Filmmaker Kevin Smith announced that he is officially on board as writer for a re-launch of DC Comics’ Green Arrow.

At the DC Universe slide show at the Comic-Con International in San Diego, Smith said will be joined for the book by artists Phil Hester and Ande Park. DC provided a first image of a Silver Age-looking Green Arrow.

“I know we’ve been talking about this book for six years, and we’re finally ready,” Smith said.

Smith said he is writing 12 issues of Green Arrow.

“Some people say this is a maxi-series,” Smith said, “but hopefully when I leave, the next issue will be #13 with a better writer than me.”

Smith said the first issue will include Conner Hawke, Roy Harper and Black Canary and that eight issues will center around what exactly happened to Oliver Queen. He also said that Green Arrow will be using trick arrows.

“I don’t think this arc is about re-inventing Green Arrow,” Smith said. “It’s about doing a good Green Arrow book.

“If you were a fan of Green Arrow before the (Mike) Grell revamp, during the Grell revamp or the post-Grell revamp, there’s something for everybody – including some Conner.”

Green Arrow will be edited by Bob Schreck. “Everybody’s been very supportive,” Smith said. “DC’s been very cool.”

Smith said that he has requested Green Arrow not appear in any other DC books until he’s explained what has happened to him. Asked about a possible Green Arrow/Green Lantern team-up, Smith said, “It depends – who’s your Green Lantern? There’s stuff in there.”

Smith said Green Arrow is his only super-hero project, and that includes movies.

“No movies. I tried super-hero movies. Forget about it,” he said. “I’m like Kryptonite to super-hero movies.”