REVIEW: Hawkeye, easter eggs and references in the first two episodes

Here we have another series of MCU (Marvel Cinematic Universe) for the Disney +, which then forwards phase 4 of the Marvel, following the path of presenting, apparently, the Young Avengers. Hawkeye — Archer hawk here in Brazil — go on then — finally! — Clint Barton (Jeremy Renner) as he deals with the aftermath of the events of Infinity War e Ultimatum, and passes her mantle on to young aspiring superhero Kate Bishop (Hailee Steinfeld).

It is undisputed that Hawkeye is the series that was least exciting fans, as Clint Barton - who has been present in the lineup of the Avengers since the first film back in 2012 - has always been a supporting player. Even Loki, the team's first villain, has had much more prominence within the MCU than Hawkeye. Not to mention all the valid discussion about Natasha's sacrifice in Vomir, which deals with thoughts (including the character's own) about who should have died for the Soul Stone in place of the Widow.

But, be that as it may, Hawkeye's series can develop the character who has remained in the dark for more than 10 years within the cinema, guaranteeing him prominence. Even in two episodes, we can already see that screenwriter Jonathan Igla (Mad Men, 2007) was concerned with bringing depth to the character, and that we will know more about him in the next 4 episodes to come.

Fast and fluid, Hawkeye doesn't take long to present his plot

In the two episodes we analyzed, Hawkeye it's quick to set the tone and pace of the show, and it's much slower than previous series. It quickly explores Barton's own traumatic experiences throughout his time with the Avengers, even going so far as to make some examinations of his own self-esteem and worth. After all, Clint Barton is fully aware that he is “the one with the bow and arrows”.

I daresay the Hawkeye series is comparable to some others we've seen before Marvel. despite the Marvel Studios not have helped to develop the DefendersVerse on Netflix, the criminal intrigue that Barton and Kate Bishop work to uncover is a plot that Defenders fans are well acquainted with, and if certain rumors if they prove correct, it is glaringly obvious where this story is going.

Though it bears the name of the Avenger wielding the bow, Hawkeye it really is a story about two people. Let's follow along and get to know more about Clint Barton, the grumpy hero and ex-vigilante who is now doing his best to enjoy life with his children, blipped by Thanos in Infinity War. 

In a stereotypical New York Christmas montage, we see Clint and his family watching a musical (a silly and very embarrassing show about the Avengers that features a Hulk singing) and then the hero taking his kids out for Chinese food. As much as he tries to be happy, however, time and countless battles have taken their toll. He runs away, gets angry when recognized in public, and now wears a hearing aid after getting too close to too many explosions.

The other side of the story is Kate Bishop, who grew up idolizing Hawkeye to the point of becoming a state champion archer. Her stories intersect when Kate rescues and later dons the Ronin — a key part of Clint's MCU story, but one that hasn't been explored much — and comes into a fight with a gang known as Mafia Tracksuit. When Clint sees the Ronin suit on the news, he's forced to abandon his idyllic family time to find out what's going on. Eventually, the two archers join forces, though naturally Clint is a reluctant partner.

There is a mystery at stake here around Ronin's costume, but the show's highlight is the growing, often antagonistic, relationship between Kate and Clint. The original Hawkeye, of course, wants nothing to do with it. He's just trying to fix everything as quickly as possible and get back to his family.

Adapting the comics for TV

Even with all the fan criticism regarding the marketing of the series (with those posters clearly made by the intern), we can't criticize the entire design and costumes of the series, as both are very similar to the comics.

Both the writing and production design are heavily inspired by the series. hawkeye from David Aja and Matt Fraction, and that's not to forget that Barton and Bishop's characterizations are exact replicas. One could go further and say that this series, in that regard, is the best adaptation of a comic book we've seen so far, right down to Clint's use of hearing aids.

Fun but not that impressive

The series features other highlights: Rogers: The musical was inevitably one of them, but I'm not sure how I feel about these tributes to Captain America's legacy becoming something in the MCU. With the Smithsonian's remarkable collection in The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, and the Statue of Liberty holding Steve Rogers' shield in No way home, I get a second-hand shiver every time I imagine how embarrassed Steve would be.

Comic reliefs are also present, but the script can only go so far with the jokes and jabs fun. The performances were impressive. We can already say that Hailee Steinfeld was born to be Kate Bishop. Even the participation of Vera Farmiga (so random!) here is a nice addition to the story.

