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Ultimate Comics: Hawkeye #1-4
Ultimate Comics: Hawkeye
Hawkeye's back in a bad way. Armed and dangerous, Clint Barton is tasked with his most perilous mission yet. And what he discovers will revererate across the entire Ultimate Universe. Tasked on a covert and dangerous mission, Hawkeye finds himself in the middle of an international arms race--but on the brink of obtaining a serum that will change the course of mutant history, has the eagle-eyed hero aimed too high to succeed?
Collecting: Ultimate Comics: Hawkeye 1-4
Collecting: Ultimate Comics: Hawkeye 1-4
112 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2012
9 people are currently reading
240 people want to read
About the author
Jonathan Hickman
1,228 books2,052 followersJonathan Hickman is an American comic book writer and artist. He is known for creating the Image Comics series The Nightly News, The Manhattan Projects and East of West, as well as working on Marvel Comics' Fantastic Four, FF, and S.H.I.E.L.D. titles. In 2012, Hickman ended his run on the Fantastic Four titles to write The Avengers and The New Avengers, as part the "Marvel NOW!" relaunch. In 2013, Hickman wrote a six-part miniseries, Infinity, plus Avengers tie-ins for Marvel Comics. In 2015, he wrote the crossover event Secret Wars. - Wikipedia
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 78 reviews
September 24, 2022
This volume kicks off this fourth Ultimates season as a sister series to the official first volume - Ultimate Comics Ultimates, Volume 1: The Republic Is Burning, mapping Hawkeye's mission (alongside Ultimate X!) to recover the Serum that has redrawn the global human genetic engineering battlelines. Typical Hickman with great overarching ideas with weak and/or confusing details, still the numerous concepts and an interesting Hawkeye origin story merit a Three Star, 7 out of 12. As ever for me, Hickman sort of misses the mark.
2022 read; 2017 read; 2011 read
2022 read; 2017 read; 2011 read
July 8, 2021
3.5 stars. The more comics I read, the more I like Hawkeye. This book continues that trend. These people in southeast Asian have come up with the master plan. Create and spread a virus that wipes out the x-gene, so no more mutants. Then, they created a serum that turns regular people into “mutants”. Giving people all kinds of different powers. Hickman does some cool things with this idea and I had a good time reading this.
January 21, 2014
Ultimate Hawkeye seems to be the jumping off point for a larger plot about "the People", who are like mutants and are staging a revolution. It isn't really about Hawkeye being a badass, but nor is it like Matt Fraction's take on Hawkeye where he's more like an ordinary guy. Hickman's Hawkeye is... kinda badass, kinda snarky, definitely Fury's right hand man.
It's okay, but I'm not that interested in reading more. I was most interested by the part Bruce Banner/Hulk played in this, I think, the way he was just brought in as a weapon of brute force. I think I might've appreciated it more if this was a story about Bruce and how he's used by Fury.
As others have noted, it's kind of annoying that Hawkeye has powers here. Not very impressive ones -- modifications to his eyes -- but still. He's not an ordinary person who is preternaturally good with a bow, here. I think what makes Clint interesting to me -- and I come at it from the MCU angle, I didn't read comics much before I saw Avengers -- is that he is an ordinary guy, a soldier, a spy, caught up in a world of gods and heroes. I want to see this guy who seems destined for a supporting role having to step up to the plate. This is not that. Fingers crossed for Jeremy Renner's portrayal in the next Avengers film.
It's okay, but I'm not that interested in reading more. I was most interested by the part Bruce Banner/Hulk played in this, I think, the way he was just brought in as a weapon of brute force. I think I might've appreciated it more if this was a story about Bruce and how he's used by Fury.
As others have noted, it's kind of annoying that Hawkeye has powers here. Not very impressive ones -- modifications to his eyes -- but still. He's not an ordinary person who is preternaturally good with a bow, here. I think what makes Clint interesting to me -- and I come at it from the MCU angle, I didn't read comics much before I saw Avengers -- is that he is an ordinary guy, a soldier, a spy, caught up in a world of gods and heroes. I want to see this guy who seems destined for a supporting role having to step up to the plate. This is not that. Fingers crossed for Jeremy Renner's portrayal in the next Avengers film.
