And here’s where the Lopezes just can’t hack it.

The issue is all about Clint’s angst. And Jessica Drew coming on to him a little. But mostly it’s about his angst. The Lopezes drawing an angst-ridden Clint bellyflops. It’s not their style (Javier Pulido, Cliff Chiang, Cameron Stewart all could have done it). It’s like they just don’t get it.

It’s so bad it’s impossible to even take the script seriously. McCann never should have given them this issue to illustrate.

The Mockingbird stuff is a little better because she’s at least in action sequences. What McCann hasn’t done this entire series is justify her behavior (she’s now embracing what she disavowed a couple issues before) and recasting her as a Black Widow clone just doesn’t work.

Her outfit’s too silly for one thing. For another, she doesn’t have the personality.

It’s a decent series, but very disappointing overall.

Well. Again, McCann knows how to get his reader back for the next issue.

What he does here—before revealing the issue has been contrived to path story out a couple more issues—is a “things go wrong” all-action issue. There’s a plan and it falls apart. The present action of the first twenty pages is about eight minutes. It’s a good read… until McCann gets to the end of it.

Since this issue is so action-oriented, there’s really no place for the Lopezes to have their problems. The end’s a little off, when Steve and Bucky show up, but the majority of the issue is smoothly executed.

McCann might be able to “save” the series in the next (last) issue, but it seems like it might be a fake save. While he’s a good writer, he relies heavily on contrived plot points to keep his story going.

Nice surprise ending. McCann’s rather good at them. He’s also good incorporating the series into the Marvel Universe without a lot of guest stars. But the way he builds to the surprise ending is the nicest part. He takes his time, informing the reader there will be one, but doesn’t show his hand and then makes it pay off. Doesn’t happen in comics enough.

The issue opens like I predicted. Mockingbird realizes she’s being a psychopath and turns over control of the mission to Hawkeye, who forgives her and tells her he understands. There’s a full page kiss between the two of them. It’s where I noticed the Lopezes draw women better than men. Hawkeye just looks goofy on the page.

It’s a well-executed issue but the story is starting to get long here. It feels like with five more pages, this story arc could be over. It’s dragging.

Here’s where the Lopezes’ can’t handle the script with their style. This issue is pretty gritty. It’s Mockingbird and Dominic Fortune getting vicious on the bad guys and Hawkeye being the one who’s trying to calm them down. But it’s impossible to take all Mockingbird’s forceful dialogue seriously when the Lopezes are drawing her a teenager. It just comes off wrong.

For his part, McCann handles the transition well but he’s starting to feel the pull here. This issue sets up Clint and Mockingbird as diametrically opposed and it’s no longer believable he wouldn’t walk on her. She’s gone over to the Dark Side. I’m sure she’ll eventually pull back or they’ll meet halfway, but McCann’s characterization of Clint feels wrong. He doesn’t belong and McCann’s contriving anything he can to keep him here.

Nice subtle hard cliffhanger moment too. McCann’s got some definite writing chops and trusts his reader.

Wow, what a harsh ending.

McCann builds to it rather well, avoiding easy tension-building and getting a real surprise on the last two pages.

It’s a good issue, but it does have one major issue—with the Lopezes’ art, it feels like a bunch of overgrown kids. There’s a lot of masks off talking here and no one looks old enough to be driving, much less in their thirties.

And I guess I’m a little surprised Mockingbird carries around a cellphone. Even more surprised she doesn’t have it turned on vibrate when she and Dominic Fortune are off on a case.

Fortune’s an interesting addition to the series (this issue, he’s practically around more than Clint). McCann has got a little foreshadowing here and I hope it’s just a red herring and he doesn’t go predictable.

It’s a good issue; it certainly gets the reader anticipating the next one.

While Hawkeye & Mockingbird is a lot of fun, McCann doesn’t seem to be having it with Clint and Bobbi. Instead, the book is at its most entertaining when it’s Clint, Steve and Bucky. Bobbi’s off on her own, acting a little weird (not to mention the retcon revelation at the end) and it distances the two protagonists.

The opening is fun though. The two Lopezes pace out the lengthy opening action sequence and McCann’s narration (from Hawkeye’s perspective) makes it work. Only when they get all the masks off, with Clint and the Captains America, do the Lopezes get problematic. They draw adults like child-aged comic strip characters. It doesn’t work.

There’s also a lot of continuity in play here (I didn’t realize there were such dedicated Hawkeye and Mockingbird fans to keep up with it all). There’s a too dense text history at the end.

Still, it’s pleasant.