Sunday, March 18, 2018

Final Thoughts [1]
Hawkeye (#16) by Kelly Thompson & The Unbelievable Gwenpool (#25) by Christopher Hastings

 
Hawkeye #16 by Kelly Thompson
Leonardo Romero (Illustrator)
Julian Tedesco (Illustrator)
I picked up Hawkeye on a whim when I stumbled across the first few issues at a Half Price Books. They looked interesting, and I've always liked Hawkeye, so... I fell in love. Kate Bishop is an incredible Hawkeye. She's clever, silly, and I frequently found myself laughing at the things she said and did.

Jessica Jones made an appearance for a few issues. Kate is a Private Investigator (or trying to be), and JJ offered to show her the ropes (prior to the comic starting). She pops in for a visit with a little business on the side, and I really enjoyed the banter between the two.

Hawkeye (Clint Barton) shows up at the end, and it's like seeing your brother and best friend for the first time in forever. They have an easy relationship, and they just understand each other. Watching two Hawkeyes fight baddies was so much fun!

I cannot believe this is ending so soon, but the final page said she (Kate Bishop) would return in August, so we'll see! It could mean a lot of things: a new arc, a new writer, etc. This one left something major unresolved (not really a cliffhanger per se...), so there is plenty to build on. I hope they do! I would like to know what happens with a certain something. Read my review of the first few issues here.


Gwenpool #25 by Christopher Hastings
Gurihiru (Illustrator)
When we decided to start getting comics every month, Gwenpool was my first choice. I actually knew very little about her (other than the basics), but thought it would be fun to read. I grabbed the issues I could find, and my LCS helped me find the rest (the comic had been running for awhile, so sometimes it's hard to find the first few issues).

I binge-read the first ten and knew this was the perfect comic for me! Gwen is stabby, insane, and the best friend you could have. She actually tried to teach herself how to fight with swords by searching the internet, and a lot of her battles were only won because some unforeseen accident happened. Luck seemed to play a big part in her comic book experience. 

Gwen has a mysterious past, and she willingly chose to insert herself into the Marvel Universe. She grew up reading comics, and eventually found herself living in one. She knew everything about everyone, which caused problems for her a few times. She didn't always get scared, because she was able to use this "other" knowledge to her advantage. It was like a super power (almost).

The Unbelievable Gwenpool offers a unique perspective to the MCU, and her presence will be sorely missed. Gwenpool always has something else to say, even if you don't want to hear it. She's very in-your-face and constantly surprised me. She could be terrified one second, but giggling about it the next. She didn't rely on her prior knowledge too much, but tried to fend for herself and help her friends.

Another thing I loved about The Unbelievable Gwenpool was the other characters. We get to see so many different superheroes, and a few of them play significant roles in her personal story. Dr. Strange, Deadpool, Thor (Jane Foster), and a lot of others. It was interesting to see how they looked outside of their own comics.

It was so weird to read about a character that knew we were reading about her, and also that this was her final issue. It was twisty, unpredictable, and perfectly Gwenpool. I'm pretty sure every version of Spider-Man made an appearance. Gwenpool wrapped things up with a bittersweet conclusion, but hopefully not a permanent one. Read my review of the first few issues here.

24 comments:

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    1. They were a lot of fun! I highly recommend both! ๐Ÿ˜

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  2. I’m glad you enjoyed both of these. I don’t know much about either of these two but I just love super hero stories.

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    1. Hard same! I love reading about them. They go through so much and still feel compelled to repeatedly save the world. I feel like I would reach a point where I just couldn't do it anymore.

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  3. It's always good to have a stabby friend around lol

    Karen @ For What It's Worth

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  4. Oh, how fun! I'm really curious about Hawkeye now, and that's awesome Jessica Jones shows up a bit.

    -Lauren
    www.shootingstarsmag.net

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    1. It was such a lovely series! I've never read about The real Hawkeye (it's how she refers to herself, lol), and enjoyed it immensely! I loved the humor and clever comebacks, and her crazy spur-of-the-moment plans were entertaining to watch.

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  5. I loved Matt Fraction's Hawkeye and his take on Kate Bishop was cool - I may have to check this one out! :)

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    1. Ohhh, I haven't read that one! This was my first Kate Bishop. I'll definitely look into the one you mentioned. Thank you!

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  6. Haven't read marvel books yet but I read manga, and seeing that you are enjoying these stories, I guess I'll start reading one soon. Awesome review Lindsi :)

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    1. Awesome! What manga do you read? Do you also watch anime? I hope you enjoy Marvel!

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  7. That seems like such a short run for a comic series doesn't it? Gwenpool sounds incredible though. I always feel strange reading about characters that have been created to be self aware, knowing they're part of a narration and aware of the reading audience. I might hunt down the first edition. I tried buying the Fence comic on Kindle the other day and it was atrocious to read. It doesn't do them justice. Brilliant reviews Linds and hope you can find a new series to invest in soon <3 <3

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    1. It's an average run, I think. If there is only one issue each month, Hawkeye ran for over a year, and Gwenpool was ongoing for two years. The issue numbers seem small, but they were around for awhile!

      There are a few characters that seem to be aware of their audience... I think Deadpool is another one, but I can't seem to think of others. I'm sure there out there! It's always odd when I feel addressed by a comic book character, lol.

      I haven't heard of the Fence comic, but I'm sorry it didn't work for you! I'm currently enjoying Wolverine/All-New Wolverine, but Tom Taylor's last issue is #35. I think I get three more from him, and then something new is supposed to happen. I don't know if I'll still like it...๐Ÿ˜ญ

      Astonishing X-Men, X-Men Red, Rogue & Gambit (only 5 issues), and Spider-Man Renew Your Vows are all wonderful! I think you'd really like Spider-Man Renew Your Vows--it seems up your alley.

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  8. I might look into these series. Ever since I've been able to access Hoopla, I've been trying some new things.

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    1. Nice! Let me know if you find something interesting! I'm always open to trying new things.

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  9. Ooooh looks like I need to try Gwenpool!!!

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  10. I've read some Manga books when I was younger,but I've never read a comic book which is totally sad in my opinion. I will definitely look into these when I get the chance!

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    1. It's not sad! I've only recently gotten into comics myself. My husband and I started doing it together. We really enjoy it!

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  11. Love that cover!!! And both Hawkeyes? Nice. I like them just hanging out on the pier... I need to get the rest of the series.

    Gwenpool looks hilarious.

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    1. I think I would be Best Friends with both Hawkeyes, lol. They just seem like really fun, low-key people. They care about their friends and doing what is right, but they're not showy about it. Yes! Read the rest of the series!

      Gwenpool *is* hilarious! ๐Ÿ˜‰

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  12. I haven't read it but it looks interesting even though I don't read manga.

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    1. Manga is a little different! These are comics. Comics and graphic novels are related, and I believe manga and anime are related. I *think* that's how it works! You should try one and see if you enjoy it.

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― Marissa Meyer, Heartless