Green Arrow has never been a major player in the DC Comics universe but with CW’s Arrow television show his popularity and awareness has grown exponentially. So if you’re a fan of Arrow and want read more adventures of Oliver Queen, these 6 stories/series you should read.
Green Arrow: Year One
Written by Andy Diggle. Art by Jock.
This is the Green Arrow origin story. Oliver Queen is millionaire playboy until he is betrayed by a friend and is stranded on a deserted island. Through his survival on the island he becomes the Green Arrow.
This is is the best place to start reading Green Arrow as it tells the origin and sets up the character so you can dive into other stories with a bit more context.
Collected in trade paperback or track down Green Arrow: Year One #1 – #6.
Green Arrow: The Longbow Hunters
Written and Art by Mike Grell.
This 1987 mini series sees Oliver Queen move to Seattle and at the same time drop his trick arrows in favour of traditional ones. He becomes more of a vigilante than super hero, tracking down a serial killer that brings him into the violent underworld.
This mini-series was critically acclaimed and allowed for Green Arrow to have his first ever ongoing series that would run for 10 years, with 80 of those issues by Mike Grell.
Collected in trade paperback or track down Green Arrow: The Longbow Hunters #1-#3.
Green Arrow: Quiver
Written by Kevin Smith. Art by Phil Hester.
After many years of having been assumed dead in a plane crash, Oliver Queen returns and everybody wants to know how he survived. Where has he been?
Film-maker Kevin Smith (Clerks, Dogma, Red State) successfully resurrects The Green Arrow which would launch the series that would last for 75 issues.
Collected in trade paperback or track down Green Arrow (Volume 3) #1 – #10.
Green Arrow: Archer’s Quest
Written by Brad Meltzer. Art by Phil Hester.
A continuation on the the previously mentioned Green Arrow: Quiver, Brad Meltzer analyses Oliver Queen’s past as he tracks down items of sentimental value. With this, he questions his past decisions and actions as he has to get ready for the future with the people close to him.
Collected in trade paperback or track down Green Arrow (Volume 3) #16 – #21.
The Jeff Lemire and Andrea Sorrentino Run
Written by Jeff Lemire. Art by Andrea Sorrentino.
This is the most contemporary of all the stories in this list. After a few creative teams of varying quality, Jeff Lemire and Andrea Sorrentino took over the title and gave it much critical acclaim. This run gave the Green Arrow much more character development while fleshing out the mythos of the character and villains. Throughout this run we Oliver return to the island that molded him into the man he came to be, introduced Diggle into the comics as well as introduced new and challenging villains into the mix. Andrea Sorrentino’s art is another highlight of this run with dark atmosphere, using strong inks minimal colours to portray powerful moments.
The Jeff Lemire and Andrea Sorrentino run is collected in Green Arrow #17-#34 and is available in multiple collected editions.
Arrow
Written by Marc Guggenheim and Andrew Kriesberg. Art by Various.
This is the digital-first series based upon the TV series, Arrow. If you enjoy the TV show and want to get more of it then this is the place to find it. There is one series set in the first season and the current series which is set between season 2 and 3 titled Arrow Season 2.5.
This series comes out weekly in tiny chapters digitally, after these chapters are collected together in print form on a monthly basis.
You can find the digital-first chapters here.
Have Your Say
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I was reading Green Arrow: Year One, and it was cool.
DC’s “Year One” comics are the best point to start reading about a character and knowing his/her origin.
cool list…green arrow is not the most liked or popular…