Green Arrow: Quiver

Written by Kevin Smith
Pencils by Phil Hester
Colors by Guy Major



For as well-rounded a nerd as I profess myself to be, I've never had the chance or drive to plunge myself into the world of superhero comics. Sure, I can name more superheroes than most people forget, but I'm not intimately familiar with the goings-on of the Justice League or what the Avengers are doing these days. With that, I can understand the expressions the comicos out there must be giving me, thinking to themselves, "He chose to dive into the DC Universe with Quiver?!" or similar. And while the ten-issue Green Arrow arc is deeply nestled in the intertwining brambles of the DC thicket, it's worth going in there to investigate.

WARNING: TOTAL SPOILERS DO NOT READ IF YOU DON'T WANT TO KNOW ABOUT THIS SHIT AND WOULD RATHER GO ALL THE WAY BACK TO LIKE CRISIS AND READ FORWARD FROM THERE

Quiver tells the story of Oliver Queen a.k.a. the Green Arrow, picking up after the events of an arc called The Longbow Hunters. I don't know what that is, but it involves the Emerald Archer's untimely demise. His subsequent resurrection has everyone he meets spooked, and he can't remember the last ten years of his life. Needless to say, this gets really, really confusing, really fast. Newbies that can't stand people referring to things like the Speed Force and Crisis and Doomsday and generally anything not brought up in the tome proper, beware: self-contained it's not.

The reason I didn't care about this particular hangup—or all the asterisks pointing me to check out Justice League Files #12-15 or Batman: Poison Tomorrow—is because everything about this comic is amazing. It's hard not to like Ollie Queen's hero banter, which alternates between sarcastic quips about costume choices and heartfelt accusations of fascism. He's a likeable guy, and it might be easier to relate to him for DC initiates. Just like Queen, you'll often be wondering just what the hell is going on, but if you like anything at all about the book, you'll roll with the punches.

And oh, the writer: Kevin Smith, legendary film director and a demigod to American nerds, provides the story and dialogue, which is a particular treat in addition to the lovely stylized art by Phil Hester. Smith's lifelong comic book fanaticism enables him to write a story about characters he loves while keeping the mythos of the DCU intact—a fanfic this ain't. All that love and knowledge shows through in a narrative that strikes that signature Kevin Smith, View Askewniverse balance between complete slapstick hilarity and insightful commentary.

END SPOILERS I GUESS

So, bottom line: if you're a comico, especially an Arrow-head and don't have this yet, you owe it to yourself to invest in it. If you're a newbie to the DC Universe, you might want to read a bit more about the preceding events before diving into Quiver. If you're a newbie but you don't mind being confuddled for a while as long as the story and art are good, you have to give it a shot. Regardless, if you think you're ready for it, you will probably enjoy this comic. Here's to my first foray into the world of the Justice League!