But somehow I don't feel like it's held me back that much. Yes, it's fun, yes, it has a style that we already know, but, perhaps, after seeing works like WandaVision, Loki, and, in theaters, Shang-Chi and Eternals, I confess that this "Marvel style" has not impressed me anymore so much. The superhero universe is becoming saturated — even if it continues to profit horribly — even though now I'm already expecting something great.

The same as always is comfort zone, and after Chloé Zhao's incredible work in delivering something completely out of the box in Eternals, or having a WandaVision magnitude, the simplicity of Hawkeye left me a little disheartened with the quality of the series that Marvel will deliver.

Easter eggs and references in Hawkeye in Episodes 01 and 02

So much and despite everything, the first two episodes arrived bombarding fans with many references and easter eggs from Hawkeye. So, in addition to checking out the comics, I went to check out the MCU to pick up all those references that the first two episodes introduced us to! Come with us!

Needless to say, right? will roll spoilers over here.

2012, The Avengers and the Battle of New York

The resonance of the Battle of New York is felt throughout these episodes, from the opening scenes to Rogers: The Musical, but even in quieter moments, like when Kate is casually leaving Grand Central Terminal in Pershing Square, the site of much of the Avengers' battle.

Another thing is the New York City setting itself, which is reminiscent of the tone of Marvel's Netflix shows that are gone (as I said earlier), such as Demolisher, Jessica Jones, luke cage, Iron fist, The Defenders e The Avenger. In these series, at least early on, the gritty tone and shabby nature of Hell's Kitchen was attributed to the neighborhoods adjacent to the Battle of New York still reeling from the damage and trauma. We can see how deep the scars run across the entire MCU in these opening episodes of Hawkeye.

Kate bishop

• Kate Bishop first appeared in Young Avengers #1 in 2005. This single issue is becoming a key issue for the future of the MCU. Kang the Conqueror played a central role, and the magazine also featured Wanda Maximoff's children Billy and Tommy (Wiccan and Speed) we met in Wanda Vision, Eli Bradley (Patriot) who we met briefly in The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, Kid Loki and more. Basically, we hope to see MANY more Young Avengers in the MCU soon.

• Kate refers to herself (and claims others also refer to her) as "the greatest archer in the world", which is a play on how Clint Barton was classified in his early comic book appearances as "the greatest marksman in the world". of the world".

• Kate is 22 years old. When you consider the five-year time jump in Avengers: Endgame, and Kate's age in 2012 during the Battle of New York, it seems likely that Kate was most likely "blipped" during Avengers: Infinity War. Incidentally, Hawkeye apparently takes place two years after the events of Endgame, which means we've closed that time-jump gap a little bit with the MCU, so Hawkeye probably only takes place 2-3 years into "our" future.

• Kate says she "inherited" her apartment, but doesn't say who she inherited it from. Presumably, it would be a part of her in her father's wealth. But in the Matt Fraction/David Aja comics that this show takes so much inspiration from, Clint owns an entire building in Brooklyn, NY (Kate's apartment is somewhere in lower Manhattan). Is it possible that his “heritage” is actually this entire building and not just this basement apartment? There are a lot of unanswered questions about Kate here.

• Kate's password for logging into that remote Bishop Security account appears to be BISHOP112012. Aside from the fact that using her last name as a security password might not be the safest thing in the world, what is the meaning of this 112012? Does it just mean November 2012? November 20, 2012? We know the Battle of New York took place in 2012, but it was in May, not November… so what is the significance of this date for Kate? Maybe that's when she received her first bow and arrow? What do you think?

Clint barton

• The series marks the first time Clint's hearing loss has been treated in the MCU, and as we see in episode two, it's a logical consequence of his time spent in absurdly high volume situations as a superhero. His hearing loss has been addressed several times in the comics as well.

• Already in the Matt Fraction and David Aja comics, Clint was attacked by the assassin known as Clown (who is also expected to appear in the series in the next few episodes). Clown stabbed Clint in each ear with his arrows, then shot Clint's brother Barney. Although neither of them died, Barney was resigned to a wheelchair and Clint was left deaf.

• A flashback showed that Clint had been dealing with hearing problems since he was a boy, a side effect of his abusive father. This made him reluctant to use sign language to communicate with Barney, as it reminded him of worse times and hurt his pride.

• All of Clint's dejected behavior here is more reminiscent of his depiction in the Fraction/Aja comics as the "everyman" of the MCU.

