The Stonechat Museum: A Hawkman Blog

Hawkman Confirmed for Justice League!

2011-06-27T21:00:00.007-04:00

Early yesterday, the excellent DC fan blog, DC Women Kicking Ass, ran a story featuring a brand new image of the Justice League team to be featured come September's relaunch. The image was soon picked up by several other sites, although not including this one, I'm sorry to say. In addition to the seven already-revealed members, the image adds eight others, one more than the long-rumored total of fourteen. And as I suspected myself earlier this month, Hawkman can now indeed be confirmed as being counted amongst their ranks!

While this news itself isn't exactly surprising, it is nevertheless extremely exciting for Hawk-fans. Hawkman hasn't been highlighted as a member of the Justice League in any incarnation--neither the team, nor the character himself, for that matter--for just about fifteen years now. With The Savage Hawkman also scheduled to debut alongside Justice League in September, this could be just the kind of push that will help to further elevate Hawkman's status in the minds of a lot of readers, both old and new alike.

Upon closer analysis of the picture, it may be encouraging to some Hawk-fans to see that Hawkman's cowl isn't at all that drastically different from what we're used to seeing in the past. In fact, it doesn't appear to be any different, really. From nearly the very beginning, however, I assumed that the solicited image plugging The Savage Hawkman #1 may not have been a definitive look at how Hawkman would be interpreted by DC's entire stable of artists, and the above image would seem to confirm as much. There do appear to still be some minor alterations to his traditional headgear, namely the more dramatic "ridges," if I may, located primarily on the top portion of his cowl, but all in all, I'd say these are very subtle tweaks at best. It looks good, if I do say so myself.

Now if we could just get an image of Hawkgirl already. Not that I ever expected to see her as a member of this new Justice League, mind you, but a sneak-peek at Hawkgirl is nevertheless the one big reveal that I'm still waiting for with regards to this relaunch. Unfortunately, though, unlike the Justice League's freshly revealed full lineup, I don't expect we'll be seeing anything featuring Hawkgirl until after September has come and gone. But that won't keep me from keeping my ear held closely to the ground in the meantime!

First Good Look at Flashpoint's Hawkgirl

2011-06-22T16:24:00.006-04:00

I remained silently disappointed when Hawkgirl was nowhere to be seen in the debut issue of Flashpoint: Wonder Woman and the Furies last week, despite a cover image implying the contrary. Her omission was somewhat made up for this week, however, in the form Flashpoint: Lois Lane and the Resistance #1. Okay, so Hawkgirl's appearance is relegated to a nonspeaking part on the final page of the issue, but hey, something is better than nothing, right?

You can click the above image for the full page, but be warned that it does contain a relatively minor spoiler, which I also allude to a little later in this entry.

Hawkgirl certainly doesn't look very pleased here, but that could be because Lois was secretly documenting the Amazon's treatment of the their prisoners and was in the midst of trying to escape. Just a hunch.

As for Hawkgirl's appearance, it's obviously different from the one featured on the cover of Wonder Woman and the Furies #1. Who knows which one is an error and which one is official, but the color scheme represented in this issue is nevertheless reminiscent of Hawkworld's Shayera's original outfit, not that I believe that means anything. All in all, I think I prefer her look here, although aside from the colors, it's really not that drastic of an alteration from what Hawkgirl was last seen wearing throughout the course of Brightest Day.

What's more interesting, though, is who she's paired up with on that last page. Hawkgirl with a famed temperamental Amazon archer clad in green? That doesn't seem like an inspired team-up to me at all. Seriously, if it's actually played up, it could be one of the more interesting new dynamics that this temporary alternate DC Universe has to offer. Time will tell, I suppose.

On a side note before I go, for those of you wondering, Hawkman was not featured in this week's Brightest Day Aftermath: The Search for Swamp Thing #1. I haven't read the issue yet, so no idea if he's even mentioned, but if he is, I imagine it would be a throwaway line at best. Maybe next month.

Hawkman Omnibus Availabe for Pre-Order

2011-06-20T20:44:00.007-04:00

While it's not coming to store shelves until March 13 of next year, the Hawkman Omnibus by Geoff Johns, James Robinson, Rags Morales, and Michael Bair is nevertheless now available through Amazon and other fine online retailers for pre-order. It actually has been for about a month now, but I've neglected to mention it here.

At a relatively short 320 pages in length, the exact issues this omnibus will collect have not yet been detailed, but my best guess would be #1-12, plus the Secret Files & Origins one-shot. #12 ends on a relative cliffhanger, but it also concludes the arc that was building up to that point, so it seems like a decent enough place to round out a first volume as any. Although ending it here would not quite reach the combined content of the first two Hawkman trade paperbacks currently available (Vol. 2 concludes with #14), I honestly don't know how DC can squeeze any more issues into this thing at the presently listed page count.

If 320 pages is all we're getting, however, then let's keep our fingers crossed that that proposed "Volume One" on the cover shown above isn't just for show. With the non-ending of #12, should my guess at the contents of this omnibus be right, I would hope a second volume is already in the early production phases, so new readers aren't left wondering over the fate of Hawkgirl for long. Of course, we can always hope for the slim chance of more pages being solicited later on, and if that should happen, get your pre-orders in early, folks, lest the price go up with the page count.

As for the run being offered here: who knows if these entries in the Hawkman mythos will carry as much weight as they presently do past September, but Johns' (as well as Palmiotti and Gray's) run on the last volume of Hawkman featured some darn entertaining storytelling any which way you slice it. I've been itching to buy an omnibus for some time now, and this is the perfect excuse for me to finally take the plunge. Though I already own these stories in both floppy and TPB form, I expect the oversized format and glossy pages of this omnibus edition to completely blow me away.

I don't know about any of you, but for me, March can't come fast enough! Order your copy of the Hawkman Omnibus today! (Note: DC did not pay me to write those last two sentences, but if they'd like to, I can supply an address to which the checks can be sent.)

Happy Father's Day, Hawk-Fans!

2011-06-19T02:10:00.005-04:00

Hawkman's a father, too, you know, so this post is darn well relevant! Sure, maybe Hawkman wasn't always around to rear the young lad like he should have been, and there probably aren't too many dads out there who are at risk of being confused for their own children's siblings, but he's a father all the same. Although, considering how much Carter Hall was shown to mourn at the death of his son Hector (ie, not at all), it's easy to forget that the Winged Wonder has, or rather had offspring of his own once upon a time. But I suppose if I had been shunted off to limbo for some years, during which time my deceased son had returned to the mortal plane in a different body with different birth parents, our relationship might be somewhat strained, as well. Okay, I need to stop writing about this now, because I'm starting to go cross-eyed.

Regardless, happy Father's Day to all you Hawk-fans out there blessed enough to have some Silver Scarabs- or Dr. Fates-in-making of your own! I'm sure in their eyes, you're even more heroic than Hawkman himself!

Tony Daniel on Hawkman's Rogues

2011-06-19T01:25:00.003-04:00

As if on cue from my entry here on Friday concerning Hawkman's most notorious villains, The Savage Hawkman writer Tony Daniel updated his Tumblr page yesterday, with no small portion of his message to the fans concerning the foes of the Winged Wonder. Here's the relevant bits:

As for Hawkman, I’m already plotting out the second story arc. My main goal is building Carter Hall’s ‘world.’ His friends, his foes, his life. The one thing missing in Hawkman’s long, convoluted past is a great rogues gallery to choose from. There are only one or two of his past foes that, right now, I can see myself using. And they’d be upgraded, tweaked to stand out more and be a bit more modern, cooler. Hawkman has no Lex Luthor or Joker (some will say Hath Set, but I don’t see myself using him). I’m hoping that one villain that I’m introducing early will develop into exactly that. An evil ‘equal.’ Anyway — that’s a tall order, creating new characters and villains that will ‘stick.’ Though it’s very challenging, it’s very rewarding seeing these new elements come to life through Philip Tan’s artwork. Hope we can start giving people glimpses in the coming month.

He has my best wishes in getting some of these villains to "stick," as he puts it, and I look forward to reading and maybe even seeing more of them in the weeks and months ahead. I'm also glad to hear up front that Mr. Daniel seems open to using at least a couple of Hawkman's existing foes in the foreseeable future. I just hope these proposed "tweaks" that he's suggested won't be quite as dramatic as some of the other upcoming costume alterations we've recently glimpsed...

As for the rest of his message, I think it's becoming more and more apparent that the post-Flashpoint Hawmkan isn't going to be your father's Carter Hall, and perhaps not even your slightly older brother's. While Bob Harras and Eddie Berganza have been quick to point out that much of the current DCU's continuity will in fact remain intact even after September, I'm personally gearing up for Hawkman's history to receive quite a bit of streamlining all its own. Maybe I'm reading too much into it, but quotes like "building Carter Hall's 'world'" leave me with the distinct impression that this is going to be a whole new beginning for the character on multiple levels.

But who really knows at this point? Guess we'll just have to wait and see, like always. In the meantime, any seemingly insignificant scrap of The Savage Hawkman information I can gather to overanalyze will surely be presented right here on this blog for you all to enjoy today, and mock come September when all my theories are proven to be embarrassingly, horribly incorrect.

Ten Notable Hawkman Villains for the DCnU

2011-06-17T00:08:00.006-04:00

With Tony Daniel's talk in his recent interview with CBR about Hawkman's villains, it got me to thinking: just who are some of Hawkman's most notable rogues, anyway? And more importantly, of them, which ones would I like to see make the transition to the post-Flashpoint DCU? Below, I've compiled just such a list, limiting myself to just ten, and in some cases, detailing how I'd like to see these characters make the jump from old to new again. So without further ado, let the list begin!

Byth:
Whether a petty criminal in it for the thrill or a psychopathic murderer and despot out for power, the shape-shifting Byth is one of Hawkman's most notorious villains, despite his relatively few appearances throughout the years. Nevertheless, he's always been one of my favorites, and I would hope to see him receive a bigger spotlight amongst Hawkman's rogues in the DCnU.

Fadeaway Man:
A Silver Age original, Anton Lamont received a facelift in Hawkman Vol. 4 and proved how devious a guy with a magical teleporting cloak and a fair amount of whit can really be. The absolute antithesis of a savage brute, Lamont offers a uniquely calculating challenge to the Hawks, while also demonstrating that a good villain only needs one simple but effective power and the intellect to use it properly in order to be extremely dangerous.

Gentleman Ghost:
This sometimes friend, sometimes foe is one of Hawkman's two most famous villains. Originally characterized as a mysterious outlaw only tangentially related to the Hawks at best, he gained a firmer link to their eternal story of love and death in the last volume Hawkman. More of a master of torment than a physical threat, the Gentleman Ghost is too anomalous of a villain to lose, not just to Hawkman, but to the greater DC Universe.

Headhunter:
Though making his first appearance rather recently, and a brief one at that, Headhunter as a concept makes a perfect foil for Carter Hall. Taking a page out of Highlander, the Headhunter gains the power and knowledge from the, well, heads collected from those he kills. And who has more knowledge than a guy who's lived a thousand lives? It's a simple theme of opposing forces that's just begging to be further explored.

Lion-Man:
Edward Dawson is just an unlucky guy. Or maybe he's extremely lucky, depending on your point of view. Regardless of Silver Age or Modern Age, Dawson's story of transformation remains the same: the guy touched an alien meteor, and the mystical energy it contained turned him into the ferocious were-cat Lion-Mane. One of Hawkman's more physically powerful opponents, I appreciate the simple but effective threat he poses for our hero. Great look, too.

The Manhawks:
Perhaps slightly on the campy side originally, there nevertheless was always something macabre about giant alien birds wearing Michael Myers-like masks. Take into account the twisted, mutated revamps Justin Gray and Jimmy Palmiotti crafted for an idea of a more contemporary look, and you've got modern monsters in a superhero setting. Plus, if handled right, they could serve as a legion of foes for Hawkman to contend with, perhaps not unlike an alien League of Shadows, even.

Matter Master:
Another Silver Ager, Matter Master's just goofy, and I love the guy for it. A scientist with alchemic aspirations, before Geoff Johns, Mark Mandrill just didn't have the stomach for doing anything wilder beyond encasing the Hawks in diamond. And with a "magic" wand capable of turning one element into another, I say play up the guy's scruples rather than turn him into a cold-blooded villain. A criminal with a conscience using his talents for his own gain while earnestly trying to avoid harming the innocent: I quite like the dichotomy it might present for Hawkman when facing him in combat, myself.

Satana:
A blast from Carter Hall's past, Satana has always held an unnatural affinity towards animals. That obsession was taken up a notch in 2004 under the pen of Gray and Palmiotti, however, when Satana became an outright mad scientist, bent on creating her very own homemade chimeras. One part Lex Luthor, one part Joker, throw in a pinch of the sexy and twisted nature of Poison Ivy for good measure, and Satana is a collection of all things nasty when it comes to super villains of the fairer sex.

Shadow-Thief:
Bar none, Hawkman's most recognizable foil. While originally characterized as a petty thief bent on nothing but his own gain, Carl Sands is now regarded as somewhat of the ultimate ninja assassin for higher. Like Fadeaway Man, Thief's talents at first seem limited at best, but the simplicity of his power belies the diversity of his actual arsenal. One of the most original villains in all of comic books, Hawkman would be a little less interesting without Shadow-Thief to stand against.

Vandal Savage:
While not exclusively a Hawkman villain per se, Vandal Savage was nevertheless depicted as one in the 1993 Hawkman series. Ironically, however, Savage matches up far better against Carter Hall, with one schtick (immortality) complimenting the other (reincarnation) almost perfectly. Hawkman and Savage's bouts should be legendary, not just for their fisticuffs, but also for their banter: each of Vandal's historical boasts of conquest should be effectively shot down by the equally learned Carter based on his own experiences from the same time frame.

And there you have it. The top ten villains I hope to see still fighting Hawkman in the new and (hopefully) improved DCU come September. A couple of notable exceptions, I'm sure many of you no doubt feel. I'll address the most glaring one before I go: Hath-Set. Quite frankly, I'm just bored with the guy, folks. Not only that, I'm bored with the theme that he's invariably tied to in order for him to be considered a relevant Hawkman villain, and for that, his absence makes the Hawks stronger rather than weaker in my view.

Regardless, Hawkman's rogues are far more plentiful and varied than I think most readers give them credit for. And while I love the idea of some new costumed criminals entering the Hawkman foray soon, I just hope none of them are introduced at the permanent expense of some of his most noteworthy old-time rivals. After all, you just can't beat the classics.

Tony Daniel Interview at CBR

2011-06-13T17:04:00.006-04:00

The full version of which you can read here. For the relevant Hawkman bits, however, read on:

Your other major assignment when everything relaunches in September is "The Savage Hawkman." Did you pitch to get this series or did DC come to you?

I was approached by DC. They had a vision for it and thought that I could bring those elements to the table. I am very excited about this book. It is very different from writing Batman. But that's great. It allows me to spread my wings, if you'll pardon the pun.

The copy for the first issue reads very much like an origin story. Is that the case? And if so, was it necessary to do an origin due to the character's long, and sometimes convoluted, backstory?

It's not an origin story, but the approach is, as if we're meeting this guy for the first time. He's already Hawkman. He's already lost the love of his life. It took me several months to work through his initial arc. It was very, very hard work. He's setting up new roots in NYC. I'm establishing a supporting cast of characters. Some are human, some are more than human. Some friend, some foe. I didn't feel I had the luxury of a great rogues gallery, such as the likes of The Flash or Batman. I need to make challenges for Carter Hall/Hawkman from the ground up.

My first priority was to introduce a character who will eventually be his nemesis. His arch-enemy. I'm very excited about that.

You mentioned he's already lost the love of his life. So may I ask, what role, if any, does Shiera Saunders/Hawkgirl/Hawkwoman play in this series?

For now I can't say a whole lot. People will have to wait and see how things develop this fall.

As an artist yourself, can you break down the strengths of Philip Tan? As the book's writer, what do you feel he brings as a collaborator?
I'm very excited about Philip Tan's incredible artwork. People are about to have their socks knocked off when they see what this kid is doing. He's come of age here. Philip has been dying to do a Hawkman book for a long time. He has so much built up energy and excitement for this book. He's worked many, many hours working on character designs, layouts, cover ideas and that was way before he even had a finished script.

The passion he has is definitely translating onto the page. He's doing a great inkwash technique that is mind blowing. So he brings a lot to the table as an artist. This is important to him and he's working his butt off with the art. I'm happy I have him as my artist.

What else can you tell us about "The Savage Hawkman" as it appears much more Indiana Jones in style than the gritty Bat-books you're known for?

Maybe a bit more Sherlock Holmes, the Robert Downey Jr. version, than Indy, but some of that too. Plus some savage beatdowns. It's going to be very exciting. Lots of adventure. Lots of fun characters being introduced.

So we should take note of the word "Savage" in the title?

He'll be savage when he needs to be, which could be a lot.

So Hawkman will be a pre-established hero in the DCnU, but we'll be "meeting him for the first time," apparently. From this, it sounds as if Hawkman's continuity could go either way post-Flashpoint. Assuming his search for Shiera in the upcoming Search for Swamp Thing series ends fruitlessly, then such an outcome would obviously coincide with his loss of the "love of his life." Still, my money's on an entirely new spin on the old themes for Hawkman. With all of the continuity quirks that have plagued him over the past two decades, now is just too ripe of an opportunity for me to imagine DC passing up wiping away all of his "radioactivity" in one fell swoop once and for all. To only go halfway with this reinterpretation, though, would likely create more problems than solutions, as Hawkworld so aptly proved way back when.

As for what Daniel has to say in regards to Hawkman himself, there's some things I hear that I like and some that I don't. His approach to the characters seems sound; I like the Sherlock Holmes comparison, for instance, and his response to the whole "savage" theme sounds right on the money to me.

I also appreciate that he'll be building up a diverse supporting cast for Carter from the ground up. Much as I liked Johns' last run with the character, I never really grew any sort of an affinity for the supporting cast he created for Hawkman. And though I'd like to see characters like Commissioner George Emmett and Mavis Trent again, I tend to favor the idea of Mr. Daniel not feeling compelled to write Hawkman's supporting cast in a preordained manner of any kind for this relaunch. With a completely original cast with which to work, Daniel will be able to cut loose from a creative standpoint, and we as readers can look forward to learning new things about these new characters as time progresses, as well as watch as their relationships with one another continue to develop.

Mr. Daniel's approach to Hawkman's rogues, however, I'm not sure how to take. On one hand, I'm glad it appears that Carter's going to be getting some new baddies to combat. Spider-Man recently went through the same thing, and while none of these new villains are as intriguing as any of Spider-Man's original foes, I think the character is better for them in the end. But let's not forget that Hawkman does have some pretty darn nifty rogues of his own already, Shadow Thief chief among them. I've always been rather fond of Byth, Lion-Mane, and Matter Master too, though, so hopefully they'll pop up again some day as well. Regardless, while I'm looking forward to some fresh blood, hopefully these classic Hawkman rogues aren't lost completely for the introduction of Daniel's proposed new ones.

So there it is, an interview from Tony Daniel talking about his upcoming run on The Savage Hawkman. But while he gave several answers in regards to the new series, I'm left with more questions now than I was going in!

And What of Hawkgirl?

2011-06-12T23:42:00.002-04:00

We all know that Hawkman will be a part of the so-called "DCnU." And with Hawkman already announced as having a role in this newly revamped universe, there are certainly expectations for other characters coming along for the ride, namely one red-headed vixen occasionally dubbed the Aeriel Amazon. As if the title of this entry wasn't a big enough clue, I'm of course talking about Hawkgirl.

Till now, no official word has been given on whether or not Hawkgirl will be appearing in the DCnU, with The Savage Hawkman writer Tony Daniel's only response on the matter being a cryptic, "Sorry - I can't reveal that just yet!" given on his Tumblr page. But is anyone really worried? Honestly? Hawkgirl is, after all, easily one of DC's top five most iconic superheroines. Moreover, though, Hawkman without Hawkgirl (or vice versa, for that matter) would be like peanut butter without jelly; Hall without Oats; pizza without anchovies... okay, maybe not that last one, but you get the point.

Hawkman and Hawkgirl are DC's premiere "superpower" couple, if not the superpower couple of the publisher. For that, I think it's a safe bet that Hawkgirl will indeed be showing up in the DCnU, and sooner rather than later, at that. The question remains, however: how will she show up? Which Hawkgirl are we going to be getting in this braver and bolder new DC Universe that's soon to arrive? Ah, that's where my blog comes in handy, my friends! Because here, I have no shortage of space with which to ponder the matter!

To start, Hawkgirl's character (and I'll be using "Hawkgirl" as opposed to "Hawkwoman" for the duration of this entry, for the sake of consistency), regardless of who exactly is under the cowl, should be pretty easy to nail. As a general rule, every incarnation of the character has been just as capable of holding her own as her male counterpart, and in some cases, even more so. As tough as she is when it comes to a brawl, though, Hawkgirl's abilities in a fight should have no bearing whatsoever on her femininity and sexuality outside of one; it didn't for Shiera, Shayera, or Kendra, after all. Moreover, though, Hawkgirl should be the yin to Hawkman's yang. And while this role has historically meant Hawkgirl would be there to temper Hawkman's more volatile tendencies at times, the dichotomy nevertheless endured Hawkworld, too, wherein Shayera was often the one to go off half-cocked as opposed to Katar. Oh, and of course, whoever the future Hawkgirl may turn out to be, she just wouldn't be the same without her trademarked flowing red locks.

When it comes to the character herself, though; how exactly Hawkgirl should be presented and what her backstory is, there is no shortage of possibilities to consider. Obviously, the simplest route for Mr. Daniel to take would be to merely repackage what's come before. We already know that Hawkman is going to be Carter Hall, and while that name was once shared by Katar Hol as his human moniker of sorts, I'm going to go out on a rather short limb and presume we'll be seeing a Hawkman in the DCnU that shares more in common with the Golden and Modern Age version of the character than he does with his Silver Age counterpart.

In that vein then, one could expect the fated lovers routine to endure as well. If Carter turns out to be a reincarnated Egyptian prince as most readers probably suspect he will, then why not reintroduce Shiera in a similar fashion once again, too? It's simple, it makes relative sense (in terms of comic books, anyway), and it's been proven over the last decade to be a more or less winning formula for the characters.

The other option, however, is a far more intriguing one, in my opinion, and it's a pairing that I've been hoping to see come to fruition since Shayera Thal guest-starred in Hawkman (Vol.4) #14, a hope which was unfortunately dashed by her unceremonious death in The Rann-Thanagar War. That is, putting together the reincarnated Earthling with the tough-as-nails police officer from Thanagar. This, in and of itself, creates a whole new dynamic to the Hawkman/Hawkgirl relationship for future writers of the characters to explore, while simultaneously giving those same creators a way to quickly reintroduce to the DCnU the varying and disparate elements that have helped to shape the Hawkman mythos over the past seven decades. Some alterations would have to be made to facilitate this scenario, of course, but I feel the majority would only help to make the involved characters stronger in the end.

To start, if indeed the reincarnation theme is adopted for the DCnU Hawkman as I suspect it will be, I see no reason why it couldn't be adapted with Shayera's presence in lieu of Shiera's. The only real difference here would be that instead of Khufu and Chay-Ara finding each other again amongst the entire inhabitants of Earth, they find one another amongst the inhabitants of all the cosmos! If anything, this relatively minor alteration arguably takes the romantic, against-all-odds angle of the reincarnation theme up a notch. And it wouldn't be the first time the two concepts--Thanagarian and reincarnated lovers--have been amalgamated into one. Though the liberties taken in the Justice League Unlimited animated series went a bit too far for my taste, they were nevertheless indicative that the idea isn't exactly an altogether absurd one to consider coming to fruition.

Taking a queue from the series pictured above, though, it would be nice if perhaps one, or even both of the Hawks weren't so quick to accept their supposed fates. While the reincarnation theme belonging to Carter Hall has always been an integral part of his origin since the beginning, it was only really played up for his contemporary adventures during the last volume of Hawkman. And of the individual parts making up this theme, the fated-to-love-and-die routine was of a particular focus, almost to the point of tedium by the time Brightest Day concluded.

Going off on a tangent for a moment, and I don't want to speak for anyone else, but I always preferred that Katar and Shayera just happened to be a loving couple. It wasn't something that was ingrained into their beings, nor was it was something that had to be because destiny ordained it as such. Rather, that was just the way it was: Hawkman loves Hawkgirl. That's all the more there was to it, and in a lot of ways, it made their relationship that much more enviable and iconic.

Nevertheless, regardless of whether their relationship is dictated by fate or not, Shayera making the transition to the DCnU over Shiera would introduce an interesting dynamic to the characters, where the romance between these two beings from literally worlds apart would really have to develop gradually, as opposed to being spontaneously established. Watching the Hawks grow a mutual respect, admiration, and eventually, romantic feelings towards one another as the series progressed would create no small shortage of story possibilities for any writer taking on the characters. Though Hawkman and Hawkgirl being together had long been a staple of comic books at the time, watching Katar and Shayera slowly develop a relationship in the pages of Hawkworld was easily my favorite part of that particular series, and I would enjoy watching a similar relationship build between the Hawkman and Hawkgirl of the DCnU as well.

In addition to the way in which their romance might develop, I also see several benefits to incorporating Shayera into DC's revamped universe over Shiera. It's one thing to tie Carter to Thanagar by way of having him use their precious Nth metal as the catalyst for his abilities. Having Shayera around, however, directly links the Hawks to the alien planet, along with all of the material and characters that comes out of it. Thanagarian technology for the Watchtower, you say? Hawkgirl can get us access to that; she knows people. How's that Thanagarian shape-shifter Byth connected to Hawkman again? Oh, that's right, Shayera tracked him down on Earth after he fled from their native planet. When one of the two Winged Wonders hails from Thanagar directly, it facilitates an integral connection to the alien planet itself, as opposed to a mere tangential one. And with so much Hawkman lore originating in the Silver Age, Shayera's reintroduction to the DCnU would make it impossibly easier on any creator to reintroduce many of the Silver Age characters and concepts right alongside her.

But is any of this mixing and matching that I'm proposing even possible? Aside from the precedent set in JLU, all we really have to go on is a brief solicit for The Savage Hawkman, which doesn't even mention Hawkgirl, right? Maybe not. This line of the solicit in particular has intrigued me from the start:

Carter Hall’s skill at deciphering lost languages has led him to a job with an archeologist who specializes in alien ruins – but will the doctor’s latest discovery spread an alien plague through New York City?

So an ambiguously titled "archeologist" and "doctor" who specializes in alien ruins, huh? I've assumed from the very beginning that this archeologist will turn out to be none other than Hawkgirl, but if I'm right about that, then given the above information, wouldn't it almost make more sense for it to be Shayera under the mask this time around rather than Shiera? With a specialty in alien ruins, perhaps she was sent to Earth long ago by Thanagar to scout out the locale and has been moonlighting as an archeologist ever since, utilizing her Thanagarian education in the process. Seems like a plausible hypothesis to me, anyway.

Clearly, my stance on this matter is apparent by now. Speculation, though, is all any of us really have when it comes to the specifics, and my theories could be as off or on the mark as anyone else's when all is said and done. Ultimately, we don't know much right now other than there will be a Hawkgirl in the DCnU. I can say that much at least without any fear of being proven wrong come September. And while DC may not have shown or mentioned her yet, and Tony Daniel has abstained entirely from commenting on the matter, the Hawkgirl character is simply too important to the DC Universe to leave out of this relaunch altogether. How she'll come into play; who she'll be and what her personality might be like are the only questions that remain. And while I hope some if not all of my theories presented here today do indeed manage to come to fruition, that there will be a Hawkgirl in the future DC Universe is enough for me to take solace in for the time being. In the meantime, the anticipation over her inevitable debut is killing me!

Custom Hawkman Bust by Troyboy

2011-06-10T16:18:00.008-04:00

I stumbled across this one months ago and have been meaning to share it with all of you for some time now.

Over on the superhero statue enthusiasts message board, Statue Marvels, an artist and poster calling himself simply "troyboy" skillfully crafted this one-of-a-kind Hawkman bust for a private party. Click the image below to get a better idea of the quality of this thing.

I don't know about any of you, but I've been waiting for an updated Hawkman bust for years now. Don't get me wrong; the mini-bust sold by DC Direct years ago, sculpted by Tim Bruckner, was a worthy addition to my shelf, but an updated sculpt to reflect the more modern take on Hawkman's look would be a nice piece to set on display, too. And while she's gone now, I've always regretted the fact that I don't have something more appropriate to sit next to the Adam Hughes-inspired Kendra Saunders as Hawkgirl mini-bust. Something like what troyboy has masterfully created above would have certainly fit that bill.

I suppose it's somewhat irrelevant now, given the inevitable evolution to Hawkman's appearance coming in September, but quality is quality, and if nothing else, I would hope that in the future DC Direct would consider troyboy's Hawkman bust here for inspiration of any official product they may produce in the future. Not only is this bust itself well crafted, but troyboy managed to capture the essence and theme of Hawkman quite succinctly, what with the pyramid base and the intimidating scowl across Hawkman's face. Heck, why take any chances at all, DC Direct? Just cut out the middle man and higher this talented artist to create a new Hawkman bust for you himself! Sounds good to me, anyway!

For more on the developmental process troyboy painstakingly endured to bring this wonderful sculpture to life, you can read his posts at Statue Marvels concerning the project here and here. Or, if you're just interested in seeing more pics of the piece as it went through the various stages of creation, click the links I've included below. Enjoy!

Additional Pictures: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9.

