C2E2: Fraction Hits the Streets with "Hawkeye"

[John Zaleski]

As a longtime hawkeye fan i can say the only thing i never cared for was his costume. I'm happy they changed it. I'm loving this look. Suits him well

[Panic]

What kind of d-bag walks around in sunglasses all day?

Scott Summers.

[CTpitch]

Quote Originally Posted by kaleb2470 View Post
What kind of d-bag walks around in sunglasses all day?

Scott Summers.

[Darthfury78]

I'm not disagreeing with you, but my question is: Why did they even bother to bring back Mockingbird at all? They could've left that piece out during Secret Invasion and we would still have what we have today. It's like they thought, "We need to bring a dead person back in this - hey, how about Mockingbird!?" "yeah, that'd be cool" and then months later "okay, now what?"

I think that Clint is in a rebound relationship with Jessica to make Bobbi jealous. It just seemed like they came together so fast.

[Alton]

I think that Clint is in a rebound relationship with Jessica to make Bobbi jealous. It just seemed like they came together so fast.

Was I the only one who picked up on the PTSD issues post Secret Invasion incarceration that were predominate in Bobbi in the Hawkeye Mockingbird run? The woman at times was freaking nuts! Who would want to make her jealous? I thought her inability to totally adjust at everybody elses pace was what made part of the storyline interesting.A commentary on returning Veterans everywhere.Without that the character really wasn't all that interesting to me. A pastiche of Black Widow,Black Cat,Misty Knight(without the cyber arm).Some of these may have come after her, but it suffers from too many similar female characters.Even WCA which I liked was a covert Heroes For Hire kind of thing.

[marvelprince]

Was I the only one who picked up on the PTSD issues post Secret Invasion incarceration that were predominate in Bobbi in the Hawkeye Mockingbird run? The woman at times was freaking nuts! Who would want to make her jealous? I thought her inability to totally adjust at everybody elses pace was what made part of the storyline interesting.A commentary on returning Veterans everywhere.Without that the character really wasn't all that interesting to me. A pastiche of Black Widow,Black Cat,Misty Knight(without the cyber arm).Some of these may have come after her, but it suffers from too many similar female characters.Even WCA which I liked was a covert Heroes For Hire kind of thing.

I remember thinking that the Hawkeye and Mockingbird series was ok, but one of the aspects I did like was Mock's PTSD. It really made a lot of sense for the character considering all she's been through.

[hysang]

I think that Clint is in a rebound relationship with Jessica to make Bobbi jealous. It just seemed like they came together so fast.

That's what she said.

[Hrist]

Bobbi definitely had PTSD, and it was one of the reasons she and Clint broke up. She was clearly dealing with some heavy stuff, and Clint was making it worse, not better for her, as well as being dragged into things he was uncomfortable with. That was why they broke up.

I think Jessica is a bit of a rebound thing for Clint— he's quick to fall for someone, anyway. But I don't think he's trying to make Bobbi jealous. He's just doing his normal Clint thing.

[John Zaleski]

Also these covers are just f'ng awesome.

[rogerio]

I HATE Hawkeye but I love Aja's artwork.
Sold.

[SomeBodyAtCBR]

Classic Hawkeye is super-hero Hawkeye. I don't think we've ever seen it in an ongoing, even in Avengers Spotlight.

Please elaborate?

[hysang]

Bobbi definitely had PTSD, and it was one of the reasons she and Clint broke up. She was clearly dealing with some heavy stuff, and Clint was making it worse, not better for her, as well as being dragged into things he was uncomfortable with. That was why they broke up.

I think Jessica is a bit of a rebound thing for Clint— he's quick to fall for someone, anyway. But I don't think he's trying to make Bobbi jealous. He's just doing his normal Clint thing.

Clint tended to come off as a little crazy in those old Englehart stories. Like when he's freaking out about Wanda and Vision being a couple. I'm not saying it isn't relatable, mind you...he just seems like a big drama queen. It doesn't help that he's in his skirt and headband wearing phase at the time.

[Silent Guardian]

USA Today interview with Fraction:

By Brian Truitt, USA TODAY

Published: 4/16/2012 1:57:53 PM

As Hawkeye is about to shoot onto the big screen in a major way thanks to the movie The Avengers, writer Matt Fraction is getting ahold of the man under the comic-book archer's purple goggles.

Fraction, who penned new Iron Man and Thor series in recent summers pegged to their films, takes on the adventures of Clint Barton and his costumed alter ego in Marvel Comics' Hawkeye, an ongoing series beginning in August that reteams Fraction with his The Immortal Iron Fist artist, David Aja.

"You could do worse than have the biggest movie of the summer hype your book up for the world," Fraction says of The Avengers (in theaters May 4), which features Oscar-nominated actor Jeremy Renner as Hawkeye.

