Ronin is back in Hawkeye: Freefall #1 - and this time it's not Clint Barton behind the mask. With Hawkeye himself fighting against NYC's criminal underbelly, a new Ronin makes their presence known. Clint must figure out who has taken his previous identity with the worst supervillains in New York gunning for them both.
Originally, the Ronin identity belonged to Maya Lopez aka Echo, a deaf vigilante as well as an ally to Daredevil. Clint Barton would actually be the second person to take the identity, adopting the costume shortly after he was brought back to life after the events of House of Life, though he would take up the mantle of Hawkeye once again. Since then, several other characters have donned the Ronin duds, including a Life Model Decoy of Red Guardian, and even Blade. But the new version is making far more trouble than any before.
The mini-series finds Hawkeye setting out to discover just who is behind the mask, only to find himself at odds with another infamous figure - the Hood. Apparently the new Ronin and the infamous criminal the Hood are engaged in a turf war, with Hawkeye caught in the middle. As the body count rises, Hawkeye is forced to make decisions that might put himself on the wrong side of the law. The mini-series will feature the impressive creative team of Matthew Rosenberg with art by Otto Schmidt. Ronin also made his big-screen debut in Avengers: Endgame, with Clint Barton taking on a darker identity after losing his family to Thanos' snap. As Ronin, Barton cut a bloody path through the criminal underworld before being confronted by the Black Widow after the remaining Avengers learned of his activities. Interestingly enough, Ronin seems to be waging a similar war on crime in Hawkeye: Freefall.
Check out the official preview pages for Hawkeye: Freefall #1 below, including what appears to be the new Ronin's soon-to-be-bloody debut:
The comic book comes after Ronin's Endgame appearance but before Hawkeye's own Disney+ series in 2021. Such a mini-series could potentially be used to give both Barton and potentially Ronin a new status quo, especially if Hawkeye is forced to cross lines his fellow Avengers disapprove of. It will also be interesting to see if Kate Bishop, Clint Barton's protege, will play any role in the series, though she was last seen living in Los Angeles. The mini-series could also raise the profile of the Hood, a once-prominent anti-hero-turned-supervillain in several major Marvel storylines. Interestingly enough, the Hood was supposedly killed by the Punisher, and his apparent resurrection could have something to do with why this new, mysterious Ronin wants him so badly.
Whatever the identity or motives of this new Ronin, Hawkeye will have plenty on his plate throughout this new series. Hawkeye: Freefall #1 goes on sale on January 1st.