Hawkman: #56 on IGN's Top 100 List

2011-06-08T16:41:00.010-04:00

A few weeks ago, entertainment website IGN compiled a list of, in their estimation, the "Top 100 Comic Book Heroes." And with so many heroes in the medium out there these days, it came as somewhat of a surprise to this Hawkman fan that the Pinioned Paladin himself not only made their list, but managed to score the 56th spot on it. Not too shabby, if I do say so myself.

Unfortunately, however, I can't say the same for IGN's commentators. Here's an excerpt from their summation of the character, the full details of which you can read by clicking here:

Warning: do not make fun of this man for looking like Prince Adam with a bird fetish. He will bash your face in without question. That’s the best part of Hawkman: his incredibly short fuse. Hawkman is one of the few Justice League members that will spill a lot of blood in the name of what’s right, hero code be damned!

All right. Not too bad, given the space in which they had to sum all of the characters up, I suppose. However, the commentary becomes that much more distressing when viewing the video compilation of this list. Jump ahead to around the 1:40 mark for the pertinent Hawkman references:

"One of the worst costumes in the DC Universe"? Are you kidding me? Are we even looking at the same character here? I don't know about any of my fellow Hawk-fans out there, but I know for me, one of the biggest draws, if not the biggest to the Hawkman character when I was a youngster was his appearance. And in my opinion, it's still one of the most iconic looks in all of comic books today. Those majestic wings; that intimidating cowl; his signature use of a medieval mace. Honestly, what's not to love?

As for the comments made in regards to Hawkman's temper, I can't really say I blame these two gentlemen for buying into that particular caricature. After all, for the last few years, it would seem that the majority of the creators at DC Comics who have featured the character prominently in one of their stories have done more to unfortunately further cement Hawkman as a one-note, unhinged barbarian than they have to showcase the varying degrees of depth that the character really has. The Hawkman I know, however, is just as cultured and thoughtful in a quiet moment as he is volatile and potent on a battlefield. In fact, this dichotomy of the character plays no small role in why Hawkman is #1 on my list of "Top 100 Comic Book Heroes."

Still, when all is said and done, I can't really complain. #56 out of 100 isn't a bad spot to be placed at at all, especially when, as implied in the above video, Hawkman's most prominent appearances as of late have featured him dying and coming back to life within the span of a few short issues. Hopefully, The Savage Hawkman will give fans new and old alike something else to get excited about for the character, and, adjective in that title not withstanding, perhaps again give us a regular look into the softer side of one Carter Hall. If that indeed happens, then maybe the next time IGN compiles their list of "Top 100 Comic Book Heroes," Hawkman's place on it will be a little bit closer to the top. Fingers crossed, anyway.

We're All Hawk-Fans Now

2011-06-06T20:33:00.006-04:00

DC's impending relaunch is still about three months off, but already there seems to be a lot of trepidation shared amongst numerous fans of the DC Universe at large and its popular stable of heroes and villains. And who could blame them, really? After all, this looks to be a big alteration of the DCU we presently know, and with everyone having their favorite characters and storylines, one can easily understand how the thought of "losing" those things would be troubling to some. And of these understandably wary fans, there are more than a few who happen to be loyal followers of Hawkman.

So far, I've seen two subsets of the above group: the Hawk-fans who are upset at the mere thought of losing the Carter Hall they've come to know and love over the past twenty or so years, and the Hawk-fans who are in somewhat of a state of denial, refusing to believe that the "Savage" Hawkman is going to be shedding the last twenty years of his collective history all at once. With this entry, I hope to allay the fears of the former group, and convince the latter that if things don't play out as you believe they will, it's not something to be dismayed over, but rather to look forward to. Likewise, I'll also attempt to further excite the already enthused fans out there, new and old alike, for what I believe are an inevitable host of upcoming changes to the Hawkman character come September. Let's get on with it then, shall we?

When Carter Hall was first brought back to the DC Universe in 2001, I was happy, but not without a little resentment of my own at the time, I admit. To that point, I had always preferred the original Katar and Shayera Hol as my Hawkman and Hawkwoman, respectively. With Hawkman returning to the DCU after experiencing a five-year hiatus from appearing in continuity in any form, I was at once happy to have a character whose exploits I could closely follow, but also saddened by the notion that I was probably never going to see the Katar and Shayera I knew flying high in the DCU ever again. Nevertheless, I was willing to give the writers at DC a chance, because at the end of the day, I came to the conclusion that any Hawkman stories were better than the none I had up to that point been previously receiving.

And, boy, am I ever glad I gave them that chance. The Hawkman that Geoff Johns, David Goyer, and James Robinson reintroduced to the DCU starred in some of the most enjoyable tales featuring the character that I have ever had the good pleasure of reading. The love story between Carter and Kendra, though it admittedly grew a bit tired for me by the end, was nonetheless an early hook for the character that had me on pins and needles from month to month, just itching to read the next issue. That was no less true for Hawkman than it was for JSA at the time, doubling my enthusiasm for Wednesdays back then. Throw in regular excursions to mystical places on Earth, as well as occasionally blasting off to Thanagar, team-ups with characters like Green Arrow and the Atom, and introducing new and intriguing villains like the Headhunter, and this was precisely the type of storytelling I had come to expect over the years when picking up a book starring the Winged Wonder.

This reintroduction was not, however, without its fair share complications and detractors. Certain elements of continuity that had been folded into Carter and Shiera's backstories dating back to John Ostrander's ongoing Hawkworld series still didn't mesh as well as one would have likely hoped for at the time of their conception. Continuity band-aids like Fel Andar and Sharon Parker remain a source of needless head-scratching for many passive followers of Hawkman, while many classic Silver Age tales now attributed to Carter and Shiera are best left ignored completely in order to fit in with today's continuity. But perhaps worst of all, though the character of Katar Hol as many knew him prior to 1989 has been absent from the DCU-proper for over twenty years now, contention nevertheless remains among many Hawkman fans over which version DC Comics and its creators should be utilizing, with retcons attempting to resolve the situation usually only succeeding in further entrenching the two camps in their respective stances on the matter.

So how do you repair this damage? Not only is Hawkman perceived as a walking continuity error in many circles, but he also has a noticeable schism existing amongst his limited fanbase, a portion of which would no doubt claim the aforementioned sentiment shared by some is entirely overblown to begin with. Granted, it's not nearly as wide of a schism separating the once-infamous Hal Jordan and Kyle Rayner factions, but with a fanbase as relatively small as Hawkman's is, any schism at all is a detriment to the character's overall appeal and marketability, and having camps of Carter Hall fans in one corner regularly pitted against fans of Katar Hol in the other has never served Hawkman well in my estimation, even after all this time.

Proposals have been made over the years, of course; compromises struck; continuity tweaks suggested; and in the case of Jim Starlin's 2008 Hawkman Special, full-on retcons even outright attempted. All have been met with nothing more than varying levels of ridicule and praise, however, pleasing one group while simultaneously frustrating the other. It would seem to prove, as Abraham Lincoln and Bill Cosby alike once suggested, that the key to failure is trying to please everyone. And occasionally, as hard as it may be for some to accept, when you're lost on a winding path, sometimes the only solution to finding your way again is to go back to the beginning. That's what I believe this relaunch is for Hawkman: a new beginning, not just for the character, but for we as his fans, as well.

Gail Simone recently began a new column for the website Comics Alliance. You can read her article in full here if you're interested, but suffice it to say, it's Gail in all her contagiously enthusiastic glory describing why she's overall excited for the upcoming DC relaunch, though not without a few reservations of her own over the whole issue. As it pertains to this blog, however, Gail expounded further on her comments found at the above article in a thread started by yours truly over at CBR, using none other than Hawkman himself as her example. Here's an excerpt from her post, made late last evening:

Okay, I used to love Hawkman, he was one of my favorites, and I loved his origin. Right now, I have zero idea who Hawkman is, and I WORK AT DC. I mean, I could refresh my memory, I know some brilliant people wrote the book, but there are eight versions of that dude and they contradict each other and he's had a couple different sidekicks and decades of rust and, well, at some point, it's hard to SEE Hawkman any more under all of that.

We have to face facts as Hawk-fans. The truth is, whether you or I agree with Gail's above comments or not, she's not the only one who feels this way. As a matter of fact, I would actually be more inclined to argue that her attitude is, unfortunately, probably shared by the majority of comic book fans when it comes to Hawkman. He's been through a lot, and we love him for it, and even in spite of it in some instances. But a time has come, I think, where the baggage which has followed the character around for two decades needs to be shed, and with a massive DC relaunch coming our way in September, now is a better time than any for it to actually happen.

I urge everyone to think of the positives instead of dwelling on the negatives here, because in my view, the former far outnumber the latter. With a wholly new DCU on the way, Hawkman can't be singled out by critics as having been retconned "yet again," resulting in a declaration that his history is even more convoluted than it supposedly was before. More to the point, his continuity will no longer be able to be held up as an excuse by those who would claim they would otherwise be interested in Hawkman. Most of all, though, now is our chance as longtime Hawk-fans to come together and get really enthused for the character's future, and to stop squabbling over who the supposed "real" Hawkman is. Come September, Hawkman will be Hawkman, no further debate over the matter necessary. It's a new era, and it's our chance to be collectively excited about it.

As for the old? It need not be forgotten. I'm not going to make the claim that all of those old back-issues featuring "your" Hawkman are still there for you to enjoy as consolation for this relaunch, because I understand that the cut of losing a character close to one's heart goes deeper than that. Believe me, I know it all too well. What I can offer, however, is my shared confidence that we'll all be satisfied in the long run, because once again, I believe I speak from experience on that matter, as well.

Once upon a time, I became a fan of a character named Katar Hol. He's been gone from the pages of today's comic books for a while now, but his legacy endured through Carter Hall, and for that, so, too, did my fondness for Hawkman. Because for me, it's not the name or origin that made me a fan; it's the diverse and myriad elements all coming together that did. Close ties to a planet called Thanagar; an equal partnership and unbreakable bond shared with a woman named Hawkgirl; museum curator by day, scourge of the alien and the underworld alike by night; a wealth of historical knowledge, and a master of ancient weaponry. That, to me, is Hawkman in a nutshell.

The Savage Hawkman stands to take all of these defining character elements and repackage them in a new and fresh series, bringing Hawkman to the masses in a such a way that will not, and indeed cannot be bogged down by the mistakes of the past. Whose Hawkman will it be that we get come September, then? If it's done right, then I'm of the opinion that the only the possible answer will be, "Our Hawkman." After all, we're all Hawk-fans now.

The Rumored Hawkman Film

2011-06-04T16:12:00.008-04:00

Amidst all the clamor this week over DC Comic's upcoming relaunch--and, more specifically in the case of this blog, over Hawkman's relaunch--a bit of Hawkman news seemingly at first far removed from these developments has been lost in the shuffle here at The Stonechat Museum. While I am pretty late to the party on addressing the rumors swirling around a potential Hawkman film, I feel I would be remiss to not comment on them at all, especially now. More on the specific reasons pertaining to my newly revised mindset in a moment.

For those who haven't heard about this yet, of whom I'm sure there are few, you can read the full details here, courtesy of MTV.com. Here's the log-line of the film as quoted from the above linked article:

Part INDIANA JONES/DA VINCI CODE, part GHOST tentpole about the fictional superhero that appears in D.C. Comic books. He used archaic weaponry and large, artificial wings attached to a harness made of the Nth metal that allows flight. Most incarnations of Hawkman work closely with a partner/romantic interest named Hawkgirl or Hawkwoman in his fight against supervillains. Based on the DC comic.

This isn't the first time we've heard rumblings about a potential Hawkman motion picture being in the works. In late 2009, a similar report was made on more than one entertainment and film website, with even the same Indiana Jones and Da Vinci Code comparisons being made in those articles. For that reason, this newest "bombshell" didn't at all rock my world, and, in fact, I was left feeling rather unimpressed by it overall. Movies languish in the pre-developmental phases all the time, after all. Why should a Hawkman movie be any different? However, given the news of this week from the publishing side of things, I'm starting to let myself experience growing feelings of anticipation for a Hawkman film getting off the ground, so to speak (that won't be my last pun, by the way), in the not-too-distant future. Here's why:

It seems fairly apparent that Warner Brothers are taking a more active role in the properties hitherto left, for the most part, to DC Comics' exclusive control, and I believe the upcoming September relaunch is a reflection of this new outlook of the film and television conglomerate. And with a near-total overhaul of the DC Universe about to go into effect, what better time is there to start hitting audiences with a slew of new movies based on the legendary comic book publisher's brand of popular superheroes? With Hawkman and others set to get a big push in just three short months by DC Comics, I believe that the odds of every character, including Hawkman, under DC's banner getting a film adaptation just soared (see, I did it again) to new heights. And that makes me a very happy and hopeful Hawk-fan.

What exactly might such a film entail, though? How would Warner Brothers even approach a property with a history as relatively long and storied as Hawkman's is? While some would use the terms "convoluted" and "radioactive" to refer to Hawkman's past in the comics, I believe such traits are actually beneficial to any potential movie-in-the-making based on the character. Such a twisting and turning publication history as Hawkman's creates no shortage of liberties that can be taken for a film, and I have to think that the suits in Hollywood value that element of the character far more than they abhor it.

That said, obviously there are two very distinct and separate paths the producers could go down for any sort of film adaptation of the character. The first, and probably more likely at this point, given the details we have to go on, is of course the Ancient Egyptian-themed Hawks, reincarnated as both soul-bound lovers and tough-as-nails superheroes. Save Hawkgirl's formal introduction for the sequel, and you've already got a hook to get audiences into the theatre again two summers down the road. The second possibility, and perhaps equally as obvious as the first, is the Thanagarian police officers angle, sent to Earth on the trail of an escaped criminal from their homeworld.

Both have their pluses and minuses, and each has no shortage of source material from which to mine for inspiration, be it Tim Truman's Hawkworld or Geoff Johns' run on Hawkman Vol. 4. Moreover, both leave plenty of room for sequels past their initial origin stories. But if there's one thing I know Hollywood adores even more than the prospect of earning additional money through sequels, it's a love story, and the Hawks, no matter which version you prefer, have that ingrained into their origins in spades already. No tweaking necessary here, Rachel Dawes.

As for that exclusive Hawkman look making the move to the big screen, the mere idea of which I often see excoriated by film and comic book fans alike: I don't foresee a problem with it in the slightest. As Gatharion, a lifelong Hawkman fan and visitor of this site so aptly pointed out on DC's official message boards, when contemporary films like Legion and Max Payne have pulled off the winged-warrior look so well (albeit in lieu of pretty much everything else), there's no reason that a Hawkman motion picture couldn't work from a purely aesthetic perspective, and even outright impress audiences with its imagery alone. Gone are the days of Flash Gordon's Hawkmen with their campy nylon wings. This is the age of Avatar, after all; if Hollywood can make an elongated Smurf appear believable and attractive to general audience, then I see no reason why they can't translate a figure as illustratively imposing as Hawkman has historically been in comic books to the silver screen without incident.

All the pieces for the next epic superhero film are there already, just waiting to be utilized: an unlikely hero; a unique backstory; a multi-faceted love interest; an unparallelled look; and plenty of room for follow-up adventures past the initial installment. What remains to be seen, however, is how fiscally viable a Hawkman film might actually be. With Green Lantern set to debut in a little less than two weeks now, though, both Hollywood and the comic book-loving public will have a much better idea to go off of soon. In the meantime, all we as Hawk-fans can do is dream of the day that we might see a Hawkman movie finally take flight. (Third time's the charm! Good night, everybody!)

A Word from the Man Himself

2011-06-03T23:46:00.007-04:00

This morning on his official blog, The Savage Hawkman writer Tony Daniel gave a brief reaction to the news yesterday that he and artist Philip Tan will be the creators behind the Winged Wonder's new comic book series. His post is as follows:

It has been announced today that I am writing a brand new Hawkman series titled "The Savage Hawkman" from DC Comics with Philip Tan who is handling the illustration duties. This has been several months in the making and I am proud to be a part of such an important character in the DCU. I won't go into specifics here but there'll be plenty of possibilities with Carter Hall in what will hopefully be a long and exciting run. The first four issues are completely written and Philip is already half done with the art on the first issue. This cover by Philip is only the tip of the iceberg. Wait until you see his interiors. We'll see you in September.

It's encouraging to hear that Mr. Daniel is already so far in on the series, and that Mr. Tan appears to be making progress so soon on the art chores is good news as well. The last thing I want to have happen at this point is a delay of some kind. Never mind it being bad for the book, I don't think I could take the added suspense!

But the news doesn't end there, folks. In response to the praise he thereafter received in the comments section, Mr. Daniel had this to add:

Thanks! I really think people will like it. I worked VERY hard on the first arc, which I already wrapped up. It took a long time for me to establish Carter's new life in NYC. The Nth metal has a few surprises in store for Hawkman and his new readers alike.

Interesting. So not only will Hawkman's first adventure in the new DCU likely take place in New York City, but it appears he'll be stationed there as well from now on. Sounds like DC really is going back to form on this one. And in addition to the Hawkman character, it also sounds as if the Nth metal that we've become familiar with over the past several years is going to receive a few alterations all its own.

He continues further:

And Philip is doing a new style of art -- people will be completely blown away by what they see from him. He has far exceeded my expectations as an artist and I can honestly say he was born to draw Hawkman.

And I thought that cover image was impressive! That's some high-praise for Philip Tan's art, though, coming from Tony Daniel himself, a man no stranger to the craft of the printed page. Now I'm really curious to view Mr. Tan's rendition of Hawkman past the cover.

Base of operations notwithstanding, I think it's safe to assume at this point that this definitely isn't your father's Carter "Hawkman" Hall we're going to be getting in September, that's all I can say. The excitement is nevertheless building, though, and I'm becoming increasingly anxious to see more on the creative direction DC and Tony Daniel alike have planned for the character. Just one thing I hope doesn't change, though: the name of Carter's workplace. Otherwise, I might be in need of a new name for this blog...

Ahem. Regardless, if you like what you've read and seen thus far, stop on over at Tony Daniel's blog and give him a great big thumbs-up. And if you're concerned about this new take, let him know that, too. Either way, I'm sure he'd be thrilled to hear from some of us Hawk-fans on the matter firsthand!

A Further Idea of What to Expect, Perhaps?

2011-06-03T15:55:00.004-04:00

Yesterday, as you all know by now, we got our first peek at the "all-new" Savage Hawkman, as drawn by Philip Tan. Hawkman isn't the only one getting an updated design for the upcoming September relaunch of many of DC's classic comic books and characters, however, and the man chiefly responsible for all of these redesigns is said to be none other than DC Comics co-publisher and artist extraordinaire Jim Lee.

Mr. Lee's works, however, haven't been limited strictly to comic books lately, what with him having an intimate involvement in the development process of the online video game DC Universe Online for the past several years. Which got me to thinking: could Lee have perhaps been honing his skills for the upcoming revamp of the DCU while working on this game? Thinking back to the poster included with the Collector's Edition of DC Universe Online, I soon realized that such was a likely possibility, at least in the case of Hawkman, anyway. Have a look and decide for yourself.

While there are still numerous differences between the so-called "Savage" version of Hawkman and the one pictured above, with the latter obviously sharing an appearance more in line with the current version of Hawkman, I do nevertheless think the design of the helmet is strikingly similar to what we're going to be getting come September. Perhaps, too, the above image can give us a good idea of how other artists outside of Philip Tan (and perhaps even Mr. Tan himself within the pages of The Savage Hawkman) might approach the character's new look.

It should be interesting to see if in the future Mr. Lee lends any credence to this theory of mine. In addition to his art being renowned, so, too, is his inability to keep a deadline. The thought that Lee might have been multitasking while working on DC Universe Online over the past several years is not a far fetched one at all, in my estimation.

Regardless, I can honestly say I was struck by this take on Hawkman's helmet when I first viewed it several months ago. If the entire ensemble we're to see in September is presented in as subtle a manner as the helmet pictured in the above image is, then I can honestly say I'm now very much looking forward to witnessing the whole shebang in action on the printed page.

Hawkman to be Featured in Justice League?

2011-06-02T20:25:00.006-04:00

Earlier this week, we finally got confirmation of the long-rumored news that Justice League would be relaunching in September with the explosively creative force of Geoff Johns and Jim Lee behind it. Not long thereafter, we were given our first glimpse of this new team, pictured below.

Exciting as this news is on its own, however, it wasn't until today that I noticed something in the image above that had previously been overlooked by me, as well as I suspect many others out there. What's that, you say? Why, an unusual, albeit clearly discernible artifact creeping into the image over Aquaman's right arm, not only hinting that we're not seeing the full lineup depicted on what could potentially be a wraparound cover here, but that one of these hidden-from-view members is none other than Hawkman himself. Have a look for yourself and decide.

Personally, I'm hoping my eyes aren't playing tricks on me with this one. I've been hoping to see Hawkman featured as a member of DC's flagship team title since it's 2006 relaunch, and now would obviously be the perfect chance to bring the Winged Wonder into the group's fold once again. Moreover, though, the confirmed roster as it presently stands seems a bit sparse in my view, and I believe it could benefit from a few more members to help further keep the team dynamic interesting. Throwing Hawkman in as one of those characters to mix things up is akin to icing on the cake for lifelong this fan.

Nothing's for certain yet, however, that's for sure. Like so much of the news swirling around the DCU this week, I think it's safest now to just wait and see what happens next before getting our hopes up too high, a mantra not unfamiliar to followers of this blog, I'm sure. But that certainly doesn't preclude me from keeping my fingers crossed in meantime.

The Savage Hawkman

2011-06-02T15:53:00.003-04:00

Earlier today at DC's official blog, The Source, we were given our first glimpse of Hawkman's new look after the September "reboot" goes into full effect, seen above in a cover image drawn by artist Philip Tan. Dubbed The Savage Hawkman, here's how DC has solicited the new upcoming series:

Batman writer Tony Daniel will team up with artist Philip Tan (GREEN LANTERN: AGENT ORANGE, THE OUTSIDERS) for THE SAVAGE HAWKMAN #1. Carter Hall’s skill at deciphering lost languages has led him to a job with an archeologist who specializes in alien ruins – but will the doctor’s latest discovery spread an alien plague through New York City? No matter the personal cost, Carter Hall must don his cowl and wings and become the new, savage Hawkman to survive. The cover to issue #1 is by Philip Tan.

Pretty interesting. So DC is definitely going with Carter Hall, albeit apparently not without a few tweaks to the Carter Hall that we're all so familiar with. With an "alien plague" in the mix, too, though, I'm going to go out on a limb for the time being and assume Thanagar is going to play a part in this whole Hawkman revamp right from the start as well.

As for this archeologist who specializes in alien ruins? My money's on it being Shiera Sanders. Originally introduced as a reporter in the Golden Age, I can picture DC wanting to separate her from Lois Lane in this regard. Plus, giving her her own unique niche in the archeological field to further differentiate her from Carter will make her that much more useful in expeditions beyond merely being an extra set of hands in a fistfight. They'll each have their own unique specialty this way: Carter with languages and ancient writings, and Shiera with identifying alien technology and culture. But I could be way, way off in assuming it's even Shiera that they're talking about here; just my take on how it might play out.

It's interesting to note, too, that James Robinson, who's long been rumored to be penning a new Hawkman series with artist Philip Tan, is not at all attached to this project. Did things change, or was Mr. Robinson never really involved to begin with? I guess we'll probably never know. I can't say I'm either overjoyed or upset by this development, but I will say that Tony Daniel can go either way for me. Regardless, I'll be interested to see how he approaches this new take on the character.

Getting to Hawkman's "updated" look: I like it. Very savage, but not so much so as to be overbearing. I think it's worth noting that they've gone with a darker color on the wings, most likely taking a page from how the character appeared on Smallville. The helmet is a serviceable alteration, true enough to the old motif as to not offend me, but altered enough to give him an edgier appearance from a single glance. I think I could do without the chinstrap, however.

Nevertheless, I like that there's a uniformity seemingly going on here, with every armored piece of the outfit--from his helmet to his boots--being rendered rather aggressively, although I don't know how crazy I am about that shoulder guard. That said, though, I think certain pieces of Hawkman's costume will probably come and go as the storyline dictates, not too dissimilar from how the character currently operates: sometimes he has a chain-mail arm guard and combat boots, and sometimes he doesn't. I believe the same will likely apply here.

Finally, the weapons, which I find to be the most interesting aspect of the illustration. They almost look organic, reminding me a bit of the bone-weapons utilized by the X-Men character Marrow. I rather like them myself, and I'm hoping that there's an actual thematic reason behind why they appear as they do beyond being aesthetically intriguing. My only gripe is that he's wielding an axe instead of a mace! I'm sorry, DC, but the mace is to Hawkman as the Batarang is to Batman. You've got to have him wielding his calling card for the debut cover!

Either way, though, color me excited! I'm very much looking forward to this relaunch of the DCU, and I'm stoked that we're getting as much information as we are already. I'm sure there's going to be a lull here soon, but for the time being, this is a very encouraging time to be a Hawkman fan, and I think a DC fan in general.

More on this as time passes, I assure you. I've got a lot to say on the matter, but unfortunately not nearly as much time to write it all out.

I'm Back! (Again!)

2011-06-02T01:51:00.002-04:00

As you might be able to tell from the site's redesign, I've been quietly planning this for a couple of months now. I didn't want to "officially" announce anything, though, until I was absolutely positive that I was going to be able to keep up with all the relative work that maintaining a blog of any sort entails, and today, I am. There are a few things I feel like I need to make clear up front, though.

First, in order for me to run this blog long-term without any further interruptions, I'm going to have to keep it closer to the bottom of my list of priorities than I once did. That means I may not be able to update it as frequently as I'd like to, particularly when it comes to completely original articles and "Personal Musings," as I call them. I'm going to try extremely hard to have at least two updates a week, however, and if I know ahead of time that won't be possible, I'll be sure to let you all know.

These updates will range from anything between weekly reviews, to my extensive thoughts on certain contemporary relevant Hawkman-related topics, to looking back at old material for varying reasons. Anything goes, and while I might not spend as much time writing here as I'd like to, I'm nevertheless going to try to update the site regularly, because hey, why else bother having it in the first place, right?

Second, as you can see I've added some new paint to the site as a whole. Aside from mere aesthetics, I'm also going to do monthly polls now, for starters, site traffic permitting it's a worthwhile endeavor, at least. Scroll down the page, and you'll see this month's poll, relating to the blog's new look. If you've got an idea for something that you'd like to see polled in the future, just leave a comment on any article for one, and I'll gladly consider it. We've also got the "Picture of the Week," starting with Renae De Liz's beautiful portrayal of Kendra Saunders as Hawkgirl (which will remain up until next Sunday). Again, if there's a piece of Hawkman art you're familiar with that you'd like to see featured, just go ahead and leave a comment, and I'll be happy to showcase it sometime down the road. And if you're a talented artist with an original piece you'd like to share with your fellow Hawk-fans, by all means, send it my way!

Finally, as for the look of the site itself, please don't hesitate to tell me what you think. Be brutally honest, too. I designed the site on a monitor with a 1440x900 screen resolution, but I've also gone out of my way to see how it works on smaller, as well as bigger screens, and I've yet to see any real problems crop up. If you have one, though, let me know, or even if you just think the design is too "busy" in general. I really want to hear how you guys and girls feel about it. However, don't badmouth my graphical links, darn it! I probably spent more time on getting those just right than anything else. If you think they're too big, though, or something along those lines, that can easily be corrected.

There you have it. Are you sick of me yet? I sort of feel like Brett Favre to be completely honest with you. I'm in, I'm out, I'm in, I'm out. Hopefully, no more of that going forward from here. So tell your friends: The Stonechat Museum is once more open for business!

Hanging Up My Wings...

2010-04-13T23:30:00.007-04:00

Well, folks, I've got some bad news. I'm afraid this is the end of the road for this blog and me. When I started up The Stonechat Museum a little over a year ago, I was in a different place in my life. At that time, it was my goal to not only create a news and information resource for existing Hawkman fans, but to also hopefully draw in new fans by expressing my own love and enthusiasm for the character on a regular basis. And while that "love and enthusiasm" part continues to endure, sadly for me, that "regular basis" bit has gone out the window in recent months.

Silly as it may sound, shutting down this site is not a decision I reached with ease. It was my hope when I came back to it about a month ago that I would be able to make time for it. But sometimes in life, in order to pursue our passions and dreams, we have to give up on certain things that we also love, but, in the grand scheme of things, simply aren't as important. And as much as it pains me to say it, The Stonechat Museum falls into that latter category.

In retrospect, if nothing else, I think I chose a good time to create this blog. The build-up to Blackest Night was an exciting time for Hawkman fans, and with the wake of the Hawkman Special still in the comic book waters of continuity at the time, there was no shortage of material for me to mine concerning Hawkman's often confusing past and how it should best be handled moving forward. And when Wednesday Comics came around, I was thrilled, not only because Hawkman had his own strip in the series for me to enjoy, but also because I knew I'd have at least one article to look forward to writing for those next twelve weeks. It was really a blast, and I hope you had as much fun reading those entries as I did writing them.

At the very least, now also seems like a good time to take a final bow. With Brightest Day set to debut tomorrow, I've reached the unfortunate conclusion that I no longer have the time to properly devote myself to such weekly, or in this case, bi-weekly reviews any longer, and doing it halfway simply wouldn't be fair to either you or myself. The good news, however, is I think DC has reached a good consensus on who Hawkman is and how he should be properly handled moving forward from here. In fact, with Hawkgirl again at his side, I feel like Hawkman is finally headed in the direction I've longed to see him go in since he first returned ten years ago. That's a stark contrast from where Hawkman was when Blackest Night initially got underway, and I'm glad I was able to document that journey, extended absence of mine notwithstanding. What's more, though, with Hawkman playing what looks to be a prominent role in such a high-profile series as Brightest Day will surely be, there's no doubt that he'll get far more exposure than he's received in a very long time, and that's great news all the way around.

