Hawkeye #1 (September 1983)

With the Christmas season here, I thought it would be nice to give the gift of another comic review. I was wondering what to look at, until I watched the Hawkeye miniseries on Disney+. Since it was basically an MCU Christmas special, I thought...why not talk about a comic focusing on the Avenging Archer for the week of Christmas? Well, that and my lack of Christmas-themed comics.

Hawkeye, like many of Marvel's most famous superheroes, has a long history. Clinton Francis Barton first appeared in Tales of Suspense #57 (September 1964). He started out as an antagonist of Iron Man's, but eventually became a full-on hero, joining the Avengers. He would have a long history with the group, even eventually becoming leader of the Avengers' West Coast offshoot. 

He's also had his fair share of solo spotlight. The comic we're looking at here is the first issue of his first miniseries from 1983. He would go on to have several more miniseries after this, and even a couple of attempts at ongoing series. With that out of the way, let's look at Hawkeye #1!

The cover is a Mark Gruenwald and Brett Breeding piece. Yes, you heard that right. Mark Gruenwald was more known as a writer, but he did do fill-in pencil work back in the early 80s on various titles. It's a good cover, if a bit basic. It depicts our man Clint on a factory tower (I think), ready to fire an arrow.

"Listen to the Mockingbird"
Writer: Mark Gruenwald
Penciler: Mark Gruenwald
Inker: Brett Breeding
Colorist: Bob Sharen
Letterer: Joe Rosen
Editor: Denny O'Neil
Editor-in-Chief: Jim Shooter

The story begins with Hawkeye having a bit of fun with a brand-new toy of his at his place of employment at the time, Cross Technological Enterprises.

Page 2, Panel 3

Introducing Hawkeye's Sky-Cycle. This little vehicle would be associated with the character, with him using these vehicles in his later time with the West Coast Avengers. The Avenging Archer spots three men skulking around the area and uses three arrows to dispatch them all at once: A bola arrow, a net arrow, and a glue arrow.

It turns out these three men were CTE men, helping Clint test out his new vehicle. One of the men is the vehicle's designer, Jorge Latham. Barton is happy with Latham's work on the Sky-Cycle. One of the men asks why Hawkeye uses a bow and arrow when a gun would easier and deadlier. Well, as it's shown, a bow is quieter, and in Clint's hand is much more versatile. One of the men tries to pull back the string on Clint's bow but finds he can't do it. A bit of foreshadowing...

It's here that a lady named Sheila Danning enters the scene.

Page 5, Panel 8

Danning is CTE's Public Relations director, and Clint's paramour. The two head back to Clint's pad, and the two share a dance. It's here we get a recap of Clint's origins and past. He and Sheila are about to start making out when Clint gets a call. There's someone skulking around the CTE campus. Clint intercepts them.

Page 12, Panel 1

It's Bobbi Morse, aka Mockingbird! You may remember her from my look at Astonishing Tales #17 (April 1973). She and Clint tussle, with Bobbi revealing that she's here because she believes that CTE is developing components for a mind-control device. And Clint's unaware of it. The lights go on, and a bunch of CTE security men appear, and Clint hands her off to them. As he heads back to his home, Clint finds himself wondering if the former SHIELD agent is on to something. He decides "Eh, wouldn't hurt to check it out."

(shrug)

He gets ambushed by some CTE men. They have the Avenging Archer caught twenty-to-one. But our man was a former Avenger, an elite-level superhero. As such, he shows his skill and training. Taking out the lights, the Battling Bowman uses the darkness and confusion of the CTE men to whittle down the ranks. However, one of the men has a nasty surprise for our man Clint.

Page 17, Panel 8

Yup, they somehow have Sheila hostage. Clint surrenders, refusing to risk his main squeeze's life. They dump him in a tank...that also has Mockingbird in it.

Hawkeye demands the men let Sheila talk to him. However, it turns out that she was in on it, hired to keep Hawkeye distracted. Her relationship with him was all a lie.

The men start filling the vat with industrial waste. Bobbi is all like "Uh, Clint? They're pouring waste on us, we should try to get out of here." However, our man Clint seems to have really been hurt by Sheila's betrayal, as it left him in an emotional low point. Bobbi needs a way to get Clint to help, so she taunts him by claiming that he'd let the Avengers down if he felt bad, too. This makes Clint's blood boil, He uses a rocket-arrow tip, some rope in his boot, and his sky-sled to get him and Bobbi out of there. Clint has some business to take care of. Mainly, a visit to Sheila Danning.

