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Eric Ratcliffe and Jim McCann Discuss
Hawkeye and Mockingbird #1

Welcome back, readers, to a column that I am more than excited to be bringing back to the site. I know I as a reader had no doubt that we'd get some sort of follow up to the Reunion down the line, but I did not expect to see an ongoing at all. Of course, Jim was more than open to bringing the column back and I already told him he can use this name for the letters page if he wants. But without further ado, welcome back to Staves and Arrows!

Eric Ratcliffe: Feels great to be doing this again, Jim. That was one hell of a #1 issue, plenty for us to talk about, sir. My first question is an easy one, though, how are the numbers looking so far? I know it's only been a few days but it must be promising?

Jim McCann: Hey! It IS good to be back! What a crazy year it's been, huh? The Reunion wrapped in June, 2009, and now here we are, with an ongoing! Now we SOLD OUT!!!!! It took less than a week & we sold out. That's amazing! Fear not, a second printing is on its way. And, best of all- it comes out the same day as issue 2! So you can get both issues at the same time and see what everyone is talking about!

Eric: So do we have two Phantom Riders around now? Or is Hamilton retired (last seen in the Initiative issues dealing with Secret Invasion for those playing the home edition of our game)

Jim: Yes indeed, there is a new Phantom Rider in town, Hamilton's daughter Jaime Slade. Probably the most deadliest one yet, and you'll be seeing a lot more of her- where she came from, how she relates to Lincoln Slate (her great-great grandfather), and what's happening with Hamilton (the current Phantom Rider). Mockingbird says she wants someone to find out where Hamilton is & why they never knew he had a daughter. Jaime gives a few pretty big hints though in that first issue as to what her history is and how she relates to her father. Next issue, you'll learn even more.

Eric: So you and David were already planning the follow-up pretty early on, right? Most of what we are seeing here was part of that plan?

Jim: We knew as the issues of The Reunion sold out month after month that we'd be getting the chance to do a follow-up, and I worked out a storyline with a 3rd character to appear (even getting the creator using said character to OK me adding to that person's backstory, etc). It was 4 issues, tight & self-contained, wrapped up by the end. When we got the call in July last year to make it ongoing, that story was set aside. I hope to revisit it as soon as it organically fits in the overall tale we are weaving. Once we knew we were ongoing, also, David was thrilled because it meant he could design all sorts of neat and amazing things, something he loves to do!

Eric: So Crossfire is back huh? Been a long time since he was a thorn in Bobbi and Clint's side. I guess a reunion of sorts is needed with one of their more well known foes?

Jim: Crossfire is indeed back. He was their first foe when Clint & Bobbi met and while it may seem like I'm doing a 15 year-old fanboy "throwback" story, it actually makes sense in the landscape of a post-Osborn world. Here's a guy who is a master of intelligence gathering, a marksman, and who watched The Hood rise to power, not to mention Osborn take over the world. There are power vacuums out there & this is one guy to take advantage of that. He's someone who has been C or D-list before, but the only way to elevate baddies is to tell interesting stories about them and portray them to their full potential and with maybe a few new tricks. That's the goal here. Hawkeye talks a bit about him in this issue, but you'll learn his motivations and start to see the scope in issue 2, but that's just the tip of the iceberg!

Eric: I love when we can tell as readers that Bobbi is annoyed, it leads to some very funny bickering between the couple. I'm referring, of course, to her attempting to close off the man's wound from bleeding anymore but Clint is wondering if she shot him. Do these scenes come together organically for you? Like it comes right as your writing?

Jim: I hear both of these characters so much in my head while writing that it is sort of natural. Bobbi is all business (and a bit of fun) in the field now-she's leading a group for the first time, so she's going to do what needs to be done. Hawkeye is...Clint. He can be in the heat of the moment, using even just the tiniest glint off a barrel to find a shooter one second then see something like an arrow shaft to keep someone's lungs from filling up with blood and assume if not the worst then at least assume the "WTF?!"

Eric: The Pym Particle arrow scene seems to really be talked about a lot over on several message boards. But to me without even needing it to be explained it seemed equal to the diamond scene back in The Reunion showing just how competent Clint is. Elaborate, if you could, on your thought process for that scene and the idea behind it.

