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Hawkeye (1983) #1-4
Hawkeye
Introducing The Ace Archer of the Avengers in some of his sharpest adventures! His beginnings as a malfeasant marksman! His solo stand against X-Men adversary Deathbird! Plus: double-costumed debuts for Hawkeye's future bride Bobbi Morse, a.k.a. Agent 19, and the couple's whirlwind romance in Hawkeye's first mini-series! Guest-starring the Black Widow, Spider-Man, and more!
- GenresComicsGraphic Novels
95 pages, Hardcover
Published January 1, 1988
1 person is currently reading
43 people want to read
About the author
Mark Gruenwald
920 books44 followersGruenwald got his start in comics fandom, publishing his own fanzine, Omniverse, which explored the concept of continuity. Before being hired by Marvel, he wrote text articles for DC Comics official fanzine, The Amazing World of DC Comics. Articles by Gruenwald include "The Martian Chronicles" (a history of the Martian Manhunter) in issue #13 and several articles on the history of the Justice League in issue #14.
In 1978 he was hired by Marvel Comics, where he remained for the rest of his career. Hired initially as an assistant editor in January 1978, Gruenwald was promoted to full editorship by Marvel editor-in-chief Jim Shooter in 1982, putting Gruenwald in charge of The Avengers, Captain America, Iron Man, Thor, Spider Woman, and What If. During this period, he shared an office with writer/editor Denny O'Neil, whom Gruenwald considered a mentor.
In 1982, Gruenwald, Steven Grant, and Bill Mantlo co-wrote Marvel Super Hero Contest of Champions, the first limited seriespublished by Marvel Comics. As a writer, Gruenwald is best known for creating the Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe and his ten-year stint as the writer of Captain America during which he contributed several notable characters such as Crossbones, Diamondback and U.S. Agent. He made a deliberate effort to create villains who would be specific to Captain America, as opposed to generic foes who could as easily have been introduced in another comic.
His 60-issue run on Quasar realized Gruenwald's ambition to write his own kind of superhero. However, he considered his magnum opus to be the mid-1980s 12-issue miniseries Squadron Supreme, which told the story of an alternate universe where a group of well-intended superheroes decide that they would be best suited to run the planet
In 1978 he was hired by Marvel Comics, where he remained for the rest of his career. Hired initially as an assistant editor in January 1978, Gruenwald was promoted to full editorship by Marvel editor-in-chief Jim Shooter in 1982, putting Gruenwald in charge of The Avengers, Captain America, Iron Man, Thor, Spider Woman, and What If. During this period, he shared an office with writer/editor Denny O'Neil, whom Gruenwald considered a mentor.
In 1982, Gruenwald, Steven Grant, and Bill Mantlo co-wrote Marvel Super Hero Contest of Champions, the first limited seriespublished by Marvel Comics. As a writer, Gruenwald is best known for creating the Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe and his ten-year stint as the writer of Captain America during which he contributed several notable characters such as Crossbones, Diamondback and U.S. Agent. He made a deliberate effort to create villains who would be specific to Captain America, as opposed to generic foes who could as easily have been introduced in another comic.
His 60-issue run on Quasar realized Gruenwald's ambition to write his own kind of superhero. However, he considered his magnum opus to be the mid-1980s 12-issue miniseries Squadron Supreme, which told the story of an alternate universe where a group of well-intended superheroes decide that they would be best suited to run the planet
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
August 31, 2025
3.5 stars
"Scatter! It's Hawkeye! He can't nab us all! -- suspect# 1, to his two co-conspirators
"I've got three arrows that say you're wrong." -- our self-assured title character
Collecting a four-issue limited series from 1983 as a single collection, Hawkeye details the ace archer's activities when he was on sabbatical from his stint in The Avengers, and was employed as a security chief in the private sector for Cross Technological Enterprises. In short order the readers get his origin story, along with his initial meeting and team-up with Mockingbird (a.k.a. former SHIELD operative Bobbi Morse) as they tackle nefarious criminal activity afoot at the corporation. These two independent, complicated people begin to love each other because they share danger, they work well together, and they come to respect each other – and because their physical attraction for each other is strong. Even the 007-like reveal of the main villain's diabolical plot - in which he plans to turn superhero against superhero - felt sort of original, and not simply like a tiresome stereotypical rehash of a plot. It even concludes with a hot-tub scene (did I mention this was from the 1980's?), although I take issue with the geographical error stating 'Pococno Mountains, New York,' when it was clearly meant to reference the Mount Airy Lodge and similar resorts in northeast Pennsylvania.