Page 21, Panel 6

Eat yer heart out, Kool-Aid Man! Clint only wants two things: his bow and his quiver. He's furious with Sheila, and he wants to kill her for what she did to him, but...he can't. He doesn't have it in him to kill her...and he really doesn't care. He doesn't care what CTE is up to, he just wants his stuff and to leave. As he flies off, Sheila tells Hawkeye that he knows too much, and CTE will not let him walk away. The story ends with Hawkeye flying off with Bobbi, Clint blaming her for all of this.

This is a pretty good issue. It did a fine job tearing down Hawkeye's status quo at that point, and it feels like Gruenwald wanted to give the character a bit of a "fresh start", as it were. It is amusing that this company that is up to no good would hire a superhero to work security, though. They must not have thought Hawkeye was that bright, I guess. I did feel Sheila's betrayal was a bit sudden, though.

I knew Gruenwald more as a writer than a penciler, and I have to admit, I find his pencil work rather nice to look at. I think he's underrated as an artist. He does some clever things with panel layout, like when Clint and Bobbi are trapped in the waste vat. 

If you want to read this for yourself, I recommend tracking down the 2012 trade paperback Avengers: Hawkeye. Thanks for reading this blog entry! If you liked it, show it off! Take care of yourselves, and each other! Stay safe, stay healthy, stay home, wash your hands often, wear a mask, and get vaccinated! See you next time!

Hawkeye Trailer, My Thoughts

The mighty Marvel Cinematic Universe marches on! Over the last couple of years, Disney+ has been host to some mini-series that have allowed some of the characters of the MCU to shine. WandaVision, Falcon and the Winter Soldier, and Loki have all hit with big ramifications for the future of this universe. Sometimes, though...sometimes it's nice to have something...a little smaller in scale. Like a little Christmas adventure involving a certain Avenging Archer. Let's look at the trailer for Hawkeye!

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas...

You know there's a demand to make Rogers: The Musical an actual thing. 

I think I saw Clint wear a hearing aid. It makes sense. Clint did suffer from hearing loss for a while in the comics. And considering that Echo will be appearing in this series...

Ahhh, callback to Endgame. Nice.

Not surprising someone would take up the mantle of Ronin when Clint gave it up. Still criminals to terrorize out there, after all.

HE IS WEARING A HEARING AID!

I love that these shows get their own unique Marvel Studios logos.

Hello, Kate Bishop. Welcome to the MCU. We hope you survive.

Whoops.

Hey, the Tracksuit Mafia!

Yeah, Clint. Maybe you should lead the James Bond stuff to...James Bond. Actually, Bond and Hawkeye teaming up would be hilarious. Somebody make that happen!

Ha ha, Rent-A-Bro. I wonder how that works? You pay a guy to hang out with you for a while? Play video games with you? How would that work?

Well, this looks like it will be tons of fun! I've been enjoying all the MCU mini-series on Disney+ so far, and this looks like it will be another winner! I can't wait to see Hawkeye's disastrous adventures!

Thanks for reading this blog entry! If you liked it, show it off! Take care of yourselves and each other! Stay safe, stay healthy, stay home, wash your hands often, wear a mask, and get vaccinated! See you next time!

War of the Realms: Journey into Mystery #1 (April 2019)

When the War of the Realms hit the Marvel Universe, it naturally would involve every major Marvel character active in the universe at the time. Thor needed all the help he could get to stop Malekith, after all. However, despite the chaos, even Thor still had to deal with family drama. To protect his newest sibling, the God of Thunder's close ally, friend, and half-brother Balder the Brave had to assemble a crack team of heroes and take them...on a Journey to Mystery.

Journey to Mystery is a title long associated with the Thor mythos. Journey into Mystery started in 1952 as a horror anthology. As the 1950s went on, it would start telling science fiction and monster stories. But with issue #83 (August 1962), Stan Lee, Larry Lieber, and Jack Kirby would introduce the Marvel Universe's take on Thor, the Norse god of thunder. The title would be Thor's regular home. When #166 (March 1966) hit, The book would be renamed for its superhero star.

The title would be used again a couple of times over the years. The 1970s would see a brief revival, going back to its roots as a horror anthology. In the 1990s and the 2010s, the Thor title would be given back on its old name when it focused on characters from Thor's mythos.

So, it's rather appropriate that the name be used again with a Thor-centered event. This Journey to Mystery is a five-issue miniseries. Did it start strong? Let's find out by looking at War of the Realms: Journey into Mystery #1!

