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All-New Hawkeye #5 – Fewer Arrows, More Origins

Published Mon, 21 Sep 2015 16:00:07 -0500

By Chris Hayden

With the fifth issue of All-New Hawkeye, Jeff Lemire and artist Ramón Pérez continue to strike a balance between maintaining the continuity and style of Matt Fraction's earlier Hawkeye run, while simultaneously doing something fresh with their new series.

Issue #5 continues the tale of Clint Barton (Hawkeye) and Kate Bishop (other Hawkeye), as they attempt to protect a weapon, which just so happens to be three rather unusual children, from the likes of both Hydra and S.H.I.E.L.D. In many ways, All-New Hawkeye has progressed in a way that is reminiscent of the television show Arrow, where past and present meld together. The present day struggle of the two Hawkeyes is intertwined with flashbacks to Barton's past as he flees an abusive foster father alongside his brother Barney, where they are taken in by a traveling circus with a secret. Previous issues have maintained a balance between past and present, exploring both the contemporary adventure and the character's origin in equal measure, although they were not always related in terms of content. This issue, however, blends the two almost seamlessly, taking us through a past and present that are thematically near mirror images of one another.

Lemire uses issue #5 as an opportunity to further explore Barton's relationship with arguably the two most important people in his life: Kate Bishop in the present, and his brother Barney in the past. Throughout the issue, readers are taken through parallel journeys that brings these two strained relationships to a head in unexpected ways. The story itself is a bit more serious than previous issues, which have maintained some of the levity that defined Fraction's previous run. Gradually, however, the humor has moved to the wayside in favor of deep and serious character development. In the present, Barton and Bishop clash over the fate of the children they have taken to protecting, while in the past, a young Hawkeye is confronted with the ugly truth about his brother, his mentor, and their new home. In the end, the issue does an excellent job of delving deep into how Clint Barton became the man we see today, while still progressing the contemporary adventure in fits and starts.

While no huge revelations are made, that's not really the point of this issue. It's a refreshingly toned down episode when compared to the outlandish adventures most heroes are forced to contend with. The fate of the world does not hang in the balance, universes are not crashing into one another, nor is Doctor Doom trying to ruin someone's day. All-New Hawkeye is a far more relatable story of two people trying to do the right thing, while figuring out just what that means to them both as individuals and as partners. With a fun and surprising ending and heaps of flashbacks, issue #5 does a great job of building characters and keeping readers entertained while also making one thing perfectly clear: Jeff Lemire is just getting started. And I for one can't wait to see where he takes us next.