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Hawkeye: Kate Bishop
Hawkeye: Kate Bishop, Vol. 2: Masks
Hawkeye finally gets a lead on the top-secret case that brought her to Los Angeles in the first place - but to solve this mystery, Kate Bishop will have to take a good hard look at who she is and where she came from. Is she really ready to face the ghosts of her past? Maybe fixing things for a young client with oddly similar problems will help her fix herself! Probably not, though. At least she'll get to punch through her frustrations courtesy of the Worst. Fight. Club. Ever. But when her friends get in trouble and need a helping hand from Hawkeye, she always comes through - right? So when she doesn't, something must be really off. Who is this fake Kate, and what has she done with the real deal?
COLLECTING: HAWKEYE 7-12
COLLECTING: HAWKEYE 7-12
136 pages, Paperback
First published January 2, 2018
18 people are currently reading
829 people want to read
About the author
Kelly Thompson
772 books1,044 followersKELLY THOMPSON has a degree in Sequential Art from The Savannah College of Art & Design. Her love of comics and superheroes have compelled her since she first discovered them as a teenager. Currently living in Portland, Oregon with her boyfriend and the two brilliant cats that run their lives, you can find Kelly all over the Internet where she is generally well liked, except where she's detested.
Kelly has published two novels - THE GIRL WHO WOULD BE KING (2012) and STORYKILLER (2014) and the graphic novel HEART IN A BOX from Dark Horse Comics (2015). She's currently writing ROGUE & GAMBIT, HAWKEYE, and PHASMA for Marvel Comics and GHOSTBUSTERS for IDW. Other major credits include: A-Force, Captain Marvel & The Carol Corps, Jem and The Holograms, Misfits, Power Rangers Pink, and the creator-owned mini-series Mega Princess.
Kelly's ambitions are eclipsed only by her desire to exist entirely in pajamas. Fortunately pajamas and writers go hand in hand (most of the time). Please buy all her stuff so that she can buy (and wear) more pajamas.
Kelly has published two novels - THE GIRL WHO WOULD BE KING (2012) and STORYKILLER (2014) and the graphic novel HEART IN A BOX from Dark Horse Comics (2015). She's currently writing ROGUE & GAMBIT, HAWKEYE, and PHASMA for Marvel Comics and GHOSTBUSTERS for IDW. Other major credits include: A-Force, Captain Marvel & The Carol Corps, Jem and The Holograms, Misfits, Power Rangers Pink, and the creator-owned mini-series Mega Princess.
Kelly's ambitions are eclipsed only by her desire to exist entirely in pajamas. Fortunately pajamas and writers go hand in hand (most of the time). Please buy all her stuff so that she can buy (and wear) more pajamas.
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 245 reviews
February 14, 2018
Thompson does a great job of bringing intrigue in via Kate's family history. There's daddy issues, potential mother murders, fight clubs, clones and Madame Masque all packed in. The book looks like a modern day 70's pulp cover art come to life. One of those California detective novels but with a teenage detective who substitutes a bow for a gun.
March 26, 2018
Kate Bishop (Hawkeye) has a lot of personality, and it comes out in her frequent jokes (often bad, but lovable) and her expressive face and gestures (both artists in this book do a fantastic job of this). I'm a big fan of the art, and the story has some nice twists in it that are a lot of fun to read. More Kate Bishop, please.
September 16, 2019
This story has grown since the opening volume and I thought it was better. The world expands and gets weird.
We meet Kate's dad - he turns out to be a super-villain. Kate walks into a cage fighting ring and has to fight for her life. She is solving crimes while looking for her mother at the same time.
Kate is funny and is throwing out these one liners, but she doesn't crack me up. It's cute. Some other Marvel characters show up in the story.
This is a well done story and I'm beginning to really like Kate Bishop. I'm excited for the Disney+ show. I'll get the next volume also.
We meet Kate's dad - he turns out to be a super-villain. Kate walks into a cage fighting ring and has to fight for her life. She is solving crimes while looking for her mother at the same time.
Kate is funny and is throwing out these one liners, but she doesn't crack me up. It's cute. Some other Marvel characters show up in the story.
This is a well done story and I'm beginning to really like Kate Bishop. I'm excited for the Disney+ show. I'll get the next volume also.
May 8, 2019
This was better than volume 1 but still didn't blow me away.
