hawkeye

If there’s one thing we’ve learned from our years on the Internet, it’s that there’s no aspect of comics that can’t be broken down and quantified in a single definitive list, preferably in amounts of five or ten. And since there’s no more definitive authority than ComicsAlliance, we’re taking it upon ourselves to compile Top Five lists of everything you could ever want to know about comics. This week we're counting down the top five face turns in comics, which doesn't mean times when someone turned their head to face another direction. It turns out it is some wrestling business where a bad guy turns good; that's what we're looking at. A surprising number of villains have become popular enough that fans want to see them as headliners, fighting crime in their own formerly villainous ways. This list takes a look at those whose changes have stuck the longest, have had the greatest influence, or who just generally feature in the best stories.

Welcome to Cast Party, the feature that imagines a world with even more live action comic book adaptations than we currently have, and comes up with arguably the best casting suggestions you’re ever going to find for the movies and shows we wish could exist. This week we're departing from the Marvel Cinematic Universe as we know it, to imagine a whole new Hawkeye. I've said it before, and I'm far from the only one: A Netflix series based on the Hawkeye book by Matt Fraction, David Aja, and Annie Wu (and Javier Pulido and a few other artists) would be amazing. But Marvel can't make it in their shared universe, because Jeremy Renner's probably not up for it (and he's wrong for this version of the character anyway), and because movie Hawkeye is a family man who lives in the country, not a New York loser who'd go to war over an apartment building.

Now that Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice has arrived in theaters, it’s time to start looking forward to another epic superhero battle. Captain America: Civil War hits theaters in just over a month, and though this international trailer features familiar scenes, it also offers some new footage, including a special moment between Black Widow and Hawkeye.

Up until Avengers: Age of Ultron, Jeremy Renner’s Hawkeye didn’t have a whole lot to do in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, making him something of an extraneous character. It’s unclear just how much of a part Hawkeye will have in Captain America: Civil War given the crowded slate of characters, but there is one place where Renner’s hero could take the spotlight: Netflix. Although Marvel currently has no plans to give their MCU stars a spinoff series, Renner says he’d be game to take Hawkeye to the small screen.

When they said Hawkeye and Ant-Man were both going to be in Captain America: Civil War, everyone in the world became Success Kid. By continually supporting the massive media juggernaut that is the Marvel Cinematic Universe, we'd arrived at the time when a live action version of the cover to Avengers #223 might actually happen. And then the most recent trailer arrived, and there it was; Hawkeye firing an arrow with a miniature Ant-Man saddled up for action like Slim Pickens.

Although cosplay has been present for decades within the comics, anime, and sci-fi/fantasy fandoms, social media has played an integral role in the thriving communities of costuming that exist, such as Cosplay.com and the Superhero Costuming Forum. Over the years, the cosplay community has evolved into a creative outlet for many fans to establish and showcase some impressive feats of homemade disguise, craftsmanship, and sartorial superheroics at conventions. In honor of the caped crusaders of the convention scene, ComicsAlliance has created Best Cosplay Ever (This Week), an ongoing collection of some of the most impeccable, creative, and clever costumes that we’ve discovered and assembled into a super-showcase of pure fan-devoted talent.

With the arrival of Captain America: Civil War comes a new wave of tie-in action figures, and Hasbro is making clear its looking to make right with all the Black Widow fans. While there were a few figures of the Soviet spy released in conjunction with Avengers: Age of Ultron, Black Widow was in high demand and short supply. Though we've yet to see just what Hasbro's full range of plans for Civil War include, the first sampling revealed ahead of Toy Fair offers a glimpse at a world where Black Widow is no longer lingering in the shadows. More than a dozen new figures were revealed by Hasbro today (via IGN), including the first ever Black Widow Titan Hero figure. The 12" figure line has predominantly been filled with male characters across Hasbro's Avengers, Spider-Man and Star Wars collections. You can technically count Captain Phasma as the first female to make that leap, but given her lack of defining features, the upcoming Rey 12" unveiled at NYCC last fall (and due this spring) is the one opening new opportunities for Marvel's scarlet-haired secret agent. Given that both have been the center of their own social media campaigns advocating for more female figures, that seems appropriate.

There's a new Marvel movie on the horizon, and with that will come a wealth of new action figures based on the successful cinematic universe. Tamashii Nations' SH Figuarts line has been home to a number of the Avengers over the years, but the new Captain America: Civil War line will mark the first time we'll be seeing any of the female heroes join the cast. We've gotten a few Captain Americas and Iron Mans, and a Thor, Hulk and Hulkbuster to boot, but so far Tamashii has been a little light on the ladies. Black Widow was actually teased and shown off in prototype form for the Age of Ultron set (as was Hawkeye), but here we are with no Black Widow (or Hawkeye) to show for it. Hopefully that changes with the upcoming Civil War line, which Tamashii is already hyping to include not just Black Widow, but also Agent 13 (Sharon Carter), as well as Black Panther, Hawkeye, Falcon, Vision, War Machine and Winter Soldier. Yeah, Iron Man and Captain America will be part of the new series, too, but haven't we seen enough of them? Let's celebrate all the these new guys and girls finally joining the fight.

This past weekend Hot Toys displayed a number of new products at the annual Toy Soul convention. While new Star Wars figures are nice and all, the real meat and potatoes was in the unveiling of the first Captain America: Civil War figures. These are the first new collectibles for the upcoming sequel that anyone has shown to this point, though only returning characters have been given the public spotlight so far. At least as far as the sixth-scale line is concerned. There were a few vinyl figures for some of the newcomers, but it would appear anyone holding out hope for the sixth-scale Black Panther or Agent 13 will have to wait until 2016 for a glimpse. Still, that we've been given a look into the future of Hot Toys' Marvel Cinematic Universe plans this early is exciting. Typically these sorts of tie-in figures are kept under wraps until the last possible moment. That nine have been revealed already certainly doesn't bode well for anyone hoping to grab a complete set, especially considering the characters that aren't included so far, and that Iron Man likely changes armor at least seven times in this film. So that's another dozen figures right there. Probably.

The 2016 Lego catalog is out, and with it come some surprise reveals for upcoming sets based in the Marvel universe. Just like the 2015 catalog revealing a bit about Avengers: Age of Ultron, Lego's latest teasers show a great deal of what to expect from the upcoming cinematic adventure, Captain America: Civil War. These sets are not to be confused with the other recently announced Marvel Super Hero sets, which included the first ever Captain Marvel and Thanos mini figures, though those are also due out in early 2016 and do make an appearance in the catalog. While there have been countless Lego sets based on the Marvel movies (and countless others) that haven't panned out with an exact 1:1 representation to the movie, the Avengers: Age of Ultron sets were fairly spot on. That's what makes these new Civil War sets so interesting. Each shares at least a little bit in common with some of the teasers and trailers we've seen so far, though there are still some surprises that should make Marvel fans excited if they do work out.