Comics We're Thankful For:
Jen Keith is thankful for Green Arrow: Quiver

My desk has a lot of Green Arrow swag on it; it’s no secret that he’s my favorite, and I owe that to a serendipitous discovery of Green Arrow: Quiver during college. It’s also no secret that it can be difficult to know where to start with superheroes. I offer up Quiver as someone who went blindly into a superhero book and came out a fan for life.

First off, you don’t have to know anything about Green Arrow to read this book. For Arrow fans, it’s a great place to start because it has many of your favorites. Arsenal, Black Canary, and the Flash make appearances as well as other members of the Green Arrow family like Connor Hawke, Oliver’s multi-ethnic son, and the first appearance of future Speedy Mia Dearden. With Justice Leaguers like Wonder Woman, Superman, Batman, and even some Vertigo/supernatural characters, it’s an easy jumping off point.

As for the plot: Green Arrow is back from the dead (like many superheroes before him), only he’s not the same as when he left; this doesn’t stop him from hunting down the child-killer known as the Star City Slayer.

Quiver manages to show Oliver’s progression from ranting about “fat-cats” and “blue fascists” to the still hotheaded and liberal, though hopefully more responsible. old coot he grew to be all in one book. Kevin Smith does a fantastic job of summarizing the continuity and telling a compelling story while still fitting in humor and character development. Better yet, Smith and art team Phil Hester and Ande Parks stuck around for more.

Fighting with a bow and arrow seems outdated, but Oliver Queen is a character for today. When everyone is taking down the Lex Luthors and Jokers of the world, Oliver Queen fights for the little guy. He’s a moral compass for the Justice League, and about as non-powered human as you can get. His books have covered issues like homophobia and racism, political and corporate corruption, and even tackled HIV and drug addiction.

Quiver isn’t as groundbreaking as, say, The Longbow Hunters, which is entirely deserving of its own review. Nor is it the amazing 1970s road trip Green Lantern/Green Arrow team up. It is, however, near and dear to my heart as the book I am thankful of for broadening my comic horizons when I didn’t know my Wally Wests from my Kyle Rayners, and I’m glad to share the book that helped make me the comic fan I am today.

[Read Green Arrow: Quiver on comiXology]

Jen Keith is a Digital Editor at comiXology, comic artist, music addict, and is eagerly awaiting the day Ollie gets his Van Dyke back in the comics.