Hawkeye is quite possibly my favorite Marvel superhero. Now that being said if you had told me that three years ago I would have quite literally laughed in your face. See young Mars was dumb and madly in love with a very similar DC character named Green Arrow and therefore believed she could never love Hawkeye let alone remotely tolerate, but here we are.
Now in my eyes there are two versions of Clint Barton There’s Hawkeye, he’s a little dull, bland and often times forgettable. This is probably the version of Hawkeye you’re most familiar with thanks to the recent MCU. Then we have Hawkguy. Typically if you’re reading any comic featuring the character that was written post 2012 it’s usually this version. Unlike Hawkeye, Hawkguy is an absolute trash mess, and I say that in the most loving way. Hawkguy is hilarious, bold and yet lovingly down to Earth despite all his flaws. It’s this version of the character that I think everyone should get their hands on at least once and hence the reason why I’ve compiled this handy list so you know exactly where to start along with some additional fun reads once you’ve fallen in love residential trash man Clint Barton.
Hawkeye - Matt Fraction & David Aja - This is it where it all began. This is the origin of the Hawkguy. I was told for years to read this book and I refused because I am a literal idiot and now it’s probably in my top five favorite comics of all time so that’s saying something. Fraction and Aja’s 22 issue take on the character is just perfect in each and every way, because yes while it is considered a cape comic it doesn't feel as such. Instead here Hawkeye feels like something from an indie publisher and the overall story is composed mostly of small vignette slice of life stories. Also, THERE’S A DOG. Pretty sure that right there is enough for you to read it. There’s a lot of things this run brings to the table including the partnership of Hawkeye (Clint Barton) and Hawkeye (Kate Bishop), another one of my favorite characters from Marvel comics. All throughout this book there’s such a wonderful dynamic between the two. Despite Clint’s “advantage” in age and experience it’s usually Kate who’s deemed the responsible one and generally holds the team together especially when Clint mucks it up. She’s also not afraid to take any of his shit and tell him exactly when his poor life choices have gone too far.Fraction and Aja’s run on Hawkeye also illuminate and represent Clint’s disability. Although they tweak it’s origin, Clint Barton is once again deaf in canon continuity and in the final stretches of their 22 issue run we get to watch as the hero adjusts and copes with this new challenge, thanks to the help of his brother Barny. His disability is not only represented but it’s embraced and honestly paved the way for how creators would perceive the characters going forward. From Christmas with Tony Stark, to Russian mobsters this book is just a literal joy from start to finish. Aja’s simplistic and subtle style combined with Fraction’s wit and humor is honestly a match made in heaven. I could literally talk about this book for days and still not have praised it enough so it looks like you’re just going to read it. [Comixology]
All New Hawkeye - Jeff Lemire & Ramon Perez - Don't let the name fool you, despite the "All New" title it's still the same ole Clint Barton. Jeff Lemire's small little stint on Hawkeye is honestly just great. Lemire is another one of those writers that I love and with so many wonderful indie titles under his belt it's awesome to know that he can write top tier superheroes just as well. While Lemire's run on Hawkeye wasn't nearly as long as Fraction, with only a mere 11 issues, I would say it's equally important when it comes to the character. In the story's first arc we get to see the return of Hawkeye's brother, Barny as well as a little more insight into their childhood together as the story transitions between past and present. The second arc is a lot different, and frankly gets a little weird, but weird is good. You've heard of Old Man Logan now meet Old Man Hawkeye. Unlike the first arc, we spend a lot of focus switching between the present and a near distant future. Now usually I don't like time jumps, but the creative team honestly nails it with creating a future that is so different from the current timeline, without being something that is unbelievable. We also get to see "Old Woman Kate????" She's badass and that's all that matters. (This is so much better than the actual Old Man Hawkeye comic btw.) Honestly if you love Fraction's run on Hawkeye you'll love Lemire's. Despite the two having very different styles when it comes to storytelling they both tend to focus on the things that make Hawkeye great! There's the solid teamup between Kate and Clint, and again a larger focus and representation on Clint's deafness, something that for me is always appreciated. [Comixology]
