Matt FractionHawkeye, 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.

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.

Thor: God of Thunder, Deadpool (Version5), and now this. I'm not sure which came first, but Marvel's take on the "let's pull a DC comics and revamp," I have to say there are a few that actually pulled this off quite well. Matt Fraction's take on Hawkeye, (aka Marvel's bow and arrow guy, also aka an Avenger that usually nobody cared about) is dealt justice here. The humorous story arc with little outside references is actually well done for anybody new to Avengers or the Marvel Universe. My wife, who only knew about Hawkeye from the Avengers movie, (and now like I) love this comic. The majority of this volume's artwork may not be the typical over the top variety that most comic book readers are used to. But I fould it enjoyable and pleasing on the eyes. Plus it really fits Matt Fraction's story and dialogue style.My only complaint about this volume, besides being very small, is the final issue inserted in this volume. They wanted to add in a quick explanation of how Clint and Kate know each other, but I thought it was pretty unnecessary. In fact if they left that out and just inserted the next issue of Hawkeye, I would have rated this 5 stars.