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Hawkeye (2012-2016) (Collected Editions)
Hawkeye, Volume 3: L.A. Woman
Kate Bishop heads to Los Angeles to get away from New York, life, and Clint Barton - but not away from trouble! Because Madame Masque is hanging out at poolside with the rich and famous as well! As Kate helps a reclusive and Sixties-damaged pop music genius find his lost masterpiece, Madame Masque finds Kate. By which we mean starts trying to kill her again. This one has it all! Characters! Plot! Story! Dialogue! Theme! Meaning! Message! Action! A little exposition! Fire! Arrows! Criminals! Neighbors! Large bodies of water! Clients! Cops who don't care! A system that victimizes the victims! The dog! In a broken town where cynicism and apathy has its claws around the throat of the good and decent, Lady Hawkguy is the only hero you can trust!
Collecting: Hawkeye 14, 16, 18, 20, Annual 1
Collecting: Hawkeye 14, 16, 18, 20, Annual 1
120 pages, Paperback
First published October 8, 2014
About the author
Matt Fraction
1,174 books1,813 followers"How he got started in comics: In 1983, when Fraction was 7 years old and growing up in Kansas City, Mo., he became fascinated by the U.S. invasion of Grenada and created his own newspaper to explain the event. "I've always been story-driven, telling stories with pictures and words," he said.
Education and first job: Fraction never graduated from college. He stopped half a semester short of an art degree at Kansas City Art Institute in Missouri in 1998 to take a job as a Web designer and managing editor of a magazine about Internet culture.
"My mother was not happy about that," he said.
But that gig led Fraction and his co-workers to split off and launch MK12, a boutique graphic design and production firm in Kansas City that created the opening credits for the James Bond film "Quantum of Solace."
Big break: While writing and directing live-action shoots at MK12, Fraction spent his spare time writing comics and pitching his books each year to publishers at Comic-Con. Two books sold: "The Last of the Independents," published in 2003 by AiT/Planet Lar, and "Casanova," published in 2006 by Image Comics.
Fraction traveled extensively on commercial shoots. Then his wife got pregnant. So Fraction did what any rational man in his position would do -- he quit his job at MK12 to pursue his dream of becoming a full-time comic book writer.
Say what? "It was terrifying," said Fraction, who now lives in Portland, Ore. "I was married. We had a house. We had a baby coming. And I just quit my job."
Marvel hired Fraction in June 2006, thanks largely to the success of his other two comics. "I got very lucky," he half-joked. "If it hadn't worked out, I would have had to move back in with my parents.
- 2009. Alex Pham. Los Angeles Times.
Education and first job: Fraction never graduated from college. He stopped half a semester short of an art degree at Kansas City Art Institute in Missouri in 1998 to take a job as a Web designer and managing editor of a magazine about Internet culture.
"My mother was not happy about that," he said.
But that gig led Fraction and his co-workers to split off and launch MK12, a boutique graphic design and production firm in Kansas City that created the opening credits for the James Bond film "Quantum of Solace."
Big break: While writing and directing live-action shoots at MK12, Fraction spent his spare time writing comics and pitching his books each year to publishers at Comic-Con. Two books sold: "The Last of the Independents," published in 2003 by AiT/Planet Lar, and "Casanova," published in 2006 by Image Comics.
Fraction traveled extensively on commercial shoots. Then his wife got pregnant. So Fraction did what any rational man in his position would do -- he quit his job at MK12 to pursue his dream of becoming a full-time comic book writer.
Say what? "It was terrifying," said Fraction, who now lives in Portland, Ore. "I was married. We had a house. We had a baby coming. And I just quit my job."
Marvel hired Fraction in June 2006, thanks largely to the success of his other two comics. "I got very lucky," he half-joked. "If it hadn't worked out, I would have had to move back in with my parents.
- 2009. Alex Pham. Los Angeles Times.
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 885 reviews
June 24, 2015
I was kind of nervous about this one, but, it turns out, I like Kate's stories just as much as Clint's.
Oh, don't get all pouty, Barton! I still love you...
So it starts off with Kate deciding she's had enough, packing her bags, swiping Clint's
And then everything just goes to shit.
Her credit cards are declined, her stuff gets stolen by minionesque Bellboys, and Madame Masque invites her over for a cup of Death!
Muahahahahahahahahaha*cough...wheeze*hahahahahahaha!
Anyway, Kate ends up
She's a natural!
Is there a plot?
Yes, but the charm of this title is not in the 'plot', it's in the details of the storytelling.
I mean, I normally wouldn't be engrossed in a story about an aging Beachboy knock-off trying to find his songs. In fact, I'm pretty sure I still don't fully understand what went down in that guy's head. Or if Kate even managed to actually help him. But that's just not the point of this comic. It's the journey, not the destination.
And the journey is mostly filled with stuff like this...
And anyway, I felt this was Kate's journey into how it feels to be Clint. Let's face it, she had been a wee bit judgy when it came to her male counterpart. And most of the time, she was right. But, like most folks who tend to dole out advice on how to get your life back together, she'd never really walked a mile in his shoes.
And now she has...
PS - The art has really grown on me. Whodathunkit?!
January 9, 2015
Who said super hero comics have to deal with super heroic deeds to be entertaining? Fortunately, not Matt Fraction.
Kate Bishop, formerly of the Young Avengers, has had enough of Clint Barton’s shenanigans and decides to take Lucky (aka Pizza Dog) and move to Los Angeles. Things quickly go awry. She loses everything - money, car, her weaponry - and ends up babysitting a cat, in a trailer, down by the river (okay, it’s the ocean. Work with me here!).
Los Angeles isn’t exactly a hot bed of superhero activity (Is Moon Knight still there?), so the resourceful Kate puts up flyers at the local super market, advertising herself as half-superhero/half-private investigator. The response is underwhelming and a little bit scary.
The good news is Madame Masque is now officially Kate’s nemesis. Madame Masque has a fleet of cars and helicopters, a secret lab, a bunch of LMDs and an army of goons.
Kate has a bike...and the supportive gay couple from next door ...and maybe some gumshoe that shows up in the cat food aisle, late at night at the corner grocery.
Although this isn’t as strong as his previous Hawkeye volumes, Fraction brings enough character development, action, humor and nerd boy references to make this one a keeper.
Javier Pulido’s art work is much more fun and engaging than Annie Wu’s, who split the illustrator duties in this volume.
Kate Bishop, formerly of the Young Avengers, has had enough of Clint Barton’s shenanigans and decides to take Lucky (aka Pizza Dog) and move to Los Angeles. Things quickly go awry. She loses everything - money, car, her weaponry - and ends up babysitting a cat, in a trailer, down by the river (okay, it’s the ocean. Work with me here!).
Los Angeles isn’t exactly a hot bed of superhero activity (Is Moon Knight still there?), so the resourceful Kate puts up flyers at the local super market, advertising herself as half-superhero/half-private investigator. The response is underwhelming and a little bit scary.
The good news is Madame Masque is now officially Kate’s nemesis. Madame Masque has a fleet of cars and helicopters, a secret lab, a bunch of LMDs and an army of goons.
Kate has a bike...and the supportive gay couple from next door ...and maybe some gumshoe that shows up in the cat food aisle, late at night at the corner grocery.
