Dialogue fragment is:
-You draw too much attention to yourself. Always have. I mean, sure, you play it mysterious... but it's a noisy kind of mysterious. You, they have to kill.
-What is it you want, Oliver?
-A piece of him. The schoolboy.
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5the title as it currently stands makes this seem a little more inappropriate than it actually is.– cottogCommented Aug 24, 2016 at 14:27
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@cottog Could you edit or suggest more appropriate title? Unfortunately, I can't into english to make the title sufficiently clear and appropriate.– aryndinCommented Aug 24, 2016 at 19:28
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1@jumpjet67 Altered it, it shouldbe better this way :D– Dylan MeeusCommented Aug 25, 2016 at 11:42
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This belongs on English.se.– Gorchestopher HCommented Aug 25, 2016 at 13:30
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@GorchestopherH I think it also belongs this site since the question is placed here.– aryndinCommented Aug 25, 2016 at 13:46
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3 Answers
The schoolboy is something of an affectionate (or not-so-affectionate, in this case) term for Superman. More fully called "The big blue schoolboy" elsewhere in the series. Superman's also often called variations on "Boy Scout," and other similar terms, for his tendency to always follow the rules (in the case of the Dark Knight Returns, even where the rules are clearly immoral).
"A piece of" is slang for wanting to take someone on a fight, or at least get a good hit in. (Often heard in contexts like "You want a piece of me?" when provoking someone into a fight)
So Green Arrow saying that he wants "A piece of (the schoolboy)" it means he wants to be part of the fight if Bruce fights Superman. Other scenes suggest that Superman was responsible for Oliver's arm loss, so it's natural that Oliver wants some amount of payback, even if he knows he can't win taking him one-on-one like Bruce might.
It's hard for a one-armed archer to defeat Superman single-handedly.
answered Aug 23, 2016 at 16:27
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2You probably should include the fact that Superman tore off Oliver's arm. And it hurts when it's cold. And lately, it's been cold a lot. Commented Aug 23, 2016 at 18:42
Superman apparently tore off Oliver's arm, and Oliver wants to help Batman take him down.
Image sourced from 'The Dark Knight Returns': Remember The Time Superman Ripped Off Green Arrow's Arm?
When he says 'a small piece' he gestures towards his missing arm. Implying, Superman took a piece of him, and he wants a piece back.
answered Aug 23, 2016 at 16:29
So, you should check out the scans on this page:
https://arousinggrammar.com/2013/11/10/the-death-of-green-arrow/
Specifically this one:
In the next panel, Oliver pulls his arm out of the deadman switch, killing himself. I think that, in writing The Dark Knight Returns, Miller chose to set his alternate future in a timeline that follows a past where Superman interceded, and saved Oliver Queen's life by ripping his arm off.
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That's pretty neat. It doesn't quite answer the question the way it was intended (I am under the impression the question is confused as to the language used as opposed to the reference Oliver is making) but damn fine job nonetheless. Commented Aug 24, 2016 at 23:06