Hawkeye - Volume 1: My Life As A Weapon: My Life as a Weapon (Marvel Now): 01 Paperback – 26 Mar. 2013

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.

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.

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 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.

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.