March 9, 2012
There’s trouble a-brewing in South East Asia as some kind of supervillains wreak havoc in the major cities, and Nick Fury dispatches Hawkeye to deal with it. I think Hawkeye is really the weakest of the Avengers, take away his bow and arrows and he’s basically Bullseye only not as crazy.
The book’s villains have to be among the blandest created yet. They’re imaginatively called “the People” and the serum that turned them into eternal gods from regular humans is called “the Serum” and the source where the serum is found – “the Source”. There’s not much else here anyone who’s read the Avengers before hasn’t seen but the book doesn’t really get going until Hawkeye’s joined by Hulk and the action ramps up, proving Hawkeye alone can’t sustain interest even over 4 issues.
It’s not a badly written book but it seems odd that Marvel would call this a “Hawkeye” book when he plays such a small part in it - he’s really just there and that’s it but it’s a side story to a larger one (and not even an essential side story at that). I suppose fans of Hawkeye (are there any?) will like this but for fans of the Avengers, this is a very average outing for a very average “superhero”.
The book’s villains have to be among the blandest created yet. They’re imaginatively called “the People” and the serum that turned them into eternal gods from regular humans is called “the Serum” and the source where the serum is found – “the Source”. There’s not much else here anyone who’s read the Avengers before hasn’t seen but the book doesn’t really get going until Hawkeye’s joined by Hulk and the action ramps up, proving Hawkeye alone can’t sustain interest even over 4 issues.
It’s not a badly written book but it seems odd that Marvel would call this a “Hawkeye” book when he plays such a small part in it - he’s really just there and that’s it but it’s a side story to a larger one (and not even an essential side story at that). I suppose fans of Hawkeye (are there any?) will like this but for fans of the Avengers, this is a very average outing for a very average “superhero”.
December 22, 2016
Well, technically I finished it. I finished the comic portion of it. I didn't read the script for issue #1 that was included in the back of the collection.
In the Ultimate Universe, the nations we know as (I think) Thailand, Burma, Laos, Cambodia, and Vietnam have been united for some time into the Southeast Asian Republic* -- the SEAR. A couple of SEAR scientists invent a mild cold virus with a twist -- it spreads within hours and rewrites human DNA, making it incredibly resistant to change by the mutant X-gene. If released, no one gets any more mutants to be super-soldiers. Unless you are the SEAR government, because the same scientists have been selecting and brainwashing 100,000 candidates for The Serum, which can overwrite the overwrite** and make pseudo-mutants loyal to the SEAR.
Into this crazy, enter Hawkeye and a few SHIELD resources, out to obtain a sample of the serum. A good little story told in 90-odd pages. It sets the stage for Ultimate Comics X-Men and gives us a ton more insight into The Man Who Never Misses***. It was nice to see he's more than just the bastard step-child of Oliver Queen, you know?
* The SEAR is basically a chance to use a large, foreign dicta-bureaucra-ship without calling out China by name. Sorry, China. You're full of nice people, but not a particularly selfless government.
** Really, Mr. Hickman? You're introducing the counter-counter weapon faster than Lex Luthor could in the 1950's!!!
***My caps, not Marvel Ultimate Comics
In the Ultimate Universe, the nations we know as (I think) Thailand, Burma, Laos, Cambodia, and Vietnam have been united for some time into the Southeast Asian Republic* -- the SEAR. A couple of SEAR scientists invent a mild cold virus with a twist -- it spreads within hours and rewrites human DNA, making it incredibly resistant to change by the mutant X-gene. If released, no one gets any more mutants to be super-soldiers. Unless you are the SEAR government, because the same scientists have been selecting and brainwashing 100,000 candidates for The Serum, which can overwrite the overwrite** and make pseudo-mutants loyal to the SEAR.
