The 49th Co(s)mic Comic Book Broadcast: Hawkman Part 2!

I'm going to try my best to keep updating my broadcast on a regular basis, I will, I promise.  Well I hope I can.  I will try my absolute best.  A few days ago I posted my thoughts about a 2002 series from DC Comics called Hawkman written by Geoff Johns and James Robinson, penciled by Rags Morales and Inked by Michael Bair.

Welcome to the 49th Co(s)mic Comic Book Broadcast: Hawkman Part 2.  As I mentioned Hawkman came out during a period of time when I had to give up my hobby of collecting comics.  I couldn't afford to keep buying the comics I liked and I had to give up but I still kept track of what was happening in the comics world.  When Hawkman was released I was excited and intrigued.  Hawkman in his own title?  Again?  Was DC Comics really going to give this character another chance?  Yep, they did.  And for this series, they put together a team of talented writers and artists and colorists.  It was a great team.  Oh, I didn't know how great at the time because I couldn't buy any of the issues.  It wasn't until a few years later that I had a chance to read the very series I heard about and read about in the magazines and reviews about comics.  I really wanted to read it but I had to wait for a few years.  Well, they say all good things come to those who wait and I did indeed, you know what?  It was worth it!!

Hawkman exceeded my expectations in terms of the story, the overall feel of the character, the flow and especially the artwork.  It is one of the main attractions for me.  I'm kinda old school when it comes to comics.  I remember the days when you had a writer and an artist who worked together so well like Lee and Kirby on Fantastic Four, Claremont and Byrne on Uncanny X Men, Wolfman and Perez on Teen Titans & Bendis and Bagley on Ultimate Spider Man.  I liked it when a team that's so talented stays on a title.  I like it when the artist is able to tell the story the writer has written in his artwork, I like it when the team complements each other.  That way the story and art becomes one and the average comic book fan boy (Me! Me!) can enjoy his favorite comic.

This is what happened to me when I read Hawkman.  After so many years of waiting, the experience was all that I had hoped for and more.  I couldn't get the actual Hawkman comics anymore but I was really lucky that a friend of mine bought the digital copies and he was kind enough to let me read and later take some snapshots of the Hawkman series.

I really enjoyed reading this series.  I mentioned that Geoff Johns and James Robinson really did a great job on Hawkman.  I liked the stories, I like the characterization, the exotic locales and so on but what I loved most is the artwork.  First off, they had a great cover artist named Andrew Robinson who did the pencils, inks and colors.  Actually he paints the covers and they look great.  Look at the cover to issue # 5.

After the cover, what did I find on the inside?  The artwork by Rags Morales and Michael Bair.  I remember first coming across Rags Morales' work on Valiant Comics.  I remember he drew Turok, Archer & Armstrong and I bought the title Geomancer because he was the penciler.  I like his DC Comics work better because I think he found the perfect inker.  Michael Bair brings out the best in his artwork in my humble opinion.

I remember when I first came across his work, I thought his style was similar to that of Michael Golden.  For a long while I thought that but after seeing more of his work, his style is similar but unique.  I think of it as being a "fluid" style and one that is very communicative as you can see in the panel above.  I love that page: "You Damn Bird" Ha!

I just love the way Morales draws his splash pages.  Really really great artwork.  It always amazes me whenever I read each issue of Hawkman and how Morales can surprise me with his art. I was really surprised when I read Hawkman # 7, look at that cover by Andrew Robinson but for this issue he was identified as Cartwright Robinson.

This issue was written by James Robinson.  I liked this issue as well.  This issue features a flashback to one of the Hawks' earlier reincarnations, Nighthawk and Cinnamon meet and fall in love while saving an innocent man from the gallows.  Penciled by Rags Morales and this time inked by Tim Truman.  The results were fantastic!

I'm a big fan of Old Westerns and the art of Timothy Truman so this was a real treat for me to read this issue.  I liked they way Morales' pacing and the way he draws the action in this issue.  Really great stuff.

Two equally important issues of Hawkman are issues # 8 and # 9.  In issue # 8, Carter Hall talks to Ray Palmer (The Atom) to discuss his love for Kendra. I really like the way Johns and Robinson reminds us about how these guys aren't just super heroes, they're also friends, good friends, real friends.  Also in this issue Hawkgirl goes after metahuman Warwhip, only to have Chief Nadel kill him. Speed Saunders get into trouble in Tibet.  In issue # 9, we're introduced to carter Hall's Son, 
Carter's son Hector who drops by to talk about Carter's many reincarnations. Kendra is having nightmares about a tragic event in her childhood.  Again Johns and Robinson did such a great job on that story.

