Hawkman #1 Review

On Wednesday we had the release of issue 1 of Hawkman’s new comic book, and a part of me loved it.

SPOILERS AHEAD

Hawkman’s alternate cover shows us his huge… flail.

I’ve known the character my whole life but this is the first time I’ve read one of his books and I instantly liked him. Aside from the very pleasant sight the main character provides, the first half of the story is focused mainly on Hawkman and his past lives and it’s a beauty to read. It’s informing and gives out the character’s personality while being fun and entertaining, he’s a smart man who’s not reduced to speaking like a textbook in order to prove it, he’s friendly and faithful and has a moral compass.
The plot of the issue, for the most part, was also very good.
We have a quest for self-discovery and giant gorilla golems, ancient artifacts and giant, flying gorilla golems, magically induced revelations and giant, alien, flying gorilla golems. What more could I ask for?

Goodbye, Ooahk Kung, the Wingor. You will be missed.

The problem, then, comes at the end. You see, as we find out thanks to the magic and the artifice and the witch (the usual stuff) Hawkman has been reincarnating through time and space, so there’s been a version of him basically everywhere, always. That’s one thing I’m not totally on board with, but I could maybe come to understand if it had a reason and a good explanation. But then we also find out there’s a super threat coming to Earth and only he can stop it.
Why? Because screw you, that’s why.

Go home, Carter, your tripping balls.

Let’s go step by step. There are hundreds of heroes and metahumans on this planet, where and why does he HAVE to do it alone? And then my biggest problem and the thing that bothers me about comic books in general these days; the world is in peril. Why? Because screw you, that’s why.
You see, it doesn’t have to be that way. There’s literally no one forcing writers to make every goddamn threat global, but here they are. And sure, you could say it sells to have THE BIGGEST WORST LARGEST BADDEST event happening in a book, and I understand the need to top yesterday’s story with a BIGGER WORSE LARGER BADDER story today, but you know what could sell just as much? Telling a good story. Have the entire Justice League on a five issues event fighting to save a bus full of kids, the Avengers having a crossover with the X-Men to protect a refugee alien, and you will get something personal, deep and easy to relate because we as readers can identify with small conflicts way more than we can with a global scale menace. Plus, the global scale menace doesn’t work because I already know the world is not going to end, at least not when this Hawkman is in the same reality as the rest of the DCU.
So it bothers me that this story that started out so good had to end on a cliche with a predictable ending because I don’t believe there will be any consequences.
Still, I would like the readers of this post to give it a shot. I’m gonna pick up next issue for sure and wait for it to change my mind, but this #1 is, despite its flaws, a very entertaining read.

P.S.: no gorillas were hurt during the making of this comic… we think.

 

Gonza.