Into this crazy, enter Hawkeye and a few SHIELD resources, out to obtain a sample of the serum. A good little story told in 90-odd pages. It sets the stage for Ultimate Comics X-Men and gives us a ton more insight into The Man Who Never Misses***. It was nice to see he's more than just the bastard step-child of Oliver Queen, you know?
* The SEAR is basically a chance to use a large, foreign dicta-bureaucra-ship without calling out China by name. Sorry, China. You're full of nice people, but not a particularly selfless government.
** Really, Mr. Hickman? You're introducing the counter-counter weapon faster than Lex Luthor could in the 1950's!!!
***My caps, not Marvel Ultimate Comics
March 26, 2021
This is my first Ultimate universe comic, and I am a bit lost even with some research. The story was interesting, but this Clint doesnt appeal to me like the Clint from Earth 616 does.
June 9, 2021
It starts with Clint being asked to go to Asia/SEAR where the officials have made a virus that supresses the X-Gene and have developed "the source" which gives their people power and when he reaches there, Clint has to fight the people there and with his Team X and Hulk as distraction, he has to get the source but what he discovers there changes things. Xorn and Zorn, the two twins and their clashing ideologies. Celestials and Eternals and how will Clint overcome them? Will he complete his mission? And what does this mean for 1610? Ultimate war?
This was a great volume and serves to build new concepts and new lands and just is expansive and makes interesting characters in Xorn and Zorn and serves as a great challenge for Hawkeye. Rightness vs Loyalty. And all that jazz in between. Loved it and the art was good too!
This was a great volume and serves to build new concepts and new lands and just is expansive and makes interesting characters in Xorn and Zorn and serves as a great challenge for Hawkeye. Rightness vs Loyalty. And all that jazz in between. Loved it and the art was good too!
September 21, 2024
I’m not up on Ultimates, I’m not sure what was going on in the world that this apparent side story was happening in, but I do like Hawkeye and it was interesting to see a bit of his origins and his relationship with Fury. I didn’t love the art, I am a bit confused by the story (more from the lack of background of what is going on in the bigger picture, not the actual story that’s being told here about anti-mutation viruses and serum made mutants), but my interest is piqued and if I had any idea how to navigate through graphic novels to find out what happens next I would check it out.
June 9, 2025
Couldn't get through this one. Although I can see how--as mentioned in the behind-the-scenes material for the Hawkeye Disney+ series--this version of the character influenced the MCU's more serious version of Clint Barton, I didn't like the plot or the art.
June 7, 2012
Dear Ultimates,
HAWKEYE DOES NOT HAVE SPECIAL POWERS.
But thanks for making a book about just him anyway.
Always 50-50 on your titles,
me.
HAWKEYE DOES NOT HAVE SPECIAL POWERS.
But thanks for making a book about just him anyway.
Always 50-50 on your titles,
me.
April 28, 2023
3.5 this was pretty fun and easy to read in one sitting. Some fun ideas with the shaking up of lore and giving things names like Eternals, Celestials, and Deviants. I liked the Xorn and Zorn designs. Overall it definitely feels like a smaller adventure and I hope we see some of it pay off in the rest of The Ultimates.
April 12, 2019
Call it 2 and a half on re-read.
Man, comics were different in the early post 9/11 aughties. More militaristic, more missions and orders, more soldiers doing a job than heroes performing altruistic deeds. But in that context, Hawkeye manages to tell a pretty compelling story—I just wish the last issue had had MORE build-up, and the war-story of the first two issues had taken a little less page space. As it stands, it feels bloated and imbalanced, but the strength of the final issue helps even things out.
Man, comics were different in the early post 9/11 aughties. More militaristic, more missions and orders, more soldiers doing a job than heroes performing altruistic deeds. But in that context, Hawkeye manages to tell a pretty compelling story—I just wish the last issue had had MORE build-up, and the war-story of the first two issues had taken a little less page space. As it stands, it feels bloated and imbalanced, but the strength of the final issue helps even things out.