Although this isn’t as strong as his previous Hawkeye volumes, Fraction brings enough character development, action, humor and nerd boy references to make this one a keeper.
Javier Pulido’s art work is much more fun and engaging than Annie Wu’s, who split the illustrator duties in this volume.
April 25, 2016
Hawkeye goes to LA. Maybe they’ll reform the West Coast Avengers?
Not likely as this isn’t Clint Barton. It’s the other Hawkeye, Kate Bishop. After Kate gets tired of Clint’s messy personal life turning him into a grumpy bastard, she takes Lucky the pizza dog and heads to LA to get some space. However, since she’s an Avenger (Or practically an Avenger as she often has to clarify.) Kate soon finds herself on the bad side of Madame Masque as well as having her finances cut off by her rich father. Rather than call Clint or anyone else for help, Kate decides to set up shop as a Rockford-style PI with her own trailer on the beach.
I was let down by this one at first. Kate’s misadventures in LA didn’t seem to have the same kind of zing that the Hawkeye title had when it focused on Clint Barton. Maybe that was because Clint’s story has been about what it’s like for a regular guy who works with superheroes when he’s not helping to save the world. Clint being kind of a screw-up who insists on trying to do things himself makes sense when you know the history of him always feeling second rate compared to the other Avengers. But Kate had also come across as pretty confident and sure of herself. She was the kind of young woman who just decided to be a superhero and claimed Hawkeye’s name when he was mostly dead for a while.
This Kate seemed more Barton-esque at the beginning, doing things the hard way when there were far easier and smarter ways to go about it, and that seemed to clash a bit with what I knew about the character. So it took me a while to warm up to the story. Eventually, the idea of a superhero that no one knows trying to play LA private detective won me over. Kate emerges from this a bit beaten up but an even more interesting character.
Oh, and I really liked the joke about The Champions, too.
Not likely as this isn’t Clint Barton. It’s the other Hawkeye, Kate Bishop. After Kate gets tired of Clint’s messy personal life turning him into a grumpy bastard, she takes Lucky the pizza dog and heads to LA to get some space. However, since she’s an Avenger (Or practically an Avenger as she often has to clarify.) Kate soon finds herself on the bad side of Madame Masque as well as having her finances cut off by her rich father. Rather than call Clint or anyone else for help, Kate decides to set up shop as a Rockford-style PI with her own trailer on the beach.
I was let down by this one at first. Kate’s misadventures in LA didn’t seem to have the same kind of zing that the Hawkeye title had when it focused on Clint Barton. Maybe that was because Clint’s story has been about what it’s like for a regular guy who works with superheroes when he’s not helping to save the world. Clint being kind of a screw-up who insists on trying to do things himself makes sense when you know the history of him always feeling second rate compared to the other Avengers. But Kate had also come across as pretty confident and sure of herself. She was the kind of young woman who just decided to be a superhero and claimed Hawkeye’s name when he was mostly dead for a while.
This Kate seemed more Barton-esque at the beginning, doing things the hard way when there were far easier and smarter ways to go about it, and that seemed to clash a bit with what I knew about the character. So it took me a while to warm up to the story. Eventually, the idea of a superhero that no one knows trying to play LA private detective won me over. Kate emerges from this a bit beaten up but an even more interesting character.
Oh, and I really liked the joke about The Champions, too.
September 23, 2014
Clint Barton aka Hawkeye screwed up. No surprises there, but this time his protege, Kate Bishop aka Hawkeye, has had enough. She’s leaving New York for the West Coast, and she’s taking Lucky aka Pizza Dog with her. Together, they’ll set up an unlicensed private detective agency and Kate will strike out as: the West Coast Avenger!
When Kate left to be her own person and left Clint behind, the series literally became split with Matt Fraction writing one issue of Clint, then one issue of Kate, and so on, which is why the numbering of this volume is all over the place (#14, 16, 18, 20 & Annual #1), and why it’s been over a year since volume 2 came out that we’re finally seeing volume 3. Good news is that volume 4 is right around the corner, bad news is that it’s Fraction and co.’s last Hawkeye book!
I really liked this book but I didn’t LOVE it like I did the last two Hawkeyes, so, before the praise, let’s get the negs out of the way.
Hawkeye as a series has worked really well because of the concept - what he does when he’s NOT being an Avenger. It’s an anti-superhero book. It’s about becoming more street level than an already street level character. And that was really charming - for Clint.
For Kate? Well, she sets up a detective agency. I love Wes Anderson and Jason Schwartzman/Bored to Death, but that is such a hipster douchebag-y thing to do. A detective agency? It’s just so twee and precious, y’know? And then there’s the cases themselves where she goes looking for some stolen orchids, or helps out a Brian Wilson-type who was a ‘60s superstar who went crazy and has been working on his masterpiece album for decades… they weren’t bad to read, I just wasn’t enamoured with them.
Oddly, the concept the series has thus far tried to avoid - the superhero story - IS the best part of LA Woman. Kate tangling with her nemesis Madame Masque (who we met earlier in Volume 1 when Kate impersonated her) were the most entertaining moments in her story. It forced her to step up and become more real than the posturing, overly cute hipster-type she is when she’s pretending she’s a PI.
I loved that Fraction splits the Hawkeyes but they both end up having similar adventures. On the East Coast, Clint’s got Clown-Face and the tracksuit bros to contend with, while on the West Coast, Kate’s got Madame Masque and the bellboys to fight.
Then there’s Kate herself, whose character I really liked. I know, I called her a hipster douchebag, but, thankfully, there’s more to her than that - she’s got a great personality, she’s funny, she’s clever, she’s silly. She’s basically the younger female version of Clint! More impressively though is that Fraction’s made her seem like a real person - in the Marvel Universe!
She is a superhero who’s part of the Young Avengers, and she’s killer with the bow, but she’s also a teenager and her limited world experience comes through at times to make her seem vulnerable, naive and human. She’s also optimistic and caring, and I’m tiptoeing around the fact that she’s beautiful too because that’s a pretty shallow judgement, but what the hell - yes I would!
Which brings us to Annie Wu, the artist on the Kate Bishop issues (David Aja draws the Clint Barton issues). Wowee, is this art good! Kate’s outfit is stylish but practical and also fits into her dead-broke-ain’t-no-joke situation. And yeah she makes Kate look gorgeous too! Wu isn’t Aja in that she doesn’t do crazy imaginative layouts and approaches, but she lends a smooth, flowing and beautiful line to the comics that feels perfect for the breezy West Coast culture. It’s her own style but it’s also incredibly accomplished and stunning to see - Hawkeye is a series that has had nothing but fine artists throughout. And I especially loved that Kate’s PI mentor looked exactly like Elliott Gould in The Long Goodbye!
My favourite issue in the book though was drawn by Javier Pulido, the artist from the two-parter Tape storyline from Hawkeye Volume 1 (and who’s also currently drawing the brilliant She-Hulk series). Some people might not like his silhouette-heavy style, but I adore it and, while all of his pages were awesome, his credits panel was ridiculously special. It also helped that that issue was probably the best written of the bunch, too.
