Hawkeye is precisely the kind of Marvel series I’ve been waiting for. Something smaller. Something intimate. Something low stakes. A story that focusses on character and relationships, that doesn’t feel the need to speak to race in America, or set up some multiversal war, or reexamine humanity’s creation myths. This is a Christmas caper, with mafia bros, and LARPers, and a pizza dog. It’s a fun side quest. And I’m totally here for it.
Not since Netflix’s efforts with Daredevil and Jessica Jones have we seen a street level superhero story like this one. Hawkeye too finds its origins in that incident in New York, using it as the basis to tell a far more human story, one that doesn’t involve a billionaire in a flying metal suit, a giant green monster, a costumed hero from the 40s, or a god.
Meet Kate Bishop
The first episode opens in 2012, moments before the Battle of New York. We see the incident play out from the point of view of a young Kate Bishop, watching helplessly as aliens invade Midtown Manhattan, leaving a path of death and destruction in their wake. When Hawkeye saves her life, the young Kate becomes obsessed with doing whatever it takes to be able to protect her family. She masters archery and martial arts. She learns how to fence. So much so that by the time flash forward to her at 22, Kate Bishop is pretty much all set to be an action hero.
We spend a lot of the first two episodes getting to know Kate, her quirks and eccentricities, and just what makes her tick. They are a slow burn in the best possible way. Taking the time to set up a believable dynamic between Kate and Clint that is necessary in order for the rest of the series to work.
The series also makes it a point to reinforce the idea that Clint Barton is just like the rest of us. He may have saved the universe as we know it, but he’s also feeling the consequences of having the Avengers campus collapse on him. When we meet him again in Hawkeye, he’s sporting a hearing aid and looking a little world weary. He’s trying to have an uneventful Christmas with his kids while dealing with the trauma and tragedy of losing his best friend and two of his colleagues.
There is something of a narrative theme that runs through a lot of Marvel’s Phase 4 offerings. Just like in Black Widow, Loki, The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, and WandaVision, Hawkeye too is built around the idea of having to atone for past sins. In this series, it’s Clint’s time as Ronin, the ruthless vigilante we first met in Avengers: Endgame, that has come back to haunt him.
When the young Kate Bishop happens upon the Ronin costume at an underground auction, she doesn’t realize that wearing it immediately puts her in the crosshairs of every hitman, hooligan, and hired gun looking for revenge. No one knows who Ronin was, but all of them want a piece of him.
Hijinks ensue.
“I’m Too Old for This Shit!”
Hawkeye owes a lot to Shane Black. And not just because of its Christmas setting. There’s an odd couple sensibility between Kate and Clint that is reminiscent of the relationships we’ve seen before in movies like Lethal Weapon, and Kiss Kiss Bang Bang, and The Nice Guys. It’s quippy yet heartfelt. The chemistry between Jeremy Renner and Hailee Steinfeld is magic. Their Clint and Kate feels like it’s been lifted directly from the comics – it’s mentor-y, and warm, and an absolute delight. The only thing missing was for Clint to go, “I’m too old for this shit!”
Laura: I see you with the Avengers, and, well…
Avengers: Age of Ultron
Clint Barton: You don’t think they need me?
Laura: Actually, I think they do. They’re gods, and they need someone to keep them down to Earth.
The guiding light for the character, however, remains Avengers: Age of Ultron. Whedon’s decision to make him the beating heart of the Avengers was crucial in elevating Hawkeye to more that just a guy with a bow and arrow. He was one of them, but also a living, breathing reminder of everything they were fighting for. And it’s great that we get to see that arc play out as Clint wonders what his purpose is now that the Avengers are gone.
You’re Gonna Need at Least 20 Arrows
Hawkeye, the last of the OG Avengers to get his own standalone adventure in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, has always been a sidekick. A second-tier character who was more often made fun of than hero-worshipped. All of that would change in 2012, when Marvel decided to exploit the cinematic success of The Avengers and take a risk. Enter Matt Fraction and David Aja.
Fraction and Aja are singlehandedly responsible for making Hawkeye cool. Their 2012 comic book run, which is the primary inspiration for this six episode series, was based on a very simple premise: What does Hawkeye do when he’s not being an Avenger? Easy. He helps his neighbours out when they’re at risk of being evicted. He saves a stray dog. Sometimes he plays James Bond and goes undercover for SHIELD. Fraction and Aja reframed the character by giving us a Clint Barton who was approachable and empathetic, who had real, everyday problems beyond saving the universe from the whims of a mad Titan.
Their comic, besides being stylish and sexy, was also instrumental in taking Marvel back to its “everyman” roots. It was a throwback to the kinds of stories that Stan Lee, Jack Kirby, and Steve Ditko would first tell when they were creating the Marvel universe. Stories about family and friendship. About nerdy kids dealing with loss, and power, and responsibility. These here superheroes made human. And not the other way around.
This series feels like a step in that direction. With Loki jumping back and forth through time and Spider-Man engaged in battle with supervillains from across multiple licensing deals, Hawkeye feels like a return to the idea of superheroes being less iconic and more like you and me. Clint is flawed and plagued by guilt. He’s very well aware that he isn’t Captain America, or Thor, or The Hulk. He’s trying to make up for lost time by being a good dad. And he hasn’t quite dealt with the heartbreak of losing Natasha.
Watching these first two episodes reminded me of all the reasons I loved Marvel comics as a kid. And I’ll be damned if that isn’t a great start to a series.
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