"Scatter! It's Hawkeye! He can't nab us all! -- suspect# 1, to his two co-conspirators
"I've got three arrows that say you're wrong." -- our self-assured title character
Collecting a four-issue limited series from 1983 as a single collection, Hawkeye details the ace archer's activities when he was on sabbatical from his stint in The Avengers, and was employed as a security chief in the private sector for Cross Technological Enterprises. In short order the readers get his origin story, along with his initial meeting and team-up with Mockingbird (a.k.a. former SHIELD operative Bobbi Morse) as they tackle nefarious criminal activity afoot at the corporation. These two independent, complicated people begin to love each other because they share danger, they work well together, and they come to respect each other – and because their physical attraction for each other is strong. Even the 007-like reveal of the main villain's diabolical plot - in which he plans to turn superhero against superhero - felt sort of original, and not simply like a tiresome stereotypical rehash of a plot. It even concludes with a hot-tub scene (did I mention this was from the 1980's?), although I take issue with the geographical error stating 'Pococno Mountains, New York,' when it was clearly meant to reference the Mount Airy Lodge and similar resorts in northeast Pennsylvania.
July 12, 2012
I think, though can’t say with 100% certainty, that issue 1 of this 4 part mini-series by the late, great Mark Gruenwald may have been the first comic I purchased. I certainly remember perusing the back issue bins at the long gone Dark Sword Fantasy comics shop in Guelph and eagerly pulling out this one with the cover depicting a garishly purple-costumed archer and knowing it had to be mine. So started my love affair with the archer-as-superhero and the pre-eminence for me of Hawkeye in that role. Hawkeye is an interesting character: two parts sheer hot-headed bravado and smart-mouthed brashness coupled with one part uncertainty brought on by a lack of superpowers and the constant need to prove himself. A stalwart member of the Avengers ever since Captain America’s ‘kooky quartet’ days, and initially thought to be a villain when he ‘introduced’ himself to the Avengers by breaking into their mansion and getting into a fight with Iron Man to prove himself, Hawkeye eventual became a stand-by and old-guard member of Marvel’s premier super-team.
This series finds Hawkeye, aka Clint Barton, trying to make his way in the world as a solo hero, out of the shadow of the Avengers. Currently working as head of security for Cross Electronics (ironically a major competitor for Stark Industries), Hawkeye’s apparently blissful life on his own soon falls apart. After quickly losing his lover, his job, and his self-respect all in one really bad day, Hawkeye is thrust into the midst of a supervillain’s master plan and must figure out how to pull himself up by his bootstraps before disaster occurs.
The three main villains of the series are a fairly ridiculous lot, even as supervillians go: Oddball, the strangest of the three, is an expert juggler who dresses up like a skin-tight court jester and lobs multi-coloured ‘trick’ pool balls filled with deadly substances at his foes; Bombshell looks like a 1980’s butch hooker who likes to throw explosives; and the master-mind of the crew, Crossfire a former CIA operative, has no superpowers at all, though he does actually have a fairly ingenious plan to thin out the ranks of the superheroes for which Hawkeye is required as a key element. Add to the mix the “mysterious Mockingbird” and you get a seminal tale of our archer hero as he encounters both professional and personal challenges and struggles with the desire to solve this mystery on his own without having to run back to Avenger’s Mansion with his tail between his legs.
Good old-fashioned super-hero fun with a dose of character development to boot.
