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By Jason Bourgeois
Well, this is a rare occasion. I almost never do a double review in one month. However, these two comics inspired me, since they were both first issues, both characters I normally enjoy, and whereas one grabbed me almost from the very first page, the other was the absolute opposite, and never got my attention at all.
The two characters, and their eponymous titles, in question, are Hawkeye and Gambit. Both are fairly normal guys. Sure, Gambit is a mutant with the ability to kinetically charge objects and they go boom, but those don't define him. For the most part, his skills lie in thievery and trickery, skills anyone can gain with training. And Hawkeye's just an awesome archer.
Both men are rogueish, snarky, and have issues with authority on their good days. But when the chips are down, they are loyal and eager to help. And both have a habit of being given comic series that never quite seem to last. Gambit tends to have better luck in that category, thanks to his secondary mutation of good sales.
And last month gave us new number ones for both of the heroes at almost the same time. I was looking forward to both, but as their release loomed, I found myself becoming increasingly disintrested in one of the titles.
First up, lets look at Gambit. Right out of the gate, the book nails the character. The voice is clear, the art is crisp, and the book is just plain fun. I might tweak a few things, but overall, it was a fun action story told in a single issue, setting up threads for the next, and played to Gambit's strengths.
The plot centers around Remy deciding to go off and try and pull a heist at the home of someone so notoriously paranoid, so protective, so well guarded, that it is believed to be all but impossible. "All but," is all he needs to hear. Gambit isn't doing this for any particular reason besides the fun and the challenge. That's a fun idea, and not one often seen. Why is he doing this? Well, just because! Things go wrong by the end, naturally, and that's when the good stuff happens, and leaves us hanging for next issue, as a good comic should.
It let him go on a heist, break the rules, use his charm, and also be a total bad boy by using his Jean Grey School credentials to get in where he shouldn't be. Which is a total Gambit move. Every page is undeniably him. It sums the character up and highlights all of his major abilities, while being fun and well told. Almost a perfect introduction to the character, the concept, and the series' ideas.
So yeah, guess which book I liked.
And then there's this Hawkeye.
Sigh. I wanted to like this book. Hawkeye is one of my favourite Avengers. When done well, he always brings a different viewpoint, plays well off Captain America, and is just as fun as Gambit, for different reasons. Also, there's promises of his replacement, Kate Bishop, being in the series, but she fails to appear in the first issue. I understand why, they wanted to spotlight one Hawkeye before bringing in a second, but it was something I was looking forward to, and did not receive.
Even besides that, the book just isn't so great for me. I've never been a huge fan of David Aja's artwork. I have nothing against it, but at the same time, it's rarely my thing. Still, in Hawkeye #1, it is crisp, clean, and energetic. Probably some of his best work, in my opinion. So at least there's that.
But the story... It centers around Hawkeye, who never once fires an arrow and only does the bare minimum with his abilities, moving into a new building, and running afoul of the local Russian mob. That right there is two major missteps right off the bat. This is more of a Clint Barton tale than a Hawkeye story. Outside of the first couple pages, he's not even in costume. Now, that's fine sometimes, but this is a first issue, setting things up, and it fails on all counts. It also takes him far away from familiar surroundings, rather than embracing the wider Marvel Universe, making him just some guy in New York City.
And oh, the Russian mob plot. See, the landlord of Clint's new building works for them, and he's being an absolute jerkbag for the express purpose of making the building an unwelcoming environment and makes all the tenants move out. Once he's done that, he'll sell the building for gigantic profit.
For the love of all that's Kirby, how many times have we seen this plot in movies, TV shows, books, and everywhere? It is almost as tired a plot cliche as the underground fight club. There was nothing particularly interesting or clever to Hawkeye #1's take on the idea either so...
Aside from the artwork, Hawkeye #1 is a complete wash for me. I am hard pressed to even see just who this book would appeal to at all. I guess people who are into gritty crime drama, and don't realise they can get this exact same story anywhere else, and better done. I do not read comics to watch characters punch up thugs. I want to be amazed. I want to be wowed. Give me big ideas, blow me away.
At the very least, you have to give me something I can't see on any day of the week in the real New York City. That, to me, is uninteresting fiction. It's a glorified news report.
So, Gambit #1 wins the honour of me continuing to purchase the title. And Hawkeye gets dropped faster than a hot brick.
Oh, but Hawkeye is not the only book to be dropped by me recently. I am cleaning house. Be sure to come back next month to read all about the Great Purge of 2012.
Jason M. Bourgeois
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