The cover is a Valerio Schiti and David Curiel piece, and it's pretty cool. You got the heroes of this story doing poses on the Bifrost, the Rainbow Bridge between Asgard and Midgard, aka Earth.

"Chapter One: With the Will to Protect"
Writers: Clint, Griffin, Justin, and Travis McElroy
Penciler: Andre Lima Araujo
Inker: Andre Lima Araujo
Colorist: Chris O'Halloran
Letterer: Clayton Cowles
Editors: Will Moss, Sarah Brunstad, Tom Brevoort
Editor-in-Chief: C.B. Cebulski

The story begins with what looks like a not-Winnebago racing down a highway with explosions erupting around it.

So, how did this end up happening? Well, we first have to go back about a month earlier. Balder the Brave has learned that he has got himself a new sister who is in the care of Gaia, Thor's mother. Balder's missed a lot, since he became King of Hel in Angela: Queen of Hel #5 (February 2016). As such, he's not been able to keep up with things on Midgard. But enough about that, let's meet Laussa Odinsdottir!

Look at little Laussa. Ain't she cute? Balder swears to protect his new little sister with his new life if he has to. A month later, the War of the Realms hits. The Queen of Cinders (this is before she battled the New Agents of Atlas) is after little Laussa. And the Queen of Cinders knows where she is. After all, having a big ol' Asgardian castle in Oklahoma is...kind of an obvious hiding place.

Lady Freyja basically tells Balder and Thori to get their butts to Oklahoma and protect Laussa. Thori, who first appeared in Journey into Mystery #632 (December 2011), is a Hel-Hound. He originally belonged to Loki, but was hanging around with Thor at this time. Loki gave him the name Thori. It's here we join the Miles Morales Spider-Man, who is trying to fight off some monsters in Times Square. Balder saves the young hero's life and introduces himself.

Thing is, he thinks Miles is the Peter Parker Spider-Man, just with a new suit. Again, Balder as been trapped in Hel for a long time. He's missed a lot. A SHIELD agent named Roz Solomon takes them to Oklahoma. They arrive as Thor's castle is about to be attacked. Upon their arrival, Balder and Miles meet Skuld, the Silent Norn.

Skuld has to do the talking now as her sisters aren't around to interpret her visions. Gaia entrusts baby Laussa to Balder. Skuld then tells Balder that fate will provide him with a party of companions to aid him on his journey. 

The Man of Spiders and the Dog of Gods is here, but that's not all: He'll be aided by a Brave Archer that Never Misses, He Who Would Be Sorcerer Supreme, The Half-Machine Warrior, and the One of Wonders. 

We check in on a certain archer in action in Amarillo, Texas.

Not Clint Barton, but the Kate Bishop Hawkeye. The Young Avenger, private investigator, and future Marvel Cinematic Universe star (Hailee Steinfeld will be portraying her in the upcoming Disney+ series Hawkeye) is after a mercenary called Slaughter-Man. It's a play on "manslaughter". Get it? 

Anyway, she easily subdues the merc and serves him some divorce papers from the future former Mrs. Slaughter-Man. Miles and Balder pick her up there. Next, we travel to Alberquerque, New Mexico. It's here that Death Locket is seemingly holding a party. Death Locket, aka Rebecca "Becca" Ryker, first appeared in Avengers Arena #1 (December 2012). She is the daughter of Harlan Ryker, the lead of the Deathlok program. Deathlok's history in the Marvel Universe is rather complicated, and worth a blog examination of its own. Basically, a Deathlok from the future exploded in an attempt to kill Harlan, and left her in need of cybernetic reconstruction. Her name comes from her being referred to as a "Deathlok-ette", and she misheard it as "Death Locket". 

Anyway, the young cyborg is actually partying with a bunch of Life Model Decoys. Life Model Decoys, LMDs for short, are a type of advanced android often used by the spy agency SHIELD for purposes of infiltration and subterfuge. Balder tells her he seeks Deathlok, but she's just as good. Next, we head to Flagstaff, Arizona. It's here we join another member of this party.

Meet Sebastian Druid. First appearing in Mighty Avengers #13 (July 2008), he's the son of the late ex-Avenger and mystic Doctor Anthony Druid. He's found himself a job as a nanny since the disbanding of his Secret Warriors team in Secret Warriors #28 (July 2011). He tries to get his wallet out of his magic coat to pay for his crying charge's candy, but accidentally pulls out a wild magic wand that blasts the shop. He ends up in jail and fired. Balder and Thori get him out, and he eagerly is up for whatever they're doing. Next, we head to Los Angeles, California.

