Hawkman's Villainous Tarot

In my post about the Power Of The Atom issue the other day, I made mention of Scipio's (of The Absorbascon) Villainous Tarot.  In short, it is a matrix one can use to classify a superhero's foes.  So, inspired by a similar post by Frank over at the Idol-Head of Diabolu, I am going to try to run through the Tarot for Hawkman, who is often accused of having no viable villains.  This is just a first pass, and really want to get your input about my choices and what other choices you would make.

Mocker: Shadow-Thief

I put Sands here because he always seems ready to just screw with Hawkman, and taunting that there is no way Hawkman can touch him.  His main gimmick is a gadget, yes, but the way he handles it I think he fits more in this category.

Crime Lord: CAW / Kristopher Roderick

This one could go either way.  CAW, as far as I am concerned, is criminally (no pun intended) underused.  It's nebulous enough that you can go in pretty much any direction you want, like SPECTRE from the James Bond novels and films.  As for Roderick, well, even putting aside the fact that he is Hath-Set reborn, this evil collector of antiquities fits the role pretty nicely as well, what with his hiring of other villains to do his dirty work.

Opposite Number: Golden Eagle

This one seems pretty straightforward, yes?  

Twisted One: Byth

I think the idea of Byth as the opposite number works better in a Silver Age, uptopian Thanagar setting, but the idea of Thanagarian criminal who commits crimes for the sheer thrill of it still holds weight.  The shape-shifting alien monster forms also helps add to the "twisted" motif.

Mental Challenger: Gentleman Ghost

The Ghost, besides being easily the most popular of Hawkman's foes, is also one who seems to play the long game with him.  Gentleman Ghost has lots of time on his hands, after all.  Dealing with the Ghost is just as much about figuring out what he is up to as it is actually stopping him, and I think that fits this category nicely.

Physical Challenger: Lion-Mane / Copperhead

Lion-Mane is a bruiser, through and through.  An encounter between Hawkman and Lion-Mane should be a knock-down, drag-out.  And Copperhead, well, what's a better physical match-up than a raptor and a snake?

Gadgeteer: I.Q. / Matter Master / Fadeaway Man

I first put only I.Q. here.  Building gadgets to help commit crimes is his schtick, and he is very good at it.  Reading over Scipio's post, and his comments about Flash's Rogues, I decided to add Matter Master and Fadeaway Man on here as well.  Neither one is too tremendous a threat on their own (Matter Master mainly because of his own incompetence, it seems, as you'd think someone with his gimmick would be better at his job), but they fit the motif.  Matter Master and Fadeaway Man make good foes, but I.Q. has stronger standing as a long term threat, in my opinion.

Sexual Challenger: Tigress

Tigress is more of a rival to the current Hawkgirl, but of the very few female foes of Hawkman, she gets the nod here.  There is the potential for sexual tension in combat with this tough cookie.  Plus, red hair.

Evil Genius/Manipulator: Hath-Set

I combined these two together, mostly because they were the last two on the list and they both had the same character.  No matter what body his soul is inhabiting, Hath-Set is the ultimate manipulator.  Everything he does is part of some grander scheme to gain his revenge on the Hawks.  Obviously this does not fit as well for a Thanagarian Hawkman, but I think you can swing it, still.  

Well, that's what I came up with -- what do you all think?  I'd really like to hear other suggestions or what characters belong in what categories.  If nothing else, I think this demonstrates that Hawkman does have a pretty decent set of basic enemy types, and that with a little thought and care, one could very easily plot lots of stories using these villains.

Waiting In The Wings -- 4/29/2009

Is there any Hawkman or Hawkgirl stuff popping up this week at your local comic shop?  Let's find out!

Justice Society of America #26 -- Geoff Johns' last issue (for now) with the team he helped bring back to the spotlight.  Hawkman appears on the "middle" cover of the tryptych variants -- personally I would have preferred a gatefold, but what can you do?  I am hoping that Carter will at least make a cameo in this issue, which is the epilogue (evidently) of the big Black Marvel Family blowoff from #25.

Trinity #48 -- You know the drill at this point.  Really looking forward to reading this series in big chunks as collections.  

