DIXON SHINES SPOTLIGHT BACK ON CONNOR HAWKE

**MattBrady** · 06-09-2006, 11:01 AM

Thursday we spoke with creator Howard Chaykin about his upcoming new limited series putting a supporting member of the Green Lantern cast (Guy Gardner) in the spotlight, today we check in with writer Chuck Dixon who has plans to shine the spotlight on a supporting member of the Green Arrow cast….

Connor Hawke: Dragon’s Blood is an upcoming six issue limited series written by Dixon and penciled by Derec Donovan tentatively scheduled for a November debut that will thrust Oliver Queen’s son and one-time star of the previous Green Arrow ongoing series back into a lead role.

[accompanying Phil Noto image is not from the new series]

A “standalone kind of deal” by Dixon’s description, the new story finds Connor Hawke back at the Napa Valley monastery where he seeks refuge and escape from the world. Supporting player Eddie Fyers is there with him, still fulfilling the vow to protect Ollie’s son.

“Connor has a few goals he achieves in this series all in the midst of a kick ass, globe-spanning adventure story,” explained Dixon, asked to describe the story. “In the area of archery, Connor is not a match for his dad and this is the one aspect of his life that he feels leaves him incomplete. Connor’s offered an opportunity to rectify that which leads him into a life or death situation alongside Shado, Eddie, and a cast of new bowslinging characters from around the world.

”The story involves a competition put on by a Shanghai billionaire to find the world’s greatest archer. Bowmen we haven’t seen before and a few we have (fans of Connor’s run will recall the Brotherhood of the Monkey Fist) come from all over the planet to compete. Connor is here as a stand-in for Ollie and sees this as his chance to step from under his dad’s father. But the competition has a dark side and quickly turns from friendly target shooting to a body-strewn bloodbath. All of this action leads to an ancient prophecy coming true and threatening to release a mythological horror upon the world…

”Now what would you pay for this mini series?” asked Dixon “But there’s more! Sex! Laughs! And a really big dragon!”

While a limited series for now, talking to Dixon its clear that given reader support, he’d like this to be just the beginning of more Connor Hawke “solo” adventures.

“I think Connor has the potential to carry his own monthly again,” said Dixon. “He did it for more than forty issues not so long ago and his sales were strong right up to the time it was decided to cancel the book to make way for the re-launch of the title under Kevin Smith.”

As to what distinguishes Connor Hawke as a character in a DC Universe that has Ollie, Roy, and Mia all sporting bows and arrows or hand-held weaponry, Dixon said Connor’s appeal to him is his “evolving” nature…

”He’s not like other comic characters with a simple origin and then he’s pretty much status quo for the rest of his shelf life,” explained Dixon. “He’s also one of the DCU’s premier martial artists which conflicts with his stoic and ‘centered’ personality. Connor doesn’t really seek conflict, it seeks him out.

“Obviously, he’ll always have ties to Oliver Queen. But the Connor Hawke stories always had a different tone than the original Green Arrow’s. They were more about high adventure and less about the weltschmerz, cynical spy stuff that the Queen’s story was following. Where Queen battled corporate corruption or Cold War leftover types, Connor was battling dinosaurs or finding lost cities in China. There’s nothing really like that in the DCU currently and I think Connor and his cats would be a nice contrast to the urban action of most of the other books.”

pfunk70 · 06-09-2006, 11:37 AM

Nice. I'd pay for a Connor Hawke series by Dixon. Oliver's alright and I pick up his book occasionally but I just like Connor better.

aceatkins · 06-09-2006, 11:39 AM

YAY!

No offense to Ollie, but I actually thought the previous series' strongest issues were the ones with Connor in the lead. They were interesting, well-paced, action-packed tales with a hero that was humble and likable, two things which I often find Oliver is not. I will totally buy this.

nietoperz · 06-09-2006, 11:39 AM

DC are really knocking it out of the park just now. I'll be getting this, too...

Lex · 06-09-2006, 11:43 AM

Dixon's description of the book sounds really interesting. I wasn't sure if I would pick it up, but he managed to hook me. The archery contest sounds fun and I love adventure stories.

chap22 · 06-09-2006, 11:44 AM

never bought the Connor run, but i have really enjoyed the character in every guest-spot i've seen him in. and i love Dixon. this sounds like big fun, and since it's just a mini, go ahead and sign me up.

I am MODOK · 06-09-2006, 11:45 AM

Sold sold sold. Dixon writing Connor Hawke and high adventure? No way I can pass that up.

Is Derec Donovan the same guy as Derec Aucoin?

hippyhunter · 06-09-2006, 11:48 AM

Connor Hawke, along with John Stewart, Guy Gardner, Arsenal, Captain Marvel, the Spectre, and the Martian Manhunter deserve ongoings.