Jim: The fact that the scene is so "controversial" is rather odd to me. I love scenes in wu xia films like Hero or House Of Flying Daggers or even Lord of the Rings where hundreds of archers shoot hundreds of arrows. Well, Clint knows Pym Particles *very* well, so he can do that with THREE arrows. We'd already established that the streets were cleared except the people they were pursuing-you know, the guys with machine guns shooting at them. Time was running out (you can only clear and divert so much traffic on Central Park West-- that scene is very near my apartment, David & I walked the route for this scene together and it IS possible to keep other cars from it and pedestrians to a minimum. Now regarding the arrows and could Clint actually do that or isn't he endangering the lives of those bad guys trying to kill him and being a murderer? Short answer- he's a SUPER HERO & the Greatest Marksman Alive. It's kinda his thing. He knows what he's aiming for and what to hit. He knows where 3 arrows or 75 arrows fired at once will go to a certain degree. The more complex, "comic book physics" answer (meaning some science, but come on, people, you're reading a comic book, not a documentary)- the height he shot the arrows before they expanded as well as the expansion of the arrows would slow the velocity of the arrows slightly. He's shooting moving targets, so the mass of arrows raining down hit what he wants to hit and not as deep as to hit vitals (the fleshy forearm of the one guy was the only real exit wound), and takes out everyone in a non lethal way. It's later stated that the med teams are enroute and the baddies are being taken to lockup and for medical treatment from the chase, but that's what happens when you are shooting at good guys on motorcycles and not wearing helmets.

I've also seen people think Bobbi is shooting bullets willy nilly, when it is very clear in the narration that she is shooting at the bullet-proof glass. Anyone who knows about bullet-proof glass knows that if you keep shooting at it, eventually it will break. She wasn't shooting at the motorcycle guys. Rule of Comics: It's ALWAYS safe to assume that if a super hero is firing a weapon (like Bucky Cap, Hawkeye, Nick Fury, Iron Man, etc), they are not aiming to *kill* unless it is explicity stated. That's why they are super heroes.

Eric: So let's talk about costumes a little here. It seems that Clint's costume has been modified since the Bullseye design and even the House of M design. Was this a little of David and John Romita working separately or were both books connected with the costume design choices for a strong bit of continuity? Also, talking a bit about Clint's costume, I've had a few people ask me to ask you about the arm, which I know I answered as it being protection while he was using his bow. Is there more to the having one full arm covered then that?

Jim: Well, wouldn't YOU want a change after Bullseye had it? Did you SEE the things he did in that costume? Ew.

We approach Clint's Hawkeye design in our book as taking what Johnny Jr. had done and modifying it. Since this is a down & dirty spy group Clint's running with, David & I get to give Hawkeye all sorts of fun things to play with & you'll see lots of that as each mission or encounter calls for it. With the one arm thing, that's been part of his costume for decades off & on. Sometimes it's both arms, sometimes it's one.

Eric: The only real change I've seen with Bobbi overall is a sleeker design, almost a jumpsuit to a certain extent...though she does still wear that jacket. Did you have a lot of say in any modifications to the uniform or did you really just let Dave play there?

Jim: For Bobbi, she's got a few new tricks up her belled-sleeves too. In this issue alone we added retractable blades to her battlestaves, so that's fun.

I want to say more, but all I can say for now is Issue #3. Just wait!

Eric: Twitchy looks exhausted here, I know there's a line about the poor guy never getting any sleep but is there a reason why, and does his work suffer because of it?

Jim: There IS a backstory for Twitchy and it will be revealed over time and as appropriate. But his work never suffers.

Eric: The supporting cast for the book really is interesting. You've basically given Clint and Bobbi a Q, an information guy and an explosives expert not to mention our new mysterious bad boy. Was the supporting cast important to establish?

Jim: Thanks! I really wanted to create something fun and cool to help the core duo, but also serve specific roles. And each one of them brings something different to the table. I'd say for now to keep an eye on our boy Dominic, especially.

Eric: Dominic Fortune really knows how to get under Clint's skin easily. Though I as a reader really don't trust the guy. He's obviously the rogue element to the team?

Jim: Dom is one of my favorites to write. He and Clint do NOT get along. He is sort of like Clint years ago, but there's a deeper mystery to him. He has his secrets and motivations, and what you've seen in issue 1 is just the very tip of the iceberg. All that said, I wouldn't cast him as a good guy or a bad guy quite yet. I think even he is figuring that out. He makes his own rules. He's kind of like Han Solo to me, but rougher.

Eric: My favorite scene hands down in this issue was the boy scout rant from Clint. After all he's been through during Dark Reign and fighting Osborn and all that...does he really not see how much of the boy scout good guy persona he's become? He's not that young rebel that he was when he first joined the Avengers anymore. Do you think that bothers him or is it more a guy like Fortune calling him the boy scout?