On that point, I realize we've sort of come full circle. Though this blog had absolutely nothing to do with Hawkman's triumphant return, I feel The Stonechat Museum nevertheless did its job of giving Hawkman fans a sanctuary to go to during a dark year for the character, while also perhaps stirring some interest in those who had otherwise never given Hawkman a second look. And though I would like nothing better than to reflect on and write in detail about Hawkman's exploits-to-come, that there will be exploits-to-come is more than enough for me as compensation. Blog to muse on or not, I'm as excited now as I've ever been for Hawkman's future in the DCU, and I would hope the majority of people who've visited this site in the past have an equally optimistic outlook.

Which brings me to you, the people who are actually bothering to read this (in addition to the many that came before) long-winded entry of mine. I honestly can't express how humbled and grateful I am that you folks--and I know you're out there--took the time to follow this blog, and in some instances, even drop a comment or two. When I first started up The Stonechat Museum, I expected my brother and maybe a handful of others in my personal life would check it out from time to time, and most likely rib me for it. That still happened, actually, but that other Hawkman fans found the site and took the time to read my modest little thoughts on the character is something that came as a very pleasant surprise to me, and I can't thank you all enough for your interest. It really makes shutting down the site that much harder, because after all the encouragement your interest has given me through the months, I feel like I'm letting all of you down, and I'm truly sorry for that.

It's not necessarily goodbye, though. Time permitting, I still plan to be around on the message boards I regularly peruse, and should I stumble across a nugget of Hawkman information others might have somehow managed to overlook... well, this is the Internet; there are ways to spread the word without having your own blog. I might not be around as often as I once was, but I'm too big of a Hawkman fan to stay away from the debates surrounding the character completely. And for those of you disheartened by the lack of a regularly updated Hawkman retreat on the Internet for you to visit every now and again, let me direct you to Being Carter Hall. It's a Hawkman blog written from a fairly different perspective than this one was, but it's actually been around longer than The Stonechat Museum has, and Luke does a fine job of keeping it equal parts entertaining and informative.

So I guess that about covers it. Again, thanks, everyone. For your interest, for your comments, but most of all, for being fellow Hawkman fans. We might not always agree on everything, but if there's one thing I've learned from my experience maintaining this blog, it's that Hawkman has some of the best, most passionate fans in all of comics, and I'm proud to count myself among them. That's a great consolation to think on as I conclude this final entry, because while The Stonechat Museum will soon be no more, I know its end will have no effect whatsoever on the enduring legacy of Hawkman. Our fondness for the character and the depth he was imbued with by his creators for future writers to explore is more than enough to ensure Hawkman will live on well beyond our lifetimes. With Brightest Day just mere hours away, though, I'm optimistic that we'll be seeing The Winged Wonders, Hawkman and Hawkgirl, flying high in the DCU sooner rather than later.

And that's certainly one note I don't mind going out on.

Smallville Finale To Feature Hawkman

2010-04-10T20:14:00.005-04:00

According to MTV's comic book related news site, Splash Page, Hawkman (played by Michael Shanks) will be returning for Smallville's season nine finale. As before, the Winged Wonder won't be appearing alone on the show, this time swinging his mace not only alongside Stargirl (Britt Irvin) once more, but also Black Canary (Alaina Huffman) and Cyborg (Lee Thompson Young) as well. Definitely not the most conventional group of heroes I've ever seen assembled, but it should be no less interesting to see what sort of group dynamics result from their coming together.

While I'm not much of a Smallville fan these days, I am nevertheless now looking forward to this upcoming episode, for obvious reasons. When it was first announced last year that Hawkman would be appearing on Smallville, I couldn't believe my ears. And though the finished product--"Absolute Justice"--wasn't everything I would have hoped for, it was still a respectable enough portrayal, I thought. With a second appearance for the character now a guarantee, I'm optimistic that Hawkman will have an even stronger showing this time around, which, with any luck, will only increase his stock amongst mainstream audiences. Any publicity is good publicity, right? Yeah, I can hear the Aquaman fans begging to differ, too.

Who knows, though? Maybe I'll get to see Hawkman soaring high on the big screen in my lifetime, after all...

What To Wear? Re: Hawkgirl's Costume

2010-04-09T23:41:00.007-04:00

As I'm sure everyone's aware of by now (and if you're not, then I'm about to blow a huge spoiler for you), Shiera is in and Kendra is out, the latter relegated to little more than a small part of the former's vast collection of memories now. And while most fans seem more than satisfied with that outcome from Blackest Night #8, I have nevertheless already seen a number of complaints across the Internet regarding a certain aspect of Shiera's return. Namely, her outfit. If you're drawing a blank, you can catch a glimpse for comparison's sake in my previous entries here and here.

Now that we're all on the same page, I'd first like to say that I'm fine with what Ivan Reis presumably came up with. I was a great fan of Kendra's outfit, believing it retained enough of the classic elements to still render her recognizable as Hawkgirl in a single, brief panel, yet at the same time managing to be different enough to distinguish her as her own new character. What Shiera's getup as it appears in Blackest Night #8 seems to be trying to do is balance those updated elements--primarily the half-shirt and wrapped forearms of Kendra's--with the more iconic look of the Silver Age--a solid yellow blouse and Shayera's infamous Thanagarian earrings--while also throwing in some new elements all its own in the way of a formal wing harness. Overall, I like it. I'm not thrilled with it, but I'm willing to give it a few more issues and a few more artists' interpretations to wow me.

That being said, should the powers-that-be at DC feel it's just not working for one reason or another, then I'd like to direct them to one of my favorite artists in the medium today, Joe Bennett, and his rendition of Shiera Hall's costume from Hawkman Vol. 4, #43:

Pretty spiffy, huh? I had all but forgotten this look, too, but as my hurried slog through all of my Hawkman back-issues continues in preparation of Brightest Day, I was delighted to have stumbled across this fantastic image again earlier tonight. Much in the same way Hawkman's Silver Age look was retained but still made contemporary upon his return, I think Bennett successfully captured that same magic here. I especially like the miniature Hawk-symbol adorning her breast, as opposed to her belt buckle as it occasionally did in the Silver Age. And that's when it hit me: This wasn't the first time I'd seen this outfit.

Obviously, as you can see to your right, Joe Bennett drew his inspiration largely from Alan Davis' depiction of Shayera Hol in the 1999 Justice League of America elseworlds mini-series, The Nail. The key differences that I can spot are the lack of gloves and arm bands, plus a more traditional comic booky belt in place of the functional leather one given to Shiera in the depiction above. The more subtle differences would include the noticeable seams and added heft of Shiera's top, almost lending it a padded look akin to Kendra's, and a darker hue given to her leggings, matching that of Carter's. But this isn't Project Runway, and now I'm just splitting hairs.

My key point is that if, for whatever reason, DC decides to try a different outfit for Hawkgirl in the coming weeks and months, then I think this is a viable answer. It looks great, does enough to update the classic look without screwing around too much so as to make it unrecognizable, and with it already making an appearance via flashback, an in-story purpose for Shiera suddenly donning it instead of her current costume need be nothing more than her having dug it out of storage and giving it a good dusting off simply out of personal preference or nostalgia.

I don't know how decisions like this are made; if Mr. Reis came up with the new design all on his own or if it was a collaborative effort. Hopefully, though, should another redesign be deemed necessary in the future, this is one costume DC's collective brain trust is keeping in mind.

Our Greatest Contribution: The Sandwich

2010-04-07T12:30:00.006-04:00

Rereading some of my older Hawkman material in anticipation of all the Hawk-goodness set to start in Brightest Day, I came upon a little nugget of humor that I had almost forgotten. Brave and the Bold #44's opening story, "Impossible Day," can give one a chuckle on premise alone (a Thanagarian holiday celebrated by doing three impossible acts), but it's one panel in particular that always gets at least a smile from this reader.

You see, Thanagar's a wondrous planet, my friends, filled with all sorts of technology that Earth has yet to discover, or even fathom, for that matter. For all their futuristic creature comforts and advancements in warfare, however, one invention has continued to elude them throughout the millenniums: The sandwich.

Yes, that's right, folks. Seems the Thanagarians have mastered the art of intergalactic space travel, laser-based weaponry, and even mind-reading on a global scale, but the wonder of wrapping Wonder Bread™ around cold-cuts and cheeses has somehow never crossed their highly advanced alien minds.

To Gardner Fox's credit, he demonstrated a keen perception of real-world technology and its future just two issues prior to this one, wherein he featured Shayera shopping at home by monitor and paying for her items with a card that would automatically subtract funds from her bank account. Nevertheless, showing that the Thanagarians had access to such astonishing amenities while also expecting me to believe that something as simple as the sandwich was beyond their grasp... well, it's all just a bit a hard to swallow. Pun intended.

Now if you'll excuse, I'm off to lunch. I wonder what I'll have...

A Tribute To Kendra Saunders

2010-04-02T23:12:00.015-04:00

The year was 1999. I had been relegated to being a passive fan of comics at the time, picking up only a few choice titles here and there, but with Hawkman out of the game in any way, shape, or form for around three years by that point, my dedication to the medium had been in the biggest slump it had ever been in since I first started reading. Then, one afternoon, the owner of my local comic book shop tells me about the upcoming new JSA series. "Cool," I said. "But why should I care?" His response: "Two words, man: Hawk. Girl." Of course, after correcting him that Hawkgirl was actually just one word, I began asking a series of rapid-fire questions, most of which he didn't have the answers to, and the anticipation for a comic book to actually be released once again began to build inside me.

A few short months later, I was introduced to Kendra Saunders. Like everyone else, I knew next to nothing about her. Here was this young, petite, seemingly innocent but confused girl, for some reason thrust into the role once assumed by her great aunt, Shiera Hall. Kendra definitely had an appeal all her own, but was she really a character I wanted to follow? Truth be told, I was a bit ambivalent about a Hawkgirl unrelated to my Hawkgirl, that being Shayera Hol. It was a different time then, though, and so desperate was I for any Hawk-related character appearing regularly in a title that I figured anything was better than nothing. It just so happens, by luck, that Kendra was a lot better than nothing.

Hawk moniker aside, right away I could see this was a character whom I could root and get enthused for. Instantly appealing was that Kendra was roughly the same age as I at the time--17 to her 19. Her look was different than what had preceded her, but I liked it all the same. With short hair and an athletic build, she was anything but the typical comic book bombshell that's so abundant in the medium, but she was no less an attractive character visually for it. And while her first appearance was little more than some vaguely disguised fan service... well, again, 17, raging hormones and all that; you can see why I was quickly drawn in, I'm sure.

With each issue that followed, however, I found myself becoming more and more captivated by this new Hawkgirl. Overwhelmed, unsure of herself, and obviously out of her element, Kendra fought anyway, because she wanted to be more than she was. She strove constantly to live up to an ideal greater than herself, and I think that's something a lot of young people struggle with. Most of all, though, she was discovering who she was right along with we the readers, and watching that apple get peeled away little by little each month always guaranteed I'd have something to look forward to.

So I read, and I was happy. I had a character to cheer for again. She wasn't "my" Hawkgirl, but she was quickly climbing the ranks. And then a little story arc entitled "The Return of Hawkman" came, and everything changed. With the revelation of Kendra's past finally revealed to us, I found myself scouring the old long boxes at my local comic book shop like never before, searching out old Justice Society and All-Star issues for more information on Carter and Shiera. I reread my Hawkman Vol. 3 issues featuring the two characters just to remind myself of who these two were when last we saw them, and how in love they were portrayed in those issues particularly caught my interest.

My newly found regard for the Golden Age Hawks didn't matter too much in the end, though. I had grown an affinity all its own for Kendra Saunders, and the drama of her having to deal with not actually being herself was what truly kept me captivated until Hawkman would make his triumphant return. I still remember getting choked up at the graveyard scene where Kendra declares, "It's not fare." Everyone thinks that of life at some point.

Sure enough, this drama carried me through to the moment I had really been waiting for: Hawkman's revival from limbo, and on Thanagar, no less! With Katar officially a part of Carter, I had a lot to be pleased over, and while I obviously had the writers and editors at DC to thank for Hawkman's return, it was the character of Kendra Saunders who first drew me back in, so I was there to appreciate that moment for everything it was worth, and everything it would mean for both characters moving forward from there.

Not long thereafter, Hawkman got an ongoing series again. And as I had been accustomed to by that point, Kendra was right there alongside him to share the spotlight, while also serving as an effective outlet for all matters of exposition. From Carter's past exploits as a hero, to just what Nth metal could do, Kendra had it all explained to her, and in turn, we had it all explained to us, deepening the connection already established between character and reader. Things wouldn't be all roses, though. Kendra was no shrinking violet, after all, and playing second fiddle to Carter simply wouldn't do. As Hawkman Vol. 4 got into full swing, the growth of Kendra Saunders would kick into high gear.

We would soon learn more of her parents, and the root of the troubles she had to endure that would later lead to her "attempted" suicide. Her daughter Mia would occasionally come up, adding yet another layer of intrigue to her past. But in those early issues, as the JSA issues that had come before and during that time as well, it was the romantic tension--or lack thereof--between her and Carter that pushed the stories forward. It's funny looking back now, because I realize that while I did root for and feel sorry for Carter, having lost the love of his life, I also sympathized with Kendra, but obviously for different reasons entirely. Here was a young woman coming into her own, trying to become her own woman, suddenly pigeonholed into a role she neither expected nor asked for. Would Kendra ever give in to Carter's advances, or had the destiny of the Hawks finally been broken by this strong-willed young lady? Sometimes, I actually thought it would be; Kendra was written that powerfully.

I enjoyed the adventures, too, though, and watching Kendra grow in prowess as a fighter while her relationship with Carter continued to progress gave me great delight. A fight with Bloque in Hawkman #1 led to a reluctant declaration by Kendra of "Partners" by that issue's end. After a trip to Tibet some issues later, she would say thoughtfully to Carter, "We're friends." Watching him nearly destroy himself as a human being, she would ask, "What's happened... to us?" The threats got bigger, the drama heavier, but most of all, Kendra's role as Carter's equal and moral compass began to solidify.

Once our Winged Wonders managed to help stop a country from nearly tearing itself apart, a change in creative teams wouldn't alter the progress made by their predecessors. In fact, we would see just how truly independent Kendra had become. Not only would she help Carter stave off an army of the undead, but she would also prove her worth by toppling an opponent all by herself in the form of the Purple Pilgrim. And that drama I mentioned, well, it just continued to swell. For all the testosteroney glory that often made those Palmiotti and Gray issues so much fun, one of my favorite scenes in all of the last volume of Hawkman happens to be one of the quieter ones: When Kendra discovers Carter is sending money anonymously to her daughter, Mia. From there, the heat building between the two would finally begin to reach the boiling point.

When Rann-Thanagar War hit, I didn't think it could get any better. A united Hawkman and Hawkgirl looked to be right around the corner, and better still, with Hawkman still going strong, there were now two titles shipping each month prominently featuring the Pinioned Paladins. But with Shayera Thal along for the ride as well, I finally realized just how much I had come to adore Kendra in her own right. She hadn't usurped the Modern Age iteration of my favorite red-headed Thanagarian, but it was practically a dead heat. And when that wench Blackfire stole Shayera from the DCU, I immediately found myself thinking, At least she didn't touch Kendra.

Rann-Thanagar eventually led to the culmination of years of romantic exploration between Carter and Kendra in the final few issues of Hawkman Vol. 4, and I couldn't have been happier. Then, with OYL, I saw it all evaporate. But with Hawkgirl taking Hawkman's place on my pull list, my attitude was still positive. I was dismayed to see Hawkman disappear yet again to be sure, but my experience as a Hawkman fan in the years preceding his official return had seemingly come full circle.

Once again, in Hawkman's absence, Kendra gave me someone to root for. Sure, the stories weren't the best, and the art... well, I won't mention the art. But the strong-willed, independent young woman warrior I had come to grow so fond of was still recognizable enough. It was in no way a preferable ending to the once great Hawkman series, but perhaps Kendra's drive to try and end the curse that had plagued the Hawks throughout all their existence was a fitting one, at least for her. Since her introduction, Kendra refused to accept her destiny as just that, and for the moment anyway, it looked like she had actually succeeded. In retrospect, I suppose it was appropriate, if nothing else.

The years that followed, however, would sadly give me little to cheer for, while still more to bemoan. Kendra's relationship with Roy Harper was a sore point for me for as long as it went on. Just ask the owner of my local comic book shop; he'll tell you. Worse yet was the killing off of Mia--seemingly just to fuel said relationship--an offense thankfully rectified by one Dwayne McDuffie. And outside of the rare Justice League of America appearance here and there, there really wasn't that much to speak of for Kendra until the Hawks' apparent deaths in Final Crisis. Of course, later we found out they were both doing just fine.

And then, Blackest Night #1. I don't think a comic book has ever upset me. Made me angry? Sure. Sad? Absolutely. But upset me? Never. Watching what happened to Kendra in said event's first issue, though, did just that. Finally, we'd gotten that declaration of love we'd been waiting for since Carter first popped out of that pit on Thanagar. For Kendra, perhaps this meant destiny hadn't been defeated after all. Or maybe, Kendra had simply grown into what she'd always tried to become: her own person, capable of living, laughing, and loving. Where once was a stubbornly independent, hesitant, closed-off girl, now stood a mature, caring young woman, finally ready to face her feelings without fear of what they meant. Whether she was Shiera or not was irrelevant at that point; Kendra Saunders had accepted herself for whom she was. And in a handful of horrifying pages, it was all ripped away.

I never had any doubt from that moment forward that it would be Shiera Hall returning when Blackest Night reached its end. Don't misunderstand, though; I'm ecstatic with that outcome, because I feel it marks the return of all the elements that made me a fan of Hawkman and Hawkgirl in the first place. I would be remiss, however, if I neglected to give the proper sendoff that I feel I owe to the character of Kendra Saunders.

There's a debate often conducted by fans of fiction: What matters more: characters or their creators? And while I'll never discount the importance of a good story teller (I happen to be an aspiring one myself), Kendra Saunders only helps to further solidify my stance on the matter. She'll never be my favorite Hawkgirl, but I'll always remember her fondly as the character that reignited my passion for the comic book medium, a passion that burns even stronger today.

With that said, much in the same way I take solace in the fact that Katar and Shayera's stories will live on through Carter and Shiera, I also take solace in the fact that Kendra's memories are now counted among Shiera's. I watched Kendra grow from her first appearance to her last, and along the way I grew quite a bit myself. She may be gone now, but so long as Carter and Shiera are flying around the DCU together, Kendra Saunders won't be forgotten. Certainly not by me, anyway.

A Brief Glimpse of BRIGHTEST DAY

2010-04-01T20:40:00.005-04:00

Over at The Source, DC's official blog, we've gotten our first peek at Brightest Day, along with a short synopsis of where the series' focus will lie. Here's a snippet, along with a promotional image (which, as you can see, includes our favorite Pinioned Partners):

In BRIGHTEST DAY, the whole cast will be seen with Aquaman, Martian Manhunter, Hawkman, Hawkgirl, Firestorm and Deadman taking the lead as the truth behind their resurrections is discovered.

Much to the surprise of... well, probably no one at this point, the Hawks will indeed have a part to play in DC's newest bi-weekly series. Definitely looking forward to it, although I have to admit, between Wednesday Comics, Blackest Night and all of its varied tie-ins, and now Brightest Day, my wallet's really starting to feel the hurt. Nevertheless, a small price to pay for some regular Hawkman goodness!

BLACKEST NIGHT #8 Spoilers

2010-03-31T20:39:00.007-04:00

Wow. I can honestly say this is probably one of the quickest over-sized comic book issues I've ever had the good pleasure of reading. Even if you ignore all the build-up and contagious hype leading into this issue; even if I discount my own enthusiasm to finally get my hands on this thing, Johns still wrote a fantastic comic book with Blackest Night #8, with some of the most memorable lines and imagery I've ever witnessed in a single issue of any comic book.

But enough with the requisite lip-service. I'm going to dive right into this, folks, so I can get to the meaty Hawk-related parts as soon as possible. I'm sure there are countless rundowns of the plot elsewhere, so I'm only going to make due with the need-to-know facts to get us all to where I'm sure you all care about: the ultimate fates of Hawkman and Hawkgirl.

The issue begins with Sinestro as the White Lantern feeling pretty full of himself and expecting to defeat Nekron with little to no problem. Yeah, that doesn't pan out so well. After an unsuccessful skirmish with Nekron, Sinestro is separated from the White Entity and the Black Lantern cavalry soon shows up. Luckily for our heroes, they have a cavalry of their own, in the form of the now unified multi-colored Lantern Corps. Still, even with the odds more or less even, Nekron appears indestructible, and thus his victory imminent.

That is until Deadman takes possession of one Guy Gardner and doles out some useful information. Seems Nekron's tethered to this world largely due to William Hand, A.K.A. Black Hand. Sever his connection to the Black--ie, bring him back from the dead--and Nekron's connection to our world goes with it.

After some inspirational words from Barry Allen and Hal Jordan, the latter takes it upon himself to control the White Entity, and in the process brings back Superman, Green Arrow, Ice, and all other living-turned-Black Lanterns from issue #5 as White Lanterns along with him. Also amongst the revived: our emo-friend, William Hand. Unfortunately for Billy boy, the process gives him a bit of indigestion, and he's left coughing up several White Rings, the first of which seeks out the Anti-Monitor himself, who's none too please with what Nekron did to him. And while DC's newest universal threat easily dispatches one of their oldest, Nekron's troubles only get worse from there. With Black Hand back amongst the living, Nekron explodes into several White Rings of his own, granting life back to several Black Lanterns.

Oh, by the way, those who return are: Hawk (Hank Hall), Captain Boomerang (Digger Harkness), Professor Zoom, Ronnie Raymond (along with Jason, who never actually died), Maxwell Lord, Arthur Curry, Jade, Deadman... Hmmm... Am I forgetting anyone? Let me think... Oh yeah... Hawkman (Carter Hall) and Hawkgirl (Kendra Saunders)! At least, that's what the rings told me, and they wouldn't lie... right?

We're then greeted with a beautiful fold-out spread-page (as promised by DiDio) featuring the newly-risen in all their glory, followed by a sequence of pages focusing on these same heroes and villains' welcome--some harsher than others--back to the land of the living. And that's when things really started looking up for us Hawk-fans.

You see, those White Rings, they might be miraculous life-givers, but they're also liars. Horrible, deceptive little liars. Because when "Kendra" removes her mask, it's not Kendra at all, but rather Shiera Hall, in all her beautiful, long-flowing red locks glory. I think I might have shed a tear along with Carter myself, were I not too busy beaming with excitement over what this means.

Moving forward to the end of the issue, though, a few more pages are devoted to the reactions to and from the resurrected, followed by the disappearance of Indigo-1 and her new prisoner, William Hand. Some ominous messages are left to us, such as what the fate of Black Hand might actually be, how the status of the various Corps will look down the road, and speculation--in the form of a rather blunt statement--that the door on death in the DCU is finally shut. Some encouraging notes are strewn throughout as well, though, such as Bruce Wayne's inevitable return, and perhaps the start of a brighter tomorrow in the DCU. Shameless plug for DC's newest bi-weekly series? The White Lantern and brazen font on the final page says, "probably," but that doesn't make the sentiment any less inspiring. And considering how our favorite Winged Wonders fared in this final issue of Blackest Night, I have to say I'm feeling pretty darn good right now about the DCU's tomorrow.

But before we get there, let's talk about today for a moment first. I honestly can't say I'm surprised at all at Carter and Shiera's return. It's been evident to me for a long time now--and especially after MegaCon--that this was what DC was planning from the start; it's why the Hawks were killed in Blackest Night #1, even. With the return of Shiera, everything shapes up rather nicely, I think. We get the iconic look of the Hawks back (even down to Hawkman having Katar's black hair, apparently); we get the happily married couple back; we get a Hawkgirl who will be on the same page as Hawkman in terms of ability and experience; we don't have to mess around with continuity any further; and something I'm especially happy to see dropped, we can finally move past the "will she or won't she" dilemma that Carter was trapped in for so long with regards to Kendra.

Above all this, though, for we the fans, we can finally stop debating and arguing amongst ourselves over who should come back and how. This is it, folks, and I don't expect, nor do I ask for it to be changed for a long time to come now, if ever. It's time for both of these characters, Hawkman and Hawkgirl, to finally start moving forward in the DCU again and let their past be just that: the past. I loved Katar and Shayera, too, but I think we can honestly take solace in the fact that, while they may have been eliminated from continuity, their stories still live on, on our bookshelves, in our long boxes, and most importantly, in the stories themselves, through Carter and Shiera. And so long as those stories live on, and the existing characters are in turn written from a view that those stories shaped who they'll be in tomorrow's tales, that's what matters to me above all else.

Carter and Shiera's return, however, doesn't mean there won't be a whole new share of things for us to debate and discuss. What about Kendra's daughter, for instance? With Shiera possessing Kendra's memories, she might be eager to see Mia, but how will a child deal with her mother's appearance and demeanor changing over night? Will Shiera have to let go of Mia altogether because of this dilemma? And what of Carter's black hair, anyway? Coloring error (it was made in Blackest Night #1, too), or nod to that iconic look I spoke of earlier? My money's on the latter, but we can debate that some other time. How about Shiera's chosen moniker? After all, in current continuity, she was the one who originally coined the name "Hawkwoman." Will she return to that, or will DC keep her pinned as "Hawkgirl," as it's unarguably the more well-known of the two aliases?

All of these and more are issues I'm all too eager and happy to be able to discuss in the days, weeks, and months to come. DiDio told me just over a year ago that I would be "pleased" with how Blackest Night ultimately shook out for Hawkman, and I can say now that he didn't steer me wrong at all. And while I did enjoy the event as a whole, I have to admit that I'm even happier that it's all over, so I can finally look forward to some new stories featuring a united Hawkman and Hawkgirl fighting amongst the living again. It's something I've been waiting for since a little JSA story arc entitled "The Return of Hawkman" came out nearly ten years ago, after all. With the reunion of these two characters whom I care so much about actually happening today, though... well, I don't mean to sound corny or come across as a corporate shill for DC, but talk about a Brightest Day.

Hawkman To Return On Smallville?

2010-03-15T12:39:00.015-04:00

With such a busy weekend for myself at Orlando's MegaCon event, there was a bit of other Hawkman news coming out of Seattle's Emerald City Comic Con that I've neglected posting about until now. Here's a snippet with the relevant information, courtesy of Comic Book Resources' coverage of the ECCC DC Nation panel:

"Another attendee was hoping to see a live-action JSA again, as the 'Absolute Justice' episode of 'Smallville' in which they appeared proved popular. Johns then revealed that the JSA will appear again in the upcoming season of the show…before wondering aloud if he was supposed to have revealed that fact. Either way, he made many fans happy with this news."

Considering Hawkman's (played by actor Michael Shanks, pictured below in all his winged glory) prominent role in the JSA's premiere episode, it seems likely we'll be seeing him again. Though I hadn't sat down to watch Smallville in ages before the episode's premiere, I rather enjoyed "Absolute Justice," campy at times thought it may have been, so I'll be looking forward to this second outing of the team.

Hopefully, should Shanks indeed return to reprise his role as Hawkman, he'll take the time to try and fill out that costume of his a bit more. And for goodness' sake, could someone tell him to tone down the Dirty Hairy on steroids impression he was doing every time he put on the Hawkman helmet? Don't get me wrong, I like my Hawkman as tough as the next guy, but Shanks--though turning in a perfectly competent performance otherwise, I felt--was all but chewing up the scenery with that gravelly put-on voice of his.

Just fix those two minor issues, and I think we'll have a winner on our hands. The only thing that would make it better is if the title of the episode happens to be "The Return of Hawkgirl." Now that would make me one happy fanboy.

MegaCon 2010 Report (Updated)

2010-03-13T22:42:00.010-05:00

*Sunday's Report*

As promised, I did sit in on the Sunday Conversation with Dan DiDio panel earlier today, and there were a couple of Hawkman related comments made, if only tangential in most cases. I'm going to try to keep this as brief as possible, because to be perfectly honest, I'm wiped out and tomorrow's Monday. Good news, though, is I did remember my tape recorder today, so I've got some exact quotes to share with everyone. Let's get to it, then.

