David Aja, acclaimed artist of projects including The Seeds, The Immortal Iron Fist, and Hawkeye, has released a piece of stunning bi-tone art featuring Clint Barton in his classic Avengers costume. The piece was released by the artist on his Twitter account and depicts the superhero in the Hawkeye costume first depicted in Tales of Suspense #57 in 1964.
David Aja is a Spanish comic-book artist who has drawn for Marvel extensively. His popularity among Marvel readers received a massive spike first in 2006 when he teamed with the writers Ed Brubaker and Matt Fraction to create The Immortal Iron Fist. The series proved hugely popular and was nominated for the 2008 Eisner Award for Best Series. In 2012, David Aja re-teamed with Matt Fraction for a new Hawkeye series that instantly became a modern classic. Both Aja and Fraction won the 2014 Eisner award for best single issue/one-shot for Hawkeye #11’s ‘Pizza is My Business,’ which told its story from the point of view of Hawkeye’s dog Lucky. Aja also went on to win three Eisners for Best Cover Artist for his work on Hawkeye in 2013, 2014, and 2016.
Having helped define arguably the best depiction of Clint Barton to date in comic books, the piece of bi-tone art released by David Aja on his Twitter shows the artist returning to draw the character. The piece showcases Barton in his classic purple costume, first drawn by Don Heck in the story ‘Hawkeye, the Marksman!’ featured in Tales of Suspense #57 (though it’s since been updated in subtle ways.) In his post, Aja explains that a bi-tone is the practice of using only two colors that blend to form a third. In the case of Aja’s Hawkeye piece, he identifies the two colors he used as magenta and blue, blending to make the iconic purple of Clint Barton’s original costume.
This incredible piece of art serves to remind Marvel fans of the role David Aja played in defining the modern characterization of not only Clint Barton but also Kate Bishop. The recent release of the first footage of the upcoming Disney+ Hawkeye series confirmed that the show would be drawing heavily from Matt Fraction and David Aja’s time with the character. Iconic elements from the comic run such as Kate Bishop’s costume, the one-eyed dog Lucky, and the high-speed car-chase between the two Hawkeyes and the Tracksuit Draculas all feature in the footage. As the artist who rendered these visuals in the pages of the comics, it is exciting to see that Aja’s work will now help influence the MCU’s depictions of both Kate Bishop and Clint Barton going forward.
For Hawkeye fans eagerly awaiting the release of the Disney+ show, David Aja’s unmistakable artwork is a welcome reminder of the credit the artist is due for helping to define the visuals of the upcoming series.
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