All-New Hawkeye #2 Review

Will Clint and Kate manage to stop HYDRA’s scheme? And what will we learn next about Clint’s past? Read on to find out.

The official description from Marvel:

Arrows over Bed-Stuy! Intrigue at the circus! The past and present merge as Hawkeyes Barton and Bishop race against time to save a group of innocent kids, with devastating powers.

Even though Matt Fraction‘s Hawkeye run STILL hasn’t ended (really who cares at this point), we march on into the second issue of the All-New Hawkeye. Having captivated during it’s opening issue, mixing excitement and emotion perfectly, I was looking forward to seeing what would come next. The result is pretty much the same, as though we get some insight into Hawkeye’s past with Swordmaster, the main focus is on the mutated kids, and trying to save them. This results in yet another gripping issue, as though not as capticating as the first, it’s a great building block to an already wonderful series.

Jeff Lemire may not always fire on full cylinders (looking at you Justice League United), but when he does, boy does he impress. All-New Hawkeye has definitely been one of these series, as though (as expected) it’s much different from his work on DC‘s archer, Green Arrow, it is just as enthralling. The main thing that personally intrigues me, is the way that Lemire shows the connection between Clint and Kate, as though Fraction showed this in his run, he eventually focused on them as two individual units. The look into Clint’s past also proves entertaining, with the indie feel allowing for an immersive vibe.

The art on the other hand was a little underwhelming this time round, as though Ramón Pérez‘ pencils were near flawless during the flashbacks featuring Clint, Barney and Swordmaster, the finish to the present sequence was rather rough at times. Though this ultimately doesn’t hurt the comic much, it is something that needs to be worked on, as though us fans always complain about scheduling problems, I’m sure most would agree that this shouldn’t be at the expense of quality. That being said, the layouts were dynamic and invigorating, with the colours that Pérez and Ian Herring produce giving a clean split between the two timelines.

All-New Hawkeye is a comic that all Marvel fans should try, as whether you’re a fan of the Earth’s Mightiest Archers, or not, the magnificent script that Lemire produces is bound to convert you into one. That being said, this second issue isn’t quite as enthralling as the first, and having set such a high bar in #1, it’s not a shock to find this one not quite matching that.