Make Hawkman Simple?

Art by Cully Hamner

  

   DC Comics' Absolute Universe has kicked off. While none of it has caught my interest, it's impossible to avoid seeing articles and posts about what is going on with the event. I make it a point to read the articles that mention Hawkman and I came across an article that left me scratching my head. 
   In the CBR article by Timothy Blake Donohoo, the following is mentioned and suggested:

How long have the Hawks existed?

 DC's 20 Oldest Heroes, Ranked By Age

CBR put out a ranking of the top 20 oldest DC heroes, and both Hawkman and Hawkwoman are on the list. Hawkman's first life as General Ktar of the Deathbringers and Hawkwoman's first life as Shrra the Herald. It's impossible to know when they first came into existence. They both lived an incredibly long time before their reincarnation cycle of thousands of lives even began. 
 Hawkman is listed at No. 12. He appears to have been created by the Lord of the Void for the purpose of conquering planets and as Hawkman Vol. V No. 7 (February 2019) indicates, Ktar was alive and active for a very long time before he finally broke free of the Lord of the Void's control with Shrra's help/ My guess would be at least 100,000 years old but it could be even longer than that. 
 Hawkwoman comes in at No. 6 as she is probably even older. The fact that she was a herald of the god entity that appears in the issue mentioned above would indicate that she was created at the beginning of this god's existence.  
 There is no doubt that Hawkman and Hawkwoman have been arround for an extremely long time. Their knowledge of history and their expertise gathered from their previous lives is criminally underused by DC Comics writers. It would be a fascinating subject to explore and it would set the Hawks apart from most DC characters. 
 It appears that they sometimes forget some of their past lives until they come across a place or an artifact that triggers their memories and helps them remember. In Hawkman's very first appearance in Flash Comics No. 1 (January 1940), Gardner Fox set this up beautifully with the Nth metal knife that caused Carter Hall to remember his life as Prince Khufu of Egypt. Robert Venditti used the same method to help Hawkman rememeber his past lives on Krypton and other places. This would be an interesting thread for a writer to tackle someday. Even a TV show that introduces a different memory trigger each week would be very interesting. The possibilities are countless. 
 What do you think? How long do you think the Hawks have existed? Let us know what you think in the comments!  

Hawkworld News (May-June 2024)

The last two months continued to be quiet for the Hawks. The solicitations for August and September offered nothing new for Hawkman or Hawkgirl. It looks like we'll pass 4 years without a Hawkman comic since Robert Venditti's series ended in November 2024. The current event called Absolute Power has nothing to do with the Hawks. It's almost as if they have been wiped off the DC map for now. Here's to hoping it will get better soon. Here is what we got during May and June. 

Art by Alan Quah

Art by Dan Hipp

The Writers with the Most Hawkman/Hawkgirl Stories

Since their debut in Flash Comics No. 1 (January 1940), Hawkman and Hawkgirl have been written by some of the top writers in the history of comics. Here is a list of the writers with ten or more Hawkman/Hawkgirl stories. These writers have written stories for Hawkman/Hawkgirl series, mini-series, back-up features and one shots. The Hawks have truly been blessed with some of the greatest names in comics history! Check out the amazing list below!

Gardner Fox

John Ostrander

Robert Venditti

10 Best Hawkman Moments of All Time (ScreenRant) Plus a Few from Tim Board!

 

Hawkman Vol. V by Robert Venditti, 2018-2021, 29 Issues, 4 Trades

   Hawkman Vol. V by Robert Venditti kicked off on June 13, 2018, six years ago! For two and a half years, Venditti gave us one of the best Hawkan series, some fans say best ever, and it has only grown in popularity since it wrapped up in November 2020. About a month ago, ScreenRant's Ashley Land put out a list of the ten best moments from the series so I'll share it here. There were so many great moments, it's pretty hard to limit the list to only ten, so I'll add a few more that didn't make the list. This is full of spoilers so if you haven't read the series, do yourself a favor and stop reading. Come back and share your thoughts. 
Here is the list on ScreenRant first. You can check out the article here for more details. 

