Hawkeye, Vol. 1: My Life as a Weapon (Marvel NOW!)

This book is awesome. Let's just get that out of the way right now. You see, Hawkeye Volume 1 has given me a wonderful and altogether satisfying taste of something that's missing from a lot of other superhero comics: FUN. This book is pure superhero fun from start to finish, and the return of that element is something from which other books could benefit. Also, Hawkeye is one of the few comic books I can think of that has made me laugh, like seriously LAUGH out loud on multiple occasions while reading it. There are so many great, idiosyncratic facets of this book that make it both original and excellent. Whether it's Matt Fraction's tongue-in-cheek denotation of a foreign language being spoken, or David Aja's hilarious means of covering up Clint Barton's man-parts (yes, Clint gets naked in this book), Hawkeye effortlessly distinguishes itself from any other book on the shelf. For all intents and purposes, this was my introduction to the two Hawkeyes, and man, what a team! Clint Barton and Kate Bishop transcend the traditional roles of superhero and sidekick in Hawkeye. Their relationship is both touching and hilarious, and it's a joy to see the two in action. On another note, one thing I instantly loved about My Life as a Weapon in particular is that the first three issues are one-shots (pun acknowledged). It seems as though a lot of comic book scribes feel the need to write these huge game-changing stories that span anywhere from 4 to 12 issues, forgetting how rewarding it can be to read a solidly entertaining self-contained issue. In a way, the first 3 issues reminded me a lot of episodes from an animated superhero TV show. Finally, let me address the art. To be honest, David Aja's artwork almost stopped me from giving this book a try, because when I first saw it, I didn't like it. It was a little too simplistic and drab, and didn't have enough detail for my taste. However, I tried it anyway in hopes that it would grow on me, and less than halfway through the first issue, it had. In fact, by the time I got to The Tape (issues 4 & 5, which feature the artwork of Javier Pulido), I actually really missed Aja's art. It's very stylized, but irrevocably part of what makes Hawkeye great. Just as a note, the last issue in this book is actually not a Hawkeye comic; it's Young Avengers Presents #6, and it's basically about Kate Bishop. For those of you like me who didn't know Kate before this book, it was a nice little bonus to get to know her better. Really, though, this issue functioned to show us how Clint and Kate met, and where their roles as the two Hawkeyes began. I'll refrain from going into more detail, but the bottom line is this: if you want to read one of the most fun superhero comics of the year, then read Hawkeye, and prepare for Lucky the Pizza Dog, an excessive use of the word "bro", and trick arrows galore.

Read. This. Comic. No really, buy this right now and read it. It's great. You want to go to Disney World, put that on hold. This comic is better than that. (Disclaimer, this may or may not actually be better than Disney World, but, boy, is it great either way!) This comic has Hawkeye. No, wait, this comic has TWO Hawkeyes, both of whom are equally amazing. First off, this compilation is nice, quality is good, its bound nicely, and it contains issues 1-5 plus Young Avengers Presents #6. So that is nice. Now, the art. It is simply gorgeous. It is smooth, the characters look realistic, both artists show some of the best expressions, the panel layout is amazing (there is one page with 22 small face shots and 2 larger shots of the characters), the coloring is a beautiful muted pallet with lots of purple, and the whole art just flows together. Next up would be the writing. Every character is perfect. All of the characters we know and love are in character and plenty of side characters feel real. Some of my personal favorite things. Kate Bishop. She is a strong female character who spends more time saving Clint than he spends helping her as Clint put is "Did I ever tell you why I love Kate Bishop? I mean, look at her. She's perfect." And she really is. This comic does a great job at showing how Clint is just a great guy, sure he may help save the whole world, but he's just as willing to put his life on the line for a couple of guy's reputation. He just a guy who can't help, but help people. He is a standout character of his own even if he's on the same team as Captain America and Thor. If you are on the fence about this comic read the reviews- they don't lie. This comic just keeps getting better and better. I have been reading this as it comes out and already have the next volume on preorder, this comic is that good. Enjoy reading the preview over and over again until it arrives at your house. This comic is a great ride!

Me encantó la Historia aunque cambian de estilo de dibujo como en el medio del libro,el libro en sí está bueno y llegó en buen estado

This book is great, but I feel like it is a different kind of 5-star rating than I've given in the past. This Clint Barton is a lot different than the one I've read in the past. Here, he is a screw-up, a common man with extraordinary aim. He seems far from his Avenger ties, yet he still has the ego of one of Earth's mightiest heroes. This book is truly funny. Laugh out loud funny. I don't often laugh out loud while reading, but I did multiple times during this book. I enjoyed the appearance of S.H.I.E.L.D. and Captain America, as well as various super-villains, but I most enjoyed Clint and Kate Bishop together. She is great as a sidekick, or perhaps a partner of equal level. Either way, two Hawkeyes is tons of fun. I am glad that this collection included an older comic in which Kate and Clint first met. It wasn't needed to understand the main Hawkeye story, but it was nice to have a little more background on their relationship. Overall, I can't wait to read more of this title. When I compare it to the other Marvel NOW! titles that I've read, it is absolutely near the top of the list. I would put Superior Spider-Man above this, but Hawkeye is the second best. I felt weird giving this a 5-star rating, because I liked Superior Spider-Man's second volume better, yet gave it a 4-star rating. However, Hawkeye is a different type of Marvel book, and with the appealing characters, creative storytelling, and outstanding artwork, this deserves a 5-star rating.

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.

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 !