Hawkeye by Fraction & Aja: An Instant Classic 

What's even more impressive is that Fraction used the Marvel Method to write this one. He just let Aja go ham on the art and came up with the dialogue later. He's such a master of panel arrangement and Fraction is such a beast when it comes to dialogue, and let's not even get started on the colouring in the book. Fraction, Aja, and Hollingsworth never disappoint.

This is one of your best breakdowns of a comicrun. It's not easy sometimes to wax poeticly for 20 minutes and stay interesting, but you not only nail all the elements that make the Fraction run great, but also how they relate to comic creating in general. Well done!

The pairing of Aja and Hollingsworth in this run is unparalleled.

Wow, didn't realize Disney was not paying Aja! That's outrageous because the influence was so evident I just assumed Fraction and him were receiving their dues.

Speaking of definitive character runs, Matt Fraction's "Immortal Iron Fist" set the standard for Iron Fist stories and should have been the basis for the TV series.

This run always felt like a passionate fan project rather than a official marvel run and i always loved it for that. Glad to see people still giving it the attention it deserves.

I know people in real life that say “bro” just as much as these guys so maybe it’s based off of real life “bros” one of the reasons I love this book

I think my favorite issue 7 where Clint helps Grills and his father prep for the hurricane. Grills's dad is very stubborn and does nothing, but a wave comes in and clint saves Grill's dad from danger, but Grills is trying to save the box of whatever he had of his mother. And I was heartbroken to see it get washed away. Then father and son bond over stories about Grills's Mother. I Loved the feature with Kate stopping and inspiring the community from looters. Great storytelling.

The other day, a Spanish talk show (the weirdest and more alternative we got over here, a show called "Los Felices Veinte" in case anyone who speaks spanish wants to look it up - the host is Nacho Vigalondo, a movie director known for indie sci-fi films like "Timecrimes" and "Colossal") interviewed David Aja, which is weird because comic book artists rarely get interviewed in talk shows, they talked a bit about this run and the show that's coming up and David said something I was surprised to learn; Apparently Marvel thought this book was going to flop terribly when they delivered the first issue. Aja said that their editor loved it but apparently was like "you guys know they are going to cancel this series in like issue 3, right?", but because it ended up doing so well both critically and on sales numbers, they gave them freedom to do whatever weird experiments they wanted (which is how the dog or the deaf issue came to be).

Colorists and letterers ARE easily overlooked. Thanks for giving them some recognition.

When people ask what my favorite comic is, I instinctively respond with “My Life as a Weapon.” From the down on his luck Avenger, to the dialogue, to the astounding art… and of course the Pizza Dog, there is literally nothing I dislike about this entire run.

I really love how they show Kate Bishop's quirky detective skills. Overall this sort of internal workings drawn out into many small panels really pulls you into their thoughts.

Great channel, great comic series, looking forward to what Chris has to say, let's go! The artwork is very David Mazzucchelli, I'd love to see this team on Daredevil.

I just reread this series, and it's truly fantastic. In the second half, I like how they let Kate step out from Clint's shadow by giving her her own story line.

It does suck when creators that gave much influence to a character or story are not properly credited or recognized (including monetarily). It is even more difficult when it comes to creators that are basically the 2nd wave parent to a character much like Claremont is to the X-Men and in all honesty, took them to higher hights than the original creators. I think that Hawkeye is another example and even though the ones that came up with him are also due the recognition, Aja and Fraction should also get top billing as well for keeping the character relevant and making him more popular than before.

I like how you did that intro. I feel like often when people talk about this run they characterize Hawkeye as "the loser Avenger" or that he wasn't interesting before this run.

Colorwork is an underappreciated art. Matt Hollingsworth is one of the best colorists of this era. This story looks intriguing, and the art looks iconic, gotta check it out!

One of my all-time favourite series. Two creators right at the peak of their game.

Second tier and lower characters that people forget about give writers and artists the best opportunity to be creative while still working on classic characters. Look at some of the amazing runs on swamp thing, animal man, Jon Constantine, etc.

I'm really surprised this channel doesn't have over a million subs.

Literally the only Hawkeye video I really found interesting and may get me to give the comic a chance. Thanks

I dont read comics at all but I really enjoy learning about the process and history of comics thru you and your channel. Your always very honest and articulate and you seem sound af, also that plug for the patreon at the end is the most genuine and understanding I've ever heard coming from a youtuber, normally they're so robotic that I switch off. Appreciate you man

Fraction's Hawkeye released just when the first Avengers film came out which gave a huge boost to the character's popularity. If fact that first panel from the first issue references a shot from the film.

"He got better." I lost it there.

You did it again, made me really interested in a comic I didn't care about. Superficially it looks a lot like Mazzuccheli, but I think you've broken down very well the very interesting things Aja does. And I've just learned Aja is a fellow Spaniard!

Chris, you tend to do great videos, but this one is a MASTERPIECE, BRO! I love how you touched every aspect of this amazing series and summed up what makes it a top tier comicbook, and in only 20 minutes! Once again, you proved why ComicTropes is one of the best youtube channels

I found this run while looking for some other hawkeye series you recommended, and it was a love from the first cover. absolutely brilliant. purple, bro.

