(I originally read these comics in early/mid February 2016)
After reading Chuck Austen's run on Avengers, I took a brief diversion into Hawkeye's first ongoing series. It's a strange, low-key title by Fabian Nicieza that doesn't really fit into the concurrent Avengers continuity, nor that of the Thunderbolts, the team Clint Barton had been affiliated with immediately preceding it. Despite the covers, Clint doesn't even get into costume until issue # 4 and you get the impression it would have been later had they not seen the sales figures. The first arc is a complex tale of Clint coming to a stripper's aid and getting involved in a conspiracy that dates back to Vietnam. Interesting but flawed. The change of direction with issue # 7 (costumes, more traditional storytelling) proves forgettable and obviously came too late to save the title.
The slightly less short-lived 'New Invaders' title spun out of Austen's 'Once an Invader' crossover. John Walker (previously USAgent) as a second, slightly more hard-edged Captain America, leads a team comprised of Namor, the original Human Torch, the Blazing Skull, Union Jack, Spitfire and others in uninvolving adventures that might have benefited from my having greater knowledge of the bit players. They aren't aided by an unappealing art style that gives the impression of photographic models having been traced. I'm surprised it lasted ten issues. Obviously, the gratuitous Wolverine appearance in # 6 did nothing to help.
After that came a wordy and somewhat laborious Avengers/Thunderbolts mini from Kurt Busiek and Fabian Nicieza that is really more a Thunderbolts story and bridges the two volumes of their ongoing series. Again, I'd have benefited from greater knowledge of the Thunderbolts' then-status quo.
New Invaders (2004) # 1-9 are collected in:
Softcover:
Avengers/Thunderbolts (2004) # 1-6 are collected in:
Softcover:
