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ladyheroj's review against another edition
4.0
There is a lot that's good about this. The art, of course. I love how Aja lays out his panels. The simplistic lines and coloring of some issues call up an indie feel, while he dives back into a retro style that called to mind comics from the Silver Age for other issues. As for writing, Fraction does a great job in creating a relatable guy in Hawkeye, although at one point, you just want to slap some sense into him. But that's the point of this series...Clint finding his inner strength after getting worn out trying to keep up the super-powered heroes. And I will always root for Clint, as we share a last name. (Barton pride!) Yet, I found myself looking even more forward to the Kate Bishop-centric portions. They're both Hawkeye, and it's great that Fraction spends equal time on both. In comics, where new people often take on old title, it was interesting to see how two people who use the same powers and the same moniker, interact.
The possible drawback is that the story often backtracks on itself as scenes are replayed from different characters' perspectives. (For example, one scene reoccurs three times...once from the dog's perspective, once from Kate's, and once from Clint's.) It's not wholly a bad thing, because then you the reader get to see each character's full reaction and the consequences of what occurs. But I did sometimes wonder...was this the best way to organize these stories? Yet because this was an omnibus, if the stories are laid out in a way that's confusing to you, you can easily go back and connect the dots.
Definitely a unique series for Marvel, and one of their better runs lately.
The possible drawback is that the story often backtracks on itself as scenes are replayed from different characters' perspectives. (For example, one scene reoccurs three times...once from the dog's perspective, once from Kate's, and once from Clint's.) It's not wholly a bad thing, because then you the reader get to see each character's full reaction and the consequences of what occurs. But I did sometimes wonder...was this the best way to organize these stories? Yet because this was an omnibus, if the stories are laid out in a way that's confusing to you, you can easily go back and connect the dots.
Definitely a unique series for Marvel, and one of their better runs lately.
n1c_c's review against another edition
5.0
I'm inexperienced when it comes to comics, but I think this was a good one to get into. Its got pace, originality, nice art and a great mix between well-placed humour and seriousness. I always know a book is good when I audibly gasp at the end of a chapter.
I haven't read many comics to compare it to, but really enjoyed it, would recommend
I haven't read many comics to compare it to, but really enjoyed it, would recommend
stormblessed4's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75
thebeardhunter's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
hopeful
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
fisk42's review against another edition
5.0
This omnibus is still one of the high-water points of Marvel comics for me. If you've never picked up a comic book and want to, this is the place to start.
As a part of this read through I also read all the Hawkeye comics up until 2021. Fraction's Hawkeye is 5 stars all the way, so here also some thoughts on what comes after that:
Lemire's All-New Hawkeye (5/5)
Very good but regrettably short. Lemire and Perez combine opposing art styles and storylines that give great depth to what would otherwise be a relatively short and straightforward story. This is also the most direct continuation from Fraction's Hawkeye in terms of continuity.
Hawkeye vs Deadpool (4/5)
A pretty decent take on both these characters. The combination of Deadpool to the "down on his luck" superhero take from Fraction's run is a great palate cleanser. It's the same character from Fraction's Hawkeye but has little to do with the continuity.
Civil War II (3.5/5)
An important even in the life of Hawkeye going forward, and an overall good (but not great) event. Hawkeye has a dramatic moment in the event that has some big affects on Marvel comics going forward, also causes most characters to hate him in-universe.
Occupy Avengers (1.5/5)
Started out mildly interesting and sunk from there. Hawkeye is the start of this series and deals directly with fallout of Civil War II (and eventually Secret Empire), but was just not great.
Hawkeye (3.5/5)
This run by Kelly Thompson follows Kate Bishop instead of Clint Barton which is great because she is such a fun character. Overall a good run!
Hawkeye and the Winter Solider (3.5/5)
Deals with some fallout from Secret Empire but in a mostly self contained way. Clint Barton works really well playing off other characters and this run does not disappoint. Sadly left me with questions about what happens next.
