By: Matt Fraction (story), Javier Pulido (art), Matt Hollingsworth (colors), and Chris Eliopoulos (letters)
The Story: There’s a tape out there of Clint doing some very bad things for SHIELD and someone has put it up for auction.
The Review: Matt Fraction is a pretty divisive writer among the online comics intelligentsia, particularly since Fear Itself. He’s not at Bendis-levels yet, but he’s getting there. Of course, the problem for those with a firm distaste for Fraction is that Hawkeye has been an excellent comic book. So what to do? After all, Matt Fraction can’t write a good Marvel comic! The explanation was simple: the book was only good thanks to David Aja’s efforts. Everything that made this book a good one could be attributed to Aja.
Well, bad news folks; David Aja is out of the picture this month and you know what? This book still rocks.
Granted, a big part of that is that Marvel chose the perfect fill-in with Javier Pulido. Pulido’s style, while very different from Aja’s, still has that same upbeat, pulpy sensibility that matches Fraction’s script so well. While still carrying that distinct, pulp-noir, crime comic feel, it also has a decidedly fun, upbeat, and positive vibe to it that makes the book impossible to dislike.
Really though, what’s most remarkable here is Matt Fraction’s consistency. Four issues in and now with a different artist and everything that made this book so much fun is still on display. Fraction’s handle of Clint and Kate’s respective voices is unparalleled. Both characters are just so enjoyable to read and their dialogue and chemistry crackles. Every back and forth between the two of them leaves me with a big, stupid grin on my face.
Fraction’s narration by Clint is also extremely effective. It makes the book tenser and more intimate, emphasizing the fact that it’s still a street-level, crime book to a great extent. Narration can often slow a book down and make it more contemplative, but not here. In this case, Clint’s narration actually makes the reading experiencing brisker, imbuing it with further energy and character, letting us see the world Pulido depicts through the lens of Clint’s roguish charm and daring-do. In this sense, it makes everything more fun, causing the pages to fly by even quicker.
I’d also be remiss if I didn’t mention the big twist near the end of the issue. It was a really nice move by Fraction and once again added another dimension to the relationship between Clint and Kate, while also further boosting Kate’s status and involvement as a super-hero.
All told, I love this book. From Pulido’s artwork, to Clint’s narration, to the big twist, to Kate’s quick wit, to every issue seeming to revolve around Clint constantly stumbling into bad situations, with things going from bad to worse, there’s a delightful feeling throughout of “flying by the seat of your pants.” Because, in many ways, that’s how Clint operates and we as readers are just along for the ride. Clint’s world blazes such that he can barely keep hold and the result is a book that is ridiculously entertaining and one that keeps the reader riveted and excited throughout.
Conclusion: I had trouble writing this review because I kept using the word “fun.” I probably still used it too much. The problem is that there’s just no better word to describe Matt Fraction’s Hawkeye. This is an amazing experience and everything a comic book should be. If you aren’t following this book, you are really, really missing out.
Grade: A
– Alex Evans
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Conclusion