Since the character's debut as an apparent criminal back in the 1960s, the Avengers' ace with a bow and arrow has been mainly a leader, of the West Coast Avengers, Thunderbolts and more recently the Secret Avengers. The aspect that Fraction was most interested in exploring, though, was the dude underneath the hero togs and what drives him when he's not at work.

"Rather than try to define what Hawkeye's role is in the Avengers, I wanted to define what is Clint Barton's role in Hawkeye — who is he and what drives him and why is he our lead?" Fraction says.

"I could close my eyes and see this Aja drawing of him with a Band-Aid across the bridge of his nose, and I got it. That's our guy. He's the Marvel Universe's Jim Rockford."

Like that old TV private eye from the 1970s, Hawkeye will be helping the people who need it the most: the little guy. And coming from the wrong side of the tracks, he knows some sketchy people, and sometimes it's good to be a "superhero" with supervillain knowledge, Fraction says.

While there will be plenty of action in the series, he adds, it won't always be in the purple getup. "Not that there's any lack of that but he's just as likely to be wearing a T-shirt and jeans at any given moment. It's his life as an action star."

Both Fraction and Aja had a certain affinity for the character as kids. It was Aja's favorite superhero and he still has a Hawkeye drawing the artist did in the third grade, Fraction says. The writer himself was a fan of the late Mark Gruenwald's Hawkeye miniseries from the 1980s and would design his own trick arrows after staring intently at Peter Sanderson's drawing of Hawkeye's repertoire in the Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe series.

So far, though, he hasn't channeled his inner little Fraction to add to the boomerang arrows and electroshock arrows. Not that he's afraid of that, mind you — instead, Fraction has focused on Hawkeye weaponizing what's around him, such as a deck of cards or a roll of quarters.

"Much like Tony Stark always having to carry around a suitcase full of his armor, the minute you write a book in which a dude has to carry around a bow and arrow at all times, it immediately changes the context of a scene," Fraction explains. "You can't just show up with a bow and arrow because you know (stuff's) about to go down.

"OK, if he's not acting as an Avenger at this moment, how would he go be a good guy when things get hairy and he's not allowed to rely on the boomerang arrow? What's he got with him and how does he become formidable?"

His longtime love Mockingbird, Spider-Woman and "other ladies" will be a part of the series, Fraction says, although a female character will be the main co-star of Hawkeye: Kate Bishop, the Young Avengers' Hawkeye.

Both she and her older namesake are both in a "What am I doing with my life" place as Clint comes out of Avengers vs. X-Men and Kate escapes the drama of Avengers: The Children's Crusade.

"Their relationship is very much like The Avengers— by which I mean Steed and Peel rather than the Earth's mightiest heroes," Fraction says, referring to the old British spy series. "They have a sort of mentor/mentee/peer kind of relationship built on a ton of mutual respect and lots of banter and spark. No sexual or romantic tension but a competitiveness — like a fellow spirit. Clint knows when he hangs it up, she's him.

"It's fun having Clint be around a woman he's not going to try and sleep with. And a woman with no interest in sleeping with him," the writer adds. "OK, great, that's out of the way — now what can you get at? He's been presented as a dude who, you know, gets around."

Fraction had fallen for Kate when he was writing an issue that guest-starred her at a time when Clint Barton was known as the hero Ronin. At one time, he had even planned on doing a series with Young Avengers creator Allan Heinberg, largely built on his feelings for the female archer.

"She was a character I wanted to spend time with and tell stories about," Fraction says, "and putting Clint and her together is very happy making for storyteller boy over here."

Being a mentor to Kate and looking for the common man will make Hawkeye a different series than other books and movie starring him, which is an exciting notion for Fraction.

"When the world is saved, of course everybody is helped. It's a different scale," he says. "These are very personal stories for him.

"It's me putting on my best Stephen J. Cannell face and getting to work.

Man everything sounds and looks so awesome! I get the feeling both Fraction and Aja will bring their A game to this book. And it's already been mentioned how gorgeous the covers look. Glad Mock and Jess will show up and it looks like Clint is in for a hell of a ride. Definitely my most anticipated title this year. Bring it!

[Corey W]

USA Today interview with Fraction:

Man everything sounds and looks so awesome! I get the feeling both Fraction and Aja will bring their A game to this book. And it's already been mentioned how gorgeous the covers look. Glad Mock and Jess will show up and it looks like Clint is in for a hell of a ride. Definitely my most anticipated title this year. Bring it!

I agree. I am excited for the new Ms. Marvel, and was very excited for Winter Soldier, but this may be the book I am most excited for.

[Frank]

Wait it's gonna be Hawkeye AD Kate Bischop? Marvel couldn't let Clint have a genuine solo title, did they? Marvel writers these days are so girly.