ALL-NEW HAWKEYE #1
Written By Jeff Lemire
Art by Ramon Perez & Ian Herring
Published by Marvel Comics
Release Date: November 11, 2015

Rather than looks into the present and past, All-New Hawkeye #1 offers a glimpse into the present and a future created from its consequences. Tension between Kate and Clint hasn’t let up in the eight months since the end of the Secret Wars, and the future 20 years later shows up the rift is still there. As they try to sort out their relationship to each other now, they reluctantly work together again years later to resolve threads from the last issue of the series before Secret Wars.

This issue was emotional from start to finish. Kate and Clint’s discord shapes the story throughout the issue, offering an anchor to the events that transpire. All-New Hawkeye is off to a great start, helping readers piece together what’s gone down between Clint and Kate within the span of 20 years. We see where they are as people, but also in relation to each other.

Coming off of the previous volume, Jeff Lemire is true to form, bringing out some emotional dialogue between Kate and Clint. He does such an excellent job of expressing the depth of their conflict, especially from Kate’s perspective. There are some raw emotional wounds that aren’t healing, and Lemire fleshes them out in an evocative and compelling way.

Just as I love that Jeff Lemire has stayed on as a writer, I’m happy to see Ramon Perez and Ian Herring on art again. This time, the movement between the present and future perfectly captures the emotions and the tone of the entire issue and series. The present is more distinct, while the future is more rough. The sketch-like feel of the art portraying the future was an integral element, aiding in the emotional depth of the storytelling. My FAVORITE part of this issue was the fade from color to grayscale to color again when Clint lost his hearing aid. For him, there is a loss of vividness when he isn’t hearing, which takes out some of the nuance in his world. That was such an excellent way to convey sensory deprivation, so major kudos to Perez and Herring for that wonderful touch.

All-New Hawkeye #1 was a reminder of how criminally underused Kate is. She has been a shining star in the pages of Young Avengers and more than capable as a Hawkeye. Some of her lines about not really having a team of her own mirror her lack of usage in publication. She is one of a bevy of wonderful women in Marvel, with skills that forced Steve Rogers to recognize her as Hawkeye, yet we don’t see her as often as we should or as often as she deserves.

While this installment may lead to questions for readers new to All-New Hawkeye, it was great for those who were following the series before Secret Wars. There’s an important sense of continuity, even if this is rebranded as a new volume. For new readers, I have two suggestions: Hang on, because the strength of Lemire’s Hawkeye is in the relationships, but also, just go ahead and pick up the previous volume of the series. It was stellar and evocative and creates a different kind of temporal juxtaposition that deserves to be explored.

I’ve enjoyed this series since the first issue of the previous volume, so I’m glad to see it back. This story promises to explore some new and old dynamics between Clint and Kate, but it’s spot on in its storytelling and its art. All-New Hawkeye #1 cemented itself as one of the bright spots of the ANAD line-up. It’s a different and important kind of superhero story that helps us understand the relationships between characters, but also what shapes their worlds.

The Verdict: 8.5/10