Fraction has done a great job of setting the bar incredibly high for Hawkeye and, for the first time, he doesn’t reach it.

And the funny thing about it: it’s really not his fault.

Beginning a two issue arc that focuses on a tape that contains evidence of a certain Jeremy Renner-esq Avenger killing—or at least blinding—a few folks, Hawkeye #4 sends Clint Barton on an international mission to track down this tape and clean up his mess.

The good about this issue is that it strives to explore new ground plot-wise (at times, this feels like a spy story a la Skyfall). Th bad is that it tries to do this without David Aja.

Fill-in artists are fine, but when Hawkeye starts to look like Sea-lab 2021 there’s a problem. And it’s not just the look of the art, but it’s the choice of images, awkward paneling and—dare I say it—overall dull storytelling that hurts this issue.

Unfortunately, Hawkeye has become known not only for Fraction’s writing, but for Aja’s minimalistic, yet multi-layered, visuals, as well. Part of the joy of this comic IS Aja’s work, and when you take that factor out of it, it’s hard for this comic to feel the same—it also makes it tough to be a fill in artist.

Overall, though, Hawkeye #4 is a fun, adventurous start to an arc that is lonely for Aja’s visual flair and storytelling.