Hawkworld's Review of Metal

The Metal series is over. What a mind-tripping odyssey it was. It’s almost been exactly a year since we first heard about Scott Snyder’s bombastic idea of a series that centered on the metals, mainly the Nth Metal, of the DC Universe. As a Hawkman fan, I’ll have to admit I was less than optimistic about the event, and the last thing I wanted to see was the element that gave Hawkman his powers being given to the omnipresent Batman. After seeing my Tweets voicing my negative thoughts about the series, Snyder was kind enough to send me a message, saying that he was bringing back Hawkman in a huge way, to trust him and support the series. I'll admit it wasn’t easy. Hawkman has really gotten the short end of the mace these last few years, and I was starting to wonder if it was worth following DC Comics at all. But I followed the series, thinking that if Hawkman didn’t come back through this series, then maybe it was time to move on. But knowing me, I would probably still have been around. I love the character too much to just give up.

But that was not what happened. Back in 2001, DC Comics brought back Hawkman in JSA #23-25. It was a three-issue series called “The Return of Hawkman” and it brought back Hawkman in a big way after the character had been shelved for five years. The Metal series did not feature Hawkman and Hawkgirl as much as the JSA series did, but it seems for now that it has left us with the possibility for a great future for the Hawks, just as the JSA series did.

Through the Dark Days: Casting/Forging, Dark Nights: Metal and Hawkman Found series, we have discovered so many new things about the Hawks.
*Hawkman and Hawkgirl are members of the Immortals.
*They have been around since the dawn of man, as leaders of the Bird Tribe.
*Hath-Set was the leader of the Bat Tribe which was always at war with the Bird Tribe
*Hawkman and Hawkgirl set out to discover the truth about the Nth Metal
*They set up base on Blackhawk Island in the South Pacific
*Other heroes worked with them; Blackhawks, Challengers of the Unknown, Red Tornado, Starman
*Hawkman is referred to as a great detective
*Carter Hall once defeated Barbatos with his Nth metal mace
*Carter Hall had a relationship with the Wayne Family
*Before he disappeared into the Dark Multiverse, he hid his journal in the Wayne Manor
*Kendra Saunders became Lady Blackhawk and tried to destroy all of the Nth Metal
*Kendra regains her Hawkgirl powers during the Metal event.
*After entering the Dark Multiverse, Hawkman became the Dragon of Barbatos
*Hawkman was the keeper of the Forge of Worlds but was rescued by Wonder Woman and Hawkgirl

I'm sure I've forgotten to mention some things but so much happened in this series and it will take a while to see how it will affect the DCU. As for Hawkman and Hawkgirl, this series finally marked their return to the front lines. The series seems to indicate that Hawkman’s origins and various incarnations are finally connected. How that will be done, or if, remains to be seen. His new status as the great detective will be interesting. Hawkgirl is back in the Justice League. Her friendship with Wonder Woman was a highlight for Hawkfans so it will be fun to watch their relationship continue.

It’s been a long wait for Hawkman and Hawkgirl fans. Geoff Johns got them on the right track, but for whatever reason, the characters’ development from the 2000s was stopped and changed once again. Since the end of the Brightest Day series in 2011, we’ve seen the Savage and Earth 2 series come and go, numerous deaths in various series, a poorly-executed TV version that came and went, and complete silence for the first few months of Rebirth. Hawkman and Hawkgirl have been around for almost 80 years, and I believe there is a reason for that. Their power of flight. Their love for each other. The characters’ strong sense of justice, order, and love. And now their tireless search for truth. All of these things have kept the Hawks flying in the DC Universe. With Scott Snyder taking over Hawkgirl in Justice League and Robert Venditti writing the new Hawkman series, Hawkfans have a lot to look forward to in the coming years.

“Hawkman will fly again.” Hawkfans are flying again, too.