The 5 Best Comics to Read Before Watching 'Hawkeye' on Disney+

Image via Disney+

Where to read: Marvel Unlimited | Amazon

What you see: One of the greatest comic book stories ever

Launched in 2012 to capitalize on the release of the first Avengers movie, Matt Fraction and a team of the best artists in the business—David Aja, Annie Wu, Javier Pulido, and Matt Hollingsworth on colors—redefined Hawkeye and reimagined comic book storytelling along the way. The elevator pitch for Hawkeye is: “What does Clint do when he’s not being an Avenger?” but quickly transforms into so much more. 

Across the 22-issue series, Fraction and his collaborators would publish a tale that brought together Clint Barton and Kate Bishop as two generations of Hawkeyes working together to take down a gangster group of Eastern European thugs with a penchant for tracksuits. But furthermore, the comic brought deep characterization to both Barton and Bishop, turning the otherwise B-list characters into household names. Frankly, the Hawkeye Disney+ series wouldn’t exist without this story—make sure you give it a go if you haven’t already. 

Where to read: Marvel Unlimited | Amazon

What you see: Kate Bishop’s time to shine

After Fraction and friends made Kate Bishop a household name, the character took over the title series as writer Kelly Thompson and artists Leonardo Romero, Michael Walsh, and Jordie Bellaire returned her to the City of Angels for some unfinished business, picking up on some lingering threads from her tenure there during the Fraction run. The title, aware it is living in the shadow of the previous run, confronts the idea of legacy head-on, providing a compelling study as Kate tries to strike out on her own and define what the Hawkeye mantle means for her.

Where to read: Marvel Unlimited | Amazon

What you see: Another defining take on Kate Bishop

We mentioned Kieron Gillen and Jamie McKelvie’s Young Avengers run in our reading list for Loki. While the series remains an essential tale for the God of Mischief, it’s an important Kate Bishop story, too. Gillen’s Bishop is a critical part of both the team and the larger story he’s focused on telling while ensuring her characterization aligns with the work Fraction was doing without sacrificing his own spin on her. Bolstered by McKelvie’s kinetic art, the entirety of Young Avengers still feels bold, fresh, and pretty radical. If you somehow missed it the last time we recommended it, don’t fool yourself twice—read it now.

Where to read: Marvel Unlimited | Amazon

What you see: A gripping character study

While Clint’s Ronin persona is glossed over pretty quickly in Endgame, his comic’s tenure as the vigilante is still having repercussions in comics. Hawkeye: Freefall, written by Matthew Rosenberg with art by Otto Schmidt, circles back on Clint’s choice to adopt the Ronin mantle in the first place as a new Ronin explodes onto the scene. With the Avengers convinced Clint has once again broken bad, the archer must set out to clear his name. What unfolds is a deep character study into why Clint felt compelled to set aside the Hawkeye mantle in the first place, with plenty of fun twists and turns along the way. 

Where to read: Marvel Unlimited | Amazon

What you see: Clint’s first solo series

Sometimes it’s nice to see where you were to determine how far you’ve come, which is why we recommend the very first Hawkeye series. Published in the early 1980s, the Mark Gruenwald-written and drawn comic is a four-issue mini-series that set the template for many other Client-focused tales. Critically, the mini also establishes Clint’s hearing loss, something which comes up in Fraction’s run and looks to be a part of the Disney+ series as well. It’s a quick yet entertaining read and serves as a good reminder of what’s made the character appealing all this time.