It's here we meet up with Simon Williams, aka Wonder Man. The veteran Avenger and Hollywood hero is being pitched a TV show to star in, but he's taken up pacifism since the events of Uncanny Avengers #7 (April 2013). As such, he does not feel comfortable doing a series in which he'd have to fight. Uh, Simon? You can still be a pacifist and play a character that fights.

Anyway, this is where Balder and his party come to pick him up. It's here we come to the present. Balder and Simon argue over Simon's refusal to fight the truck. Simon, it's a demon truck. I don't think anyone will think you're being a hypocrite for protecting your teammates from a demon truck. Kate Bishop convinces him he can stop the truck without fighting...by wrecking the bridge they're on so the truck can't pursue them. Simon does so, and the plan works.

Death Locket wants to take the fight to the truck's driver, but Simon reminds her their mission is to keep Laussa safe away from the war. And it would not be a good idea to pick a fight with the truck's driver anyway.

Especially if that driver is one Ares, the God of War. He invented it, and perfected it in the field of battle!

I really liked this comic. You could tell that the McElroys were having a blast writing this. I did also like that a couple of lesser-known characters (Sebastian Druid and Death Locket) get to majorly shine here. I also appreciated the 'thrown-together' nature of this group. These are a group of heroes that normally don't get to interact very much, so there's a lot of wonderful potential here. The comic has plenty of hilarious moments, you have to read this for yourself.

When it comes to the art, I have to say this. Andre Lima Araujo's art has this vibe to me. It has this vibe of European comic books. I think it does a fine job carrying the comedy of this issue.

If you want to read this for yourself, I recommend tracking down the trade paperback War of the Realms: Journey into Mystery. Thanks for reading this blog entry! If you liked it, show it off! Take care of yourselves and each other! Stay safe, stay healthy, stay home, wash your hands often, wear a mask, and get vaccinated! Join me next time when the Avengers continue their battle against Immortus...

Solo Avengers #1 (December 1987)

In the late 80s, Marvel released a little book called Solo Avengers. Solo Avengers was a "split-book". What this meant was that the book told two tales, focusing on various characters. The book lasted a surprisingly long time. With issue #21 (August 1989), the series' name would be changed to Avengers Spotlight, which was a better name in my opinion. The title would last 40 issues, the "split-book" format lasting for 35 of those issues.

Hawkeye was the "main" star of the book, often being the focus of the first story. The second story would give focus to a variety of characters, like Moon Knight, Hellcat, and the Scarlet Witch. The book would also be used as a "try-out" book for new talent like writers and artists. For example, artist Amanda Conner's first comics work was in this title. She worked on issue #12 (November 1988), which had a story focusing on the Rita DeMara Yellowjacket.

The comic we're going to look at here is the debut of the book, which gives solo stories to Hawkeye and his then-wife at the time, Mockingbird. Will we see the First Couple of the West Coast Avengers shine in the solo spotlight, or wither like dying plants? Let's look at Solo Avengers #1!

The cover is a Mark Bright and Joe Rubinstein piece. It depicts Hawkeye and Mockingbird leaping into action against some unknown assailants. It's a nice cover, basically showing who the stars of the comic are.

"Here Comes Hawkeye"
Writer: Tom DeFalco
Penciler: Mark Bright
Inker: Joe Rubinstein
Colorist: Ken Feduniewicz
Letterer: Jack Morelli
Editor: Mark Gruenwald
Editor-in-Chief: Tom DeFalco

The story begins with the Avengers' Ace Archer preparing to unleash a storm of arrows on some implacable foes, while riding a horse like a boss.

What are these villainous targets of his? A bunch of...targets. Yup, he's practicing for a benefit performance he's going to be doing for charity. The charity is a local orphanage. The cause is something that is close to Hawkeye's heart, as he grew up in one alongside his brother Barney.  I like this. I like seeing superheroes do stuff like this. I think it makes sense some of the more famous ones would do this. It not only helps them win over the public, it helps underscore that they are good people under the masks, despite their flaws.

Anyway, after the Barton brothers ran away, they ended up joining a traveling carnival. It was there that Hawkeye met Jacques Duquesne, aka the original Swordsman. It was under his tutelage that Clint Barton became the master archer that he is today.