Hawkeye Volume 3 may not be as perfect as the first two volumes were, but, damn, those were some pretty high bars Fraction and co. set for themselves, and it’s unfair to expect that level in every outing. Instead, Volume 3 is a really good Hawkeye book, one that focuses on a different Hawkeye but still retains the Hawkeye atmosphere and fun. Fans of the series will certainly enjoy it as will those who miss Kieron Gillen/Jamie McKelvie’s Young Avengers - this is the story of what Kate did next. And she did good!
When Kate left to be her own person and left Clint behind, the series literally became split with Matt Fraction writing one issue of Clint, then one issue of Kate, and so on, which is why the numbering of this volume is all over the place (#14, 16, 18, 20 & Annual #1), and why it’s been over a year since volume 2 came out that we’re finally seeing volume 3. Good news is that volume 4 is right around the corner, bad news is that it’s Fraction and co.’s last Hawkeye book!
I really liked this book but I didn’t LOVE it like I did the last two Hawkeyes, so, before the praise, let’s get the negs out of the way.
Hawkeye as a series has worked really well because of the concept - what he does when he’s NOT being an Avenger. It’s an anti-superhero book. It’s about becoming more street level than an already street level character. And that was really charming - for Clint.
For Kate? Well, she sets up a detective agency. I love Wes Anderson and Jason Schwartzman/Bored to Death, but that is such a hipster douchebag-y thing to do. A detective agency? It’s just so twee and precious, y’know? And then there’s the cases themselves where she goes looking for some stolen orchids, or helps out a Brian Wilson-type who was a ‘60s superstar who went crazy and has been working on his masterpiece album for decades… they weren’t bad to read, I just wasn’t enamoured with them.
Oddly, the concept the series has thus far tried to avoid - the superhero story - IS the best part of LA Woman. Kate tangling with her nemesis Madame Masque (who we met earlier in Volume 1 when Kate impersonated her) were the most entertaining moments in her story. It forced her to step up and become more real than the posturing, overly cute hipster-type she is when she’s pretending she’s a PI.
I loved that Fraction splits the Hawkeyes but they both end up having similar adventures. On the East Coast, Clint’s got Clown-Face and the tracksuit bros to contend with, while on the West Coast, Kate’s got Madame Masque and the bellboys to fight.
Then there’s Kate herself, whose character I really liked. I know, I called her a hipster douchebag, but, thankfully, there’s more to her than that - she’s got a great personality, she’s funny, she’s clever, she’s silly. She’s basically the younger female version of Clint! More impressively though is that Fraction’s made her seem like a real person - in the Marvel Universe!
She is a superhero who’s part of the Young Avengers, and she’s killer with the bow, but she’s also a teenager and her limited world experience comes through at times to make her seem vulnerable, naive and human. She’s also optimistic and caring, and I’m tiptoeing around the fact that she’s beautiful too because that’s a pretty shallow judgement, but what the hell - yes I would!
Which brings us to Annie Wu, the artist on the Kate Bishop issues (David Aja draws the Clint Barton issues). Wowee, is this art good! Kate’s outfit is stylish but practical and also fits into her dead-broke-ain’t-no-joke situation. And yeah she makes Kate look gorgeous too! Wu isn’t Aja in that she doesn’t do crazy imaginative layouts and approaches, but she lends a smooth, flowing and beautiful line to the comics that feels perfect for the breezy West Coast culture. It’s her own style but it’s also incredibly accomplished and stunning to see - Hawkeye is a series that has had nothing but fine artists throughout. And I especially loved that Kate’s PI mentor looked exactly like Elliott Gould in The Long Goodbye!
My favourite issue in the book though was drawn by Javier Pulido, the artist from the two-parter Tape storyline from Hawkeye Volume 1 (and who’s also currently drawing the brilliant She-Hulk series). Some people might not like his silhouette-heavy style, but I adore it and, while all of his pages were awesome, his credits panel was ridiculously special. It also helped that that issue was probably the best written of the bunch, too.
Hawkeye Volume 3 may not be as perfect as the first two volumes were, but, damn, those were some pretty high bars Fraction and co. set for themselves, and it’s unfair to expect that level in every outing. Instead, Volume 3 is a really good Hawkeye book, one that focuses on a different Hawkeye but still retains the Hawkeye atmosphere and fun. Fans of the series will certainly enjoy it as will those who miss Kieron Gillen/Jamie McKelvie’s Young Avengers - this is the story of what Kate did next. And she did good!
November 9, 2014
This volume feels quite different from the first volume, which is because it's all Kate and no Clint. Kate has basically gotten sick of Clint and run off to LA, where she... sort of opens an adorable detective agency and, like, finds stolen orchids. Like I said, quite a tone shift. If Kate weren't so funny and earnest and determined, I probably would have gotten bored, even annoyed. But honestly, I'd watch her do just about anything. But it's very, very lightweight through most of the book. This isn't a drawback for me. I don't need all of my comics to be portentous, and sometimes a sitcom really hits the spot.
September 6, 2015
Okay, okay, so Kate is actually the real Hawkeye. I'm getting the hang of this character, finally. It's not like I had much to go on besides the two Avengers movies.
I stopped reading and exclaimed something vile when I got to the scene when Barton said something about wearing shirts like that makes him look like the guy who winds up dead, later. I didn't realize the comics people were planning that little bit of chicanery that far back before Age of Ultron. Or was it an accident that just got played up for the movie? Who the hell knows. It works. I wanna bitch-slap someone. Call me Kate.
I'm liking the build up, the laid-back feel, the deprecating humor, and pizza dog.
This is all growing into something really delightful and I'm liking it a ton more than Sex Criminals. You've got a winner here, Fraction!
I stopped reading and exclaimed something vile when I got to the scene when Barton said something about wearing shirts like that makes him look like the guy who winds up dead, later. I didn't realize the comics people were planning that little bit of chicanery that far back before Age of Ultron. Or was it an accident that just got played up for the movie? Who the hell knows. It works. I wanna bitch-slap someone. Call me Kate.
I'm liking the build up, the laid-back feel, the deprecating humor, and pizza dog.
This is all growing into something really delightful and I'm liking it a ton more than Sex Criminals. You've got a winner here, Fraction!
November 23, 2014
Not much this guy can add to the long list of positive reviews for this one. Sam pretty much hit the nail on the head for me. Right down to the Elliot Gould shout out. Before going into this one you should know that Clint is pretty much M.I.A. from the book. Don’t let deter you from checking this out, but I was a little disappointed not to see a bit more of him.
So Kate and Pizza Dog take off for the west coast to start somewhere fresh. Easier than it sounds for a broke kid new to L.A. Kate has to show some adaptability to make ends meet and ends up working as a private eye. Fraction writes Kate so well in this. She’s my kinda girl. *cough* If she was a little older that is. Great new locations and amusing additions to the cast of characters really manage to give this volume a "West Coast" feel. Couldn’t help but think of all the great west coast detective stories that came before. Pretty sure Chandler would’ve approved.
Annie Wu did a fantastic job on this book. Having such amazing art in the first two volumes had to have made her nervous. It don’t show. Loved her work and it was PERFECT for the material. The mug shot was priceless. Certainly will be looking for Annie’s stuff down the road.
