Hawkman #1 (1993)

“Winged Fury”
Writer: John Ostrander
Pencils: Jan Duursema

Hawkman’s the perennial FIRST ISSUE super hero. Around 1984 or so, DC received a strange visitor from another time/place at their New York office. One day, around 4:20 pm EST, a small electric bubble suddenly manifested. Inside it was a panicked traveler from “the future”, who warned DC that Hawkman must have a FIRST ISSUE every five years, else the multiverse would collapse and companies like Image Comics would reign supreme. The traveler (and the bubble) instantly disappeared… but the damage had been done. Freaked out AF and with the fate of the entire MULTIVERSE on their shoulders, DC then immediately wrote a by-law into their charter. “Lo! Every Fifth Year There Shall Be at Least ONE First Issue of Hawkman”. Or so the story goes…

DC realized they had been slacking, since the last Hawkman #1 (vol. 1) was in 1964. in fact, it was feared that their lack of a new Hawkman #1 led to that strange visitor popping up and indicated that the multiverse already WAS unraveling. So in 1985 they released “Shadow War of Hawkman #1”, a mini-series. Not wanting to get sucked into a lull, 1986 then saw the release of “Hawkman Special #1”, then another “Hawkman #1 (vol. 2)”, later in the year.

Volume 2 of Hawkman was ended in 1987 and the multiverse once again only had 5 years to live… but the day was saved when “Hawkworld #1” (a “prestige format” mini-series) was released in 1989. Sure, it didn’t have “Hawkman” in the actual title, but the by-law never specifically said that. Just that Hawkman (the character) had to have a #1.

When the “Hawkworld” mini-series ran its course, the next obvious step was to release an ongoing series, and another “Hawkworld #1” in 1990. This was one of the last efforts by DC to re-tool/re-vamp/re-launch their core characters after the 1985 “Crisis on Infinite Earths”– what came to be known as “post-Crisis” (for about 20 years, anyways).

Originally intended to be a prequel to the Hawks’ first Silver Age appearance in Brave & the Bold #34, “Hawkworld” took a much darker approach to the characters and their home planet of Thanagar. Pre-Crisis, Thanagar had been a fairly ordinary high-tech planet. Post-Crisis, Thanangar became something of an imperialistic society, with a definitive class structure, and not the happy place it had been. Hawkman and Hawkwoman then came to Earth and began noticing the differences between American society and the militaristic slave society of their Thanagar. So, you can imagine writers with AMBITION could spin political allegories with the Hawks and “Hawkworld”.

Then we get to 1993 and the end of “Hawkworld” (the series). 1993 was probably one of the most tumultuous years in comic book history. Image Comics had taken the world by storm and FIRST ISSUES, from all comic companies, began popping up like a bad rash. Seriously, my lazy butt could write about FIRST ISSUES just from 1993 and I’d be busy until I croak. DC was worried… maybe that technicality about using “Hawkworld” over “Hawkman” in 1989 was starting to unravel the multiverse, as foretold. Thus, in the summer of 1993 we had.. HAWKMAN #1. Even better, it had a gold foil-embossed cover! You can NOT get any more 1993 than that!

Well, maybe if it had a poly-bag.

“Hawkman #1” picks up directly from “Hawkworld”, when Hawkman and Hawkwoman were believed dead after a fight with their recurring foe, Count Viper. It’s been a few months, but suddenly there’s seemingly a new Hawkman protecting his adopted home of Chicago (yes, one of the few times DC has set a series in a “real” town). This new Hawkman has a darker (and honestly, kinda’ cooler) costume. He also plays up his katar blade, more, and even has long hair and a 5 o’ clock shadow. Because 1993.

He also uses a set of 3 detachable talons, errr…claws on one arm. Sure, claws were all the rage in 1993, but if any character could justify carrying around talons/claws, it’d be someone patterned after a hawk!

This “new” Hawkman isn’t fully seen, but he apparently had a secret identity working as a janitor or bus-boy at a restaurant. He now has a connection with animals and elements, as he calls upon the spirits of his “brother hawk” and “brother wind”. He also seems more violent, as he’s rougher with the usual petty theft thugs that ravage his Netherworld section of Chicago. Well, that’s also a 1993 effect, but goshdarnit, there’s a “new” Hawkman! In fact, as this issue closes, no less than Green Lantern (Hal Jordan) wants to get a closer look at this “new” version. As first issues go, you could do worse. Especially for 1993…which DID a lot worse.

They even work in some time for Hawkman to tussle with generic villain Deadline. I say “generic”, because Deadline is (almost) always portrayed as a simple gun-for-hire. Need a completely random, one-issue, villain without any real motive for attacking your hero? Well, you’d better come up one quick, because the dreaded deadline doom is nigh. Hey…. “DEADLINE”….

The background Netherworld characters are holdovers from “Hawkworld” and seem like rejected ideas for the X-men’s Morlocks. These characters– like Mustang Suzy, Ferralice and Knowbuddy– are the only parts I really don’t care for.

The art definitely has a mild touch of that “Image” effect, but not so much that it becomes distracting. Indeed, Durrsema’s splash page (the gargoyle image seen above) is well done. While the coloring is mostly dark, it actually does a good job of setting the mood. Like I said, Hawkman’s new costume is kinda’ cool. Then top if off with good ol’ straight up “who is this guy” mystery and you’ve got something. Or at least something that could get you to read a few more issues.

Right… a few more issues. Well, not to spoil anything, but in the middle of the SECOND FREAKIN’ ISSUE, we’re shown that this new Hawkman is the “old” Hawkman– Katar Hol. Only he now has a scar across his grill, the new costume, and has wanted people (like Count Viper) to think he’s dead. This all played out with a weird body-swapping plot over the next 5 or 6 issues…but by revealing his identity so soon, the significant wrinkle to this “new” Hawkman was quickly wiped out. Instead, it was Hawkworld, again…but with a NEW FIRST ISSUE! Because 1993.

The series kinda’ rambled on for a few more years. Yet they made a pretty significant “retcon” of Hawkman. Around issue 8 or so, he discovered that he was only half Thangarian. His mother turned out to be a Cherokee woman named Naomi. Significant, because a noteworthy DC or Marvel hero– indeed, one of their mainstays— is half Native American. We kinda’ talked about this in the old Marvel Spotlight: Red Wolf review, but it is refreshing that a superhero just happens to be Cherokee and he isn’t walking around in the “traditional comic book Indian” garb.

In the end, the multiverse had been saved for awhile with another Hawkman FIRST ISSUE. This volume ran until 1997 or so… and then in 2001, we got another “Hawkman #1”, followed by “Hawkman Secret Files #1″ in 2002… then another Hawkman Special in 2008…”Death of Hawkman #1″ in 2008…”Savage Hawkman” in 2011…

Summary: An All-New/All-Different Hawkman. Maybe.
Cover Price: $2.50
Rating: $1.25