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The Fantastic ‘Hawkeye’ Comic You Need to Read to Prepare for Marvel’s Next Series

Anna Tingley
·3-min read

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The bows are out in the first trailer for Marvel’s upcoming “Hawkeye” series for Disney Plus, which sees Jeremy Renner reprise his role as master archer Clint Barton alongside the new addition Hailee Steinfeld as beloved comic book character Kate Bishop. But before you binge the new series, which comes out Nov. 24, you’ll want to make sure to read the acclaimed comic series of which it’s presumably based.

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While series writer Jonathan Igla has been mum on official adaptation inspirations, there are enough similarities between the trailer and the beloved comic to make the assumption that plenty of plot fodder has been pulled from this exceedingly witty comic, anyone else spot the exploding, Trust A Bro van? Even the first poster and title font is channeling the previous cover aesthetics.

The 22-volume series by Matt Fraction and David Aja has been heralded as one of Marvel’s best comics since the first edition came out in 2012, giving attention to the often-overlooked, bow-wielding Avenger that was first created by Stan Lee and Don Heck. In the comics, Hawkeye is born as Clint Barton before joining the circus at a young age, where he excels with the bow and goes on to become a skilled crimefighter for the Avengers. Renner first portrayed Hawkeye in 2011’s “Thor” before reprising his role in “The Avengers” films, but the upcoming Disney Plus series is the first time Hawkeye will be in the spotlight, one of the only original Avengers to not have his own solo film.

But it’s fan favorite characters such as Lucky the Pizza dog and his endearing dynamic with fellow bow-wielder Kate Bishop that make the Hawkeye storyline so compelling, made even more captivating by smart humor and unique visuals. In fact, the initial one-off comic was so popular when it first came out that it became a #1 New York Times bestseller for graphic novels upon its release, knocking the ultra-popular “Walking Dead Compendium” out of the number one slot.

Part of what makes the series such a unique faction of the MCU is Barton and Bishop’s lack of traditional superpowers, lending the story more time and space to focus on their day-to-day lives (when they aren’t solving bloody murder mysteries or taking part in rooftop gun fights), making it palatable for even the least action-driven reader.

One of the best comics of the series might be No. 11, which “Wired” heralded as “the best comic book of the year” in 2013, praising Fraction and Aja for brilliantly tackling the challenge of telling the entire story through the dog Lucky’s perspective using olfactory senses. “I had to go through and figure out what each character smelled like,” Fraction told “Wired” when it came out, explaining that Barton smelled like coffee, and Bishop like flowers, cocktails and pizza.

But such distinct and smart storytelling are characteristic of the entire series, so if you need to do some research before diving headfirst into the anticipated series, you’ll want to get your hands on the highly enjoyable comic series in time for the premiere. Link to the hardback below, but it’s also available for pre-order as a paperback now (book will be released on Nov. 2, 2021).

‘Hawkeye’ by Matt Fraction and David Aja, Omnibus Edition

Courtesy of Amazon
Courtesy of Amazon

Buy: Hawkeye by Matt Fraction and David Aja, Omnibus Edition $219.95

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