Top 10 Moments from ‘Hawkeye’ by Matt Fraction and David Aja

Have you tried Marvel Unlimited yet? It’s your all-access pass to over 29,000 Marvel comics, available at your fingertips. Download our new, supercharged app on the App Store or Google Play today and enjoy a first year for $55!

There’s more than one Hawkeye in the Marvel Universe, but it took an extraordinary comic series to bring together Clint Barton and Kate Bishop as co-headliners. In 2012, writer Matt Fraction and artist David Aja launched HAWKEYE (2012). This 22-issue run has since become an iconic comic book and an instant fan-favorite that has influenced Hawkeye’s role as an Avenger. (And solidified Kate Bishop’s status as her own, solo hero!)

To celebrate this comic run by Fraction, Aja, and a handful of guest artists, we take a look back at our favorite moments from HAWKEYE (2012). Every issue is available to read on Marvel Unlimited, so binge the series in full!

“FIX THIS DOG” (HAWKEYE #1)

Before confronting the Tracksuit Mafia, Clint showed kindness to their dog, Arrow, and offered him a slice of pizza. Because the Tracksuits mistreated Arrow, he sided with Clint when the mafia tried to shoot the Avenger. Arrow’s heroic actions left him on the brink of death, and Clint took it upon himself to save the dog’s life. “Arrow” wasn’t Clint’s dog, but he still insisted that the veterinarians “fix” him. Clint even changed Arrow’s name, which is how he came to be called Lucky the Pizza Dog.

BOOMERANG ARROW (HAWKEYE #3)

The freeway sequence in issue #3 has a lot of similarities to the car chase in Marvel Studios’ Hawkeye. However, the end of the comic book chase went in a different direction. While Clint’s trick arrows played a part in both scenes, the deft choice of Boomerang Arrow allowed Kate and Clint to get out of a tough situation.

KATE UNMASKS (HAWKEYE #4)

In order to retrieve an incriminating video tape, Clint undertook a risky mission in Madripoor. Unfortunately, he was quickly captured by Madame Masque and her men. Madame Masque confiscated Clint’s S.H.I.E.L.D.-funded credit card and outbid all of her competitors by a wide margin. But the real surprise came at the end of issue #4, when Madame Masque took off her mask in private to reveal that Kate Bishop had taken her place at the auction.

“HAWKGUY” (HAWKEYE #6)

During some down time at his building, Clint bonded with the residents during cookouts on the roof. One of the neighbors, Grills, told Clint that he didn’t have to pretend that he wasn’t Hawkeye. However, Grills just couldn’t quite get Clint’s codename right, and he kept calling him “Hawkguy.” We’ve got to admit, it’s pretty close! And this name did stick around.

"JERSEY RULES!" (HAWKEYE #7)

Fraction and guest artists Jesse Hamm and Steve Lieber created a special issue that revealed what Clint and Kate were doing during Hurricane Sandy. While Clint and Grills tried to help Grills’ father weather the storm, Kate went to a wedding in New Jersey. Hurricane Sandy made life difficult for both Hawkeyes, and Kate had to confront some looters in order to save one of the guests at the wedding during a medical emergency. Kate was blindsided by the crooks and knocked down. But she was impressed when the residents of New Jersey caught the thieves themselves and gave her the medicine she needed to save the guest. That’s when Kate shared her joyful proclamation about the Garden State.

THE CLOWN FROM HELL (HAWKEYE #10)

While the Tracksuit Mafia were the most frequently recurring antagonists in HAWKEYE (2012), the Clown was the most terrifying new villain to emerge from the series. After making his debut in issue #8, the Clown took the spotlight in issue #10 as readers learned how young Kazimierz “Kazi” Kazimierczak transformed from a performer in a circus family to a lethal killer. Out of makeup, Kazi had a (briefly) amorous encounter with Kate Bishop before he resumed his identity as the Clown and brutally killed someone close to Hawkeye.

LUCKY’S DAY OUT (HAWKEYE #11)

For a change of pace, Fraction and Aja set an issue entirely from the perspective of Lucky the Pizza Dog. And while Lucky is both a good boy and very intelligent, his understanding of English is somewhat limited. Instead, Lucky lives in a world of scents, taste, and sight. He realizes that someone in Clint’s life is missing long before Hawkeye or the police do. Lucky also has a run-in with his former owners before choosing between Kate and Clint when their partnership dissolves.

“WE” (HAWKEYE #19)

After the Tracksuit Mafia struck back, Clint once again struggled with hearing loss. Issue #19 was largely told through American Sign Language as Clint’s brother, Barney, tried to get through to Hawkeye and pull him out of his funk. Once Clint had his head on straight, he rallied the residents of his building with an ASL speech which was translated by his brother. When one of the residents asked Hawkeye how he would stop the Tracksuits, Clint replied “we.” As in “we will stop them together.” And that brought them all together in a powerful moment of unity.

“HAWKEYE OUT” (HAWKEYE #20)

Issue #20 opens with Kate’s father, Derek Bishop, receiving an alarming phone call from his daughter. However, we don’t get to see Kate’s side of the conversation until the last page when she reads her father the riot act. During the course of Kate’s investigation, she learned that her father’s fortune came from criminal activity. That’s why she renounced his money in their conversation and promised to make him pay for what he had done. “Hawkeye out” was simply Kate’s way of saying “I’m coming for you.”

GOING OUT ON TOP (HAWKEYE #22)

The closing scene of HAWKEYE (2012) may be a familiar sight. In a string of three silent pages, Clint and Kate regroup and take in some target practice together. He’s Hawkeye and she’s Hawkeye, and this was their story.

Want to read this game-changing run in full? Download the all-new Marvel Unlimited app for iOS or Android devices today to enjoy HAWKEYE (2012)!

Follow Marvel Unlimited on Twitter and Facebook to stay tuned in to weekly announcements, articles, and more, all at @MarvelUnlimited. Follow us today to join the conversation with thousands of fellow fans, and let us know what you’re reading!