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Hawkwoman has finally made her return to the DC Universe in the Green Lantern Corps series. As far as we know, this is still the version we saw in the Hawkman series by Robert Venditti (2019-2021, issues No. 18-29). She is Shayera Hol, the Empress of Thanagar and the eternal love of Hawkman (Carter Hall III). They were finally freed from their reincarnation curse and chose to live their last life together. We've seen them in short stories during the past few years, traveling the universe together.
Hawkman finally returned as a member of the new JSA series last November, but instead of Shayera, Kendra Saunders was a member of the team with him. But that's a while other issue. We are finally starting to find out where Shayera is in the GLC series. There are SPOILERS ahead, so you have been warned.
John Stewart is leading a team of Green Lanterns when they receive a request for help from Thanagar. And it is Shayera who comes to meet John and go to Thanagar. It appears that John dreads seeing her, there is apparently some kind of history between them. This has gotten fans of the Shayera Hol-John Stewart relationship from the Justice League animation series all excited and hoping for them to get back together. In issues one and two, they seem to know each other well, and there is an awkward moment where they are hiding face to face in a closet on the enemy's spaceship. Nothing is said but both of them just look at each other, possibly remembering something from the past. Nothing else is revealed about their relationship in this issue.
Many comic book reviewers are excitedly proclaiming the return of the Shayera-John romance, but I wouldn't start listing them in DC best couple lists just yet. Writer Jeremy Adams may be bringing in the cartoon version as comic canon, but that would be throwing out the solid series that Venditti gave us a few years ago. That would be a terrible shame, because the love between Hawkman and Hawkwoman is the best thing about them and one without the other has never really worked. I guess we'll find out soon enough. Personally, I hope that DC does not make the mistake of tearing the Hawks apart again.
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| Green Lantern Corps No. 2 |
But let's get back to the story, because something major happened in this issue. In Green Lantern Civil Corps Special (December 2024), the Green Lantern called Mogo, a sentient planet, turned into a red lantern, went berserk and destroyed Thanagar. Of the over billion Thanagarians, the Green Lanterns were able to save only a thousand or so. Shayera was away but returned when she heard on the attack and came to the Green Lanterns for help. They return to Thanagar and run into Red Lantern Atrocitus. Apparently, they are looking for something.
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| Green Lantern Corps No. 2 |
Actrocius' team finds the Nth metal that they are looking for but it is huge, almost the entire core of the planet. It starts to move and the remaining planet falls away, revealing a huge egg-shaped sphere of pure Nth Metal.
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| Green Lantern Corps No. 2 |
This was quite a surprise. To be honest, DC's use of Thanagar and the Nth Metal has been all over the place during its history and here we go again. In Death of Hawkman (2016-2017), Thanagar was destroyed by Despero. In Justice League (2018-20229, Shayera leg her people to Thanagar Prime, the ancient planet of the Thanagarians. Now they are back on Thanagar and it's being destroyed again. The Nth Metal has also been all over the place, and never fully explained or expanded on. I gathered as much as I could find about the Nth Metal in my article a few years ago. You can check that out here.
What seemed to be a flirty story about Shayera and John suddenly jumped the hawk and became a possible huge story about the Nth Metal. This is definitely a series that Hawk fans want to keep their eye on for a while. At least until we find out what this Nth metal sphere is, what is going on with Shayera and John, and Shayera returns to Earth and joins Carter and the JSA.
While I'm still not sure how much, if any, of the Venditti series' storylines are in play, Adams seems to have continued with the hot-headed Shayera, one of the most aggressive and skilled combat fighters in the DC Universe. This character is so much fun to read. I hope she doesn't drop off the face of the Earth after this story is over. I'm looking forward to what Adams will bring over the next few issues. Maybe even Hawkman will make an appearance.
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| Green Lantern Corps No. 2 |
Artist Fernando Pasarin's work is amazing as always. He did nine of the last ten issues of Venditti's Hawkman series, and he knows how to draw the Hawks. And his art does make it seem like that Shayera is back. I'm hoping that's the case, and we'll see the Hawks reunited soon.
Green Lantern Corps No. 3 is out on April 9th!
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| Green Lantern Corps No. 3 |
Green Lantern Corps No. 2 (May 2025)
Released March 12, 2025
"Broken Wings"
Script: Jeremy Adams, Morgan Hampton
Pencils: Fernando Pasarin
Inks: Oclair Albert
Pencils: Fernando Pasarin
Inks: Oclair Albert
Colors: Arif Prianto
Letters: Dave Sharpe
Cover: Fernando Pasarin, Oclair Albert, Arif Prianto
Letters: Dave Sharpe
Cover: Fernando Pasarin, Oclair Albert, Arif Prianto
Editing: Paul Kaminski, Kathleen Wisneski, Jillian Grant
Sadly, Tim, I think it's going to happen. They're all way too eagerly promoting it in their private interviews and news sites are all too eager to run with it. I think they're testing the waters on the relationship and the animated series fans are rabid with excitement. They'll do it.
ReplyDeleteAnd completely throw away one of the best Hawkman runs of all time in the process.