This series finds Hawkeye, aka Clint Barton, trying to make his way in the world as a solo hero, out of the shadow of the Avengers. Currently working as head of security for Cross Electronics (ironically a major competitor for Stark Industries), Hawkeye’s apparently blissful life on his own soon falls apart. After quickly losing his lover, his job, and his self-respect all in one really bad day, Hawkeye is thrust into the midst of a supervillain’s master plan and must figure out how to pull himself up by his bootstraps before disaster occurs.
The three main villains of the series are a fairly ridiculous lot, even as supervillians go: Oddball, the strangest of the three, is an expert juggler who dresses up like a skin-tight court jester and lobs multi-coloured ‘trick’ pool balls filled with deadly substances at his foes; Bombshell looks like a 1980’s butch hooker who likes to throw explosives; and the master-mind of the crew, Crossfire a former CIA operative, has no superpowers at all, though he does actually have a fairly ingenious plan to thin out the ranks of the superheroes for which Hawkeye is required as a key element. Add to the mix the “mysterious Mockingbird” and you get a seminal tale of our archer hero as he encounters both professional and personal challenges and struggles with the desire to solve this mystery on his own without having to run back to Avenger’s Mansion with his tail between his legs.
Good old-fashioned super-hero fun with a dose of character development to boot.
November 3, 2020
The ending of this I really loved, and I will forever be sad that deaf!Clint wasn’t used in the movies. It’d’ve been a small thing that wouldn’t have changed anything in terms of the story, but it would have been a major thing for people watching! We need more disabled heroes and we need to see them!
May 10, 2025
4.17
I love the writing here, Hawkeye is considered a bit of a joke, and yet he's stopping low level world enders without the big timers knowing
Although we do get a cameo by Cap
And lots of Mockingbird, who I love
I love the writing here, Hawkeye is considered a bit of a joke, and yet he's stopping low level world enders without the big timers knowing
Although we do get a cameo by Cap
And lots of Mockingbird, who I love
Read
January 13, 2026While I’ve always respected Mark Gruenwald, his work hasn’t consistently clicked for me, often feeling stiff or overly expository in the manner of many editor-written Marvel comics of the era. Imagine my surprise that I’ve really enjoyed this miniseries about Hawkeye that Gruenwald both wrote and drew. The series is surprisingly breezy; perhaps Gruenwald eased off of the exposition because, drawing the story himself, he felt no need to explain any apparent discrepancies in the art.
This miniseries succeeds at a notoriously difficult task: taking an underutilized character, shaking up their status quo, and leaving them in a more interesting place by the end. In typical fashion for the character, Clint Barton finds himself betrayed by a femme fatale early in the series before briefly courting and then marrying Bobbi Morse, Mockingbird. Suddenly eloping is perfectly in-character for Barton, and this messy marriage would provide story fodder for both characters for at least a good decade. Hawkeye also develops partial deafness in this story, a surprisingly impactful development for the character.
With that said, this story isn’t perfect. The villains are largely unmemorable with Oddball and Bombshell in the third chapter being particularly uninteresting. The first half is significantly better than the second due to inks by the underrated Brett Breeding. While Gruenwald’s pencils are largely serviceable, Breeding’s finishes add a polish that significantly elevates the work. He tidies up Gruenwald’s anatomy, fleshes out characters’ faces, and brings an extra layer of depth through tones. However, when Danny Bulanadi takes over inking the latter half, the art becomes muddier and less compelling. Gruenwald’s page designs and storytelling remain inventive and engaging despite the weaker finishes. The momentum slows, but the miniseries sticks its landing.
Overall, this is an easy miniseries to recommend to even casual fans of Hawkeye or anyone who generally gets a kick out of 80s Marvel comics.
This miniseries succeeds at a notoriously difficult task: taking an underutilized character, shaking up their status quo, and leaving them in a more interesting place by the end. In typical fashion for the character, Clint Barton finds himself betrayed by a femme fatale early in the series before briefly courting and then marrying Bobbi Morse, Mockingbird. Suddenly eloping is perfectly in-character for Barton, and this messy marriage would provide story fodder for both characters for at least a good decade. Hawkeye also develops partial deafness in this story, a surprisingly impactful development for the character.
