The top third panel shows an exasperated Clint Barton drawing back a haymaker that, even then, the reader can tell will never land. Then, the next panels show him receiving a stiff kick in the chest from a shadowy black boat. As the narrative goes, and has been depicted countless times throughout his existence, Hawkeye is something of an a’hole. Sometimes that’s funny, but when it comes to Chicago’s native crime fighter, being an a’hole could get you dead.
Nighthawk continues to pummel an arrowless, plain clothed Hawkeye. In the distance, Nightshade aka Tilda Johnson, a sultry and sleek advanced robotics expert, delays Red Wolf from interfering with a flirtatious offer. Barton continues to get destroyed as until Red Wolf finally blindsides Nighthawk and restrains him. In the aftermath it is revealed that Hawkeye has come to beg the expertise of Tilda, a top level Marvel genius in her own right.
He explains that in his travels of heroism across the Midwest, inspired by the guilt of being the man who killed the Hulk, he comes across a somewhat antiquated yet oddly advanced cybernetic head of Ronald Reagan and a handful of a mysterious and rare compound called Epidurium, necessary in the production of skin for synthetic humans.
The heroes, who now have retired to Nighthawk’s base of operations, discern where the shipment came from. Upon arrival at an old coal company,there’s recent evidence of a firefight. But it’s soon obvious that the team has walked into an ambush as infrared lasers paint them with ominous polka dots. Both Tilda and Wolf are ill-prepared for this sort of a fight, but Nighthawk and Barton eventually began turning the tide.
Unlike the two prior to issues of Occupy Avengers, both of which dealt with issues inspired by contemporary happenings on the environment, exploitation and racism, this one was more traditional comic book lore. Again, the art is dope, cover is fire, writing is bomb. More of what you have come to expect from Walker, Pacheco, Fonteriz and Oback.
But check it, this issue really digs into some historic old school Marvel history with this synthetic humans story arc. Okay, no spoilers, no spoilers! But, Hollowing Commandos! That’s all I’m gonna say. The reveal is so sick!
Occupy Avengers Vol. 3 hit comic book outlets on January 11th and I loved it.