DrCool976 · 06-09-2006, 11:50 AM

Huge fan of Connor. he is far more interesting a character than Ollie.

Definitely picking this up.

BlueThunderArmy · 06-09-2006, 11:54 AM

I'm in for this. Always really liked Connor's character, and when Dixon's on his game he puts together some really great stories.

Mr Wesley · 06-09-2006, 11:56 AM

Quote:

Connor is here as a stand-in for Ollie and sees this as his chance to step from under his dad’s father.

Huh?

I really hope Didio and Levitz know what they're doing with all these minis they're launching. First we got the spin-offs and follow-ups from Infinite Crisis, Then we get the Brave New World titles launching over the next two months, and then Guy Gardner, the Omega Men and now Connor Hawke in the last few months of the year.

Obviously DC is riding high at the moment and hoping to cash in on the resergent popularity of so many different characters due to Infinite Crisis. But I hope that doesn't backfire on them the way it did with Marvel and their different 'families' back in the mid-90s.

On the other hand, it's also obvious that DC and Marvel are willing to try just about anything in order to get the upper hand against each other, and that competition is bringing some great ideas and stories from both sides of the fight.

POWRSURG · 06-09-2006, 11:58 AM

He needs a new name. That's one of the things I don't like about DC, multiple people running around with the same name.

I didn't buy his previous book, but I have every issue fo GA since relaunch and have enjoyed his appearance in it. I'll give this a shot, but DC needs to slow down with the releases already!

ColourMan · 06-09-2006, 11:59 AM

I can't wait to buy this. Connor rules!!

Rod Odom · 06-09-2006, 12:29 PM

I'm a big fan of Dixon's Connor Hawke stories. Hooray !

EmeraldGuy32 · 06-09-2006, 12:29 PM

this sounds great! Dixon back in the DCU can only be good, and I'll buy pretty much anything with Connor even if it isn't!

Spade · 06-09-2006, 12:33 PM

I'm getting this. I loved it when Connor took over the role of Green Arrow. I think it was a terrible decesion to bring back Ollie.

moor · 06-09-2006, 12:46 PM

Dixon and a Connor Hawke story?? Really, a no-brainer. Forget the Hype machine.. They're wouldn't have even been a Smith re-launch if Dixon hadn't already given GA that much-needed shot in the arm a few years back....

Jim Connick · 06-09-2006, 12:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by I am MODOK

Is Derec Donovan the same guy as Derec Aucoin?

He is, yeah.

Crusader K · 06-09-2006, 12:56 PM

I know this comes rather late and seems kinda dumb, but what IS Connor's story. I've read issues with him in them, and he's an interesting character, but I was out to lunch when he first appeared.

Who's his mom? Was Ollie aware of him when he was growing up? How did he learn archery? Was he raised in some kinda monastery?

If anyone could give me a little Connor primer, I'd appreciate it!

jza1218 · 06-09-2006, 12:56 PM

If there's an archer, Im getting it

kalorama · 06-09-2006, 01:00 PM

Dixon's GA run with Connor in the lead was (along with his Nightwing) one of the things that got me back into reading comics after a while away. I'll definitely be checking it out.

LunarDaydreamer · 06-09-2006, 01:01 PM

Brilliant writer that deserves to have more ongoing titles within the DCU.

This sounds fab, along with Rush City i'm an absolute shoe-in for this - and for the record would support an ongoing with Connor.

kingofcities · 06-09-2006, 01:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chuck Dixon

”The story involves a competition put on by a Shanghai billionaire to find the world’s greatest archer. Bowmen we haven’t seen before and a few we have (fans of Connor’s run will recall the Brotherhood of the Monkey Fist) come from all over the planet to compete. Connor is here as a stand-in for Ollie and sees this as his chance to step from under his dad’s father. But the competition has a dark side and quickly turns from friendly target shooting to a body-strewn bloodbath.

It's like Enter The Dragon Meets Green Arrow. I am so there.

Akcoll99 · 06-09-2006, 01:03 PM

I am definitely interested in this. I do have one question, as someone who stopped reading GA shortly after Mike Grell left and who didn't come back until Kevin Smith's run, who is Connor Hawke's mother? And I see Shado mentioned in Chuck's description of the series- what ever happened to the baby SHE had with Ollie?

Thanks,
Andrew

Aquajacket · 06-09-2006, 01:07 PM

While I'm not sorry that they brought Ollie back, I have to agree that Conner's run as Green Arrow was the high point for that series (at least in recent years).

I'm buying this for sure.