December 9, 2025
El 2011 Marvel decidió relanzar su exitosa franquicia "Ultimate", que durante la década anterior les dio títulos tan memorables como "The Ultimates" de M. Millar, o "Ultimate Spiderman" de Bendis. Para esta ocasión le cedieron el timón a un escritor que poco a poco estaba forjando su leyenda: J. Hickman. Lo pusieron a cargo del título principal "Ultimate: The Ultimates" (junto a E. Ribic), y de "Ultimate Thor" (2011; ya reseñado por esta página). Y para cerrar, le pidieron que hiciera algo con Hawkeye. Para asombro del lector avesado, "Ultimate Hawkeye" no resulta un comic memorable. Cuenta una historia más bien vaga, a ratos confusa y claramente enlazada con "The Ultimates". Hawkeye -quien es sacado de la cárcel por Nick Fury, donde cumplía una condena por homicidio-, es puesto al mando de una misión suicida de SHIELD en busca de un compuesto capaz de crear super humanos tipo X mens. Tal compuesto se halla oculto en un país asiático, y la misión de Hawkeye resulta mitad fracaso mitad exitosa, porque varios de quienes lo acompañaban (Hukl, algunos X men) deciden quedarse en ese estado asiático en el cual los super humanos son tratados bien. Hay toda una mitología, además, sobre las ciudades que los super humanos recién creados han construido, pero queda apenas sugerida puesto que es desarrollada más a fondo en otras historias. Lo único que se puede sacar en claro es que este Hawkeye tiene mejoras artificiales en la vista, lo cual explica la eficacia que tiene con el arco y flecha (o con cualquier objeto que pueda lanzar, lo que lo emparente con Bullseye).
El arte de Rafa Sandoval es desordenado, al punto de que en las viñetas de combates no se entiende bien qué está ocurriendo. Su Hawkeye, para peor, está poco estilizado. No ayudan a la estética del tomo las portadas digitales de Kaare Andrewns que han envejecido muy, pero muy mal.
Un desliz para Hickman, probablemente en aquella época más preocupado de "The Ultimates" o de "Fantastic Four", que de esta miniserie algo olvidable.
El arte de Rafa Sandoval es desordenado, al punto de que en las viñetas de combates no se entiende bien qué está ocurriendo. Su Hawkeye, para peor, está poco estilizado. No ayudan a la estética del tomo las portadas digitales de Kaare Andrewns que han envejecido muy, pero muy mal.
Un desliz para Hickman, probablemente en aquella época más preocupado de "The Ultimates" o de "Fantastic Four", que de esta miniserie algo olvidable.
August 11, 2023
Hickman's Thor book was great because, even though it told a non-linear story over three time periods, it was still pretty straightforward. This one I foolishly expected to be similar.
Hawkeye is sent to SEAR (The Southeast Asian Republic) after its discovered that they've developed two weapons in the ongoing superhuman arms race. First, to avoid a mutually assured destruction scenario, a virus to "cure" the x gene. Second, to assure their global dominance, a serum to create The People, essentially their own mutants. Unfortunately for them, two of their test subjects break away, take the serum, and create two floating cities.
One of the brothers is named Kuan-Yin and renames himself Xorn and starts the city of Tian, a celestial city. The other, Shen-Yin, calls himself Zorn and creates the other floating Eternal City. These Celestials and Eternals have set themselves apart from the deviants that occupy the rest of the world, but anyone may join them. Heaven exists on Earth now for anyone who wants it.
Hawkeye is offered a spot in paradise, but he's committed to the job and so takes the serum (he's freely given it, so I assume they have more) and goes home.
This is the kind of insanity I expect from Hickman. Whether people are into this will really depend on how much they enjoy convoluted nonsense, but honestly, at this point in Ultimate, it feels like a breath of fresh air.
Ultimately, it's all set up, though. I think setup equally for the X-Men as it is for the Ultimates.