While I miss Clint and probably liked this collection a hair less than the last two, it’s still not to be missed. Even sans Barton, admirers of Fraction’s earlier Hawkeye stuff can’t go wrong picking this one up. So, in the interest of not repeating everything that’s already been said about this book, get it. It’s really good.
Get this review and more at:
So Kate and Pizza Dog take off for the west coast to start somewhere fresh. Easier than it sounds for a broke kid new to L.A. Kate has to show some adaptability to make ends meet and ends up working as a private eye. Fraction writes Kate so well in this. She’s my kinda girl. *cough* If she was a little older that is. Great new locations and amusing additions to the cast of characters really manage to give this volume a "West Coast" feel. Couldn’t help but think of all the great west coast detective stories that came before. Pretty sure Chandler would’ve approved.
Annie Wu did a fantastic job on this book. Having such amazing art in the first two volumes had to have made her nervous. It don’t show. Loved her work and it was PERFECT for the material. The mug shot was priceless. Certainly will be looking for Annie’s stuff down the road.
While I miss Clint and probably liked this collection a hair less than the last two, it’s still not to be missed. Even sans Barton, admirers of Fraction’s earlier Hawkeye stuff can’t go wrong picking this one up. So, in the interest of not repeating everything that’s already been said about this book, get it. It’s really good.
Get this review and more at:
July 15, 2016
Kate Bishop is the Young Avenger with the bow and arrow. This is what she does when she's not Avenging.
Annual 1 - Kate and Lucky leave town for the West Coast. Madam Masque looks to settle a score.
Well, I didn't like this issue very much. Javier Pullido just isn't David Aja. Also, I'm not sold on Kate as a lead just yet. Still, it was cool to see Madam Masque try to get revenge on Kate.
14 - Kate reinvents herself as a private eye and goes looking for orchids. She also is flat broke.
After annual one, this issue was pretty good. The bellhops making a return appearance was a surprise.
16 - Kate finds a washed-up musician wandering the freeway and senses a mystery to solve.
The mystery seems to be inspired by the Beach Boys Brian Wilson and Pet Sounds. It was a pretty good tale. Oh, and what's with Columbo?
17 - Clint watches the Winter Friends with Simone and her kids.
This was a fill-in issue with Chris Eliopolis on art. The events of the Winter Friends cartoon reflect the events of Clint and Kate so far in the series. I didn't really care for this one.
18 - The situation with Kate and Columbo gets even stranger, leading down a train of bodies to Count Nefaria and Madam Masque!
The manure really hit the windmill in this one. Kate gets caught in a shitstorm the magnitude of which would impress even Clint.
How painful was this series to read in the monthly format?
20 - How can Kate bounce back after Harold H. Harold is found with one of her arrows in him?
Kate's time in LA comes to a close. Thank God! It was wrapped up nicely, though.
Closing Thoughts: The Kate issues killed the momentum of Clint's tale for me. However, they wound up being pretty good, just below the quality of the rest of the series. 3.5 out of 5 stars.
Annual 1 - Kate and Lucky leave town for the West Coast. Madam Masque looks to settle a score.
Well, I didn't like this issue very much. Javier Pullido just isn't David Aja. Also, I'm not sold on Kate as a lead just yet. Still, it was cool to see Madam Masque try to get revenge on Kate.
14 - Kate reinvents herself as a private eye and goes looking for orchids. She also is flat broke.
After annual one, this issue was pretty good. The bellhops making a return appearance was a surprise.
16 - Kate finds a washed-up musician wandering the freeway and senses a mystery to solve.
The mystery seems to be inspired by the Beach Boys Brian Wilson and Pet Sounds. It was a pretty good tale. Oh, and what's with Columbo?
17 - Clint watches the Winter Friends with Simone and her kids.
This was a fill-in issue with Chris Eliopolis on art. The events of the Winter Friends cartoon reflect the events of Clint and Kate so far in the series. I didn't really care for this one.
18 - The situation with Kate and Columbo gets even stranger, leading down a train of bodies to Count Nefaria and Madam Masque!
The manure really hit the windmill in this one. Kate gets caught in a shitstorm the magnitude of which would impress even Clint.
How painful was this series to read in the monthly format?
20 - How can Kate bounce back after Harold H. Harold is found with one of her arrows in him?
Kate's time in LA comes to a close. Thank God! It was wrapped up nicely, though.
Closing Thoughts: The Kate issues killed the momentum of Clint's tale for me. However, they wound up being pretty good, just below the quality of the rest of the series. 3.5 out of 5 stars.
March 2, 2016
EVERYTHING ABOUT THIS WAS AMAZING.
KATE BISHOP IS AMAZING.
THE ART WAS AMAZING.
THE CHARACTERS ARE AMAZING.
THE HUMOUR WAS AMAZING.
Ughhh everything about this was just so amazing! I desperately wanted to give it 5 stars but I feel as thought the ending is holding me back from doing so as it felt a little rushed and it was difficult to grasp what was going on. Overall, this was pretty fantastic and I think it's safe to say that I've found a new favourite female marvel character!!
KATE BISHOP IS AMAZING.
THE ART WAS AMAZING.
THE CHARACTERS ARE AMAZING.
THE HUMOUR WAS AMAZING.
Ughhh everything about this was just so amazing! I desperately wanted to give it 5 stars but I feel as thought the ending is holding me back from doing so as it felt a little rushed and it was difficult to grasp what was going on. Overall, this was pretty fantastic and I think it's safe to say that I've found a new favourite female marvel character!!
February 14, 2015
GIRL POWER!
OK, I wish I'd had this for Pink Taco week...I also suggest everyone read this.
Kate 'Girl Hawkguy' Bishop, the OTHER Hawkeye, well sort of, is sick of Clint Barton (the real Hawkguy) so she moves to LA to start all over again.
What follows is a really funny and enjoyable read through her bumbling adventures in LALA Land.
Madame Masque shows up as her main antagonist, who kinda runs the show, like spiderwebs, she's connected to all of it.
There's jokes about Lars Ulrich, stealing music, copyright laws, silly Avengers teams that make no sense, and more!
The LA feel of the book makes it a bit more laid back, and this ends up feeling like a sorta Rockford Files/non-serious Magnum PI marathon. (and I mean that as a compliment) She lives on a trailer on the beach (cat sitting for some Hippy Old Lesbians). She's got no cash, so decides to be a Hero for Hire (we even see her poster with tear off phone number attached) I'm sure Luke Cage and Danny Rand were amused.
Her first case involves finding who got stole the orchids for her gay black neighbours' wedding, and it's complicated, but a sweet ending, and the gay black dudes sorta end up being her Rick and TC. though they look more like Isaac Hayes and Fred Williamson.
Then there's the cliche about the old worn out Police Sarge who doesn't want a kid running around doing police work, but they play it for laughs well, and not stupid.
There's a whole story about a Brian Wilson like Beach Boy acid casualty who makes his comeback after years in the wilderness (pretty on point).
Then there's a mystery dude who sorta looks like Columbo who's always at the Grocery Store helping her with good advice and cheap cat food...then we get into his wild story, and past, tied in with Madame Masque again, who we also find out has some ties to Kate in other ways...but yes, MM has been making Kate's life a living hell since she's been in LA.