Hawkman's Series Included in List of Instant Classics

    People often ask me what I consider as the best Hawkman and Hawkgirl series in their 80+ years of history. Over the years, Hawkman has had six solo series, a few mini-series and several series in other books. Hawkgirl has also had two of her own series in the past. Some stand out more than the others. I always name Gardner Fox's two 3-issue series in the Brave and the Bold, Tony Isabella's Shadow War of Hawkman, Benjamin Raab's Legend of the Hawkman, and Robert Venditti's Hawkman Vol. V.     
   Hawkman Vol. 1 by Fox and Hawkworld by Timothy Truman could easily be on that list as well. John Ostrander's Hawkworld Vol. 2 started out well and peaked with the Escape from Thanagar storyline, while Hawkman Vol. 3 also had a good start with the battle with Count Viper, but both series struggled in the end. Geoff Johns' series has gradually paled over the years and while the art by Rags Morales is second to none, Johns' Hawkman did a lot of damage to the character. It suffers when compared to Venditti's series that came later. 
   A CBR article by Timothy Blake Donohoo put out a list of series that should be regarded as instand classics, and Truman's Hawkworld (#4) and Venditti's Hawkman (#1) both made the list. DC really screwed up when they decided to place the Hawkworld in the current time instead of making it a reboot, and they have been trying to fix that mistake for over 30 years now. Venditti's series had the misfortune of having to deal with the meaningless Year of the Villain/Secret Six story and then the Coronavirus, and DC did next to nothing to promote the series, so it ended before we could make it out of 2020. 
   We are quickly approaching 4 years without a Hawkman title, and nothing is on the horizon at this time. Hawkgirl had a series last year, but I personally would never recommend that to anyone. However, some fans appeared to have liked it so check it out at your own risk. Hawkman does have some gems in his history and I hope fans will check out the series I mentioned above. 

Here is a list of the series and comics that Hawkman has appeared in over the years. LINK 

Here is a complete list of Hawkman and Hawkgirl trades and collections that are out as of this date. The contents are listed as well. LINK 

Happy hunting! And here's to hoping DC will give Hawkman and Hawkgirl another series soon! 

Hawkworld News (January-February 2024)

   Two months of 2024 have already passed, but things have been pretty quiet in Hawkworld. Unfortunately, there has been zero news about Hawkman, Hawkwoman, or Hawkgirl coming up in the comics. There may be tiny cameos here and there, but nothing has been really worth checking out. There appears to be some sort of bounty hunter called "The Thanagarian" (or so I've been told) in a (where else?) Batman book, but it is probably completely unrelated to any of the Hawks. I guess DC didn't have enough material for the two dozen Batman books so they have started strip-mining other heroes' properties for stories. 
   News has been slow about the Superman Legacy movie has well. I guess they have started filming or will be soon. There are a few articles about Isabel Merced working out or trying on her Hawkgirl helmet for the first time but that's about it. There are the usual comics sites' top ten whatever lists, and Hawkman shows up on those sometimes but it's pretty easy reading. About a month ago, Aldis Hodge was doing the interview rounds for his new movie and he got the inevitable questions about Hawkman. The only news we got was that there is nothing happening at the moment, and that he would love to move on and play Green Lantern John Stewart if he could. It looks like the Aldis Hodge-Hawkman ship has sailed. A quick Hawkman news search will bring those up if you want some extremely light articles. I'll list a couple of links to the articles that have come out in the last month or so. 

   We may hear something later on in the year, but so far, the solicitations for comics up through May have revealed nothing. The wait continues. 

   In the meantime, there are some great Hawkman and Hawkgirl stories out there. I've compiled a list of all the Hawkman and Hawkgirl trades with the contents listed as well, so if you want to know what to look for, check out the list. If you haven't read Robert Venditti's Hawkman series yet, it's alvailable in four volumes. I can't recommend this one enough. As for the recent Hawkgirl series, the trade is supposed to come out in April, but I do not, repeat, do not recommend it unless you're a completist and must have it for your comics collection. 
   If you see Hawkman or Hawkgirl pop up somewhere in the comics, let me know in the comments and I'll try to let all the Hawkfans know. Hawkworld on Facebook has passed over 9200 members, and Hawkworld on Threads is slowly climbing to 1,000 followers (745 at the time of this writing). Come join or give Hawkworld a follow if you haven't already. 
   As Better Midler would probably say, the fans are the wind beneath Hawkman's wings, so it's up to us Hawkfans to keep Hawkman and Hawkgirl soaring. Jim Lee won't be at the top forever, and it's always the darkest right before the dawn. Or in DC's case, after the Dawn. Keep soaring! 

Aldis Hodge Has Bad News for Hawkman Return in James Gunn's DC (Exclusive)

Superman: Legacy’s Isabela Merced Has Tried on Her Hawkgirl Helmet 

Art by Prentis Rollins (Commissined by Tim Board)

8th Anniversary of Hawkworld!