So, I guess let's just see how this goes.
Hawkeye is sent to SEAR (The Southeast Asian Republic) after its discovered that they've developed two weapons in the ongoing superhuman arms race. First, to avoid a mutually assured destruction scenario, a virus to "cure" the x gene. Second, to assure their global dominance, a serum to create The People, essentially their own mutants. Unfortunately for them, two of their test subjects break away, take the serum, and create two floating cities.
One of the brothers is named Kuan-Yin and renames himself Xorn and starts the city of Tian, a celestial city. The other, Shen-Yin, calls himself Zorn and creates the other floating Eternal City. These Celestials and Eternals have set themselves apart from the deviants that occupy the rest of the world, but anyone may join them. Heaven exists on Earth now for anyone who wants it.
Hawkeye is offered a spot in paradise, but he's committed to the job and so takes the serum (he's freely given it, so I assume they have more) and goes home.
This is the kind of insanity I expect from Hickman. Whether people are into this will really depend on how much they enjoy convoluted nonsense, but honestly, at this point in Ultimate, it feels like a breath of fresh air.
Ultimately, it's all set up, though. I think setup equally for the X-Men as it is for the Ultimates.
So, I guess let's just see how this goes.
December 14, 2017
Comecei a mini-série esperando algo parecido com a série do Gavião Arqueiro da Nova Marvel escrita pelo Matt Fraction, onde as edições alternam entre missões secretas e a vida cotidiana e bem-humorada do Maior Arqueiro da Terra. Por isso fui pego de surpresa quando notei que essa série era o completo oposto.
A mini se passa durante os eventos que desenrolaram nos títulos do Universo Ultimate após o arco da Morte do Homem-Aranha e, sinceramente, ela parece mais com um prelúdio pra uma história maior do que qualquer coisa.
Ela começa relativamente bem auto-explicativa, mas lá para o final ela dá a impressão de que a história que importa só está começando, mas em outra série.
O foco não está no Gavião Arqueiro, ocorrem flashbacks dele sendo recrutado pela S.H.I.E.L.D. e momentos entre ele e o Fury, mas eles não são o centro da história. O centro dela está na situação política e da comunidade super-humana no Universo Ultimate, é uma boa história de espionagem e super-heróis, mas não é uma história fechada.
Sobre os aspectos técnicos, a arte é bonita, exceto algumas poses exageradas do Gavião, e segue o mesmo estilo que os outros títulos Ultimate.
Enfim, foi bom ter lido, mas é só. Se alguém quiser ter uma ideia melhor do Gavião Arqueiro, procure a série da Nova Marvel.
A mini se passa durante os eventos que desenrolaram nos títulos do Universo Ultimate após o arco da Morte do Homem-Aranha e, sinceramente, ela parece mais com um prelúdio pra uma história maior do que qualquer coisa.
Ela começa relativamente bem auto-explicativa, mas lá para o final ela dá a impressão de que a história que importa só está começando, mas em outra série.
O foco não está no Gavião Arqueiro, ocorrem flashbacks dele sendo recrutado pela S.H.I.E.L.D. e momentos entre ele e o Fury, mas eles não são o centro da história. O centro dela está na situação política e da comunidade super-humana no Universo Ultimate, é uma boa história de espionagem e super-heróis, mas não é uma história fechada.
Sobre os aspectos técnicos, a arte é bonita, exceto algumas poses exageradas do Gavião, e segue o mesmo estilo que os outros títulos Ultimate.
Enfim, foi bom ter lido, mas é só. Se alguém quiser ter uma ideia melhor do Gavião Arqueiro, procure a série da Nova Marvel.
January 23, 2022
Kind of finding out that Hawkeye is a favorite of mine.
The Ultimates are bastardized version of the Main Marvel line, but still fun (although the Fantastic Four Ultimates bothered me a bit.)