What a beautifully executed story. When you find a classic like when I recently read Tom King's *Vision* run, it feels really good

4:15 That's actually a very concise and snappy introductory paragraph for the title

Another great episode Chris, to me this is the definitive Hawkey run, you can barely say its a superhero book, its just a guy with a bow and arrows, and that what makes it so great.

I LOVED this Hawkeye run!

Watching this after finishing the Hawkeye Disney+ series, you knocked it out of park! Thanks for another great video and making my day a little better!

It's great how you break down the collaborators contributions to the book, people need more indepths like these.

Hawkeye was one of my favourite characters before I read this comic and my favourite after.

I read the series a couple of years ago and I loved it instantly. This is one of the greatest Marvel runs I have ever read. I was so happy when I saw the graphics Disney chose for the Hawkeye series.

150 000 subscribers! Congratulations.

Congrats for the 150k subs!!!! So happy for you and for the channel.

The fact that they have used this run not only to get some random ideas but to completely translate images to the series should qualify to get Aja a role in the TV show as "artistic consultant", or whatever they want to call it, so he gets paid for this new use of his work

I was definitely very into this run. It felt so different from the usual super hero stuff and all of the parts came together and fit perfectly to make for a great comic run.

Love the video, I recently started hawkeye and absolutely loved it. I've finished all 22 issues and the annual now!

I have never been interested in reading Hawkeye. I havent even been too invested in Marvel comics, but I am sure as hell gonna read this series.

Thank you so much for this. That first issue of Hawkeye was the catalyst of me reading comics again. And, btw, love your suit bro!

Been a fan for a few years and have been going through old videos. Huge breath of fresh air in the comic book community, absolute wealth of knowledge. Hope you can continue to grow.

A masterpiece, one of the best comics by Marvel

Excellent episode, as always, BRO!

Love how u were decked out in a tracksuit to match with the Russian Mafia in the comic haha

I actually didn't like this series when it arrived in my Westfield box every month...but now with your retrospect I need to go back again for another read...thanks!

Fantastic Chris! One of my favourite comics, and now one of my favourite ComicTropes episodes!!!

Now i've got a reason to read that bit of the hidden gems reading list!

Clint has been a favorite of mine since I first read him (as Goliath II maybe?). If he was on the cover or spotted in a quick flip thru and I had the quarters I usually passed up anything else for him. Nice to know he's still getting the respect he deserves (even if I do miss his Bronze Age costume. And nice to see how much respect (as always) you give the medium. the series (when it deserves it) and the entire crew who worked on it. Great job as usual.

I love your trope reviews, Chris... it's great to listen to when I make my comics or write a script for my movies... I just wanted to share that with you... you're a great content creator. Stay safe! Bye!!

Great video. Loved the bit about colors and lettering because they get slept on as much as sound design

Real talk? Matt and David really deserve on the low end at least 25% of revenue the show generates and 50 - 60% on the high end. If Marvel/Disney don’t want to do the right thing, the least they could do is hit them up with a couple of million as “Executive Producers”. WhT they created has truly been one of the best comic series in quite some time and really shows what can happen when you remove the constraints from creative types.

Woooow, You look so good, man. Great vídeo as always. No doubt of the GREAT grafic vision of David Aja.

Wonderful analysis. Thanks Chris!

Love those subject heading clips!

Love this channel

might be one if my favourite artstyles

I had the chance of meeting Esad Ribic at a con a couple of weeks ago, and I asked him if he was going to be attached to the upcoming Thor-movie? He said no, and also complained that he too didn’t get any royalties (like David Aja) since he essentially designed the villain, Gorr the god butcher.

Superheroes dealing with clinical depression. I recall early Lee/Kirby Captain America books exploring it. Probably the first time the theme appeared in s/h comics, and one of the few times I was impressed with the character.

Greattt review! As a creator myself working in this field I deeply appreciate your insightful response to the storylines and deep appreciation for not only the craft but the creators. It is imperative to always credit the colorist and letterer as you have done. They are an integral part of the overall experience and time of any title. I look forward to more.

Just started the video after seein your tweet and yr right - that tracksuit jacket looks sick on ya

Great video about a true classic comic. Congrats on getting to 150K subs!

I love this show

This sounds so much better than the "holiday comedy" Disney turned it into and crammed a bunch of other shit in.

Speaking of new Disney shows, the new She Hulk looks promising. It looks like they are going for something like Byrne's sexy and funny She Hulk.

Great video and congratulations on hitting 150k!!

Your videos remind me of the discussions I'd have with people at comic shops and tiny local conventions in the late 80s and early 90s. Back when we'd bring stacks of comics to our friends' houses to back up debate points because the internet didn't exist. Except now we have access to more info at our fingertips, so your observations aren't 90% speculation or outright bullshit. Cheers.

Fantastic book, funny, real and genuinely get to know Clint, great vid man!!!

