Unlike some other comics bloggers out there, I’m a Hawkeye fan. I won’t get into the whys and what fors, and how I got hooked on the character pretty early in my comics life, but trust me, I’ve read a lot of Hawkeye comics. In fact, I anticipated all of that working against me when I picked up this new series. Thankfully, it ended up being the very thing that made me enjoy it.
But not for the reasons you might expect.
Written by Matt Fraction
Illustrated by David Aja– The breakout star of this summer’s blockbuster AVENGERS film and self-made hero Hawkeye fights for justice!
– With ex-Young Avenger Kate Bishop by his side, he’s out to prove himself as one of Earth’s Mightiest Heroes!
– Matt Fraction & David Aja (IMMORTAL IRON FIST) reunite to tell the on-going tales of the Arrow-Avenger!
Much of Hawkeye’s history is tied to his role as an Avenger. Outside of the original five members and Captain America, Hawkeye probably has the strongest relationship to the team. So strong, in fact, that a lot of writers have a hard time stepping away from it. Looking back, there hasn’t been a Hawkeye series that doesn’t at least fall into the trap of being just a little bit about the Avengers too. And there’s absolutely nothing wrong with that; Hawkeye IS an Avenger, and proud of the fact. Unlike those other guys — the billionaires, the mutants, the demi-gods — being an Avenger is kind of all he’s got, but it can give the impression of a sort of shallow well to pull from creatively. But Hawkeye #1 offers up something of a different take, and shows us that, yes, he’s still the Everyman Avenger we all know and love, but it’s by choice. And somedays he’s not.
The issue opens with a really sharp splash page of Hawkeye exploding from a high-rise window. Visually, it’s more than just a little reminiscent of a scene from the biggest movie in the world, The Avengers. And it’s completely intentional, I’m sure. It’s an opening built to grab folks who’ve had their interest piqued by the blockbuster, and if you didn’t know better, “Hawkeye” #1 could very well be the story of what happens to ‘Agent Barton’ after the events of the film. Using The Avengers as a jumpoff is a smart move, but it’s a better bait and switch by Fraction, as Hawkeye ends up being something folks stepping out of the theater might not even look at otherwise.
Clint (he’s never actually called Hawkeye) is off the clock for this one. We find out he’s been living in an apartment building, and that the building’s owner, Ivan, is scheming on tenants in an effort to turn a little real estate profit. But Clint’s made friends with the neighbors, and sets out to make things right and kicks a hornet’s nest in the process. Before long, there’s an injured dog, some jazz recommendations, and more “bros” and tracksuits than you can shake an arrow at, and when it’s all over, Clint Barton’s a lessor. It’s a strange but rewarding little Hawkeye story, and maybe the most interesting launch issue I’ve ever read in a long while.
A big draw for this book, of course, is the (re)pairing of creators Matt Fraction and David Aja, formerly of the much-beloved and gone too soon Immortal Iron Fist. Getting these guys back together is pretty exciting, and while I’m not anticipating Hawkeye being another Iron Fist, the potential for some great comics is pretty evident in this first issue.
Fraction’s written so many Marvel’s A-listers, it’s interesting seeing him play with an off-the-clock Clint Barton. His version of Barton isn’t dependent on the non-comics portrayals like his Thor or Tony Stark. Fraction gets to pull a little bit from here and there to build his version… a shot of Bendis, a pinch of Gruenwald, a dash of McCann and VOILA! A Hawkeye for the post-Avengers world. Fraction’s guy is heroic, hasty, compassionate, hell of cocky, lonely, brash, and just a little bit abrasive. He’s all of the above. Yeah, he’s still Hawkeye, but maybe now more than ever, he’s Clint Barton: Hawkeye.
Continued belowDavid Aja does some amazing stuff this issue, although its all pretty understated. If you’re not paying attention, it’s easy to miss just how much craft goes into these pages. There are no costumes, or Hydra agents running around, or super-weapons, and because of how normal the story ends up being, Aja doesn’t get to flash as much as maybe we’ve seen before. But the the lack of grandiosity allows him to stretch story muscles a lot of guys never even know they have, and visually, “Hawkeye” ends up stepping into David Mazzuchelli territory more than a few times, and that’s pretty high praise. (I can’t wait to see what Aja does when big things come to town!)
There only is one real criticism, but it’s worth mentioning. With the exception of the opening page, Hawkeye doesn’t use a bow and arrow. So what if the street-level angle of the story makes it a little harder to work them in? This is the first issue of a Hawkeye comic. Not Gambit, not Bullseye; Hawkeye. And, y’know, dude’s an archer. The best archer in the world, so not having him do something with his signature weapon feels just a little weird.
With everything that’s set up in this issue, and with fan favorite Young Avenger Kate Bishop showing up soon, this all-new “Hawkeye” definitely has a lot of promise. This isn’t the first superhero after-hours comic that’s ever been, and it’s not even the first one from Marvel., but it is the first time we’ve seen this approach for Hawkeye, and despite being in a market that’s flooded with new #1 issues, honest to goodness firsts are awfully hard to come by. So I’m thankful for this one — but more importantly, I’m sold on it too!
Final Verdict: 9.0 – Definite Buy