DiDio began by explaining that we would be a "focus group" of sorts, to test a new format for the panel at other conventions. The purpose from now on would be to get fan input on how to better market DC's books and expand their audience.
As with yesterday, he talked more about having multiple versions of several DC characters, and how he's found people's favorites are largely determined by when they first got into comics or what they were first exposed to. Definitely the case for me (Shadow War and the Super Powers action figure being my first exposure to the character, the Silver Age Katar Hol is thus my preferred Hawkman).
DiDio expressed that greater attention is going to be payed to making sure their characters are portrayed in a consistent manner, regardless of which book they're appearing in or who the writer happens to be.
A fan mentioned that it's hard for him to explain certain characters and their histories to his non-comic-book-reading friends, adding that it would be nice if there were more references to what makes DC's characters tic more often in the books themselves. He then cited Hawkman and Hawkgirl's tragic fates in Blackest Night #1 as a good example of tight but powerful writing.
Once again, DiDio brought up the fact that it's impossible to please everyone.
Blackest Night was described by DiDio as a "real break point" for the DCU, as opposed to Final Crisis, which he explained was more about just telling a "big story." From now on there will be a more conscious effort to move forward with big stories, while at the same time maintaining a strong character focus, as he expressed is the case with Blackest Night itself.
A moratorium on the revolving door of death will also be a key result of Blackest Night's conclusion, and dead will indeed mean dead for as long as DiDio has his say. The first casualty of this new edict according to DiDio: Kid Devil. Black Lanterns, however, are exempt from this new rule.
A fan commented that he enjoyed how Geoff Johns puts so much of the characters' personal lives in his stories, and once again Hawkman's part in Blackest Night #1 was given as a prime example. DiDio responded by saying that was something DC is going to try and do more of in the future.
DiDio brought up the frustration he often faces with wanting to do something different or new with DC's characters, frequently having to face a scourge of over-examination and criticism even as the story in question is still in the middle of taking place. He brought up the Hawkman Special by name as an example, saying:

"Somebody says, 'Do you do anything as a misleading story?' Hawkman for the perfect example. When we did the Hawkman annual, the whole thing was just to raise a question to show there might be other levels of depth, but the fever over the fact that Hawkman's origin was thrown out and started all over again was so overwhelming that everything just shut down. We couldn't even explore the story because everybody was so positive that this is the way it's gotta be, we gotta be lock-step, and we can't move. So two things are happening: You want things to move and progress, but if we move and progress, we don't like it. Fair enough? Seems about right? Seems about right, right? 'Give me everything that I want and love, but change it. Change it exactly the way I want it... I'm just going to tell you what I don't want.' "
DiDio continued from there that this dilemma was largely the purpose of the panel today, to get an idea of what we wanted to see coming out of the DCU in the future and to help build a consensus. He again reiterated that there was going to be a real effort to have unity in the DCU with regards to their characters.
Recap pages, digital distribution, and the frequency of message board communities passing judgment on solicited material three months in advance of actually reading it were largely talked about from here on out.

When the panel came to its close there was no shortage of fans staying behind to get pictures and autographs, so today I just posed with Dan for a quick photo and thanked him again for coming out this year. I didn't want to take any more of his time, and I was satisfied with the Hawkman info I had already gathered.

That said, no surprise that the Hawkman Special talk during the panel immediately got my ears to perk up. I, for one, was actually very interested and willing to wait and see what might have come out of the Special at the time, but obviously the stir it created among most did indeed result in the kibosh being put down upon it, as DiDio admitted to today. However, I'm not quite sure I completely buy DiDio's explanation that there really was going to be more to it than just your standard "Everything you know is wrong!" story line. I guess we'll never know for certain now, but if anything, his thoughts on the issue and the readers' reaction to it serve only as further confirmation that Carter's coming back in less than three weeks, as if the mountain of evidence already obtained yesterday wasn't enough.

I guess that's about it for MegaCon this year, then. *Phew!* Let me just take a breath here, folks, because I am exhausted. But before I sign off for the night, and even though I know he'll probably never read this, I want to thank Dan DiDio for such an entertaining panel today, as well as all the talent gathered for yesterday's equally enjoyable Q&A session. I learned a lot, laughed even more, and walked away with a smile on my face. I only wish everyone could have a chance to go to these things and meet these people, because it's definitely an experience worth having. You realize the artists behind the characters and stories we love are just as passionate and enthused about them as we all are, and I think that goes a long way in dispelling some of the cynicism so many of us unfortunately have for the people behind the comics themselves. And though the convention as a whole has all but completely drained me, I nevertheless already find myself counting down the days till next year, all so I can get a mere hint of what might happen next...

*Saturday's Report*

My first day of MegaCon 2010 has come to an exhausting, albeit fulfilling close, and I'm pleased to say I walked away feeling pretty good about what I could gather in regards to Hawkman. Before I get started, though, I have to apologize for two things: A lack of photos to accompany this entry, as well as the lack of a recording to help refresh my memory as I write it.

You see, MegaCon was slammed today. Absolutely slammed. And to make a long story short, in my haste to make it to the DC Nation panel on time after battling to get a parking spot, I forgetfully left both my camera and recorder behind in the car. Luckily, though, my memory's not yet left my 28-year old brain just yet, and with my brother to help me gather my thoughts afterward, I've a pretty strong recollection of all the relevant Hawkman info that was shared today.

First off, I arrived to the panel about five minutes late, but from my experience last year, I'm quite positive all I missed were the introductions. Present at the panel, by the way, were Dan DiDio, Ethan Van Sciver, Tony Bedard, Jimmy Palmiotti, and two cosplayers brought on stage for their impressive costumes, portraying Green Arrow and *ahem* Black Canary. Again, my sincere apologies for the absence of photos to accompany this entry.

Moving on, by the time I made it in, it was standing room only and questions from the audience were just getting underway. The first Hawkman-related question came in the form of a fan wondering how DC chooses which characters to give more of a spotlight to and which not. Aquaman's name was the first to be mentioned, but Hawkman and Hawkgirl also came into play, as well as the upcoming bi-weekly series, Brightest Day. Dan DiDio answered that he didn't want to say anything about the two characters because they're dead right now, and we didn't need to know anything more than that. Obviously, he didn't want to give anything away, although Ethan Van Sciver did volunteer around this time that he loved the way Hawkman had been treated by Geoff Johns, and that he was a fan of the character. This will come back into play a little later on.

Not long after that, a gentleman asked about the DnA Legion series, and if we would ever see that take on those characters again. This generated a fairly in-depth response from DiDio, one that my brother and I gave applause to more than a couple of times. DiDio expressed that one of DC's greatest strengths is also one of their greatest weaknesses, that being that in the past they've often branched off with multiple iterations of a single character or team. As he began listing off several examples, I shouted out, "Hawkman!" whom he immediately added to the pile.

DiDio went on further to say that while the result of these numerous interpretations is often times richer storytelling, it also has the side-effect of fracturing the fan base. This is a dilemma I think Hawkman has been plagued with for a while now, as I've stated numerous times in the past, and it was good to hear that DiDio's obviously aware of the problem, if only from a general standpoint. He elaborated that DC's goal moving forward--not just in terms of comics, but for all their entertainment ventures--is to settle on one solid, accepted interpretation for all their characters and continue to push ahead with it for the sake of consistency and unity. He admitted that this wouldn't always please everyone, but nothing ever does. Again, my brother and I applauded in agreement.

Moving forward a bit more in the panel, even though I felt the bulk of my own questions as well as those I had received from others, had either already been answered or just simply wouldn't be (anything about Brightest Day or what might come out of Blackest Night was almost immediately shot down, folks. Sorry.), hands became more and more reluctant to go up, so I decided, what the heck? When called on, I began to ask why DC seemed to have an either/or mentality with regards to Hawkman. Before I could finish, though, Mr. DiDio turned to Ethan Van Sciver, and said--to the best of my and my brother's recollections--"Hang on just a second and let me ask Ethan something. Ethan, do you like Hawkman?"

Van Sciver: Yep.

DiDio: Do you think we need to change anything about how he's been handled the last few years?

Van Sciver: Nope.

Dan redirected his attention to me at this point and concluded, "There's your answer." I gave him a smile, a thumbs up, and a cheerful, "Thank you," before he moved on to others' questions.

That pretty much wrapped up the Hawkman stuff in the panel. A plethora of great questions were asked thereafter, though, including one concerning what DC is doing to help generate new reader interest in their books. DiDio went somewhat off on a tangent at this point, revealing that Blackest Night #8 will have a three-page, fold-out spread included in the over-sized, $3.99 price-point issue. I've got my own theory on what that spread might entail; more on that in a minute.

After the panel, considering the success I had last year, I decided to give it a go and see if I couldn't score a little post-game wrap-up with DiDio. And as last year, the man was extremely gracious, taking a handful of us (whoever wanted to, really) out into the hall to pose for pictures and answer a few more questions. I took the opportunity to finish my either/or query from earlier, just to try and pin him down a bit more, though expressing that I loved what Johns had done to restore Hawkman to the DCU and had no real qualms with it. Mr. DiDio replied saying he feels they're in a good place with Hawkman, and further intimated that there are currently no plans on reinstating more than one incarnation of the character in the DCU again.

Finally, before I shook his hand to leave, I reminded Mr. Didio of my encounter with him last year, saying, "Now, you said that after I read Blackest Night #1, I wasn't going to be very happy with you. After I read Blackest Night #8 in a few weeks, am I going to be happy with you?" He hesitated a bit, as if he didn't want to give anything away, before reluctantly offering, "Yeah, I think you're going to be happy." It was then I envisioned a massive, three-page spread that only Ivan Reis could draw, one featuring a whole slew of DC's heroes returning from the blackness of death to help save the universe from its cold grip. And among those heroes, our beloved Hawks would be depicted prominently in the forefront, with triumph in their eyes, wings flowing and maces flailing. Lord, how I hope I'm right.

All in all, it was a productive, exciting day. I've even less doubt now that Hawkman will be returning to the DCU in about three weeks time, and when he does, it will be the same version of the character we've known for the last ten years. And while I'll miss Katar, I continue to believe this is the right move for both DC and Hawkman. It's time his past be settled once and for all so some great Hawkman stories about him, rather than his continuity, can finally be told again. And given the nature of Blackest Night, I'm hopeful we'll get Shiera back alongside Carter, effectively returning the iconic look of the Hawks, as well as reestablishing their place as DC's premiere heroic couple.

As an aside to those wondering, I still plan to attend the convention again tomorrow to make a few last minute buys, as well as sit in on the Sunday Conversation with Dan DiDio panel. Said panel, however, doesn't seem likely to be a place for any new information to be doled out, and I expect I already got as much Hawkman info from DiDio as he was willing to give, anyway. That said, if anything of relevant interest is revealed at the panel tomorrow, I'll gladly update this entry in a blatant fashion, but I doubt that will be necessary.

In summary of today as a whole, though, it was awesome. Again, highly recommended event if you have the means. Great crowd, great guests, and lots of stuff to blow your money on if you're so inclined. Unfortunately, no Hawkman related gear for me to share with you all, since I already owned every item I came across. Well, all but one. One dealer had the original painted John Watson cover to Hawkman Vol. 4, #16. His asking price of $1,500, however, was unfortunately just a tad out of my league. Maybe next year...

Philip Tan's Hawkman

2010-03-11T02:33:00.005-05:00

First shown at artists Francis Takenaga and Philip Tan's website Mutant Asians and brought to my attention by KatarHol5 on DC's message boards earlier tonight comes this print drawn by Philip Tan being offered in limited quantities at the Emerald City Comic Con, which kicks off this coming weekend.

Apparently there will be another as-yet-unseen second print by Tan making the rounds as well. Also of note is a Tweet offered by writer James Robinson, which reads: "And do u guys like Hawkman as much as I do??? Come see me and Hawks T ECCC this weekend!!!:D," followed by the above link.

What could this mean? Possibly nothing. It could just be a promotional image that DC will be passing out along with numerous others. However, why Hawkman? One would think a bigger name like Superman or Batman would be more apt to randomly sell to attendees. It's also interesting that a second yet-to-be-seen print is being plugged, while Robinson says to come see "Hawks", plural, at the show. Could a Hawkgirl print be showing up next? Going a step even further, could James Robinson and Philip Tan be working on a new Hawkman series as we speak? I'm not getting my hopes up, but that there's even an image like this making the rounds has me pretty darn excited.

As for the image itself, it's definitely striking. Of special note, perhaps, is the katar on Hawkman's left hand. You might also remember Robinson saying in one of his write-ups in an earlier issue of Cry For Justice that he was rather fond of Katar Hol, as opposed to Carter Hall. Obviously I'm now piling speculation onto speculation, but regardless, the print is definitely something to be encouraged over. I'll be keeping a close eye on this one, that's for sure.

MegaCon: A Call For Questions

2010-03-09T19:52:00.004-05:00

It's that time again. What I like to think of as Christmas II. MegaCon 2010, the southeast's largest comic book, sci-fi, and anime convention, kicks off this Friday, and in anticipation of going, I thought I'd take a page out of Newsarama's book and try to get some of the fine attendees from DC Comics to answer your questions.

I had a fair amount of success last year, not only getting my question answered by Dan DiDio at the DC Nation Panel, but also having a chance to speak with him after the panel had ended. Probably the biggest thing I took away from the conversation is he told me that DC had good things in store for Hawkman, and though they were "going to put him through the wringer first to get him there," DiDio believed I would be "pleased with where he ends up." This single quote has continued to keep me optimistic throughout the year, as I firmly believe Blackest Night is that proverbial "wringer," so I'm expecting to be "pleased" pretty soon now.

So with my track record out of the way and an idea of what good can come from this event, here's the deal. I'm hoping I'll be able to attend all three days this year, but there is a good possibility I won't be able to get there until Saturday. That said, I should still have at least two opportunities to speak with DiDio and others from DC, and with any luck, pass on your questions or comments.

One caveat, though: I'm only taking Hawkman and Hawkgirl related questions. I'm not holding onto any false ideas concerning the popularity of this blog (or lack thereof), but I do nevertheless want to curb the odds against receiving a flood of requests for me to ask about Dick Grayson's future as Batman or Roy Harper's new role as The Six Million Dollar Man. Besides, this is a Hawkman blog, so any info I do manage to get out of DiDio and company personally, I'd like to have a reason to report it here.

That about covers the ground rules. For myself, I plan to ask what the odds of seeing two sets of Hawks flying around the DCU again are, so if that's along the lines of something you were planning on asking, you can cross that one off your list. Anything else, though, I'll be happy to try and pass along and get the answer for you. Just leave a comment, and I'll make note.

One last thing concerning this event: I'm not sure if I'll be able to relay any info I gather before Monday, so don't expect to hear anything until then. Either way, I plan on taking a tape recorder with me to all the panels, so any juicy quotes related to Hawkman will be posted up here in exact detail no later than Monday night.

Fingers crossed I'm able to gather some interesting stuff this year for you all, but if not, I'm still expecting a great time with lots to show for afterward regardless. And if you're in the Orlando area but have never made the time to go to MegaCon before, I highly recommend you do. It's always a fun time with a friendly crowd, personable guests, and a buyer's atmosphere. I can't wait!

Rebirth

2010-03-08T12:44:00.006-05:00

Assuming any of you are actually still out there (thank you much if you are, by the way), it's been a while, but I'm back, and hopefully for good this time. Due to some real world complications taking precedent over my virtual life, I had to, obviously, close up shop suddenly and without notice here. I apologize for that, and believe me, no one could have been more disappointed about it than I. Preceding this rather long break there was a smaller one you may have noticed, during which time I thought I had worked everything out, but I guess things just couldn't be that easy.

Suffice it to say, though, I'm hopeful that now I'll be able to return to a more solid schedule of regularly updating this site again. I've missed writing here greatly, and while I have been able to keep up on all of Hawkman's recent exploits in my absence (his cameo in Public Enemies and on Batman: The Brave and the Bold; his guest-starring role on Smallville; his disappointingly small part in Blackest Night; his surprising amount of panel time in Cry For Justice; even those rather dubious Hawkman film rumors), I doubt I'll be able to recap and reflect on all of that material and news here any time soon. For now, my plans are to pick up right where I left off, talking about the most recent and relevant Hawkman goings-ons, as well as writing a piece here and there focusing on aspects and stories surrounding Hawkman that are intriguing to me and hopefully, by extension, to you, too.

So I'm back. An unexpected sabbatical, move, and career change later, I'm back. I don't know how regular my updates will be going forward from here, but they surely won't be separated by six months or more again, I can promise you that. Nevertheless, I'm returned, refreshed, and I guess you could say rebirthed (if that's even a word). Unfortunately, however, when I crawled out of my pit, there wasn't an attractive redhead waiting for me at the other end. Maybe next time.

WEDNESDAY COMICS #12

2009-09-24T13:21:00.005-04:00

Nearly the victim of a vicious tyrannosaurus rex, the Hawkman is rescued just in the nick of time by his friend and Justice League of America teammate, Aquaman. With the Ocean King's fierce seahorse, Storm, cutting the ferocious t-rex's air supply off, the Winged Wonder is able to gather himself, and pulling a knife from its sheath, crawls into the massive jaws of his terrifying assailant.

Meanwhile, high above the Earth in space, the battle between the Makkorthian armada and the resistance put forth by the Justice League continues to rage. Just as things look their darkest, however, the reinforcements finally arrive. To Batman's relief, Superman, Wonder Woman, and the Martian Manhunter return from their own mission, and with their combined might, make short work of the invading star fleet.

Back on the beaches of Dinosaur Island, a second, and perhaps far more brutal battle has already drawn to a close. Using his knife to pierce the brain of the once unstoppable prehistoric beast, Hawkman has claimed the victory, thanks in no small part to Aquaman's aid. Not a moment later does the Pinioned Paladin's wife and partner arrive, chiding him on his duel and informing him of her own day's trying events. As Hawkgirl proceeds to shuttle away the thankful survivors of the downed airliner, Hawkman dawns her wings to follow in tow, and gives one last deserved thank you to his two saviors, Aquaman and his trusty sea-steed, Storm.

The battle against evil was won today, but in a world of plotting terrorists, invading aliens, and rampaging monsters, the Hawkman surely knows that tomorrow may yet bring an even more dire challenge in the unending war, and as always, he'll be ready to face it.

The End.

A great conclusion to a great strip. While Kyle Baker wrapped up the monumental fight scene between Hawkman, Aquaman, and the t-rex more quickly than I had hoped, he won back points for littering this final page with guest stars, as well as giving Hawkgirl the line of the week ("Wow, Honey! All I did today was save the planet! You rock!") Not only that, but he effectively managed to conclude both a space battle and a prehistoric one in a succinct and satisfying fashion.

And really, that's why I've been so entertained by this strip each and every week. Baker took all the aspects that make me appreciate Hawkman and put them together in an enjoyable and sensible way with relatively very little space to work with. Over the course of these past twelve weeks, we've seen Hawkman battle (seemingly) human terrorists aboard an airliner, then aliens from outer space, and finally a dinosaur on an island that time forgot. We've also witnessed him rescue a commercial passenger jet from crashing, using his wits and problem solving skills, eagerly contacting his friends and teammates when in need of assistance, and keeping a cool head throughout, even if demonstrating his more aggressive personality when necessary to help drive home a point or two.

In essence, what Kyle Baker did with twelve over-sized pages is effectively put on display why I like the Hawkman character so much, and he did so while at the same time showing that Hawkman remains a viable, multifaceted character when written properly. I'm not going to get into a Katar versus Carter debate here, because frankly, I'm sick of the entire thing. Considering Katar's Silver Age history, though, and Carter's as it presently stands, I'm of the belief that both characters could easily be featured in a story in the mainstream DCU in line with the one Baker just executed in his Wednesday Comics Earth, if I may call it that. Hopefully, given the success of Wednesay Comics as a whole, and the popularity and strong reception of Baker's Hawkman strip in particular, DC will finally realize all the potential that the Hawkman character still has, and coming out of Blackest Night, they'll elect to capitalize on it.

That's quite a ways away, however, and with this fantastic series now over, I'm sure the weeks between Blackest Night will go by that much more slowly for me. Wednesday Comics was a daringly different venture for DC, and one I commend them on for taking. It was an enjoyable read throughout, with not one truly bad feature to be read each week. It was a nostalgic blast just to open up and look at, let alone read, and it gave me the guarantee each week when I walked out of my local comic book shop that I was going to have something to look forward to when I got back home. I'm very much going to miss it, and I'll be the first one to sign up should a follow-up to Wednesday Comics be announced in the future.

Great job, DC, and thanks for the past twelve weeks. It was one heck of a ride.

It Was Only A Kiss

2009-09-20T23:08:00.005-04:00

It's been a slow night, so I thought I'd take the opportunity to get this off my chest. Confession time: I've never been much of a Brad Meltzer fan. Identity Crisis was my first ever real exposure to his writing in any form, and let's just say that I was less than impressed. Perhaps it was Deathstroke somehow managing to take down the Flash and Green Lantern--in addition to others, including Hawkman--in the same fight, or maybe it was that whole "just in case" attitude of Jean Loring's when it came to carrying around a flamethrower. Then again, I suppose it could be his propensity to use so many multi-colored caption boxes for each and every characters' internal monologues in the issues he scribes that one can easily lose track of who the heck is supposed to be talking. Whatever the cause, Meltzer's comic book work just doesn't grab me.

Yet despite the numerous problems I had with the man's Justice League of America run--Kendra and Roy "hooking up" out of virtually nowhere; killing the former's daughter unceremoniously off-panel to service said "hooking up"; renaming Roy "Red Arrow"; his plodding, low-on-action-heavy-on-dialogue plots--it's one, lone panel in particular that Meltzer was responsible for that continues to this day to fuel a misconception among DC readers that I as a Hawkman fan feel obligated to rebuff in any forum every time it arises. I like to call it, "The Kiss."

It all happened in Justice League of America #9, during "The Lightning Saga" story arc. In said issue, Hawkman, Hawkgirl, Power Girl, and Arsenal (I am not calling him "Red Arrow") all go to Thanagar in search of a lost-in-time Legionnaire. Upon arrival, Peegee right away notices Roy's nonsensical attraction to Kendra, and more or less tells him he's barking up the wrong tree. When Roy offers a short quip in return, Karen says she's speaking from experience. It's at this point the now infamous panel made its debut. Voilà:

Ahem. Of course, given the nature of we fervent fanboys, conclusions were quickly jumped to. I suppose for many, the dialogue was only an afterthought, with the above picture--being worth the requisite thousand words and all--doing all the talking. Hawkman and Power Girl had not only shared a kiss, but they had slept together, were going steady, probably going to get married, and soon thereafter have many Kryptonian/Thanagarian/Egyptian-reincarnated-prince hybrid children. Except they weren't, because those pesky words on the very same page painted an entirely different picture.

Let's examine the dialogue, then, shall we? Immediately after the above panel, Roy's response to Karen is a stunned, disjointed, "Wait--you--he--no--!" This is where Karen obviously replies, "Yep," right? No. Instead, her response is a very flat, "No is right." So if nothing else, the most basic assumption we can draw from this series of events is that Karen made a play for Carter (which was "The Kiss"), and Carter said it wasn't going to happen. I honestly don't understand from where the confusion stems. In fact, I don't believe there is any legitimate confusion. Rather, I imagine the entire scandal is nothing more than a product of speculation from fanboys who just flat-out prefer the idea that Hawkman slept with Power Girl. It's simply a juicier line of thought, and any facts to the contrary are to be ignored. The facts are the facts, though, and if only people would actually take the time to notice them, "The Kiss" would be perceived by any clearheaded individual as nothing more than just that: a kiss.

But I'll even go a step further. In my mind, even the kiss being shared between the two can be a debatable issue. Now you're probably thinking, "Now you're the one in denial." Hey, I'm not saying it definitely didn't happen, but if there's anything to be argued with regards to "The Kiss," I think there's more evidence to support it not taking place at all than there is to prove a relationship or even a one-night stand ensued after its occurrence. My dilemma chiefly comes from the fact that the entire panel in question is tinted red. As I pointed out earlier, Meltzer loves color coding his caption boxes to identify who's saying what. When I first read JLA #9 all those many moons ago, the red coloring of "The Kiss" implied to me that we were seeing what Roy was thinking, rather than what had actually taken place, and Karen's dialogue which followed only further proved my rationale, I thought. Again, I'm not saying they didn't share that kiss, but I do think it's open to debate.

Ultimately, like all comic book arguments really, it's a petty thing to get worked up over. Power Girl's not a bad character, and I wasn't even averse to the idea of Carter and Karen getting together for a time, at least while Kendra was off gallivanting around with Roy, absurd as that whole scenario was. Throughout his existence, Carter's loved and lost all but one person in his life, and Karen is the sole survivor of a forgotten universe. That they're both more or less alone in the world, it would have oddly made sense for them to get together, I think. But the fact remains, they only ever, at most, kissed, and anything more drawn from "The Kiss" is pure fanboy fantasizing, as far as I'm concerned. That's what annoys me: Not the panel itself, but rather the perpetual supposition that said panel represents something which it very clearly does not.

Unfortunately, with words being as they are, and provocative images having the effect that they do, I suspect this won't be the last time I'll find myself addressing "The Kiss." Perhaps in the future, though, I'll now at least be able to limit my response to a brief redirect to this blog entry, and that will surely make the time I spent on this writeup tonight a worthwhile investment indeed.

Hawkman Revealed for PUBLIC ENEMIES

2009-09-18T23:13:00.008-04:00

His voice actor, anyway. Courtesy of The World's Finest (with thanks to Otaku-Sempai for first bringing it to my attention), I learned earlier tonight that one Michael Gough will be playing the Winged Warrior in WB's newest direct-to-DVD animated feature.

A quick search on IMDb reveals that Gough is clearly no stranger to voice acting, though I have to be honest in that, with the exceptions of Lost Odyssey and Gears of War 2, I'm not too familiar with the bulk of his work, and even in those two exceptions I can't clearly recall his voice offhand.

That said, it's not as if he has a very high precedent to live up to. To this point, I don't really feel anyone has truly nailed Hawkman's voice. Both James Remar and Robert Patrick--who voiced the character in JLU and The Batman respectively--did a fine acting job, but their voices were a bit to clean for taste, if that makes any sense. I've always imagined Hawkman to have a commanding, even rough voice at times, without coming across as being too gruff or weathered. Victor Rivers, who voiced the Thanagarian villain Hro Talak in the Justice League episode "Starcrossed," has come the closest to living up to my expectations, but as he wasn't even technically playing Hawkman, hopefully Michael Gough will surpass that portrayal in this outing.

On a related note, The World's Finest has also posted the first review of the film's Blu-Ray presentation, which you can read here. There are a couple of spoilers scattered throughout, but most are in relation to the alterations and cuts made from the source material, so I doubt any of them will ruin your overall enjoyment of the film. And from the glowing nature of that review, this sounds to be one heck of an entertaining flick.

Superman/Batman: Public Enemies is slated for release on September 29 on DVD and Blu-Ray. I'll be counting down the days, myself.

WoNK #9 Preview Art

2009-09-18T23:01:00.003-04:00

I'm sure anyone who bothers to visit my modest little blog here probably already checks DC's own, The Source, quite frequently itself, but just in case you don't, earlier today they posted a preview page from World of New Krypton #9. Really not much to see aside from some random Thanagarian wingmen flying into battle, but the final panel features what appears to be a red-headed Thanagarian in a position of power, and like most Hawkman fans I'm sure, I happen to hold a certain penchant for that type of comic book lady. But don't take my word for it; see for yourself:
Looks to be an action-filled issue, at least if this single page is of any indication. Can't wait to actually read it next month.

WEDNESDAY COMICS #10 & #11

2009-09-18T13:01:00.003-04:00

As the passengers from the crashed airliner flee in terror, Hawkman does his best to draw the pursuing tyrannosaurus' attention solely to himself. Waiting until the enormous creature draws close enough, the Winged Warrior slams his ancient flail squarely into the monster's nose, drawing first blood. While further taunting the t-rex to completely capture his ire, Hawkman underestimates the beast's cunning, and is caught off-guard by a swift swing of his foe's massive tail.

Able to only crawl due to the shattering blow, the Pinioned Paladin nevertheless manages to evade his foe all the way to the island's shoreline, and effectively dives into the water just in time to avoid the ancient reptile's massive jaws. The water is not the Hawkman's natural environment, however, and as his lungs begin to burn for air, his salvation comes from two most unexpected allies. The prodding t-rex is caught off-guard by the bite of a shark, and his legs tangled by the tendrils of an octopus. As the tide goes out, the sparkling cover Hawkman once hid beneath is lowered, transformed into a massive wave, and it is only then that he learns the identity of his true savior: Aquaman has finally arrived.

To Be Concluded...

I'm actually glad I wasn't able to read these two issues until yesterday, back-to-back, as I felt #10 was extremely light on content; probably the barest since #1. Once again, Baker's nicely drawn, dynamic splash panels and witty dialogue kept it an enjoyable, albeit short experience ("Look! Look what I can do!"), but I think by itself, last week's issue would have been a bit of a letdown.

That's not the case at all, though, when having #11 immediately available to read after finishing #10. Baker held off much longer in formally introducing Aquaman than I suspected he would, waiting until the story's climax apparently, and all the way up to that appearance he continues to heighten the desperation of our hero. Much like Johns in Blackest Night, Baker does a fine job of reminding readers that having command over all of sea life isn't the lame ability at all that it's often portrayed to be, and I assume Aquaman fans are just as pleased with their favorite character's appearance here as I've been with mine's since the strip first started.

Baker definitely gets these characters, as I don't believe he could write them so convincingly in so short a space from week to week if he didn't, and the end result is a highly entertaining, highly exciting story that I can't wait to see the finale to next week. It's been a great ride these past twelve weeks, and while I'll be saddened to see Wednesday Comics draw to a close, right now I'm just as anxious to see how Kyle Baker's Hawkman wraps up.

BLACKEST NIGHT #3: It's On!

2009-09-17T12:40:00.005-04:00

One thing I can't criticize Blackest Night for is having misleading covers. With a host of Black Lanterns on this month's cover, including our favorite Winged Wonders, the contents of the issue itself deliver the goods, with no shortage of living Justice Leaguers versus Black Lantern Leaguers. Better yet, it only takes one page turn to get to that action.

Before that page turn, however, we're given a brief rundown of Jason Rusch (the current Firestorm) and his girlfriend Gehenna's relationship. Instantly I was reminded of the Hawkman and Hawkgirl pages leading up to their demise in Blackest Night #1, and considering the touted alternate cover for this issue, I sort of deduced their fate right from the outset. More on that later, though.

