I'm glad I picked this book up. Hawkeye has always been one of my favourite characters, in all of his incarnations. He has always been great as the guy who tells it like it is.
I'm a sucker for a nice cover, and the opening issue of this series didn't disappoint. Clint Langley treats us to skilled bit of foreshortening and textured lines which bring Barton fight off the page. The work inside of the book falls a shade short of the cover art, but I don't think it is entirely Tom Raney's fault. The colouring is a little too crisp and traditional for both the story and Raney's lines.
The story itself starts off as less about Clint Barton as Hawkeye, and more about Bullseye as Hawkeye. I for one, have no complaints about this. I personally think Bullseye is one of the most underrated villains in the Marvel Universe. Time and time again he has proven to be the "closer" for the Thunderbolts. In this issue he proves that he plays the same role for the Dark Avengers. There is only one small problem. Despite the purple and blue costume, he is still Bullseye, and once a psycho, always a psycho. This book proves that quite clearly. And by the end of the issue, we see why having the world's greatest assassin on your team could be a poor choice for the PR devoted Osborn.
A fun read, with a unique angle. Can't wait for issue #2.