Warning: contains a preview for Hawkeye: Kate Bishop #4!
Marvel’s Hawkeye needs help taking down her latest adversary, and Kate Bishop is calling on some former Young Avengers teammates to help. Kate has found herself surrounded by leagues of brainwashed country club ‘zombies’ that are hunting her down, and she can’t take them on her own. The former Young Avenger – who’s now operating on her own – has called upon her former teammates Cassie Lang and America Chavez for help on this major new problem.
In the preview for Hawkeye: Kate Bishop #4, by Marieke Nijkamp and Enid Balám, Kate has found herself on the bad side of an angry, brainwashed mob. After Kate arrived at the resort at the behest of her estranged older sister, Susan, to investigate other guests’ strange behavior, the guests became hostile, attacking her and destroying the resort in the process. With her sister being held by the Circus of Crime, a gimmicky criminal organization themed around circus performers, Hawkeye needs help. So, she puts in an urgent call for her former fellow Young Avengers, Cassie Lang and America Chavez, asking them to head for Bishop Manor, where a vault contains an item of incalculable power.
With America Chavez and Cassie Lang speeding in to have Kate’s back, it seems fans are finally getting a rare Young Avengers reunion. The three heroes have all served with the Young Avengers, and have remained friends since their departures from the team. Throughout the series, Kate has been shown texting the two, teasing readers with their appearance from the start. With Chavez and Lang both without their own current comic series, Hawkeye: Kate Bishop could be the perfect avenue to put all three heroes in the spotlight.
In the Marvel Cinematic Universe, the Young Avengers team seems to taking shape, with Lang and Bishop already being established characters and Chavez set to make her debut in Dr. Strange and the Multiverse of Madness later this year. But to comic fans, Chavez and Lang are major figures from Kate’s past, each having a unique relationship that hasn’t been explored nearly enough. Cassie Lang’s time as Stature marked the very early days of the Young Avengers, while America Chavez was with the team during the dark period when they were on the run from the interdimensional entity known as Mother. How each interacts with the other, and how their expectations influence Kate during a transitional period in her life, will be fascinating to see in this issue, especially with the stakes so high.
Young Avengers heroes appearing so freely in the Hawkeye series is a dream come true for many fans. Kate has truly struck out on her own in recent years, giving her a chance to shine outside of Clint Barton’s shadow, setting her up to be the star of her own team. While it’s yet to be seen whether Chavez and Lang will hang around in Hawkeye: Kate Bishop or just be there to congratulate her when the dust settles, longtime Young Avengers fans have the chance to get a reunion that’s sure to spark some amazing new character moments.