So Kate comes face to face with her worst enemy. Her pops. Now this asshole has done a lot of terrible things but did you know he has powers? Yeah, me either. So with a Purple Man-lite thing going on Kate might be in more trouble then she expected. With her scooby group of crime fighters she must go through some fight club shit and cracking a brand new case.
Overall, it's fun. Kelly Thompson does good with the dialogue. The best issue was actually the one shot with Kate and Laura and little gabby. They all team up to take out some bad guys and it's filled with a lot of funny moments. I also enjoyed Kate here more, this is more intense yet has better humor than the last volume. Still a little boring at times and the dialogue heavy pages can be a bit much. Also, the villain is boring. A 3 out of 5.
So Kate comes face to face with her worst enemy. Her pops. Now this asshole has done a lot of terrible things but did you know he has powers? Yeah, me either. So with a Purple Man-lite thing going on Kate might be in more trouble then she expected. With her scooby group of crime fighters she must go through some fight club shit and cracking a brand new case.
Overall, it's fun. Kelly Thompson does good with the dialogue. The best issue was actually the one shot with Kate and Laura and little gabby. They all team up to take out some bad guys and it's filled with a lot of funny moments. I also enjoyed Kate here more, this is more intense yet has better humor than the last volume. Still a little boring at times and the dialogue heavy pages can be a bit much. Also, the villain is boring. A 3 out of 5.
September 9, 2018
I enjoyed this volume a lot more than the first volume.
Granted, I still don't feel like I have a good handle on the supporting cast but Kate really shined in this volume. The dialogue was great! The jokes really landed and I like seeing more about Kate's family history.
One thing I greatly appreciated about this volume was that it didn't shy away from how hard the job is on Kate's body. Sometimes, even the regular humans are written as though being thrown into several walls, glass windows and other people doesn't take a toll on their bodies. This series actually shows Kate getting bruised and injured and dealing with a lot of soreness afterwards. I worry about all the times she's hit her head, to be honest, but it was an aspect that made this series all the more realistic.
I said this about Atomic Blonde, as well, but I really like it when female characters are written this way because it doesn't do the typical thing guy writers do where a woman gets injured but in a "sexy way". You know, when she gets in a knife fight but the only damage done are slash marks across her midriff and slices meant to reveal more thigh and stomach (*cough cough* Padme in Attack of the Clones *cough cough*). This is a sign of this series being written by a woman and the artist being respectful. I am thankful.
Anyway, this is a lot closer to the personality I'm used to and what made me love the character in the first place.
I keep hoping her supporting cast will stand out to me a little more but maybe in volume 3.
Granted, I still don't feel like I have a good handle on the supporting cast but Kate really shined in this volume. The dialogue was great! The jokes really landed and I like seeing more about Kate's family history.
One thing I greatly appreciated about this volume was that it didn't shy away from how hard the job is on Kate's body. Sometimes, even the regular humans are written as though being thrown into several walls, glass windows and other people doesn't take a toll on their bodies. This series actually shows Kate getting bruised and injured and dealing with a lot of soreness afterwards. I worry about all the times she's hit her head, to be honest, but it was an aspect that made this series all the more realistic.
I said this about Atomic Blonde, as well, but I really like it when female characters are written this way because it doesn't do the typical thing guy writers do where a woman gets injured but in a "sexy way". You know, when she gets in a knife fight but the only damage done are slash marks across her midriff and slices meant to reveal more thigh and stomach (*cough cough* Padme in Attack of the Clones *cough cough*). This is a sign of this series being written by a woman and the artist being respectful. I am thankful.
Anyway, this is a lot closer to the personality I'm used to and what made me love the character in the first place.
I keep hoping her supporting cast will stand out to me a little more but maybe in volume 3.
December 22, 2017
Characters stories are the best!
World: The art is great, cause it gives so much characters to the characters. The motion is also good and creative splash pages make me happy. The world building is solid but on the simple side. It's okay cause it's well constructed so yeah it's good.
Story: Very simple and straightforward tale and it's good. The pacing is fast and the character moments throughout making readers care and fall in love with Kate and Co. The villain this arc was strong and personal and a great continuation of the last arc.
Characters: Kate is great, putting her with these new friends also amazing. She's just so gully realized and strong. The villain this arc was also strong and the link to Kate was good, the dialog between them was so good.
I'm impressed. Thompson has bug shoes to fill after Fraction and Lemire and she makes Kate so full of personal voice that this series is a must read.
Onward to the next book!
