Hawkeye: Kate Bishop #2
Sasha Kaplan
Recap
Before Kate can fully wrap her head around the fact that her estranged sister Susan has reappeared (what?) and was the one who invited her to Resort Chapiteau in the first place (what?!) and that this case is definitely not going to allow much in the way of pool time (ughhh), she gets pulled into something she does know how to handle: a little girl staying at the resort has gone missing. But in spite of the fact that she’s basically an Avenger, the resort staff don’t want her investigating. So now Kate has three mysteries on her hands: Where is the girl, what is the resort hiding – and what does this have to do with her family in the first place?
Review
Jewel thieves, kidnappings, and a resort that may be a cult, oh my. Kate Bishop’s list of cases is growing. Is she up to the task?
It’s no secret to those that know me that I’ve been somewhat depressed by Kate Bishop’s characterization over the last few years. She always felt just on the rim of a “quirky girl” and a barely competent superhero. I haven’t liked a single Kate-related comic since Children’s Crusade. As I said in the first issue, I thought that writer Marieke Nijkamp did an excellent job bringing the various versions of Kate Bishop. Well, I take that back completely.
This is the Kate Bishop I’ve been missing. Nijkamp crafts a huge second issue that continues the previously established threads by carefully teasing what’s happening. Whatever this is, Kate is at the center, and the teen hero turned Avenger turned Private Detective is at her best in her natural element, being a butt-kicking, sharp hero who knows what she’s doing. She’s not cowering in the face of Captain America, and she’s not saying how amazing it is to be a superhero, so everyone should try it. This is Kate Bishop, who fights for what she knows is right and doesn’t care if you like it or approve, whether you’re family or Captain America.
Nijkamp and Balam bring a great dynamic and artistic style. The latter took a bit of getting used to, and the facial expression could still use a polish. But overall, the art complements the story well, adding scale and urgency. Great use of scale in general, shaping the expanse of the resort.
I thoroughly enjoyed this issue, building off the first with an exciting story, a simple premise that teases a revisit to familial conflicts, and a mysterious resort that screams it’s probably a cult or a brainwashing facility of some kind. It’s a great follow-up to a decent first issue.
I hope her relationship with her sister will continue to develop, and although they might not ever get along, it seems like Nijkamp is teasing a build-up to mutual respect for the other’s position. We shall see how it goes.
Final Thoughts
I liked this issue. It was fun, it wasn’t super action-packed, but it didn’t need to be. Kate continues to delight and shows why she is the best Hawkeye by helping people, and telling anybody off that needs to hear it.
Hawkeye: Kate Bishop #2 Rockin’ Story
- Writing - 8/108/10
- Storyline - 8/108/10
- Art - 8/108/10
- Color - 8/108/10
- Cover Art - 8/108/10