This collection is only four issues long and the story doesn't end here, but in Ultimates . So that is the only reason I didn't give this five stars. The story isn't complete and that is so wrong when you purchase a trade paperback.
I guess I'll have to see if I can find the rest of the story.
The Ultimates are bastardized version of the Main Marvel line, but still fun (although the Fantastic Four Ultimates bothered me a bit.)
This collection is only four issues long and the story doesn't end here, but in Ultimates . So that is the only reason I didn't give this five stars. The story isn't complete and that is so wrong when you purchase a trade paperback.
I guess I'll have to see if I can find the rest of the story.
March 31, 2022
I've read some other Hawkeye comics and loved them!, but this was not that. The plot is boring and hard to follow. The art is basic. None of the characters get any time to shine. Really disappointed.
(Also: I bought this book for a fiver secondhand at a convention - turns out it's an ex-library copy, it has water damage and it smells bad to boot. Got conned at con. ☹ Maybe I should give this book two stars but I'm just mad at this specific copy, ha.)
(Also: I bought this book for a fiver secondhand at a convention - turns out it's an ex-library copy, it has water damage and it smells bad to boot. Got conned at con. ☹ Maybe I should give this book two stars but I'm just mad at this specific copy, ha.)
June 4, 2017
And by saying that it was ok I'm being generous for once.
I love Clint Barton, ok. Even the Ultimates edition but it was torture to read this, that's how little care is put into everything. We're fighting against the group called the people, they have a serum called the serum and motives that are very motivated. Hawkeye, pls don't miss and put an arrow through my eye.
I love Clint Barton, ok. Even the Ultimates edition but it was torture to read this, that's how little care is put into everything. We're fighting against the group called the people, they have a serum called the serum and motives that are very motivated. Hawkeye, pls don't miss and put an arrow through my eye.
April 3, 2019
This attempted re-imagining of the Marvel Universe tries to look at superheroes through a geopolitical power lens, but the idea is muddled by heavy exposition, needless flashbacks, and a anticlimactic non-ending. To make matters worse, the title character is little more than an after thought in his own book.
November 10, 2022
I was in a Hawkeye mood, so I picked this up. And... well, I don't know much about the Ultimate Universe in Marvel. And the Hawkeye I got here was definitely not the Hawkeye I was expecting. Still, it was an interesting, military-thriller-meets-superpowers read. Not my usual thing, but it was short and I was engaged enough that I wanted to finish it.
January 27, 2019
Some minor technical glitchs.
A good story that seems to feature a new way of empowering humans that is very similar to the old methods. There is a technical problem with expanding the panels that cute off some words on the edges of panels.
A good story that seems to feature a new way of empowering humans that is very similar to the old methods. There is a technical problem with expanding the panels that cute off some words on the edges of panels.
April 27, 2020
Ovviamente non potevo non leggere questo fumetto, Occhio di Falco è uno dei miei eroi preferiti di casa Marvel.
In questo fumetto, a parte la storia, ho adorato in particolar modo le battute tra Clint e Fury.
Da shippare in pratica.
In questo fumetto, a parte la storia, ho adorato in particolar modo le battute tra Clint e Fury.
Da shippare in pratica.
March 11, 2018
Would of appreciated more of an actual hawkeye story, but still good
January 15, 2019
It's fine.
May 2, 2019
Hawkeye goes on an op to find a superserum .
August 1, 2019
Love Hawkeye so this comic definitely satisfied my love of his character but in my opinion I prefer the other Hawkeye comics
October 10, 2019
A very COOL book and I recommend it to everyone who is Marvel fan
June 7, 2020
Hickman tries to made some lemonade out of the lemons given to him by the way they broke the Ultimate Universe, and there are some good moments, as you'd expect. But not enough to recommend it.
July 26, 2020
Frente a las nuevas amenazas, Hawkeye debe lidiar con lo que esta sucediendo en SEAR (República del Sudeste Asiático) donde un nuevo suero esta dando que hablar en el mundo meta-humano
Displaying 1 - 30 of 78 reviews