Review by Karl Verhoven

Since Clint Barton’s Hawkeye was rebooted in his first ongoing series, Kate Bishop has been a partner, two Hawkeyes sorting out problems whether in the neighbourhood or further afield. However, All New Hawkeye ended with Clint making a decision Kate eventually couldn’t live with, and the team splits. The point of contention is three incredibly powerful children rescued from Hydra. Where they came from and how their powers worked wasn’t explained, although is here, but their effect was devastating, and now thirty years into the future they’ve become a global threat.

The bantering relationship between the two Hawkeyes was well played out by Jeff Lemire, and that continues almost effortlessly. “Clint, I was a lot of things, but I was never your sidekick”, is Kate’s assessment at one point. In All New Hawkeye Lemire ran two narratives, one of Clint’s youth and the other in the present day, distinguished by Ramón Pérez employing two distinct styles, a system repeated here. The present day sequences are customary pencil and ink, while a sketchier style with a distinctive faded watercolour scheme differentiates the future, and eventually the past again. As before, Pérez supplies both styles well.

And as before Lemire has a clever plot in mind. Once the action in the future begins, what happens in the present day becomes distinctly mundane, and the fear is that Lemire will keep that as padding in playing out the future. He’s better than that. For starters, anyone who wondered why it was just Clint’s youth spotlighted last time gets the answer as Kate’s past emerges here. It’s skilfully told. Clint’s past featured an abusive father and Kate’s childhood is characterised by neglect, a different form of abuse. As he did before, Lemire ties past and present together by reflecting narrative captions.

Quite a few Marvel guest stars feature, although most are cameos, and Lemire takes the plot in unexpected directions, ultimately using forgiveness as theme several times. It’s all very pleasing.