by Thom Yee

Hawkeye images courtesy of Marvel Worldwide, Inc. and Walt Disney Studios

In a world full of superstrong, invulnerable, flying people who can knock you unconscious with a flick of their fingers or vaporize you just by looking in your direction, the regular-guy (and girl) superheroes have it pretty tough. The ones who survive in this kind of world often have some combination of Olympic-level athleticism, intensive combat training, high-tech gadgets, and massive financial resources to bring to bear. They’re driven by tragic events from their childhood; they have an unshakeable resolve in their war on crime; they’ve trained for most of their lives to at least be the hero their city deserves (if not the hero it needs). Through hard work, constant vigilance, and fanatical determination, they stand at the peak of human potential, because in a superhuman world, they need to be the best of the best.

Then there’s Hawkeye.  When power-mad gods leading intergalactic armies threaten the Earth… he brings a bow and arrow.

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By Thom Yee

JLA images courtesy of DC Comics

Along with Warren Ellis’ Planetary, Brian Michael Bendis’ Powers and Mark Millar’s Ultimates, Grant Morrison’s JLA (short for Justice League of America) is not only one of my favourite comicbook runs of all time, but it really formed the spine of my personal literary sensibilities.  In terms of print on paper with few-to-no pictures, I read very few books, so it’s fortunate that comicbooks as strongly executed and high-concept as those four came along to help inform who I am (or at least who I claim to be).  Having grown up reading comics and magazines more than any traditional novels or literary works, I guess it’s an issue of attention span — I just can’t keep it going, it’s like there’s a wall made of nothing but text.  It really escapes me how anyone can plow their way through a significant amount of text, fiction or nonfiction, without pictures of some invulnerable flying man or a giant, green rage monster jumping out at you.

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