"But wait!" you ask. "Isn't the Swordsman's whole gimmick that he's a master of swords? How could he have taught archery?" 

Well, that's the same question that fellow West Coast Avenger Simon "Wonder Man" Williams asks to another WCA member (and Clint's wife at the time) Bobbi "Mockingbird" Morse. She herself is unsure of that question. She does later on try to ask him, but...

Yeah, it's hinted that he did that deliberately, almost as if the question set him off in a way. The two departing Avengers are observed by a man who goes to report to another archer. This archer is training some assassins.

It seems this mysterious archer wants Hawkeye's blood, and in comic book fashion, he's going to sabotage the Avenging Archer's performance tonight. How is he going to do this? Well, Step One: Sneak into the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum and use a gas arrow to knock out the clowns Hawkeye is working with. Step Two: Dress up as the clowns. Step Three: Use the performance to kill Hawkeye. Step Four: Profit.

The disguised assassins try to take out our hero, but he's got on his Plot Armor today. He's able to defeat them, despite getting his bow broken in the process. Backstage, Mockingbird arrives late, so she decides to go visit her hubby in his dressing room. It's here she finds the gassed clowns...and an unusually-bent arrow.

It's not one of Hawkeye's arrows. And it seems someone wants to prevent her from investigating further. Meanwhile, Hawkeye is able to finish taking down his potential killers. Mockingbird was able to escape her assilant, albeit getting her costume torn-up in the process. She shows Hawkeye the bent arrow, and Hawkeye realizes who it is. You see, someone else actually trained Hawkeye in the fine art of archery. And that man vows to show Hawkeye that there is only one World's Greatest Archer...and that man is him: Trick Shot.

"Listen to the Mockingbird"
Writer: Tom DeFalco
Penciler: Jim Lee
Inker: Al Williamson
Colorist: Ken Feduniewicz
Letterer: Jack Morelli
Editor: Mark Gruenwald
Editor-in-Chief: Tom DeFalco

The second story begins with the Mockingbird leaping through some traffic.

The heroine uses her acrobatic skills to hitch a ride on a helicopter to the Los Angeles Coliseum. We get a brief recap of Bobbi's origins. She was a scientist who eventually became a SHIELD agent, and then went solo. This story ties into the Hawkeye story as we see her enter the dressing room to visit her hubby and find Trick Shot's bent arrow. A costumed man attacks her, but she deals with him easily. However, he's got friends.

Bobbi is able to fight this crew off, mocking them the entire time. It's how she became known as "Mockingbird", you see. They flee, with Bobbi overhearing how their compatriots should have managed to finish off Hawkeye earlier. They're able to get the ex-SHIELD agent to back off by taking a hostage. They try to flee in a van, but Mockingbird is able to catch up with the help of a bit of polevaulting.

She's able to rescue the hostage (causing the getaway van to crash in the process) and fight off the remaining goons. She is watched by Trick Shot, who shoots a fiery arrow from his limo at the crashed cars. Mockingbird manages to catch the arrow with her feet, but the limo gets away. We then see her return to Hawkeye, showing him Trick Shot's arrow. We get a bit more to the ending with Mockingbird making Hawkeye promise her he won't face her alone.

Yeah, he's totally going to go face Trick Shot alone. Clint Barton is kind of an idiot like that.

I liked this issue. I really enjoyed that the two stories linked together. It made sense in this case, as the two leads were romantically linked at the time. I also liked that the Hawkeye story fixed a bit of a flub in the Avenging Archer's backstory. After all, when you think about it, it would seem odd that an expert on swordmanship would teach archery. I also think the titular characters were given good characterization. Both Hawk and Mock were shown to be very skilled and capable heroes. 

The art for these stories was done by Mark Bright and Jim Lee. They both turn in fine work. I was surprised to see Lee's name on the credits for the Mockingbird story, as his art didn't resemble his style that would make him famous on X-Men. It looks much cleaner, with much less hatching than in his X-Men work. I'm not sure if that's because of art style evolution or Williamson's inking. But still, it's good stuff.

If you want to read this for yourself, I recommend tracking down the 2012 trade paperback Avengers: Solo Avengers Classic Vol. 1. Thanks for reading this blog entry! If you liked it, show it off! take care of yourselves, and each other. Stay safe, stay healthy, stay home, wash your hands often, and wear a mask! Join me next time, when we look at a team of Asian heroes brought together to stop a world from burning...

