Hawkman Story in DC's Lex and the City

From DC's Lex and the City (March 2025)

   We got a bit of a surprise last week when Hawkman unexpectedly appeared in a story in the issue titled DC's Lex and the City.  The book is a collection of eight anthology stories and Hawkman's story is the last story in the book. Below is a spoiler-rich review of the story, so if you haven't read it yet, go check it out! 

   Carter Hall is reminiscing about his life with Shiera in Midway City. He describes the time as the best time he ever had with Shiera, even more than his lives as kings and princes. He calls his own "Golden Age." It becomes apparent that Shiera has already died, and Carter is alone. So this is probably the current Carter or an alternate version of some made-up universe somewhere. 

   He talks about Kendra Saunders who is in Metropolis, and Shayera Hol who left Earth to return to Thanagar. But he is doubting if he will ever have a relationship with either of them as he did with Sheira. More about that later. 

   He goes to a cave outside the city where he digs up a device called a "Memracon," a different type of Absorbascon. The Absorbascon is a device that is used to allow Thanagarians to learn and share knowledge with each other, while the Memracon allows them to relive past memories. As he is preparing to use the device, A dragon shaped sentry called the "Nth Metal Sentry" attacks Carter for disturbing the device. 

   Carter is able to destroy the Nth metal sentry and finds out that Shiera put the sentry there so Carter wouldn't use the device to remember their time together. But the Memracon was put there for them to remember together. If he used the device alone, it would only make him miserable. The device is to help him find salvation in the future, not the past. 

   Carter realizes his mistake and decides to put the device back. He vows to look ahead and find love in the future, in whatever way it comes. 

   It's a cute story, and the art by Howard Porter is good. But it takes a bit and a bit there from the Hawks' history and continuity be damned. According to this story, Hawkman is with neither Shayera or Kendra. They have both moved away from him and are doing their own things, while Hawkman is pining for Shiera. 

   Why is there a need to do this? Since DC's Rebirth in 2017, the Hawks have been set up fairly straigtforward (for them). Let me tell it in a step-by-step rundown of their story. 
1. Carter and Shiera investigate the Dark Multiverse. 

2. Sometime during this time, Shiera dies and reincarnates into two people; Kendra Saunders and Shayera Hol. 

3. Kendra briefly fights alongside Carter but then Carter disappears into the Dark Multiverse. 

4. When Carter enters the Dark Multiverse, he is split in two; the World Forger for Barbatos and the Savage Hawkman. 

5. The Savage Hawkman is born on Thanagar and marries Shayera Thal.

6. On Earth, Kendra joins the Blackhawks. 

7. Despero destroys Thanagar and the Savage Hawkman dies trying to stop him. 

8. Shayera takes her people to their ancestral home planet called Thanagar Prime. 

9. The Justice League defeats Barbatos. Carter is transformed back into his old self and returns. 

10. Kendra becomes Hawkgirl again and joins the Justice League. 

11. Starman uses his powers to completely separate Kendra and Shayera. 

12. Kendra has no romantic connection to Carter. 

13. Shayera reunites with Carter.

14. They fight the Lord of the Void and both are killed in the process.
15. The god-entity that began the reincarnation cycle gives them one last life.

16. Carter and Shayera grow old together very, very slowly and we see them in the 40th century, recording history and training young heroes. 

17. Kendra moves to Metropolis to start a new life. 

18. Carter and Kendra later join the Justice Society, while Shayera is on Thanagar for reasons not yet known. 

   In the story, Carter and Shiera are shown to be in Midway City, but Shiera was never there in the past stories. Carter and Shiera were based in New York and later Chicago during the Golden, Silver, and Bronze ages. The flashback shows Hawkman during the Golden Age, but his gear is the Thanagarian Silver-age version. Hawkman says, "A future with either of them seems far-fetched." Huh? Did someone not read Hawkman Vol. V? Is this just a mishmash alternate version? 

   You can do this sort of thing with first-tier heroes like Superman or Wonder Woman, but it's this kind of thing that keeps comic reviewers always opening their articles with "Hawkman is the most confusing character in comics" or "The Hawks' history is one of the most convoluted in comics." 

   The story by itself was fine, and it introduced an interesting device called the Memracon. That has potential in how it is used. The scene where Carter reminisces fondly about his life with Shiera in Midway City was nice. He talks of how it was "His Golden Age." But for Hawkman and Hawkgirl/Hawkwoman, it would be a good idea to keep it in order as much as possible. It would be a nice service to the fans, and respectful to the character that has been around for over 85 years. Come on, DC Comics' editors! Get it together!