11 Essential Storylines To Read If You're Just Getting Into Comics

3. Green Arrow: The Archer's Quest

Green Arrow is a character that a lot of people seemingly struggle to grasp, and it's a massive shame. He's one of DC's brightest characters, and one that boasts a massive history too, complete with novelty arrows aplenty.

For those who are curious about the character, or indeed, those who aren't all that clued up on the hype surrounding him, there are few greater introductions than Brad Meltzer's The Archer's Quest. It's a less conventional introduction, as it really plunges into the deep-end of the character's history, but the way in which Meltzer navigates that history in particular really is something to behold.

Taking place but just a few months after Ollie's return from the dead, the plot revolves around GA in his attempts to recover his past and ensure that his secrets are kept safe. It's a brilliant deconstruction of one of the medium's most tired and oft-repeated tropes - that of superhero resurrection - but it does so in a way that's both immediately respectful and indeed appreciative of DC's history. Meltzer covers everything from the character's Batman-mimicking days in the forties all the way to his fear and loathing-style road trips with Green Lantern in the seventies.

Carefully, over the course of six or so issues, he crafts an image of Green Arrow fit for the 21st century, complete with all the nuances that have turned the character into such a huge icon of the genre. It's tight, emotive and, best of all, gripping as Hell. The Emerald Archer has never had it so good.