Hawkeye - Volume 1: My Life As A Weapon: My Life as a Weapon (Marvel Now): 01

I'd heard a lot of positive things about this book and so started reading it with my expectations high. It totally delivered. There's a LOT of story in this book. And a lot of action. And a lot of humour. Matt Fraction isn't one of those writers who spreads a story gossamer thin across issues, and the stylish artwork more than keeps pace. This is really a masterclass in episodic adventure writing with character progression. It's an interesting take on Hawkeye and bringing an Avenger down to "street level" is a great way idea. For me the real star of this book is Kate Bishop, the "new" Hawkeye. Fraction obviously has a lot of time for this character and really lets her shine as a juxtaposition to the veteran Clint Barton. I can see why people raved about this book when it was coming out as single issues. Picking it up as a graphic novel is a great way to catch up with some binge reading.

Good condition aside from a minor scuff on the back but still very good for the price.

Anyone who's read the previous collaboration between Matt Fraction and David Aja ( Immortal Iron Fist (Volume 1): The Last Iron Fist Story ) will pretty much know what to expect here. It could pretty much be a continuation of the same story, even down to the fact that Clint Barton looks very similar to Danny Rand and has the same "good-hearted sucker" character. The dialogue is funny, the stories are a bit silly, the art in David Aja's issues is, of course, wonderful. However, it's very much worth noting that, despite this not being widely publicised in the promotional material, David Aja only draws three out of the five issues of Hawkeye collated in this book. Now, Aja is a comic-book genius and although he draws in a more simple style here than in Immortal Iron Fist, he's still capable of capturing an almost photorealistic image in very few lines as his grasp of anatomy and shading are so good. When he steps out for two issues, rather than getting someone with a similar style (Michael Lark, for example) to fill in, they got Javier Pulido who has an old-fashioned, Jack Kirby ish, way of drawing that is jarringly different, and inferior, to Aja. When that makes up two fifths of the issues so far, that's not a good average. It's also worth mentioning Matt Hollingsworth on colours. He's probably the best colourist in comics today. Rather than going overboard on the digital colour gradients, he produces a watercolour-like, muted palette and uses a masterful eye for colour schemes. The saving grace of Javier Pulido's art in the later issues is that Hollingsworth colours them well, meaning the shift in artists isn't as jarring as it could have been. As always with Matt Fraction's writing, the dialogue is sharp and people quip a lot and make fun of each other and there's some amusing observational humour (like the Russian mobster/landlord and his overuse of "Bro!"). The stories themselves are nothing special, but the fun is in the execution with unexpected shifts in the order of scenes keeping the reader on their toes and the aforementioned humour and (mostly) great artwork keeping you involved and liking the characters. In the end this is well worth a read. Fraction writes good characters and good, snappy dialogue, while Aja is a superb artist. However, including the bonus issue of The Young Avengers which appears at the end, there is 50% of this collection which is not drawn by Aja. That loses a star for me.

The writing flows well, and the dialogue is witty and sharp. Even though I'm a complete newbie to the Marvel universe, everything was explained in a way that was both simple and seemed natural. There are references and nods to things that have happened in the past, which works well to set the scene and provides extra depth for long-time fans. The main stories' art isn't to my usual taste, being simplistic and a little retro, but it carries the characters through the plot well, and really grew on me. Though the artist changes halfway through the book, the effect isn't jarring as both styles are similar, but gives a sense of refreshment. There's an extra short story drawn by someone else, and all the art styles work well with the stories they convey.

Matt Fraction and David Aja's Hawkeye is an absolute joy to read. It has been years and years since I've read anything I've felt was as fresh and new as this. The artwork really stands out as distinctive in an age where a large amount of Marvel's work has become rather samey, though still of a high quality. The element of this book that really stands this apart from other Marvel releases at the moment though is the tone and voice of the piece. It always reads as original dialouge, as a clearly identifiable voice and of a character who is well rounded and, often unfamiliar in many super hero characters, genuinely likeable. I can't recommend this book, and the run as a whole, any more. It's a breath of fresh air and I hope that the quality level can be upheld.

The two separate storylines in this volume are basic and easy to follow. This doesn't mean, however, that the story isn't interesting. Far from it. The stories are self contained and are resolved by the end of the volume, so you won't feel pressured into buying the next one just to finish what you started (although I strongly recommend you do buy volume 2). No knowledge of other Marvel storylines is needed to enjoy this one and it's refreshing to see that a comic can work so well using simple plot devices and character driven dialogue, without having to stir up some massive world threatening danger to make things overly dynamic. This is one of my favourite comics and it made Hawkeye a cool and more relevant character in my eyes. There's a perfect blend of witty humour and 1970's cop show action in this book. I rarely give five stars. If you haven't read this, you need to.

