They were both defined by contradiction. One was a cop who was decidedly conservative in his politics, despite being wild at heart in his personal affairs. The other was a rebellious rabble-rouser, despite being born of old money and American corporatism. They were teammates long before they became friends, and then became brothers in arms. They are Green Lantern and Green Arrow, and a new tale of the Hard-Traveling Heroes reveals an untold story of their first fight with Deathstroke.
Written by Jeremy Adams, with art by Lucas Meyer, Green Lantern / Green Arrow: World’s Finest Special #1 is set in the not-too-distant past. Oliver Queen and Hal Jordan are still roaming the backroads of America, seeking to heal their heavy hearts as they search for the spirit of a broken nation. However, their wanderings are cut short by an attack launched by a familiar one-eyed assassin.
The main cover and first four pages of Green Lantern / Green Arrow: World’s Finest Special #1 may be viewed below.
The Green Arrow / Deathstroke Rivalry Explained
This story presents what is meant to be the first time Deathstroke ever fought Green Arrow. Oliver Queen and Slade Wilson have an odd history as comic characters. Multiple stories have tried to establish Deathstroke as an archenemy of Green Arrow, yet the two have barely interacted over the years.
Chronologically, the rivalry started with the Identity Crisis event. It was there that Deathstroke almost fought most of the Justice League to a standstill single-handedly. However, the tide of the battle was turned after Oliver Queen jabbed an arrow into Slade Wilson’s bad eye. That bought the rest of the team the time they needed to rally and win the day.
Afterward, writer Judd Winick, who was writing the monthly Green Arrow series at the time, tried to remake Slade Wilson into Oliver Queen’s archenemy. This effort largely fell flat due to Winnick writing Deathstroke as being obsessed with revenge. This clashed with his historic portrayal as a pragmatist. It also ignored his status as a long-time enemy of the Titans, who he had far more reason to hate.
However, this idea was adapted successfully in the television series Arrow. There, Slade Wilson was a former ASIS agent who mentored Oliver Queen after they were stranded on Lian Yu together. However, Slade went insane after being treated with the drug Mirakuru, which healed his wounds but warped his mind. The newly forged Deathstroke was the main villain of Arrow Season 2 and, according to many, the best villain the series had. It remains to be seen, however, just what reason Deathstroke has for hunting Green Arrow in this new special.
Green Lantern / Green Arrow: World’s Finest Special #1 arrives in comic shops everywhere on December 18, 2025.