World: The art is great, cause it gives so much characters to the characters. The motion is also good and creative splash pages make me happy. The world building is solid but on the simple side. It's okay cause it's well constructed so yeah it's good.
Story: Very simple and straightforward tale and it's good. The pacing is fast and the character moments throughout making readers care and fall in love with Kate and Co. The villain this arc was strong and personal and a great continuation of the last arc.
Characters: Kate is great, putting her with these new friends also amazing. She's just so gully realized and strong. The villain this arc was also strong and the link to Kate was good, the dialog between them was so good.
I'm impressed. Thompson has bug shoes to fill after Fraction and Lemire and she makes Kate so full of personal voice that this series is a must read.
Onward to the next book!
December 4, 2020
This series is quickly becoming a favorite and Kate Bishop is a great lead. Hawkeye: Kate Bishop, Volume 2: Masks by Kelly Thompson is quite a bit better than the first installment by this author and it really worked for me. It was so much fun to see Laura (X-23's) cameo and hear some of that gossip. I'm really looking forward to volume 3 and seeing how Thompson writes Clint.
December 6, 2017
This continues to be one of my favorite books.
December 22, 2017
[Read as single issues]
Kate Bishop's favourite person in the entire world has returned - that's right, Madame Masque has come to town, and that means nothing but trouble for Kate and her pals. Plus: Clones! Pizza dog! Daddy issues! And a hell of a lot of arrows!
Controversial opinion: I think this version of Hawkeye is better than the Fraction/Aja one. Kate's a much more interesting character, and the voice that Kelly Thompson gives her is wonderful. The fact that she has all of these extra issues to unpack to do with her parents and Madame Masque are just icing on the cake.
The artwork is pretty much flawless; Leonardo Romero has really made this book his own, with some beautifully choreographed fight scenes and super-inventive set pieces that just look amazing. I love the Target Vision thing that pops up every issue. The art perfectly lends itself to Thompson's humour. Michael Walsh also draws another fill-in issue, and he meshes well with Romero's style; I'm surprised he hasn't been given another ongoing somewhere.
With the news that this book has just been cancelled (of course), I'd recommend it even more - enjoy it now, while it lasts.
Kate Bishop's favourite person in the entire world has returned - that's right, Madame Masque has come to town, and that means nothing but trouble for Kate and her pals. Plus: Clones! Pizza dog! Daddy issues! And a hell of a lot of arrows!
Controversial opinion: I think this version of Hawkeye is better than the Fraction/Aja one. Kate's a much more interesting character, and the voice that Kelly Thompson gives her is wonderful. The fact that she has all of these extra issues to unpack to do with her parents and Madame Masque are just icing on the cake.
The artwork is pretty much flawless; Leonardo Romero has really made this book his own, with some beautifully choreographed fight scenes and super-inventive set pieces that just look amazing. I love the Target Vision thing that pops up every issue. The art perfectly lends itself to Thompson's humour. Michael Walsh also draws another fill-in issue, and he meshes well with Romero's style; I'm surprised he hasn't been given another ongoing somewhere.
With the news that this book has just been cancelled (of course), I'd recommend it even more - enjoy it now, while it lasts.
September 16, 2019
Kate "don't call me 'lesser Hawkeye' or I WILL kick your @$$, you idiot" Bishop nicely sidesteps a sophomore slump and again performs triumphantly in her solo title. I'm not sure this was (warning: archery reference) an inner 10 ring shot like her initial volume but it was still pretty damn good.
Hawkeye takes on the unstoppable Madame Masque (not a spoiler - they have an action pose on the rear cover) again when attempting to uncover - cue the threatening music - family secrets! She is also joined by her gutsy new Venice Beach friends and is even developing a long-suffering but dependable police agency contact just like in a TV detective series. Just as good are the special and cameo appearances near the end that don't seem gratuitous but just simply work in the story-line.
Yes, this series is a winner and I can't wait for the next case file from 'Hawkeye Investigations.'
Hawkeye takes on the unstoppable Madame Masque (not a spoiler - they have an action pose on the rear cover) again when attempting to uncover - cue the threatening music - family secrets! She is also joined by her gutsy new Venice Beach friends and is even developing a long-suffering but dependable police agency contact just like in a TV detective series. Just as good are the special and cameo appearances near the end that don't seem gratuitous but just simply work in the story-line.
Yes, this series is a winner and I can't wait for the next case file from 'Hawkeye Investigations.'
