Writer: Fabian Nicieza
Artist: Stefano Raffaele
Publisher: Marvel Comics
Plot:
As Hawkeye continues to look into the mystery that he became aware of when he saw a young woman being roughed up, we see his investigation takes him in a direction that would seem to suggest the dark secret that is being covered up are the atrocities that were committed by a band of American soldiers during the Vietnam War. However, Hawkeye's investigation has earned him the attentions of people who are looking to keep everything under wraps by killing him.
Comments:
This opening arc has a nice film-noir feel to it as Hawkeye is very much invoking the spirits of the old Mike Hammer, Philip Marlowe detective novels/films, in which the deductive reasoning is often upstaged by a good old fashioned right hook. Now I still find the plot to be a more complex than it really needs to be but than again many of the classic films from this genre feature plots that are next to impossible to follow (e.g. The Big Sleep, The Maltese Falcon), and much like these films most of my enjoyment come from simply watching the hero plow his way through the story like a bull in a china shop. Now I'm sure Fabian Nicieza has a clearly detailed plot, and when he pulls off the big reveal in the final chapter I'll likely be impressed by how well it all fits together. However, this story is starting to get a bit repetitive with its scenes of Hawkeye confronting the various players of this mystery only to have them offer up only enough information to tease the readers. I realize that this is a staple plot device of these type mysteries but the people Hawkeye is questioning aren't simple underlings that only know part of the answer, but rather they are active participants, and it's frustrating to see Hawkeye isn't pressing harder when he has these people backed into the corner. I'd also like to see some opponents sent Hawkeye's way that prove to be more of a challenge than the inept underlings he's encountered thus far.
As for the art, Stefano Raffaele does a pretty fair job of capturing this book's more down-to-earth feel, as while he hasn't really been called upon to deliver any extended action scenes, he has done a pretty convincing job of selling the little moments, like Hawkeye's encounter with the thugs in the elevator. I'm not completely sold of the idea that the arrows would sudden turn into boomerangs simply by trimming the feathers at the back, but then again I know precious little about the aerodynamics of arrows, so I'll simply trust the art's depiction of this event, and if nothing else it did make for a memorable visual when Hawkeye lets those three arrows fly. Also I would like to make mention of this issue's cover, as not only is it a cool looking piece of art, but it reminds me how cool looking Hawkeye's costume is, and I can't wait for its return in the next arc.
Final Word:
I received a couple e-mails regarding my last review that took me to task for being a bit too critical about this book's plot, and I can see how I was a little quick to rush to judgment on this book, as frankly one shouldn't expect to be getting the answers while the writer is still laying out the ground work of the mystery. However, I think part of my disillusionment with the material stems from the rather nebulous nature of the mystery Hawkeye was looking to solve, and frankly I don't quite understand why Hawkeye is looking to solve this mystery beyond to simply satisfy his own curiosity, and the readers. At least with the detective films they tend to be hired by a client, and this acts as the impetus to drive their actions when they discover things aren't what they seem. Still, this arc is acting as a pretty solid display of Hawkeye's abilities, and I guess his dogged determination when he stumbles across mystery. The issue also offers up a pretty solid cliffhanger moment, and I have to say that I'm rather looking forward to scene next issue where Hawkeye walks in that door to discover he's been betrayed.
What did you think of this book?
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