Also, don't forget that this Saturday is FREE COMIC BOOK DAY!  Though nothing specifically Hawk-related is coming out, Blackest Night #0 should be an obvious pick-up, given that Dan DiDio has told us several times now that Hawkman and Hawkgirl play a role in Blackest Night.  Perhaps we will get a hint about what their part will be?  Let the speculation begin!  (Look for that next week, heh.)

Read: Power Of The Atom #4

Issue: Power Of The Atom #4
Title: "What Are You Doing For The Rest Of Your Life?"
Published Date: Nov 1988
Generation: Silver Age Katar
Retcon Status: Changed Generations

Summary: Ray Palmer is taking a break in his old boyhood swimming hole when he is found by his old friends Hawkman and Hawkwoman (accidentally pulling off Katar's Honor Wings in the process).  Ray catches them up on the saga that his life has become, from being trapped in the Amazon, to losing his princess and kingdom, to being transmitted back to civilization via satellite, to his current status as paparazzi favorite, leading to his abandoning of Ivy Town -- and getting an offer of working for the CIA.  The Hawks are also taking something of a break, and offer to show Ray around New Orleans to help take his mind off of things.

No sooner do Katar and Shayera take Ray back to their apartment then they discover that they have been robbed!  All that was taken was a trunk containing replicas of historical weapons -- but also their spare anti-gravity belts!  Tracking the radiation emitted by the Nth metal in the belts, our heroes track the thieves to the coast of Mississippi.  They make short work of the thugs, and Hawkman and Hawkwoman find their belts, but find themselves unable to move!  The mastermind behind the theft then makes himself known: Ira Quimby, AKA I.Q.!  I.Q. used the anit-gravity belts to create a gravity well, trapping the Hawks.  Hawkwoman throws a boloas at the criminal genius only to discover that he is a hologram!  

The Atom, who has gone unnoticed, examines the holo-projector and rides the wireless transmission back to I.Q.'s hideout.  I.Q. lashes out with his technologically advanced weapons, but Atom is able to dodge and counter-attack.  I.Q. uses a blast cannon, seemingly vaporizing the Atom, and then drops incendiary devices to cover his tracks -- but he runs right into the Hawks!  Atom pops back up to explain that he shrank small enough to slip through the floor to avoid I.Q.'s attack, and that the blast took out the power source of the gravity well, freeing his captives.  With I.Q. taken away by the police, Ray decides that he shouldn't take the job with the CIA, and asks Katar and Shayera if they know any good Cajun restaurants.

As the cover blurb indicates, there is a second story inside (DC Bonus Book #8), also featuring the Atom but not the Hawks.

Review: I found this issue by random at a small show around the Super Bowl, and decided with doing the Atom And Hawkman cover yesterday that this was a good a time as any to read it.  This issue has a slightly silly, somewhat goofy Silver Age tone to it.  I have to wonder what the point of Atom ripping off Hawkman's Honor Wings was, since by the time the two of them met in the Silver Age Katar had the Honor Wings -- unless scribe Roger Stern had an idea of a plot thread for the Hawks to follow up?  In any event, he turns in a fun team-up which showcases both the star and his guests very nicely.  Stern also turns in a nice summary of the events of Sword of the Atom and the first few issues of POTA, which as a new reader (of sorts) was a nice touch.  And any time I.Q. shows up I have to smile, and he is put to very good use here as Hawkman's resident "Gadgeteer" foe (with thanks to Scipio).  Dwayne Turner's pencils are low key, fairly typical for an early Post-Crisis DC title.  It's a fairly workman-like job: nothing fancy, servicable but not exceptional.  A worthwhile read for fans of the Tiny Titan as well as a solid guest spot for the Winged Wonders.

This story is also noteworthy for being set during that weird "Post-Crisis/Pre-Hawkworld" era, where no one was quite sure what to do with the Hawks.  They get treated here as their Silver Age selves, referring to the Shadow War and the changes on Thanagar, so it's unclear just which Hawkman and Hawkwoman this is supposed to be now.  I guess Carter and Shiera?  It's also amusing to see the Hawks in New Orleans, a stone's throw away from St. Roch, huh?

Image: Power Of The Atom #4, 1988, Dwayne Turner.

Logo Study -- The Atom And Hawkman

This is the second in our series of Hawkman Logo Studies, taking a look at the various logos which the Winged Wonder has been heralded on the covers of comics over the years.  The first installment can be found right here, and the series itself is inspired by Todd Klein's in-depth logo studies over on his blog.

