When it comes to weaving real life incidents into a comics storyline avoiding mawkishness and insensitivity is not easy and is the primary reason that many comics choose to base their books in fictitious cities or alternative timelines. However for a company like Marvel who pride themselves on their links to New York and the sense of realism it gives their stories then it means that when something as profound as Hurricane Sandy happens then they are almost duty bound to cover it, just as they did with 9/11 in 2001. However to get the tone right is not easy, reconciling the fantastic world of the Avengers with the real life heroics of everyday New Yorkers requires a subtle hand to avoid sensationalism and poor taste, but fortunately for Marvel they have an ace up their sleeve in Matt Fraction’s brilliant Hawkeye.

With it’s low key story telling and grounded setting, Hawkeye has fast become a jewel in the Marvel crown since its launch last summer. Mixing indie sensibilities, with a stylish graphical art style from regular artist David Aja and a snarky, hipster sense of humour it is worlds away from the other mainstream titles at the House of M and helps make Clint Barton into much more than ‘the guy from the Avengers without powers’. Focusing on the everyday life of Clint the Man rather than the extraordinary life of Hawkeye the Avenger, it allows Fraction to tell the kind of personal and more intimate stories that traditional Marvel books simply cannot. So for Hawkeye #7 this allowed Fraction, a former New Yorker himself, to throw out the continuity (such as it is), just as Sandy had disrupted so many others lives, and focus on a one off story which sees Clint Barton and his ‘ward’ Kate help out those affected by Sandy in New York and New Jersey.

Turned around on quick notice, the book dispenses with the usual David Aja artwork and for the first half of the book as he is replaced with the superb Steve Lieber who more than takes on the Aja’s multi-panel mantle. The story sees Barton helps his neighbour ‘Grills’ out of his apartment building, getting to know him better in the process. These are universal themes of sitcoms movies or tv dramas, but thanks to the Hawkeye book having such a grounded blue collar feel, this type of story feels absolutely in context for the book as a whole without feeling like the superheroes are talking down to them or being patronising. The second half sees new artist Jesse Hamm take over to tell the story of Kate helping out stranded hotel guests in New Jersey while foiling petty looters along the way – albeit with the help of a few local Jerseyites. – giving us a further glimpse into the real life heroics of people without super powers or state of the art weaponry who were the ones actually affected by Sandy. Her style is much looser than the very structured Lieber and gives the book a feminine perspective that again feels unlike the other Marvel books on the newsstand.

Although it features a very worthy cause, Fraction never loses sight of what made the book work in the first place though and keeps same pithy snarky tone, but without being insensitive or condescending. This makes it a damn good read, as it focuses on the positivity that comes out of the story rather than dwelling on the sadness or tragedy.

By focusing on the positives of communities coming together and uniting it makes the story work just as well as any superhero team up and help makes Hawkeye the new conscience of the Marvel universe – albeit reluctantly on Barton’s part – but that just makes for a more interesting and compelling read.

Hawkeye #7 is available on the ComiXology and Marvel Comics apps for £1.99/$2.99