BOOK REC: Hawkeye – Matt Fraction, David Aja
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BOOK REC: Hawkeye – Matt Fraction, David Aja


Creator/Artist: Matt Fraction (web site), David Aja (web site / twitter), Matt Hollingsworth (web site / twitter)

UK Writer: Marvel/Panini UK

Style: Superhero, motion, graphic novel

Like lots of people, I watched the brand new Hawkeye sequence when it got here out at Christmas. I wouldn’t say I’m the largest Marvel fan – if something at this stage I’m eking out the tip of the sunk value fallacy in that I have to see the tip of a variety of characters I invested a variety of time in, however in any other case I’m checked out – BUT. Hawkeye is a bizarre exception. I’ve a variety of mates who love Hawkeye, the character. They didn’t even know one another beforehand, it simply occurred. And after the entry-level drug of the primary Avengers film, they discovered their method into fanfic, and lo! They had been not pleased with the MCU Hawkeye, and would solely actually settle for the One True Hawkeye – absolutely the rubbish hearth of a human being we meet within the Matt Fraction run. Between my mates (and, bizarrely, my MA Dissertation supervisor – shout out Dr Dan), I finally learn it. And it was good! Nice! As somebody who sometimes thinks “possibly I ought to learn comics” after which appears to be like on the comics and goes “oh no that’s method an excessive amount of”, Fraction’s Hawkeye was neatly collected, required little or no extra information, and customarily shied away from the kind of artwork that impressed the Hawkeye Initiative (mockingly). I learn this and authorized, agreed with the feelings re: the MCU Hawkeye, even dabbled in some fanfic, and that appeared to be the tip of that.

Till the sequence got here out.

A number of years again I went to see Sister Act: the Musical, and after I got here out of it, all I believed was that I want I’d simply spent the cash shopping for Sister Act on DVD as an alternative. An identical factor occurred after I watched The Rook TV sequence, the place I simply wished to learn the e book as an alternative and remind myself what I liked about it. Hawkeye was enjoyable, (higher than The Rook and Sister Act: The Musical that’s for positive) however all of the bits I liked about it had been nods to the comedian, and bits that the comedian did higher as a result of that model of Clint was a unique model from the MCU Clint. I acquired annoyed they gave all his greatest bits to Kate – and don’t get me improper, I liked Hailee Steinfeld as Kate Bishop, I believed she was excellent – and felt just like the screenwriters had been simply making an attempt to course-correct after the studio realised they’d missed an incredible alternative with a personality they’d probably not thought-about deeply sufficient initially, on the expense of Clint getting his day, but in addition on the expense of Kate’s character too.

So, after watching a present that did a variety of issues I preferred, simply not fairly in addition to after I first preferred them within the supply materials, it solely appeared honest to purchase the supply materials as an alternative of mooching off my good friend once more. I feel it helped that Matt Fraction was one of many consulting producers, and I believed that matching the credit score artwork to the duvet artwork for the sequence was a pleasant contact, nevertheless it simply left me wanting the little bit extra I acquired from the comedian.

This isn’t a evaluation of the present, nonetheless, it’s a evaluation of the comedian (okay, I suppose it’s kind of each, however this can be a e book weblog – I did have concepts of reviewing movie and TV, however let’s be very trustworthy I barely have time to evaluation the books I learn so why make extra work for myself).

I, theoretically, love comedian books. Or somewhat, I like a variety of the ideas, and character tropes, and design aesthetics explored in them. However – and arms up right here should you agree with me – a few of them have simply acquired so massive that it’s onerous to seek out an entry level. You analysis the place to start out and find yourself with umpteen totally different timelines, twelve totally different universes, and 4 totally different tremendous pets, earlier than you even get into the kids who’ve returned from the longer term to appropriate the previous and co-exist with their very own grandparents, or any reboots that occur as a result of it’s all acquired too difficult. It’s a LOT.

The beauty of the Fraction and Aja Hawkeye run is that you simply don’t actually, really, have to know ANYTHING, actually. You may decide it up from the primary concern – Clint (Hawkeye) is useless, apparently, so has been changed by Kate (Hawkeye). Clint isn’t really useless, however is cruising round as Ronin, stabbing individuals as an alternative of taking pictures them, however he desires to examine Kate is an efficient alternative Hawkeye. That’s how they meet. After which they kind of turn into mentor-mentee BFFS (Clint thinks Kate’s wonderful, Kate thinks Clint is a trainwreck – they’re each appropriate, but in addition each epithets are mutual), and this comedian follows what occurs on the times they’re not being Avengers. Or, as Fraction put it, “he’s the Only a Dude of the Avengers, these are THOSE tales. About what he does and who he’s when he isn’t punching the clock.

And, guys, you recognize, I’m WEAK for the home tales. The tales between the large Finish-of-the-World points, the place we get to discover character relationships and dynamics. It’s a good way to essentially take a look at a personality’s core once they’re not beneath the identical ranges of stress. The apocalypse will carry out sure issues in an individual; however if you’re an fool who pissed off Russian mobsters due to a canine, that’s on you.

This e book isn’t with out plot. There are character threads which be part of Kate and Clint, and offer you issues to care about; the factor about it’s that they’re virtually irrelevant to the broader Avengers and Younger Avengers plots. I don’t want to purchase some other comics to get pleasure from what’s occurring right here. And whereas I could also be inquisitive about the place it goes after? I don’t have to seek out one other sequence to seek out the decision. In some methods it really works in addition to a standalone graphic novel, alongside the strains of Watchmen, or V for Vendetta. The distinction is, as a result of it’s not a standalone that’s been adjusted to have totally different characters as a result of the writer baulked on the final minute, it feels lighter. Maybe that’s why the writer didn’t baulk, maybe their management made it really feel much less intense. However it’s a good aid for individuals who like a little bit of comedian e book design and nonsense, however who don’t actually need it to really feel as intensely bleak as among the standalones can.

It is a enjoyable, light-weight caper e book in a method, with Kate and Clint showcasing their flaws virtually greater than their abilities, and making them splendidly human and delightfully relatable as their errors make their tales, and offers the plots their emotional weight. These guys aren’t untouchable gods or superhumans, they’re absolute trash fires of human beings, and it’s compelling studying about them round that. They’re good at exactly one factor, and that’s taking pictures an outdated weapon of conflict at individuals with science fiction lasers, and in some way they arrive out on high. Ish.

It’s an underdog-pizza canine story, and it’s a variety of enjoyable.


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