Jim: I think that scene (which I loved being able to show the full circle journey and the new dynamic Clint is facing) really was one of those moments for Clint to realize he's not the same Hawkeye. He's matured and has a different vibe. And that surprised even him. I think it's something we all do.

Eric: So there is a magic/mystical connection going on with our new Phantom Rider, that's safe to say right?

Jim: The Phantom Rider legacy has always had a mystical/spiritual connection and Jaime Slade is no different. The spread of the shared dream/nightmare was just the beginning. In the next issue, you'll learn more about this new Phantom Rider- and it may shock you.

Eric: Now that you've said I can certainly see a Han Soloishness (totally just made up a word) from Fortune. Especially when Bobbi gives him permission to do some of the dirty work that we are finding out about. Bobbi is certainly standing very close to that morally ambiguous line there isn't she?

Jim: He's a scoundrel, that Dominic, with his Soloishness (a word that needs to catch on!). And yes, Bobbi is walking a very fine line, as she always has. I think it's something people forgot about her because she was off the table for so long, but it's one of the things that has always made her one of the most interesting and unique characters to me. She is a spy first and foremost, not an Avenger. And she's not afraid to remind people of that.

Eric: I think Bucky and Clint are starting to get used to each other, even when Bucky has that annoyed look on his face. Is it safe to say they are developing a similar relationship to what he and Steve already have?

Jim: I think Bucky and Clint are developing a respect for each other, but it's more a big brother/little brother thing. Clint will always see him as a "kid"...a kid who is remarkable, but a kid. Steve is on a different level entirely in Clint's mind, but I think Clint is starting to believe in himself that he could be on the same level as Steve.

Eric: Oh, and I'm not sure if many readers caught this or not all over the internet, but we see that Clint's stance on Bobbi not saving the Phantom Rider has changed. I think that's pretty major for both him as a character and their overall relationship even if Bobbi seems to just shrug it off.

Jim: Clint's stance changed back in Solo Avengers, when he had the chance to let Trickshot die in a similar way and he didn't. That was the start of that change. Then again in The Reunion #1 he acknowledged it. And in this issue he tries to bring it up, but quickly realizes that Bobbi still has issues with it. So while his mind may have changed, Bobbi has a lot of issues tied up with that, and deservedly so. It's a major trigger for her and was the worst thing that could happen at this point in her life. She's on that edge again, and Clint realizes it, which is why he needs to find her family.

Eric: I found that another layer to that scene with Steve that he was talking to Clint as an equal again, which we haven't gotten between the two men for a long time. I really appreciated that as a reader and a fan especially with the death joke that Clint brings up. Do you think Steve is proud of everything Clint did while he wasn't around?

Jim: I absolutely think Steve is proud. He was talking to him like an equal, a friend, and even "cheated" the way Clint used to famously make his own "luck." It's a nice development to explore.

Eric: Oh, and I grinned like a moron seeing Clint back on his old bike, it's been too damn long since he had that thing. I take it next issue we'll be seeing more with Bobbi's family?

Jim: Well, if your daughter's been dead for the past 8 years (as far as you knew), wouldn't you want to verify (and if you were Hawkeye, you'd REALLY want to get to the bottom of it!)? As for those wondering about the "sliding Marvel time," Bobbi debuted in 1971 as a biologist recruited into SHIELD. The FF gained their powers about 12-13 years ago in Marvel time. Bobbi was on the Skrull world for 3 years, so use those as the X, Y & Z and do the math- it works. LOL

Eric: Marvel time makes my head hurt, not going to lie.

Jim: Marvel time is crazy, but we all manage to try and make some sense of it.

Eric: So what's up for next issue Jim? Tease away good sir!

Jim: Next issue is my take on a Hitchcockian thriller. It's like Rear Window- all the pieces get moved into place for the storm that is coming, motivations are revealed, secrets and lies are exposed while new ones are created, and an ending that you're CRAZY if you don't come back for issue 3 after reading! Seriously. It's more psychologically suspenseful than the first (no Pym arrows), but it'll have you screaming at the comic. It's like the "Tick-tick-tick" as you go up a hill on a roller coaster and the end is what pushes us into the ride for the rest of the series.

Well that's it for this first edition, folks! Tune in next month as we talk about issue #2!

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Eric Ratcliffe is a young writer/pop culture journalist/interviewer currently working on pitching a project named the Hunter chronicles. When not reading his weekly stack Eric can be found watching DVDs, playing on his 360 (gamertag: Zack Hunter) or just surfing online trying to find a scoop or two. Brand new to the Comic Related family, Eric is a fun new voice. Eric shops at TJ's Collectibles. Visit them on the web at www.tjcollect.com!