Avengers #223 (September 1982)

A superhero's life is always in upheaval. It always seems like that no matter what a superhero does, they always have to end up taking down bad guys. It doesn't matter if the superhero is a veteran at the game, or a neophyte. It always seems that a superhero never can take a break. The case is especially true for one Clinton "Clint" Barton, aka the Avengers' resident Avenging Archer Hawkeye. As a member of Earth's Mightiest, it can be imagined that he can be considered 'always on duty' in some way. And sometimes, that even involves working with a newbie to the world of costumed heroing.

In this case, that newbie was one Scott Lang, aka the second Ant-Man. First appearing in Avengers #181 (March 1979), he was an ex-con and electronics expert. To save the life of his daughter Cassie, Lang was forced to take up thievery once again, stealing the Ant-Man suit from the previous user, Henry Pym. When Pym learned of the circumstances, he allowed Scott to keep the suit. In the years since, Scott has served as a member of the Avengers, Fantastic Four, and in recent years, even been a Guardian of the Galaxy.

Lang has appeared in various animated series, but his biggest spotlight has been in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Portrayed by Paul Rudd, Lang has appeared in 2015's Ant-Man, 2016's Captain America: Civil War, 2018's Ant-Man and the Wasp, and 2019's Avengers: Endgame. At this point, he has teamed up with the Avengers, Spider-Man, and the Thing, but this will be his first time battling evil with Hawkeye. So, how did it go? Did they get along smoothly, or did they end up brawling with each other as much as a common foe? Let's find out in my look at Avengers #223!

The cover is awesome. An Ed Hannigan and Klaus Janson piece, it has become rather iconic, showing Ant-Man lying on one of Hawkeye's arrows as he's about to fire it. The stark white background keeps the eye's attention on the two heroes. The saying on the cover is cliché, but accurate. Somebody gonna get it! This cover actually has been homaged in other media. Nods are paid to it in the video game Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3, and in the big airport battle scene in Captain America: Civil War.

"Of Robin Hoods and Roustabouts"
Writer: David Michelinie
Penciler: Greg LaRocque
Inkers: Brett Breeding, Joe Rubinstein
Colorist: Christie Scheele
Letterer: Rick Parker
Editors: Mark Gruenwald, Michael Carlin
Editor-in-Chief: Jim Shooter

The story begins with a certain archer returning home.

"Comin' home! Comin' home! Tell the world he's comin' home!"

Look at that smirk. Ol' Clint Barton is up to some trouble. Well, not really. You see, since he left the circus, the old owner retired and turned it over to his daughter Marcella Carson. She had sent him a flyer, seemingly inviting him for a show, but it was really a call for some help. Clint heads towards her trailer, but the burly guards sends him out on his butt.

"All I wanted was directions to the bathroom!"

Clint is ready for a fistfight, but one of the men whips out an oddly futuristic-looking gun, convincing the archer that a tactical retreat is the best option. This whole thing gets the former carny suspicious. Luckily, he packed his Hawkeye duds in his bag. However, he's going to have some backup. Elsewhere at the circus, one Scott Lang, aka the then-new Ant-Man, is buying some cotton candy for his daughter (And future superheroine herself) Cassie. He notices Hawkeye race by in costume, and decides to give him a hand. But one problem: He has Cassie with him. Hey, there's a solution!

She always did want to go on that rollercoaster... Scott gives the attendant a bit of money and tells him to let her ride the rollercoaster as long as it lasts. Scott Lang, Father of the Year. Hawkeye makes his way to the office, and finds that it's deserted. But he's able to track Marcella and the goons down relatively quickly. He's able to rescue the circus owner and get her to seeming safety in another tent. It's at this time that he's finally noticed that Marcella's grown up since they last crossed paths.

Marcella isn't Hawkeye's type. He likes women that can beat him up.

She explains that some crazy superhuman has taken over her circus, and she was lucky she was able to slip a call for help to Hawkeye thanks to his being on the circus's mailing list. Scott Lang has a bit of trouble suiting up. He kept his suit in his pocket in shrunken form. But back to the tent! Who was that nut who took over Marcella Carson's circus?

"Anyone who calls me Skeletor gets a sword in the face!"

Yup, future MCU villain (of Black Widow's upcoming solo movie) Taskmaster! Hawkeye remembers reading about him in the Avengers files. You see, the Taskmaster considers himself a teacher. He helps train the goons supervillains use in their schemes. He ran a bunch of these "academies" all over the country. So, why use Marcella's circus? He's expanding his business. Circuses travel around, so he wants to see if he can use one to disguise a mobile supervillain goon academy. And the type of people he looks for tend to hang around carnies, so it works out.

