New Hawkman Writer: Robert Venditti

“Hawkman is a foundational character in the DCU. Over time I think he’s lost some of that central importance to the DC universe, and we really want to bring that back and make him a marquee character. And to do that, we’re going to take him to a lot of unexpected, unexplored places and introduce a lot of new mythology for the character.” 

----Robert Venditti 

On March 15th, Hawkfans found out from David Betancourt's Washington Post article that Robert Venditti is going to be writing the new Hawkman series starting on June 13th. Excitement is high in Hawkworld, with both polls on Hawkworld's Facebook and Twitter groups showing a 90% approval of the choice. Even though Venditti has been on the front lines of DC for the past few years, some fans are asking the question, "Is Venditti a good match for Hawkman?" 

The Nth Anniversary of Hawkworld!

Hawkworld (Originally called Hawkman Winged Warrior) First Group Banner by Joe Prado

     January 15, 2025 is the Nth anniversary of Hawkworld! I started Hawkworld on Facebook back in 2016 and what a ride it has been. When I was a kid reading comics, I sent out a few letters to the comics, but my letters were never published. I could only dream about interacting with the creators of the characters that I loved reading about. When I began Hawkworld on Facebook, I never expected for that to change. I just wanted to start a place where I could talk about Hawkman and interact with my fellow Hawkfans. What happened is something I never expected, and it still leaves me a bit blown away when I think about all that has happened. Here are some of the highlights during the last nine years with Hawkworld. 

Mind-blowing Gift from Robert Venditti!

 

A few months ago, when we were coming out of the shutdown from the Coronavirus and comics were starting up again, I had some trouble getting my comics in Japan. Hawkman No. 25 was especially hard to get and I was still having trouble finding a copy six months after its release. I put out a word on Twitter to see if anyone could help me find a copy. But then I received a couple of tweets from Robert Venditti, the writer of the Hawkman Vol. V series. 

Top Twelve Hawkworld Moments of the 2010s!

As we come to the close of the decade, it's time to look back on the past ten years and look at the best moments of the 2010s for Hawkworld. It was a turbulent decade, to say the least (when is it not?), but there is some comfort in the fact that we find Hawkman and Hawkgirl/Hawkwoman in a fairly good place as we head into the 20s. I looked back over the last ten years and made a list of the top twelve moments of the decade for the Hawks. I'll do a countdown, saving No. 1 for last.

Board Review of Hawkman No. 21: Death's Doorway Part Two: The Key

Great Polaris! That was fun! Hawkman No. 21 continues the Sky Tyrant saga and this issue was a blast. At the end of the last issue, we were on an unnamed planet where a key is locked away and guarded by a huge, we’re talking gargantuan, guardian of the grave of one of Hawkman’s former lives called the Titan Hawk. Sky Tyrant wants this key to unlock a weapon that will cause widespread death across the universe and ensure that his reincarnating will continue forever.

Board Review of Hawkman No. 27: Final Justice Part One: Seems Like Old Times

The long-awaited issue of Hawkman No. 27 has finally been released. Ever since the jaw-dropping cover by Mikel Janin was released back in June, Justice Society fans have been waiting for this one. With the announcement of the ending of the series coming in November, this issue took on a whole different look and meaning. 

On the one hand, we had Hawkman and Hawkwoman joining up with the Justice Society in the 1940s. Flash (Jay Garrick), Green Lantern (Alan Scott), Sandman (Wesley Dodds), and Wildcat (Ted Grant) appeared as they battled the Injustice Society. It was pure comic book fun that many of us grew up on. This issue is a perfect example of why so many fans are hoping for Robert Venditti to take on a JSA book someday. 

"Origin": Board Review of Hawkman No. 7

Hawkman (2018) No. 7

Writer: Robert Venditti

Penciller: Bryan Hitch

Inkers: Hitch, Andrew Currie

Colorist: Jeremiah Skipper

Lettering: Starkings and Comicraft

Cover: Bryan Hitch, Alex Sinclair

Variant Cover: Julian Totino Todesco

Assistant Editor: Andrew Marino

Group Editor: Marie Javins
Released December 12, 2018

In Hawkman No. 7, we finally get the origin of Hawkman that we have been promised for months. In an interview before the series began in June, writer Robert Venditti told us he had thought of a way to bring all of the Hawkman versions together. In the very first issue, we found out that Hawkman reincarnates across time and space. In issue No. 7, we discover how it all happened.

Wanted: A Hawkman/Hawkwoman Comic!

Art by Stjepan Sejic (Hawkman) and Jim Lee (Hawkgirl)

Since last summer, Hawkman and Hawkgirl have been in some great comics. Hawkman has been in his own monthly series by Robert Venditti and Bryan Hitch. Hawkgirl has been a central figure in the bi-weekly Justice League series. Although the Hawkman series has been gradually dropping in sales (18k in March 2019), both series are getting great reviews. Scott Snyder and James Tynion IV are writing a new and interesting Hawkgirl/Kendra Saunders, while Venditti has been reinventing the origin and character of Carter Hall.

Board Review of Hawkman No. 29: Final Justice Conclusion: In the End

“There is only one truth that I know to be certain…I was made to soar.”

The journey with Hawkman that began in June 2018 came to an end today. It’s a bittersweet feeling, because I feel disappointed that it has ended, but elated that it was better than it had any right to be. When the article in the Washington Post in March 2018 announced the upcoming new series by Robert Venditti, I had no idea what to expect. A couple months before the series started, I had the honor of “meeting” Robert in a podcast on The Comic Source. He talked about Hawkman being a story of exploration and discovery. And that is exactly what we got.

