Review: ‘Hawkeye: Freefall’ #2 Delivers A Killer Mystery
by Tony Thornley
As the first issue of Hawkeye: Freefall ended, our titular hero found himself with a difficult mystery. Who is the new Ronin? And when his identity is revealed, what does it mean for Clint Barton’s mission?
Matthew Rosenberg, Otto Schmidt, and Joe Sabino put Hawkeye on the hunt for Ronin.
Clint Barton has a lot on his plate. He’s trying to do good with his financial windfall. He’s trying to have a more stable relationship than normal with Night Nurse. And he’s trying to track down who’s using his former identity before he burns the city down. All in a day’s work for the world’s worst- I mean- greatest Avenger.
Rosenberg takes two paths with the issue. In one, he continues to build up Clint’s new status quo- progressing things in a fascinating way that’s new but builds on his history. The other is the hunt for Ronin.
He creates a great mystery with the latter, weaving it in and out of the issue, until the vigilante is shockingly unmasked on the final page. It’s funny and genuinely shocking, and is a development that will propel this series forward for some time to come. Even better he connects the whole story to the larger Marvel Universe with simple cameos that feel natural.
Schmidt continues to show why he’s a fantastic choice for this series. He has a great sense of comedic timing, which pairs perfectly with Rosenberg’s script. His Clint is rogueish and charming, while he perfectly captures Tony Stark, Spider-Man and Luke Cage’s personalities in the scenes they pop up in.
He also conveys mood extremely well with colors, such as setting Clint’s scenes during broad daylight and Ronin’s at night to set them apart in tone and themes. Best of all, the script’s huge twist is telegraphed perfectly by the art. It’s great work by a rising star.
Clint Barton is in for the fight of his life. The series has been a delight to read so far, and I’m excited for more.
Hawkeye: Freefall #2 is available now from Marvel Comics.