Old Man Hawkeye (2.5/5)
The Old Man universe has never particularly interested me. I assume this works better when you're also following the continuity of that universe (which I think is part of the main Marvel universe after Secret Wars? IDK). Has very little to do with Hawkeye continuity so this is very skip-able if you're not as interested in it like me.
Hawkeye Freefall (4/5)
A great mini series which continues the downward spiral of Clint Barton. This was a great story and had some fun (if not mildly predictable) turns. What I liked most about this is that Clint Barton is in the midst of a fascinating character arc spanning from the start of Fraction's Hawkeye. What I hated most about this is that it ended. I can't wait to see what happens when Clint Barton turns up next.
As a part of this read through I also read all the Hawkeye comics up until 2021. Fraction's Hawkeye is 5 stars all the way, so here also some thoughts on what comes after that:
Lemire's All-New Hawkeye (5/5)
Very good but regrettably short. Lemire and Perez combine opposing art styles and storylines that give great depth to what would otherwise be a relatively short and straightforward story. This is also the most direct continuation from Fraction's Hawkeye in terms of continuity.
Hawkeye vs Deadpool (4/5)
A pretty decent take on both these characters. The combination of Deadpool to the "down on his luck" superhero take from Fraction's run is a great palate cleanser. It's the same character from Fraction's Hawkeye but has little to do with the continuity.
Civil War II (3.5/5)
An important even in the life of Hawkeye going forward, and an overall good (but not great) event. Hawkeye has a dramatic moment in the event that has some big affects on Marvel comics going forward, also causes most characters to hate him in-universe.
Occupy Avengers (1.5/5)
Started out mildly interesting and sunk from there. Hawkeye is the start of this series and deals directly with fallout of Civil War II (and eventually Secret Empire), but was just not great.
Hawkeye (3.5/5)
This run by Kelly Thompson follows Kate Bishop instead of Clint Barton which is great because she is such a fun character. Overall a good run!
Hawkeye and the Winter Solider (3.5/5)
Deals with some fallout from Secret Empire but in a mostly self contained way. Clint Barton works really well playing off other characters and this run does not disappoint. Sadly left me with questions about what happens next.
Old Man Hawkeye (2.5/5)
The Old Man universe has never particularly interested me. I assume this works better when you're also following the continuity of that universe (which I think is part of the main Marvel universe after Secret Wars? IDK). Has very little to do with Hawkeye continuity so this is very skip-able if you're not as interested in it like me.
Hawkeye Freefall (4/5)
A great mini series which continues the downward spiral of Clint Barton. This was a great story and had some fun (if not mildly predictable) turns. What I liked most about this is that Clint Barton is in the midst of a fascinating character arc spanning from the start of Fraction's Hawkeye. What I hated most about this is that it ended. I can't wait to see what happens when Clint Barton turns up next.
boyan's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
3rian's review against another edition
5.0
This is the superhero comic I recommend to people who otherwise have zero interest in superhero comics. The reason is stated right up front:
It couldn’t be more accessible to new readers, especially because it's *not* a superhero book at all. We all know the god-like Marvel superheroes like Captain America and Thor, but then there’s Hawkeye, the guy standing alongside them with a bow and arrow. What does someone like that do on his day off?
This self-contained series grounds Clint in Brooklyn (Bed-Stuy). His personal life is a mess and an odd gang of track suit-wearing thugs are looking to evict him and his neighbors from their run-down apartment building. It gets wild (and intense!) from there.
I love how this book effortlessly moves from raw and gritty to laugh-out-loud funny and features a cast of endearingly flawed but earnest characters. Even the bad guys have their own moments of charm. And there are plenty of dynamic action sequences along the way that range from scary to hilarious.
It also does bold things with chronology and perspective between chapters, which I don’t typically see in mainstream comics. Scenes are revisited from different points of view, with one Eisner Award-winning issue telling a story through the eyes (and nose) of Hawkeye’s dog!
There is also an incredible chapter that is told almost entirely in American Sign Language. It’s a challenging but rewarding read for someone like me that isn’t otherwise fluent in ASL and it forced me to slow down and appreciate a life experience different to my own. Here’s an example of Matt Fraction wrote the script and David Aja translated it to the page.
