With Batman now dead and Green Arrow looking forward to joining Clown in the infamous 'I killed a robin'club, the Emerald Archer establishes himself as DC's most ruthless hero, willing to cross any line to achieve his goals. This fact is further solidified with a brutally cold line that reveals just how far Oliver Queen has fallen from grace.
…Earth-63's Green Arrow surpasses even Batman in his savagery when it comes to achieving his goals.
On December 11, 2024, the complete issue of the magazine by Matthew Rosenberg and Otto Schmidt D.C. vs. Vampires: World War V #5 hits shelves. Until then, fans can dive into a four-page preview packed with carnage and action, featuring main characters like Oliver. “Green Arrow” Queen, Damian “Robin” Wayne and Scott “Mister Miracle” Free.
The standout moment in this preview comes from the tense interaction between Oliver and Damian, picking up right where the previous issue's big cliffhanger left off: Oliver drawing his arc on the vampire Damian. Despite Damian's peaceful intentions and his plea to join forces against Vampire Queen Barbara Gordon's army, Oliver makes it clear that he has no plans to let Wonder Boy go.
“No. We should just beat them”: Green Arrow tried to kill Robin (seriously)
Cover F 1:50 Card Stock Variant by Nikola Čižmešija for D.C. vs. Vampires: World War V #1 (2024)
Green Arrow makes it very clear from the beginning that he is ready to kill Robin just because he is a vampire. However, not everyone agrees with the archer's ruthless plan. Black Canary intervenes to defend Damian, reminding Oliver that Robin came to them for help. She challenges him, asking: “Isn’t the point of all this that we are better than our enemies?” His words are meant to make Oliver see the wrong with his actions. Instead of retreating, Green Arrow offers a brutally cold response: “No. We should just beat them. Without hesitation, he fires an arrow aimed directly at Damian's heart, at point blank range.
Swamp Thing intervenes just in time, blocking the arrow before it hits Robin's chest. Although Damian's life was spared, it's clear that this act of mercy didn't come from Green Arrow. This moment underscores how unapologetically savage the Emerald Archer can be in his quest for victory – this time, in his war against ALL vampires, even those who are not allies of the tyrannical Vampire Queen. While Oliver has always been relentless in achieving his goals, this marks a shocking escalationproving that he is willing to kill a child to fulfill his mission – even if that child is an undead vampire.
Green Arrow from Earth-63 defeats the savage Batman
C card stock variant of the cover by Daniel Bayliss for D.C. vs. Vampires: World War V #4 (2024)
Among the Justice League heroes, Batman is often described as the most ruthless – a reputation cemented in the Tower of Babel storyline, where it was revealed that Bruce had secretly drawn up contingency plans to neutralize each member of the League should they go rogue. However, with Batman's death in D.C. vs. Vampires #6, fans were left wondering how far the Dark Knight could have gone to end the vampire war. Still, he would almost certainly never have gone so far as to kill a child who came in peace seeking help, even if that child was a vampire. This makes it undeniable that the Green Arrow of Earth-63 surpasses even Batman in his savagery when it comes to achieving his goals.
D.C. vs. Vampires: World War V #5 is available December 11, 2025, from DC Comics!