Forty-five years ago, the supervillains aligned themselves with Red Skull to annihilate the superheroes, and it worked. Old Man Hawkeye #1 takes place in a world run by the bad guys, and the good try to make a living in the wastelands. One can only imagine how bad things got if there is an actual place designated the wastelands.
Clint Barton, Hawkeye, is living out his life as a bodyguard. After defending his client from a gang, he is left reeling in disbelief because he missed hitting one of his targets. This is not the Hawkeye of years gone by, he is older, rough looking, and probably in need of a bath.
Hawkeye is running out of time — the man who never misses is going blind and may only have weeks before he loses his sight. Feeling an urge to right some wrongs, Hawkeye tries to enlist another Old Man, Logan, in getting revenge for the deaths of so many heroes. Justice is long overdue, but Logan is protective of his family and sends the older Hawkeye on his way.
In a world that is run by bad guys, two top-level evil beings make an appearance near the end. Hawkeye is bound to have trouble in this new series of comics.
My Opinion
I am not a huge fan of Hawkeye. I have always felt that he is more of a utility player, who supports, bolsters, and makes a great supporting character in other comics. I would have never thought of him as the lead in his own comic, and I am pleased to say that Old Man Hawkeye #1 is changing my opinion about the character.
Writer Ethan Sacks has done a terrific job in fleshing out Clint Barton and not only making him interesting but also compelling. Here is a guy that is often looked at as the least important Avenger, but Hawkeye is a survivor, and now 45 years later, long after some of the stronger heroes have died off, Barton is out for revenge. He’s all that’s left.
The dialogue was quite enjoyable. It didn’t seem to take much time to set up the present-day world, and rather than reflecting on what was lost, readers are presented with this simple man, Hawkeye, who never misses a shot, but is now going blind. How does a master archer survive when he can’t see the target? Based on the world that is illustrated by Marco Checchetto, I would guess not very well.
The colors of the book are all very dark, with a heavy amount of greys throughout the pages which really helps readers get the mood of this world. There isn’t much to celebrate in Old Man Hawkeye #1. This limited 12-part series takes us back to five years before the Old Man Logan comics, and for once, I was glad to see that Wolverine had a small role in this comic. The world is not a fine place, and Hawkeye is going to fight for what he can.
Naturally, he has family issues, and though we have a brief scene where Barton interacts with his daughter, it is thankfully short. I don’t want to see him try and patch up whatever rift he has with his kids. I want Hawkeye to be out for revenge.
With his long grey hair and haggard look, Hawkeye is not the hero we always knew, and though Logan says no to helping him, the dialogue between the two is something that stands out the most. Hawkeye is bent on revenge; it is long overdue according to the archer. But Logan is more focused on what he has, not avenging what was lost.
As the former X-Men tells the former Avenger, revenge won’t bring anyone back. To Logan, the X-Men and Avengers are dead, but his wife and kids are alive, and that’s what matters most to him. For Barton, who has no relationship with his daughter, he has nothing to live for.
The one problem I had with this comic was the introduction of two villains. Seeing Venom make an appearance is fun, but I’m not sure how he will play out in the series. What I did enjoy was finding out that Bullseye, the master assassin from Daredevil is a police officer, and is tracking down Hawkeye. What better person to battle than someone who has equal skills? Hawkeye and Bullseye never miss their target, they are long overdue for this series, and I can’t wait to see where the story goes.
Old Man Hawkeye #1 has made me interested in Hawkeye, and care about his success. His look is different, his attitude is different, and if the rest of the comics are as interesting like Old Man Hawkeye #1, I look forward to seeing some justice dispensed by Clint Barton.