At the time, the series struggled with production delays and in hindsight, it appears that Fraction had to change his vision to accommodate his main creative partner. The book pivots to have Clint’s protege Kate (who also goes by Hawkeye) leave New York for California for her own series of adventures. In addition to being drawn by a different artist (the brilliant Annie Wu), Kate’s story leans on humor while Clint’s story (drawn by Aja) is darker. The story quality never falters, despite the gear shift. That said, there are also two additional detours with guest artists - one was an effort to convey the impact of 2012’s Hurricane Sandy (which I found successful) and then an odd “holiday special” issue which is the only misstep in an otherwise engaging book. The rest is so good that I'm willing to forgive (and forget) it.
Fraction and the editorial team clearly worked hard to see things through and rolled with life's punches...just like Clint would. The end result is a highly accomplished work that like its lead character, fought on despite the odds. That makes this run even more special to me.
Hawkeye changed everything I loved about the comic book format and made a lower-tier character one of my all-time favorites. I’ve read it at least a dozen times over the years and every time feels like the first time.
You can find this as four collected trade paperbacks and it's also available digitally on Hoopla. Give it a try. I don’t think you’ll be disappointed.
It couldn’t be more accessible to new readers, especially because it's *not* a superhero book at all. We all know the god-like Marvel superheroes like Captain America and Thor, but then there’s Hawkeye, the guy standing alongside them with a bow and arrow. What does someone like that do on his day off?
This self-contained series grounds Clint in Brooklyn (Bed-Stuy). His personal life is a mess and an odd gang of track suit-wearing thugs are looking to evict him and his neighbors from their run-down apartment building. It gets wild (and intense!) from there.
I love how this book effortlessly moves from raw and gritty to laugh-out-loud funny and features a cast of endearingly flawed but earnest characters. Even the bad guys have their own moments of charm. And there are plenty of dynamic action sequences along the way that range from scary to hilarious.
It also does bold things with chronology and perspective between chapters, which I don’t typically see in mainstream comics. Scenes are revisited from different points of view, with one Eisner Award-winning issue telling a story through the eyes (and nose) of Hawkeye’s dog!
There is also an incredible chapter that is told almost entirely in American Sign Language. It’s a challenging but rewarding read for someone like me that isn’t otherwise fluent in ASL and it forced me to slow down and appreciate a life experience different to my own. Here’s an example of Matt Fraction wrote the script and David Aja translated it to the page.
At the time, the series struggled with production delays and in hindsight, it appears that Fraction had to change his vision to accommodate his main creative partner. The book pivots to have Clint’s protege Kate (who also goes by Hawkeye) leave New York for California for her own series of adventures. In addition to being drawn by a different artist (the brilliant Annie Wu), Kate’s story leans on humor while Clint’s story (drawn by Aja) is darker. The story quality never falters, despite the gear shift. That said, there are also two additional detours with guest artists - one was an effort to convey the impact of 2012’s Hurricane Sandy (which I found successful) and then an odd “holiday special” issue which is the only misstep in an otherwise engaging book. The rest is so good that I'm willing to forgive (and forget) it.
Fraction and the editorial team clearly worked hard to see things through and rolled with life's punches...just like Clint would. The end result is a highly accomplished work that like its lead character, fought on despite the odds. That makes this run even more special to me.
Hawkeye changed everything I loved about the comic book format and made a lower-tier character one of my all-time favorites. I’ve read it at least a dozen times over the years and every time feels like the first time.
You can find this as four collected trade paperbacks and it's also available digitally on Hoopla. Give it a try. I don’t think you’ll be disappointed.
bend3's review against another edition
5.0
People have always told me that to get into comics, you just have to choose a place to start and expand from there. I guess it worked, not I want to expand from here
pmnl's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
eddyfate's review against another edition
5.0
I read this over several days, just so I can savor it. The writing and artwork continues to be inspiring.