Eric Ratcliffe and Jim McCann Discuss
Hawkeye and Mockingbird #3
Welcome to the latest edition of Staves and Arrows where Jim McCann and I talk all things Hawkeye/Mockingbird. This issue raises the stakes and gives us a lot of action, as well as raising plenty of questions. So let's jump right in!
Eric: So to start off with this month Jim I wanted to talk to you about something interesting that rdrsfn82 on theouthousers.com described. They called the book "This book is like if you took shows like Burn Notice or Chuck and filtered them through the Marvel U" What are your thoughts on this?
Jim: I have to say that I find that incredibly flattering. Thank you rdrsfn82! I'm a huge fan of Burn Notice and to be compared to the quality that Matt Nix & company have created over there is incredible.
Eric: So those first few pages, I don't think i've ever cringed that much at something in my life. I mean I completely understand Bobbi being pissed at him but just wow that was tough to read. Probably due to how real it felt.
Jim: So...you cringed in a good way, right? But, yeah, writing them fighting is tough because I love the characters, but I have to stay true to the situation and the actions as well as the honest character reactions. I don't want things to ring false, and these two absolutely let their emotions fly and don't hold back, good and bad.
Eric: Yeah it was a good kind of cringe.
Jim: Why thanks! I feel like I'm getting to dive more into these characters. I just finished my first issue 5 ever. That felt nice!
Eric: That first 2 pages really gives us a view inside of Clint's head as he traces Crossfire's shot, is this the full intent? To give the reader a view into Clint's mind a bit?
Jim: That opening was definitely to get into Clint's head. It served two purposes- to learn what he goes through in making every shot he takes, and then also how that relates to what happened. The same can be true for any marksman- so it was sort of showing two sides of the same coin between Hawkeye & Crossfire. Cross made the sniper shot and Clint retraced it.
Eric: Since when does Clint question paranormal activity? Correct me if I'm wrong but this is a man who was brought back to life twice, has fought aliens and time travelers?
Jim: If you mean the chasing visions, that's less questioning paranormal activity and more questioning Bobbi's mindset and clarity in the situation. In his mind, they had a positive ID on the shooter (Crossfire) and no reason to think Jaime Slade has had anything to do with any of this. As a reader, we've seen her transformation, but remember, Clint only saw Jaime the one time at the Museum of Natural History. So a "vision" of Phantom Rider is not a very reliable lead in his mind. He was proven wrong, but before starting the mission he had no way of knowing that Phantom Rider or Jaime Slade were an actual part of any of this.
Eric: Thanks for the clarification on that scene Jim, I think due to everything that happened since they first met her it slipped my mind as to when Clint saw Jaimie. Going right into that though it seems the stranger tipped his hand as it sounds like Jamie is being completely controlled at this point. Am I assuming too much or is that fair to say?
Jim: Crossfire and Bobbi both pointed out that Crossfire was communicating over an open channel, so it was clear that he was setting up a trap- Mockingbird was just too focused on revenge to notice until it was too late. As for how much of the Phantom Rider is Lincoln and how much is Jaime, we'll be seeing a lot of that over the next two issues.
Eric: Bobbi does realize that her brother is still safe right? The way she went over the deep end makes it seem like she thinks he's an open target as well.
Jim: Yes, Ben is safe. Twitchy had him checked into a different safe house. Mockingbird was over the deepend because she literally heard her mother almost get killed. Imagine that for a moment. After 8 years, you come face to face with your mother, she slaps and rejects you, then as you're reconciling over the phone, you hear her get shot. That would *&^$# anyone up. That's the mindset Bobbi has driving most of this issue. That, and anger that Clint is partially responsible for putting her family in danger.
Eric: That is one pretty armory sir. Did you detail this in the script or did you tell Dave to have fun here? Also will we be seeing this place more often through the book?
Jim: I *love* that armory. It's like our own version of the PIT from GI Joe when I was growing up. I gave David some directions, then basically said "Imagine the scene at the end of Raiders of the Lost Ark, but instead of mystic artifacts, it's full of weapons recovered from all over the world. Anything goes!" As for if we'll see more of it, now that Clint knows it's there, and that it's how the W.C.A. is funded (again, the same way many "off the books" agencies are funded) will his code of honor or his conscience allow him to let that stand? You'll have to keep reading!
Eric: That seemed to be a heavy focus in this issue, the man who killed a crap ton of skrulls and tried to kill Norman Osborn basically going after Dominic and Bobbi about killing over all. Was this to help show that Clint realizes the whole "killing" mindset he was on for a little while wasn't right?
Jim: Clint admitted going after Norman with the intent to kill was a mistake at the end of the issue when he was rescued (New Avengers Annual 3). The Skrulls, that was a kill or be killed war (and Clint's killed demons and other non-human creatures before). So, going into a situation with murder in the forefront is something Clint knows is a bad thing. Norman pushed his buttons and he made a LOT of mistakes, including allowing himself to cross his own moral lines. It's something he isn't happy about and it's something he doesn't want to see Bobbi do with Crossfire or his thugs. There is also a HUGE difference between going after the man who made a mockery of the Avengers (Norman) and killing nameless thug #8 that you could knock out instead. Clint was very worried because he isn't sure where Bobbi's head is- would she have killed that thug? And then to see Dominic apparently kill him, knowing that Dom and Bobbi have this "brothers-in-arms" type of bond...you can see where Clint would be concerned, for this issue and for a while going forward.
