Hawkeye, Volume 1: My Life as a Weapon

I didn't really know the character of Clint Barton before reading this book, I just thought that I keep hearing how popular he is that I should see what all the fuss is about. ... I still don't get it.

Not in love with the art style, which I already knew before reading it. It's very...minimalist. There are a lack of lines and I think the artist was morally against shading. However, I could have forgiven for a good plot. ... There is no plot. The first three chapters are completely unconnected and the last two is a two parter, based around something that didn't even happen in this book. (I don't know when it did happen, but I can only assume it would have made more sense if I had read that first.)

The feel of this book is very film noir - definitely no superheroing going on here. Clint is...well, a screw up. Nothing ever going right for him and things usually go as poorly as could be imagined. (That got rather tiring after awhile, especially as he keeps saying variations on ‘this looks bad.') Kate is...super, super competent. Like so crazy competent that it's silly. Not that I mind, exactly, but I wanted the Clint Barton Hawkeye - if I wanted the Kate Bishop Hawkeye, I would have grabbed one of those.

(Side note: at the end of the book, there's Young Avengers Presents #6 featuring Hawkeye - the Kate Bishop version. ... It is just to show you how much better an art style it could have had. Because this art was actually pretty good.)