So let's flip that page and... yeah, there we go. That's what I'm talking about! Hal Jordan and Barry Allen mixing it up with some Black Lanterns. Nice. And who are those two Black Lanterns over there, going right at Hal Jordan? Why, it's Hawkman and Hawkgirl. Awesome. Finally the Black Lantern Hawks get some lines this issue, with Kendra in my opinion having the quote of the month, spurring Hawkman on to make the Green Lantern use his willpower as it, "makes her hot." Kinky.

The battle ensues for quite some time, with Barry very smartly trying to sever Ronnie Raymond's (the original Firestorm) Black Power Ring from his body, only to see it has taken firm root, as well as Hal laying the smack down on Carter with his own big friggin' mace. It's around this time that Ray Palmer emerges from Hawkman's Power Ring, bloody, beaten, and disheartened, having witnessed what's befallen his best friend and the dead woman his ex-wife killed. He's not so out of it, though, that he isn't able to describe what he saw while in the ring. Turns out the things are laced with wormholes, channeling some sort of energy to... well, someplace. Helpful information, Ray.

Meanwhile, after receiving a distress signal from JLA HQ, Jason and Gen turn up as Firestorm only to find the place empty. In one of the better pages in the book, we're treated with a wall of monitors showing Black Lanterns popping up all over the planet, with the best one featuring the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in D.C. And the undead soldier's line to the police who've shown up at the scene: "I have a name." Pretty clever, Johns.

Anyway, immediately after this, Firestorm discovers that it was Aquawoman... er, Mera (don't stab me, please!) who activated the distress signal, and she promptly gives the two young heroes a quick yet horrifying rundown of what's going on. She also demonstrates her deductive skills, telling the two to try and remain calm, because any emotion seems to attract the Black Lanterns like sharks to blood.

Back at the fight between the two Leagues, Bary, Hal, and Ray are being overwhelmed, when the Indigo Lanterns appear. Channeling and combing the power of Hal Jordan's willpower with her own of compassion, she's able to destroy both Ralph and Sue Dibny. From there, the five survivors teleport to the JLA's headquarters, where they meet up with Firestorm and Mera, and "Indigo-1" proceeds to flesh out what's going on. In a nutshell, darkness occupied this world first, light came second. And when the light was fractured, life was created, with each emotion deriving from a different piece of the spectrum. Well, turns out darkness ain't pleased with this, and he's once again fighting back to reclaim his territory.

Following this, Hal and Barry have a brief exchange, more or less in the form of exposition to help catch up newer readers and give everyone a sense of just where these two characters are coming from. The two make amends just in time for Black Lantern Firestorm to make one heck of an entrance, and Indigo-1 teleports out, with only her companion and Hal in tow, leaving the rest of the heroes to fend for themselves. Nice lady.

Ronnie quickly seeks out Jason, separating him and Gen from the group, while at the same time shutting down their powers. In an unexpected twist, Jason reaches out to stop Ronnie from grabbing Gen, and is absorbed into the Black Lantern Firestorm. His mind then becomes an open book to Ronnie, and taking advantage of his penchant for formulas, uses Jason's own thoughts to turn his best gal into table salt. All except for her heart that is; wouldn't want to waste that, after all. Jason, understandably, loses it, and his emotion appears to be channeled to draw a slew of Black Rings to the JLA crypt. The result is a whole mess of Black Lantern villains rising from the grave, including but not limited to: Alexander Luthor, Dr. Light, Copperhead, Maxwell Lord, and Dr. Psycho. With this as the issue's final story page, we're promised that next month the Black Lantern Power Level will be reaching 100%. This thing's just getting started, folks.

The actual final two pages of the issue are another entry in Black Hand's "Book of the Black," the focus this time being on the emotion Rage and the character of Spectre. Interesting stuff, but nothing vital, nor worth mentioning for this blog.

All in all, it was another enjoyable issue, with Hawkman and Hawkgirl playing a sizable role as antagonists, especially when you consider how many Black Lanterns Johns was juggling here. Hawkman gets in some good shots on Hal, showing he can throw down with the big boys if he has to, which, even though he is "undead," I nonetheless appreciated seeing. But more importantly, the Hawks' significance continues to be amped up in my mind, with Ray posing the question that's been asked by several already: Why were Carter and Kendra targeted first? There's a theory going around that the Star Sapphires "Crystal Lovers" are somehow going to tie into the Hawks, but I'm not going to jump on that bandwagon without more to go on just yet. Either way, though, I think it's clear Johns has bigger plans for Hawkman and Hawkgirl as the series goes on.

The question also remains of, "Will Carter and Kendra come back?" I still think that's open to debate, but I'm also still leaning towards "yes" at this point. While it's probably unlikely that every character transformed into a Black Lantern will be resurrected at the end, Johns has perhaps shown in this issue how the herd might be thinned, with several "connections" being severed in the same vein as Ralph and Sue's were in this issue before this thing finally winds down. I don't imagine all the Black Lanterns are going to be destroyed on a case by case basis, so whatever ultimate weapon that's used in #8--be it a White Light, a White Lantern, or some other unforeseen tool--I believe it's likely that whoever still has on a Black Ring at the time that the trigger is pulled, that person's going to get a "Get Out of Death Free" card handed to them. Just mere speculation, but that's how I see it playing out right now, anyway.

All speculation aside, though, Johns is doing a wonderful job with this series, and I'm thankful that Hawkman and Hawkgirl are finally playing a part in DC's yearly event for once, even if it is in a, shall we say, altered capacity. With the profiles of many of DC's lesser known characters being raised by their involvement in Blackest Night, hopefully the powers-that-be can manage to properly direct that interest in the creation of some new and successful ongoing series spinning out of this event, and with any luck, a new Hawkman title will be among them.

WORLD OF NEW KRYPTON #7

2009-09-17T00:42:00.004-04:00

First off, I'm obviously back, not that anyone probably even noticed I was gone. I have a lot of reading to catch up on--two weeks worth--but I'll probably get right on Blackest Night #3's recap tomorrow (just read it; it was awesome, by the way!), along with a Wednesday Comics #10 and #11 two-fer for Friday. Tonight, though, I'm going to slip back into things nice and easy with World of New Krypton #7.

I admit that I'm not a very big Superman fan, but when the solicit for World of New Krypton #8 hit a couple of months ago, I swiftly clicked on over to eBay and caught myself up on the series right quick. The series itself is quite good, and very easy to get into, even if you've not a clue of what Superman's been up to lately.

Anyway, by sheer chance the first comic I picked up today upon my return was WoNK #7, more or less entirely forgetting about the Thanagarian presence set for next month, and as such I was very pleasantly surprised by this issue's cliffhanger ending. You see, Superman and the rest of the Kryptonians are currently in the process of trying to get a moon for their new planet, so they're "borrowing" one of Jupiter's. During the move, however, the transport ships' contact with New Krypton because shoddy, clearly due to an attack of some sort. Kal and his troops quickly rush out en masse to find out what's happened, and they're faced with... well, a picture's worth a thousand words, so I'll let this one do the talking for me.

Pretty nifty, huh? The full-on double-splash-page is even better, believe you me.

Again, World of New Krypton is turning out to be a surprisingly entertaining read besides, but now that the Thanagarians have finally popped up, I'm reminded why I dropped $15 (plus shipping) to catch up on this series. Can't wait to see how this plays out next month.

And with that, I leave you with this: It's great to be back, folks!

WEDNESDAY COMICS #9

2009-09-03T13:41:00.003-04:00

Staring down a hungry, vicious tyrannosaurus rex, Hawkman tells the stranded airline passengers of Dinosaur Island to flee while he holds the massive beast off. Our hero, however, isn't the only museum curator on the island it would seem, as a passenger who just happens to hold that very same position speaks up, objecting that Hawkman's command will only make the fleeing people that much more enticing to the ancient reptile. Not to be outdone, the Winged Wonder pulls rank, informing the self-aggrandizing man that superhero trumps all else. After the strong reprimand, the curator in question finally takes the hint and succumbs to Hawkman's order, instantly scrambling along with all the other passengers in the same direction: away from the giant preditor. But as they turn tail south, the Pinioned Paladin instead faces north, his mace flailing and sword raised upwards in his charge towards the oncoming behemoth.

To be continued...

Short and sweet is what this installment was. Hawkman wastes no time in telling the passengers to get lost while he handles the t-rex. When the stubborn man spoke up, I thought his know-it-all attitude was going to supposedly stem from watching too many Hollywood movies, but I liked Baker's ironic slant of making him a museum curator, too. Clearly, we all know that Hawkman is just as knowledgeable in these sorts of matters as the passenger was, but Katar can't simply come out and say so. Besides, his "I'm Hawkman, dammit!" line was priceless. Definitely would have been the highlight of this issue, if not for that spectacular looking final panel.

Another strong offering in an already consistently entertaining strip by Baker. Still waiting for Aquaman, though. At this point, I don't know if he's saving him for the big finale, or if he might just pop up next issue. Either way, I'll be happy to see Hawkman get his own licks in on the t-rex by himself first. Should be fun another fun issue next week, no matter how it turns out.

Fan Expo: DC Editorial Panel

2009-09-01T20:17:00.004-04:00

Another mention by Dan DiDio of our favorite Winged Warrior at Toronto's Fan Expo this weekend, this time coming to us by way of Newsarama's coverage of the DC Editorial panel. Both the question and the bulk of DiDio's answer are chiefly centered around Aquaman, but that Hawkman's name managed to sneack in here tells me the same attitude is being applied to both characters:

One reader’s question about the chance of revitalizing Aquaman elicited an interesting explanation from DiDio:

"Aquaman is different than the rest of them," he offered. "Where is Aquaman Rebirth? It’s hard for us to do a rebirth because rebirths stand for something to us. It’s a particular character returning who had the lead mantle of that character, and him being re-established in the world. Aquaman has never been removed from the role, with the exception of maybe what we did with the 'One Year Later'. It’s a different sensibility going on there.

"The other thing with Aquaman is he never got the level of traction the other characters did. He never broke free. Most people’s references to Aquaman really are the cartoon series from the 1960’s and Super Friends. We look at Aquaman a lot of times and say ‘What is the iconic interpretation?’ When we do that, you have 15 different answers because the problem with Aquaman, and in some way the same problem with Hawkman, is that every time he was rebooted, the origin was moved a little bit to the right, moved a little to the left, moved around half way and then it came back three quarters. He never really had a clear change and his story just meandered along. Our goal following Blackest Night, if there is an Aquaman, would be to make sure to get clear what the iconic interpretation is and present it in the best light possible."

So once again we have DiDio's now patented "iconic" terminology in play with regards to Hawkman. Also of note is his initial response to the whole Rebirth angle, and why it may or may not be applied to a character like Aquaman. DiDio seems to be indicating that he feels a Rebirth is only essential when a broad, sweeping change has been made to a character's legacy over the course of their absence. Sounds like the Silver Age Katar Hol fits the bill so far. However, he also goes on to imply that characters like Aquaman and Hawkman were never popular enough to begin with for people to even notice that such changes to their origins had occurred.

While I can't agree with him on that sentiment--obviously Hawkman is viewed as having a convoluted continuity by so many because the readers did indeed notice all the changes--it does sound like, Rebirth or not, DC is going to be making it a point to lock down who these two characters are in a definitive way sometime following Blackest Night, which can only be viewed as good news. I've felt from the beginning that the purpose of killing Hawkman off at the start of Blackest Night, regardless of who he might be at the end, was to ultimately and clearly delineate who he is in the minds of as many readers as possible. Whether that means DC will be using the event as an opportunity to bring back Katar, or Johns will instead be using it as his chance to reaffirm Carter in the role, though, remains debatable at this point.

Fan Expo and the Hawks

2009-08-29T22:37:00.004-04:00

Courtesy of Comic Book Resources' complete coverage of the DC Nation panel at the 2009 Fan Expo in Toronto, Dan DiDio and several creators from DC Comics commented earlier today about the Hawks' death in Blackest Night #1:

Regarding the death of Hawkman and Hawkgirl in the final pages of the first issues, panelists felt their deaths set a strong precedence for things to come.

“We thought that was really interesting, we had a lot of fun with it,” DiDio said “I guess that sounds weird, we’re having fun killing people, but it’s been part of our M.O. for awhile.”

Elaborating on the decision to off DC’s resident avian couple, DiDio explained that there’s always been a revolving door of death in comics. With “Blackest Night” being a story driven by emotion, DiDio feels DC is trying to bring some much needed sensibility to that notion.

“When the hero died it actually had some value and they stayed dead for a long time,” claimed [Len] Wein.

Arriving late artist Ethan Van Sciver (“The Flash: Rebirth”, “Sinestro Corps War” and “Blackest Night”) joined the panel to well received applause from the audience.

Returning to his previous comment, Wein stated that use of death in comics has lost much of its value.

“It’s become a trick, everyone sees how you do it and it doesn’t seem so impressive anymore.”

DiDio explained that with “Blackest Night,” DC hopes to reinvent this old trick for fans.

Not much in relation to Hawkman and Hawkgirl themselves, but more and more I'm getting the sense that anyone who's killed at the hands of a Black Lantern during Blackest Night is going to be brought back by the event's end, and that includes Carter and Kendra. DiDio's lack of empathy in his above comments, as well as his multiple statements on reassessing the way DC handles character death in general tend to read to me as though all those killed over the course of Blackest Night are simply going to turn out to be non-deaths in the end. Sort of like one last big "hurrah" for the more macabre minded at DC before the new edict goes into effect.

That said, I haven't completely written off the possibility that Katar and Shayera may somehow still get a new lease on life down the road, but I'm no longer anticipating it, either. And considering I'm quite fond of the "current" Hawks too, I'd rather not unnecessarily raise my hopes of getting Katar and Shayera back, lest such hopes dampen any of the satisfaction I would otherwise have in Carter and Kendra eventually returning instead. Of course, it's entirely possible that future developments in the series will sway my expectations in the other direction once more, but with each hero robbed of their heart in exchange for a new ring each month, the greater my confidence becomes in seeing a mass of Black Lantern resurrections by issue #8.

Hawkman's Deus Ex Machina

2009-08-28T13:38:00.003-04:00

If there's one thing I never really cared for on JLU, it was the way Nth metal was portrayed. It seemed almost like an afterthought to the show's creators, in that they realized mid-production that in order to make Hawkgirl more vital to the group, they needed to give her a niche. The solution, then, was to make Nth metal the end-all-be-all when it came to threats that didn't have any other weakness. Amazo won't go down with a punch from Superman? Give him Hawkgirl's Nth metal mace. Magical beings from another dimension? Hit them with Hawkgirl's mace. Solomon Grundy resistant to all other means? You know what to do by now, I'm sure. The stuff didn't seem to have any real limitations beyond those the producers decided to place on it that particular week.

For similar reasons, I was never too fond of Hawkman's Claw of Horus in the comics. Don't get me wrong: I thought it was a cool weapon to add to his arsenal. However, I could never understand why he didn't always carry it into battle with him. After all, since its introduction, the Claw has since been said to hold control over how Nth metal in its vicinity will function (JSA #24); shown to pack a punch with the weight of an entire planet behind it (Superman/Batman: Public Enemies); and in Hawkman #42 it even appeared to fire some pretty powerful concussive blasts at the Purple Pilgrim. So again, why not wear it all the time, Hawkman? Wouldn't it have come in handy in Black Reign or One World, Under Gog?

The way I see it, the simplest solution to solving this "problem" is to give the Claw of Horus some inherent limitations. One line of text, and the question of "Where's Hawkman's magic glove?" would never need be asked again. And the two easiest explanations would be:

1.) The Claw can only do so much for so long. After three or four blows from some Earth-powered punches, the thing goes dead. Following that, it has to remain in a state of repose for at least 72 hours before it can be used again. Then, you have Hawkman picking its uses carefully, because today's world-ending scale threat might be nothing in comparison to tomorrow's. He'd really have to weigh its necessity for every situation before pulling it on.

2.) The Claw of Horus invariably drains the life force of its bearer, making them a force to be reckoned with for a few choice moments, but taking them out of the fight all but completely once their energy is sapped. I think I prefer this to the former, as it places the same type of risk versus reward conundrum for Hawkman as the first option, but the stakes would be higher if the threat at hand wasn't dealt with before the Claw drains Hawkman of his strength.

Either way, though, should the Claw of Horus remain a part of Hawkman's arsenal when he eventually returns, I would very much like a writer to address the issue of its use, or rather lack thereof. One of the reasons I'm a fan of Hawkman is actually because he isn't a Superman level character in terms of power. The Claw of Horus has only ever been used as an ace-in-hole type of plot device, and I appreciate that greatly from the writers. Nevertheless, I would still like to see a reason formally given for why it remains as such, and I believe either of the above would do the job nicely.

It might seem nitpicky, but I can't imagine I'm the only one who didn't wonder why Hawkman didn't throw that bad boy on during his bout with Black Adam in The Dark Age. I mean, if you had a magic glove with the ability to pack a punch with the weight of an entire planet behind it, would you ever take it off unless there was a reason to? I know I wouldn't, anyway.

WEDNESDAY COMICS #8

2009-08-27T22:32:00.007-04:00

After learning of his whereabouts last issue, Hawkman contacts his wife, Shayera, in hopes of receiving some much needed assistance. Unfortunately, Hawkgirl's busy dealing with her own problems, mopping up the last of the Makkorthians in space. Wishing her luck, the Winged Warrior turns once more to Batman in the Justice League Watchtower, hoping the Caped Crusader might be able to simply teleport him and the rest of the plane crash survivors on Dinosaur Island to safety. Again, Hawkman's hopes are dashed, as with so many Makkorthian ships still in the area, Batman is unable to drop the satellite headquarters' shields, rendering its teleporters useless. However, always thinking on his toes, the Dark Knight Detective once again reminds our hero that there is one person in the area still available to lend a helping hand: Aquaman.

As a stampede of frightened brontosauruses reaches its end, the survivors stranded on Dinosaur Island are left faced with their deadly pursuer. Just yards away from the hungry t-rex, Hawkman informs his teammate in so many words that he'll take any help he can get.

To be continued...It was great to see Shayera again this issue. In fact, not only did she get to share some space on the front page of the issue itself, but within the story we see her blasting a Makkorthite right between the eyes... er, antenna... whatever. Either way, it was an unexpected delight, and though their lines shared are brief, I really felt Baker subtly managed to capture the close relationship between the Winged Wonders simply by way of having Katar telling Shayera to, "Stay safe." We're also again teased with the forthcoming Aquaman appearance, although at this point I don't think the tension can get any higher. I really hope he finally pops up next week, if only in the final panel.

Artistically speaking, Baker's art continues to be the only real sticking point for me, and it's not so much a detraction as it is a mixed bag. Some stuff looks spectacular: the final panel featuring the t-rex in this issue, for instance. On the other hand, though, you have awkward non-panels, such as Hawkman standing in front of an empty background while he converses with Batman. Not only is Katar's stance somewhat odd looking, the picture itself just feels a bit out of place when grouped with other panels featuring much more intricate details.

Aesthetic nitpicks aside, however, I'm continuing to enjoy this strip immensely, and find myself looking forward to it more and more each week. With only four issues left now, I'm really going to be at loss for getting my Hawkman fix between issues of Blackest Night.

20 Questions With Dan DiDio

2009-08-24T12:18:00.004-04:00

Newsarama's biweekly Q&A session with DC's Executive Editor Dan DiDio continued today, and as luck would have it, DD fielded a question about none other than Hawkman himself. From the interview:

13. grantg asked:
Can you pull the curtain back a little and tell us what's going on with Hawkman?

DiDio: One of the things we're probably most tight-lipped about is anything that follows Blackest Night.

Nrama: There's a lot of concern about the Hawks in particular.

DiDio: A lot of concern? What's everybody concerned about? It's summertime! People should be enjoying themselves. Go to the beach! You shouldn't be concerning yourself with this!

Without being able to say anything more, as of right now, the Hawks are Black Lanterns, and that's their role in the DC Universe for the time being.

So nothing really new per se; I think we all know by now that whatever Hawkman's fate is going to be, it isn't going to become clear until Blackest Night concludes. However, the "as of right now" and "for the time being" portions of DiDio's answer would seem to indicate that the Hawks will indeed have a place in the DCU coming out of the event, he just doesn't want to spill the beans on the specifics ahead of time. One could even go a step further and possibly take those comments to mean it will be Carter and Kendra returning, but they're so vague I'm trying not to read that much into them just yet.

That the Hawks will be around in some capacity, though, is very promising news in and of itself, because at least we can be assured that--unlike when Katar was banished into limbo--we won't be stuck waiting another five years for there to be a Hawkman flying around in the DC Universe.

Hawkman Stuff In JLA #36

2009-08-23T13:09:00.003-04:00

What can I say? I'm easily excited. I suppose with Hawkman getting so little limelight since his last solo title ended three years ago, I'm just happy to see him pop up anywhere. And considering his current status in Blackest Night and being on the outs with the JSA, I don't have very high hopes of seeing him in too many places each week (among the living, anyway) beyond Wednesday Comics. I was understandably pleased then, when Hawkman got the subtlest of love in Justice League of America #36 this week.

The issue opens with the Royal Flush Gang knocking over a diamond exhibition. Doesn't seem to have anything to do with Hawkman, but the very first caption box reads: "The 58th Midway City Diamond Exhibition, Thursday morning." Like I said, I'm easily excited, but it was nevertheless nice to see that nod to Hawkman's old hunting ground.

My next surprise came in the form of Amos Fortune recalling his rise to underworld notoriety. As we take a tour down memory lane, we're treated to several Justice League members of old beating the stuffing out of the Royal Flush Gang. Among them is our favorite Pinioned Paladin himself, pictured alongside heavy-hitters Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, and the Flash. With only one panel to feature them in, Hawkman's inclusion as a memorable Leaguer was pleasing to this fan.

Little things, I know, but something is better than nothing. And whereas I hope and half-expect to see Hawkman appear in JSA vs. Kobra each month, it's these completely unexpected cameos that really make me happy, because they demonstrate that the character is still in the thoughts and minds of several folks at DC Comics. True, flashbacks and vague references such as what's found here may not do much to raise his profile in the eyes of readers, but they do keep him in their memories, while at the same time show a willingness on the parts of the creators to use Hawkman in their storylines. Not exactly causes for celebration of course, but encouraging nonetheless.

Custom Hawkman Statue

2009-08-23T00:32:00.004-04:00

Obsessed Hawkman fan that I am, I admit to regularly searching eBay for any merchandise or comic books featuring the character that I don't already own. Most of the time these searches return something ether long since a part of my collection or something that is well outside my price range. It's rare, though, when I find something on the famed auction site that I've never even seen before, and this evening such an occurrence happened, with the product in question so impressive I feel obligated to share it with you all.

At 17" tall, I suspect this piece is even more impressive in person. Apparently using a Hard Heroes Angel statue as his basis, this artist/seller has created a unique Hawkman statue he's dubbed "Dark Hawkman." I'm not quite sure about the liberties take with the helmet, but it's nevertheless an impressive piece of craftsmanship, one I would love to have myself but for the hefty price tag. Still, one can appreciate fine art without actually owning it, and the seller in question has my best wishes in getting what he's looking for in return for his hard work.

You can see more pics here, or if you have more money to throw around than I do, then by all means check out the auction for yourself here.

I. Don't. Care.

2009-08-21T12:54:00.004-04:00

Ever since Blackest Night #1, there seems to be a fair amount of contention in the Hawkman community--small though it may be--over who Hawkman should be coming out of the event. This is sort of troubling to me. I've always found most of my fellow Hawk-fans to be pretty courteous and respectful of others' views of the character, typically far more so than your average Green Lantern ("Kyle Rayner!" "No, Hal Jordan!") or Batgirl ("Cass should be Batgirl now!" "Barabara's the one true Batgirl!") fan. With the spot of Hawkman debatably open right now, though, this seems to be changing, as I've seen more than a few posts from Carter and Katar fans needlessly bashing the idea of one returning instead of the other.

Perhaps I'm a bit less testy over the subject because I just like Hawkman. Not Katar, not Carter, just Hawkman. My first real exposure to the character ever was the Super Powers figure my mother bought me when I was a little boy, and I just thought he was one of the coolest looking characters I had ever seen. Cool mask, flapping wings, and the mace as an accessory; what wasn't to love in the eyes of a kid? From there, I found The Shadow War of Hawkman, and from that story and others I inevitably learned more about the character beyond his appearance. He was a museum curator in his spare time. His alias was Carter Hall. He often went on adventures with his wife Hawkwoman, or Shayera, also known as Shiera Hall in her other identity. They had a space ship and other neat pieces of alien tech. They would occasionally converse with birds. And most important of all to an impressionable young child, they hit stuff with old weapons.

One thing that I always took away from Hawkman, though, especially when it came to his group outings with the Justice League and the like, was that he was the tough guy. He was the one who, while not always the strongest, was never afraid to knock a few heads together to get the job done. It's probably also why I often found myself gravitating more towards Hawkworld Shayera than Katar; her no-holds-barred attitude had a tendency to appeal to me more than that interpretation of Katar's originally more measured personality. And while it's true the current Carter Hall is often portrayed as a bit over-anxious (to put it mildly) in the way he deals with threats, I don't find his characterization too dissimilar from the Silver Age Katar's, especially when Shayera was placed in danger. Moreover, considering Hawkman has been more or less lacking a moral compass in the form of a Hawkgirl since his return eight years ago, his behavior never felt too out of the ordinary to me.

What it comes down to, for me anyway, is that Hawkman needs to fill a few crucial holes to appeal to this Hawk-fan. Obviously, he has to have the look; that's a given. And Nth metal as the source of his flight seems like a given at this point as well. He should be characterized as a highly intelligent man with a wealth of Earthly knowledge. In his civilian guise, he's as cultured as he is unyielding in his heroic one. In that same vein, Hawkman is a museum curator who uses weapons of the past to deal with the threats of today. With knowledge of Thanagar in one form or another, he's just as likely to go off on an adventure in space as he is one in the Middle-East. On these adventures, Hawkman fights crime with his red-haired love interest, who serves as his companion and often times keeps him centered. And preferably, he works under the name Carter Hall, which may or may not be his given name, but nonetheless is what he answers to.

With all this in mind, I suppose it's no surprise that I don't really have a horse in the race of "Who should be Hawkman now?" I feel confident that, whether it be Carter or Katar who resumes the mantle following Blackest Night, I'm going to get the same traits, characterization, and imagery that made me a Hawk-fan in the first place, and that's what's most important to me. More than anything else, though, I once again feel very strongly that no matter who they happen to be under the masks, we're going to get a Hawkman and Hawkgirl who are two pieces of a whole.

To put it plainly: I like Hawkman. To delve deeper into it than that; to debate which Hawkman exactly, or from which era he comes; that always felt redundant and needlessly overcomplicated to me. When push comes to shove, do I have a preference? Yeah, but it's in no way an all-or-nothing kind of preference. Hawkman's a warrior with wings who runs a museum with his equally beautiful and capable lover and companion, Hawkgirl. Just give him to me in a way I can recognize, one that's true to these basic roots, and I'll be there at the front of the line to enjoy the ride.

WEDNESDAY COMICS #7

2009-08-20T23:30:00.006-04:00

Past the midway point, and with no entries between last week's issue and this one's, you know where we're at.

While Hawkman continues to examine his flight harness in hopes of somehow repairing it, his newest young fan has unwisely ventured off on her own to check out the lay of the land. Stumbling across a small dinosaur of all things, the innocent child is dismayed when she unintentionally frightens the creature off. Giving chase, however, she quickly finds by the signal of a flock of fleeing birds that it wasn't she who caused the animal's fright, but rather something much, much bigger. Alerted by her scream, Hawkman's focus shifts from his damaged equipment to the more immediate danger at hand, and for the first time realizes where exactly he and the passengers of the downed airliner are stranded: Dinosaur Island.

To be continued...Obviously that blast from last week didn't do anyone any harm, and since none of us probably expected it to, I was glad Baker simply jumped ahead to let the reader fill in the blanks. Wasting no time on the explosion's after effects, the entirety of the page is instead devoted to building up what's next to come in the reader's mind.

It's the character moments that make it all fun, though. You gotta love Hawkman's tiny co-star in this strip, oversized glasses and all. Only a child would find a dinosaur more cute than terrifying, regardless of its size, and Baker captured that youthful wonder very well in just a few panels. Also of note here is how Hawkman is--as he has been throughout the story--all business. While everyone else is either bewildered or shell-shocked over their predicament, Katar's busy trying to repair his wing harness so he can better assess the situation. Really consistent characterization by Baker, and outside continuity though it may be, Hawkman is instantly recognizable through his actions alone.

As for those dinos for which the island's been named, the ominous way in which we were clued in on their presence was subtle but effective. Throughout this story's run, every week's final words and visuals have typically created a good idea for what to expect next without spoiling the actual unveiling. And considering this issue ended with the imagery of a giant, reptilian footprint, even those who weren't following Kyle Baker's blog a few of months back should have a good idea of where this is headed, and if I learned anything in math class, it's that Hawkman + dinosaurs = awesome sauce.

WEDNESDAY COMICS #6

2009-08-13T13:43:00.004-04:00

When last we left our hero, he and the plane he was attempting to rescue had just crashed down on an unknown island somewhere in the Pacific. Hawkman awakens from unconsciousness to find his wing harness rendered useless, its controls overloaded by the strain of helping to slow the massive airliner's descent. With the Justice League still fending off the Makkorthian fleet in space, the Thanagarian Wingman decides to spend the wait looking after the surviving plane passengers. Upon reaching the wreckage, Hawkman is relieved to see the young girl whom he had instructed to fasten her seat belt before boarding the plane is safe. The Winged Warrior's relief quickly turns to dread, however, as the scent of jet fuel fills his nostrils. Scooping the child up in his arms, Hawkman is rocketed forward from the ensuing blast.