I love this page by Morales and Bair.  I love it.  I like how their relationship progresses in each issue.  It's not always smooth sailing for these two but they're working on it.

Remember I mentioned the origins of Hawkman and Hawkgirl?  Yeah this is how it's told and I thought it was nicely done, it helps that Morales and Bair did a great job as usual on the interior art.

I love that cover, don't you?  If you'll notice, Hawkman's weapons are unique. All versions of Hawkman preferred to use archaic weaponry—particularly maces, nets, spears and so on.  In this series, Hawkman does indeed use these weapons rather than modern or futuristic weapons. Carter Hall prefers this in part because, having the memories of living through many past lives, he is more proficient in their use than with contemporary weapons. In Katar Hol's case, it was too dangerous to use Thanagarian weaponry since there was too great a chance they could be lost or captured and then used or duplicated on Earth. There is, however, one significantly unique weapon Carter employs occasionally: the Claw of Horus. Constructed of Nth metal by Prince Khufu in ancient Egypt.

Another example of the art work of Morales and Bair and just how good they are together on Hawkman.  Here's some more info on Hawkman. All versions of Hawkman have shown enhanced levels of strength.  The Golden Age Hawkman was said to have the strength of 12 men but later that idea was dropped. Whereas the Golden Age Hawkman's strength appeared natural, it was later explained that the Nth metal enables its wielders to carry great weights. The recent incarnation has interpreted this as the Nth metal simply enhancing the strength of the user. Also, several JLA and JSA stories indicate that Thanagar has greater gravity than Earth, and that Thanagarians are naturally stronger than humans because they are adapted to it.

It's also been explained in the JSA series that the Nth metal greatly aids in healing, closing wounds almost instantaneously. One example is in the JLA story "Crisis of Conscience" Carter's arm was nearly severed, but the wound has obviously closed and functionality returned by the end of the issue. The Atom has commented that Hawkman laughs at anything less than third-degree burns. The Nth metal also regulates the body temperature of the wearer, preventing the need for heavy protective clothing while in high altitudes. It also has the property of radiating heat, which can be controlled to warm the wearer in colder climates.

Would you take a look at the detail in that page?  Did you know that Hawkman was ranked as the 118th greatest comic book character of all time by Wizard Magazine?  IGN also ranked Hawkman as the 56th greatest comic book hero of all time stating that the best part of Hawkman is his incredibly short fuse.; IGN also described him as a complete and total badass.  Looking at that page, I can certainly agree that Hawkman is a total badass.

As I was reading through all the issues of Hawkman, I realised that the Team of Johns and Morales left the title as of issue # 25, the conclusion of the Black Reign storyline.  I was disappointed but I guess you can't stay in one place forever. 

These days it's rare to see a team stick on one title for an extended period of time. A twenty five issue run is nothing to sneeze.  Johns, Robinson, Morales, Bair and the rest of the creative did a great job of getting me interested in Hawkman again and that is also nothing to sneeze at.  I loved reading this series, it was one of the better DC Comics series I've read.  I am really disappointed that in the NEW 52 that the Hawkman comic didn't last that long.  I don't know why it was cancelled but after reading issue # 1 I have to be honest, I was not impressed.  In fact the NEW 52 Hawkman was just not very good.  I won't mention who did the art and story because it was just not impressive at all and it couldn't hold a candle to this series.  

It's sad that they couldn't keep such an interesting character who has such a rich history going in his own series.  If you ever have a chance, try this series, you won't regret it.  I didn't.  Just wish I could find the complete 25 issues one day.  It's be great to read the physical comic. One day.  Who knows.

Thanks for dropping by for the 49th Co(s)mic Comic Book Broadcast, thanks for giving me the chance to share this with you.  I hope you liked it. The broadcast will be back soon.  Until then you take care.

The 48th Co(s)mic Comic Book Broadcast: Hawkman! Part 1

I can't recall when the last time I updated this broadcast.  No, wait I do.  It was in August.  I was supposed to do this weeks ago but circumstances prevented me from updating the Broadcast.  I tried but I just couldn't find the time.  My only excuse is work commitments caught up with me and unfortunately I had to sacrifice my broadcast.  I had no choice but I'm back.  The 48th Co(s)mic Comic Book Broadcast is back.

