What is Roy Harper supposed to be like?

[LordTrump]

Since ppl are saying he's "ruined" in New 52/Rebirth. Isn't he basically Oliver Queen but not as rich or preachy?

[Assam]

That description of Roy Harper that the OP gives is 0% true, and since he's one of my five favorite heroes, I may as well explain.

At his core, Roy is a man just trying to do his best, in a world where he won't ever be the best. While originally just a Robin knockoff, Roy's development really started when first started doing heroin as a teen and Oliver threw him out on his ass. He'd eventually clean up his act, but from that point on, his path was set. Like the rest of the Fab5, he cares deeply for his friends, and would do anything for them. However, more than the rest of his friends, Roy is defined by his flaws. He's brash, he's short tempered, he's a constant screw-up and he's at most 2nd best at everything. Not as good an archer as Oliver, not as good a fighter as Connor, not as good a sidekick/partner as Dick.

Despite that though, despite all of that, he's someone that people underestimate. Because of his often rude attitude, his lack of most books smarts and because he doesn't have the acclaim that his peers do, people think less of him. In truth though, he's talented, very intelligent, and is eager to prove himself, having proved time and time again that beneath all of his flaws lies the heart of a serious hero.

And then, there's Lian Harper.

If Roy ever wanted to be as good as those around him, he needed to grow up. And upon taking in his daughter and beginning to raise her, he did just that. His flaws remained, but his maturity did rise to the occasion, and Lian proved to be able to bring out a softer side in him, Roy proving to be one of the sweetest and best dads in the DCU, loving her more than anything or anyone else in the world; a far cry from the man who raised him.

As Slade once told Roy during a fight, "Face it kid, you're no Nightwing." And its true. While Dick is the golden boy of his generation, Roy is the one who screws up, makes up for it and gets better, and then screws up again.

He fails, he makes mistakes, and he pisses people off. But he's always striving to improve. He's human. And I wouldn't want him any other way.

[Lightning Rider]

Yeah he's definitely not just Oliver without money. I mean they share a similar core trait in which they both try their best despite routine **** ups and dysfunctional relationships, but one inherited some of that from the other. Roy had to fight his own battle with addiction that Oliver never had, and also had a group in the Titans that created a family dynamic for him that Oliver never had or provided. I see Roy as a guy with a constant chip on his shoulder due to the hand he was dealt growing up, but tries to mature instead of crying about it.

Assam already put it pretty well.