raynor as Green Lantern, the GL creative team deliberately tried to engineer a coming-out scene for Connor, despite the fact that Dixon had no intention of making Connor gay. And later, during Grant Morrison's run on the JLA and his original plans for expanding the team's membership, Morrison gleefully said in comics press interviews that he was deliberately ignoring how Connor was being characterized in his own book and instead was going to write Connor as being 'just like Oliver,' which was the antithesis of what Dixon was doing. I've always believed that it was no coincidence that the original expansion of the JLA roster, which included Connor, was short-lived and was instead replaced with the longer-lasting (and Connor-free) "Gods of Olympus" model.

Did the other creatives at DC at the time just dislike Connor Hawke for replacing Oliver, or Chuck Dixon for being a conservative, or was there something else going on?

With Grant, I think time has proven that he's deeply in love with Silver Age nostalgia.

With the Green Lantern issue (I've not read, mind), I imagine that writers had trouble grasping the idea that a quite, thoughtful and introverted guy who ignored the advances of women wasn't gay.

[Agent Z]

With Grant, I think time has proven that he's deeply in love with Silver Age nostalgia.

With the Green Lantern issue (I've not read, mind), I imagine that writers had trouble grasping the idea that a quite, thoughtful and introverted guy who ignored the advances of women wasn't gay.

A certain segment of fans also seem to have trouble grasping this.

[The Cool Thatguy]

A certain segment of fans also seem to have trouble grasping this.

In fairness, at the time there were few gay heroes, so it's understandable. And Dixon's response wasn't the most mature

[the illustrious mr. kenway]

With Grant, I think time has proven that he's deeply in love with Silver Age nostalgia.

With the Green Lantern issue (I've not read, mind), I imagine that writers had trouble grasping the idea that a quite, thoughtful and introverted guy who ignored the advances of women wasn't gay.

I guess he could be celibate or asexual.

[Jekyll]

I guess he could be celibate or asexual.

Didn’t he spend much of his younger days in a monastery? Why would it surprise folks he wasn’t interested in romance?

[The Cool Thatguy]

Didn’t he spend much of his younger days in a monastery? Why would it surprise folks he wasn’t interested in romance?

Yeah, this. I'm asexual myself, but I know plenty of straight guys who don't lose themselves the first time an attractive woman expresses interest. My best friend, who is straight, still never knew how many women found him attractive.

[Timber Wolf-By-Night]

Didn’t he spend much of his younger days in a monastery? Why would it surprise folks he wasn’t interested in romance?

Because it's been, sadly, ingrained in American pop culture and psychology that any and every heterosexual male must try to nail any and every female that moves, every waking second of their lives, and that includes any opportunity that presents itself, no matter the circumstances. To the point that any slight hesitation, no matter what, is reasonable grounds to openly call into question both their masculinity and their claims of heterosexuality.

There's a trope involving women being mentally or magically whammied into offering themselves sexually to a male character they normally wouldn't, or because they're emotionally distraught and/or not 'thinking clearly,' and the male character showing a surprising degree of self-awareness and turning down the offer because they're aware enough to realize that the female character normally wouldn't offer this, and it's all based on the assumption that if the male was just like any other straight male, he would have happily accepted the offer without a thought because all straight men are led by the head that's not on their shoulder, and even the women express surprise afterwards (when they're no longer 'under the influence') that the male didn't immediately take advantage of them. Even people with progressive viewpoints sometimes just assume that a guy who doesn't try to nail every woman at every opportunity MUST be something other than straight.

[Hypestyle]

Because it's been, sadly, ingrained in American pop culture and psychology that any and every heterosexual male must try to nail any and every female that moves, every waking second of their lives, and that includes any opportunity that presents itself, no matter the circumstances. To the point that any slight hesitation, no matter what, is reasonable grounds to openly call into question both their masculinity and their claims of heterosexuality.

There's a trope involving women being mentally or magically whammied into offering themselves sexually to a male character they normally wouldn't, or because they're emotionally distraught and/or not 'thinking clearly,' and the male character showing a surprising degree of self-awareness and turning down the offer because they're aware enough to realize that the female character normally wouldn't offer this, and it's all based on the assumption that if the male was just like any other straight male, he would have happily accepted the offer without a thought because all straight men are led by the head that's not on their shoulder, and even the women express surprise afterwards (when they're no longer 'under the influence') that the male didn't immediately take advantage of them. Even people with progressive viewpoints sometimes just assume that a guy who doesn't try to nail every woman at every opportunity MUST be something other than straight.

thus the Iceman "revelation" over at Marvel, but I digress..

I hope that Conner has a good showing in this upcoming mini-series. It would also be too bad if he were pushed in a villainous direction, but we'll see. Depending on how old Oliver is portrayed, I imagine some writers want to make him as old as Dick Grayson, when he's not supposed to be that old..

[the illustrious mr. kenway]

thus the Iceman "revelation" over at Marvel, but I digress..

I hope that Conner has a good showing in this upcoming mini-series. It would also be too bad if he were pushed in a villainous direction, but we'll see. Depending on how old Oliver is portrayed, I imagine some writers want to make him as old as Dick Grayson, when he's not supposed to be that old..

He should be a bit older than Damian. Maybe 15-16? Him being Damian's age is fine too. I can buy Ollie having a 12 year old kid.

[WallyWestFlash]

One thing I've always been curious about Connor is why, during Chuck Dixon's tenure writing him and setting the parameters of his characterization, did outside writers try to hijack Connor's characterization away from what Dixon was doing, not once but TWICE? During the first crossover/team-up with Kyle Raynor as Green Lantern, the GL creative team deliberately tried to engineer a coming-out scene for Connor, despite the fact that Dixon had no intention of making Connor gay. And later, during Grant Morrison's run on the JLA and his original plans for expanding the team's membership, Morrison gleefully said in comics press interviews that he was deliberately ignoring how Connor was being characterized in his own book and instead was going to write Connor as being 'just like Oliver,' which was the antithesis of what Dixon was doing. I've always believed that it was no coincidence that the original expansion of the JLA roster, which included Connor, was short-lived and was instead replaced with the longer-lasting (and Connor-free) "Gods of Olympus" model.

Did the other creatives at DC at the time just dislike Connor Hawke for replacing Oliver, or Chuck Dixon for being a conservative, or was there something else going on?

Wow. I did not know all that. Interesting. I think Connor is a very complex character, which is why I like him. But the downside to that is that writers could try to mold him in their own ways.

Didn’t he spend much of his younger days in a monastery? Why would it surprise folks he wasn’t interested in romance?

That was a running joke with him and one of my favorites. That girls would constantly throw themselves at him and he would be totally oblivious. Made Kyle and Wally furious. lol.

[OopsIdiditagain]

He should be a bit older than Damian. Maybe 15-16? Him being Damian's age is fine too. I can buy Ollie having a 12 year old kid.

That would make him the same age as Emiko and Wallace.

[WallyWestFlash]

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