Hawkeye: Kate Bishop Vol. 1 - Anchor Points

I was a huge fan of the previous run of Hawkeye that Matt Fraction did (based on Clint Barton's on Hawkeye) once i discovered it and found out about this when i saw the comic in our local comic shop, so i grabbed this first collection to see what i had missed.It's great, Kate is a very different Hawkeye, her story is very different but it managed to keep the humour and irreverence that ran through the Fraction series alongside a good story and great art.I can happily say i am a fan of this new Hawkeye, long may she continue.

The first six issues of Kate Bishop’s solo Hawkeye series are collected as  Hawkeye: Kate Bishop Vol. 1 - Anchor PointsHawkeye: Kate Bishop Vol. 1 - Anchor Points .Kate is now settled in LA and trying to make a living as a (currently unlicensed) Private Investigator. This volume sees her gathering a supporting cast, fighting crime in costume and tracking down missing persons in civilian dress. Eventually, the two careers collide, with Jessica Jones as a guest star towards the end just to help push up the power levels for the fight with the dragon.This is excellently scripted and excellently illustrated; there is a good mix of character-development and plot/action, but you have to wait until the end to discover who got custody of the dog.This is a low-level series in terms of powers and villains, but it is set at just the right level for the character and her abilities, and she knows a lot of people who can be called on if reinforcements are required. I just hope that it lasts longer than the other “light entertainment” series, such as Howard the Duck, Mockingbird, Spider Woman and the like.There have been break-out stars from this end of the Marvel spectrum, such as Gwenpool and Squirrel-Girl, but it did take Squirrel-Girl 20 years to break-out. Hopefully the previous Hawkeye series raised her profile enough to give her a good start here, as this one continues the feel and look of that one.

Hawkeye is one of those comics I feel happy to recommend to pretty much anyone. You want a strong, relatable, lovable central protagonist with a distinctive voice? That's Kate Bishop. You want stories with a bit of mystery, or some action, or that element of humanity that makes it feel real? You want clever, funny, dialogue to keep you engaged? Hawkeye has it. You want gorgeous art that melds perfectly with the script for great storytelling? Done. Happy reading from cover to cover.