The Avengers movies gave Clint Barton a.k.a. Hawkeye a place alongside Marvel’s most powerful heroes. But in the films, as in the comics, the archer was often sidelined in favor of world-ending, cosmic crises. As the title suggests, the launch of Hawkeye: Freefall #1 finds Clint un-tethered and aimless in his new solo miniseries. Until not one, but two new villains burst in to throw his zen right out the window.

From the moment Hawkeye: Freefall was announced from Matthew Rosenberg and artist Otto Schmidt, fans knew the hero was in good hands. Rosenberg addressed the reality that, while a certified Avenger, Hawkeye books are few and far between. So both in the story and without, Rosenberg and Schmidt have set out to make Hawkeye: Freefall the best story possible for the hero’s fans. There’s no telling what the future may hold for Clint, but judging by the first issue, this series finds the mark.

The goods news? Hawkeye: Freefall #1 is exactly what fans will hope for, whether returning or first-time readers. From the very first page, Rosenberg takes the most worn-out of Clint clichés – that he’s just ‘a guy with a bow’ in a world of superheroes – and turns it into a mission statement. Clint stands among a warehouse full of criminals-for-hire wondering what drives people to do stupid things, concluding “some people just love the thrill of it. Some don’t know what else to do.” Words that apply every bit to himself as the crime boss he’s there to capture.

That clever duality carries through both of Clint’s eventual foils, beginning with the chief antagonist, The Hood. The cloaked crime boss is introduced as a product of corruption, not a source of it, or even beneficiary. Clint’s narration accepts that Parker Robbins transformed into The Hood due to no other options, and one compromise leading to another. And as the supposed hero and villain throw jabs both physical and verbal, they prove to be a match in candor, confidence, and even a sense of humor. All of which exemplifies the benefits of a hero like Hawkeye. He’s not a superhuman fighting against the darkness, and neither are his nemeses embodiments of evil.

That same goes for the wild cards thrown at readers in the first issue, beginning with the new killer wearing Hawkeye’s old Ronin costume, and taking down armored cars and the S.H.I.E.L.D. agents behind the wheel. When Bucky Barnes and Sam Wilson a.k.a. The Falcon come to question Clint, their usual spycraft and superheroics have them convinced the case is black and white. But with Ronin sparing one agent’s life, and the briefcase he came for still a mystery, things aren’t as cut and dry as they seem.

Anyone who witnessed Otto Schmidt’s arrival in Green Arrow: Rebirth knew his flare for pop-off-the-page energy, action, comedy, and expressiveness would sing with a hero like Clint, and the results in this first issue speak for themselves. Capturing the lightness of Clint’s demeanor, but able to snap into bitter and dangerous just as quickly, Schmidt’s artwork would make Freefall an easy recommend even without Rosenberg’s script. But fans can be thankful they don’t have to choose, only wait for the next issue to arrive.

  • HAWKEYE: FREEFALL #1 Written by MATTHEW ROSENBERG Art by OTTO SCHMIDT Cover by KIM JACINTO When a mysterious and ruthless new Ronin starts tearing a destructive path through the city, suspicion immediately falls on Hawkeye, but Clint has more to worry about than who’s wearing his old costume. After a clash with the Hood ends badly, Hawkeye gives himself a new mission that will place him in the crosshairs of one of New York’s most dangerous villains. Hawkeye’s mission and Ronin’s secret plans will set them on a collision course that only one of them will walk away from.

Hawkeye: Freefall #1 is available now at your local comic book shop.

MORE: Marvel’s New RONIN: Which Character is Under The Mask?