Tales of Suspense: Hawkeye & Winter Soldier - Matthew Roseberg & Travel Foreman - Tales of Suspense is a witty buddy cop story with a love triangle romance thrown in for that extra razzle dazzle. That's enough to grab you, right? The five issue mini-series follows Hawkeye and Winter Soldier after the death of Natasha Romanoff, the Black Widow. Despite the two sharing mutual romantic feelings for the same woman, they don’t exactly share the same views following her death. Clint Barton, the reckless & hopeful, still holds out that she may be alive, while the stoic Bucky Barnes would rather leave the past behind him. Despite their contrasting feelings the two come together when someone starts killing all of Black Widow's enemies. I love Tales & Suspense because its short and sweet, while still leaving a long lasting impact. As the story itself is only five issues it makes for a light and easy read. Even better about it is that you really don’t need that much backstory; unlike a lot of cape comics. Despite Tales of Suspense rocking a classic title monequer and revolving around three major players any history the reader might need to know is right there on the pages. It also probably helps that thanks to the MCU these three characters are now household names, but hey let’s give credit where it’s due. Matt Rosenberg is one of my favorite writers out there (this is my shameless plug for you to read We Can Never Go Home & 4 Kids Walk Into A Bank) and he honestly carries it home with the love for all these characters. There are some seriously classic moments, like Clint calling Bucky a greasy weasel and Clint definitely stealing some Lo Mein from someone's fridge while he interrogates them. It also has one of my favorite moments in comics involving chocolate milk so enough said. [Comixology]
Hawkeye Vs. Deadpool - Gerry Duggan & Matteo Lolli - I'm just gonna put it out there, I don't like Deadpool, like at all. That being said I really really loved Hawkeye vs Deadpool a lot more than I should. Despite the title this is anything but Hawkeye vs Deadpool, in fact its a superpowered, super comical teamup between the two. Much like Tales of Suspense, Hawkeye Vs Deadpool feels like another buddy cop story and Clint Barton just thrives in these sort of stories. It's Halloween in Brooklyn and our characters are bought together by espionge mystery that pits them against the clock. Another light and fun read,this title is filled with all sorts of fun humor and quips from the characters. This book is absolutely hilarious and will make you laugh out loud. But dont let all the humor fool you, while Hawkeye Vs. Deadpool is a comedy at it's core it also manages to sneak in a couple punches here and there, giving some amazing personal development to it's characters. Now I'll admit toward the end some of the action and motives from the villains can get a little convaluted but you're honestly not reading this book for a life changing plot. HvD thrives on it's characters, it's humor along with their interactions with one another, and all of that is done phenomenally well. Also there's more Kate Bishop, and any book with more Kate Bishop is a good book. [Comixology]
West Coast Avengers - Kelly Thompson & Stefano Caselli - WEST COAST AVENGERS IS SO MUCH FUN AND IM SO UPSET IT GOT CANCELLED. Now that that’s out of the way definitely read West Coast Avengers. We've got Hawkeye, we've got Hawkeye, we've got Gwenpool, and we've got Jeff the Land Shark. You heard me correctly, JEFF the LAND SHARK! This zany teamup has a fantastic cast of characters and manages to introduce and familirize you with characters you may not have even heard of. (I can definitely tell you I never knew of Kid Omega prior to WCA). That being said there's also an interesting selection of villains including Marvel's favorite big boy M.O.D.O.K. Kelly Thompson tries something new by setting this series up almost like a reality tv show following the West Coast Avengers. That leads to some pretty hilarious moments during our heroes "confessionals" with the crew. Also Clint acts as the team's residential babysitter, which is pretty great. If you enjoyed series like Young Avengers or even Runaways you'll really like this one. This is another one of those books where I really enjoyed the character interactions even if at times the plot was lackluster. Now I'll admit for the most part Clint Barton takes a backseat, letting Kate Bishop take the reigns but there's still some really great moments for the archer. Also the way Stefano Caselli draws Hawkeye...he's just so dreamy. [Comixology]
I honestly managed to fall in love with "Hawkguy" in the span of a year. Like head over heels in love and I'm always craving new content for my favorite purple archer.
What are some of your favorite Hawkeye stories, and what characters would you like me to tackle next for a reccomended reading?
As always HAPPY READING!
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