May 12, 2020
4.25 stars. A nice step up from the last volume. Kate goes after Madame Masque after getting an invitation from her. Once she gets there, Kate finds her dad instead, which he now has powers of suggestion. What? We also get some flashbacks of Kate’s childhood which reveal a certain disturbing moment. Kate takes on another case where a girls father has gone missing. This leads Hawkeye to an underground fighting ring. Pretty awesome issue here. Madame Masque does eventually show up. I enjoyed their interactions from the Fraction run. The final issue, which felt like a one shot was a nice addition with X-23 and Gabby. Funny and entertaining issue. Looks like Jonathan and Lucky are friends now. But that Hungry Lady meal Kate pulled out the freezer? 😂
March 30, 2018
Still a pretty solid run! I think out of all the female iterations (of traditionally male characters) that Marvel have created, Jane Foster Thor and Kate Bishop Hawkeye are the most well written and best characters in their own right! Overall the story is very engaging and interesting and the artwork blends with the story well! The last issue with Laura Wolverine left a bit to be desired, but overall another good volume!
February 18, 2018
Kelly Thompson's Kate Bishop comic continues to be excellent: this volume is even better than the first.
That's in large part because of Kate's unique viewpoint and her great kick-assedness. From Young Avengers we know that she's a truly superior fighter, but that's played up even more here. Combine that with her immediate ability to read a room, depicted with hilarious art throughout this volume, and you get a really enthralling character.
The plots in this second volume are also terrific. We get more on Kate's past, on the secrets of her father, and on her interplay with Madame Masque, and all of it feels important and interesting.
The only real downside is that the supporting cast that Thompson worked so hard to build in the first volume is entirely characterless, except as a mob.
That's in large part because of Kate's unique viewpoint and her great kick-assedness. From Young Avengers we know that she's a truly superior fighter, but that's played up even more here. Combine that with her immediate ability to read a room, depicted with hilarious art throughout this volume, and you get a really enthralling character.
The plots in this second volume are also terrific. We get more on Kate's past, on the secrets of her father, and on her interplay with Madame Masque, and all of it feels important and interesting.
The only real downside is that the supporting cast that Thompson worked so hard to build in the first volume is entirely characterless, except as a mob.
June 19, 2018
I am still really enjoying the Kate Bishop version of Hawkeye, in fact it seems to be getting better with each issue. Kate Bishop is the best. She kicks ass! (still without super-powers, but maybe that will change in the next volume? o_0
January 28, 2018
1. I can’t wait to read the next one.
2. Where’s my effing Kate Bishop Netflix show?!?
2. Where’s my effing Kate Bishop Netflix show?!?
April 15, 2019
No me importaría en absoluto tener el talento de Kelly Thompson.
La historia avanza y lo hace muy bien, cameo al final en el que todo genial, mucha amistad y risas. Gráficamente me gusta muchísimo el estilo.
La historia avanza y lo hace muy bien, cameo al final en el que todo genial, mucha amistad y risas. Gráficamente me gusta muchísimo el estilo.
March 24, 2018
Another cool and pleasant volume of Hawkeye.
I learned of Kate Bishop's existence with Matt Fraction's excellent previous run on the title which gives you some clue on my level of knowledge of the character. Seems like Katie has some understable daddy issues since she suspects him to have had her mother killed.
This volume centers on this aspect of Kate's life- the reason she moved west in the first place- with a bit of Madame Masque in between and a Wolverine (Laura/Gaby) cameo to top it all.
I liked the plot better than in vol.1 which was more introductory than anything else. Here I learned more about Kate and her past and Kelly Thompson fleshed her out enough that I definitely quit thinking of her as Clint's sidekick and as Hawkeye in her own right.
This said it is still clearly a character driven series. The plot, which sometimes suffer of awkward shortcuts, is decent but certainly not amazing and wouldn't rate more than 3*. But in the end Kate wins the day big time. Thompson's really having a ball with her and it shows. She's smart and fun and gets into you before getting on your nerves.
The Scooby-gang has still to be developed a bit while the Hawkeye/Detective Rivera "partnership" is going toward the classic Batman/Gordon way but much funnier.
Artwise Leonardo Romeo is now fully on tracks. It looks a bit like Tonci Zonjic imho. Lucky me, I like Zonjic.
Good character design, some pretty cool and original storytelling, my main critic would be some rigidity here and there but nothing serious.
Cherry on top: Another batch of great covers by Julian Totino Tedesco.