With that said, this story isn’t perfect. The villains are largely unmemorable with Oddball and Bombshell in the third chapter being particularly uninteresting. The first half is significantly better than the second due to inks by the underrated Brett Breeding. While Gruenwald’s pencils are largely serviceable, Breeding’s finishes add a polish that significantly elevates the work. He tidies up Gruenwald’s anatomy, fleshes out characters’ faces, and brings an extra layer of depth through tones. However, when Danny Bulanadi takes over inking the latter half, the art becomes muddier and less compelling. Gruenwald’s page designs and storytelling remain inventive and engaging despite the weaker finishes. The momentum slows, but the miniseries sticks its landing.
Overall, this is an easy miniseries to recommend to even casual fans of Hawkeye or anyone who generally gets a kick out of 80s Marvel comics.
February 12, 2022
I liked this comic series, very enterteining!
The drawings didn't totally satisfy me, I was able to recognize the characters only by their clothes, otherwise they seemed all the same. Also, I think they're not very fluid in their movements.
This story is set in the 80s, so the clothes are as weird as they should be, neverthless I find the costumes really funny! XD I found expecially impractical Mockingbird's one, how can superheroes do their jobs with such wide sleeves?! XD
I liked the stories, they aren't boring, and the action is fast and interesting. I think it's too funny that both heroes and villains tend to describe in words every action they are making, but luckily it's not annoying!
I liked the two main chracters, a lot! Hawkeye, although still a bit too pretentious sometimes, is adorable in his bad luck and his love for arrows! :) I also liked him because we can see a very dark moment in his life, in which he even lacks his infallible aim, but we also see him performing in some extraordinary shots! We also discover something new: his bow, like Ulysses', can only be stretched by himself, if someone else tries it, they fail!
This was the first time I read about Mockingbird, and she was a very pleasant surprise! So much so that now I'm curious bout her and I'd like to read more!
A satisfying comic series that really makes me want to continue! :)
Mi è piaciuto un sacco questo fumetto!
I disegni ancora non mi convincono, trovo i personaggi poco caratterizzati, si distinguono solo per gli abiti altrimenti mi paiono un po’ tutti uguali, e li trovo anche poco fluidi nei movimenti. Però noto già qualche aspetto un po’ più moderno rispetto ai fumetti vecchi, come le vignette non più perfettamente squadrate, o gli effetti speciali nelle parole onomatopeiche. I costumi li trovo buffi, però vabbè qui erano gli anni 80, ci può stare! XD Anche se trovo quello di Mockingbird poco pratico per un supereroe con quelle maniche così larghe!
Le storie mi sono piaciute, non sono noiose, l’azione è rapida e interessante. Ancora trovo troppo buffo il fatto che sia gli eroi che i cattivi tendono a descrivere a parole ogni azione che stanno compiendo, ma non è troppo fastidioso!
I due protagonisti mi sono piaciuti parecchio! Hawkeye, seppure ogni tanto ancora un po’ troppo presuntuoso, è adorabile nella sua sfigataggine e amore per le frecce! 🙂 Mi è piaciuto anche perché lo vediamo sia in un momento molto buio, in cui gli viene addirittura a mancare la sua infallibilità nel centrare i bersagli, che poi nell’esibirsi in alcuni tiri straordinari! Scopriamo anche qualcosa di nuovo: il suo arco, come quello di Ulisse, riesce a tenderlo solo lui, se ci prova qualcun altro fallisce! Mockingbird la leggevo per la prima volta, ed è stata una piacevolissima sorpresa! Tanto che mi sono incuriosita e vorrei leggere altro di suo; per ora proseguo con Hawkeye ma ho messo qualche suo albo in WL.