To be continued...My only real gripe this week is with the art, namely one awkward-looking panel of Hawkman's face. Aside from that, though, it was another enjoyable page all around. The change in setting and tone starts with this issue. Even though I've barely managed to sit through an entire episode, right away I was reminded of the television series Lost as this week's Hawkman installment began. Katar's injured, his equipment is lacking, and he's got a whole lot of people to look after now, changing the more adventurous dynamic the strip had when it began to one of suspense.

There was a very nice moment there, though, amidst the plot change, as like Hawkman, I was also happy to see the little girl from week two safe and sound. It's surprising that even with so little space to work with, Baker's still managed to make me care about such a relatively insignificant character. That said, I'm not too worried about her making it through the explosion depicted at the end of this week's issue, although I'm sure it won't help Hawkman's condition any. And with dinosaurs soon to appear in the strip, I get the impression that the Pinioned Paladin's going to need that assist from Aquaman more than he thought he would when he originally asked for it. Now that's a team-up I'm really looking forward to seeing.

On a closing note, CBR posted an interview with Kyle Baker yesterday about his Hawkman work for Wednesday Comics. It's more technical and art-related than anything else, but Baker's a guy with a lot of personality, so the interview's still an entertaining read. Probably the most notable revelation, as far as this blog is concerned anyway, is Baker's affirmative response to whether he'd be willing to do a Hawkman ongoing if DC were to make such a request from him. Considering how great these pages have been so far, Baker's definitely earned a place on my shortlist to write this interpretation of the Hawks again, be it in a new ongoing or just an elseworlds mini-series. The man's got a real handle on the characters.

BLACKEST NIGHT #2: Black Lantern Hawks

2009-08-12T19:26:00.010-04:00

First off, a very brief review of the issue as a whole: I didn't enjoy it as much as the first. It was still a darn fine read, though, and there was certainly no shortage on action if that's what tickles your fancy (and I say that as someone not opposed to action), but for me the highlight of the issue, unsurprisingly, was its first few pages, quiet though they were. Also of note were the pages featuring a group DC's mystics confronted by Black Hand in a Gotham City cemetery. The final page of that sequence was especially shocking, if not downright spectacular to look at.

While some moments far and away eclipsed others, however, it was nevertheless an entertaining issue all around, with quite a few surprises. Just enough light is shed on the nature of the Black Lanterns to keep you interested, a couple more bodies receive their black rings, and another hero falls unexpectedly to the Black Lantern Corps, only to become a member himself. And if you're a fan of Aquaman, you probably loved this issue on principle alone; he's treated as a very serious threat from the moment he shows up. Oh, and the Black Lantern Justice League appears at the issue's end, but I'll get to that later.

Anyway, Hawkman stuff. Blackest Night #2 starts right where #1 left off, in the Stonechat Museum in St. Roch. Ray Palmer is trying to reach Carter after being hung up on in the last issue. After a few desperate rings, "Carter" finally picks up the phone, and Ray pleads to meet with him, telling him how despite what she did, he still cares for Jean Loring. After asking Carter how he "let Kendra go," Carter, great friend that he is, tells Ray to come on over. Probably to have tea and crumpets, I'm guessing.

All joking aside, this really was a good scene; again, definitely a highlight for me. Ivan Reis did a heck of a job on Ray in these panels, really capturing the emotion of the poor guy. More so than Johns even, it was Reis portrayal of the Atom, with the tears welling up in his eyes, that captured the moment for me. And the question he left Carter with was especially touching for this Hawk-fan. Jumping ahead for a moment, though, I was disappointed this promised meeting between the two friends never came to fruition within this issue. With any luck, next month we'll get a flashback of some sort from the Atom's perspective and hopefully get to see what happened. On the other hand, maybe Hawkman just set Ray up to meet with someone else at the museum. Time will tell, I suppose.

Moving on, after some pages covering the happenings elsewhere--including Barry and Hal's continued fight against the Martian Manhunter; Mera and Tempest's discovery of Black Lantern Aquaman; Deadman's coping with his own body being summoned into the Corps; and Hawk's (of Hawk and Dove) own induction into the Black Lanterns--we come to the aforementioned meeting between Black Hand and the Spectre. Of note here is that Hawkman and Hawkgirl are mentioned right alongside the Spectre as specifically needing to be moved aside before the ultimate order that the Black Lanterns have in mind can firmly take hold. The Spectre's a pretty dangerous customer, so to have the Hawks mentioned as posing a similar threat to the villain's plans leaves me optimistic that they're going to play a fairly prominent role in the series' finale.

From there a couple more developments ensue. Mera discovers by way of taking Dolphin's head that the age-old standard of decapitation doesn't work on these "zombies," and more shockingly, Garth becomes the third big-name of the series so far to have his heart plucked from his chest just moments before receiving his Black Ring. Throughout this, Barry and Hal believe they've emerged victoriously over the Martian Manhunter, but their celebration is a bit premature. Not only is J'onn still kicking, but he's called in back-up, and it's at this point we get our first real look at Black Lanterns Carter and Kendra. Obviously, one's skin dries out pretty quickly upon joining the Corps.

The issue formally ends at this point, left with the promise of seeing more of the "Black Lantern Justice League" in the next issue, but there's still more material to be read. Titled "The Book of the Black," and supposedly written by William "Black" Hand, Geoff Johns gives us three more pages to read over from said villain's point of view that center around Carter and Kendra, and why they were chosen to become members of the Black Lantern Corps. It's more or less a recap of their origins told from a darker perspective than usual, with the unsurprising revelation that whoever Black Hand's master is, he's apparently ticked off at the Hawks for constantly escaping his clutches by way of their love for one another. That emotion, by the way, appears to be the true focal point of this tale, and with rage promised to be the subject of the next installment, it seems this will be a running segment throughout the series.

All in all, there's not much new to go on in this issue with regards to Hawkman and Hawkgirl's future following Blackest Night. Probably the most relevant thing in relation to the Hawks for me was that Garth bit the big one, and here's why: I'm not currently expecting a mass of resurrections at Blackest Night's climax like others seem to be. However, if we start seeing more and more high profile heroes offed as this story progresses, my opinion could quickly change, as the higher the body count rises, so too do the odds in my mind that all those killed will inevitably be coming back, including Carter and Kendra (though with the memories of all her previous lives, particularly Shiera's, finally intact). So Tempest could just be the first (or third, rather) in a long line of heroes to be killed in Blackest Night, only to be brought triumphantly back for the final showdown. Still far too soon to take such an outcome as a given, though.

What really left me anxious for the very next issue, though, was Barry and Hal being confronted by Hawkman and Hawkgirl, among others, at this issue's close. Not so much because I'm looking forward to seeing the Black Lantern versions of my favorite characters in action (although I am), but mainly because I want to see Hal, and especially Barry's reaction to their deaths. As I intimated last month, Barry's memory of Hawkman and Hawkgirl is of particular interest to me, and if he says anything about Katar or Shayera--just a name, even--then that will all but seal their eventual return to the DCU for me. Even if he doesn't, however, my hopes won't be dashed; rather, it'll just leave the question of who's coming back as Hawkman and Hawkgirl open for further debate. But regardless of what Barry does or doesn't say, I'm hoping we see some real shock and sadness from a couple of DC's more notable heroes over the Hawks being killed by the Black Lanterns. In addition to my own wants of seeing their deaths formally acknowledged by the hero community, the revelation of their sudden demise could definitely amp up the urgency of this event from the heroes' perspective.

The desperate nature of Blackest Night can certainly already be felt by the readers, though, that's for sure. Where it goes from here is anyone's guess, but hopefully next month's issue will give us a bit more Hawkman and Hawkgirl goodness than this month's issue did. And even if it doesn't, some added insight concerning the nature of the Black Lanterns as well as clues to what their ultimate fate will be is pretty much a given. That being the case, whether they have a stronger presence in Blackest Night #3 or not, perhaps next month we'll have a better idea of what DC has in store for the Hawks' future.

Eaglemoss Hawkman Arrives

2009-08-11T12:18:00.003-04:00

A few months ago, I placed a pre-order for my first Eaglemoss Super Hero Collection figure, #33, Hawkman. To my surprise, it arrived on my doorstep yesterday afternoon, about two weeks sooner than I expected it to, and I have to say, I'm very impressed with the quality of this thing.

For those not familiar with the series, these figurines are more or less miniature statues constructed from lead, so they've got a good amount of weight to them. Hand painted and individually numbered, the figures also include a fifteen page, full-color booklet, with the first thirteen pages dedicated to the character in question's history, and the last two chronicling a new chapter in the DC Universe timeline, giving the more avid collector that much more incentive to pick up the next figure. But we're not talking about the series as a whole, we're talking about Hawkman's entry into it, so let's get down to business.

The figure itself is, as I said, quite heavy. In fact, even though it's on the smaller size when compared to my other Hawkman merchandise, it's quite possibly the heaviest Hawkman figure I own. Only my statues and busts of the character exceed this little guy in weight.

Artistically, it's fantastic to look at. Hawkman looks mean yet determined, with his mace raised defiantly in the air and his free hand clenched into a firm first at his side. Unfortunately, my figure seems to have a minor flaw in that the mace is bent a bit at Hawkman's thumb, but it doesn't detract from the imagery at all, thankfully. I also have to comment on the costume design Eaglemoss decided to go with. I've always felt the dropping of Hawkman's red undershorts--for lack of a better term--when he was reintroduced to the DCU was a good move, effectively streamlining and modernizing the character's overall appearance, but I have to admit that those same red undershorts really set this figure off for some reason. Perhaps it's the stark contrast of the rather dark green of the pants in comparison to the bright red of the shorts, but whatever it is, it doesn't look bad at all. Quite the opposite, in fact.

On other fronts, Hawkman's wings are very well detailed, and the length of his honor wings gives him a very regal yet warrior-like look. In fact, the sculpt of his helmet as a whole is just downright mean looking. It's very angular to look at in person, and the sharpness of it helps to give it that extra bit of intimidation factor. Very cool.

Finally, there's the chest emblem, which I suspect may vary from person to person, as again, these guys are hand-painted. Mine actually looks like the artist was going for a full body, or at the very least the wings of a hawk attached to the screaming hawk head. It looks great either way, though, and from three feet away it's instantly recognizable as Hawkman's iconic symbol.

After getting my fill of the figure, I set it aside on my desk and began poring over the included reading material. Written by Stephen Wiacek, the booklet covers three key areas of the character separated into categories: "The Wonder of the Skies," which is the largest section of the book and is devoted entirely to the character's history; "Hawkman's Classic Storylines," two pages listing a couple of good material to read starring Hawkman; and "Allies and Enemies," a list of the hero's friends and foes.

For anyone looking to get into Hawkman, or to those apprehensive about trying to understand the character's backstory after hearing so much about his "screwed up" continuity, I highly, highly recommend picking this figurine up. While Doug Zawisza's Hawkman Companion is a great source of general information for Hawkman, I could see the history aspects of that book confusing those newer to the character. The history section of this booklet, however, very effectively chronicles Hawkman's in-continuity existence as it currently stands, all the way from Khufu to last year's Hawkman Special. What you won't find in here is any mention of the Silver Age Hawks or the editorial screw-ups that led to their obliteration from the DCU. Instead, you'll find a succinct, easily understandable rundown of Carter Hall's history within the DCU itself, including how he (not Katar Hol) joined the Justice League of America, befriended The Atom, and butted heads on a regular basis with Green Arrow. Staunch continuity buffs may scoff at this, but I personally really appreciated how well it was all put together, and it shows to me yet again that DC is (for the moment, anyway) trying to keep Hawkman's history consistent. And to make it all that much more interesting, each page is accompanied by full-colored captioned pictures depicting the appropriate moments in history mentioned in the text. It's wonderfully put together, really.

From the history section, we move on to "Hawkman's Classic Storylines." I've been told by my brother that the Batman "issue" included three must-read stories, but sadly, Hawkman's only comes with two. And probably because this booklet is chiefly centered around Carter Hall as he currently stands in the DCU today, both stories are relatively recent: JSA: The Return of Hawkman, and Hawkman: Rise of the Golden Eagle. In fairness, these are two of my favorite Hawkman stories, though I can't help but wonder why Black Reign wasn't included as well, or even instead of Rise of the Golden Eagle. Eaglemoss may be trying to avoid overlap on mentioning the same story for two different characters in order to help maximize DC's profits, and if that's the case, perhaps Black Reign was already reserved for Black Adam. I also would have loved seeing Hawkworld included, as it too remains a favorite of mine, but despite the Modern Age Katar Hol getting his fair share of mentions in the history section, it probably again comes down to the fact that this magazine was very much targeted strictly at Carter Hall and his exploits.

Finally, we come to the "Allies and Enemies" section, which features precisely what you'd expect. Gentleman Ghost, Adam Strange, Vandal Savage, Golden Eagle, The Atom, and Hawkgirl (Kendra Saunders) round out the list, each with two or three paragraphs giving a very basic rundown of their origins, along with the nature of their relationship to Carter Hall Hawkman. I have to say, while I was both surprised and happy to see one of my favorite villains, Vandal Savage, actually make the list, I was equally surprised and disheartened to see another, the Shadow Thief, absent from it. I suspect Golden Eagle's mention on the previous page is probably what landed him a spot in this section, but Shadow Thief has always been Hawkman's Joker in my mind, or at least his Penguin; he comes up time and time again to face off against the Winged Wonder. Golden Eagle, on the other hand, was really more of a one-shot type villain in a single story arc, and a throwaway ally in Rann-Thanagar War. With the bios being as small as they are, I suppose it's not worth getting too worked up over, but I still feel that Shadow Thief should have been included so he's identified right away by newer fans as key a figure in Hawkman's rogues gallery.

After this we come to the "Timeline" section, titled "Part 24: The Magic Goes Away." As I said earlier, this section is a cerial article that runs from issue to issue, and since it doesn't include anything on Hawkman here, there's not much for me to comment on.

In summation, Eaglemoss' Hawkman figurine was worth every penny I paid for it. The figure itself looks great standing majestically on my desk, and I can see myself citing the booklet often in the future (depending on what happens after Blackest Night, anyway) as a great source of information on Hawkman's origin and history. To anyone who collects these figures in general, I suspect Hawkman will make a great addition to your gallery, and for the Hawkman fans out there iffy on what you might think of as being just another cheap "collector's" figure, don't be. Eaglemoss has clearly put a lot of time and effort into these miniature lead statues--the term "figure" honestly doesn't do them the justice they deserve--and you'd be spiting yourself not to check it out.

Kudos to Eaglemoss and DC. I love this thing!

Amanda Righetti for Hawkgirl!

2009-08-10T13:37:00.005-04:00

Aside from news and sports, I honestly don't watch too much television these days. One show I do make a point to catch, though, is CBS's The Mentalist. The concept is sort of silly: A former mentalist turns police aid after his wife and child are killed by a serial killer. Nevertheless, quirky premise notwithstanding, it's a fun show, and usually does a good job of keeping you guessing until the end.

I'd be lying, however, if I didn't admit that one of the draws to the show for me is Amanda Righetti, who plays Agent Grace Van Pelt, a young but tough officer in the law enforcement outfit assisted by the mentalist, Patrick Jane. Besides the fact that she's just an outright beautiful girl, every time I catch an episode I can't help but think Righetti would be a perfect Hawkgirl.

It seems to be a frequent pastime of comic book fans to choose which actors one would like to see portray their favorite characters, but I was always more or less ambivalent to such activities in the past. Now, though, I can see myself throwing my two cents in for Righetti as Hawkgirl whenever the subject comes up. She's that perfect for the part, in my opinion.

Sure, the live-action JLA film has been languishing in production limbo for years now, and even if it ever does get off the ground the chances of Hawkgirl appearing in it are probably slim. Likewise, I don't hold much hope of ever seeing a live-action Hawkman film in my lifetime. Nevertheless, be it a supporting role as Shayera in Justice League, a straight-up interpretation of Hawkworld featuring Shayera, or a more Mummy-like Golden Age retelling of Hawkman's origin starring Shiera or Kendra, Amanda Righetti's got my vote for the part. She's got the look, she's shown on a weekly basis that she can pull off the tough girl role, and she's very easy on the eyes. Just check her out on IMDb for more photos if you don't believe me.

So in the very off-chance there's ever a casting call for Hawkgirl in a Hollywood motion picture, my vote as of this moment is for Amanda Righetti to land the part. You can thank me later for the suggestion, Warner Bros.

The Search Continues...

2009-08-09T00:04:00.003-04:00

Strange Adventures is one of those titles that has really dropped to the bottom of my read pile lately. It's not that it's bad per se, but rather there's so much other stuff out right now that's better that it's become a title I tend to read only when I actually remember to get to it. Sadly, there's no priority or incentive for me to read it any sooner than that anymore.

That said, reading this month's issue of Strange Adventures earlier today, I learned that yet again Hawkman is mentioned by Deacon Dark's bumbling boob of a henchman, Coriolis. The Winged Wonder's no longer much of a plot point, however, beyond the fact Coriolis has completely given up on finding him and has instead taken Bizarro to fill his place in the so-called "Aberrant Six." It does have me wondering, though, what will actually happen when Coriolis does get Bizarro to Deacon. Assuming that meeting happens, will Deacon acknowledge the fact that he's not Hawkman, and perhaps clue us in as to why--within the story itself--Hawkman was replaced?

At this point, I'm sorry to say I've very little hope of seeing what was hinted at in the Hawkman Special ever being formally resolved in any kind of way. I still think it's well within the realm of possibility that Katar will return somehow, which was probably the main implication to take away from that issue anyway, but as far as Carter actually being Katar all this time, and all his history being in fact a lie: I think DC abandoned that road long ago in favor of another one for the Hawkman character, a road which is currently being tread over in Blackest Night.

Still, little though it may be, hope does remain. Already I think a case could be made that everything the Demiurge told Hawkman in the Special now no longer applies, at least not all that "your life is a lie" business. I say that because of Synnar's matter-of-fact attitude in Strange Adventures #4 when telling Adam Strange that Hawkman was no longer going to be joining them. As a twister and shaper of realities, or at least one who's cognizant of such things, Synnar may be aware that Hawkman's past (perhaps at the behest of Johns and/or DC's editorial department) shifted back to its pre-Hawkman Special state, thus eliminating his "aberrant" status altogether, along with his inclusion in Synnar's group. Synnar even said himself that "much of what was written has changed." What I'd really like to see, though, is an overt statement made by either Synnar or Deacon or someone else in the know that such is the case.

It's of course possible that my hunch is wrong, and all this Carter-is-Katar stuff is still going to be followed up on and eventually resolved somehow, after all. If so, great. But if not, be it Carter or Katar that ultimately comes back as Hawkman, I just know either way my inner nerd is going to be in turmoil for some time over all those unsettled suggestions from last August. I can reconcile them in my own way, as I already said, but I'd obviously prefer a more conclusive resolution to it all than my own theories and assumptions.

I suppose in the end, I might simply have to take a page from Coroilis and just say "whatever" to the whole darn thing. Only time will tell, I suppose.

In Good Company

2009-08-07T13:22:00.004-04:00

Nothing much really, but while reading Cry for Justice #2 last night, I found the highlight of an otherwise lackluster issue to be in writer James Robinson's afterword. The Atom is actually the focus of the piece, but Robinson inevitably brings up Hawkman and the friendship the two characters have shared over the years, at which point the writer makes this statement:

"And I loved Ray's friendship with Hawkman (my absolute favorite DC character--the Thanagarian cop version [preferably done by Joe Kubert] not the multi-lives version."

No disrespect to the "multi-lives version" of Hawkman, but I of course agree with Robinson here. I was happy to see him say this, too, as I often feel there really aren't any creators who would cite Hawkman--in any form--as their "absolute favorite." I know Geoff Johns and Fabian Nicieza are both fond of Hawkman, and I'd even seen Robinson name Hawkman as "a" favorite before when asked about his work with Johns on the character. The definitiveness of his quote here, though, as well as the fact that he's set to be the new writer for Justice League of America, is encouraging to me in that I now know there's a prominent writer at DC who may very well be pulling for our favorite Winged Warrior in the months and years ahead.

Here's hoping, anyway.

WEDNESDAY COMICS #5

2009-08-06T13:35:00.003-04:00

When last we saw our hero, he had just defeated the last of the earthbound Makkorthites and had "a plane a catch." As has been typical with all the strips in Wednesday Comics, this week's Hawkman entry picks right up where last week's left off. The Winged Warrior is already out in front of the diving aircraft, using his wing harness and the Nth metal therein as an anti-gravity rudder to try and slow the plane's rapid descent. His effort is in futility, though, as the sheer weight of the craft coupled with its powered momentum prove to be too great for Hawkman to overcome. In the end, all he can do is angle the plane's belly over the ocean in an attempt to try and soften the inevitable crash as best he can. The touchdown is still a horrific one, however, as we're left with the airliner breaking apart on what appears to be a tropical island of some sort.

To be continued...Probably the weakest installment of this strip so far, I'm sorry to say. It wasn't bad, and I'm not faulting Baker, either; the scene was necessary and definitely had its cool little moments. Hawkman using his harness to try and slow the plane was an especially impressive and innovative depiction on Baker's part. But this is the problem that a couple of the strips in Wednesday Comics have already run into: that being, in a regular comic, this would be the equivalent of the two-page spread. It's a moment that definitely deserves more shown than said, but when you only get one (albeit over-sized) new page a week, it invariably leaves you wanting more. Which I suppose is a good thing for DC and their sales department, but for this reader, not so much.

Still a great strip, though, and I'm definitely looking forward to next week, not only because the nature of the story feels like it's about to change, but also because it will be the first installment since this series started where I haven't seen the Hawkman page (sans dialogue) beforehand. Unfortunately, that might mean I won't be able to have a nice, shiny new picture to accompany this segment next week, but I'm sure my words are entertainment enough for you guys anyway, right? Hello? Anybody?

It Was Actually a Rematch

2009-08-04T12:43:00.003-04:00

Knowing Geoff Johns and his penchant for digging up forgotten characters and referencing obscure storylines, I've recently been poring over a lot of my older Hawkman issues searching for clues on what he might have in store for the characters as Blackest Night progresses. It was somewhat of a forehead-slapping moment for me then, when I plucked The Shadow War of Hawkman #3 from its longbox and was quickly reminded that Blackest Night #1 wasn't the first time the Hawks had encountered Ralph Dibny as an adversary.

In the issue, Hawkman and Hawkwoman infiltrate the JLA's Detroit headquarters on a mission to secretly destroy any Thanagarian information they've put on the team's computers. You see, Thanagar is in a rebuilding phase after the Equalizing Plague's ravaging of its inhabitants' minds, and with the loss of so much of their knowledge, an insurgence team is gunning for the Hawks to get some of that knowledge back. And with their enemies in possession of the Absorbascon--a device capable of reading a human's mind--the Hawks are loath to let their JLA colleagues in on the "shadow war" that's happening all around them.

Anyway, upon entering the base, Hawkman and Hawkwoman first encounter Aquaman, but are able to stealthily subdue him with one of their Thanagarian police-guns. However, they weren't expecting the Elongated Man to make an appearance as well. Much like in that other issue that came out a little less than a month ago, Ralph gets the jump on the Hawks and has a firm command of the situation at first. His advantage doesn't last long, though, as Hawkwoman is able to reclaim her firearm and defeat the Stretchable Sleuth while he's busy tussling with Pinioned Paladin. Now if only Kendra had access to that same weapon in Blackest Night #1, things might have turned out differently.

It's debatable which version of the Hawks are in these issues under current continuity. Since Shadow War chronologically predates the Invasion! mini-series, though, in which it was later retconned that Fel Andar and Sharon Parker were discovered to be the traitorous Hawkman and Hawkwoman, they seem like the safest bet, even if that would mean Fel(l) was both the protagonist and antagonist of the storyline. Whether Geoff Johns was aware of this bout or not is also questionable, but I wouldn't put it past him; the man loves vague comic book references.

Either way, I'd like to think that even though he's said to not remember the fight in the very same issue of Shadow War that it actually took place in, Ralph nevertheless always held a grudge in the back of his subconscious against the Hawks, and it gave him some added motivation for his mission in Blackest Night #1, regardless of who happened to be under those Hawk-masks at the time. And if nothing else, he was shown to be formidable enough in The Shadow War of Hawkman, so without those pesky morals getting in his way, it really shouldn't have come as a surprise that he turned out to be a more than capable opponent for Hawkman and Hawkgirl in Blackest Night. Of course it didn't hurt that he had backup this time, nor that he violated the no-kill edict typically in place for hero-vs.-hero match-ups.

So I guess in conclusion my point is, the Elongated Man is a dirty rotten cheater, and as shown in The Shadow War of Hawkman #3, on equal terms, the Hawks would have proven to be the victors in Blackest Night #1.

*Sigh* If only Carter had kept that Thanagarian police-gun on hand in the museum...

Some Further Speculation

2009-08-03T12:51:00.003-04:00

Over the weekend I reread Blackest Night #1 and Green Lantern #44, and it got the Hawkman theorizing wheels in my head to start turning again. A couple of weeks ago I wrote some early thoughts on how I believed Hawkman and Hawkgirl might return to living DCU in a conceivable fashion. Of the four theories I could come up with, Carter and Shiera Hall returning seemed pretty likely to me at the time, and with a clearer head and a little more info to go on now, it's becoming a more and more likely scenario by the minute.

At this moment anyway, I believe Carter and Shiera coming back in some form--with both of them this time retaining the memories of their past lives--is more likely than Kendra returning with Carter. Reason being is I've been thinking a lot about the way the Black Lanterns seem to operate, as well as the way Geoff Johns wrote Kendra during his JSA and Hawkman runs.

Let's take a look at his handling of Kendra first. Kendra committed suicide, at which point Shiera's soul took over her body, continuing the Hawks' cycle of death and rebirth in a somewhat different fashion than normal. However, Kendra still thought she was Kendra, even up to the point of her death in Blackest Night #1, in which she had only just given in to the love she felt for Carter. For all intents and purposes, though, Shiera's soul never truly made any substantial difference in the way Kendra thought or acted.

From there we move on to Johns' newest creation, the Black Lanterns, marauding around as twisted versions of their former selves, but still seeming to retain their own distinct personalities. They're compelled to kill, which is quite a departure for a lot of these characters, but they're still recognizable by the way they act and speak, and they obviously remember their old friends and allies.

What I've gathered from these two scenarios is that Johns feels the body is just as capable of retaining memories as the soul is, if not more so--as demonstrated by Shiera's memory being overridden by the physical mind of Kendra. Further evidence would be that upon his return, Carter's retention of the memories of his past lives was the first time that had ever happened; typically with each new body he reincarnated with, Carter started out as a clean slate. The same can be said for Shiera. In Geoff Johns' mind then, perhaps the soul's primary function is simply to act as the body's life force, with the added effects of ethics, morals, and in some cases, destiny thrown in for good measure. Hence, the Black Lanterns are soulless husks, powered by their rings in place of their soul. That 0.01% charge is possibly created by capturing the soul of their victims, and if so we'll presumably find out what they're being used to charge before Blackest Night reaches its finale.

Where I'm going with all this is that if there are more than a few resurrections at the end of this event, and if Hawkman and Hawkgirl are included, more and more can I imagine it being Shiera resuming the role of Hawkgirl as opposed to Kendra. With their physical bodies dead and only their souls remaining, that leaves Carter and Shiera still actively in play, while Kendra's soul has long since traveled to the afterlife. The lines in Blackest Night #1 where Carter refers to remembering the past while Kendra doesn't and the person he loves standing right in front of him further solidfy my belief that the odds are in Shiera's favor over Kendra's to return. I suppose if the souls of the dead somehow return to reinvigorate their bodies at Blackest Night's end you could get away with characterizing Kendra as Kendra once more, but if one of Johns' purposes for killing off the Hawks was to further streamline and lock down the characters, uniting them once again as Carter and Shiera Hall would go a long way in accomplishing that task.

I'm not saying this is the way it's definitely going to play out, but this is nevertheless fast becoming the most likely scenario in my mind. You'd have the Hawks back in a classic, iconic form, while further simplifying the two's origins and characterizations. No longer would you have a writer misunderstanding the debatably confusing nature of Kendra's plight (Walt Simmonson) or trying to pair Hawkman's girl up with someone else (Brad Meltzer). No longer would you have a Hawkman endlessly brooding over his lost love (Geoff Johns) or making out with super powered blondes in spandex (Meltzer again). Instead you would have the Winged Wonders as the united pair they've been portrayed as since practically their original inception, two parts of a whole, with one there to help supplement the other, flying off together as lovers, adventurers, and crime fighters.

Of course all of this is under the assumption that Geoff Johns has any say at all in the Hawks' ultimate fate. Once again, the possibility remains just as strong that DC has decided to go a different route entirely with the Hawks than they've been going in for the past eight years, namely to somehow return them to their Thanagarian interpretations. If that's the case, Carter and Kendra's deaths in Blackest Night might simply be a case of Johns finalizing their tragic story of death and rebirth himself. Still, though, if Carter's story is to continue beyond Blackest Night, for the moment anyway, I'm of the belief we'll be seeing Shiera at his side again in lieu of Kendra.

WEDNESDAY COMICS #4

2009-07-30T13:39:00.004-04:00

Once again, it's review time for the Hawkman portion of DC's newest weekly, Wednesday Comics, starting with a summary.

