Title: "For The Benefit Of Mr. Kite" (No, seriously.)
Published Date: Nov 1986
Generation: Silver Age Katar and Shayera
Retcon Status: Changed Generations?
Summary: In Midway City, something bizarre flies through the skies -- a pterodactyl! It's actually a powered glider created by Saul Ready for the Fifth Annual Festival of Flight, which Hawkman and Hawkwoman are the MCs for. Also on display will be the Golden Eagle, an ancient treasure found by Ed Dawson. While Hawkman contemplates why he has to make a speech, Zatanna pops in to visit her friends. She helps motivate Katar to make his part of the speech, and then entertains the crowd with her magic. But while this is going on, the dastardly Kite-Man makes his move to steal the Golden Eagle!
Having his accomplice create a distraction, Kite-Man takes off with the Eagle. The Hawks swoop in to stop him, but Kite-Man has attached a remote control device to Saul's pterodactyl, and it is menacing the crowd! As the giant monster bird flies lower and lower to the ground, the Hawks have to let Kite-Man go in order to stop the giant glider. Kite-Man thinks he is off scott-free until Zatanna floats up to block his path. Kite-Man pulls a gun, but Zee turns the bullets into flowers, and then freezes his glider, sending him crashing to the ground. Hawkwoman is able to remove the remote control while Hawkman uses his anti-gravity belt to stop the glider safely.
Meanwhile, Joe Tracy bemoans to Coral that the Hawks do not deserve their accolades, when suddenly the pair is joined by the father of Mavis Trent, who vows to avenge his daughter!
Review: Well this is definitely a change of pace. From The Beatles reference title to the Superman tease opening to the fact that the villain is Kite-Man, this issue is like a bowl of sorbet after the main course that was the Shadow War and the opening story of this series. The inclusion of Zatanna (itself a reference to her appearance in Hawkman v.1:no.4, which is given a footnote) and the general Silver Age-y-ness of the story just adds to the weirdness. The cover is even a Silver Age turn, with Murphy Anderson lending a hand. It's not all goofy fun, though, as we do get the introduction of Mr. Trent, who shall no doubt be a thorn in the side of the Hawks. Overall though I liked this issue. It was a light throwback to an earlier age and acted as a nice break from the normally heavier subject matter in this series.
Image: Hawkman v.2:no.4, 1986, Richard Howell & Murphy Anderson.
2 comments:
Neat! I definitely need to get my hands on this series. That does sound somewhat Silver Age-y, but it also just sounds fun.
I still own this one. I really ought to read it someday...
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