Today the publisher announced New York Times bestselling author Brad Meltzer is slated to take over as the new writer of Green Arrow with issue #16.

Meltzer’s works include the novels The Tenth Justice, Dead Even, The First Council, and The Millionaires, which is currently #3 on the New York Times bestseller list and #1 on the Barnes & Noble bestseller list. According to DC, Meltzer has also contributed short fiction to USA Weekend, the London Sunday Times, and the anthology The Games We Played.

Meltzer joins series penciler Phil Hester and inker Ande Parks on DC’s best selling monthly series. According to DC, Hester and Parks with remain with the series “at least” until Smith’s Brave and the Bold series is ready to begin production.

That may be a ways away, as Smith recently revealed to Newsarama he’ll launch Marvel’s Black Cat before beginning work on Brave and the Bold.

The status of cover artist Matt Wagner, who Smith previously announced would leave with him with issue #15, is still to be determined.

“I’m sad to be leaving Green Arrow,” said Kevin Smith, “but I’m secure in the knowledge that Brad’s going to take Arrowhead for one helluva ride after I’m gone. I know I’ll still be buying the book on a monthly basis after my run’s finished. I suggest you all do the same. Brad’s not going to let you down.”

“Brad brings tons of enthusiasm about Ollie Queen, DC, and comics in general to the party,” said Group Editor Bob Schreck. “He’s a hell of a storyteller. Both The Tenth Justice and The Millionaires had me biting my fingernails and scratching my head trying to figure out what was going to happen next! Having read his initial plot, Brad’s already off to a fantastic start on Green Arrow, building on the foundation Kevin created for the series. I think he’s going to surprise everybody.”

A few weeks ago, in a update on his plans for Green Arrow, writer Kevin Smith told us about a new villain he was creating for his final, three-part story arc (issues #13-15) for the DC series before he moved on to launch Marvel’s Black Cat.

Though declining to go into details about the new villain, Smith did tell his creation was featured on the cover of Green Arrow #13, and he called that, “the most astonishingly artistic comic book cover I’ve ever seen”.

Smith also let the artist responsible – series cover artist Matt Wagner – say all he was prepared to say at the time about the villain.

Said Wagner, “The concept was BOLD AND SIMPLE enough that the image just popped right up. In fact, I’m f*****g surprised that no one’s ever thought to call a character that before. Seems like a natural and the natural ideas are always the best.”

Well, that was then, today we know the character’s name is Onomatopoeia, and that he’s been hunting down non-super powered heroes, with so far great success.

For readers wondering, a browse through the dictionary reveals “onomatopoeia” is defined as,”the naming of a thing or action by a vocal imitation of the sound associated with it (as buzz, hiss)”, or in other words, a concept comic book readers should be very familiar with.

Anyways, click on the image to open a preview first look image of the new villain. The original story on Smith’s Green Arrow and Black Cat plans follow…

When this past summer, DC and Kevin Smith announced his next project for DC would be a Brave and the Bold ongoing series with his entire Green Arrow creative team in tact – artists Phil Hester and Ande Parks and cover artist Matt Wagner – Smith speculated his Green Arrow run would end around issue #15. Last week the writer made it official, confirming for the record his and cover artist Matt Wagner’s last issue will indeed be #15.

As previously reported, issues #11 and #12 will be stand-alone stories, while issue #13-15 make up one final three-part story arc, featuring a new supervillain of Smith’s creation.

Smith declined to tell Newsarama anything specific about the villain, saying, “And ruin the surprise? Heavens no. But I’ll tell you what someone else said about him….

“Matt Wagner (who’s come up with just about the most astonishingly artistic comic book cover I’ve ever seen for issue #13) had this to say about the new villain in our recent email exchange about what the cover image featuring the villain should be…”

“And a cool character he is! Like I said, the concept was BOLD AND SIMPLE enough that the image just popped right up. In fact, I’m f*****g surprised that no one’s ever thought to call a character that before. Seems like a natural and the natural ideas are always the best.”

Smith did not know whether Hester and Parks would also be exiting with issue #15, and a spokesperson for DC was unable to confirm what their last issue would be either. As it turns out, there looks to be some downtime between the end of Smith’s Green Arrow run and his starting on Brave and the Bold, as the writer tells Newsarama the launch of his upcoming new Marvel ongoing series Black Cat (more on that in a moment) comes first, making a timetable for Brave and the Bold too early to say.

Back to Green Arrow, Smith told us he was not aware of his replacement being found by DC yet, and asked if he had any input in the selection process, Smith replied, “They haven’t asked yet, so I don’t imagine they’re going to.”

As to Black Cat, Smith informs us plans for that series have changed slightly as well since its was announced this past summer.

