Issue number two of the new solo title for Avenger’s resident archer did not disappoint. And not only do we get the original Hawkeye, Clint Barton, but the Young Avengers’ very own Hawkeye, Kate Bishop, joins the party as well. Now, I love the Young Avengers, but after this issue, I think I’m starting to appreciate Kate even more as an individual character.
In this issue, the Hawkeye duo are investigating a series of markings popping up around town. Clint recognizes these markings as the vagabond code, a language that travelers such as circus folk use to tip off other travelers as to how the area is.
As much as I loved this issue, there’s one thing that bothered me a little. I feel like Matt Fraction got a bit lazy with Kate Bishop’s introduction. She just happened to be in Clint’s apartment and then we were off. I wish we were given a reason for her to enter the story. We’re given a great reason as to why she’s going to stick around, but I would’ve liked more of a reason for her to pop up as opposed to her just being in Clint’s kitchen drinking coffee. That being said, the rest of the script was great. From the villains of this story to the interactions between Kate and Clint, especially the scene where they’re on the phone, it was a pretty awesome script.
Another thing I want to point out is the way David Aja portrays Kate Bishop. Most artist will overly sexualize their female characters by accentuating certain parts of the female’s anatomy. Instead, Aja has an elegant way of making Kate look sexy, while at the same time making her look real. There’s one shot in particular that comes to mind where Kate is in disguise and she’s about to reveal herself to the bad guys as not one of them. The way she’s standing and holding her bow is just… I mean, I’ll have to agree with Barton’s thought in this panel that just says, “I mean, look at her.” Part of this is also thanks to Matt Hollingsworth, who handles the colors in this series. I can’t really find the words to express how much I like the colors in this series other than, “OH THE GLORIOUS COLORS!” Let’s just say that you need to pick up every book in this series (all two of them so far) and just look at the pages after reading them to soak in some of the best art available on the shelves today.
Due to Fraction’s writing and Aja’s museum-worthy artwork, I’ve noticed that this series is starting to resemble a TV show. It could be my own experience as a graduate of film school, but throughout this book, I was constantly seeing shots and hearing dialogue in scenes that were just so reminiscent of some really good television programs. You know what? Screw ‘Arrow’ on the CW! Someone needs to get working on a Hawkeye TV show starring these two for ABC Family.
Final Score:
HAWKEYE #2
Written by MATT FRACTION
Art by DAVID AJA & MATT HOLLINGSWORTH