This installment kicks off with a recap of all that's come before, something that DC seems remiss to do with their monthly books. Following that, we pick right up where we last left our hero, battling the surviving Makkorthite on the wing of the hijacked airliner. Using the communicator in his cowl, Hawkman contacts Hawkgirl, who's currently manning their Thanagarian ship in orbit, fending off the soon-to-arrive alien cavalry as best she can. From there, Katar contacts Batman, asking if there's any backup the JLA can lend them. Only one person's available, however: Aquaman.

With this news in mind, Hawkman tells his comrade in so many words to be prepared, all the while continuing his battle against the remaining Makkorthite. His opponent doesn't last long, meeting his end through way of a bloody decapitation, despite the fact that Hawkman was also keeping his eye on the ailing plane throughout their joust. Unfortunately, though, things just got a bit more complicated, as the aircraft loses one of its wing, adding to the already desperate nature of its deadly descent towards the earth. To be continued...

Without a doubt the best installment of the serial yet. Not only does Baker clue us in on why Hawkgirl has been a no-show thus far, but he makes her a very relevant participant in the adventure without having to dramatically deviate from the main focus of the strip. Meanwhile, Baker amps up the anticipation for the issues still to come, promising through Hawkman and Batman's words that Aquaman is going to make an appearance soon, and it's clear that he's not going to be relegated to a mere pop-in cameo. And finally, we have the Winged Wonder multitasking throughout the adventure in a calm, almost nonchalant manner, defeating his enemy while keeping his cool, even though he's well aware of all the dangers and potential disasters surrounding him. Very much in line with the veteran, all-business hero Hawkman was typically characterized as being in the Silver Age.

The real highlight of the issue, though: "Looks like I've got a plane to catch." In a word: Epic.

Lost in the Shuffle: LEGEND OF

2009-07-29T17:19:00.008-04:00

Relatively speaking, there really aren't that many truly great Hawkman stories that can be read in one sitting. That's not to say there aren't any, but in comparison to your bigger guns like Superman, Batman, and even Green Lantern and the Flash, you'd be hard pressed to compile a very big list of character-defining, self-contained stories centered around Hawkman.

The best one for my money is none other than Tim Truman's Hawkworld. That's right, the same miniseries that inevitably caused all the continuity problems that many argue still plague the character to this day. Doesn't take away from the fact that it was a great reimagining of the character's origin, though.

Following that is Tony Isabella's excellent The Shadow War of Hawkman miniseries, which ultimately led into the short-lived Hawkman ongoing which followed. Unfortunately, that series was never able to quite live up to the high expectations set by the preceding mini, but those four issues that started it all still remain great in their own right, even if slightly tainted by the missed opportunity which it spawned.

More recently, there's been no shortage of great Carter Hall material. Geoff Johns is one of the most revered writers in the industry today, and his work on Hawkman and JSA were both early indications of the quality yet to come. "The Return of Hawkman" and "Black Reign" are two Hawkman-centric stories that I've reread numerous times each, and I doubt either will ever slip off of my "Favorites of All Time" list.

There is one Hawkman story, though, that I think a lot of people--both general comic book and Hawk-fans alike--often overlook, and that's Ben Raab's fantastic The Legend of the Hawkman three-part prestige format miniseries. It wasn't an origin tale, it wasn't set in continuity, and it didn't reintroduce one of the DCU's most iconic characters back into its fold, but darn it if it isn't a great read regardless. Not just great, though, but defining.

I'm not going to go into a long, book report style recap of each issue, but I will try to gloss over what makes Legend of the Hawkman so darn good. For one thing, Ben Raab does an excellent job of taking all the aspects of the Silver Age Hawks and transferring them to a modern age setting without apology. Virtually nothing is cut from the mythos for the sake of "updating" (although there's not one *TWEET* to be found, unfortunately), a fact that Raab doesn't shy away from addressing within the book itself, even going so far as to have a random police officer call into question the legitimacy of a couple of heroes dressed like birds.

Much of the credit in this area also goes to Michael Lark, whose art style has a very vintage look to it. The Hawks' ship, Commissioner George Emmett's Midway City, and the planet Thanagar are all captured in a way that feels very "what's old is new again." Nothing feels dated at first sight, with cars drawn as you'd more or less expect to see them today, as well a Thanagarian council room akin to something you'd see in a Star Wars prequel, but within those same lines is a sense of respect for what's come before. Clearly, Lark summoned a heavy does of inspiration from legends Joe Kubert and Murphy Anderson for this endeavor.

It's not just on the surface, though, where Raab captures the magic of the Hawks, but within the story itself. Starting off with an expedition to the Tibet, which in turn leads to an unexpected adventure, the Hawks are soon faced with themes like faith clashing with science, the pitfalls of using ancient weapons to battle technological or mystical threats, and the question of whether home truly is where the heart is. These are all concepts that first originated with the characters themselves, and Raab explores and capitalizes on them all to great effect. Raab excels in one area above all others, though, and it's probably the most important area to boot: the relationship shared between Katar and Shayera Hol.

As I've shared before, I believe the Hawks are always at their best when paired together. The dynamic they have as a couple very much sets them apart from other superheroes, even when it's written badly. When it's written well, though, that's when it becomes something remarkably special, and Ben Raab wrote the heck out of the Hawks as a married couple. The writer shared in the Hawkman Companion that he was a newlywed when he took on this project, and that a lot of his own experiences were drawn on for inspiration for the Thanagarian couple. Good authors write what they know, though, and I think it's apparent from the work itself here that Raab wasn't simply pulling what he put down on the paper out of thin air. All the nuances that one would expect to see in a loving and meaningful relationship are present, and played up in just the right amounts.

I think the thing a lot of authors often miss in writing spouses effectively is capturing the differences that often come between them. It's great to see two characters when they're happy and in love, and make no mistake, Katar and Shayera are shown to be as such throughout Legend of. But where Raab is really on his game is in the instances where he shows how much love the two characters have for one another in spite of all that contrasts them. Shayera's want to return to Thanagar; Katar's infatuation with their new life on Earth; their similar and yet still differing views on bringing a child into the world; and, most of all, Shayera's faith conflicted with Katar's lack thereof. Yet none of these aspects are introduced into the storyline to create unnecessary turmoil between the two, but rather to bring them that much closer together, and the characters, as well as their relationship, come across as being that much more realistic and relatable as a result.

There are a lot of younger fans out there who don't seem to understand the appeal of the Thanagarian Hawks. I see the term "space cops" thrown around pretty recklessly these days, and while I understand, and even use the expression myself on occasion for brevity's sake, I can't help but think it to be an unfairly generic way of referencing the characters. Believe me when I say there's much more to Katar and Shayera Hol than simply "space cops." There's a real heart and soul to them that I don't think can be found anywhere else in the superhero genre, and that's what always made them special to me.

Legend of the Hawkman captures that in a way that's at once entertaining, exciting, and endearing. You'll walk away from the series having a good idea of what makes these characters tick, and that Ben Raab could do that in relatively so short a space is a commendable feat indeed. Make no mistake: it's a good story besides, laced with cameos, Easter eggs, and inside jokes throughout, all of which only help further to it keep moving along, but at its heart is a tale about a couple truly in love, and how when faced with adversity, the bond that they share can help them overcome anything. That to me is the Silver Age Hawks I know and love, and why Legend of the Hawkman should be read by anyone who's genuinely looking to better understand the appeal of the characters.

Character-defining in all of three issues. Bravo, Ben Raab.

SDCC Panel Transcripts

2009-07-27T19:39:00.004-04:00

Well, one panel anyway. DC recently posted up a flurry of podcasts from the convention on their website, and I was able to give the three I deemed most relevant to Hawkman a listen today: Spotlight on Geoff Johns, DC Nation, and Blackest Night. Only the Johns panel bore any real fruit, however, and most of the info I was able to gather I already covered in an earlier entry thanks to Newsarama and CBR's coverage of the same panel. Nevertheless, there was a bit more information to gleam from hearing the panels firsthand, so here's the most intriguing stuff.

First, at the 6:00 mark, we get this exchange:

Q: The end of Blackest Night #1: pretty gruesome. One of the most gruesome murder scenes I think we've seen of superheroes in a while. Why those two specifically, and why... I mean, obviously you need to establish just how evil or just how devoid of feeling or emotion the Black Lanterns are, but what was your thought process going in to writing that scene?

GJ: That scene was, I mean it pushed the boundaries for sure, that scene. And I felt Blackest Night was a horror superhero story; always was going to be. And for me, Hawkman and Hawkgirl, I love those characters; I spent a lot of time with them, and they represented a kind of... a love that was never to be. And for me the most horrifying thing... the most horrifying Black Lanterns are the lighter ones, the ones like Elongated Man and Firestorm who are a little bit lighter characters, and they come back, and it's pretty creepy. And so I wanted to take the couple that had kind of represented this pure love like Elongated Man and Sue and put them against Hawkman and Hawkgirl, who are finally coming to terms with theirs in the most horrific way I could, because Black Lanterns aren't nice people.

But that was my thought process behind there, and why I chose those specific characters. Why Hawkman and Hawkgirl are chosen specifically by Black Hand is a part of the bigger story. They're characters obviously that have escaped death over and over and over, and so there'll be more on that and why they're absorbed into the Black Lantern Corps.

Again, nothing too new or dissimilar from Newsarama and CBR's reports, although things somehow don't sound quite as bleak to me for Carter and Kendra after hearing from Geoff himself. The last paragraph specifically gives me greater hope that the two still have a much larger part to play in all this. I suppose it's possible that Johns was speaking in broader terms than it sounded here, where he's not just going to go into why the Hawks were targeted, but why everyone whom Black Hand is after has been marked for his Corps. Judging it at face value, though, it sounds like Carter and Kendra still have some pertinent panel time coming their way in this thing yet, which is great news.

Next up was an exchange at the 13:20 mark of the podcast, and it's one I've yet to see reported anywhere else:

Q: So after reading Blackest Night... First, just to go a different direction: is it likely that you will be doing the relaunch on Hawkman when you bring him back and reboot him like you did with Green Lantern and Flash?

GJ: We'll see what happens next year. Right now Hawkman can't reincarnate.

This was followed by a lot of intrigued mumbling amongst the crowd, with the word "spoilers" peppered throughout the commotion. I don't blame the audience either, as I found Geoff's response extremely curious myself. First off, it sounds as though, as Black Hand intimated in Blackest Night #1, the Hawks are unable to reincarnate since becoming Black Lanterns; almost as if their souls are presently trapped in their undead bodies. I know that's a larger, underlying question a lot of fans have been wondering with regards to the event, and with Deadman set to appear as a protagonist in the Batman: Blackest Night tie-in, I suspect we'll get an answer on what's going on with the Black Lanterns' souls soon. And hopefully, armed with that information, we might be able to hypothesize a bit further on the potential fates of Carter and Kendra. If nothing else, the possibility of them still returning as they were at the point of their deaths is definitely not out of the question.

Secondly, though--and I'm more or less just musing here, so bear with me--is this Johns' way of subtly implying that DC won't be bringing Carter back? "Right now" Hawkman can't reincarnate apparently, but does that mean he'll be able to--or need to--once Blackest Night concludes? Or will the endless cycle of death and rebirth that's plagued the Hawks' existence finally be broken for good once this all reaches its end?

I've been wondering lately, with all the speculation over which heroes might come back and which won't when Blackest Night wraps up, if Johns is actually going to leave it up to the characters themselves to decide. Not literally, obviously, but within the context of how certain characters would probably react if given the choice. Carter having to deal with the loss of so many friends and family members over his countless lifetimes and the pain it's caused him was a big theme of Johns' run on Hawkman. Faced with the possible decision of returning again over finally resting in eternity with Shiera and all the other people he's loved and lost over the millennia, which would Carter choose? Something to think about, perhaps.

Finally, and briefly, we have the "Ancient History" exchange that I wanted to hear more of at the 13:50 mark:

Q: What was it like writing for those particular versions of the characters that were just standalone to that series?

GJ: Well, it was John Stewart, Hawkman, and Hawkgirl, and they were pretty much, for me they were in line with the comic book, so it wasn't that different. Shadow Thief was very different, but I liked writing those scenes of him fighting Carter in the museum. That was cool.

So Newsarama didn't get Johns' response wrong, as I guessed they may have. However, reading it in context, I don't think I disagree with Johns' sentiments too strongly. I don't know about John Stewart, but I always thought Shayera was a pretty close facsimile to her Hawkworld incarnation. Meanwhile, Carter's origin was definitely altered from that of the books, but I suppose were he faced with the same ugly truth of JLU's Carter Hall, then comic book-Carter might well have acted in a similar manner. I may actually have to rewatch that episode soon and try to view it with that mindset. It could make me rethink my opinion on the whole thing.

Anyway, that's all she wrote, folks. There's a lot of interesting and humorous stuff to be found in the three hours worth of material I listened to, though, so if you're still curious and have the time, by all means I encourage you to check these three podcasts out. But if you're like me, and all you really, truly care about is the Hawkman related news, then I think I've pretty much gotten you caught up to speed.

Newest Hawkman Figure

2009-07-26T23:13:00.006-04:00

One of the things I look forward to with regards to Comic Con every year is the hope that perhaps a new Hawkman or Hawkgirl action figure or statue will make its official debut. I honestly don't buy too many plastic or cold cast figurines anymore, but I do make it a point to try and scoop up any Hawk-related merchandise that comes down the pike. The one item I've been waiting and hoping for the longest, it seems, is a two-figure, 13" set of the Silver Age Hawks. I say set because it feels only natural to me to package the duo together, but at this point I'd be thrilled just to see Hawkman finally added to the line.

Well, on the final day of this year's Comic Con, in answer to my prayers I received... nothing again, unfortunately. But there was a pretty nifty, albeit small, consolation prize. Blammoids are a new line of figures coming soon from DC Direct, and Hawkman will be appearing in a future wave of the series, apparently. The company describes the line as follows:

"Blammoids, a new wave of boldly designed toys from the team at DC DIRECT are unlike anything you've experienced before, but you'll definitely want to experience them again. A striking, energetic and kinetic take on the heroes you hold dear, how could you not want to collect them all? They bounce. They BOOM. They're collectible. They're Blammoids. They're fun."

As you can clearly see from the picture above (more on Action Figure Insider's website, if you're interested), they are pretty cute looking, if not altogether oddly unique. I can imagine a Hawkman and Hawkgirl set looking pretty cozy on my desk, so that's something to look forward to at least.

Still, though, those 13" figures sure would be sweet... Like, I would drop a whole lot of money to get my hands on them sweet... Are you listening to me, DC? Are you?!

Hawkman To Appear On SMALLVILLE?

2009-07-26T22:48:00.006-04:00

He's certainly not a lock, but it could happen. At the Smallville panel at Comic Con today, Geoff Johns announced that the follow-up to his Legion episode of the series is going to feature none other than the first team of superheroes, the Justice Society of America. From CBR, here's an excerpt of what Johns had to say:

"And so we talked a little bit and I pitched them my idea on how I thought a JSA episode would work, because I wanted to remain faithful to what JSA’s all about but still work within the context of the show. And they liked it."

When asked what characters specifically might make an appearance, Johns was less than candid:

"I cannot tell you that yet. But I can tell you there might be a character or two that you won’t expect."

For more, you can read CBR's full report on the panel here.

Considering Hawkman was both a founding and very prominent member of the team throughout most of its history, I'd say his odds are pretty good at making the cut. Not to mention Johns seems to have an affinity for the the character, so that probably helps.

It's funny, though; ever since the Flash popped up on the series, I wondered if perhaps Hawkman or Hawkgirl would make a cameo, but I always figured if it happened, it would be the Thanagarian Hawks. I don't know if my own personal biases caused that line of thinking or if perhaps I subconsciously felt the sci-fi aspect of their origin would mesh better with the series. Whatever the reason, however, with the JSA appearing, this seems like the best chance we're going to have at seeing Hawkman--in any form--appearing on the show before its end. And should he make the cut, it would certainly raise Carter Hall's exposure to the general public, which could factor in to that whole "iconic" debate a lot of Hawk-fans have been having as of late.

On a closing note, I haven't watched Smallville in about two seasons, but this, along with word that Clark might actually be donning the red and blue tights soon, definitely has my interest in the series piqued again. I'll be keeping my ear to the ground for more info on Hawkman's potential appearance on the show, because should such come to fruition, I know I'll be catching at least one more episode of Smallville before its finale.

Joe Kubert's New Hawkman Project

2009-07-24T21:39:00.005-04:00

About a week ago, we got first word that Thanagarians would be making a guest appearance in October's issue of World of New Krypton. Perhaps even more exciting than news of the issue itself, though, was the fact that none other than famed Hawkman artist Joe Kubert would be doing the art chores for the alternate cover of said issue. Well, cruising around Comic Book Resources tonight, I stumbled upon an interview with the Kuberts from earlier in the week, mainly centered around the father-and-son team's work on Sgt. Rock in Wednesday Comics. However, the elder Kubert happened to drop a big ol' Hawkman tidbit during the interview:

"Once I really concentrate on a character, if it’s on my table that’s what I’m working on, I have a tendency to block out everything else. For instance, I just finished a Hawkman cover. And I’m doing a Hawkman story for a book that I’m going to be editing and putting out from DC. So right now, it’s all Hawkman."

Now I assume the cover of which he speaks is the very same variant that we were first told of in the World of New Krypton solicit, so nothing really new there. What's most surprising, obviously, is the fact that Joe's got even more Hawkman work coming down the pipe. When pressed further by CBR, Joe delivers the goods:

"Well the cover I’m doing is actually a request from [DC editor] Wil Moss, who is working on something with Hawkman, Superman and some other heroes. The Hawkman story I’m doing is for one of a series of books that I’m doing for DC. It’s going to be a 48-page anthology and I’m going to have guys like Sam Glanzman and people of that ilk, who are going to be working on it with me. I’m really looking forward to it. I’m going to be writing, drawing, editing. I’m putting together this book for DC and it’s going to be called, the tentative title anyhow, 'Joe Kubert Presents.' My purpose of it is to put out the kind of book, I like to read.

It’s going to be six issues and we probably won’t see the first one until I finish at least four of them so I don’t trip over my own feet as far as deadlines are concerned. I would guess it would probably be out some time next year."

All right, now this is where it gets really cool. Joe specifically says the cover is for a project featuring "Hawkman, Superman and some other heroes." I think he's very clearly talking about the World of New Krypton issue, but the question is, is he confusing Hawkman with random Thangarians set to appear in the issue, or does DC possibly have even bigger plans in store for us in this issue than I had originally presumed? My money is actually on the former, unfortunately, but nevertheless, my anticipation for World of New Krypton #8 just went up a whole heck of a lot.

Secondly, a new anthology featuring Hawkman, you say, with Joe Kubert as the central creator involved? Curious that DC would be publishing such an ambitious Hawkman product by a man so heavily involved with the Silver Age version of the character at this point in time, don't you think? Regardless of the reasoning behind it all, though, sign me up for this right now! Honestly, time seems likes it's slowed down to a crawl since Blackest Night #1 hit, and this news doesn't help matters one bit. I literally cannot wait!

On a closing note, let this be a lesson to me to never let any article wait until the weekend, no matter how irrelevant to Hawkman it may appear on the surface. This is definitely big news for Hawk-fans, and I should have been on top of it sooner. I'll do my best not to let it happen again, folks.

Johns On the Hawks' Untimely Demise

2009-07-23T20:42:00.008-04:00

Newsarama was live at the Geoff Johns Spotlight Panel at the San Diego Comic Con today, and as one would expect, he received a question about the fates of Hawkman and Hawkgirl in Blackest Night #1:

"Johns was asked about the deaths of Hawkman and Hawkgirl in Blackest Night #1. 'I love those characters,' he said, and added that part of the story is why they were chosen specifically by Black Hand."

You can read the full report on the panel here.

This is pretty interesting, although not completely unsurprising news. After all, Geoff said in an IGN interview earlier this month that nearly all of the major players for Blackest Night were in the first issue, so I immediately pegged the Hawks as falling under that category. And I know I'm certainly not the only one who's theorized that the characters' "power" of reincarnation might somehow play a part in a series so centered around death. That definitely seems to be the most obvious answer to the question of why Black Hand chose them. Of course, the fact that Carter and Kendra both managed to personally escape death in their own way could also be a likely reason, as could the two's--particularly Carter's--connection to so many big heroes in the DCU. These are, after all, two characters who have been key members of both the Justice League and Justice Society of America.

Whatever the reason behind Black Hand's inducting them into the Black Lantern Corps turns out to be, though, I do take Geoff's response as a sign that the Hawks will play a decent sized role in Blackest Night regardless, and that is absolutely exciting news any way you slice it. Oh, and maybe I'm reading too much into it (as usual), but did anyone else find it curious that he reportedly said "love" as opposed to "loved" when referencing the Hawks? Hmmm...

On another note, Johns was also asked about the JLU episode, "Ancient History," the second episode of the series to feature Carter Hall. Here's Newsarama's report of the exchange:

Johns was asked about his teleplay for "Ancient History," an episode of Justice League Unlimited. He said that the characters he dealt with in that episode weren't much different than their DCU counterparts.

Now, I could probably write an entire entry on this episode and why I loathe it so much, but for brevity's sake, I'll only say that I don't know where Johns is coming from here. As a matter of fact, I'm honestly left wondering if the Newsarama correspondent didn't simply make a typo or mishear Johns' statement altogether, because if Johns had said the characters "were much different than their DCU counterparts," that would make a whole lot more sense to me. As it were, Carter Hall as he in appeared on JLU was practically unrecognizable to me, especially in "Ancient History."

Hopefully a transcript, recording, or a report on this same panel from another news source will surface soon to help clear things up a bit, because from what little is transcribed here, I find myself scratching my head at Johns' alleged answer.

*UPDATE*

Comic Book Resources now has their report of the very same panel up, and it expounds upon Johns' response with regards to the death of the Hawks considerably:

"With respect to the murders of Hawkman and Hawkgirl – two characters Johns brought to prominence and that he said he had 'a lot of love for' – Johns said their end was fitting given the couple’s dominant theme: love that was never to be. He added that the most horrifying Black Lanterns are the 'lighter' characters like Ralph and Sue Dibney, a couple that represented 'pure love,' making their murder of the Hawks 'the most horrific way I could have played it.' Johns also said that beyond thematic resonance, there is an in-story reason why Black Hand chose the Dibneys to execute the Hawks, and that it will be revealed as 'Blackest Night' continues."

First off, CBR seems to always do a more thorough job on panel reports than Newsarama, although usually at the expense of expediency.

So with a bit more information to go on, it does sound like Carter and Kendra's fates could indeed be sealed. My initial suspicions after reading Blackest Night #1 were that the Hawks' deaths were postponed from Final Crisis mainly because Johns wanted to have the final say in how they died. That the two were ultimately killed only after they had finally realized their love for one another all but sealed it for me, as such fell right in line with the guidelines Johns put in place for the characters' cycle of death and rebirth when he first began writing them.

But while Johns' words here would seem to further confirm my suspicions, there's admittedly a long way to go yet. Obviously if he does have a plan to somehow restore Carter and Kendra to the land of the living, Geoff's probably not going to tell us so seven months in advance at a convention panel. Nevertheless, I have to admit that things look substantially more grim for Carter and Kendra than they did a few short hours ago.

WEDNESDAY COMICS #3

2009-07-23T13:33:00.004-04:00

Another week and another issue of Wednesday Comics. In this installment, Hawkman's suspicions are confirmed when the last remaining terrorist turns out to be a Makkorthite--a giant insect-like alien--in disguise. After being blasted out of the plane by the creature, taking out one of the craft's engines in the process, the Winged Wonder learns firsthand of the aliens' plot to take over the Earth. It seems a Thanagarian's presence has somewhat thrown a wrench into their plot, but no matter; one way or another, the planet will be theirs. We're left with Hawkman struggling in midair to fight off his opponent, while the airliner takes a dive towards the earth below.

As has been the case from the beginning, this was a fun issue all around, with Hawkman's page again being the highlight for me. Baker for the first time since the series started really summons some classic Gardner Fox Silver Age sci-fi goodness this time around. It was good to see Katar before, but now it really feels like he's in his element, battling an alien threat in an Earthly environment with nothing but his wits, brute strength, and a pair of ancient weapons to get the job done. Even the name of the aliens--Makkorthites--seems to have been at least partially inspired by "Makkor the Ancient," a villain who first appeared way back in Hawkman Vol. 1, #15. Good stuff.

Only thing that's missing is Shayera, but judging from the preview scans Baker posted on his website months ago, it looks like we'll be getting clued in as to why she's been absent from the strip next week. Looking forward to it.

"Iconic," and What It Means for the Hawks

2009-07-20T13:18:00.004-04:00

With Hawkman and Hawkgirl's future in the DCU currently up in the air, the subject has come up more than a few times over the past few days concerning what the most iconic version of these characters is. It's a relevant question, too, considering DiDio's own words concerning using the most recognizable versions of DC's stable of characters after Final Crisis. And with Carter and Kendra dying in Blackest Night #1, it would seem that if DC wants to take a different approach to the Hawks moving forward, now would be as a good a time as any for a revamp. But how should that revamp take place, and to what extent?

Let's think about what makes Hawkman iconic for a minute. More and more over the past few days, the realization I've gradually begun to come to about that "most recognizable" quote from DiDio and how it pertains to Hawkman is that, for most people, it's about looks more than anything else. That's really the case for most superheroes, too. Comic books are, after all, a visual medium, so what we see is invariably going to play an important role in our perceptions of who a certain character is. When someone says "Superman," for instance, most people probably envision the S-shield on his chest and a red cape on his back, as opposed to a solid blue or red figure with lightning streaks going down his sides.

When it comes to Hawkman, though, the role looks play in his appeal is arguably more important than in the case of a character like Superman. Ask a random person on the street who Superman is, and I'd wager nine times out of ten they'd be able to give you a brief rundown of his origin, and the name "Clark Kent" would probably come up as well. With Hawkman, however, most people are probably going to be somewhat unsure of who he even is, but the ones who do know will most likely bring up the fact that he has wings and carries a mace. Those are the two staples that really stick for people on the outside looking in, mainly because it's a very imposing visual, not to mention just plain cool looking. Carter Hall, Katar Hol, ancient Egypt, and Thanagar might all be meaningful names and terms to us fans and followers, but to the passing fan they're rather meaningless in the grand scheme of things. Chances are, they just want to see him flying around hitting things. Look no further than JLU for proof, where Hawkgirl's appearance remained virtually unchanged from that of the comics, yet the liberties taken with her origin, backstory, and even powers were numerous.

There is one area where I think the creators of JLU dropped the ball, though, as far as realizing Hawkgirl in her most iconic form, and that has to do with the lack of her partner. When I think of Hawkman, above any name or face behind the guise, the wings and the mace are admittedly the first things to pop into my mind, too. But almost just as readily do Hawkman's personal effects spring to my mind as does Hawkgirl's presence at his side, and his at hers. It's funny how when the debate about which Hawkman DC should use going forward comes up, there's typically a lot of "ands" involved in the conversation: Carter and Shiera; Katar and Shayera; Carter and Kendra. Regardless of who one might prefer to see in the roles, nearly everyone seems to agree that when it comes to the Hawks, they're a tandem; it's hard to have one without the other. Even DiDio apparently recognizes this, commenting to me at Mega Con that he thought they work best when they're together. And in my opinion, that's really where Carter and Kendra got off track.

When DC first introduced Kendra and later reintroduced Carter, it was no secret that their love story was going to play a large role in their development. Johns started it out in JSA and Hawkman, and when Palmiotti and Gray took over the latter title they stayed the course on developing the Hawks' romance further, even to the point of consummation in the last few issues of their run. After nearly fifty issues, Hawkman and Hawkgirl had reached a point in their relationship which I had always expected them to inevitably reach. They were a pair; the loving superheroic couple that was always a huge part of their charm to me. Or so I thought.

Just as soon as it happened, the solidifying of the Hawks' relationship was unceremoniously blown up by way of "One Year Later" and the ill-advised redirection of the book that came with the title shift to Hawkgirl. Gone was the relationship between Carter and Kendra in any form, and in its place we received ham-fisted melodrama in Brad Meltzer's Justice League of America run between Kendra and Roy "Red Arrow" Harper.

Sadly, that's more or less where we've been ever since. In the few times we witnessed Carter and Kendra interact following OYL, there really wasn't much of a spark. Before Blackest Night #1, aside from one issue of Justice Society of America during the "Thy Kingdom Come" arc, most of the time Carter had spoken with or reflected back on Kendra, it was in a rather somber and melancholy way, usually stating how empty his life had become without Shiera by his side, which to be honest, was getting rather tedious for this reader.

So where am I going with all this? Well, I guess my point is that if DC wants Hawkman to be "iconic," and if they want Hawkgirl to share that label as well, putting the two back together in a more permanent capacity would go a long way in achieving that goal for many of us. I would love to see Katar and Shayera back. But you know what, a lot of that stems from the fact that Katar and Shayera were always portrayed as a loving married couple. There was never very much melodrama between the two, and when there was, you knew there was going to be a great coming-to-amends sequence to look forward to reading later. If Carter and Shiera were to come back, I would expect to see that same level of devotion in their relationship as well, especially since they've been retconned to actually be Katar and Shayera in many of those same Silver Age stories now. Likewise, if Carter and Kendra are resurrected by Blackest Night's end, I think it's fair to assume that, based on the dialogue in the first issue, their relationship will be stronger than we've ever seen it before.

Carter Hall, Katar Hol, ancient Egypt, and Thanagar. These are all names and places that play an important role in Hawkman's mythology, and make no mistake about it, I think they all should for as long as the character is around. But for me, more than any of that, Hawkman's relationship with Hawkgirl is what helps to set them both apart as iconic. They're a tandem, complete and total equals who function in their roles as superheroes like a well oiled machine, and when one's missing it takes away from the appeal of the other.

