WARNING: The following article contains spoilers for "Punching Evil" from the Green Arrow 80th Anniversary 100-Page Super Spectacular #1 by Tom Taylor, Nicola Scott, Annette Kwok and Clayton Cowles, on sale now.
Batman and Green Arrow are two of DC's most popular non-powered heroes. They also have quite a bit in common with one another, including the fact that both of them have been trained to fight by the old JSA hero Wildcat.
However, when they ran into each other in Wildcat's gym, Batman had some choice words for his fellow hero. Gotham's Dark Knight is known for his hard-hitting approach to justice, and it seems that his words can be every bit as brutal.
The story "Punching Evil" by Tom Taylor and Nicola Scott is featured in the Green Arrow 80th Anniversary 100-Page Super Spectacular #1, and it depicts events early in Green Arrow's career. His girlfriend, Black Canary, has recommended that he train with Ted Grant, aka Wildcat. The Emerald Archer doubts he can learn anything from an old man...until he sees Batman exiting the training room, holding a towel to his sore neck after having finished his own recent training with Ted.
Green Arrow greeted Batman, saying it was good to see him again. Batman did not even bother returning the basic courtesy. Instead, he asked how the Arrow Car and the Arrow Cave were doing. Clearly, the Dark Knight is not pleased about having had some of his own inventions that he spent a lot of time and money developing get ripped off by another hero.
Of course, there are plenty of other similarities between the two characters. Green Arrow debuted in 1941's More Fun Comics #73, and he was created by George Papp and Mort Wiesinger, who drew heavily upon Batman as a source of inspiration. An orphaned billionaire vigilante with a kid sidekick who fights crime using an arsenal of themed gadgets was a fairly niched concept at the time. However, Green Arrow did not exactly hide the fact he was ripping off some of Batman's best gadgets. In addition to the Arrow Car and the Arrow Cave, he also had another themed vehicle of note: the Arrow Plane.
It's worth noting that while the two heroes have never been close friends, they have grown closer over the years. The exchange in Wildcat's gym takes place early in their careers, and since then, they have come to gain a healthy respect for one another.
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