This book just made me smile, had a female lead who was just dorky enough, false self assured, and screwed up just enough to not be a joke but still be loveable. There's pretty much no Clint Barton in this one, so that's too bad, but otherwise, this is a fairly fun book. I enjoyed the art, and it really gave me a laid back underside of LA feel (not the beaches and sun, or Rodeo, but the crime and such side, but not gritty or nasty like NYC...)
Oh and, Pizza Dog is along for some of the ride, as he chose her over Clint! Much to Clint's dismay.
I enjoyed the gay characters here, because they felt organic and natural, not pushed in to meet quota or try to pander to an audience. I felt like it made total sense, and was very cool. I would love to see a whole series about Girl Hawkguy: Private Eye and her Gay Neighbours...MARVEL!!! I see the next TV show...(speaking of TV show, we even see Maria Hill and Phil Coulson show up to interrogate Kate!).
Tons to enjoy here from a relatively small collection (Annual #1, 14, 16, 18, 20) but I'll take quality over quantity, and both over small shitty collections any day.
Highly recommended for most people, ESPECIALLY Kat! (I feel like she's our Girl Hawkguy yo!)
OK, I wish I'd had this for Pink Taco week...I also suggest everyone read this.
Kate 'Girl Hawkguy' Bishop, the OTHER Hawkeye, well sort of, is sick of Clint Barton (the real Hawkguy) so she moves to LA to start all over again.
What follows is a really funny and enjoyable read through her bumbling adventures in LALA Land.
Madame Masque shows up as her main antagonist, who kinda runs the show, like spiderwebs, she's connected to all of it.
There's jokes about Lars Ulrich, stealing music, copyright laws, silly Avengers teams that make no sense, and more!
The LA feel of the book makes it a bit more laid back, and this ends up feeling like a sorta Rockford Files/non-serious Magnum PI marathon. (and I mean that as a compliment) She lives on a trailer on the beach (cat sitting for some Hippy Old Lesbians). She's got no cash, so decides to be a Hero for Hire (we even see her poster with tear off phone number attached) I'm sure Luke Cage and Danny Rand were amused.
Her first case involves finding who got stole the orchids for her gay black neighbours' wedding, and it's complicated, but a sweet ending, and the gay black dudes sorta end up being her Rick and TC. though they look more like Isaac Hayes and Fred Williamson.
Then there's the cliche about the old worn out Police Sarge who doesn't want a kid running around doing police work, but they play it for laughs well, and not stupid.
There's a whole story about a Brian Wilson like Beach Boy acid casualty who makes his comeback after years in the wilderness (pretty on point).
Then there's a mystery dude who sorta looks like Columbo who's always at the Grocery Store helping her with good advice and cheap cat food...then we get into his wild story, and past, tied in with Madame Masque again, who we also find out has some ties to Kate in other ways...but yes, MM has been making Kate's life a living hell since she's been in LA.
This book just made me smile, had a female lead who was just dorky enough, false self assured, and screwed up just enough to not be a joke but still be loveable. There's pretty much no Clint Barton in this one, so that's too bad, but otherwise, this is a fairly fun book. I enjoyed the art, and it really gave me a laid back underside of LA feel (not the beaches and sun, or Rodeo, but the crime and such side, but not gritty or nasty like NYC...)
Oh and, Pizza Dog is along for some of the ride, as he chose her over Clint! Much to Clint's dismay.
I enjoyed the gay characters here, because they felt organic and natural, not pushed in to meet quota or try to pander to an audience. I felt like it made total sense, and was very cool. I would love to see a whole series about Girl Hawkguy: Private Eye and her Gay Neighbours...MARVEL!!! I see the next TV show...(speaking of TV show, we even see Maria Hill and Phil Coulson show up to interrogate Kate!).
Tons to enjoy here from a relatively small collection (Annual #1, 14, 16, 18, 20) but I'll take quality over quantity, and both over small shitty collections any day.
Highly recommended for most people, ESPECIALLY Kat! (I feel like she's our Girl Hawkguy yo!)
October 27, 2015
This volume of Hawkeye collects a bunch of issues about the younger, cuter Hawkeye, Kate Bishop. What I kinda don’t get is how much like Clint she acts — she’s not the serious, dedicated leader of the Young Avengers here at all (and she doesn’t once that I can think of contact any of her team). The volume is mostly made up of new characters, aside from Kate and the antagonist, Madame Masque.
It’s fun, and the art is okay — I don’t like it as much as Aja’s — but I like Kate Bishop self-assured and telling Noh-Varr he’s a jerk, or helping Billy and Teddy save the world with love. We don’t get to see the Young Avengers off-duty like this much, which I guess is the format of these Hawkeye comics, but… I don’t know. And I half-expected her to come out with lines from Fraction’s Sex Criminals series: “This fucking guy”, etc.
She does still kick ass, but she also gets her ass kicked a lot, and often due to naivety and inexperience. Which is great, but, uh, the Young Avengers have taken down some pretty big threats, actually. Girl knows what she’s doing — and she has a support network other than Clint and her dad. A phone call to Billy or Teddy would’ve gone down well, Tommy could have been at her side in literally seconds, and America Chavez would gleefully have stomped Madame Masque’s faces. David could probably have set her up with a database, never mind files, if she’s gonna be a PI. Like, with Clint you can get him not asking for backup, because he’s a dummy. Kate isn’t. I’d at least have liked to see her think about calling her team, especially when she believes people are dying.
I don’t know, I guess one superhero being a dummy is kind of funny. Two is apparently overkill for me. Did like the gay couple who help her, though.
Originally posted here.
It’s fun, and the art is okay — I don’t like it as much as Aja’s — but I like Kate Bishop self-assured and telling Noh-Varr he’s a jerk, or helping Billy and Teddy save the world with love. We don’t get to see the Young Avengers off-duty like this much, which I guess is the format of these Hawkeye comics, but… I don’t know. And I half-expected her to come out with lines from Fraction’s Sex Criminals series: “This fucking guy”, etc.
She does still kick ass, but she also gets her ass kicked a lot, and often due to naivety and inexperience. Which is great, but, uh, the Young Avengers have taken down some pretty big threats, actually. Girl knows what she’s doing — and she has a support network other than Clint and her dad. A phone call to Billy or Teddy would’ve gone down well, Tommy could have been at her side in literally seconds, and America Chavez would gleefully have stomped Madame Masque’s faces. David could probably have set her up with a database, never mind files, if she’s gonna be a PI. Like, with Clint you can get him not asking for backup, because he’s a dummy. Kate isn’t. I’d at least have liked to see her think about calling her team, especially when she believes people are dying.
I don’t know, I guess one superhero being a dummy is kind of funny. Two is apparently overkill for me. Did like the gay couple who help her, though.
Originally posted here.
October 11, 2021
Kate Bishop moves to the West Coast to try life on her own. She manages to get a job as a PI, even though she's not technically an official PI with a licence, but that doesn't stop her from trying really hard. She also spends a lot of time dealing with her nemesis - Madame Masque. Since volume 1 when Kate embarrassed Madame Masque and pretended to be her, Masque has had it in for Kate. Fraction has built a pretty cool feud between these two.