Eric: So talking about the armory a bit more...you mention that it will play heavily into future themes, could we get a warehouse 13 type of scenario with new types of devices hiding in there? (Yes i'm totally obsessing)
Jim: Depends on if the armory stays around or if the W.C.A. gets shut down or forced to get rid of the weapons. Hmmmmm... You DID see, though, that the W.C.A. armed Hawkeye, Mockingbird and Dominic with all sorts of cool things. Well, there are even cooler things coming in this arc.
Eric: Alright I may officially be warming up to Fortune here, except for when he's intentionally riling Clint up. I love how he gets a bit of a man crush on Clint towards the end of the issue. That kind of stuff has to be a blast to write.
Jim: I love Dominic. He is honestly a blast to write. He's a character you love to hate. Maybe it's because I know his secrets (and readers will too by the end of the year), but he's a character that is very important to the story and one to keep your eye on. And I love him getting under Clint's skin. It's like the old USAgent/Hawkeye fights. Clint sometimes needs that kind of character that gets under his skin to bring out some of that impetuous nature he holds just barely in check.
Eric: Should we recognize the soldiers at Crossfire's base of operations or are they just nameless grunts? The logo looks sort of like the x-symbol.
Jim: They are more of Crossfire's men (he's got a basic army of hired thugs that we've seen in ENTER THE HEROIC AGE, in issue 1, and now here). The X is the symbol from Crossfire's cybernetic eye and his costume.
Eric: So was Bobbi going to kill that man? Or just incapacitate him? That blade looked pretty damn lethal to me.
Jim: Was she? That was what worried Clint. And so he stopped her from doing whatever she was going to do. If she WAS in a murderous rage, does that mean she *is* at the point of killing someone who gets in her way? Remember, it's always been a central point of Bobbi Morse's character that she is a spy first, Avenger second and has a different code when it comes to death.
Eric: I have that shotgun! Well the airsoft equivalent of it!
Jim: That shotgun scene David drew perfectly. It was supposed to be Linda Hamilton in T2-esque, which he nailed.
Eric: I'm slightly disappointed that Clint didn't talk to the bug that attacks them, especially when he started riding one. It was failed humor to me.
Jim: He *did* talk to it- he said "Take me to your leader!" Wait, did you read this issue? ;)
Eric: I am pretty excited that one of you (meaning Between you and brian) have picked up on the idea that Clint wont just be relying on just his bow and arrow anymore. Will we be seeing him carry other things in that quiver from now on? The sword scene was a welcomed treat.
Jim: You will see some pretty slick arrows and other things, but, as he noted in the issue, he'll only use non-bow & arrows when necessary. That said, he's got some pretty wild arrows in that quiver we haven't seen yet.
Eric: You love having Clint talk to things that can't talk back don't you? ;) I think Clint needs a robot friend. ;)
Jim: Clint likes to talk to ANYTHING, I think.
Eric: Dominic really is a lot like Clint, especially with that flame on line.
Jim: Dominic is the extreme version of Clint...and then some.
Eric: Is Bobbi's connection to The Phantom Rider and her sense of him due to letting him die?
Jim: There is a mystical link between them which will be explored more, especially in these next two issues.
Eric: Well by the end of the issue, the men were working pretty well together and had almost a mutual respect from what I could tell, do you think if they've all survived this will continue to evolve between Fortune and Clint?
Jim: I think they have a truce...for the moment. With these two, anything could pit them against each other...and I have a feeling that will happen!
Eric: Can you elaborate for me on the traded up line that crossfire says?
Jim: The original Death-Throws were a group of outrageously costumed villains that Crossfire used to run around with. Two of them (Oddball & Bombshell) were part of Crossfire's attack on Hawkeye in the first Hawkeye mini. In this issue, Crossfire introduced the new Death T.H.R.O.W.S.- Techno Hybrid Remotely Operated Weapons Systems. In Crossfire's mind, he "traded up" with who he runs with while Hawkeye is still with Mockingbird.
Eric: What is the Rider's end game here? Killing Bobbi as he seems to talk about in those last 2 pages? And he puts both Clint and Fortune under mind control?
Jim: The endgame was exactly what played out here and what Phantom Rider said in the final pages- force Mockingbird to watch Hawkeye die and not be able to stop it, then have Mockingbird watch her own death approach, just as Bobbi watched Phantom Rider (Lincoln) die and did nothing to stop it. Once she's dead, he would join her in the spirit realm. Crossfire is the one who held Clint & Dominc under mind-control, using those giant machines on either side of them. That's one of his specialties. It's not a "power" but it is a technique he's used for some time. He even used it against Clint and Bobbi to force them into trying to kill each other before, as seen also in the Gruenwald HAWKEYE mini-series.
Eric: So what can we expect in issue #4?
Jim: Well, Mockingbird's plan didn't go as well as she planned (mostly because she was reacting instead of keeping a cool head). And, even though our villains don't know it, Crossfire and Phantom Rider's plan didn't kill Clint & Bobbi. Now it's time to see if Hawkeye's plan will work! Where we end up in the issue is vastly different from where we start, I can tell you that. Also, the mystery of Dominic Fortune deepens. And some of the greatest pages I've ever seen drawn! Especially a splash in the middle and the final page. David Lopez and the gang just keep getting better!
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!
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