Um... Flying Motorcycle
Due to being cut off from easy access to a comic store for the next few weeks and my own desperation for review material, I've decided to fill time by going through some of my older comics and deciding weather or not they hold up today. To start, we have the comic that was my first ever introduction to Hawkeye, Avengers Spolight issue 30. We open with Hawkeye and Mockingbird coming out of a movie theater and... wait a minute, what the hell? There's a guy in the crowd wearing a Batman shirt. What? Can they do that? Do I even need to review the rest of this? What does that even mean? Is this taking place in the warped "JLA and Avengers have known each other for years" reality from JLA/Avengers? Whatever, let's review the rest of this. Hawkeye is complaining about the mindless violence of action movies and sort of being an asshole about it. Then there's a drive by shooting. Hawkeye is horrified by this and goes after those responsible, the two heroes putting on their costumes IN THE MIDDLE OF A CROWD FULL OF WITNESSES! (So much for secret identities eh guys) and summoning their flying motorcycle, because I guess they have a flying motorcycle. What? Hawkeye chases them down with ease because, y'know, he has a flying motorcycle and the gang members have a pink car. Hawkeye, who I remind you all was not two minutes ago complaining about senseless violence from action heroes, stops the gang by blowing up they're freakin' car! He subdues them, but one gang banger gets away. We cut to Hawkeye being emo about the people who were killed in the drive by shooting and how he let one get away. It's a bit whiny but it's understandable. What's not understandable is him torturing one of the captured gang members in jail for information about the guy who got away. Dude, obsess much? I get it, you wish you could have prevented the drive by shooting but this is Cry For Justice levels obsessive dickery (Sorry James Robinson). A woman named Lotus, who is the employer of the Street Gang berates the guy who got away and essentially puts a hit out on Hawkeye. The gang, called the Stone Perfs, calls out Hawkeye by leaving the corpse of a rival gang member with a threatening note at the Avengers doorstep. Wow, these guys got balls. I guess they're trying to get under Hawkeye's skin, but their also running the risk that they get the rest of the Avengers involved, that seems unwise. But, Hawkeye being the proud guy that he is decides to go in alone, once again on his flying motorcycle. He follows one of the Stone Perfs into an alley and gets ambushed and shot, his life only saved by a little kid finding him in the alley and having the good sense to call 911. Fortunately he lives but is gravely injured. During his recovery time he commissions Tony Stark to design him a new costume that's bullet proof. You'd think given who he is and his access to Avengers tech, like a FLYING MOTORCYCLE he'd already have a bullet proof costume but whatever. We then cut to six weeks later and a member of the Stone Perfs getting knocked out by an arrow and waking up on the flying motorcycle which takes him straight to the cops despite not actively committing a crime at the time of capture. We end with Hawkeye in his new costumes defeating the Stone Perfs at their hideout.
What Works:
This is a fairly simple story that shows that a hero can't always save everyone, as was the case with the drive by shooting. I can see where they were going with this and it is a story with potential. Also, say it with me now, Flying Motorcycle.
What Doesn't:
I've seen this story done so much better in so many other books. The whole, "anti-gang violence/heroes can't save everyone" message is undercut by how much of a prick Hawkeye is in this book. The guy who complains about mindless violence in movies stops a street gang by blowing up a car and then whines because he let's one asshole get away. I refuse to believe this is the first time Hawkeye has encountered a Street gang or failed to save someone, so what makes this so special? I know Hawkeye has a reputation for being a dick but this is pushing it. Also, what the hell is a "Stone Perf?"
Overall
2/5
So the question is, does this hold up? Honestly, not really. I'll admit I liked it when I first read it but in fairness I was about 9 or 10 at the time. These types of stories are a dime a dozen and this one is dragged down by its dickish protagonist. This was my first introduction to Hawkeye as a character but that doesn't mean it's a good comic.