Read: Hawkman v.1:no.2.1

Issue: Hawkman v.1:no.2
Title: "Secret of the Sizzling Sparklers!
Published Date: May 1964
Generation: Silver Age Katar & Shiera
Retcon Status: Changed Generations

Summary:  At the Midway City museum, strange ring-shaped devices start replacing Terran communication devices right as a strange spaceship appears in the sky.  The Hawks take wing and attack, but find the Trall invaders to be worthy foes.  Hawkman is able to take one down with his bow and arrow, even though he seemingly misses his shot.  But they have to retreat after Hawkgirl is taken down by two of their energy blasts (even though the first shot did no damage).  Back at the museum, the Hawks are contacted through one of the ring communication devices by a Llorth slave, who tells them that the Tralls are their masters and that they come into Earth's dimension to absorb Earth's galactic rays to give them super senses which allow them to dominate their world.  

With some deductive reasoning, the Hawks figure out that the Tralls are vulnerable to Thanagarian anti-gravity technology, as well as "cold light" such as that generated by fireflies.  Coating shields in anti-gravity material and creating "sparkler" weapons from a firefly-style lumen compound, the Hawks counterattack. The Tralls are beaten back and sent back to their dimension.  The Llorth girl leaves the devices with the Halls to study them further.

Review: Pretty solid Silver Age story right here.  I really like the idea that Hawkman and Hawkgirl are considered super dangerous because of their ability to root out an enemies weaknesses.  One could argue that the Silver Age is wrought with such concepts, it really fits the Hawks when one considers the Absorbascon and their penchant for historical weaponry.  So even though they are dealing with interdimensional invaders, they are able to outflank and defeat them.  The fact that their foes are from another dimension rather than aliens is a nice touch as well.  

Murphy Anderson's artwork is pretty timeless, and so is Gardner Fox's story.  You can't beat this sort of adventure as far as I am concerned.  One strange note is that this story is actually told in two chapters, despite the second chapter being only a few pages.

Image: Hawkman v.1:no.2, 1964, Murphy Anderson.