Synopsis / Summary / Plot
In Clint Barton's chronologically previous issue (way back in #15) the assassin Clown stabbed him and his brother Barney Barton with 2 of Clint's own arrows. Barney was seriously wounded but the villain only had time to stab Clint in both ears. Now Barney is in a wheelchair and Clint is deaf. And we learn that he was also temporarily deafened as a child and had to learn sign language and lip-reading. But dejected Clint now refuses to use those abilities.
Meanwhile the Tracksuit Dracula's ex-boss Ivan Banionis returns to the US. The TDs take him to meet the Clown who has a gun. Ivan thinks this is the end, but Clown hands the gun over and tells him to kill Hawkeye to get the apartment building back which stands in the way of a major development project.
Back at the apartment Clint is still being stubborn and refusing all help, refusing to even speak to anyone. The brothers go up to the roof, Clint having to drag the wheelchair and Barney up the stairs. Barney forces him to read his lips to remind him that he's deaf not mute. Clint finally responds by saying that "they took everything". Barney punches him in the jaw and says it's not over yet.
Clint remembers how his older brother used equal tough love after their father beat Clint again. He got Clint to fight back and advised him to learn to use everything as a weapon to hit with, and hit back until he makes them stop. Clint sign-protested that they couldn't make their father stop or go away. So Barney suggested they just *outlast* him. Now Barney tells Clint that he can get his lip-reading and signing skills back, and he can still do whatever he wants.
Later Barney is telling a 'bedtime story' to neighbour Simone's kids when Clint signs him to gather everybody on the rooftop in 5 minutes. He tells them that he's now deaf and needs to practice his sign language. So he'll sign the rest of his speech and Barney will translate for them. He presumably reminds them how the Draculas (and the businessmen and mobsters above them) want this apartment block (and all the surrounding buildings they already own) to tear down and build an up-market shopping mall, but Clint 'bought' the building from Ivan and now he and the other tenants are refusing to move. Now the bad guys are coming for them but Clint stirs his friends up to fight for their homes. And then Clint phones his ex-girlfriend Jessica Drew (Spider-Woman) for her help and that of the other Avengers.
While he was rallying the troops we saw images of the Barton brothers attacking Draculas and destroying their base and vehicles. I think this all happened before the speech because he tells Jess that they "went out and found a little trouble tonight" as a voiceover for part of that action.