Hawkeye doesn't take too kindly to this, and tries to give the super-trainer some Arrow to the Head. But Taskmaster blocks it with his shield. You see, Taskmaster has this thing called "photographic reflexes". If he sees someone doing a physical feat, he can imitate it perfectly. For example, if he sees a gymnast do a routine on a pommel horse, he can then do a perfect duplication of the routine. It's allowed him to imitate the various fighting techniques of heroes like Captain America, Daredevil, and even Iron Fist. He can't duplicate superpowers, though. For example, he can imitate Wolverine's fighting style, but he can't imitate the man's claws, super senses, or healing factor.

He uses this ability to make short work of Hawkeye, and forces him to drop the bow by taking Marcella hostage. However, this was watched by some ants, who report this back to Scott. Taskmaster arranges the classic supervillain death trap for Hawkeye.

It's the early 80s, death traps were still cool.

Hawkeye is trapped in an electrified cage with a hungry lion. If he tries to escape, the cage will shock him enough to send the World's Mightiest Archer to dreamland. Either way, Clint Barton is lion food...or not. Thanks to his ability to shrink, Ant-Man is able to get through the bars harmlessly, and tosses the lion into them. Don't worry folks, no lions were harmed in the making of this comic. Leo there is just sleeping.

Hawkeye's luck is also improving as Ant-Man had encountered Taskmaster before. He was there when Taskmaster first appeared in Avengers #195 (May 1980), and they battled in Marvel Team-Up #103 (March 1981). Said villain is threatening Marcella, but Hawkeye and Ant-Man are able to get to her before he can do anything. He tries to flee using a magnesium flare to cover his tracks, but Hawkeye stops it with a well-placed arrow.

The supergoon teacher orders his goon students to swarm the two heroes. But this heroic tag-team turns out to gel really well.

"BAH GAWD ALMIGHTY, KING! THOSE AVENGERS ON THE RAMPAGE!"

Even Marcella gets in on the action, clobbering one of the goons with a wooden club. Hawkeye and Ant-Man chase after the Taskmaster, but the man has an insurance policy.

Yup. There's a dummy in that cannon. Once it hits the net, the explosives in it will be triggered, blowing the tent (and everyone in it), sky-high. Hawkeye orders Ant-Man to take care of that while he pursues Taskmaster. However, Ant-Man points out that it may take both of them to stop that dummy. Hawkeye reluctantly agrees. The Avenging Archer uses a bolo arrow to restrain the man at the cannon, but the man's fall ends up hitting the switch, activating the cannon...and firing it.

There's one chance left. Ant-Man shrinks down and climbs on one of Hawkeye's arrows. The archer fires it at the cannon.

As the dummy falls, Ant-Man desperately crawls towards the explosive's detonator. The dummy falls back in the tent...








...and does not explode. Hawkeye fears his new insect-theme got comrade got squashed, but he's okay. He managed to jump on a winged ant before the impact, thanks to his watching "Raiders of the Lost Ark" 27 times. Yeah, Scott is a bit of a film buff. Unfortunately, the Taskmaster managed to get away. Ah, well. We'll see him again. As Hawkeye brings in the rest of the Avengers to clear up, Ant-Man realizes something.

He left Cassie on the roller coaster! He rushes back to see her, but she's just tired. She's okay, and wants to ride it again tomorrow! The story ends with Scott Lang being amused by this. Kids, am I right?

This was a very fun story! I really enjoyed the interaction between Clint and Scott Lang. I'm kind of surprised that this wasn't used as a foundation for an eventual friendship between them. I also always did like the concept of Taskmaster. It's a great way to explain how supervillains often can get goons to do tasks for them. I'm surprised that Taskmaster is the only such character in this superhero universe. Well, only one that we know of, anyway. I know that it may be odd for a book called "Avengers" to focus on only one member here, but it's nice to show that each of the members are people with lives outside the costumes.

This issue was also great because it was a nice glimpse into Clint's past and pre-Hawkeye days. It's neat to see characters' pasts, what molded them and made them into what they are. Greg LaRocque also turns in some good artwork for this.

If you want to read this for yourself, I recommend tracking down the 2015 trade paperback Ant-Man: Scott Lang. It collects his early appearances. Thanks for reading this blog entry! If you enjoyed it, spread it around! Join me next time, as we join the Fantastic Four on an viewing of "things" to come....

