Writer: Kelly Thompson
Artist: Leonardo Romero
Color Artis: Jordie Bellaire
As the Junior Member of both “Comicdom Wrecks” and the spin-off podcast, “Podicus Wrecks”, I will occasionally get a comic to read, digest, and discuss on a future ‘Podicus’ episode. Hawkeye #1 was one of the comics we discussed. I liked the issue enough, J.R. (‘Podicus’ founder and co-host) let me read issues #2-#5 on my own – no timetable, no assignment-like discussion (although I can’t rule out an episode on them in the distant future).
(some spoilers below)
Hawkeye #2 maintains the same light-hearted, fun tone that #1 introduced. The issue starts out in medias res, with Kate Bishop (“Hawkeye”) leading a previously-captured-in-the-last-issue Larry Gort to the police station. Gort was captured after cyberstalking and physically stalking Kinney College student Mikka Nguyen. Gort explains that he “loves” Mikka, enraging Kate. While searching Gort, kate finds a flyer/symbol for TBC – “Take Back Control”, a group that Larry sought to help him with his Mikka obsession. It went the opposite way: Larry became more obsessed with her.
At the station, Kate meets with Detective Rivera. This meeting is equal parts hilarious (for the readers), frustrating (for Kate), and annoying (for Rivera):
- Kate can’t reach Mikka, via cell, to have her come down to the police station
- Rivera can’t really do anything to Gort, since he hasn’t exactly done or said anything illegal; she also doesn’t have Mikka to file charges against him
- Kate strikes out on her own again, warning Rivera about her lack of help (after banging her hand repeatedly on Rivera’s desk)
Leaving the station, Kate runs into friend/partner(?)/computer expert Quinn. He explains that some of Gort’s emails to Mikka have the exact same time-stamps, meaning that more than one person is harassing Mikka (at least online). While they are talking – and Quinn is working up the nerve to ask Kate to go with him to a movie festival – Kate sees a TBC flyer on a wall with her “Hawkeye Vision” (with some pretty corny – in a good way – descriptions of what she is seeing). Rushing over to said wall, she encounters 3 Frat Boys trying to assault a woman, which Kate dispatches easily. A 4th guy named Johnny, not with the other 3, is nearly shot by Kate, but offers his help to Kate. The woman in the alley says that the 3 guys “just snapped”.
Back at her office, Ramona (Kate’s surfer shop owner neighbor) has broken into Kate’s place, wondering why Kate keeps blowing up her girlfriend’s phone (well, ex gf… maybe, it’s “kinda ex but not really” gf, Ramona’s not really saying directly); Kate explains what’s been going on, promising that she will find the now-missing Mikka.
Kate tracks down Larry Gort again, who skulking around the South Quad of Kinney College. A worried-for-Mikka-but-not-knowing-what-to-do Gort explains that TBC is holding a meeting (with a password to get in!) soon; Kate gets the password, goes in (not exactly disguised and acting very well), and uses it.
“I’m afraid that the old password. Grab her.”
This leads to a multi-page chase: Kate, running for her life, struggling with taking down the TBC members without injuries to innocent civilians, versus a growing group of TBC members and civilians: every time a TBC member ran by someone on the street, they started also chasing Kate. The issue ends with Kate running out of run to run.
The mix of detective work, action, and personal interactions between Kate and others make this an enjoyable issue for me. It was a MUCH easier and faster-paced issue, compared to other comics that I’ve read. I like how Kate shows the different emotions involved with being “half superhero, have P.I.”: her frustrations with detective Rivera, her conflict with Larry Gort – whether or not to just beat him up and wash her hands of the matter, and her interactions with Ramona. The issue puts a good amount of humor in, also, even if it’s just a one-liner or just some of Kate’s inner monologues.
The artwork is nice and not overly complicated. It’s a nice feature.
I won’t give it a grade, since I have no clue on how to grade a comic issue or what to compare it to. What I will do is say that Hawkeye #2 may not have the goofiness of #1 but I enjoyed it as much as #1.
The Nexus 