Who is this Green Arrow guy anyway?

Until recently, this was the only contact I had had with DC's Green Arrow:

Green Arrow: Year One, art by Jock

And it was good.  In Green Arrow: Year One, a spoilt rich boy finds himself shipwrecked on an island of slaves run by an evil drug lord, and he takes a stand.  With a bow.  And a green hood.  And it's awesome.  There is good and evil, the classic hero's journey, and a hefty dose of badassery.  It is not this:

Green Arrow #1, art by Dan Jurgens and George Perez

Now as I said, I know barely anything about Green Arrow, and this version may well be a more accurate representation of the character, so I'm going to say this right now: this is one person's opinion only.  That said, it was the most disappointing of DC's New 52 that I've read so far, and the reason for that is it was one I was most looking forward to.  For some reason I have a soft spot for the B grade heroes, the ones who may have powers or villains of their own, but never really make a difference to the overall world.  They are the ones most likely to die and be brought back, or to have several people fill the same tights at different times (I'm looking at you Flash).

What I wanted from Green Arrow #1, then, was a story about a character.  He's not as well known as other DC properties like Batman, Superman or Green Lantern, so I figured a new number 1 issue would be a great place to introduce the character and his motivations, because in this fantasy world where every second person has superpowers, to get dress up in green spandex and take them on with a bow and a bunch of trick arrows takes some serious mental issues.

What I got was an already well known superhero and business tycoon who beats up three superpowered villains that I was apparently supposed to know.  Oh, and he had allies who were also apparently well known to readers (please correct me if I'm wrong, I really don't know).  It was the kind of comic book you think of when people talk about comic books being for kids.  And this isn't necessarily a bad thing, but I would have liked a better jumping on point, given that that seems to be the whole purpose behind this relaunch, and any depth to the character seems to be lacking entirely, notwithstanding that he talks about people he failed to save.

Luckily, this by-the-numbers book seems to be the exception to the general high standard of the New 52, so DC have more than earnt the interest they've generated.

Steve.

PS.  No superhero should ever address civilians as "Party People".  Not only is this extremely lame, it's bound to create at least a few new villains.