Una serie di fumetti senz’altro soddisfacente, che mi fa davvero venire voglia di continuare! 🙂
http://www.naufragio.it/iltempodilegg...
The drawings didn't totally satisfy me, I was able to recognize the characters only by their clothes, otherwise they seemed all the same. Also, I think they're not very fluid in their movements.
This story is set in the 80s, so the clothes are as weird as they should be, neverthless I find the costumes really funny! XD I found expecially impractical Mockingbird's one, how can superheroes do their jobs with such wide sleeves?! XD
I liked the stories, they aren't boring, and the action is fast and interesting. I think it's too funny that both heroes and villains tend to describe in words every action they are making, but luckily it's not annoying!
I liked the two main chracters, a lot! Hawkeye, although still a bit too pretentious sometimes, is adorable in his bad luck and his love for arrows! :) I also liked him because we can see a very dark moment in his life, in which he even lacks his infallible aim, but we also see him performing in some extraordinary shots! We also discover something new: his bow, like Ulysses', can only be stretched by himself, if someone else tries it, they fail!
This was the first time I read about Mockingbird, and she was a very pleasant surprise! So much so that now I'm curious bout her and I'd like to read more!
A satisfying comic series that really makes me want to continue! :)
Mi è piaciuto un sacco questo fumetto!
I disegni ancora non mi convincono, trovo i personaggi poco caratterizzati, si distinguono solo per gli abiti altrimenti mi paiono un po’ tutti uguali, e li trovo anche poco fluidi nei movimenti. Però noto già qualche aspetto un po’ più moderno rispetto ai fumetti vecchi, come le vignette non più perfettamente squadrate, o gli effetti speciali nelle parole onomatopeiche. I costumi li trovo buffi, però vabbè qui erano gli anni 80, ci può stare! XD Anche se trovo quello di Mockingbird poco pratico per un supereroe con quelle maniche così larghe!
Le storie mi sono piaciute, non sono noiose, l’azione è rapida e interessante. Ancora trovo troppo buffo il fatto che sia gli eroi che i cattivi tendono a descrivere a parole ogni azione che stanno compiendo, ma non è troppo fastidioso!
I due protagonisti mi sono piaciuti parecchio! Hawkeye, seppure ogni tanto ancora un po’ troppo presuntuoso, è adorabile nella sua sfigataggine e amore per le frecce! 🙂 Mi è piaciuto anche perché lo vediamo sia in un momento molto buio, in cui gli viene addirittura a mancare la sua infallibilità nel centrare i bersagli, che poi nell’esibirsi in alcuni tiri straordinari! Scopriamo anche qualcosa di nuovo: il suo arco, come quello di Ulisse, riesce a tenderlo solo lui, se ci prova qualcun altro fallisce! Mockingbird la leggevo per la prima volta, ed è stata una piacevolissima sorpresa! Tanto che mi sono incuriosita e vorrei leggere altro di suo; per ora proseguo con Hawkeye ma ho messo qualche suo albo in WL.
Una serie di fumetti senz’altro soddisfacente, che mi fa davvero venire voglia di continuare! 🙂
http://www.naufragio.it/iltempodilegg...
November 22, 2023
The first time I read this book I didn't think it was anything special, but after reading it as an accompaniment to the main Avengers title it was a lot better. You learned why Hawkeye started working for Cross Technological Enterprises and the story just seems more fleshed out that way.
Anyway, this mini-series is pretty fun because Hawkeye meets Mockingbird for the first time here. They work together, uncover some corruption, nearly get deafened, fall in love and get married by the end of the four issues.
Decent overall.
Anyway, this mini-series is pretty fun because Hawkeye meets Mockingbird for the first time here. They work together, uncover some corruption, nearly get deafened, fall in love and get married by the end of the four issues.
Decent overall.
March 19, 2025
A fast paced romp following the Avenging Archer. This tale, featuring one of my personal favorite superheroes, sets up a lot of the modern mythos of the character. This mini-series not only tells the story of when Hawkeye and Mockingbird first met, but also the original of his hearing loss. While I wish the finale was a little tighter, this was still an enjoyable read, featuring great written and visual storytelling. Highly recommended for fans of Hawkeye, the Avengers, and/or superhero comics.