I learned of Kate Bishop's existence with Matt Fraction's excellent previous run on the title which gives you some clue on my level of knowledge of the character. Seems like Katie has some understable daddy issues since she suspects him to have had her mother killed.
This volume centers on this aspect of Kate's life- the reason she moved west in the first place- with a bit of Madame Masque in between and a Wolverine (Laura/Gaby) cameo to top it all.
I liked the plot better than in vol.1 which was more introductory than anything else. Here I learned more about Kate and her past and Kelly Thompson fleshed her out enough that I definitely quit thinking of her as Clint's sidekick and as Hawkeye in her own right.
This said it is still clearly a character driven series. The plot, which sometimes suffer of awkward shortcuts, is decent but certainly not amazing and wouldn't rate more than 3*. But in the end Kate wins the day big time. Thompson's really having a ball with her and it shows. She's smart and fun and gets into you before getting on your nerves.
The Scooby-gang has still to be developed a bit while the Hawkeye/Detective Rivera "partnership" is going toward the classic Batman/Gordon way but much funnier.
Artwise Leonardo Romeo is now fully on tracks. It looks a bit like Tonci Zonjic imho. Lucky me, I like Zonjic.
Good character design, some pretty cool and original storytelling, my main critic would be some rigidity here and there but nothing serious.
Cherry on top: Another batch of great covers by Julian Totino Tedesco.
May 4, 2019
Kate is the kind of friend you want to wing-woman you in a sleazy bar. But probably not come over to your place for a casual drink and some Nintendo. Not that she wouldn’t class up the joint (you know there’s some dirty undies under the couch, you pig), but that she would kick your ass at anything requiring aim or precision. Mario Kart would be especially painful.
The quest for friends, mom and help not being a self-destructive loner? Good story. The ridiculous diversions along the way. Great entertainment. The deluge of Spidey-Deadpool-quality jokes outta her smart mouth? I’ll...allow it, if only because it’s still twice as “on” as I’d be under similar circumstances.
Daddy issues again tho...Marvel, I think we get it.
The quest for friends, mom and help not being a self-destructive loner? Good story. The ridiculous diversions along the way. Great entertainment. The deluge of Spidey-Deadpool-quality jokes outta her smart mouth? I’ll...allow it, if only because it’s still twice as “on” as I’d be under similar circumstances.
Daddy issues again tho...Marvel, I think we get it.
September 16, 2018
4 stars |
January 31, 2022
Overall I liked this, I think it kinda has the same issues as the last one in that I just do not care about her squad haha. The team up issue was decent but I don't know that Wolverine at all so I have no attachment to it. I liked how issue 11 ended a lot though.
The art in this series is generally nice, but I really like the issue covers. They're very pulp noir style.
The art in this series is generally nice, but I really like the issue covers. They're very pulp noir style.
March 15, 2019
I read Hawkeye: Kate Bishop Vol. 2 as individual issues through the Marvel Unlimited app.
Kate Bishop continues her tale in Hawkeye: Kate Bishop Vol. 2: Masks. This volume deals with a lot of different issues for Kate, so in many ways this is a deeply personal quest all of the sudden. What had started as her needing to be in a new setting has suddenly become a quest for the truth for her.
Like in all previous examples involving Kate…she’s not very good at shielding herself. Sure, she can kick butt and take names. But block? Nah, it’s just easier to invest in a ton of frozen peas. It’s what makes her who she is though.
There are some unexpected cameos in this volume, but honestly I couldn’t have been happier by their appearances. Though I may be biased, since I adore those characters.
For more reviews, check out Quirky Cat's Fat Stacks
Kate Bishop continues her tale in Hawkeye: Kate Bishop Vol. 2: Masks. This volume deals with a lot of different issues for Kate, so in many ways this is a deeply personal quest all of the sudden. What had started as her needing to be in a new setting has suddenly become a quest for the truth for her.
Like in all previous examples involving Kate…she’s not very good at shielding herself. Sure, she can kick butt and take names. But block? Nah, it’s just easier to invest in a ton of frozen peas. It’s what makes her who she is though.
There are some unexpected cameos in this volume, but honestly I couldn’t have been happier by their appearances. Though I may be biased, since I adore those characters.
For more reviews, check out Quirky Cat's Fat Stacks
October 12, 2022
Can I just say it? I have a huge crush on Kate Bishop Hawkeye. I know, I’m a fifty-year-old married dude, so that just sounds pretty gross, but it’s true. But it’s hard not to crush on her ‘cause she’s so gosh-darn adorable.
