RETRO REVIEW: Comics Hold the Key in Hawkeye (2012) #8
In Hawkeye (2012) #8 by Matt Fraction, David Aja, Matt Hollingsworth, and Chris Eliopoulos, featuring classic romance comics style “covers” by Annie Wu, a character from an earlier issue of the series returns… and she brings a whole lot of problems with her!
Comics Cover Clues
Comics covers hold the clues. Photo Credit: Marvel Unlimited.
In this issue, the woman who Clint crossed paths with back in Hawkeye #3 (leading to the Challenger/trick arrow car chase scene, as also seen in the most recent episode of Hawkeye on Disney+) returns to cause more problems for both Hawkeyes.
This looks bad. Photo Credit: Marvel Unlimited.
Sadly, in a nice bit of car continuity, the aforementioned Challenger was destroyed in Hurricane Sandy, as seen in issue 7. (And in a nice bit of further car continuity, Kate’s classic Volkswagen Beetle was also destroyed in the hurricane, which is why we see her driving a New Beetle in this issue).
Romance comics covers. Photo Credit: Marvel Unlimited.
However, while the Challenger may be gone, Penny, the woman associated with it, keeps turning up… and it turns out she’s made the Tracksuit Mafia just as mad as Clint has! Like many of the issues so far in this run, this one has a neat structural trick: it’s arranged around a series of classic romance comics covers, by guest artist Wu.
Photo Credit: Marvel Unlimited.
The reason behind these covers is revealed in the final pages: it isn’t about the content of the comics at all, but rather, about their numbering! The stack is in a specific order, revealing the combination for the safe that Clint and Penny steal from the Tracksuit Draculas.
With her purpose frustrated, Penny abandons Clint… but then we see that Kingpin himself is organizing the criminal underworld to remove Hawkeye from the equation once and for all!
Okay, THIS looks bad. Photo Credit: Marvel Unlimited.
Hawkeye #8
If you read this issue on Marvel Unlimited, there’s a full playlist from DJ David Aja for you to enjoy on the letters page:
Hawkeye #8 playlist! Photo Credit: Marvel Unlimited.
Do you think these comics hint at the much-rumored return of Kingpin in Hawkeye, Marvel Blog True Believers? We want to hear what you’re thinking! Let us know in the comment section.
