Kate Bishop

Katherine Elizabeth Bishop — better known as Kate Bishop, the second Hawkeye — burst onto the scene in Young Avengers #1 (2005), a landmark debut that collectors have been chasing ever since. Created by writer Allan Heinberg and artist Jim Cheung, Kate stepped into the Marvel Universe not as a sidekick but as a fully realized hero in her own right. A wealthy, fiercely independent young woman with Olympic-level archery skills and a razor-sharp intellect, she claimed the Hawkeye mantle during a crisis that proved she had more than enough grit to carry it. The original Clint Barton was so impressed that he eventually endorsed her use of his name — one of the most meaningful passing of the torch moments in modern Marvel history.

Kate's journey through the Young Avengers is essential reading for any collector. The original Young Avengers run introduced her as the backbone of the team — the strategist, the conscience, and often the most competent person in the room. Her dynamic with the resurrected Clint Barton added rich tension to the 2012 Hawkeye ongoing series by Matt Fraction and David Aja, widely regarded as one of the greatest Marvel comics of the 2000s. Her Los Angeles-set solo chapters in that run gave her a distinct voice and set the stage for her eventual solo career. That Fraction/Aja Hawkeye series is a must-own for any serious modern Marvel collector, and Kate's issues are frequently cited as highlights.

Her solo series, launched in 2016 and again in 2021 following the success of the Disney+ Hawkeye series, cemented her status as a flagship Marvel character. The 2021 Kate Bishop: Hawkeye limited series and subsequent ongoing gave new collectors an accessible entry point while rewarding longtime fans with deep continuity nods. Her appearances across team books — from A-Force to the West Coast Avengers revival — mean her key issues are spread across a wide range of titles, making hunting down her complete collection a rewarding challenge for dedicated fans.

For collectors, Kate Bishop books represent some of the best value in the modern back-issue market. Her first appearance in Young Avengers #1 remains a high-demand bronze-age-style key in the modern era, with sharp copies commanding serious prices. The Fraction/Aja Hawkeye run continues to appreciate, and her growing multimedia presence only strengthens long-term demand. Whether you are building a complete Young Avengers run, hunting down her solo titles, or chasing variant covers from her solo series, Kate Bishop books belong in every serious Marvel collection.