 

Commission by Prentis Rollins (Made specifically for Hawkworld)

     Hawkworld is celebrating our 8th anniversary today! It all started on Facebook on January 15, 2016. It's been eight years of ups and downs, but overall it has been an amazing time. It's been one of the most unbelievable experiences of my lifetime, and it has soared higher than I ever imagined when I started it. Of course, it would have never gotten off the ground and it wouldn't have lasted this long without all the fellow fans who have joined, followed, and contributed their art, cosplays, figures, comics, and opinions. So much has happened over the last eight years and I'm sure to forget some things but here's a look back at the highlights. 

Goodbye, Hawkworld Twitter

 

   I deactivated Hawkworld Twitter today. This was not a choice I made easily. It was not a knee-jerk reaction to something. I agonized over this for the past year since Elon Musk took over. I thought at first that he would dissemble it and then make it something new and maybe even better, but I was kidding myself. It just kept getting worse and I realize now that the site will probably not return to what it once was. It was never perfect, of course, but it has fallen into a state of hate, insults, trolling, false news, bots, and miserable people who basically are just there to make everyone else as miserable as they are. I am against racism, white supremacy, anti-semitism, anti-gay, anti-democracy, anti-Muslim, anti-Christian, and other things, but Twitter/X is now nothing but a site on hate steroids. It's been a long time since I came away from the site feeling good about something. I came to loathe the site. 

Now Just a Hawkworld Minute #004: Friend or Foe

 

   The friendship of Hawkman and Atom (Ray Palmer) is well-known among DC Comics fans. Ever since they first met back in Atom #7 in 1963, the heroes' friendship has been one of the strongest in the DCU. Hawkman values his friendships greatly. We have seen it in his friendships with Adam Strange and Barry Allen as well. But something very unexpected was revealed in Hawkman Vol. V #16 (Nov. 2019). 

   Through reincarnation, Hawkman is practically immortal. He has lived life after life through thousands, possibly millions of years. He has had to say goodbye to countless friends and family, again and again and again. That much loss has to take a toll, even if he is Hawkman. 

   In the issue written by Robert Venditti, Carter Hall teamed up with The Shade (Richard Swift) to defeat the Gentleman Ghost. After their victory, Carter presents Richard with a gift, a cane with a handle that looks like a Hawk. At first, Richard refuses, but Carter insists he take it and calls him a friend. 

   Venditti mentioned in an interview that Carter desired a friend who wouldn't die on him. A friend that would be around as long as he will be. When they defeated the Gentleman Ghost, Carter sensed some good in Richard, and here was someone who could be a friend whom he would not have to say goodbye to. Carter's desire to have a long-lasting friendship and his gift to Richard Swift is an unexpectedly endearing moment in the long history of Hawkman. 

Hawkman Vol. V #16
(November 2019)

Hawkman and Hawkgirl News and Info (November 5-11)

The updates on Hawkman and Hawkgirl during the week of November 5-11!

Ranking the Best and Worst of the Total Justice and JLA Action Figure Lines (Batman News) 

The Hawkman figure of the line comes in at No. 23 and No. 9. The No. 23 version is everywhere. I've never seen the No. 9 version. 

No. 23!

No. 9!

Three Years Ago: The Hawkman Vol. V Run Came to an End

    

   On November 10, 2020, Hawkman Vol. V by Robert Venditti came to a close. It started in June 2018, ran for 29 issues, and gave Hawkman (Carter Hall III) and Hawkwoman (Shayera Hol II) a fantastic reunion and a wonderful future. It expanded on Hawkman and Hawkwoman's origins, their relationship, Hawkman's friendship with Atom and even The Shade, and gave new abilities and even a new ship. It has become many Hawkfans' favorite Hawkman series of all time. So what has happened during the last three years? 

Hawkman and Hawkgirl News and Info (October 8-14)

 

Here is where the Hawks showed up this week! 

The Secret Files and Origins: Hawkman (October 2002)

10 Most Surprising Professions of Justice League Members in DC History (Gobookmart)
   About 15 heroes were listed, and the Hawks as museum curators were on the list as well. This was kind of surprising because the Hawks' use of weapons and their knowledge of archaeology made them perfect for the job. Even Shayera says in a Superman team-up story that she knows more about archaeology than most of the Ph.D.s on the planet. But the article does note that the job was a perfect fit for them. 