For this edition I wanted to talk about a title I read a few years ago.  Even I got the idea to start this blog of mine, one of the titles I wanted to feature was this one.  It was definitely one of the best written and best drawn comic book for me.  The unfortunate thing is I never found the comic itself, well not all of them but thanks to a friend who kindly let me read the entire collection on his tablet I was introduced to this really great comic book.

This edition of the broadcast is all about HAWKMAN!

The year was 2002 when DC Comics reincarnated Hawkman with a new series in 2002 entitled Hawkman Volume 4, written initially by Geoff Johns and James Robinson, the art was handled by Rags Morales and Michael Bair.  The cover to Hawkman # 1 was penciled, Inked and painted by Andrew Robinson.  When this series was released I had stopped collecting for a period of time.  Despite not actively collecting, I still kept up with new releases, reading about what's new, who's the new writer or artist on this or that title, what changes are coming and all that.  The sad thing was while I was reading up on these comics, I couldn't afford to buy any of these comics.  Anyway, one day I read that in an issue of Justice Society Of America, Geoff Johns was bringing back Hawkman.  This was in Issue 26 of the JSA.

Here's the cover to JSA # 26.  The start of the Return Of Hawkman Storyline.  According to the article I read, after many many years of convoluted story lines and retcons of Hawkman, Geoff Johns had some how managed to untangle all that mess with regards to the many reincarnations of Hawkman and reintroduce him into the DC Universe.  That made me curious, I read up on this character.  Hawkman first appeared in Flash Comics # 1 in 1940.  He was a featured character in that title throughout the 1940s. This Hawkman was Carter Hall, a reincarnation of the ancient egyption prince Khufu.  Carter Hall discovered that the mysterious "ninth metal" could negate the effects of gravity and allowed him to fly. He donned a costume with large wings to allow him to control his flight and became the crimefighter, Hawkman.

Then there's another Hawkman, this one named Katar Holl.  A honored policeman from the planet Thanagar.  Along with his wife Shayera, they use the anti-gravity ninth (also known as Nth) metal and their wings to fight criminals. These were the tools of an elite police unit tasked to track and apprehend the most dangerous criminals. The pair were sent to earth in 1961 to capture the shape-shifting criminal Byth.  Following this mission, they elected to remain on Earth to work with authorities in the United States and learn human police methods. The two adopted covers as a pair of Museum Curators.

Now this is just two versions of Hawkman, over the years there have been more.  I first read about Hawkman and also Hawkgirl in an issue of Superman, that's this one, Superman # 18.

This was my introduction to the new Superman.  What do I mean by new?  This was the Superman by John Byrne after Crisis On Infinite Earths.  This was also for me the first time reading about the Hawks.  Years later I read that due to convoluted storylines created over the years, this team up or meeting between the Hawks and Superman did not or should not have happened.  I can't remember the details but it boggles the mind.  DC 's efforts to streamline their universe in Crisis resulted in a massive revision of much DC continuity and led to many characters being substantially rewritten.

Hawkman was to suffer some of the greatest confusion as successive writers sought to explain his various appearances. In the revised timeline there was a single Earth which had witnessed the JSA in the 1940s and the JLA decades later. Successive revisions sought to establish exactly who had been Hawkman and Hawkwoman at different stages. For the first few years the pre-Crisis incarnations were still used, during which time they were prominent across the DC Universe and joined the latest incarnation of the Justice League. Did that confuse you?

Some years later DC Comics had another mega event called Zero Hour and that mini-series muddied the waters further by merging the different Hawkmen into a "Hawkgod", who was the focus character in the third volume of the monthly Hawkman series. This version of Hawkman also had a small role in the alternate-future series Kingdom Come.  After the demise of this series, Hawkman's continuity was considered to be too messy, too complicated and so the character kinda sorta disapeared for a while.

But that didn't last too long, after a few years had gone by, DC felt that the complicated storyline could be fixed because sometime in the late 1990s, the JSA series untangled Hawkman's continuity, establishing him as Carter Hall, a man who - along with Shiera - had been reincarnated dozens of times since his life in ancient Egypt, and whose powers were derived from Thanagarian Nth metal, which had been retroactively renamed from "ninth metal". The Katar Hol of the Hawkworld series had also come to Earth during the 1990s, as previously established. The 1980s Hawkman Fel Andar returned to Thanagar. The Hawkgod was later revealed to be an avatar of the Hawk aspect of the Red and only believed that he was Hawkman.  Are you still with me so far?

