Review by Frank Plowright

Kelly Thompson’s take on Kate Bishop as Hawkeye was a delight, and so was Christopher Hastings’ off the wall Gwenpool. The idea, then of having them in the same series written by Thompson is a winner from the start. Just as well it’s Thompson, though, as America Chavez also features, and her previous series was muddled and disappointing under previous hands. Throw in Fuse, also transferring from Thompson’s Hawkeye series, and the provocative Quentin Quire, Kid Omega from the X-Men, to sow discord and the fun starts from the first page.

The slim premise is that there’s no superhero team based in Los Angeles, and so few heroes Kate has to advertise, hence the mismatched team selection, which also sometimes includes the Clint Barton Hawkeye. Personalities are given an airing via video interview snippets in an opening chapter also featuring land sharks and a giant Tigra, and it gets wilder from there. Thompson already knows exactly how Kate will react in any given situation, rapidly adjusts to the personalities of the remaining cast, including the surprises, and consistently drops smart observations about everyone.

Stefano Caselli is also great, never overselling the jokes, defining people visually, great with the action and not baulking at difficulties such as one character whose head is deliberately misproportioned. Expressions are a speciality.

The four chapters by Thompson and Caselli are fun all the way through, which is great unless you want your superheroes ultra-serious.

Two back-ups don’t match the main event. Matt Fraction and Alan Davis are a pair of first rank superhero creators, but their story of when Hawkeye met Hawkeye is mired in the Young Avengers continuity of a decade earlier. It begins with some tortured romance, which just sinks, and while the Hawkeye and Hawkeye moments are nicely written, teen romance isn’t Fraction’s strength.

Gwen Poole’s introduction from Hastings is a better fit with the overall tone. Danilo Beyruth’s prologue is wacky cartoon violence, and Gurihiru’s slick animation-style art supplies the remainder of Gwen finding herself on Marvel Earth and treating it as one giant adventure playground, refusing to take anything seriously. It’s still refreshingly joyful.

More of the same, please, in City of Evils. Alternatively, both are combined with Gwenpool’s other appearances in the Gwenpool Omnibus.