In late 1968, after four years and 27 issues, DC pulled the plug on Volume 1 of Hawkman.  Instead of canning the feature altogether, Hawkman and Hawkgirl instead would shift over to fellow low-selling title The Atom, in an attempt to combine two lagging features into one better-selling package.  The experiment didn't succeed, and just seven issues later the combined title was cancelled.  

The logo designed for the title does not offer much argument against that fate, unfortunately.  The very nifty logo for The Atom is pretty close to it's previous look, including the oversized A.  The solid, blocky letters and the drop-shadow work nicely together, and give a sort of modernist, science-y feel which is appropriate to the Tiny Titan.  The Hawkman side of the equation, however, does not fare as well..

Gone are the subtle "wingtips" I talked about for the first logo, replaced with the similar block letters to Atom's logo.  A drop-shadow is added as well.  The first weird element which stands out to me is that the logo is no longer straight: there is a gentle slops to the top of the letters.  This slope, combined with the above-center bar on the H and the low bars on the As gives the logo a sort of hand-drawn look which I don't like.   The drop-shadow on the K is very ungainly, forming a big block behind the letter instead of following the angles like on the As and W.  Overall, the logo looks fairly amateurish and rushed, which isn't too surprising considering that this was a pretty last ditch effort by DC.

Not all is bad though: I for one really like the tagline above the logo.  "The Titan and The Fury" is a great phrase to describe the two heroes.  I like how "Titan" is presented in similar block letters (though italicized) to Atom's logo, while "Fury" is in more "primal," less formal letterings.  In fact, had Hawkman's logo been done in this sort of style, playing up the contrasts between the two characters, I think it would have worked better.  Of course, had the title been a combination of Atom and Hawkman's respective logos, that too would have demonstrated the contrasts and kept a recognizable logo for Hawkman.  But that's neither here nor there.

All told, this is not a very memorable logo, and it did not last a long time.  It served it's purpose for the short time it was in service, but little more.  Fortunately, DC would move away from this style in the future.  

Image: The Atom And Hawkman logo (from #41), 1969, Ira Schnap?

Hawkman Sketch By Dave Wachter

Our sketch this week comes from Dave Wachter, from his DaveDrawsComics Sketchblog, where he describes himself as "Comic book artist and whatnot." Dave is a very talented artist, including his work on the sweet horror comic Scar Tissue.

I really like this sketch. Both of the Winged Wonders look powerful but not so strong that I can't buy the flight. The feathering of the wings is nice, as are the helmets. I especially like the heels which Hawkgirl is sporting, not to mention the most excellent BOOTY.

Disclaimer: I do not own or have possession of this sketch. It is being reposted from the cited website only.

Image: Hawkman sketch, 2009, Dave Wachter, retrieved from DaveDrawsComics.

Waiting In The Wings -- 4/22/2009

Is there anything featuring our favorite Winged Heroes this week at our local comic shops?  Let's take a look!

Justice League of America #32 -- I don't think Kendra actually appears in this issue, but I think ends up talked about as a plot point.  Go figure.  I mainly put this on there as a reference to this note in this week's Lying In The Gutters column, where Rich mentions a scene from the previous issue, which apparently Dwayne McDuffie had to rewrite due to Hawkgirl and Hawkman retroactively surviving Final Crisis.  This supports my now-worthless initial speculation of Hawkman becoming Katar (and being handed to Starlin) and Kendra being a Black Lantern.  Remember when we didn't know all this stuff and we just read comics?  Yeesh.

Trinity #47 -- You know the drill by this point with this title.  I am very much looking forward to reading this series in collected form, an expense which I can justify a little better, somehow!

Original Hawkman Page From Flash Comics #97 By Joe Kubert

This is the second of the unreleased images by Joe Kubert from the Hawkman feature in Flash Comics #97 which were provided to me by Doug Zawisza.  The previous page can be found right here!

This is page 3 of the sequence and continues the setup for the adventure in the strange ruins under the sea, including the arrival of some strange divers.  I really like how Carter's foot extends out of the first panel, even if it looks like he is about the kick the diver in the head.  Shiera looks really beautiful as well, although evidently she changed her dress between this page and the previous one!  Also, notice the apparent mark-ups or ink spill on panel 3... I wonder what's up with that?

Another very cool page, I must say!  Thanks Doug!