The regular artist for the Kate Bishop issues is Annie Wu, who did a few 'love-comics' pages in a previous issue of Hawkeye (I think it was 8?). She's very different in style compared to David Aja, which is okay because it makes it feel like Kate's own book. Matt Hollingsworth is still on colours, so the colour palette is still very similar to the Aja stuff, but she's more of an artist through facial expressions then minute details like Aja.
And it's the penultimate volume to my favourite comic. It's nearly over. Ugh. Comics are so rough at times.
The regular artist for the Kate Bishop issues is Annie Wu, who did a few 'love-comics' pages in a previous issue of Hawkeye (I think it was 8?). She's very different in style compared to David Aja, which is okay because it makes it feel like Kate's own book. Matt Hollingsworth is still on colours, so the colour palette is still very similar to the Aja stuff, but she's more of an artist through facial expressions then minute details like Aja.
And it's the penultimate volume to my favourite comic. It's nearly over. Ugh. Comics are so rough at times.
March 21, 2016
This was different from vol. 1 & 2.
I wasn't hot on the character of Kate. I found it unrealistic that a teenage girl could knock out and break bones of grown henchmen.
However, later on it does become a lot more realistic. She gets her ass given to her a number of times. Trial and error by fire.
She's grown on me.
It builds a better picture of the overall flow of the story as well and they pick and choose heartfelt characters and stories for her to work with which is really refreshing.
I'm looking forward to seeing the finale.
I wasn't hot on the character of Kate. I found it unrealistic that a teenage girl could knock out and break bones of grown henchmen.
However, later on it does become a lot more realistic. She gets her ass given to her a number of times. Trial and error by fire.
She's grown on me.
It builds a better picture of the overall flow of the story as well and they pick and choose heartfelt characters and stories for her to work with which is really refreshing.
I'm looking forward to seeing the finale.
January 18, 2015
I liked the first two volumes more than this one, which focuses on Kate Bishop, the female Hawkeye. The first two volumes had sharper writing, sharper dialogue… This Hawkeye has energy, spunk, pizazz… and I wasn't very into it. Different artist… for different Hawkeye focus and thus different effects? Maybe. But didn't like the art quite as much. Still, Matt Fraction has a fine series here. I'l stick around and see if I like it more again.
June 22, 2016
Didn't enjoy this one as much as the first 2 volumes. Somewhat disappointing. Sad to see the David Aja art missing from this one too.
April 26, 2015
I wasn't really grooving on this book when I first picked it up - like most of my shallow compatriots said, "where the fuck did Hawkguy go?"
By the time I finished it though, I was pretty enchanted by this seeming-diversion away from our battered hero.
Check it out - here's an interesting theory:
- read as a story uninterrupted by any knowledge of what's going on back on the East Coast (i.e. from Kate's point of view), this is a story of growing up fast, and seeing how easy it sounds to be a better hero than Clint...
- ... and how hard that actually turns out to be
- Kate gets all the easy arrogance torn from her and finds herself in nearly as miserable a set of circumstances as she left poor "bruise is definitely my favourite colour" in
- by the time she's finished with this chapter of her life, she's finally prepared to engage in truly resolving the self-inflicted conflicts that were visited on Clint Beaten
I actually enjoyed the LA-silly characters that showed up, and how unrealistic the whole premise was. If there's one thing I hate it's total realism in my heroes' journeys, so at least there were some sympathetic (gullible?) weirdos to flesh out the bottom-of-the-barrel-scraping that Kate found herself doing.
Is this as good a Hawkguy story as book 1 or 2? Hell no - it's not a Hawkguy story by any stretch, but it's part of the extended Hawkguy universe. Would I recommend it? Hells yes, because if you're reading this then your life deserves the full Fraction/Aja/Pulido/Wu/Hollingsworth spa treatment. Yessir, why *wouldn't* you make sure you're doing your part to join our polite, scruffy cult?
By the time I finished it though, I was pretty enchanted by this seeming-diversion away from our battered hero.
Check it out - here's an interesting theory:
- read as a story uninterrupted by any knowledge of what's going on back on the East Coast (i.e. from Kate's point of view), this is a story of growing up fast, and seeing how easy it sounds to be a better hero than Clint...
- ... and how hard that actually turns out to be
- Kate gets all the easy arrogance torn from her and finds herself in nearly as miserable a set of circumstances as she left poor "bruise is definitely my favourite colour" in
- by the time she's finished with this chapter of her life, she's finally prepared to engage in truly resolving the self-inflicted conflicts that were visited on Clint Beaten
I actually enjoyed the LA-silly characters that showed up, and how unrealistic the whole premise was. If there's one thing I hate it's total realism in my heroes' journeys, so at least there were some sympathetic (gullible?) weirdos to flesh out the bottom-of-the-barrel-scraping that Kate found herself doing.
Is this as good a Hawkguy story as book 1 or 2? Hell no - it's not a Hawkguy story by any stretch, but it's part of the extended Hawkguy universe. Would I recommend it? Hells yes, because if you're reading this then your life deserves the full Fraction/Aja/Pulido/Wu/Hollingsworth spa treatment. Yessir, why *wouldn't* you make sure you're doing your part to join our polite, scruffy cult?
December 29, 2016
It was okay. The first two volumes were marvellous, but this third one, didn't strike the right cords. It was dull, boring with too too many dialogues, which was a complete opposite of the previous two volumes.
The artwork was also average at best. There was nothing that would woo your senses. Half of the time, the dialogues got so boring that I had to skip pages and pages. The ingenuity shown in first two volumes was lost here. The humor was dry as if someone has taken the sauce out of pasta.
The absence of Clint was felt through out the volume. It felt like Kate Bishop was trying too hard.
The artwork was also average at best. There was nothing that would woo your senses. Half of the time, the dialogues got so boring that I had to skip pages and pages. The ingenuity shown in first two volumes was lost here. The humor was dry as if someone has taken the sauce out of pasta.
The absence of Clint was felt through out the volume. It felt like Kate Bishop was trying too hard.
December 9, 2016
4.5 out of 5 Stars
April 26, 2015
Didn't like this one as much as the previous ones, but not because of lack of Clint (although I did miss him), but more because I didn't really like the bad guy in this one.
This one entirely follows Kate in her adventures in L.A., but nothing happens like she thinks it will. When she gets there and tries to check in to her hotel, her card is declined, and her car repossessed. And the nice woman who helps her out and takes her to lunch turns out to be Madame Masque, Kate's relatively recent new nemesis (from Vol. 1), who offers Kate a place to stay. But Kate doesn't realize it's her until it's too late, because well, she usually wears a mask. She manages to escape, thankfully, but then finds herselv basically homeless until she manages to get a gig house/cat-sitting for a couple of elderly lesbians who are going traveling.
Because this is L.A., Kate decides she's going to be a superhero detective, only: she doesn't know how, and she is pretty bad at it, and also manages to annoy everyone she comes into contact with. I find her pretty hilarious, honestly.
In the end, she does manage to make several friends and has several epically weird adventures, as if Fraction is consciously trying to do the superhero version of Hollywood before L.A. basically kicks her out again.
