Hawkeye #1
Published and © by Marvel, September 1983
Title: “Listen to the Mockingbird”
Synopsis: Hawkeye has a great new job and lady friend, too. Time for the proverbial wheels to come off the rocket-sled!
Writer: Mark Gruenwald
Artist (pencils): Gruenwald
Artist (embellishments): Brett Breeding
Review: A confession: There’s probably nostalgia at play in this review, as this Hawkeye miniseries was the reason this reviewer bought his first comic-book bags. Reading it for the first time in 26 years, it still holds up pretty well. Writer Mark Gruenwald does a good job developing the longtime Avengers supporting player into a leading man, most noticeably by teaming him with Mockingbird. Gruenwald is not as strong as an artist, but, with the exception of a few storytelling and anatomical quirks, his work shows potential, especially under the heavy influence of Brett Breeding’s inks.
Grade: B+
Second opinion: “3 out of 4 stars.” – Kurt Anthony Krug, Comics Buyer’s Guide #1654, June 2009 … “Competent superhero fare.” – The Slings & Arrows Comic Guide (second edition), 2003
Cool factor: Hawkeye strikes out on his own, and Mark Gruenwald takes an auteur turn.
Notable: First teaming of Hawkeye and Mockingbird.
Collector’s note: According to the Grand Comics Database, there is a 75¢ Canadian variant of this issue.
Character quotable: “I always behave myself around ladies.” – Hawkeye (umm … see review of The Avengers #189)
Editor’s note: This review was originally published by Comics Bronze Age on Sept. 1, 2009.