Image: Page 3 from Hawkman feature in Flash Comics #97, 1948, Joe Kubert, provided by Doug Zawisza.

Acquired: Showcase Presents Hawkman Toy

My good friend Adama visited me this weekend, and he came bearing gifts: namely, this very cool Showcase Presents Hawkman figure by DC Direct.  

Based on the first Silver Age apperance of the Winged Wonder, the toy is based on the artwork of Joe Kubert.  Notice the chain-flail, used in the fight against Byth (and featured on the cover of The Brave & The Bold #34), as well as the complete lack of Honor Wings on the helmet.  Speaking of which, the helmet is removable.

I have not had a chance yet to open this toy up and get a better sense of it.  I do like the smooth lines and strong build of the figure, without making it bulky.  I need to clear some space on some shelves where I display my action figures, statues and whatnot for not only this one but also the DCUC Hawkman which I also still have not opened!  It's a shame as you get older that you don't have as much time to play with your toys, but thems the breaks.

Image: Showcase Presents Hawkman, 2008, image retrieved from DC Direct.

Hawkman Character Model By Alex Toth

Our sketch this week is not really a sketch -- instead, we have a character model of the Winged Wonder by Alex Toth!  Created for the classic Superfriends show, this piece shows  different views of Hawkman, including a walking pose, in flight, from a reverse angle, and a close up of his helmet.  Toth also includes notes on color and height -- you know, with the height at the top of his wings at 8 feet, even Superfriends Hawkman is pretty darn imposing.

I'm a big fan of Toth's work in general, and this lithe but still muscular rendition of Hawkman is spot-on.  He carries the combination of grace and power which I so often associate with Joe Kubert's version of the character, but in a more streamlined, animation-friendly manner.  The flying pose is downright iconic.

I found this piece at The Collecting Fool's Alex Toth gallery.  There is an amazing wealth of neat Toth stuff on display on this site, from animation work and comic books to unpublished sketches.  Definitely worth clicking through and checking out!

Disclaimer: I do not own or have possession of this sketch.  It is being reposted from the cited website only.

Image: Hawkman character model, 1977, Alex Toth, retrieved from The Collecting Fool.

Read: Rann-Thanagar Holy War #2

Issue: Rann-Thanagar Holy War #2
Title: "Seek And Ye Shall Find!"
Published Date: Aug 2008
Generation: Modern Carter
Retcon Status: In Continuity

Summary: On Hardcore Station, Chief Justice Max is trying to keep order after the bombing last issue, aimed at eliminating Comet.  Luckily for the mental-powered hero, he was able to teleport out of harm's way just in time.  Still, Max orders him off-station immediately, so Comet and Tyrone head to Rann to meet up with Adam Strange.  On Rann, Adam, Hawkman, Allana, Starfire, and Animal Man discuss the re-emergence of worship of Lady Styx on the planet, despite the elimination of the virus -- including how Sardath has become the most devoted of all.  Their speculation is interrupted by an alarm signalling the arrival of Thanagarian mineral raiders.  The heroes head out, while Allana meets with Comet; Aleea mentions to her mother that she has seen the "ghost" which has all of the guards in the Hall of Science spooked.

At the raid, the heroes make pretty short work of the Thanagarians, but the battle is interrupted by the bizarre arrival of a Monarchasaurus, a creature which has been extinct on Rann for approximately 2 billion years!  They fight valiantly against the beast, but their weapons are useless against it's thick hide.  Hawkman ends up getting his wing harness shredded, and is facing down the giant maw full of teeth when the creature's head suddenly explodes from within.  Their savior turns out to be The Weird, who has been hanging out on Rann but admits that the war is making tourism difficult.  Back at the Hall of Science, Sardath is too busy inspecting a new statue to the glory of Lady Styx to be interested in a dinosaur running amuck.  Aleea points out The Weird as the "ghost," and he admits to sneaking around the Hall of Science to do research on their computers.  When Adam confronts his father-in-law about his change in attitude, Sardath reveals that he is not surprised by the anachronism, as he already found one: a Rannian "shaggy man," which has been extinct for at least a billion years.  Adam Strange laments that things are starting to get weird.

Meanwhile, Tigorr gets drunk while supervising his mining bots, Starman keeps Bizarro occupied with food and Earth cartoons, and Deacon Dark continues to plot behind the scenes.