Vol. 4 not available at my library, so v. sad.
This one entirely follows Kate in her adventures in L.A., but nothing happens like she thinks it will. When she gets there and tries to check in to her hotel, her card is declined, and her car repossessed. And the nice woman who helps her out and takes her to lunch turns out to be Madame Masque, Kate's relatively recent new nemesis (from Vol. 1), who offers Kate a place to stay. But Kate doesn't realize it's her until it's too late, because well, she usually wears a mask. She manages to escape, thankfully, but then finds herselv basically homeless until she manages to get a gig house/cat-sitting for a couple of elderly lesbians who are going traveling.
Because this is L.A., Kate decides she's going to be a superhero detective, only: she doesn't know how, and she is pretty bad at it, and also manages to annoy everyone she comes into contact with. I find her pretty hilarious, honestly.
In the end, she does manage to make several friends and has several epically weird adventures, as if Fraction is consciously trying to do the superhero version of Hollywood before L.A. basically kicks her out again.
Vol. 4 not available at my library, so v. sad.
March 8, 2016
WHAT IS IT ABOUT?
Matt Fraction’s “Hawkeye, Vol. 3: L.A. Woman” is a collection of issues #14, 16, 18 and 20 of Hawkeye comic book series plus the first issue of Annual. Hawkeye’s talented but spoiled teenage protégé Kate Bishop got tired of Clint Barton’s, that is Hawkeye’s, drama so she left for Los Angeles and took with her Lucky the Pizza Dog. But on the West Coast things are not perfect either. Kate gets dead broke and tries to make ends meet working as a private investigator. On top of that, she is being pursued by Madame Masque who wants to revenge some old grievances…
THUMBS UP:
1) As entertaining and absorbing as ever.
Although an entire volume focuses on Kate’s adventures, I loved it as much as “Hawkeye, Vol. 1: My Life as a Weapon” and even more than “Hawkeye, Vol. 2: Little Hits.” Just like the previous volumes, “Hawkeye, Vol. 3” is surprisingly realistic, action-packed, well-thought-out, entertaining and absorbing.
2) Youthful and upbeat.
Even though I liked “Hawkeye, Vol. 2” a lot, I found it rather depressing and hoped for the brighter tomorrow in the third volume. My prayers have been answered. Hallelujah! “Hawkeye, Vol. 3” is like a breath of fresh air. Although Kate, just like Clint, gets banged up, often finds herself in trouble and makes terrible decisions, she, UNLIKE Clint, is bursting with youthful energy and optimism.
3) Kate is AWESOME.
Since the previous two volumes focused on the other Hawkeye, Clint Barton, I never really understood Kate’s character, but now I do and I absolutely love her. Kate is overconfident, ambitious, often naive and childishly silly, but she is also smart, funny, good-natured, optimistic and really good-looking. She is indeed a female version of Clint Barton, just much younger and more cheerful.
4) Wu’s artwork is SO Kate.
Wu’s illustrations are at least as good as Aja’s, and her portrayal of Kate is simply perfect: Wu brings out Kate’s character better than any of the previous artists managed to do.
COULD BE BETTER:
1) Pulido’s illustrations.
Although I’ve read plenty of praise for Javier Pulido’s illustrations in the Annual issue #1, I personally didn’t like it at all. The storyline is great, but the artwork is just so childish, simplistic and cartoon-like, and half of the characters are drawn as silhouettes. Ew!
VERDICT: 4.5 out of 5
Matt Fraction did it again: “Hawkeye, Vol. 3: L.A. Woman” is as realistic, action-packed, well-thought-out, entertaining and absorbing as the previous two volumes. Plus, this time it is all about Kate Bishop, so the vibe is youthful and optimistic. I finally really get Kate and she is actually quite awesome! And although this volume is not illustrated by Aja, Wu’s artwork is a masterpiece on its own.
Matt Fraction’s “Hawkeye, Vol. 3: L.A. Woman” is a collection of issues #14, 16, 18 and 20 of Hawkeye comic book series plus the first issue of Annual. Hawkeye’s talented but spoiled teenage protégé Kate Bishop got tired of Clint Barton’s, that is Hawkeye’s, drama so she left for Los Angeles and took with her Lucky the Pizza Dog. But on the West Coast things are not perfect either. Kate gets dead broke and tries to make ends meet working as a private investigator. On top of that, she is being pursued by Madame Masque who wants to revenge some old grievances…
THUMBS UP:
1) As entertaining and absorbing as ever.
Although an entire volume focuses on Kate’s adventures, I loved it as much as “Hawkeye, Vol. 1: My Life as a Weapon” and even more than “Hawkeye, Vol. 2: Little Hits.” Just like the previous volumes, “Hawkeye, Vol. 3” is surprisingly realistic, action-packed, well-thought-out, entertaining and absorbing.
2) Youthful and upbeat.
Even though I liked “Hawkeye, Vol. 2” a lot, I found it rather depressing and hoped for the brighter tomorrow in the third volume. My prayers have been answered. Hallelujah! “Hawkeye, Vol. 3” is like a breath of fresh air. Although Kate, just like Clint, gets banged up, often finds herself in trouble and makes terrible decisions, she, UNLIKE Clint, is bursting with youthful energy and optimism.
3) Kate is AWESOME.
Since the previous two volumes focused on the other Hawkeye, Clint Barton, I never really understood Kate’s character, but now I do and I absolutely love her. Kate is overconfident, ambitious, often naive and childishly silly, but she is also smart, funny, good-natured, optimistic and really good-looking. She is indeed a female version of Clint Barton, just much younger and more cheerful.
4) Wu’s artwork is SO Kate.
Wu’s illustrations are at least as good as Aja’s, and her portrayal of Kate is simply perfect: Wu brings out Kate’s character better than any of the previous artists managed to do.
COULD BE BETTER:
1) Pulido’s illustrations.
Although I’ve read plenty of praise for Javier Pulido’s illustrations in the Annual issue #1, I personally didn’t like it at all. The storyline is great, but the artwork is just so childish, simplistic and cartoon-like, and half of the characters are drawn as silhouettes. Ew!
VERDICT: 4.5 out of 5
Matt Fraction did it again: “Hawkeye, Vol. 3: L.A. Woman” is as realistic, action-packed, well-thought-out, entertaining and absorbing as the previous two volumes. Plus, this time it is all about Kate Bishop, so the vibe is youthful and optimistic. I finally really get Kate and she is actually quite awesome! And although this volume is not illustrated by Aja, Wu’s artwork is a masterpiece on its own.
August 20, 2022
Matt Fraction's HAWKEYE is iconic for a reason and probably the definitive rewriting of both characters. Here, Kate Bishop tries to function in LA and it just does not work out for her as everone is just too weird for her New York heart. Madame Masque, Count Nefaria, and weird eternal youth cults eskew the usual "superhero fights" for something far more interesting. The only thing keeping me from giving it a five is Kate is a bit of a brat.
September 17, 2021
*More like 3.5 stars than 3.*
Here Matt Fraction shoved aside Clint Barton and moved the spotlight over to everyone’s favourite female sharpshooter: Kate Bishop. She’s a hot mess, but at least she’s hot, right? Well, no one writes a hot mess quite like Fraction does.