Propelled not least by the success of the first Avengers movie, Marvel NOW! gave Clint Barton his own breakout series - one which, thanks to its design, humour, and undeniable cool has in turn become the inspiration for the Disney+ Hawkeye series. Simply introduced as "what Clint Barton does when he's not being an Avenger", this Matt Fraction book embraces Barton's lack of superpowers and brings him back down to street level - literally, to the actual street that he lives in and the apartment block he shares with average Joes and Janes. There's no Avengers Tower here; no suits of armour or Captain America-style nobility. Instead, there's Barton, his slight disbelief at his own life as a hero, and the sense of duty he almost can't help but have. Every issue starts with his internal voice observing "Okay ... this looks bad", with escalating levels of trouble (issue 1 opens with a direct homage to the moment that he leaps off the roof in Avengers Assemble). Slowly, Barton becomes entangled with a mafia gang first hassling his neighbours and then pursuing a mysterious woman, culminating in a brilliant car chase where he deploys variously ridiculous types of arrow (goop, net, acid, boomerang). The gang say "Bro!" at every opportunity and they also throw a dog into traffic, which Clint is more outraged by than anything else in this book; he rescues the dog, gets it patched up at the vet, and adopts it, naming it Lucky. It's all completely relatable, rogueish, and charming; in fact, it's hard to remember Clint being written so well. He's joined in all of this by budding Hawkeye, Kate Bishop, and after the first few issues they set off for Madripoor on a SHIELD mission to retrieve a black ops tape which would cause Clint, the Avengers, and the US Government serious grief. At this point, art duties shift from the superlative David Aja to Javier Pulido, whose style is much more reminiscent of very early Marvel. While the writing remains top-notch, for me the switch in art does mean an overall drop in quality. Although that might be a blessing, given that one of the scenes involves Madame Masque rooting around ... um ... inside Barton for a SHIELD credit card. Barton's relationship with Bishop is almost paternal, and there's certainly more to be explored there - and more than the addition here of Young Avengers Presents #6, which dates back to Barton's time as Ronin and is filler in this context. The fact of that issue's inclusion and the switch in art brings this down from five-star perfection - but if you want a different type of Marvel comic, humour, smarts, and a three-dimensional hero, then Fraction gives you that here in spades. This is a really strong opener to a series which continues to have influence.

Which is a good thing sometimes, it isn’t a Superhero saving the World, it is an ordinary guy with a lot of problems doing his best to help ordinary folk, fighting organised crime. And as well as the storyline it is the art which is a standout - brilliant work from David Aja and co., which suits this to a T. Only slight disappointment is the odd ‘issue’ in the series which is not drawn by him.

I didn't read any super heroes comics for a while now, since I'm in my 30's I mostly read horror comics and Québécois, but I'm so glad I bought Hawkeye! The reason I deceided to bought this comic was because of a other comic by Matt Fraction, Sex Criminals (which you should get!), and Oh boy I'm glad got, He've made him such a likeble character and the story is so fun, Don't think twice, Hawk''guy'' is for you!

الكوميكس رهيب وتفاصيل رسمه جميلة لكن مشكلته آخر فصل صار خايس من ناحية الرسم

Una gran serie, davvero. Gli voglio proprio bene, a questa serie, giuro. I disegni di Aja sono bellissimi (e su questo siamo d'accordo tutti) e i testi di Fraction non sono da meno (su questo non siamo proprio tutti tutti d'accordo, ma pazienza). Una delle migliori serie supereroistiche degli ultimi tempi, forse proprio perché è tutto tranne che una serie supereroistica. Leggetela tutti, bros!

Une des meilleures séries actuelles du catalogue Marvel comics. Vraie bonne idée que de suivre Barton dans sa vie civile plutôt que sous le costume (les précédents titres sur le personnage s'y étaient déjà casser les dents !). David Aja fait un boulot superbe (mais qui ne plaitra pas forcément à tout le monde..). Inutile de connaître les événements de la décennie passée dans les comics pour entamer la lecture. Et le tome 2 est dans la même veine !

Haven't finished it, but I am already loving it. Enjoyed Vol. 1; naturally couldn't wait to get my hands on the next installment. And it certainly does not disappoint. The story and the art are as usual top notch. Hawkeye is made fun of as the most 'useless' of the Avengers, not the least because he is the guy running around with a bow and arrows. But Matt Fraction has certainly shown how he Clint Barton can be elevated to a really cool character. Needless to say, I am already looking forward to the other issues.