ROGERS: The Musical

• “I could do this all day” is the closest thing to a catchphrase Steve Rogers has, from the time he got kicked in the ass by a bully in 1941 in Brooklyn to him fighting himself on the line. time during Avengers: Endgame. The music is just as ridiculous and over-the-top as all musical theater and therefore is completely authentic.

• The inclusion of Ant-Man, despite not being in the first Avengers, works on multiple levels. First, it contrasts with Scott Lang's lack of notoriety during the restaurant scene in Ultimatum. Second, it is borrowed from the comics of the Ultimates, where Hawkeye insisted that Quicksilver was never on any of his missions when — like Ant-Man's musical claims — no one was able to see him due to his powers. Mercury was repeatedly saving Hawkeye's life in the countryside and he never noticed.

• Technically, Hawkeye was wrong in his assessment of Ant-Man. Scott Lang WAS there during the Battle of New York. Okay, it was a Scott Lang from years later, but thanks to Endgame, he was there!

The Barton Family

• Clint's youngest is called "Nate" as an ode to Natasha. This was first introduced at the end of Avengers: Age of Ultron. Nate's middle name is Pietro, a tribute to Wanda's late brother, who died saving Clint's life in the same film.

Who is Jack Duquesne?

• In the comics he is known as Jacques Duquesne, but Marvel fans might know him better by another name: the swordsman. Clearly, Jack has a lot of blade abilities, but in the comics, he's not just a costumed antagonist for the Hawkeye family folks, he's the man who trained Clint Barton in combat. 
• Since Clint's pre-SHIELD life was never really explored in the MCU, so maybe there's a flashback episode on the way. It would be pretty weird if Kate's stepfather here ended up being some sort of (former) surrogate father for Clint as well.

The coat mafia

• In the comics, they are often called "Train Suit Draculas", although they are not actually vampires. It's just Clint's way of pointing out that they exist to do nothing but suck the life out of the neighborhood with their little criminal schemes.

Who is ECHO?

• Echo was created by Joe Quesada and David Mack in the pages of demolisher (hmmm) in 1999. She's a deaf hero with the kinds of photographic reflexes we associate with Taskmaster, and a seasoned fighter. Her father was a soldier of the Kingpin, and after he died, Maya was raised by Wilson Fisk himself.

• Considering his father, Willie "Crazy Horse" Lincoln, who will be played by Zahn McClarnon, it looks like we'll likely finally see Marvel TV shows on Netflix integrated into this show with a Wilson Fisk appearing at some point during the show, too.

• It also doesn't seem accidental that this introductory scene of Echo resembles an episode of Netflix's Daredevil. From the darker, more uplifting music to that striking red light, when you combine that with the overall “New York tone” of these episodes…

Other references:

• When Kate sees Hawkeye fighting on top of a building, we really see this exact moment in The Avengers. Clint running and jumping off the building is a reused sequence from that film.

• Kate's father ends up dying during the Battle of New York, which is different from what happens in Marvel comics. In the comics, Eleanor Bishop is the one who dies, but then we find out that she is actually alive and has been working against Kate.

• When Kate is running into a building on campus, you can see a sign that says “Tower Stane”, which is a tribute to Obadiah Stane, Tony Stark's business partner in Iron Man.

• The plaque reads: “The oldest university steeple in the United States. Its cornerstone was laid October 20, 1725. Rededicated July 1, 2006 in honor of Obadiah Stane.”

• One of Kate's friends is named Greer, which may be related to the comic book character Greer Grant, also known as Tigra.

• I don't know if this was intentional or not, but we have a close-up of a lucky cat figure, which is something that Bucky was fascinated by in The Falcon and the Winter Soldier .

• When Clint attends the LARPing event to retrieve Ronin's suit, it is being used by a man named Grills. in the comics hawkeye from 2012, Grills is the name of Clint's neighbor and one of his closest friends.

• Kate takes Clint to hide out at her aunt's house, and when she's looking for the doorbell, we see the name "Moira Brandon", a big name. easter egg East Coast Avengers.

• In the comics, Moira Brandon is an actress who gives her huge estate in Palos Verdes to the West Coast Avengers. Moira ends up saving Hawkeye when they first meet. This is just one of the many details that indicate that the West Coast Avengers are coming to the MCU. Hawkeye and Kate Bishop are also members.

What's up? What do you think? We forgot some easter egg? Comment below!

Also check out our critique of Eternals, the last movie released in theaters of the MCU.

https://www.showmetech.com.br/eternos-epico-e-com-potencial-nao-explorado/