Thanks matey! Hawkeye has been my favourite character since I first started rifling through my brothers' comic book collections in 1966! He has always epitomised the underdog who dares to believe he can be the equal of those more blessed by scientific or supernatural abilities. He is the loser that makes good but who can never accept that he is enough in himself. That makes him the most human of all the very human heroes that people Marvel. I'm always happy to see him showcased anywhere!

Great review of one my favourite comic series! Nice touch with the tracksuit too Chris! 😃👍

Aja should be paying David Mazzucchelli if he's worried about credit.

The best car chase/pursuit I've ever seen is in Jason Shiga's "Demon". :)

The Hawkeye show is so clearly inspired by this comic. The fact that Disney refuses to credit the creative minds that did the real work is infuriating. This is my favorite marvel comic. Everyone in the creative team is critical to its success. Whatever Disney does, it won't be as timeless as this masterpiece. I'm just happy that the artists can have success outside of the Disney machine.

I swear dude, first Uncanny X-Men, now Hawkeye. Chris you have a knack on making me hunt down series I didn’t have any prior interest in.

Yeh a new video ! Gratz on 150k sub !

Made. Me. Cry.

I have been an avid Marvel reader since around 1979 and I don't remember how Hawkeye became my second favorite Marvel superhero (next to Spiderman) but I think it has to do with his vulnerability, which Fraction nailed in Clint's characteration. Hawkeye has always been a hothead, sometimes misogynistic (hello 1970's) and flawed but that is what makes him relatable to many readers. Clint makes mistakes and tries to learn from them. He's not the strongest superhero or the smartest. But I'll always defend him as my favorite marvel character not named Peter Parker. Great video Chris, one of your best. 👍

This seems absolutely awesome. Don’t believe credit/payment to the creative behind an adapted idea is complicated: PAY THEM, CREDIT THEM. done.

Absolutely with you here! Read the entire run a few years ago and was completely hooked instantly. This run would be the perfect start for people, that tend they think, they'd never get emotianally invested in comics at all

Just re read the run because of the recent trade paper back. Saw it collected in entirety for a semi reasonable price and it did not disappoint on the reread. So so good. Aja and the rest of the artists are incredible and have mastered page flow as well as anyone I’ve ever seen. Fractions characterization took him from being someone I’ve always been indifferent about to one of my favorite characters in any medium.

Watching this right after Cartoonist Kayfabe's recent Alex Toth video adds another level to your breakdown. You see the Toth in Aja. Oh, and Chris Ware in #11. You convinced me to buy this.

I see a lot of batman's "year one" on this comic's art. the general drawing, the coloring, lettering, etc. I think it was maybe a blueprint for this series at some point

Bro, I love this comic!

Bro, this Hawkeye run is good...just like your jacket, Bro. Good video, Bro.

Great video! However can we all just appreciate how drip Chris is looking in that Adidas track suit, like dam he looking cut

I’m glad I get to enjoy your videos. I appreciate your perspective on comics and other things.

Now I NEED to read this. This kind of recommendation cannot go unheeded.

Another amazing episode. Thanks for the great analysis and pumping us up for the new Hawkeye series!

The series is amazing, also Fraction and Aja run on Iron Fist.

2:50 "Marvel tried several times to give Hawkeye the *spotlight,* but none of his *solo* titles got much traction..." I see what you did there. 😉

Extremely good topic and coverage!

Damn. Chris, Comic Tropes is the best Comic channel. I've been watching you a long time and really appreciate your work. I'm Joining.

I get where the writers and artists are coming from, but we’re not talking about the Jerry Siegel Joe Shuster days here. They know that if they work for DC or Marvel (or any company with a work for hire system) that any work they do belongs to the company. They did the work, they got paid, and the company owns the work. They knew that going in. I’d kill to write for Marvel and DC, and thrilled to see my work on a big screen. If you don’t want to be a part of that, don’t write for those companies. That’s exactly why Roy Thomas cannibalized Marvel lore instead of innovating, he didn’t want them taking his original ideas. Would it be nice if the big companies paid them extra? Absolutely. Are they legally obligated to? No, and the writers and artists knew that going in. Especially Fraction and Aja; the Avengers were big business at the time they were doing this run. Love the show. I respect your opinion. Just my two cents. Glad to see the pace of your uploads picking up.

"That's all you need to know...." Its that a nod to the last line we read in "Born Again", by Miller and Mazzucchelli?

Loved this! Thanks Chris! Great job as always!

it's been a while since I last read this run, so it was nice to have this video to dive back into it for a couple of minutes. I really appreciated the analytical dive into aja's artwork and particularly his panel composition and positioning. another cool video, keep up the good work!

Thanks for reminding me how much I love this book!

I get the usual thing where folks say that great lettering tends to fade into the background, but that's not always the case imo. Aditya Bidikar's work on stories like Isola and Blue in Green fit the tone of them, but the lettering really does become art on its own when Bidikar does it. the calligraphic lettering in Isola depicting the fictional language in it is particularly gorgeous, while Blue in Green's sketchy lettering suits the dread that Blue in Green does really well.

Just subscribed to Pros And Cons. Looking forward to seeing future content, keep up the great work!!!