Actually, if I’m being honest: I have a crush on this graphic novel series, written by Kelly Thompson (a new fave writer of mine, too) and illustrated wonderfully by Leonardo Romero. (A word on Romero’s artwork: it has a kind of old-school quality to it, reminiscent of the Silver Age comic books like X-Men and Spiderman, as well as a bit of the Hernandez “Love and Rockets” Bros. vibe. Love it.)
In Volume 2, “Masks”: Kate’s investigation leads to her super-villain dad, which is, like, so embarrassing; supervillain Madam Masque has tricked Kate into an underground fight club, while Madam Masque is walking around in a clone of Kate—-awkward!; Kate teams up with lil’ Wolverine and Big Wolverine…
Actually, if I’m being honest: I have a crush on this graphic novel series, written by Kelly Thompson (a new fave writer of mine, too) and illustrated wonderfully by Leonardo Romero. (A word on Romero’s artwork: it has a kind of old-school quality to it, reminiscent of the Silver Age comic books like X-Men and Spiderman, as well as a bit of the Hernandez “Love and Rockets” Bros. vibe. Love it.)
In Volume 2, “Masks”: Kate’s investigation leads to her super-villain dad, which is, like, so embarrassing; supervillain Madam Masque has tricked Kate into an underground fight club, while Madam Masque is walking around in a clone of Kate—-awkward!; Kate teams up with lil’ Wolverine and Big Wolverine…
November 29, 2022
Hawkeye Vol. 2 Masks collects issues 7-12 of the Marvel Comics series written by Kelly Thompson and art by Leonardo Romero and Michael Walsh.
Kate Bishop’s past comes back to haunt her as her father pop back into her life and Kate believes he may have been involved in the death of her mother. To make things worse, Madame Masque has also returned to get revenge on Kate.
This volume does a fantastic job of adding more to Kate’s back story and family drama. This book has been incredibly entertaining with a modern noir-esque tale. The covers have been really fun to see as they all look like covers to classic 1950-70s mystery novels.
Kate Bishop’s past comes back to haunt her as her father pop back into her life and Kate believes he may have been involved in the death of her mother. To make things worse, Madame Masque has also returned to get revenge on Kate.
This volume does a fantastic job of adding more to Kate’s back story and family drama. This book has been incredibly entertaining with a modern noir-esque tale. The covers have been really fun to see as they all look like covers to classic 1950-70s mystery novels.
January 4, 2018
Kate Bishop's Hawkeye was my favorite part of the Young Avengers and I'm so happy she's got her own book. She's smart, sassy and has great friends. I'm loving the storyline so far and I'm eager to see where things go next. Also, Wolverine crossover - who doesn't love one of those?
February 12, 2018
I definitely liked this more than vol 1--now that some of that setup is out of the way, we can get back to Kate Bishop being extremely Kate Bishop. PLUS a crossover with All-New Wolverine?? PLUS Lucky the Pizza Dog and Jonathan the Literal Wolverine are best friends now?????? What's not to love.
February 5, 2018
Nice street level/backstory based action adventure with a likable Hawkeye.
April 24, 2019
Hawkeye is wonderful and there was a special appearance by my FAVORITE super hero so 5 stars all around ❤️
September 24, 2018
Thompson and Romero’s saga of Kate Bishop’s Hawkeye continues in this next volume, as Kate closes in on the case that brought her to Los Angeles – tracking down her father. But it seems the closer she gets to an answer, the more questions she finds – and the more frozen peas she needs to sooth her bruises. Yikes.
If you love superheroes has a perfect quip for every setback and goon fight, you’ll continue to love Kate Bishop. Writer Kelly Thompson finds the perfect pitch of humor and sass to draw a chuckle, with enough hits that it doesn’t feel too forced; and yet, Kate (like many of us) is also using her humor to deflect a very difficult childhood, and the guilt of a potentially tragic ending for her mother, as she tracks down her dad. Kate has just the right amount of snark, and the feeling that she’s always a bit of a mess (not unlike Bridget Jones), but she has zero insecurities about her abilities as an archer and a fighter (though that makes her rather headstrong and an idiot at times). It’s very charming and endearing as Kate stumbles through and yet makes each mark with precision – and the frozen peas running gag throughout is very funny too.
