The Good

I'm just going to come out and say it: this issue is brilliant. Matt Fraction has made sure Clint Barton's life is entertaining, uniquely presented and full of gripping emotion, but this "dream" story is pure, unparalleled fun. You know those holiday cartoons that invade your TV set during the holiday season? Well, Fraction dedicates basically the entire issue to one of those... except it stars animals and Hawkeye is a dog named "Steve." I'm guessing some of you just imitated the "wat" meme right about now, and if so, odds are this issue isn't for you. There, $2.99 saved. You're welcome. However, for the rest of you, this issue not only gives us some insight into how Clint truly feels about his life, but also brings about record high levels of happiness.

The parody of these TV specials is beyond clever. Not only does Fraction present some hysterical holiday heroes, but he also puts a beyond hilarious twist on some of the characters that regularly appear within the series. I won't spoil it for you, but let's just say fans may stop saying "bro" and start using a totally different word. And to top it all off, the conclusion has what is without question the most tender and adorable moment you'll read all week. Prepare to exclaim, "awww." And if you think you're too cool to say it out loud, you'll probably at least say it in your head. But really, don't fight it. Appreciate the cuteness! On top of all this levity, it also manages to serve as a character study. Fraction jumps into Barton's psyche and, in a totally comedic and pleasant way, illustrates how he feels about his life and relationships.

David Aja only creates the first and last page, but as always, they're full of character and the panel layout is perfect for Fraction's script. The rest of the issue is by artist Chris Eliopoulos and it's delightful, animated and simply heartwarming. Jordie Bellaire's coloring boosts all of the charming craziness and these pages are exploding with vitality and color. It honestly feels like you're watching a twisted yet lovable take on one of these iconic and silly animated movies. All in all, it's a real treat for your eyes.

The Bad

Is it a bit of a bummer we don't get to follow-up on the last issue's crazy cliffhanger? Of course, but that has literally nothing to do with this issue, so there's no reason why it should be held against it. Smiling is good for you, friends, and this issue will absolutely keep you smiling.

The Verdict

A wise person once asked, "what is love?" Well, I think we finally have an answer: love is this issue. It's simple: if you have a heart, go buy this issue right now and prepare to have it cuddled and warmed. If you think you don't have a heart, well... it's very possible this issue will make you discover that you're wrong and you'll fall in love with this completely out there and joyous read. If you think this cartoonish standalone is too wacky for you, then hey, to each their own, right? But for everyone else, this is going to be a pure delight. Long story short, Fraction continues to prove HAWKEYE is one of the best books currently available. Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to read this again.

I'm behind a few issues! Sounds like I need to catchup!

Dog really dog I love this issue dog. Love the story dog and it's a nice follow up to those who have stayed loyal with the series dog. And dog the cover art dog I love it dog. Go read this issue dogs.

Hey, Mister Sun...the jerk store faxed...

Hilarious.

Bruddddder

Cute story, didn't blow me away though. Drugs and Clint Barton's brain are dangerous things kids.

I wasn't that into it. 3/5

Not that I don't appreciate a cute little story like this or anything, but between all the delays, switching up with Kate in LA, and now filler issues, this whole thing with the clown is taking forever!

This is kinda where I'm at.

Some of the dialogue felt very... choppy(?) too. Hard to follow. It just... I wasn't impressed.

Okay I liked the last issue because it had Hawkeye action, suspense, a little comedy, and a cliffhanger. To me this issue is just pointless filler. Yeah it's funny and creative, but to me it's not really expanding the character. And that's the essence of what I look for in good comic book stories, especially when the character is several decades old.

When I started reading Fraction's Hawkeye from issue one, I thought it was interesting, funny, and developing the character from a perspective we don't see (what he does when he's not superheroing). Today, I also read the new Secret Avengers and it felt like the creators took the same kind of story tone and concepts as Fraction's Hawkeye. I skimmed through Soule's She-Hulk a couple weeks ago and it also felt very similar but with worse art in my opinion.

It feels a little like several creative teams are overdoing this concept or genre ( if you can call it that) of comic book storytelling. And I'm definitely getting tired of it. Give me broody Batman with a bit of dark humor thrown in for good measures!

^^Agreed.

Marvel is going overboard with this cutesy, 'clever', hipster bs.

(Both in comics and in movies; most notably with Whedon). It makes me want to throw up.

Reviewers seem to be eating it up however.

I've likes this series a lot, about time for another pizza dog issue while he adventures with Kate it Clint but keep the issue from dog's POV

WHAT JUST HAPPENED

I was actually hoping this turned out to be a dream induced by the events of the events of issue #15 but nope, another fun issue to waste time and keep the plot from being progressed at all. It was certainly worth a few giggles, but I'm so darn sick of having the actual story delayed at this point. 2/5.

Loved that line.

Issues like this make me glad I'm reading this book in trade. While the wait is a little rough, at least I don't have to contend with filler issues and delays in the middle of an ongoing story. I have no doubt that this issue is very good, but I could definitely see it being pretty frustrating.

Great issue.

Bad timming.

You can't leave your main character half dead one issue and in the next one make this. I love how they let Fraction experiment with this comic but you just can't do this.

Dog, I just couldn't get that into it, dog. It seemed too much like they wrote it in a day, dog.

That said, when are they going to have a Hawkeye/Superior Foes of Spider-Man crossover? That would be everything I need in life.

This book is the best but this is an example of the huge delays affecting the story quality for current issue buyers IMO. The slow pacing has become utterly glacial.

This is a fun specialty pure filler issue, at the absolute last time in this series I wanted one. I thought the whole metaphor was cool and fun, but it wasn't 5 star funny or clever imo. I'd put it more at a 3.

I hated this issue especially after finally getting some movement with the main story and the great cliffhanger to issue 15. I would rather get 4 issues a year than all of this filler crap that I get lumbered with, my pull list is expensive enough without paying for crap. Since Grills death we've had a load of Rashamon type fillers (including Pizza Dog's POV) that didn't move the story forward at all for 6 months, Kate Bishop leaving & getting her own story essentially making the Clint Barton story bi-monthly at best and now this rubbish. The thing that really gets under my skin is, any other book would of been dropped but I've waited so long for a resolution to the main story I'm stuck with it...begrudgingly. 0.5/5 for the 2 pages by Aja.

This story would have been much better suited for a back-up in an annual. Even as someone who is a completist with titles like this, this is an issue I really didn't want to buy, so I didn't.

I like Pizza Dog but was it him or Clint dreaming? Anyway I have kind of forgotten the Clint storyline and will need to reread those issues. Green Arrow is surpassing this series now. Get back to the story! Although I think Lucky is really cool.

Couldn't disagree with this review more. This experiment Fraction has been running needs to wrap up. Once I realized that the Christmas story was for the whole issue, I had to force myself through it.

seriously? this was a terrible comic. i guess i'm just a grouch with no heart. hated it, almost as much as i hated the other dog issue with no words.

although, to be fair, i stopped caring on like page 3 and skimmed the rest of it. garbage

@sparty_dbq: Lmao YES! Cute story and all but come on, I would have watched my old Barney tapes from when I was a kid if that's what I wanted to see. This is Hawkeye and I just would like to see what happens with the main story because they really do keep changing subjects and point of views.. Hopefully #18 will be better, gonna go read it now.