Hawkeye #4

By Kelly Thompson, Leonardo Romero, and Jordie Bellaire

“Take Back Control” wraps up this week after a really nice four-issue arc that has established the series as one of the best, if not the best, Marvel series currently on shelves. This is all of course thanks to the excellent work of writer Kelly Thompson, artist Leonardo Romero and colorist Jordie Bellaire. The continued nature of the relatively low-stakes plot compared to the world-saving actions of the Avengers continue to be very welcomed. The concluding chapter of this arc sees Kate pitted against a horde of brainwashed people who have been holding her captive and it is really executed well, finding a neat way to resolve last month’s cliffhanger as well as establish a new story for the series to follow once this arc is wrapped up.

The book itself is largely a character focused issue (although not without its fair share of action) as Thompson does a good job of fleshing out the various supporting cast and their relationships with each other. One of the best decisions of the book has been to give Kate a great supporting cast and hopefully they’ll play a significant role in the series going forward. The transition to the next arc over the course of this issue is smooth and we even get a brief cameo appearance from Jessica Jones, which makes the prospect of a potential team-up all the more exciting going forward.

The artwork from Leandro Romero is excellent and he really handles the action well. There are some great fight scenes in this book that balance well with several quieter moments and are really fleshed out with a strong, consistent tone. There’s a few great panels that use a film festival on a beach as a backdrop, exploring the most of the setting to its full advantage. Thompson finds a great way to incorporate the film festival into the plot beyond just using it as a backdrop for a fight, and the varied panel layouts from Romero feature a mix of vibrant action. The backdrop of music playing while action ran amok in the foreground was a real highlight of the issue. The colors from Jordie Bellaire continue to be excellent witht their flat yet bold application and help continue to flesh out the unique feel and atmosphere that the series has to offer.

Hawkeye #4 is an excellent read. The series manages to nail Kate’s personality and her dialogue and narration continues to be one of the main strengths of this issue. combined with a great plot full of exciting mystery and intrigue, this is a series that you need to be reading.