Review: Hawkeye #1 - 5 (Marvel)

Hawkeye #1 - 5. Written by Matt Fraction; art by David Aja and Javier Pulido; colors by Matt Hollingsworth. Published 2012.
Find it at your local comic shop or find digital copies on Comixology.



I debated for quite a while about what comic I wanted to focus on for my first post. Finally, I decided I had to go with the current Hawkeye series, and not just because I think that the coloring has inadvertently impacted the design of this blog (so much purple!). I chose this book because it is not only great, but also a perfect place for a new reader to start.

Okay, before I go any further, I think I need to disclose that I've never really been a Hawkeye fan. I like him quite a lot in the cartoon Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes, but other than that he's never really made much of an impression on me, good or bad. Despite my apathy, I gave this series a try because I'd heard good things both from a Hawkeye-loving friend and from reviews. I was not disappointed. In fact, I was blown away.

This series focuses on Clint Barton. As anyone who has seen the Avengers movie—or even just a trailer—can tell you, he uses a bow and arrow and is an excellent marksman. What you may not know is that he has been a key hero in the Marvel Universe and an important Avenger for decades, but he didn't start that way. His first appearance had him as a villain in an Iron Man comic, armed with rust arrows!

What makes this series special, though, is the way that it focuses on Clint. This is not a series about Hawkeye the Avenger or Hawkeye in the circus (that's his origin story, because comic writers sure do love circuses). This is a series about Clint in his down time between Avengers missions. He still gets into scrapes, but they aren't the gigantic end of the world disasters that the Avengers usually face. This is an intimate book that really lets the reader get into the character of Clint Barton.

That intimacy and focus makes it a great entry point for new readers because there isn't a large cast or lots of connections to large ongoing stories. In fact, the series itself is designed to be easy to follow, with each story told in one or two issues. In some books, being restricted to such short stories does a disservice to the authors and the characters, but not here. Because of the emphasis on Clint the person instead of Hawkeye the Avenger, it makes sense for the stories to be shorter and less grand in scope, so the length works.

The best thing about this book might well be that it co-stars Kate Bishop, the other Hawkeye of the Marvel Universe. That's right, there are two Hawkeyes roaming around New York. Which the book makes amusing use of, like so:


Hawkeye #5

Kate is most well known as a member of the Young Avengers team, but despite being a teenager, she isn't Kid Hawkeye or Hawkgirl. Nope, she is Hawkeye just like Clint. And she is awesome. Even Clint thinks so:


Hawkeye #2

I love the way Clint expresses his respect for her. He doesn't say she is the finest girl archer or almost as good as him. He says she is the "finest and most gifted bowman" that he knows. She is younger than him (although much older than nine), but this series isn't about her being a sidekick. There is no power differential here. They are friends and they work together. In fact, most of the time she comes off as more competent than he does.

The best thing about this series is the humor. Both Clint and Kate are snarky and their banter is a lot of fun to read. For example when Clint is leaving for a dangerous S.H.I.E.L.D. mission and tells her to stay behind, they have this conversation:


Hawkeye #4

And after a wreck during a car chase, Kate gets in this zinger:


Hawkeye #3

Another interesting aspect of this series is that it focuses on two normal, human heroes. Neither Clint nor Kate has superpowers; they are just highly skilled and hardworking. There are so many titles on the shelf starring people who can get shot or jump off a building and it won't impact their lives, but these characters can and do get hurt. Sometimes it is nice to see the consequences of superheroing and this comic does that. Clint has been to the hospital twice in five issues for injuries sustained on the job. This panel shows that clearly:


Hawkeye #5

The above panel also clearly expresses the core of the book. This series is about Clint Barton, a good man who is trying to do the best that he can. Clint has a history in the Marvel Universe of being a bit of a jerk, and while this comic shows that he can be, it also shows that he is indeed a good man too. In five issues they managed to warm me up to the character enough that I fell in love with him in this panel:


Hawkeye #5

Of course that may just be because stories dealing with trust are like catnip to me, especially in the world of superheroes where trust is a valuable commodity.

Finally, any discussion of this comic would be remiss if it didn't include the amazing artwork. As I'm sure you can see from the above panels and the cover art, this series has a very distinctive look. Everything from the art style to the coloration makes it one of the most unique comics on the store shelves today. The art has a throwback feel that works perfectly with the stories to make this whole comic feel like a retro 1970s crime show, but with modern sensibilities.

This panel really highlights the style of the comic as well as the tongue in cheek attitude it takes towards the clichés of comic archers:


Hawkeye #5

I'm the first to admit that I usually respond more to the writing aspects of a comic than the art. If the art is functional, it is usually good enough for me, but this book has really shown me what the right art can do for a comic. The art and coloration in Hawkeye is truly the third main character. It sets the tone perfectly and the covers? The covers are truly works of art that I would love to actually hang in my home.

This is one of the few ongoing series that is an absolute must read for me, and if you are looking for a fun, easy entry point into comics, you couldn't do much better than the new Hawkeye series.

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