Fabian Nicieza: Taking Aim With Hawkeye
This year commemorates the 40th Anniversary of the creation of Marvel’s top archer, Hawkeye. He debuted as an accidental villain, dousing Iron Man with such potent rust arrows that the golden Avenger had to flee, half naked. Impressed with the archer, Iron Man eventually nominated Hawkeye for Avenger membership; and it’s as an Avenger that Hawkeye has made his biggest mark on the Marvel Universe—as a devoted, resourceful, wise-cracking team player and, later, chairperson. But now, fresh from a rigorous stint as Thunderbolt leader, Hawkeye’s completely on his own in his first on-going series. And this year promises to be more than just a celebration of Hawkeye’s anniversary as his series, half-way through its first story-arc, soars towards its target. Writer, Fabian Nicieza elaborates on Hawkeye’s up-coming eventful year.
THE CONCEPT
Loretta Ramirez: The HAWKEYE premise was initially described as an off-duty superhero on a road-trip. Is this an accurate description for the entire series or first story arc, or neither?
Fabian Nicieza: Half and half. Issues #7-8 are titled, "A Little Murder," and Hawkeye gets involved in the death of a Russian grocer from Brooklyn whose deli he frequented. And from there, he goes to Russia! So, I guess it's a road trip, but it's not the Sergio Leone Western "stranger rides into town" approach we used in "The High, Hard Shaft." And Hawkeye is in costume for much of #7 and #8. And it includes a character very familiar to Hawkeye fans as well.
LR: Many writers, editors, and readers believe that the demand for traditional superhero stories is already being fulfilled. Thus, they’re looking for new twists. Do you consider HAWKEYE to answer a traditional need, or are you striving to satisfy alternative tastes?
FN: Well, I originally -- and rather desperately -- wanted to satisfy alternative tastes, but there is also a very traditional fan base for the character, so it's very tough to juggle the two. I think Hawkeye is a character who rather easily can skip to one side of that fine line or the other, such as Daredevil or Black Widow. I think that if traditionalists give all six issues of "The High Hard, Shaft" a fair reading, as a whole, they will be satisfied, as will those with "alternative tastes." Same thing goes for "A Little Murder" in #7-8. Even while working on the first arc, which was, in concept, pretty much a "Hawkeye the TV series" approach, we remained very true to the character.
LR: The biggest controversy over HAWKEYE is that, for the first three issues, Clint Barton has been out of costume. Some readers won’t even consider picking up the book unless the costume is in use. Would you care to address this matter in how it applies to HAWKEYE and/or comic books, in general?
FN: I understand the position of the "costume crowd" and the "who cares about the costume crowd." I also understand the creative and corporate right to experiment, to try different things and to position characters in different ways. Hawkeye works equally well in the Justice League / Avengers series as he does in the first arc of the solo book, and all that material is coming out at the same time. So... ultimately, the answer is what I've been saying all along: Hawkeye will be in costume and out in his solo book, as the story requires it.
THE ARCHER
LR: Related to the costume question, do you believe that Hawkeye and Clint Barton are the same person?
FN: Absolutely.
LR: Many superheroes are defined by their powers. Symbolically, how important is archery in the character make-up of Hawkeye?
FN: I think archery is a character-defining motif for Clint, since it’s all about the self-made man and chasing perfection. Not only that, there is a flair of adventure and romanticism to archery that naturally lends itself to his nature.
LR: Action-wise, Hawkeye has faced all manners of threat, from gang members to cosmic entities. In the first story-arc, Hawkeye’s case is quickly escalating from settling a simple lovers’ spat to uncovering an international conflict. What manner of threat do you consider most appealing in a Hawkeye story?
FN: I think the best kinds of "threats" for Clint are two-fold: one is a threat of skill, i.e. a ninja, an assassin, a giant flying robot he has to take down on his own. The other is a threat that DOESN'T allow him the easy way out -- see target, hit target. In that regard, the structure for "The High Hard Shaft" is all about the "hard target" -- dealing with manipulative, "powerful" people hiding something that requires patience and a slow digging to get to the truth. "A Little Murder" will be quite a bit more about "see target, hit target."
LR: Hawkeye has significantly transformed from circus performer to criminal to Avenger to Thunderbolt leader. Particularly in THE THUNDERBOLTS, he experienced much growth where his confidence was both grounded and expanded. What character aspects would you like to further develop in Hawkeye?
FN: I'd like to continue to explore and expand on his sense of smug self-indulgent curiosity and the "savior streak" he has -- i.e. his need, and his self-belief -- that people need his help and that he is the one to help them.
LR: Hawkeye is a very sociable character, famous for adding spark to team dynamics. Outside a team setting in his own series, so far he’s interacted with tourists, a squirrel, and people directly involved in his case. But, in the long run, will a permanent support cast be developed, or will Hawkeye’s interactions continue to be based on short-term relationships? Are there any guest appearances planned by members of the Avengers or Thunderbolts?
FN: I don't think the nature of the character or the structure of his stories will lend themselves to an entrenched supporting cast. That being said, some Avengers characters appear in issue #7, as does a fellow archer named Lefty Rodriguez, who I see as a long-term supporting cast member. And if I can get that squirrel back for a guest-starring role, I will...
LR: Perhaps because in his 40 years of existence Hawkeye has almost always been in love, his romantic life seems of great concern for many readers. Some will never forget the Black Widow; others plead for Mockingbird’s return; and newer readers hope for a romantic reunion with Moonstone. In HAWKEYE, he’s already had one encounter with a woman. Is there any substantial romance in store for Hawkeye?