January 11, 2026
I originally planned to jump onto Hawkeye starting from the Matt Fraction run but I saw this recommended and decided to give it a chance. This miniseries established a few different plot points that are important to Hawkeye as a character. In these four issues we see the first meeting of Hawkeye and Mockingbird, as well as Clint to starting to lose his hearing. The story itself didn’t do a lot for me and none of the villains really stood out, but it was still a fun time.
January 6, 2025
Who knew Mark Gruenwald could draw too? I only knew him as a writer and editor for Marvel. His art is pretty good too. This Hawkeye miniseries is surprisingly good. It has Hawkeye and Mockingbird's first team-up. It also shows what happened to Hawkeye's hearing which really gets played up during his appearances in the 2000s.
June 22, 2022
Even though Hawkeye first appeared in September 1963, it took 19 years for him to get his own solo series. And even then he was affectively having to share it with Mockingbird, although she wasn’t getting any masthead billing. This was a good series, I enjoyed it when it was coming out, although reading it again now, I’m realizing that I don’t think I ever read it a second time. Odd that. There's a lot that happens in this series: Hawkeye leaves his employment at CTE and that company is revealed to be corrupt, he gets a spiffy new costume, Hawkeye meets Mockingbird and their tremulous relationship is ignited, first appearances for the Silencer, Oddball, Bombshell and Hawkeye’s sky-sled, the injury that will lead to his ever increasing hearing problems (which has even made it into the movie version of Hawkeye). Good story by Mark Gruenwald and art by Brett Breeding and Danny Bulanadi. This was an early triumph for Marvel’s fledgling mini-series trials.
October 17, 2013
Gruenwald's four issue Hawkeye miniseries reaches some great heights, but it's also at times silly (not in a good way) or even patently ridiculous. Hawkeye's rock bottom, shooting arrows at a slab of concrete with a bullseye drawn on it and missing every shot was such an amazing character moment (and informs Fraction and Aja's current insta-classic standalone series), and the flirting between ol' Clint and Bobbi is adorable. Unfortunately, the main plot is asinine, and the Big Bad even worse. At times I get the sense that it's meant to be over-the-top but it's tonally inconsistent. Gruenwald's shaky art doesn't help.
More consistent are the other stories collected in this volume--the dual origins of Mockingbird, and a great Hawkeye-centric issue of Avengers--which are all super fun.
More consistent are the other stories collected in this volume--the dual origins of Mockingbird, and a great Hawkeye-centric issue of Avengers--which are all super fun.
December 18, 2015
"Gosh I love arrows." <3
This is quite adorable. I like both Mockingbird and Hawkeye. And this is drawn and written in a way that makes you actually really happy for those silly costumes and gadgets. They didn't feel ridiculous, they fitted well in the universe and the style of this story.
Just mostly adorable superhero adorableness. With some silly or stupid things that you can totally forgive, because "GOSH I LOVE ARROWS".
This is quite adorable. I like both Mockingbird and Hawkeye. And this is drawn and written in a way that makes you actually really happy for those silly costumes and gadgets. They didn't feel ridiculous, they fitted well in the universe and the style of this story.
Just mostly adorable superhero adorableness. With some silly or stupid things that you can totally forgive, because "GOSH I LOVE ARROWS".
May 15, 2014
Il compianto Mark Gruenwald volle tremendamente questa mini su Occhio di Falco, che terina col suo matrimonio con Bobbi Morse, Mimo. I disegni sono molto classici, con un buon Breeding alle chine, la narrazione scorre fluida senza particolari colpi di scena, ma nel complesso si difende ancora bene contro il marasma della produzione Marvel attuale.
September 13, 2010
Good early 1980's fun comic
April 6, 2012
I used to love this when it first came out...I may need to check it out again to see if I still do.
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews