Hawkeye #1
Writer: Matt Fraction
Artist: David Aja
Cover Artist(s): David Aja & Matt Hollingworth
Colorist: Matt Hollingsworth
Letterer: Chris Eliopoulos
Publisher: Marvel Comics
Following his big screen debut in Thor back in 2011 and his more prominent role this year in the hugely successful Avengers, Hawkeye has been thrust into the spot light. As a result Marvel have seen fit to give the master of archery his own solo series with writing duties falling to the hugely talented Matt Friction of Invincible Iron Man and The Mighty Thor fame. So is it worth picking up?
The answer to that question, as far as I’m concerned anyway, is definitely yes, although for a Hawkeye comic it is surprisingly light on Hawkeye. You see this book doesn’t tell what you might call a typical super hero style story, with Fraction instead focusing on Clint Barton the man who, although he is recovering from some serious injuries, takes on a corrupt Russian landlord.
This more human story is in itself very well written and provides some quirky insights into what makes Barton tick as well as featuring some nice natural feeling dialogue. The main point Fraction is trying to communicate here is that, while Hawkeye is no Iron Man or Captain Marvel, he is still very much an Avenger which is made clear through the actions he takes in this good samaritan story.
I also have to talk about the art style of the book, which is utterly fantastic. David Aja has done some great work as lead artist here, with the heavily stylized, chunky line drawings working superbly well within his inventive and often unpredictable page layouts. Matt Hollingsworths coloring is also superb and together ha and Aja have managed to pack each and every page with huge amounts of personality. The cover art for this issue is also sublimely iconic and is definitely one I would consider framing.
The fantastic story alone is enough to warrant a purchase of this book, however the additional qualities such as the great lead character, snappy dialogue and beautiful artwork, as far as I’m concerned, make Hawkeye essential reading.
Liberty Island Cantina 
It looks like there’s a big Daredevil influence in Hawkeye (which thrills me a lot, since I’m a big fan of the man without fear). I instantly thought to Matt when I recognized Aja’s art: he draw some issues of Daredevil, and his style perfectly ties with the noir atmosphere of the series. Then I recognized some wonderful tributes: for example, Hawkeye uses a card as weapon, exactly like Bullseye used to do, and he throws a wet dog on a counter, which really reminds the panel in which Daredevil throws a wet Nuke on a table, in the last chapter of Daredevil: Reborn. Hawkeye has the kind of magic that makes you say “This is an instant classic”, exactly like I thought when I started to read Lemire’s Animal Man.
Ha I only noticed the Bulls eye reference myself but it’s been a while since I read any of the older Daredevil stuff. Will definitely give it a look now, thanks for the comment!
Thank you as well for your reply! : )