I read the original series Old Man Logan based in this future timeframe a few years back and didn’t realize that there were more stories out there. Then as I was sitting in the bookstore wasting some time waiting for my car’s oil to be changed I noticed that they had made multiple Old Man comics. In the list I scanned I thought Old Man Hawkeye would be the most interesting.
This about this Hawkeye isn’t your standard powerful superhero. He doesn’t have regeneration like Wolverine or the supreme powers of Scarlet Witch. Instead, he relies on his skill with a bow which let’s face it depends very much on things that fade with age. Eyesight is and a steady hand are required to shoot a bow.
In short, out of 10 stars I would rank this one an 8. It’s not a great storyline that changed the Marvel Universe for all time. Instead, it is a great story of what could happen in the future. It shows a hero dealing with the normal life of getting old along with one last adventure. This is his one last chance to fix things before he can’t. It’s a very good way for Hawkeye to finish his story.
The Synopsis of Old Man Hawkeye
I’m not going to give it all away with spoilers because I want you to enjoy the comics as much as I have. The basic storyline is based on a what-if type future timeframe. In this timeframe, the villains like Red Skull, Magneto, and others came together to form an unbeatable team. During the fight to take over the world, they convinced the Thunderbolts to trade against the Avengers.
In the end, the villains won and took out most of the Heroes. They split up the world and each one controls apiece. It’s a really interesting world that was developed for these comics and I really hope that it gets explored a little more.
Hawkeye is now a much older man and just getting by like he always does doing jobs that follow his skillset for some money. He is bitter because of the traders that killed all of his friends when they traded on him in the fight. One twist is that due to being old he is finding himself not being able to see as well as he once had.
Realizing he is losing his perfect sight and being pushed by some bad guys he decides to do something about his new world. It is time for revenge on the traitors. The storyline goes through him chasing these villains down with the help of some family and friends. Of course, you can’t have Hawkeye without a very similar sharpshooter on the bad guy side Bullseye. Wait until you see this old guy still running around.
Favorite parts of Old Man Hawkeye
I loved seeing some of the villain’s kids running around causing trouble. For example Kraven the Hunters children are a gang of hunters still keeping up with dad’s business. Venom is still running around well venoms which are great. I can’t think of any scenes that were as great as when Old Man Logan fought Hulk’s kids but it was still great.
My second favorite part of the Old Man Hawkeye comics was seeing the fall of the Avengers. I know that sounded bad but it was really cool to see how fast the bad guys could take them out if they came together. I mean even the most powerful Avengers like Scarlet Witch are taking out like flies on a wall. And the person like Hawkeye is looked at as not even worth taking out, wow what a slap in the face. It’s a good build on how he is one of the few Avengers without superpowers. I always read the comics and wonder how Hawkeye can stand in the fights with the likes of Thanos and still be around.
Kate Bishop teams up with Hawkeye one more time on this adventure. Instead of the normal team-up where she is trying to match Hawkeye’s skill in this comic she has to guide him on where to aim because his sight is so bad. In the end, though in the epic battle with bullseye he gets off a one in a million shot right into bullseye…. Well, eye. He lets Kate know that he was aiming for his heart.
Lastly, I did learn a little bit about Hawkeye in this book. He is more like spiderman or Dare Devil then I ever realized. No, he doesn’t have super strength or anything but he does have an enhanced sense. He shows it off in the comic while he is driving blind and still hitting things with his bow. Maybe if he would have been blind like Dare Devil he would have developed it a little more but it is there. So in future comics, if they wanted to expand this story that may be a way they could do it. Speaking of Dare Devil did I mention that Old Man Sticks is in this comic… wait he was old before.
Conclusion
If you are looking for a good read to see what could happen, with heroes that have gotten past the prime of their lives this is a great one. It’s not as good as Old Man Logan…. but only because I am such a Wolverine fan, I think. I really enjoyed the read and would recommend it. If Marvel would keep this storyline going by bringing some of the heroes together in an Old man Avengers comic….. yea I would read it. Â