FN: Considering what's coming up in AVENGERS VS. T-BOLTS, I don't think Hawk will be interested in a steady relationship for the near future. But again, he is a character prone to falling in love pretty quickly, so between a solo book and the Avengers, that could always change...
LR: Witty observations, infuriating cockiness, staunch loyalty, surprising optimism, and charming persistence are what springs to mind at the mention of Hawkeye. Which aspects of his character do you most enjoy writing? Which aspects do you find the most challenging to portray?
FN: I think his cockiness is the most enjoyable, since he will say the most absolutely politically incorrect thing anytime, anywhere. It's very liberating to write a character who is allowed to have no filter between thought and mouth. As for most challenging, I think because of his brusque nature, it makes it difficult to also show just how damned smart he is in terms of his street smarts and intuitive ability to size people up the second he meets them.
THE TECHNIQUE
LR: You use short flashbacks to begin each issue. Can you explain the reasoning behind the flashbacks and your views on continuity?
FN: I wanted to use the flashbacks to "gather momentum" in terms of showing how Clint became the man he did and how it influences his decisions today. As for my views on continuity, they've never really changed: use what was done before to your advantage, try to ignore politely if you can get away with it, but try not to contradict if possible. The Hawkeye flashbacks completely fall within continuity, but are presented in a way to fit the tone of the series.
LR: From working on THE THUNDERBOLTS, you’ve proven to have an excellent feel for Hawkeye, and Stefano Raffaele’s art indicates that he also understands the character, all the way down to his quirky mannerisms—particularly in regards to Hawkeye’s restlessness. Can you give us insight as to how your visions of Hawkeye merge to create such a tight and consistent portrayal of the character?
FN: Well, I've been reading the character since about 1967 and writing him for nearly 5 years now, so I think I have a pretty good handle on how he should be portrayed. Stefano got the assignment and had to jump right into it with little prep time, so it's been harder for him to get a comfortable feel for the character. I think every issue has shown improvement in that regard, and #4 and #5 are his best yet.
LR: In the art, much attention is given to Hawkeye’s talents even outside his archery; his hand-eye coordination has been emphasized to an almost super-human level—for example, tossing poker cards into a perfect stack from a third floor balcony. Are there any plans to further explore Hawkeye’s non-archery skills—perhaps in a combat situation?
FN: Not really for a combat situation, since that eliminates the simplicity of what he is: an archer. I wanted to do those other touches, the cards, the bottle caps, etc. to show a borderline attention deficit disorder or hyperactivity on Clint' s part, as well as the incredible skill and dexterity he has. I think his constant fidgeting is very true to the character and makes for a fun visual gimmick.
LR: So far, HAWKEYE is a very fast-paced series. There’s a sense of constant motion due to quick dialogue, a hyperactive character, speedy plot progression, and dynamic art angles. Is this high energy something readers should continue to expect, or will Hawkeye have any downtime to enjoy the chili he initially set out to eat?
FN: Some would say that the pace of the first arc has been leisurely enough that it's almost seemed like downtime! Well, that will change with the next few issues. And the pace for #7-8 is pretty relentless. I really think that with a character like Hawkeye, the best of all possible worlds is getting your characterization through action, so I'm hoping to pick up the pace and keep things going at a rapid clip.
THE FUTURE
LR: The upcoming covers for the series are drawn by very high profile names—Howard Porter, Carlos Pacheco, Scott Kolins—and all portray Hawkeye more traditionally in costume. Does the landing of these three popular artists indicate strong editorial support for the book? And does the more traditional Hawkeye depictions hint at an upcoming change in concept?
FN: I'm not really a part of the cover process. I've liked some of the images we've used so far -- and I've seen Carlos and Scott's -- both of which are nice.
LR: With your AVENGERS VS. THUNDERBOLTS mini-series coming out in March, will the conflicts that Hawkeye faces in that story affect his own series?
FN: No, I think they are pretty comfortably separate things, though after A vs. T is done, we might be able to touch on some of those ramifications.LR: It has been reported that the first story-arc for HAWKEYE will be collected into a trade paperback. Is this accurate? Or, should readers be picking up the individual issues rather than waiting for the trade?
FN: I think a trade was in the working schedule, but I honestly do not know Marvel's publishing plans in that regard. I would prefer readers sample the monthly comic, since you should never take it for granted that a trade absolutely will be done.
LR: Admirably, you seem to be taking some risks with HAWKEYE, being that it taps on many current controversial areas: traditional fans are hesitant about non-costumed superheroes in street-level settings, and non-traditional fans are hesitant about flashbacks and stories in continuity. In an attempt to bridge the two fan groups, can you briefly summarize the appeal of the series?
FN: I think fans of the CHARACTER -- notice I said character and not costume, since I’m finding out some fans believe a costume IS the character --- as well as people who aren't familiar with Hawkeye, will enjoy the series because:
- he's got chops
- he loves busting chops
- it's got testicle-biting squirrels in it
- Brian Bendis doesn't have testicle-biting squirrels in any of his books.
HAWKEYE #4 WILL BE AVAILABLE JANUARY 28, 2004.
AVENGERS VS. THUNDERBOLTS (SIX ISSUE MINI-SERIES, CO-WRITTEN BY KURT BUSIEK, ART BY BARRY KITSON AND TOM GRUMMET) WILL BE AVAILABLE MARCH 10, 2004.
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