Katar and Shayera Hol potentially coming back remains an exciting prospect to me, and seems as likely a scenerio as any other right now. But the fact that I believe we'll be getting a united Hawkman and Hawkgirl no matter who they should turn out to be coming out of Blackest Night is almost reason enough for me to start celebrating already. Apart, Hawkman and Hawkgirl each remain recognizable characters in their own right, but when they're together, that's when they become truly iconic.

First Peek at Black Lantern Hawks

2009-07-18T23:10:00.005-04:00

Surfing around the Internet here tonight, I was, for the first time, checking out DC's Blackest Night mini-site, and what should I find there in the gallery section but Ivan Reis' variant sketch cover to issue #3. And just who should happen to appear on that cover, you ask? Well, check that; you probably didn't ask because it's right there in my title... Yeah. Anyway, check it out below:

Pretty sweet, huh? I personally love the artistic license on the boney wings, myself. And since this is also the sketch variant, it's safe to assume that this will be the standard colorized cover as well, so in addition to all of us soon being treated to a colorized version of this wonderful cover, those of you Hawk-fans who don't feel like shelling out the cash for an alternate won't be left out in the cold. Myself, though, I may just have to bite the bullet on this one.

WORLD OF NEW KRYPTON in October

2009-07-18T19:45:00.008-04:00

Newsarama's preview for October's Superman solicits is up, and it came as quite a surprise to me to see not one, but two Hawkmen on the cover to World of New Krypton #8. Upon clicking the image to enlarge it and reading the actual solicit, however, it would seem the two Hawkman-esque figures pictured are merely soldiers in the Thanagarian army. I'll let you read it for yourself:

SUPERMAN: WORLD OF NEW KRYPTON #8
Written by James Robinson & Greg Rucka
Art by Pete Woods
Cover by Gary Frank
Variant cover by Joe Kubert

On a mission in space, Superman and his fellow Kryptonians encounter the might of the Thanagarian Army. Can Superman keep things peaceful between the two races – or will The Man of Steel discover that Hawkman’s legendary temper is shared by all his people?

Retailers please note: This issue will ship with two covers. For every 25 copies of the Standard Edition (with a cover by Gary Frank), retailers may order one copy of the Variant Edition (with a cover by Joe Kubert). Please see the Previews Order Form for more information.

On sale October 7 • 8 of 12 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US

Pretty cool that Joe Kubert, famed Hawkman artist himself, will be doing the alternate cover for this. I may just have to drop the extra cash to pick it up.

Speaking of Silver Age art, it's interesting to note how the Thanagarians are depicted on the above cover. I don't think I've seen a Thanagarian cruiser look so gaudy since the Silver Age, and I can't recall the last time I saw a foot soldier in their army wearing a pair of feathered wings into combat. Even the central figure's apparel appears to draw a few cues from that of the pre-Hawkworld era Thanagarians'. Could it be that, for some unknown reason, DC is trying to reach a happy medium between the Silver and Modern Age depictions of Thanagar? Once again, I guess we'll just have to--say it with me, everybody--wait to find out.

It's just a cover, though, and as I often do, I'm probably reading too much into it, but it is interesting to see the Thangarians making a cameo in one of DC's higher profile mini-series regardless, especially at this specific point in time. Perhaps the art inside the issue itself will debunk a lot of my speculation behind the purpose of the Thanagarians' guest starring role here, but it's nevertheless good to see Hawkman's influence in the DCU isn't dying any time soon just because he has.

Reincarnation ≠ Resurrection

2009-07-17T12:14:00.003-04:00

I'm going to try to make this short and to the point, a rarity with me. This is something that's been a pet peeve of mine for a long time now, but with the Hawks' fate in Blackest Night #1, it seems as though people are spouting off this falsity at a rapid-fire rate. That falsity being, Carter and Kendra dying is no big deal, because reincarnation is a part of their origin.

True, they are indeed destined to come back, but to assume that Hawkman is superhero-dom's answer to Kenny from South Park is pushing it. Let me put this as bluntly as I possibly can: When this version of the Hawks die, they're reborn. Emphasis on born. As in, they come into the world as babies and live out their lives just like everyone else. From child, to adolescent, to adult.

I think the confusion chiefly stems from the way Hawkman and Hawkgirl were each most recently reintroduced to the DCU, but Kendra's possession by Shiera's soul was a fluke, and Carter's "rebirth" on Thanagar was merely him emerging from limbo, taking on many of Hawkworld Katar Hol's physical traits and memories in the process. Therefore, both of these instances should not be looked at as the rule, but the exception.

Now granted, the fact that reincarnation plays a vital part to the very core of the characters probably does make it easier to bring them back than someone like, say, Dick Grayson. It gives writers an almost built-in resurrection device. But to assume that their return to the DCU is inevitable is pushing it. With the way timelines work in the majority of superhero comics, there's no reason why DC would ever have to show Prince Khufu and Princess Chay-Ara again as Hawkman and Hawkgirl respectively, at least not until Hal Jordan is seen using a walker.

In short, the resurrection process is an important aspect to this version of the characters, but so is every other part of the cycle. Carter Hall, as Geoff Johns reimagined him this time around, wouldn't have had all the memories and life expierence he did had he not lived out all his other lives from start to finish. As their story was originally written, the Golden Age Hawks are destined to return to the mortal plane, sure, but as I tried to imply in my title, that doesn't necessarily mean we'll be seeing them any time soon, and if the-powers-that-be so choose, perhaps ever again, even. I just wish more people would keep that in mind before writing their deaths off as nothing more than expendable losses.

Some Early Speculation

2009-07-16T17:53:00.005-04:00

With the dust from Blackest Night #1 still settling, there's bound to be some theories thrown around concerning how DC's newest summer event is going to play out. And with our favorite winged heroes well on their way to becoming Black Hand's newest soldiers in his army, what Hawk-fan would I be if I didn't throw out a theory or two concerning their eventual return to the living? Sure, it's early, but let's face it: this is Hawkman we're talking about. He's gonna be back. The only question is--as I posed yesterday--when he does come back, which Hawkman will he be? I figure it's better to start trying to answer that question sooner rather than later, if for no other reason than it's fun to speculate. So let's give it a go.

There are any number of ways DC could go about resurrecting Hawkman and Hawkgirl, but they're treading a fine line with regards to their continuity. That's really the biggest hurdle I'm going to try to overcome with this article. We all want the Hawks back, but it has to be done in a relatively coherent manner, otherwise the purpose behind their deaths--of which I think was largely to help give them a clean slate in the eyes of the readers--could be defeated outright. Before I dig into to this, though, I want to point out that I'm a supporter of bringing the Silver Age Katar back and still think it's a likely scenario. That said...

My biggest worry with bringing Katar back is it unnecessarily confuses things. Right now Hawkman's history is pretty straightforward, even if a lot of people choose to believe otherwise. If DC's goal in killing Carter was to somehow clear up Hawkman's history by resurrecting Katar, they have their work cut out for them. Carter and Shiera have been retroactively placed in the shoes of the SA Hawks for close to twenty years now. Trying to overturn that with traditional storytelling methods is going to be a hard sell.

With that, there are four likely scenarios that I can imagine at this point in time for what the Hawks' fate coming out of Blackest Night will ultimately be:

1.) First is the least likely in my opinion, and that's them simply remaining dead and DC sitting on the Hawk-brand for the foreseeable future. Again, I don't think that's likely given DiDio's "locking down the most recognizable version" statement from last year, and that's also the reason I don't put any stock in totally new characters taking up the mantle.

2.) Probably the most straightforward scenario: Carter and Kendra are resurrected as they were when they died, along with a select few other heroes, such as Aquaman, Martian Manhunter, and Ronnie Raymond. It's simple, it would probably make most of the characters' current fans happy, and no rewrites are necessary.

3.) Next up is a minor twist to the previous option: Carter comes back more or less as he was, though perhaps a bit more laid back, while Kendra comes back as a being more in line with the thoughts and appearance of Shiera Hall. In this way, the powers-that-be would at least once more have the classic, iconic look of the Hawk-couple (DiDio told me he always felt they worked best as a married tandem, anyway), perhaps some of the characterization and quirks of the Silver Age Thanagarians (which they technically are now, considering the retcons), and no one at DC would have to do any more retconnings to make it all mesh. The more I think about it, the higher the possibility of this happening becomes to me.

4.) Finally, we have the possibility of Katar and Shayera from the Silver Age coming back, which is potentially the most complicated sceniaro. Don't get me wrong; this one still remains likely in my mind, if for no other reason than the Hawkman Special from last year is perpetually floating around in the back of my mind. Said Special not withstanding, though, the problem again crops up of screwing with continuity, and that's where Katar and Shayera's return becomes sketchy for me. For one thing, I think it has to be the SA versions who return, as they're far and away the more iconic when compared to their Hawkworld counterparts, otherwise what's the point? And right now, the easiest way I can see them coming back is if Barry Allen plays an integral role in who is resurrected by the event's end.

Does anyone else remember DC Universe #0 from last year? Remember that single panel of the Hawks pictured therein? If you don't, it's okay, because I've posted it below. As you can tell, the way they're rendered there is probably the way many DC readers would classify as in their most "iconic form." The question, though, is through the eyes of Barry Allen--whose memories are the basis for that panel's depiction--who are they really supposed to be under those masks? Barry hasn't said anything about or even seen Hawkman and Hawkgirl since he returned. Does he remember them as everyone else does now--as Carter and Shiera Hall--or are his memories of them still intact--as the Thanagrian police officers Katar and Shayera Hol?

This is what a lot of Katar and Shayera's possible returning hinges on for me: If Barry still remembers them, and somehow the Blue power of Hope plays into the resurrection process, I think it's safe to assume which version will be coming back. The scene in Blackest Night #1 with Hal showing Barry all the dead heroes to Barry's horror alone keeps this one well within the realm of possibilities for me.

You could also of course try to rationalize Katar and Shayera's return in the typical comic book way of retroactively rewriting certain events, but I'd honestly prefer DC just bring back Carter and Kendra than go down that road again. That's why Barry is so important--in my mind, at least--to the Silver Age Hawks' return to the DCU. It has to be simple, and it has to be coherent, and at the moment, that's the simplest, most coherent way I can think of, at least within the story context and parameters of Blackest Night.

The Bottom line here is I like Hawkman and Hawkgirl more than any name behind the guise, and what I want most coming out of Blackest Night is for the collective talent at DC to live up to DiDio's promise by choosing who they want the Hawks to be and sticking with that decision. All but the first choice above would be fine with me, but DC needs to lock them down once and for all. Constantly messing with the characters in an attempt to make their histories "clearer" has only managed to confuse more people than not, as the Hawkman Special recently demonstrated. DC may have good intentions with all their mucking about, but that's precisely what the road to Hell is paved in. If they really want readers to get past Hawkman's stigma of having a confusing continuity, they need to simply move past it and stop readdressing it already.

WEDNESDAY COMICS #2

2009-07-16T14:36:00.006-04:00

With all the excitement and controversy surrounding Blackest Night #1 this week, it's easy to forget that Hawkman also popped up in the second installment of DC's newest weekly series, Wednesday Comics (Hawkman page pictured below, sans words). As with the first issue, the story is light but epic.

To sum it all up, Hawkman (confirmed to be Katar in this issue) manages to land on the hijacked plane he and his flock began pursuing in the previous issue. After signaling to a young passenger to fasten her seat belt, the Winged Wonder proceeds to rip the door from the airliner, sucking unprepared terrorists and their weapons alike out of the aircraft to meet their doom. As our hero enters the plane, he gives the remaining hijackers a stern warning of what's to come next: "Your companions are dead. The rest of you will envy them before I'm done with you."

Again, Kyle Baker--like the majority of the other talent involved in this series--does a superb job of capturing the essence of the character in such a limited space. Can't wait for next week!

On another note, the second issue of JSA vs. Kobra came out this week as well, but unlike #1, Hawkman is nowhere to be seen this outing. Perhaps next month will be kinder to the Pinioned Paladin, though.

BLACKEST NIGHT #1 Spoilers: Hate to say it...

2009-07-15T16:09:00.013-04:00

...but I'll allow myself a Bill O'Reilly moment here: I told ya so. Honestly, though, anyone who didn't see this coming after Final Crisis #7 probably didn't want to. For those of you who haven't read it yet, and the "Spoiler" tag at the top isn't enough of a hint for you, I'm going to spill some stuff (mainly Hawkman and Hawkgirl related) from the first issue of Blackest Night here, so if you don't want to know anything before reading it, click away now...

Good? Good.

First of all, the issue was very well put together. Johns takes a culmination of stories and characters he's written over the years and puts them all together so seamlessly it's wonderful to behold. The story itself is little action and--appropriately enough, considering the subject matter--all emotion. We're treated with a slew of fallen heroes being remembered by their friends and family, with the focus mainly falling on Hal Jordan and Barry Allen. About midway through, we're handed a mystery in the form of Bruce Wayne's desecrated grave and missing skull, to which Hal and Barry immediately speed off to investigate. Around this same time we're also shown the Black Rings getting ready to do their thing, while Scar makes sure to take care of the other Guardians before they can advise the Green Lantern Corps on how to react. But this is a Hawkman blog, and so I'll leave you with those tidbits as I get into the real meat of this post.

Hawkman and Hawkgirl are shown in St. Roch as the former is arguing with Ray Palmer (The Atom) over the phone about visiting his deceased wife's grave. Apparently, Carter still isn't over the whole murdering Sue Dibney thing. Go figure. Kendra pops in after Carter angrily hangs up (if you can classify smashing a receiver as hanging up) on Ray, and the two begin to discuss their relationship, or lack thereof. Long story short, Kendra expresses her love for Carter just as a spear is thrust through her chest from behind by a Black Lantern Sue Dibney. The irony. Not finished, Ralph Dibney joins in and clubs Carter in the head with his own mace. Carter fights back admirably, but to no avail. As Kendra again reaffirms her love for Carter, the two are killed, as with the promise from Black Hand that "You won't escape death this time," their hearts are ripped from their chests. This act serves to power the Black Lanterns' rings by a whole 0.01% each. The issue concludes with the lifeless corpses of both our winged heroes being commanded to "Rise."

Now I don't really have a whole lot to say about the deaths themselves. I wish I could say I was surprised, but again, I wasn't. Heck, after last week's issue of Green Lantern, even the violent way in which Carter and Kendra met their end didn't come as a shock to me. This was just something that I had every expectation of happening, and for months now, even. Jim Starlin's Hawkman Special from last August was really the first clue of what DC's plans for the Hawks were; Final Crisis #7 sealed the deal, until their deaths were rescinded almost immediately after that issue's publication; and finally, DiDio's words to me at Mega Con all but confirmed the characters' fates in my mind.

That doesn't mean this is the end for the characters, though, and that's probably why I'm taking this development in stride. DiDio also told me at Mega Con that I would be "pleasantly surprised with where [Hawkman] ultimately wound up." I seriously doubt he meant Black Lantern Carter and Kendra when he said that.

No, I think editorial, and perhaps even Geoff Johns himself has a plan for the characters of Hawkman and Hawgirl moving forward from here. Going back to the Hawkman Special again, there was a reason Carter's identity was called into question there, just as there was reason for a black-clad Hawkgirl being shown. In my mind, their deaths in this issue could very well be something Johns has had the intention of writing since before said Special ever saw print. Perhaps DiDio took the idea and ran with--probably in a premature and ill-advised manner (he told me himself they "jumped the gun" on it)--and what we're seeing now is Johns simply carrying out the story as he had originally intended. In many ways I'm reminded of the Death of the New Gods (coincidentally also written by Starlin) and Final Crisis disaster that happened, where one inspired the other, but the two didn't gel very well at all in the end.

All that said, however, while this story may be Johns', he's also a writer for DC, and as such has certain obligations to those above him. Despite what some may think, and while I'm sure his leash is longer than others, he nevertheless doesn't have free reign to do as he pleases. So what's my point? That this story could just have likely been a mandate to make way for a new beginning, and Johns is simply following orders.

As I brought up in a post from last week, remember DiDio's "most recognizable version" quote from a few months back? Now which version just happens to be appearing in Wednesday Comics again? Remember how Carter was called "Katar" in that very same Hawkman Special for seemingly unknown reasons? And it's probably pertinent to note that also at Mega Con, DiDio expressed to me that he's always preferred the Thanagarian Hawks--a point with which I agreed--before telling me I would "ultimately be pleased" with Hawkman's fate. Now I'm not saying Katar and Shayera are locks to come back, but I'm more hopeful now than ever, as I do think it's the most likely scenario at this point. Even Black Hand's comment at the end of Blackest Night #1 could be taken as a possible indicator. Johns may have known of DC's intentions, and as more or less the co- and re-creator--if you will--of Kendra and Carter respectively, he probably wanted to be the one who decided how they would go out, while at the same time using their deaths to give his epic some added weight.

Speculation, really. That's all I have at this time. But the real point of this post is that I'm optimistic. There's no reason to be upset with Johns or DC, because this is just the start of something. I entitled my post from May "Death Is Only The Beginning", and I still feel strongly that in this case, it is. Hawkman and Hawkgirl are two of DC's most iconic heroes, after all. If history's taught us anything, it's that they'll be back sooner or later, and in some form or another. The only real question is, which form might they come back as? I have my biases and assumptions, as I've already made clear by now, but for any real answers, we as Hawk-fans are just going to have to do what we've been doing for a while now: Sit back and patiently wait.

Wednesday Comics #1

2009-07-09T13:48:00.003-04:00

Not a whole lot to review in terms of Hawkman here, but the one page (shown below sans dialogue) that is actually printed in Wednesday Comics #1 this week is pretty epic. A brief rundown of the somewhat less brief intro to the story to come: Hawkman (obviously the Silver Age Katar Hol) is flying up to a plane that's currently hijacked. All the dialogue is expressed through exposition from one of the many birds following the Winged Wonder towards the "artificial bird of steel." What I found most enjoyable here is the way Kyle Baker used this anonymous bird to help characterize Hawkman as the type of man so sure of himself that you'd follow him to Hell and back if he asked you to. Very cool, very fun, and I'm very much looking forward to seeing how this series plays out.

On a broader note, the other stories featured in Wednesday Comics are, on the whole, pretty darn good as well, and the format of the title itself is just plain fun. There's something magical about unfolding these nice big pages filled with huge panels of color and dialogue that you just don't get in a traditional comic. I was a little apprehensive at first, but aside from Blackest Night, this is probably the title I'm currently subscribed to that I now expect to get the most enjoyment out of. If you haven't checked Wednesday Comics out, I'd recommend that you do.

One, the Other, or Both?

2009-07-08T19:36:00.004-04:00

It's a fairly common question I get from those more familiar with the DCU when I say Hawkman's my favorite character: Which one? And that's a tough one, too. As I've said elsewhere, if I actually had to choose, it would be the original Silver Age Katar Hol. With the amalgamation Geoff Johns created upon bringing Carter Hall back, however, my preference is not so strong that I think any less of the current Hawkman as my favorite superhero. By and large he holds all the traits, ties, and personality quirks I expect to see in the character; by all accounts he is Hawkman to me, and that's all I'm asking for.

That said, the debate still goes on to this day, even after all these years of Katar being in limbo: Should Katar be brought back? If so, which one? And finally, do we really need to limit the DCU to just one Hawkman? For the sake of brevity, let's start by eliminating those first two queries right off the bat: Yes, and the Silver Age version. Those aren't hard and fast answers, they're simply my opinion stated outright to help keep this ball rolling. The real debate stems from whether or not there's room enough or not in DC's fictional world for two Hawkmen. My answer is neither a definitive "yes" nor "no," but rather a relatively more longwinded, "I think it would be redundant."

First of all, let me say it's not that I believe the DCU can't sustain two Hawkmen (Hawkmans?) at once, but rather that I believe at the very least one of them is always going to be relegated to being nothing more than a supporting character. See Carter Hall post-Hawkworld for an example. Heck, pre-Crisis he essentially played the same role, and arguably JSA stalwarts Alan Scott and Jay Garrick play second fiddle to their more recognizable JLA counterparts even to this day. I'd even go so far as to point out just how "happy" fans of Wally West and Kyle Rayner are/were upon the return of those characters' predecessors. Answer: Not very, and I wonder why?

Compounding this dilemma is the fact that Hawkman, love him though I do, just isn't as popular as the Flash or Green Lantern. Upon getting his hands on him, Johns was smart in reconciling all the aspects of Hawkman over the years into one cohesive being, because it brought the majority of fans of both incarnations to the table. People who enjoyed Katar, like myself, were probably inclined to accept Carter quite readily due in no small part to the fact that Johns immediately tied Carter to Thanagar. He wasn't Katar, but space battles and otherworldly adventures sure didn't look to be out of the picture. And of course Carter fans--and make no mistake, I honestly don't believe there were too many until Johns got his hands on the character--were instantly sold when they saw the words "Cater Hall" printed. People knew that Indiana Jones style adventures were also going to play a part as well.

Which is really my chief concern when it comes to divvying up the Hawkman character into two separate beings again. Most fans I see who advocate this approach seem to think that you can have Carter on Earth doing his thing and Katar in space doing his. But Katar was never just a "space cop," as so many seem to have erroneously dubbed him over the years. Looking back through many of the Silver Age storylines he partook in, Katar was just as likely to be seen flying to Egypt to track down a stolen relic as he was rocketing back to Thanagar to help his home planet squash a threat. It's not exactly the same case for Carter, but you can nevertheless argue that his Thanagarian ties have played a part in his development and relevancy since his return eight years ago. His rebirth on Thanagar, the Thanagarian ship he hangared, Charley Parker, Rann/Thanagar, and Holy War are all arguably aspects of the character that wouldn't exist were you to limit his exploits to Earth only. It's my contention that you can't take the Earth out of Katar any more than you can the Thanagar out of Carter, not without detriment to both characters, anyway.

And that in turn brings me back to the crux of my argument in this debate: redundancy. To have two characters flying around in the DCU, both named Hawkman, both museum curators in their spare time, both with a red-headed lady love also using the moniker of "Hawk," both with ties to Thanagar, both wielders of vast amounts of Earthly knowledge--be it through an Absorbascon or first-hand experience--both fans of ancient weapons in their assault against crime, both with a tendency to scour the globe in pursuit of crime and adventure; when you have all this and more in common between two "different" characters you risk not only confusing your audience, but also splitting your fansbase.

I suppose it comes down to this: If people are all right with one Hawkman in JLA and another in JSA, then there's probably no point in me trying to convince you that two Hawkmen is a bad idea. I could see them functioning in a group setting just fine. But I believe the cost of such a scenario would be the odds of a new Hawkman solo title coming to fruition taking a sharp nose dive. Why? Mainly because you're going to have fans of one Hawkman disregarding a book based around the other almost instantly. Not to mention complaints of one character stepping on the other's territory will inevitably crop up as well. I can easily envision Katar fans crying foul should the titular character of Carter ever take a trip to Thanagar to help dissolve a Rannian smuggling ring, just as I could imagine Carter fans upset over Katar taking an expedition to Africa to help protect an ancient kingdom from destruction.

Again, I'm of the opinion that Johns' compromise was a wise one, in that he utilized the creativity infused in both characters to bring probably more fans to the character than any other writer had in a very long time, perhaps since Brave and the Bold #34, even. That notwithstanding, however, I would be thrilled to see Katar return sometime in the future, and I have high hopes of seeing that come to fruition by, or perhaps even before Blackest Night's conclusion. I only hope that, should I be right, and should DC's stance of multiple Hawkmen be the same as mine (remember DiDio's "most recognizable version" quote from last year?), fans of Carter as he is now will at least give Katar the same opportunity I gave Carter upon Johns' reinvention of him. He did, after all, borrow many elements from the "space cop" to make Carter that much more engaging. I honestly believe that if handled right, a return of the Thanagarian Wingman could bring as many new fans to the character as his first appearance once did in 1961.

Perhaps we'll know in a week from now what DC has in store for us on that front, but before any new status quo is introduced, I wanted to share my feelings on this debate. I don't proclaim my stance to be right and all others' to be wrong, but this is nevertheless where I fall on the whole "controversy" concerning multiple Hawkmen. Who knows, though? Maybe coming out of Blackest Night, DC will be giving it their darndest to prove just how wrong I am.

Where's My Hawkman Shirt, DC?

2009-07-05T17:38:00.006-04:00

Every comic book fan probably has at least one in their closet: the comic book T-shirt. Wearing the same symbol as our favorite character is a way to show fellow fans where our allegiances lie. Heck, even non-comic book reading folks have been known to wear them, be it for symbolism, style, or both. Superman shirts were all over the place during my home town basketball team, the Orlando Magic's playoff run, and on a number of college campuses across the country you're bound to see someone in a Batman or even Green Lantern shirt practically daily.

Green Lantern's not even close to being obscure when it comes to who gets one, though. Captain Marvel, Black Adam, even Martian Manhunter has one. And the marketing departments know these things can be a source of revenue generators, not just from the shirts themselves, but as a way to cross-promote the products these shirts spun out of in the first place. With Blackest Night less than two weeks away now, we've all been reminded several times by Dan DiDio now what a hit the different Corps shirts have been.

Which really is the source of my complaint here. Why is it that a character as new as and relatively obscure as Atrocitus already has, for intents and purposes, his own shirt, but Hawkman, a hero who's been around since 1940, does not? Yes, there are themed shirts with Hawkman appearing on them, but I'm talking about a plain black shirt with the red screaming chicken logo on it. Perhaps the logic is that upon wearing this shirt, some people might ask, "What is that? A Thundercat's T-shirt or something?" But are you going to tell me anyone outside of comic book reading circles is going to recognize the Star Saphire symbol?

Recently, there actually was a Hawkgirl T-shirt released, alongside that Martian Manhunter shirt I spoke of earlier, but I guess to try and keep it in theme with the character's later appearance on JLU, the designers decided to produce the thing in bright yellow. I appreciate the bone being thrown my way, guys, but yellow just isn't my color, not to mention it does nothing to help set the symbol off.

So what was a die-hard Hawkman fan like myself supposed to do? I couldn't walk around in just any shirt, after all. We're a rare breed, we Hawk-fans, so I was eager to represent. Luckily, private businesses that specialize in custom shirts are ready and willing to take my hard earned cash. My first Hawkman shirt--black cotton with the Hawkworld rendition of the symbol printed in the center of the chest--was actually a very thoughtful gift given to me by my brother about two years ago for Christmas. Best, most unexpected gift I got that year, as a matter of fact. It didn't end there, though. I ordered a second one on eBay about a year later: flesh colored with the modern, more stylized symbol printed on the chest in red. Finally, about a month before Mega Con this year, I prepared to show off my fandom once more with yet another black T-shirt, this time sporting the traditional screaming chicken symbol that I think is most identifiable as Hawkman's emblem.

It's a little ridiculous, sure, having three different Hawk-symbol shirts, but like I said, I'm a die-hard. My real point here, though, is you're missing my dollars, DC. I do appreciate the couple of Hawkman shirts you actually have licensed, namely the charcoal one featuring his visage with the word "HAWKMAN" printed nice and big under his mug. But why not a simple emblem tee already? Sure, he's not the most well known hero. Even at Mega Con a couple of people asked me what my shirt was from. But it's honestly more about me than them. I want to show my support for my favorite character, so why not give me the option? I don't know how this stuff gets decided on or anything, but for what's it's worth, if the-powers-that-be at DC or WB are out there, I would gladly buy a Hawkman T-shirt, and I'm willing to bet countless others would as well. So how about it already?

Hawkman Confirmed for PUBLIC ENEMIES

2009-06-30T13:03:00.004-04:00

Late last month, you may recall my posting of the Superman/Batman: Public Enemies trailer. In that post, I expressed my concern over the absence of both Captain Marvel and our favorite winged warrior from the trailer, as the fight between them and the two titular characters in the original storyline was a highlight for many, including myself. Well, I'm happy to report that today my fears have been alleviated.

Happening upon this article on VoicesFromKrypton.com this morning, the pic featured above immediately caught my attention. As you can see, Hawkman will appear in the film after all in all his winged glory, putting the smack-down quite ably on that weirdo who dresses like a bat. Now here's hoping we actually get to see a concrete conclusion to the battle, as opposed to the way Superman and Batman's victory was later described in the story through exposition.

Anywho, I was planning on getting this movie beforehand, but it's now a day-one purchase. Throw in Tim Daly, Clancy Brown, and Kevin Conroy all reprising their Animated Series' roles, and I anticipate the next thing I'll be excited over will be the news on who's voicing Hawkman. Can't wait.

CRY FOR JUSTICE Out Next Week

2009-06-26T12:34:00.007-04:00

And as you may already know from previews both online and in the backs of select DC comic books, Hawkman makes an extremely small cameo in the first issue. It's not much, but it is nonetheless interesting to see him pictured with the JLA, almost as though he were a member himself, and with his Silver Age red overshorts to boot. Besides, any time Hawkman appears in a preview, no matter how small, I always allow my hopes to go up just a bit in getting to see more of him in the finished product. No signs of that happening here really, but considering the nature of the team Hal Jordan is putting together, I would at least like to see the narrative reasoning behind Hawkman not joining up explained. I've no doubt he's not on the team because other plans are in store for him (Blackest Night), but with Hawkman currently expelled from the JSA and Hal's team's modus operandi seeming to be right up Carter's alley, it would be nice for his exclusion on the team to be explored, if even in passing.

Anywho, Hawkman or no, I'll be checking out the first issue of Cry For Justice. The art looks fantastic and Robinson is a more than capable writer, so I expect it to be quite good.