Okay, back to the new Hawkman series.  I was excited when I found out that DC was giving Hawkman another chance and to have the team of Geoff Johns, James Robinson, Rags Morales and Michael Bair was a good move.  I wanted to get this series BUT at the time none of the shops had this series and the fact that I had stopped collecting stopped me from actually hunting this series down.

After a few years had passed, I met a friend who was still collecting comics and also started buying digital copies online.  I couldn't believe my luck when I went through his digital collection, he had Hawkman Vol. 4.  I asked if I could read the series on his tablet and he said sure.  I started "flipping" through the pages of this series and I have to say, I loved it!!!

I started taking some screen shots of the pages and saving them and that's what I want to share with you for this edition of the Broadcast.  First off I think Geoff Johns and James Robinson did such a great job of telling the story of Hawkman and Hawkgirl and just doing it as simply as possible.  The character already came with a huge back story and I guess for some it's a daunting to get into such a character especially if you know the story behind Hawkman.  A story that didn't need to be told over and over again.  Johns and Robinson did that, they did tell us about the origins of Hawkman and Hawkgirl but it wasn't forced down our throats, well at least that's my opinion.  What they did was tell a great story, take us right into the thick of the action and boy oh boy they sure did that.

In issue # 1 instead by recapping what happened, who the characters are, we were thrown into the thick of the action and surprisingly I didn't feel lost reading it.  I liked how the writers had established Hawkman (Carter Hall) and Hawkgirl (Kendra Saunders) in a city called St. Roach.  I thought that was a great move instead of placing them in say New York or any other fictional city.  To place them in a city called St. Roch, a fictional city which has a lot of history as well was in my humble opinion a master stroke.  The city itself was part of the story and I loved it.

For anyone who is new to DC Comics and new to Hawkman, it was refreshing to read about Hawkman, getting to know the other characters, the rogues gallery and also other key players in the series.  I loved how each character had their own voice in the comic.  Like Bloque here, he had a distinct accent which you can hear when you read the comic.

I also liked how Johns and Robinson fleshed out the character of Carter Hall.  Often times Hall came off as a jerk, the way he would treat Kendra Saunders but after a while you realize the fear Hall had knowing what actually WILL happen to them as the prophecies eventually comes true.  I won't say too much about that, suffice to say, Johns and Robinson did a great job and this was just the first issue.  Well I was hooked.  Great story from two great writers.

I love this page.  Really nicely done by Rags Morales and Michael Bair.   Which brings me to the next question.  They have good writers.  What about the art?

First off, the cover artist, Andrew Robinson, I love his covers, I like this painted feel to them which adds to the uniqueness of this relatively new title.  At first i thought it was Matt Wagner's art on the cover but I found out it wasn't.  I like his artwork.

And the interior art?  Well, I said on twitter once that thanks to the art of Rags Morales and Michael Bair, I wanted to visit St. Roach.  Their artwork on Hawkman was just absolutely beautiful.  I liked the way Morales and Bair complemented each other.  I remember first laying eyes on Morales' artwork when he worked on titles like Turok, Archer and Armstrong and Geomancer.  while I liked his pencils I wasn't thrilled about some inkers he was paired with.  I always thought that a penciler and Inker needed to complement each other and Morales and Bair, they make a great team.

In 1999, Morales was made the penciler on DC's on a comic called Hourman, penciling 20 of that series 25 issues before it was canceled in 2001. Over the course of the following year, he drew nine intermittent issues of JSA before moving onto Hawkman with Bair.  It was on Hawkman that Morales first worked with Bair.  He has worked on most of his projects since. At the time Morales said "when I saw the magic that Michael Bair added to my work, I knew I had to stick with this dude" I agree wholeheartedly.

I'll have more for you on Hawkman in the next broadcast.  I hope you enjoyed this little "chat" we had about this great title which unfortunately went the same way of many other Hawkman titles of the past. Which I think is rather sad, this series was good.

Thanks for dropping by for the broadcast and I apologies for not updating the broadcast sooner.  I'll be back soon with part two of the Co(s)mic Comic Book Broadcast.  See you soon.