Green Arrow: The Archer's Quest

By Alex De-Gruchy
March 08, 2006

Before successful novelist Brad Meltzer unearthed some of the DC Universe's most shocking secrets in the Identity Crisis mini-series, he wrote The Archer's Quest, a six-part Green Arrow story that finds the then-recently resurrected Oliver Queen trying to put some of the most important pieces of his life back together after returning to the land of the living. Continuing their uninterrupted run on art duties are Phil Hester and Ande Parks, who re-launched the title with previous writer Kevin Smith in 2000.

Plot

The Archer's Quest begins with Oliver Queen visiting the site of his own grave. After seeing some photographs of his funeral supplied by Clark Kent, Ollie had noticed a stranger among all of his friends and family. Concerned and confused, Ollie sets out to track him down with the help of his former sidekick, Roy Harper, aka Arsenal. The mission only becomes more urgent when he learns the stranger's identity - Thomas Blake, aka the villain Cat-Man. Finding Blake to be a washed-up loser, we soon learn the connection between the two men with the arrival of The Shade, the nearly 200-year-old individual who has been both a hero and villain in his time. The Shade and Ollie share a secret, and it's one that Ollie has to deal with now that he has come back to life. The secret prompts him to go on a journey to retrieve some of the things that meant so much to him during his first life, which he now wants back.

With Arsenal at his side, Ollie travels to places such as The Flash Museum, the JLA Watchtower and his old cave lair, searching for some of the things that mean the most to him - some particular arrows, the old pickup truck that he used to ride in with Hal Jordan, a ring given to him by Barry Allen, and others. The journey isn't always an easy one though, with Ollie having to go behind the backs of fellow heroes such as Green Lantern and the Flash, as well as face much more serious threats such as a battle with the monstrous Solomon Grundy.

Meltzer has done a great job of making this story accessible for new readers and still manages to include many references and character moments for long-time Green Arrow fans. Meltzer obviously has a lot of affection for Ollie Queen, as well as a lot of respect for the character's history, and this helps to deliver some smart dialogue and cool scenes that move the story forward. Although it doesn't skimp on the action, The Archer's Quest is a very personal story with plenty of depth, and which also has a great twist ending that only adds to the complexity of Oliver Queen's character as a man, and not just a hero.

Characterisation

I've never known that much about the origin or background of Green Arrow, only reading scattered appearances in other titles throughout the DC Universe, so I wasn't sure what to expect from The Archer's Quest, which is the first Green Arrow story I have checked out. And you know what? I'm really glad I did. I can't speak for the work of current series writer Judd Winick, or any other previous writers for that matter, but Meltzer writes Ollie Queen as a complicated - but more importantly, realistic - individual. What strikes you is how Ollie comes through as a man, not just a guy in a costume. He doesn't always do what's right, and he has made plenty of selfish and irresponsible choices in the past, as the ending to this story so powerfully demonstrates. These flaws don't necessarily make Ollie a bad guy, just an all too-human one, and one who holds your interest.

Because this story is respectful of Ollie's history and the characters who populate it, there are some great supporting character appearances and many well-written scenes between them and Ollie. Even if you have no previous knowledge about Ollie, his past or the people in it, Meltzer writes scenes and dialogue that feel very natural in terms of Ollie's relationship to the other characters. The shared history and camaraderie between Ollie and his former sidekick Roy is a great example of this. There are plenty of other examples as well, such as the meeting between Ollie and the new Green Lantern, Kyle Rayner, where Ollie explains exactly why he's always uncomfortable around Kyle wearing the uniform of his dead friend. There is also Ollie's ongoing romance with Black Canary, which is the driving force behind the search for one of his possessions.

All of these different DC characters are portrayed just as three-dimensionally as Ollie himself, and really help in showing how he fits in with the rest of the DC Universe as a whole, as well as telling us more about just who he is.

Art

Phil Hester has a very slick, clean style that is perfectly suited for a mainstream superhero book, in terms of the action as well as simply the look of the characters themselves. The fight between Ollie and the powerful Solomon Grundy is a good example of Hester's ability to draw action scenes, combining his smooth style with some vicious action to dynamic effect. As already mentioned, the relationships between Ollie and the other characters is an important part of this story, and Hester's pencils really add to the writing here, particularly during Ollie's confrontation with Kyle, and during quieter scenes, such as one between Ollie and his son Connor near the end of the story.

The inks by Ande Parks really add to the finished art as well, complementing Hester's pencils with a finish that makes each panel attention-grabbing. The colouring on the book by James Sinclair is also worthy of mention - Sinclair uses vibrant, bright colours that really help in making the art stand out, without being garish or over-done.

Overall

As someone with no real experience of the character, I came into The Archer's Quest with an open mind, and Meltzer's writing really made me care about Oliver Queen a lot more than I expected with only a six-issue story, particularly one that dealt a lot with Ollie's past. This is a story that has a lot of reverence for the character and his history, while still managing to be a contemporary and extremely well-written story that stands on its own merits. The Archer's Quest shows that, in the end, Ollie's flaws as a man just make him that much more of an interesting hero.

Publisher: DC Comics
Writing: Brad Meltzer
Pencils: Phil Hester
Inks: Ande Parks
Colours: James Sinclair
Collects Green Arrow Issues #16-21