Warning: contains major spoilers for Green Arrow 80th Anniversary Spectacular #1!
DC has just released the story "Tap, Tap, Tap" - a tribute to Denny O'Neil within the pages of Green Arrow 80th Anniversary Spectacular #1. It celebrates the life and work of Dennis "Denny" O'Neil, the legendary comic creator who passed away last year. To celebrate his legacy, DC has made the tribute free for fans to read online.
Green Arrow debuted in 1941. Numerous creators have developed stories for the character, establishing his origin, creating new foes, and detailing his relationships with his many wards and allies. After eighty years, the character is still going strong. Green Arrow has appeared in numerous comics and is a part of teams like the Justice League, the Outsiders, and the Seven Soldiers of Victory.
"Tap, Tap, Tap" was written by Larry O'Neil, Denny's son. The art is done by Jorge Fornes and Dave Stewart. Denny O'Neil passed away June 11, 2020, but his legacy lives on in the characters and stories he created. Although this is not a Green Arrow-specific story like the others in the book, it has a fitting place within this anthology thanks to the award-winning work O'Neil did involving Green Arrow and Green Lantern between 1969 and 1983. The tribute story, which wordlessly details his life and comic book work, can be found on dccomics.com.
"Tap, Tap, Tap" is a beautiful glance into the life of a storyteller who brought joy to millions of readers. It begins with O'Neil's childhood, moves into his youth, and takes fans on a journey through his being a sailor in the Navy, becoming a parent, winning awards as a comic creator, experiencing widowerhood, and living his final moments. Along the way, his work and accomplishments are layered over the panels of his life as thought and speech bubbles. Finally, the DC characters he told the stories of gather around him, paying their respects. These characters include Green Arrow, Green Lantern, Superman, Batman, Azrael, Joker, Shazam, Superman, and The Creeper, among many others.
Some of the highlights of this story include O'Neil's numerous awards, which included a Shazam award presented in 1971 for the individual story "No Evil Shall Escape My Sight!" that he wrote with Neal Adams in Green Lantern/Green Arrow #76. The two also won best individual story the following year for "Snowbirds Don't Fly" in Green Lantern/Green Arrow #85. He also worked on numerous other characters and created R'as al Ghul, Talia al Ghul, Jean Paul Valley, Azrael, and the League of Assassins - all of whom still have followings within DC's comic universe. The bubbles throughout the story present the symbols of tales and characters he worked on.
Denny O'Neil's work has helped in defining Green Arrow, Batman, and other DC characters. While his comic writing was not limited to DC, his work there was some of his finest. This story is a bittersweet, yet beautiful mini-biography and a wonderful way of celebrating his life. It also exemplifies one of the best things about anniversary issues like this one from DC: the chance to look back on creators that have been foundational over the years.
Source: DC Comics