Originally the series was to be launched with a special Spider-Man/Black Cat one-shot leading into the new ongoing series, but as of this moment, that one-shot has been changed to a four-issue Spider-Man/Black Cat mini-series leading into the solo Black Cat ongoing series.

Smith said they’re gunning for a May debut of the mini-series – in time of course of the Spider-Man film – and describes the mini-series as “packed”.

“Aside from our main story, we’ve got something happening to Peter that’s going to rock his world and change all the books forever,” he teased.

Smith isn’t giving away too many details about the ongoing series either, saying just that it will be “darker and edgier” than people might expect, and although the series was recently described by a comics publication as dealing with the mystical/magical aspects of Felicia Hardy’s ‘bad luck’ powers, he said that is not accurate, and that the series will be more in the vein of his work in Daredevil, “at least moreso than Green Arrow was.”

When this past summer, DC and Kevin Smith announced his next project for DC would be a Brave and the Bold ongoing series with his entire Green Arrow creative team in tact – artists Phil Hester and Ande Parks and cover artist Matt Wagner – Smith speculated his Green Arrow run would end around issue #15. Last week the writer made it official, confirming for the record his and cover artist Matt Wagner’s last issue will indeed be #15. As previously reported, issues #11 and #12 will be stand-alone stories, while issue #13-15 make up one final three-part story arc, featuring a new supervillain of Smith’s creation.

Smith declined to tell Newsarama anything specific about the villain, saying, “And ruin the surprise? Heavens no. But I’ll tell you what someone else said about him..

“Matt Wagner (who’s come up with just about the most astonishingly artistic comic book cover I’ve ever seen for issue #13) had this to say about the new villain in our recent email exchange about what the cover image featuring the villain should be…”

“And a cool character he is! Like I said, the concept was BOLD AND SIMPLE enough that the image just popped right up. In fact, I’m f*****g surprised that no one’s ever thought to call a character that before. Seems like a natural and the natural ideas are always the best.” Smith did not know whether Hester and Parks would also be exiting with issue #15, and a spokesperson for DC was unable to confirm what their last issue would be either. As it turns out, there looks to be some downtime between the end of Smith’s Green Arrow run and his starting on Brave and the Bold, as the writer tells Newsarama the launch of his upcoming new Marvel ongoing series Black Cat (more on that in a moment) comes first, making a timetable for Brave and the Bold too early to say.

Back to Green Arrow, Smith told us he was not aware of his replacement being found by DC yet, and asked if he had any input in the selection process, Smith replied, “They haven’t asked yet, so I don’t imagine they’re going to.”

As to Black Cat, Smith informs us plans for that series have changed slightly as well since its was announced this past summer.

Originally the series was to be launched with a special Spider-Man/Black Cat one-shot leading into the new ongoing series, but as of this moment, that one-shot has been changed to a four-issue Spider-Man/Black Cat mini-series leading into the solo Black Cat ongoing series.

Smith said they’re gunning for a May debut of the mini-series – in time of course of the Spider-Man film – and describes the mini-series as “packed”.

“Aside from our main story, we’ve got something happening to Peter that’s going to rock his world and change all the books forever,” he teased.

Smith isn’t giving away too many details about the ongoing series either, saying just that it will be “darker and edgier” than people might expect, and although the series was recently described by a comics publication as dealing with the mystical/magical aspects of Felicia Hardy’s ‘bad luck’ powers, he said that is not accurate, and that the series will be more in the vein of his work in Daredevil, “at least more so than Green Arrow was.”

The ‘Heroes’ benefit book will ship on October 17. After taking a look at the preview copy, I was absolutely blown away. On each image, I thought, ‘this is my favorite piece’ only to see something just as amazing when I turned the page. Because Marvel wanted to do something for the victims right away, the Heroes book was conceived. Conceptually, the book had to be more of a pin up book with text pieces in an effort to get it out as quickly as possible, but in December, they will be releasing ‘Moment of Silence’, which contains 4 short stories about the 9.11.01 events written by Brian Michael Bendis, Bill Jemas, Joe Quesada, and Kevin Smith and illustrated by Chuck Austin, Mark Bagley, Igor Kordey and John Romita Jr.

…The number 1 trade was the oft-delayed ‘Bluntman and Chronic’ which Valentino promised would be in stores by the time Jay and Silent Bob hits the ‘Previously viewed’ section in rental stores. The final statement Quesada read from Valentino’s email reminded audiences to think ‘Green’ and watch out for ‘Black Cats’, tongue in cheek references to Kevin Smith’s Green Arrow and upcoming Black Cat series. Joe ended the presentation by stating he wants to work for Image since they seem to be having a lot more fun.