Hawkeye, Vol. 4: Rio Bravo

Hawkeye, Vol. 4: Rio Bravo by Matt Fraction
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Clint Barton is Hawkeye, the Avenger with the bow and arrow. He is now currently dog-less and partner-less.

17 - Clint watches the Winter Friends with Simone and her kids.

This was a fill-in issue with Chris Eliopolis on art. The events of the Winter Friends cartoon reflect the events of Clint and Kate so far in the series. I didn't really care for this one.

12 - Clint's brother Barney, aka Trick Shot, comes to town.

Some of Hawkeye's childhood is revealed, as well as some differences between Clint and Barney. I'm guessing Barney will fill Kate's shoes while she's out in LA.

13 - Clint has to tell Grills' dad about his death and goes to his funeral.

Clint is at a low point when Kate leaves town and his brother moves in. The Russian bros are still at it. I'm curious to see how Clint's relationships develop from here with the new status quo.

15 - The Russians really want Clint's building. Too bad his pants are around his ankles.

Barney proves his worth. The ending sure was a jaw-dropper. How the hell is this going to pan out?

19 - Clint is now deaf and Barney is all shot up. The storm is coming!

I loved this issue, the way Clint's deafness is expressed in the art, the flashbacks to Clint and Barney's youth. Everything. This is the best issue since Hawkeye volume 2, in my opinion.

21 - The Battle of Bed-Stuy is here!

Holy shit, that was brutal. Clint rallies the tenants of the building and the Russians arrive in full swing. The ending was a cruel cliffhanger. Have I driven home the point of how much I've enjoyed this series?

22 - The Final Bow is here. The stolen safe from way back when is back and so is Cherry.

The cavalry arrives in the form of Kate and pizza dog. Things are finally settled with the Russians. So it goes.

Closing Thoughts: If the series had to end, I'm glad Fraction and Aja chose to end it here. While I preferred the first half of their run to the second, this ranks right up there with Starman and Gotham Central as one of my favorite runs of all time. 4 out of 5 stars for this volume, a 4.5 for the series as a whole. Now to try to fill the Hawkeye-shaped void in my life.

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Hawkeye, Vol. 3: L.A. Woman

Hawkeye, Vol. 3: L.A. Woman by Matt Fraction
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Kate Bishop is the Young Avenger with the bow and arrow. This is what she does when she's not Avenging.

Annual 1 - Kate and Lucky leave town for the West Coast. Madam Masque looks to settle a score.

Well, I didn't like this issue very much. Javier Pullido just isn't David Aja. Also, I'm not sold on Kate as a lead just yet. Still, it was cool to see Madam Masque try to get revenge on Kate.

14 - Kate reinvents herself as a private eye and goes looking for orchids. She also is flat broke.

After annual one, this issue was pretty good. The bellhops making a return appearance was a surprise.

16 - Kate finds a washed-up musician wandering the freeway and senses a mystery to solve.

The mystery seems to be inspired by the Beach Boys Brian Wilson and Pet Sounds. It was a pretty good tale. Oh, and what's with Columbo?

17 - Clint watches the Winter Friends with Simone and her kids.

This was a fill-in issue with Chris Eliopolis on art. The events of the Winter Friends cartoon reflect the events of Clint and Kate so far in the series. I didn't really care for this one.

18 - The situation with Kate and Columbo gets even stranger, leading down a train of bodies to Count Nefaria and Madam Masque!

The manure really hit the windmill in this one. Kate gets caught in a shitstorm the magnitude of which would impress even Clint.

How painful was this series to read in the monthly format?

20 - How can Kate bounce back after Harold H. Harold is found with one of her arrows in him?

Kate's time in LA comes to a close. Thank God! It was wrapped up nicely, though.

Closing Thoughts: The Kate issues killed the momentum of Clint's tale for me. However, they wound up being pretty good, just below the quality of the rest of the series. 3.5 out of 5 stars.

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Hawkeye, Vol. 2: Little Hits

Hawkeye, Vol. 2: Little Hits by Matt Fraction
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Hawkeye is the least powerful member of the Avengers. This is his life when he's not avenging.

