Gone To The Birds: Hawkeye & Mockingbird
Hawkeye & Mockingbird concluded this week with the release of issue 6, with a slated continuation to come next month in the form of "Widowmaker". Now that the story can be put to rest, what are we left with from one of this site's most beloved authors? Read on for some closure of this unforgettable "Ghosts" arch.
When I reread Hawkeye and Mockingbird, I first noticed the skillful usage of noninvasive continuity details, from Pym particles to Bobbi's retconned history with the Skrulls keep you going, we even get moments from Clint's tenure as Ronin put to work. Fitting, as the overarching themes of McCann's run deal with issues of redemption and traumatic pasts. The arch really comes off as a love ballad of Clint and Bobbi, pitting them against each other as they try to consolidate their dedications with their relationship, with ton of background noise from guns and Captain America cameos. Undoubtedly, it's a great story, and no issue goes without a handful of empowering moments, but I fear that in a collected edition, the cliff-hangers will appear ineffectual. Whatever danger is proposed at the end of an issue is quickly subverted, with mind-bullets that only paralyze and threatening head-shots that maim despite their intention to kill. Reveals are always more powerful than whatever threats can be presented, causing the pacing to suffer in collected readings.
Fortunately, David Lopez's art remains consistently strong, with its simple but effective page layouts that employ more than grids and gutters. He's fixated on doing faces in the frontal perspective, but there is enough variance to prevent this from being bothersome. He also capable of matching all the script's demands for gadgetry in style, with clean, rarely-if-ever confusing lines. The man deserves more credit, and it will take some getting used to to see Clint's rugged features through another pencil.
Among his original auxiliary characters, McCann pays special attention to Dominic Fortune, who is mostly a romantic antagonist throughout the story, though his subplot becomes startlingly fleshed out in the final issue and hints at unplumbed developments. His story may not make it to the Widowmaker series, but it can stand alone as a testament to the writer's ability to place great consideration into the elements of the universe he's handling.
Alternately, McCann's "Twitchy", who bears a limited resemblance to the author, may be a character whose sexuality is irrelevant to the story and not explicitly stated, but nonetheless offers subversive hints of his alternate lifestyle. In the beauty of McCann's craft, it's not some exhausted stereotype that gives him away, but is instead found in the very modern dialogue these characters speak in.
6 issues, loads of fun to be had. It was great while it lasted, like Hawk and Mock's fizzle-burn romance, but we won't be without these characters in such adept hands for very long.
Rubber Justice
Posted to Review on 5 November 2010
· Comments (2)
Other stuff like this: hawkeye, jim mccann, marvel, mockingbird
I don't know how unexplicit his sexuality is. In issue 4 he mentions his and some guy called Roland's dogs. Do two non-gay men get dogs together?
I've been noticing a few gay 'assistants' appearing in comics recently.
Obviously there's been Frenchie in Moonknight, more recently in the latest Black Cat mini there's been a gay guy who helps her with the planning of her heists or something and now Twitchy here.
You may be on to something. On top of your folks, there's Zatanna's assistant, and Manhunter's... It seems the gay support crew for strong females is well on its way to tropedom.