Regular “Deadpool” scribe Gerry Duggan teams with Matteo Lolli to bring you this fun and flippant spin on the already irreverent “Hawkguy.” Oh, and Deadpool shows up too, because Wolverine is dead or something.
Written by Gerry Duggan
Illustrated by Matteo LolliHAWKEYE VS DEADPOOL VS CRIME
• Once upon a time, champions emerged to fight evil plaguing humanity. They fought for salvation, for all that is good in the world — and they won. They were kind, generous and self-sacrificing. They were heroes.
• These are not those heroes.
• Meet Hawkeye: Ladies man (“ladies man” because the ladies love to hate this man), crossbow crusader and, most importantly, Avenger. He’s the only guy on the team without any powers, though, so cut him a little slack.
• Then there’s Deadpool (MR. Deadpool to you, skippy) — the regeneratin’ degenerate. You can shoot him, stab him, and make with the punchy-punchy right in his face, but nothing can keep the Merc with a Mouth down.
• What do they have in common? Halloween and a S.H.I.E.L.D. espionage mystery that has the both heroes racing against the clock while outshining one another. It’s a Hawkeye & Deadpool comic 75 years in the making, give or take 75 years.
For anyone worried that Matt Fraction and David Aja’s beloved characterization of Clint Barton won’t persist after “Hawkeye” closes, you can let out a big sigh of relief. We’ve seen hints of that trademark cheek and humor in Ales Kot’s work on “Secret Avengers,” but Duggan and Lolli go all out in “Hawkeye vs. Deadpool.” Duggan apes the tone of “Hawkeye” quite well, so much so that this issue feels like a fever dream lost issue a la “Hawkeye” #17. We see Simone and the kids, the apartment, and get heavy references to Clint’s recent hearing impairment.
The mimicking of “Hawkeye” extends beyond the characterization into the issue’s art. Matteo Lolli pulls several tricks from Aja’s tool bag, from the stylized chibi faces marking character’s positions, to intricately laid out story webs, to the heavy use of things like sign language and visual story telling. The book even wanders into parody territory, as Deadpool oh so characteristically notes the absurdity of a dog solving a case.
Of course, it would be unfair to undersell this issue as a cheap (although, at $4.99, not so cheap) imitation of another book. Lolli’s work stacks up extremely well against the lofty standard it references. The scenes that heavily reference Aja’s work on “Hawkeye” are just as visually impressive and innovative as the originals. The artist presents a few tricks of his own that make for a unique reading experience, such as transitioning to a first person viewpoint. A particular scene depicts the preparation and execution of particularly tricky shot from the eyes of Clint himself, something we as readers aren’t used to seeing.
A Deadpool books calls for a degree of comedic skill, and Lolli demonstrates a strong knack for pacing, making sure that most, if not all of Duggan’s jokes hit their mark. His smooth pencils are well complimented by Chris Peter’s bright colors, making for a fun cartooning vibe that fits well with characters involved. It’s great to see an up and coming artist with an impressive amount of skill, and Lolli is definitely one readers should be keeping an eye on.
Speaking of Duggan, the writer transitions well from his collaborative work on “Deadpool” with Brian Posehn. In fact, while I’ve spent a good amount of time harping on how much this book mirrors “Hawkeye,” it still feels very much like an extension of Deadpool’s book. Several of Wade Wilson’s current supporting cast are present and accounted for, including his recently discovered daughter. As with “Hawkeye,” this issue is very up to date with current “Deadpool” stories. This attention to continuity feels somewhat off-putting, as these one-off miniseries are usually fairly continuity-lite. In leaning so hard into the details of each character’s status quo, it occasionally detracts a little from the story at hand, which happens to involve Hawkeye and Deadpool being selfish and making a big mess of things.
There’s a lot of fun to be had with this book, but unfortunately it’s not quite a sure fire hit. Even with the strong characterization of the book’s titular characters and the heavy amount of fan service, the mash up never quite matches the sum of its parts. The issue’s plot, initially an intriguing murder mystery with a super spy twist, gets muddied along the way by some odd pacing and the character’s own larger than life personas. The issue’s villains are rather inconsequential during the initial read through, but gain relevance by the issue’s last page reveal. Duggan has selected a particularly interesting choice in big bad, another piece that is closely tied to current continuity.
It’s hard to say quite who this sort of series is aimed at. It feels far too continuity driven to appeal to fans of the popular “Deadpool Kills” minis, or other standalone stories of the ilk. It plays heavily into “Hawkguy”-mania, but also lacks the depth and nuance of that series. It most closely bears resemblance to the “Deadpool,” but lacks a lot of that series’ zaniness. In fact, it sometimes feels as if Duggan struggles with this, straddling the line between serious and kooky, holding the story back from the kind of absurd comic book fun associated with the Merc with a Mouth. However, even with this apparent handicap, it’s safe to say that anyone currently interested in either of these characters will find something to enjoy. The crossover is definitely off to a strong start, and if future issues can find that sweet spot between serious and screwy, we could be in for a real treat.
Final Verdict: 7.7 – “Hawkeye vs. Deadpool” #0 is a lot of fun, just not as fun as it could have been.