Review: Very strong second issue from Starlin and Lim, playing as a very old fashioned sort of second issue: establishing the other half of the threat, gathering the heroes together, whetting the appetite with an action sequence, and then ending on an ominious note.  Starlin juggles several plotlines easily, delivers a fun action sequence, and even the "look-ins" on the smaller plots don't feel too forced despite their short lengths.  It does seems as if some of these characters are here simply because they were in Countdown to Adventure -- namely Animal Man and Starfire.  Lim's art is excellent, especially with the Monarchasaurus.  His style is really well-suited to this sort of sci-fi/space opera stuff.  The scene of Aleea throwing a ball to Tyrone and saying "Fetch doggie!" had me in stitches it was so silly and adorable.  And any time you can work in a fight against a dinosaur, well, that's just good comics right there.

Image: Rann-Thanagar Holy War #2, 2008, Jim Starlin.

Waiting In The Wings -- 4/15/2009

Is there anything Hawk-related popping up this week at your local comic shop?  Let's take a look!

Justice Society of America v.4: Thy Kingdom Come Part 3 HC -- Collecting the conclusion of the epic Gog storyline.  This long-format story is, to me, the kind of adventure that Johns' Society was built for, and the schism between the old guard which forms here leads to Hawkman's departure.  Really good stuff if you missed it in singles.

Trinity #46 -- I don't know what I am going to do when this series ends as far as saying that Hawkman has been appearing with regularity and might show up in this issue as well.

Hmmm, light week!

Speculation: Strange Adventures #2

Alright, this one is kinda late, but various factors kept distracting me from sitting down and writing it.  After the swap-out of Hawkman for Bizarro in Strange Adventures #1, I was hoping to get a little more information in the second installment.  I was not disappointed.  If you are waiting for the collection of Strange Adventures or otherwise have not read the issue yet, be advised that this post contains some spoilers.

Once again, Hawkman does not appear in this issue, but he is a pretty hot topic.  In the feature story,  while Adam Strange deals with the fact that whole batches of stars seem to be disappearing from the cosmos (and only he is noticing), his mind wanders to his friend Hawkman, and Synnar the Demiurge's Abberant Six.  Strange vows to seek out Hawkman once he gets a moment without some crisis so that they can begin to sort out just what Synnar was getting at.

The co-feature (that is to say, the back-up) with Bizzaro futher spells out the switcharoo: Deacon Dark's assistant/acolyte Coriolis finds Bizarro while trying to retrieve Hawkman, but is confused: he doesn't look avian at all!  Then, as the reborn Lady Styx recounts her plan to eliminate Synnar's Abberant Six, she mentions that the Demiurge has no idea that Hawkman has been "replaced" by Bizarro.

So, once more I must ask, what does this all mean?  Being a comic book fan, I do so love speculating.  From what we have seen in this series, combined with Rann-Thanagar Holy War, Starlin's Hawkman Special, and what has been spilled about the Hawks regarding "Blackest Night," it is becoming clear that the original plan for Jim Starlin to use Hawkman has, for the time being, been put on hold so that Geoff Johns can use him.  Considering that Johns helped bring the character back from the "unusable" limbo he was in after Zero Hour, and helped launch the longest running Hawkman feature ever, he already has proven that he can handle the character.  

I like the idea of Hawkman as a space character, and "Blackest Night" may still re-establish that, but that is beyond the scope of what we can speculate right now.  As one of the seemingly very few who are enjoying Starlin's little cosmic corner of the DCU, obviously I am a little disappointed that we will not get to see the Abberant Six storyline play out as originally intended.  But, to be honest, I have enjoyed the heck out of R-THW and Strange Adventures even without considering the Hawk-percussions; Starlin has a great handle on his cast (most of whom I was unfamiliar with beforehand) and appears to be having a lot of fun putting them through one calamity after another.

So what do I think will happen?  At some point in Strange Adventures (or, perhaps whatever title comes after it...). Adam Strange will seek out Hawkman, only to discover that Hawkman has no recollection of the events of the Hawkman Special.  (A pity for me, since I liked it.  Anyway.)  Adam will ask Hawkman to help him deal with Synnar, but Hawkman will have to refuse, being too busy dealing with various events which have come about because of "Blackest Night."  Adam, along with Comet, The Weird, Eye, Bizarro, and the final member of the Abberant Six (???) then go off and have cosmic adventures dealing with Lord Synnar the Demiurge and his plan to overthrow God.