Board Review of Hawkman No. 16: "Darkness Within: Old Ghosts"

   It’s DC Comics’ year of the villain, and Hawkman No. 16 brought us villains from every direction. We got Gentleman Ghost, arguably the most popular Hawk-villain in a flashback, a former villain-turned-ally in the Shade, Shadow Thief, arguably the most famous Hawk-villain all powered up, a giant shadow dragon, and the apparent arrival of the Earth-3 Hawkman Sky Tyrant. Wow, this book was fun!

San Diego Comic Con 2018 Hawkworld Report

The San Diego Comic Con 2018 is wrapping up and it was a relatively quiet event for the Hawks as far as news goes. Here's a quick wrap up of the highlights of the Comic Con for Hawkman and Hawkgirl. 

Board Review of Hawkman No. 12: "Out of Many, One"

Caution: There are some spoilers ahead so read at your own peril or come back after you've read the issue!

When we set out on a journey of exploration and discovery with Hawkman twelve months ago, we wondered how the hero we know as Carter Hall would be changed. How will his story be written this time? What kind of hero will writer Robert Venditti and artist Bryan Hitch bring us? The answer turns out to be everything and nothing, both at the same time. The core of Hawkman remains unchanged. He is the superhero of flight. He is the superhero of the sky. He carries a mace. He is from Egypt. He is from Thanagar. Shiera is the love of his life. He is an archaeologist. He remains the hero we’ve always known.

Board Review of Hawkman No. 18: "Tyrant Reborn: Dual"

Hawkman Vol. V No. 18 Cover by Tyler Kirkham

As DC Comics continues it's Year of the Villain theme, Hawkman's story of exploration and discovery could have been badly interrupted or thrown off course, but writer Robert Venditti seems to have done a masterful job of tying the infected Hawkman story into Hawkman's past. After seeing the Sky Tyrant finally take over at the end of the last issue, issue No. 18 starts off with the character's death on Earth-3. We all know some of the characters from Earth-3, a place where good and evil are reversed. In the past, we've seen Ultraman, Superwoman, Owlman, Power Ring, and Johnny Quick. For the first time, we are introduced to the Hawkman of that world, Sky Tyrant. There are spoilers ahead so if you haven't read the comic yet, don't read any further!

Hawkman was Set Up Beautifully, and DC Comics Put It Away

Art by Stjepan Sejic, Bryan Hitch, Mikel Janin

  The day was March 15, 2018. That was an exciting day in the history of Hawkman. Washington Post announced the return of our favorite winged wonder. It was going to be written by Robert Venditti and drawn by Bryan Hitch. It was the beginning of a wonderful adventure that lasted almost three years. Hawkman Twitter blew up that day, with many Hawkman fans talking about the new series that was announced. Even Venditti and Hitch were surprised by the reception the news received. 

Board Review of Hawkman No. 14: "Darkness Within: Shadowed"

   What makes Hawkman interesting? I often get that question, and I have many answers. His image, his weapons, his relationship with Hawkgirl, his rogues’ gallery, his relationships with other heroes, and the list goes on. In the current series, we find an immensely interesting character by writer Robert Venditti. Venditti has recreated a character by giving him countless lives and memories that stretch across time and space, and the hero’s journey of exploration and discovery to find truth and atonement. It’s been a captivating series and issue No. 14 yet again brings up several things that make Hawkman one of the most diverse and deepest characters that DC Comics has to offer.

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:

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. 

Board Review of Hawkman No. 28: Final Justice Part Two: The Nth Degree

What do you do when you're not immortal anymore? Do you cherish each and every moment more? Do you suddenly become aware of the clock as your life heads to the inevitable finish? Or does the thought of your life ending paralyze you; not because you are afraid for yourself, but because you are afraid for the ones you love? 

Board Review of Hawkman No. 24: Hawks Eternal Part One: Side by Side

Hawkman No. 24
Writer: Robert Venditti
Pencils: Fernando Pasarin
Inks: Oclair Albert, Cam Smith, Wade von Grawbadger
Colors: Jeromy Cox
Letter: Rob Leigh
Editors: Andrea Shea, Alex R. Carr
Cover: Bryan Hitch, Alex Sinclair
Variant Cover: Gerardo Zaffino, Rain Beredo
DC Comics
Released June 16, 2020

Since Hawkman took off in June 2018, Robert Venditti has been rebuilding the character of Hawkman one step at a time. The steps have been in the form of Carter Hall's journal, the places he visits, the conversations he has had with the people he meets, and his past lives. At times he has taken very small steps, and at times he has taken giant strides.  Each step has revealed something about the man behind the Hawk helmet.

CBR: This Controversial Green Lantern Corps Romance Needs to Be Avoided at All Costs

 

   The fan backlash against Hawkwoman (Shayera Hol II) apparently being paired up with John Stewart continues in another great article by Timothy Blake Donohoo. Shayera recently has appeared in the Green Lantern Corps series by Jeremy Adams and Morgan Hampton. When Shayera went to the Green Lanterns for help after Thanagar was destroyed, it was apparent that she has some sort of history with John Stewart. No details have been given, but John Stewart appeared to dread seeing her again. Shayera seemed a bit flirty with him in a couple of scenes. Donohoo focuses on John Stewart's position in the DC universe, or lack of one, but also reminds readers how great the Hawkman series by Robert Venditti was for the Hawks and how it brought them back together.