In this volume we see the return of villain Madam Masque, whom we last saw in the Hawkeye-verse in Fraction and Aja’s Hawkeye volume 4. This time Masque is in Los Angeles, and, like Kate’s father, has somehow found a way to remain forever young with clone bodies. I honestly don’t remember much of that volume of Hawkeye, but Masque seems like a very shallow villain, particularly if her only motive is staying young forever. (She actually reminds me of Morgaine Le Fey from Justice League, another woman attempting to remain immortal who covers her face with a gold mask…just a stereotypical motivation for a female villain.) She seemed very much like a peripheral villain who simply gets in the way of Kate and her father, so it was frustrating that Masque took up so much time, only to disappear without a trace at the end.
Speaking of which, just like the last arc, there are just weird intersections of a realistic and somewhat gritty LA theme (which Romero’s art supports), and then all of a sudden throwing in scifi/fantasy elements (in this case, Kate’s dad and Masque cloning themselves into new bodies) – which really only serves as an explanation for Aggregate and a plot device for (spoilers) Masque to unconvincingly mimic Kate (I know it's a spoiler, but also this was so predictable). On the one hand, it fits within all the weird stuff that happens in Marvel, but it’s still kind of jarring when the rest of the book communicates a different kind of theme.
Regardless Thompson attempts to build investment in Kate’s quest to get to the truth about her family with some creepy AF flashbacks with her parents, particularly the last time we see her mother. Unfortunately we don’t get much personality from her mom aside from the significance of her necklace, and that her husband was definitely up to something weird. It seems that the investment really lies in the fact that well, it’s Kate’s mom, and yet that investment is undermined by how crappy Kate’s father is! And yet, there is also a parallel dad-daughter story in the arc (that leads to some very amusing and beautifully drawn scenes of Kate in an underground cage match) that had a golden opportunity for a flashback with Kate and her father, but we got nothing.
We did see the very welcome return of Kate’s dog Lucky, who I enthusiastically searched for in every panel and will basically never get enough of. I simply adore that dog. It’s unfortunate that while volume one spent time building time with Kate’s new LA friends, they don’t get much individual treatment here, nor do we see them deepening relationships with Kate – and the only time they do, Kate is….not herself. The only exception is Riviera, the police detective who is an excellent foil for Kate. I would love to see more of them together in volume three.
As is usually probematic with in-between volumes, while this story is entertaining and I adore Kate as a character, the storyline doesn’t really drive the plot forward, especially since the villains just get away, without any new leads on Kate finding her mother. Speaking of “forward” the first and second issues both had different time jumps which was extremely confusing reading them back to back. And some things actually didn’t make any sense at all – why did Oddball attack a nightclub without any motive? Plus the final issue with artist Michael Walsh is simply a team up with Wolverine (Laura) and Gabby, and it feels completely tacked on. At least in the last volume, Jessica Jones was a mentor to Kate as well as a case, two solid reasons for being in Los Angeles. Finally, the romantic development at the end was predictable, and wasn’t really earned – we just don’t see those two together enough for it to count.
Last review I highlighted my appreciation for Leonardo Romero’s gorgeous and realistic rendering of Los Angeles. In this volume, his art is again a highlight, but this time I was especially struck by his mastery of framing combat scenes. As an archer, Kate is so quick and using both her body and her arrows in combat – Romero beautifully captures this and it’s thrilling without being too overwhelming – while allowing for quite a bit of humor as we see Kate’s “signature” kind of observation.
What’s also quite amazing is that Kate has multiple fight scenes in this arc – including a combat-only cage match, and multiple hoards of goons (if only Kate could smash an A button like the rest of us) – and yet each fight felt totally unique and different. It could have been easy for Romero to rest on his laurels but each one was visually a treat and creative in different ways.
There is beautiful complexity in the simplicity of Romero’s art, and I especially love how gorgeous he draws Kate’s face with only a few lines and eyelashes.
Unfortunately it’s hard to know if this second volume’s lack of closure will have the right payoff until the third and final volume. However, I already know I’m going to miss Kate’s shenanigans and Romero’s gorgeous art on this title.
If you love superheroes has a perfect quip for every setback and goon fight, you’ll continue to love Kate Bishop. Writer Kelly Thompson finds the perfect pitch of humor and sass to draw a chuckle, with enough hits that it doesn’t feel too forced; and yet, Kate (like many of us) is also using her humor to deflect a very difficult childhood, and the guilt of a potentially tragic ending for her mother, as she tracks down her dad. Kate has just the right amount of snark, and the feeling that she’s always a bit of a mess (not unlike Bridget Jones), but she has zero insecurities about her abilities as an archer and a fighter (though that makes her rather headstrong and an idiot at times). It’s very charming and endearing as Kate stumbles through and yet makes each mark with precision – and the frozen peas running gag throughout is very funny too.
