Old Man Hawkeye #2 Review

Old Man Hawkeye #2

Publisher: Marvel Comics
Writer: Ethan Sacks
Artist: Marco Checchetto
Letterer: VC’s Joe Caramagna
Color Artist: Andres Mossa

Review by Anelise Farris

Old Man Hawkeye #2 continues the story of Clint Barton as he navigates a world that was radically changed after the Avengers fell half a century earlier. It is a bleak, territorial world, and Hawekeye is only able to find temporary jobs as a hired protector. Job prospects aren’t his biggest problem, however, as Hawkeye is told that he is going blind—fast. So what does Hawkeye want to see before his sight is gone forever? Well, as issue #1 informed us, Hawekeye is making it his final (sighted) mission to *ahem* avenge the fall of the Avengers…

When Old Man Hawkeye #2 opens, we are in Des Moines with a family who mentions working with a certain archer (cough cough) and now they are in danger. This leads to a bloody dinner party because the last thing you want at your table is a psychopathic Hawkeye-hunting marshal. So, while this is a story of Clint being a hunter, it is also the story of him being hunted: by a venom symbiote-bonded dude wanting revenge for Clint killing his buddies and by the aforementioned marshal.

Old Man Hawkeye #2 is a fantastic read, both in terms of story and art. Most of the issue is devoted to the marshal’s visit to this family, and in that way it reads more like a horror, home invasion comic–which was such a cool surprise! That being said, there is still plenty of Hawkeye. The start of his mission takes him to a club where he interrogates a Watcher’s eye (and enjoys a glass of bourbon), as well as Arcade Murderworld, Nevada–which, despite the name, is an absolutely gorgeous carnival wonderland. 

The art in Old Man Hawkeye #2 is breathtaking. The dinner party gone awry is rendered primarily in blues and shadows. This definitely amplifies the eeriness and leaves you feeling fearful and chilled. The art style is realistic, detailed, and if a comic (or any story) can make me feel what the characters are feeling from the first few pages, then I consider it a huge success. And Old Man Hawkeye #2 certainly is that. There are a ton of wordless panels here, which shows that this creative team is confident in their balance of writing and art to carry the story. One of my favorite pages in the whole issue is when Clint arrives in Nevada: the carnival setting is whimsical and colorful yet also entirely unsettling. 

Verdict: Buy it.

I like my candy-colored brightness with a heavy dose of darkness, and Old Man Hawkeye #2 certainly delivers that.