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As one of the older Marvel superheroes, Clint Barton has been involved in many memorable adventures. First appearing in September 1964, 57 years ago, Clint started out as a villain as he originally fought Iron Man. However, he had a change of heart, and joined the heroic side instead.
Over the years, Clint has faced many challenges and he will take on yet another one in the new Disney+ show. Luckily, he won't be alone. Kate Bishop, the new Hawkeye, will stand by his side. Kate first appeared rather recently, in April 2005, but she has already achieved great things. If fans want to know more about both heroes who bear the name of Hawkeye, here are a couple of excellent comics to read.
10 The Matt Fraction Run
Viewers who can't wait to watch the show should check out Matt Fraction's Hawkeye run. It's clear that the show will heavily draw from this storyline — but even if it didn't, the storyline still has a lot to offer for fans of the character.
Clint isn't having such a good time in this story. He's facing has relationship issues, mentors Kate Bishop, and has to deal with the Tracksuit Draculas on top of all that. A lot of the motives from the comics (such as the mentoring Kate part or the Tracksuit Draculas villains) will appear in the show as well, and it will be interesting for the audience to compare the differences.
9 Hawkeye And His Brother
As the MCU proved, family problems can cause a lot of chaos. The comic Hawkeye: The Blind Spot explores this, as it focuses on the complicated relationship between Clint and his brother Barney.
It also features a favorite MCU villain of many fans: Baron Zemo, who manages to pit the brothers against each other. If that wasn't enough, Clint is also having troubles with his sight, and is slowly going blind. If anybody wants to read a darker story from Hawkeye's history, this is a good choice.
8 Kate Flying Solo
Other than Clint Barton, Kate Bishop is the most famous Hawkeye. Llearning more about her background is a good idea since she will feature in the new series. In the 2016 Hawkeye series, Kate is on her own (for the most part), and has to learn to stand on her feet.
She opens up a private investigation service, finds new friends, and deals with a lot of problems, including the mystery of her mother's disappearance. Those who want to understand Kate Bishop better before they watch the show shouldn't miss out on reading the series.
7 Hawkeye As Ronin
Clint Barton briefly appeared as Ronin in the MCU, but this storyline didn't have much space in Avengers: Endgame (2019). Luckily, the New Avengers comic series focused on it in greater detail.
After the Civil War and Captain America's death, Clint becomes Ronin and, alongside the team, New Avengers fights from the shadows. The story is much more complicated, and it allows a unique look into Hawkeye's head.
6 Hawkeye Is Deaf
It might seem more or less like a given now, but back in the 1980s, it was still rare to see superheroes who dealt with health issues or disability. So when the 1983 Mark Gruenwald Hawkeye miniseries revealed that Hawkeye was deaf, all deaf people worldwide got a new hero who had to deal with the same things.
In this initial series, Hawkeye lost his hearing after an explosion. But if anybody wants to try a different take of the same story, they should check out the story in which Clint went deaf in childhood because of his abusive father's beatings. These are relevant topics, and the Hawkeye comics address them incredibly.
5 Kate Bishop's Background Story
Kate hasn't had an easy life, and one of the best storylines that shows this takes place in the All-New Hawkeye series. In this comic book series, Kate discovers that her dad is a supervillain and, later on, finds out that her mom Eleanor is a vampire. Even though Eleanor turns out to be looking for a cure, it's still a lot to take in.
To escalate things further, Kate has to choose sides and pick between her mom and her best friend. It's unclear if the show will reflect the comics and show Eleanor as a vampire. But even if it doesn't, this story is still worth reading if the fans want to know even more about Kate's life.
4 The Ultimate Hawkeye
The Ultimate comic book series gave a new origin story to many heroes, including Clint. For readers who know the original comics, it's even more fun to read the Ultimate series and compare what changed.
For example, the updated Hawkeye has been working for S.H.I.E.L.D. (just like he does in the MCU) and was married and had children (again, just like in the MCU); however, the previous comic book version did none of these things. From this, it's clear where the MCU draws its inspiration.
3 Joining The Thunderbolts
The Thunderbolts are primarily known as a villainous organization. However, more than one hero joined the team over time in order to try and steer them in the right direction. That was also Clint's goal when he became a member of the Thunderbolts.
While seeing Hawkeye fight alongside the criminals was fun, one of the most intriguing parts about him joining the team was his romantic relationship with the villainous Moonstone. It didn't last long, but it was memorable, and is worth reading about.
2 The Hawkeyes Meet For The First Time
Kate and Clint's first meeting is one of their best moments for all fans who want to know more about the relationship between the two. This took placein Fallen Son: The Death of Captain America #3. Steve Rogers was dead, Clint Barton has presumably gone, and Kate has taken on the identity of Hawkeye.
Clint, who was working as the new Captain America (under Iron Man's watchful eye) was supposed to bring Kate in for breaking the Superhuman Registration Act. However, things didn't go according to plan. Kate left such a strong impression on Hawkeye that he not only let her go, but also gave up being Captain America. The short story speaks volumes about their characters.
1 Hawkeye Sacrifices His Life
Despite having no special powers, Hawkeye is no less of a hero, as he proved more than once. One such memorable moment happened when the superheroes fought the Kree race in the Avengers: Disassembled.
Clint was fighting the army, and in order to destroy their ship, he used an exploding arrow while he was still in the close vicinity. He managed to fulfill what he set out to do, but lost his life in the process. All fans who only know Hawkeye from the MCU should read the story to better understand the type of hero Hawkeye is.