The way entire dialogue scenes took place as silhouettes in broad daylight in the annual issue seemed like less of a stylistic choice and more like lazy art. Even then, Javier Pulido’s side profiles were strangely stiff and the way he drew faces made everyone look sort of alien. At least Annie Wu’s facial drawings were an improvement from that false start in the rest of the issues. However, her so-so art coupled with the completely bland colouring style of Matt Hollingsworth meant that the only interesting art in this entire vol was the one on the front cover! Oh, how I missed David Aja’s art whilst reading this.
The plot started out as inadequate and at the last minute swerved into an amazing conclusion. Kate went to LA to become the discount Jessica Jones minus the alcohol addiction and plus the bow and arrow (although she hardly used her bow and arrow which was weird for an archer). The cases she took on were either conveniently solved or pseudo-mysteries and so the mystery aspect of this vol lacked integrity, however that wasn’t really the point. The way everything tied in together at the end was the moment when Kate really shined; she didn’t progress throughout but she definitely did at the end.
I also loved the inclusion of Madame Masque. She felt like the perfect rival for Kate considering their history in previous volumes and it was great to see two butt-kicking fierce females battle it out!
So all in all, I didn’t enjoy this at the start but the last issue really secured that .5 star.
Here Matt Fraction shoved aside Clint Barton and moved the spotlight over to everyone’s favourite female sharpshooter: Kate Bishop. She’s a hot mess, but at least she’s hot, right? Well, no one writes a hot mess quite like Fraction does.
The way entire dialogue scenes took place as silhouettes in broad daylight in the annual issue seemed like less of a stylistic choice and more like lazy art. Even then, Javier Pulido’s side profiles were strangely stiff and the way he drew faces made everyone look sort of alien. At least Annie Wu’s facial drawings were an improvement from that false start in the rest of the issues. However, her so-so art coupled with the completely bland colouring style of Matt Hollingsworth meant that the only interesting art in this entire vol was the one on the front cover! Oh, how I missed David Aja’s art whilst reading this.
The plot started out as inadequate and at the last minute swerved into an amazing conclusion. Kate went to LA to become the discount Jessica Jones minus the alcohol addiction and plus the bow and arrow (although she hardly used her bow and arrow which was weird for an archer). The cases she took on were either conveniently solved or pseudo-mysteries and so the mystery aspect of this vol lacked integrity, however that wasn’t really the point. The way everything tied in together at the end was the moment when Kate really shined; she didn’t progress throughout but she definitely did at the end.
I also loved the inclusion of Madame Masque. She felt like the perfect rival for Kate considering their history in previous volumes and it was great to see two butt-kicking fierce females battle it out!
So all in all, I didn’t enjoy this at the start but the last issue really secured that .5 star.
August 15, 2014
This continues to be one of the best books in the Marvel line up right now, and I'm kind of devastated that it will be ending soon.
January 23, 2016
Ilu Kate Bishop.
April 29, 2015
I know, right?? I loved Kate Bishop in the first two Hawkeye volumes, but I am now convinced that Matt Fraction is incapable of writing a competent protagonist. The stories in this collection make it look like I could be Hawkeye. When Kate has to face off with two goons, they just beat her up without breaking a sweat--kind of like if I tried to take on two grown men without any kind of plan or special training.
It's especially odd because Kate saves Clint about a zillion times in the earlier stories. There is a badass sequence in the first volume where Kate switches places with Madam Masque. But in this book, it's revealed that Kate overpowering Madam Masque was mostly due to the element of surprise (UGH). And again, I can't believe that Madam Masque has so much trouble catching and/or killing Kate. She knows where Kate is most of the time, because Madam Masque literally lights that place on fire by the end of the volume.
Most of the plots are really dumb, like Kate running out of money (boring) and many supposedly-tongue-in-cheek conversations between Kate and the LAPD about how they're going to become partners even with the bumpy beginning (boring) and that entire weird sequence where Madam Masque ruins a gay wedding by throwing a bunch of orchids in her bathtub (boring).
Anyway, this is by far the worst volume and Kate deserves better. Also, can we talk about the sushi girls??? I just started to Google "eating sushi off ..." and there is an alarming amount of suggested searches.
It's especially odd because Kate saves Clint about a zillion times in the earlier stories. There is a badass sequence in the first volume where Kate switches places with Madam Masque. But in this book, it's revealed that Kate overpowering Madam Masque was mostly due to the element of surprise (UGH). And again, I can't believe that Madam Masque has so much trouble catching and/or killing Kate. She knows where Kate is most of the time, because Madam Masque literally lights that place on fire by the end of the volume.
Most of the plots are really dumb, like Kate running out of money (boring) and many supposedly-tongue-in-cheek conversations between Kate and the LAPD about how they're going to become partners even with the bumpy beginning (boring) and that entire weird sequence where Madam Masque ruins a gay wedding by throwing a bunch of orchids in her bathtub (boring).
Anyway, this is by far the worst volume and Kate deserves better. Also, can we talk about the sushi girls??? I just started to Google "eating sushi off ..." and there is an alarming amount of suggested searches.
December 7, 2015
A little snarkier and even slightly more self-referential than the previous story arcs, but still a lot of fun. Kate Bishop, the teenage girl Hawkeye, heads off for LA and gets embroiled in a bunch of wacky throw-back Avengers continuity involving Madam Masque and The Human Real-Life Decoys of old. The tone itself is really where the book stands out. When you have a surly, slightly naive teenage archer with pretensions to be a superhero, I guess it can't help but be wacky, but it never falls into the tropes of typical teenage archer stories. There's no romantic interest, she doesn't moon-eye over boys, and she's actually pretty awful at what she does if it isn't shooting arrows. Fraction's breathed a lot of life into the Hawkeye duo and it's a callback to the wacky days of the comics of the 60s and 70s with some modern failure thrown in for good measure.
January 4, 2017
This volume focuses on Kate Bishop as Hawkeye and her adventures in L.A. I really liked the interaction between Kate and Madam Masque. Madam Masque is out for revenge, and she isn't afraid to use all of the tricks that she has. I also liked the interaction that Kate has with the local police. It seems that the L.A.P.D. isn't as used to working with superheroes as the police in N.Y.C. However, I do miss the interaction between Kate and Clint. Sadly, the Russian bro mafia is not to be found in this volume at all.
April 28, 2015
Bullet Review:
Decently written (not a fan of Pulido's art - or is it Wu's? Now I'm not certain whose it is, but I liked Aja's of the earlier volumes), but I think it was hella confusing (the Madame Masque storyline grew crazy insane by the end) and weird that it was about Kate Bishop instead of Clint Barton.
Still better than some I've read.
Decently written (not a fan of Pulido's art - or is it Wu's? Now I'm not certain whose it is, but I liked Aja's of the earlier volumes), but I think it was hella confusing (the Madame Masque storyline grew crazy insane by the end) and weird that it was about Kate Bishop instead of Clint Barton.
Still better than some I've read.
January 12, 2015
Two words: Kate Bishop.
March 2, 2018
I reallt enjoyed this. Was all of Kates adventures in LA playing a mini PI role. Very cool but I did want more of Clint.
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