Am I totally off base?  Will we get two Hawkmen as I previously have speculated?  Only time will tell!

Hawkman Sketch By "morehuman" ?

I found this sketch online, at the Goodcomics.com site.  The artist is listed as "morehuman," a user on the site, which seems to be owned by Joe Lalich..  Anyone out there have any more information?

In any event, this is a tremendous piece of Hawkman art.  From the cape-like wings to the delightfully oversized morningstar, this is one powerful looking pin-up.  His helmet looks really nice as well.  The little smirk on his face is icing on the cake.  

Disclaimer: I do not own or have possession of this sketch.  It is being reposted from the cited website only.

Image: Hawkman sketch, ???, "morehuman" ?, retrieved from goodcomics.com.

Read: Mystery In Space #88

Issue: Mystry In Space #88 (Reprinted in Showcase Presents: Hawkman v.1)
Title: "Topsy-Turvy Day In Midway City!"
Published Date: Dec 1963
Generation: Silver Age Katar
Retcon Status: In Continuity (I guess?)

Summary: In Midway City, electronic devices start acting crazy -- running backwards and generally doing the opposite of what they were designed to do.  Meanwhile, Mavis Trent has discovered the Hawks' secret room in the museum, and dresses up as Hawkgirl just in time for Hawkman to enter.  Having received notice that a band of crooks used the distraction provided by the machines to crack a bank vault, Hawkman is eager to investigate, taking "Hawkgirl" with him.  They follow strange energy readings to a laboratory, where they discover the source of the "phase reversal" and it's creator -- the Master Electrician!

Mavis, not used to the anti-gravity effects of Nth metal, is out of her depth and ineffectual as a crime fighter.  Meanwhile, the Master Electrician uses another device, one which creates "artificial lightning," to alter the photons in the lab abd make his goons invisible.  The Winged Wonder has a little trouble fighting foes he can't see, but soon makes short work of them and shuts the Electrician down.

After the real Hawkgirl shows up, Mavis is revealed for her playing dress-up.  She is suspicious, but Commissioner Emmett helps the Hawks out but pointing out that Hawkgirl does not wear a wedding ring, so she and Hawkman aren't married, while Carter and Shiera Hall are.  Later, the Hawks have a good laugh -- because on Thanagar, a bride receives earrings on her wedding day, not a ring!

Review: A minor story, built primarily to have the goofy segment of Mavis Trent dressing up as Hawkgirl.  After the highly fun adventure against the I.Q. Gang last time, this is a bit of a let down.  Still, these kinds of tales were not uncommon in the Silver Age, and I can't complain too loudly about a story where Murphy Anderson gets to drawn both Shayera and Mavis dressed as Hawkgirl!  The bit about the Thanagarian wedding earings, however is classic, and one of my favorite bits of Thanagar's culture -- even if the implication that all married gals MUST wear wedding rigs really does date the proceedings!

Image: Mystery In Space #88, 1963, Carmine Infantino.

Waiting In The Wings -- 4/8/2009

What Hawk-related stuff can you expect to find at your local comic book retailer this week?  Let's take a look!

Identity Crisis #1 Special Edition -- Re-released as part of DC's "After Watchmen" event, it's inclusion in which earned the mocking derision of some online folks.  I like Identity Crisis, so maybe I am just less prone, I don't know.  

Justice League Unlimited: Heroes TPB -- Collecting Justice League Unlimited #23-29, this will certainly contain a few adventures with probably the most popular version of Hawkgirl ever.  While I was always happy to see Shayera front and center on this show, it did always strike me as odd that have Hawkman only pop up a handful of times, play a psuedo-stalker in one episode, and a psuedo-villian in another.  But, hey, James Remar, so there you go.

Trinity #45 -- As usual, Hawkman may very well pop up in this weekly series as it winds down.

Original Hawkman Page From Flash Comics #97 By Joe Kubert

Well readers, you're in store for a real treat today, Doug Zawisza , Honor Wings bearer, proprietor of the Doom Patrol blog (hey, the Showcase is out next week!), and author of the very cool Hawkman Companion from TwoMorrows Publishing has provided me with a very cool set of images: original art by the legend Joe Kubert from Flash Comics #97! Even more amazing is that these pages have never published in sequence... I'll let Doug explain it:

Hey Luke!
Sorry for the hideous delay between first reaching out to you about Companion stuff and now. ...