Hawkman and Hawkgirl News and Info (October 1-7)

   Things are a bit slow in Hawkworld at the moment, so news-worthy updates are a bit hard to come by. The Hawks are still popping up here in there, mostly in CBR's Top Ten lists and updates-that-aren't-really-updates on Hawkgirl in Superman Legacy articles. If alert Hawkfans notice something in the news, throw me a message here or on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Bluesky, or Mastodon and I'll add it to the next update! Keep soaring! 

Black Adam (2022)

Hawkman and Hawkgirl in the News (September 24-30)

Here's the weekly round of the Hawks in the news and other places during the past week. 

Hawkman and Hawkwoman: The Changeling (various sources)

   The information for this has been like pulling teeth, but it appears that the story by Cavan Scott (script) and Fico Ossio (art) will finally be partially released in Superboy Man of Tomorrow #6 (October 10). But I'm also hearing that it will only be released on the digital version, which is not available to most countries outside of the U.S., and that only the first part will be released. I tried for an hour to find information about it on the DC Comics site but finally gave up and went to other sources and pieced it together. Extremely frustrating but at least we're getting something. 

Art by Fico Ossio

Hawkman and Hawkgirl in the News (Sept 17-23, 2023)

 

Here are some articles featuring the Hawks that came up across the Internet last week (Sept 17-23).

Cavan Scott and Fico Ossio's "Hawkman and Hawkwoman: The Changeling" has finally been released! Or at least the first few pages of it. Apparently, it's a backup story in Superboy Man of Tomorrow #6. I have not been able to find a version available online yet. Artist Fico Ossio posted some news about it on TwitterX. I'll post a link to read the comic where I find it. And great heads up from DC! (absolutely nothing) 

Posted on Fico Ossio's Twitter 

Hawkgirl #3 Review by Tim Board

 

   (Spoilers! You have been warned.)

   Just some random thoughts after reading the third issue of Hawkgirl. 

   Ever since Kendra Saunders appeared in 1999, she has been a bit of a tortured soul. She is that way for good reason, but after 24 years, you start to wish she could start to get a handle on things, especially the things in her head. That is not the case in this series. She is carrying all kinds of self-doubt and hard feelings. We keep getting shots of her curled up in a fetal position on the floor by a couch. The only things she seems to have going for her are her Nth metal and her anger. 

The Story of Shayera Hol/Hawkwoman and Kendra Saunders/Hawkgirl

By Tim Board

   Since the release of the Dark Nights Metal series in 2017-18, Hawkfans have been wondering when Hawkman and Hawkgirl were going to get back together. The current Hawkman series kicked off in June 2018, but Hawkgirl was not a part of the series. We saw her in some of her past lives; Chay-ara, Shayera Thal, and Sherra, but we never saw her as Hawkgirl in the first 18 issues. That all changed in the final 11 issues. We also saw Hawkwoman and Hawkgirl face off in the Justice League series (#14-16). This article is to explain who Hawkgirl and Hawkwoman are and their connection to Hawkman. 

CBR: 10 DC Comics That Still Need A Sequel

    CBR lists 10 comics that deserve a sequel, and the Hawkman series by Robert Venditti is right in there. The series started out really great, but got derailed a bit by the ridiculous Year-of-the-Villain event in 2019-20. Venditti still was able to keep it going by bringing in Hawkwoman, Atom, and Adam Strange. The last six issues are just as good as the first 13. Vendiiti provided Hawkman and Hawkwoman with a huge setup that could have gone on for years, but DC prematurely ended it in November 2020. It's been almost three years since Hawkman has had his own title now. Hawkgirl (Kendra Saunders) will be getting her own title this month, so let's hope a Hawkman and Hawkwoman series is not far behind. As Venditti said in an interview, he left the toy box full, so let's hope a writer will take advantage of what Veditti left behind. Check out the article to see the other titles that need a sequel! LINK

CBR: The Year-of-the-Villain Tie-In Almost Ruined Venditti's Hawkman

Hawkman Vol. V No. 17 (December 2019)

 

   CBR put out an article today about the ridiculous amount of tie-ins that come with events in recent comic events. Instead of helping the event, the tie-ins are mostly unnecessary and ruin other series. The article brings up as an example, Robert Venditti's Hawkman run in 2019. During 2019, DC Comics had a year-long event going on called the Year of the Villain. It started with a group of six heroes who turn evil. Hawkman was one of them. There was a 4-issue miniseries called Hell Arisen that was supposed to feature the six heroes, but it completely flopped and DC lost so much interest that Hawkman (Sky Tyrant) didn't even show up in the last two issues.