6 - Hawkeye takes a few days off work for Christmas. Shit goes down with the Russians.

Hawkeye trying to hook up his DVD player was pretty awesome. The ethical dilemma he wrestles with promises to have future consequences. I can't get over how well the art fits the story and how much Matt Fraction makes me care about Hawkeye and the supporting cast. Bro.

7 - With a hurricane on its way, Clint helps a neighbor tend to his elderly father and Kate goes to a wedding in New Jersey.

Another slice of life tale. The Clint and Grills thread was touching and Kate's side of things painted New Jersey in a favorable light for once. I love that Grills called Clint Hawkguy and Kate gets called Lady Hawkman.

8 - Cherry walks back into Clint's life and she's in trouble again...

The thing that really appeals to me about Hawkeye is that while he's the world's greatest marksman, he's still a regular dude whose brain turns to mush when a beautiful woman shows up.

I can't say enough about David Aja's art being perfect for this series.

9 - Some of Hawkeye's female Avenger friends give him a talking to because of Cherry. Meanwhile, some crime heavies want Hawkeye dead.

It seems that every woman Hawkeye knows is pissed at him for one reason or another. Didn't I say he was relatable? The last page was a jaw dropper.

I haven't mentioned Matt Hollisworth's coloring job on this but it is perfect for the art style and tone of the series.

10 - While Clint mopes around, the assassin gunning for him cozies up to Kate.

That was futzing tense at the end. Next issue is going to be a blowout for sure. This issue nicely illustrates how Kate and Clint are just as human as the rest of us.

11 - Pizza dog tracks down a killer! And some stuff happens with Kate and Clint.

It sure looked like Kate walked out on Clint and took Pizza dog with her. By the by, the entire issue was told from the dog's point of view and it was pretty spectacular.

Closing Thoughts: Another futzing volume down already? Grumble, grumble. I think Hawkeye appeals to me so much because it is a throwback to the early days of Marvel. Marvel heroes were the heroes with ordinary problems, something I think they lose sight of in these days of endless deaths and resurrections and big honkin' crossovers. 5 out of 5 stars.

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Hawkeye, Vol. 1: My Life as a Weapon

Hawkeye, Vol. 1: My Life as a Weapon by Matt Fraction
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Hawkeye is the Avenger that uses a bow and arrow. This is the stuff he does when he's not avenging.

1 - After a bad fall, Hawkeye gets out of the hospital and goes back to his neighborhood to find that the Russian mobster that owns his building has tripled the rent. Shit goes down.

Now that's how you kick off a comic series. Hawkeye is out of his league with the rest of the Avengers and he knows it. In his neighborhood, on the other hand, he's a serious bad ass. Also, pizza dog.

2 - The circus comes to town and Clint and Katie Bishop are in attendance, for it is an Evil circus.

Fraction does a good job delving into Clint's background and the formation of his partnership with Katie. Also, robbing the robbers who were robbing robbers.

3 - Clint meets a mysterious redhead in a 1970 muscle car on the way to get some tape for labeling his collection of trick arrows. Too bad the Russians are on her trail.

Okay, Russian gangsters and an issue long car chase. I haven't fallen in love with a comic series this quickly since Gotham Central.

4 and 5- SHIELD loses a mysterious tape and Clint goes to Madripoor to retrieve it before it goes up for auction.

Criminals bidding on a tape showing an Avenger apparently assassinating a dictator? Ninjas? Clint and Kate vs. an entire country? Awesome, awesome shit.

Young Avengers Presents #6 - Clint passes the torch to Kate.

I didn't really care for this one, mostly because of the jarring change in style and that it wasn't actually part of the series.

Closing Thoughts: Despite being the world's greatest marksman, Hawkeye has that underdog everyman appeal that really appeals to me. David Aja's art gives the series a unique tone and suits the action perfectly. I love that Fraction shows the everyday life of the Avenger with the least powerful abilities.

While I'm tempted to devour the entire run in rapid succession, I'm going to try to pace myself. They've never made many comics like this. Five out of Five stars.

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