DC Comics 2017
Written by Jeff Lemire
Pencilled by Bryan Hitch
Inked by Kevin Nowlan
Coloured by Alex Sinclair & Jeremiah Skipper
Lettered by Clayton Cowles
I was super thrilled that a Hawkman book was coming out. I mean let’s face it his origin and how he should be handled is beyond most people’s comprehension. Meaning people are afraid to tackle the character so he goes away for long stretches and ya know he is one of the more well recognised characters DC comics has. He needs to have his past fixed once and for all, the Thanagar policeman on Earth worked well for so long when he was merged with the Earth 2 Hawkman suddenly things changed and it all got effed up. Like Donna Troy, Carter needs a streamlined origin and a monthly series one that I wouldn’t seeing him with Adam Strange.
Still any chance to see Hawkman again is a welcome sight. I do wish this wasn’t a one-shot though a limited that ties into the whole Metal business. So to use this to tie him into that series is disappointing because I’m not going to buy that just for Hawkman. Jeff is one of today’s most interesting writers and there isn’t a genre or person that he can’t write about. His take on this in just this issue is one I want to see more of. I knew who those around him were even if he didn’t recognise them and to see them sparked something inside me.
This feels like the beginning of bringing Carter Hall back to prominence. Jeff manages to take most of what makes Carter Hawkman here and uses it in way that has that interest factor. This feels like rebuilding a character from the ground up and using everything we’ve seen before as it’s base to create something new. Earth 2’s version of Hawkman was based on all the resurrection while Earth 1’s was based on this Hawk god and his people on Thanagar so from what I can see here it’s like this blending of the two or at least use of the two to create something solid. Also the nod to Northwind and his people well that’s just icing on the cake. The man, the myth, the warrior it’s all here and it makes me want to see more.
Bryan is in rare from here and he’s got some solid talent finishing off his work. I mean the hair the beard, the chest hair and the way the whole page is used with panel placement is Bryan’s eye for storytelling shining through. The attention to detail here goes beyond superb and that he puts that kind of attention into the backgrounds as well just puts this over the edge. I mean wow this is visually stunning and it’s like Bryan went to a new higher level with this and it makes me want to see him and Jeff tackle a new monthly series.
I think the story here takes centre stage even with the amazing interior artwork. This gives me hope that someone knows what to do with the convoluted history Hawkman has. It feels like the beginning of a return to that status that he held for so long. While I’ve been a fan of his for years thanks to the Justice League of America in the 70’s and 80’s which caused me to read is original series that co-starred the Atom. He’s a great character, underused and largely forgotten and that Jeff sees the potential in revitalising him and making him a prominent character again is promising.
If this was the beginning of a new series I would say that it’s fast tracked for a breakout hit. So hopefully DC will see the that potential in what these creators can do and will end up letting Jeff take the reigns and bring back Hawkman to the DC universe and let him shine again. All around this is probably the best Hawkman story I’ve seen in the last decade.