Hawkeye #7 - A Review

There's risks in bringing a real-world tragedy into a work of superheroic fiction.  By setting such a story in a world with superpowers, the writer risks begging the question of why our heroes aren't more effective in dealing with a natural disaster.  A writer can also easily become preachy and saccharine when dealing with the theme of the common man rising up and finding their inner hero in a time of crisis.  Thankfully, Hawkeye #7 avoids both these traps as it deals with the Hurricane Sandy disaster.


Matt Fraction tells two tales of our two Hawkeyes.  In the first half of the book, Clint Barton is caught amidst the flooding of Rockaway Beach as he tries to help his neighbor Grills with caring for his invalid father.  At the same time, Kate Bishop is attending an engagement party in New Jersey and must brave natural disasters and petty criminals to secure the medication a fellow attendee needs to survive the night.  There's a lot of drama here, naturally, but still plenty of the humor that makes this book a treat to read every month.


The issue's two artists both do a fine job, though I can't credit which one is responsible for which parts of the book.  It might benefit Marvel editorial in the future to note the page numbers each artist was responsible for on the title page.  It's a small thing, as I like to give credit where credit is due, but everything looks good.

Even if you're not a Hawkeye fan, you might consider picking this issue up for the sake of charity.  Matt Fraction has promised to donate all of his proceeds from the sale of this comic to the Red Cross.  So even if my word isn't good enough to make you believe this comic is worth buying for the sheer fun of it, think of the good you'd be doing the world - in a small way - by investing in a copy.  Just a thought.