In this volume we see the return of villain Madam Masque, whom we last saw in the Hawkeye-verse in Fraction and Aja’s Hawkeye volume 4. This time Masque is in Los Angeles, and, like Kate’s father, has somehow found a way to remain forever young with clone bodies. I honestly don’t remember much of that volume of Hawkeye, but Masque seems like a very shallow villain, particularly if her only motive is staying young forever. (She actually reminds me of Morgaine Le Fey from Justice League, another woman attempting to remain immortal who covers her face with a gold mask…just a stereotypical motivation for a female villain.) She seemed very much like a peripheral villain who simply gets in the way of Kate and her father, so it was frustrating that Masque took up so much time, only to disappear without a trace at the end.
Speaking of which, just like the last arc, there are just weird intersections of a realistic and somewhat gritty LA theme (which Romero’s art supports), and then all of a sudden throwing in scifi/fantasy elements (in this case, Kate’s dad and Masque cloning themselves into new bodies) – which really only serves as an explanation for Aggregate and a plot device for (spoilers) Masque to unconvincingly mimic Kate (I know it's a spoiler, but also this was so predictable). On the one hand, it fits within all the weird stuff that happens in Marvel, but it’s still kind of jarring when the rest of the book communicates a different kind of theme.
Regardless Thompson attempts to build investment in Kate’s quest to get to the truth about her family with some creepy AF flashbacks with her parents, particularly the last time we see her mother. Unfortunately we don’t get much personality from her mom aside from the significance of her necklace, and that her husband was definitely up to something weird. It seems that the investment really lies in the fact that well, it’s Kate’s mom, and yet that investment is undermined by how crappy Kate’s father is! And yet, there is also a parallel dad-daughter story in the arc (that leads to some very amusing and beautifully drawn scenes of Kate in an underground cage match) that had a golden opportunity for a flashback with Kate and her father, but we got nothing.
We did see the very welcome return of Kate’s dog Lucky, who I enthusiastically searched for in every panel and will basically never get enough of. I simply adore that dog. It’s unfortunate that while volume one spent time building time with Kate’s new LA friends, they don’t get much individual treatment here, nor do we see them deepening relationships with Kate – and the only time they do, Kate is….not herself. The only exception is Riviera, the police detective who is an excellent foil for Kate. I would love to see more of them together in volume three.
As is usually probematic with in-between volumes, while this story is entertaining and I adore Kate as a character, the storyline doesn’t really drive the plot forward, especially since the villains just get away, without any new leads on Kate finding her mother. Speaking of “forward” the first and second issues both had different time jumps which was extremely confusing reading them back to back. And some things actually didn’t make any sense at all – why did Oddball attack a nightclub without any motive? Plus the final issue with artist Michael Walsh is simply a team up with Wolverine (Laura) and Gabby, and it feels completely tacked on. At least in the last volume, Jessica Jones was a mentor to Kate as well as a case, two solid reasons for being in Los Angeles. Finally, the romantic development at the end was predictable, and wasn’t really earned – we just don’t see those two together enough for it to count.
Last review I highlighted my appreciation for Leonardo Romero’s gorgeous and realistic rendering of Los Angeles. In this volume, his art is again a highlight, but this time I was especially struck by his mastery of framing combat scenes. As an archer, Kate is so quick and using both her body and her arrows in combat – Romero beautifully captures this and it’s thrilling without being too overwhelming – while allowing for quite a bit of humor as we see Kate’s “signature” kind of observation.
What’s also quite amazing is that Kate has multiple fight scenes in this arc – including a combat-only cage match, and multiple hoards of goons (if only Kate could smash an A button like the rest of us) – and yet each fight felt totally unique and different. It could have been easy for Romero to rest on his laurels but each one was visually a treat and creative in different ways.
There is beautiful complexity in the simplicity of Romero’s art, and I especially love how gorgeous he draws Kate’s face with only a few lines and eyelashes.
Unfortunately it’s hard to know if this second volume’s lack of closure will have the right payoff until the third and final volume. However, I already know I’m going to miss Kate’s shenanigans and Romero’s gorgeous art on this title.
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