Infinity War Trailer, My Thoughts

Next year, we will be celebrating the tenth birthday of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. In 2008, the Golden Avenger, Iron Man, made his live-action film debut, to massive critical and fan praise. In a post-credits scene, Samuel L. Jackson's Nick Fury uttered two sentences that drove fans into a shocked frenzy.

"Mr. Stark, you have become part of a bigger universe." "I'd like to talk to you about the Avenger Initiative."

Like many comic fans at the time, when I heard that, my jaw dropped. I remember seeing this scene in a drive-in with my dad, and I was shocked. They had bigger plans. MUCH bigger plans. They were not just hoping to do a sequel to Iron Man, they wanted to use this movie to launch what many people would have thought was insane: A cinematic universe. A series of films that were interconnected, that had one goal: To bring Earth's Mightiest Heroes together in live-action film for the first time.

Fast-forward four years. The Avengers made their feature film debut, becoming the biggest-grossing film of 2012, grossing one and a half billion dollars at the box office. In a mid-credits scene, we see The Other tell a figure that to fight the Avengers was to court death. And the figure's response? Thanos grins. This was big. Phase One of the MCU was over. This was the beginning of Phase Two. It's goal...an epic battle with Thanos, the Mad Titan himself.

Over the next six years, the MCU would continue to grow. The Guardians of the Galaxy, Ant-Man, Doctor Strange, the Winter Soldier, Spider-Man, and on the way, The Wasp, and the Carol Danvers Captain Marvel will be making their film debuts, alongside Black Panther's solo movie. The Cinematic Universe would grow to television, focusing on SHIELD, the Inhuman Royal Family, Cloak and Dagger, the Runaways, and the Defenders.

The films spent the last six years building up to a big brawl with Thanos. And now, in 2018, the Infinity War will arrive. And here's the trailer.

The trailer begins with a call-back to the first Avengers movie, Nick Fury's explanation for why he formed the Avengers. It's uttered by various characters.

I wonder whose hand Tony is holding there?

And we see Bruce Banner back on Earth...with Doctor Strange and Wong meeting him. Hmm, I wonder...did at some point between Thor: Ragnarok and this movie, Bruce Banner and Hulk come to some kind of concession regarding their shared existence? I bet Strange is thinking the universe is going on a massive bender right now.

Hey, I like the Vision's new more human appearance. I hope he uses the alias "Victor Shade". He used that name for a while in the comics. Thor on his spaceship. And Natasha Romanoff is a blonde now. That makes sense she'd change her hair, she has been living in exile since the events of Captain America: Civil War.

Peter Parker is heading to school, and his arm hairs stand on end. This must be the MCU's take on his Spider-Sense. He sees a big metal ring. Yup, New York is going to get invaded again. Hopefully, they learned from last time and got some good evacuation plans set in.

Loki's got the Tessaract! He also appears to be stepping over bodies, maybe the ship he and the other Asgardians got attacked? Would make sense, considering Thor: Ragnarok. I hope Korg, Miek, and Valkyrie don't die.

Here's Thanos! He forgot his hat, he was probably coming by to see if anyone has seen it.

Really liking Spider-Man's armor there. Also like that it pays homage to Ben Reilly's Spider-Man costume.

Black Panther calling for an evacuation. Yeah, considering how advanced Wakanda is, I would not be surprised if they have procedures in place for alien invasion. Bearded Cap.

Big brawl in Wakanda, folks! Step right up! See the Battle of the Century! Black Panther's Pulverizers vs. a Child of Thanos!

Oh my God, Thanos is going Homer Simpson on Spidey!

Ouch, Vision is going to be in for a world of hurt. Not surprising, since he has an Infinity Stone in his head.

Tony Stark just got punched so hard that I was surprised he wasn't knocked back to 1955.

Oh MAN, that scene of the heroes charging in Wakanda was awesome! And I liked the appearance by Danai Gurira as Okoye. I just realized something. Black Panther is going to be set after Infinity War. It makes sense. The trailers made no mention of the Avengers hiding out in Wakanda during that movie, so we can assume that Black Panther's solo comes afterwards so they don't have to explain what happened to them because this film will.

THOR MESTS THE GUARDIANS! I like that Mantis gave Thor a little wave. That's adorable.

I LOVED this trailer! I saw it several times today. Ten years ago, nobody thought something like this would happen. Now, it's become a reality. Although, I can't help but wonder. After Thanos...what's next?