To make up for it, here's five NEVER-BEFORE-published-in-sequence pages from Flash Comics #97. I originally had all five pages in the Companion, but DC told TwoMorrows "Pages 30 - 31, a previously
unpublished 5-page sequence of a Hawkman story. While I understand that some of these pages were earlier published in TwoMorrows' *All-Star Companion Vol. *3 and “Alter Ego” magazine, they have never been published in a complete sequence, which is something we have a problem with. One to two pages is typically OK, but not 5 in sequence."...

They were originally on a nice two-page spread, but the book got changed - dramatically - after a review with DC Comics. If you want to post the pages, here they are.

Doug

Very interesting stuff! I will work from the position that in an effort to not step on any toes, I too will not be posting the images in one sequence -- instead, I will spread them out over the next few weeks to give some "buffer" between them. I don't know if posting them online on the same site constitutes posting them in a sequence, but we shall see, I suppose!

Note: I have changed the filenames around a little bit to make them easier to keep track of, but let me be clear that credit for these goes entirely to Mr. Zawisza who graciously has offered them up for my use here! Thanks a million, Doug!

Image: Page 2 from Hawkman feature in Flash Comics #97, 1948, Joe Kubert, provided by Doug Zawisza.

Hawkman and Hawkgirl Costumes At DragonCon 2008

Thanks to Shag over at Firestorm Fan for supplying this picture of the Justice League (along with a few hangers-on) from DragonCon 2008!  

Hawkman seems to be doing the classic "facepalm" bit, perhaps because Captain Action is hanging out with them.  Seriously though, it's a nice costume.  The wings look good without being too over the top, and sort of resemble the Super Powers toy's wings, appropriately enough.  The morningstar makes for a nice accessory, although it's too bad we can't get a better look at the helmet.   I am also happy that someone with roughly my physique was brave (and/or bold) enough to wear the classic Hawkman duds.  There's hope for me yet (along with fear for Con-goers)!

Hawkgirl's costume is very nice as well for the most part.   The slim wings look great, the cinched belt gives her a sort of Murphy Anderson-esque figure, and her hair is perfect.  About my only complaint is the helmet, which is a little too tall, but Hawkgirl's helmet is a tough one so that's cool.  

One gets the feeling that Green Arrow is checking out Hawkgirl's, ahem, tailfeathers.

Image: Justice League group picture from DragonCon 2008, 2008, image retrieved from Firestorm Fan.

Hawkman Sketch by Shane White

Since I am going to be out of town tomorrow, I figured I would post a sketch for you all today.  This piece is by Shane White, who's work has been seen in such varied titles as Hawaiian Dick, Fear Agent, The Overman, and Battle Pope.  You can check out his website right here.

This sketch reminds me of the Sword & Sorcery work of John and Marie Severin.  I think it may be the feathering (no pun intended) of our muscle bound hero, or maybe the tension in the arms, ready to use that mace to good effect.  The emphasis on the musculature in the shoulders, biceps, triceps, and forearms further fuels the S&S vibe.  The speed lines on his legs also convey motion very well, giving the overall impression that Hawkman is swooping in for the KO blow.

One thing though: Look at that helment, and tell me that's not Hawkgirl's helment instead of Hawkman's!  Look at the way the brow ridges connect with the wings.  Still, I'd like to see more of Mr. White's work on both of the Winged Wonders!

Disclaimer: I do not own or have possession of this sketch.  It is being reposted from the cited website only.

Image: Hawkman sketch, ???, Shane White, retrieved from The Comic Sketch Gallery.

Waiting In The Wings -- 4/1/2009

What Hawk-related wares can you find at your local comic shop this week?  Let's take a look!

Justice Society of America #25 -- The conclusion of the Black Marvel Family story bows here.  Not sure if Hawkman will show up or not in this one, but I am hoping he does, obviously.  After the insane Gog storyline, this one has been something of a letdown so far, so we shall see.

Justice Society of America v.2: Thy Kingdom Come Part 1 -- Speaking of the Gog story, here's the setup for it.  Collecting issues 7-12, this volume features some of my favorite bits from the current series, including the excellent spotlight on Citizen Steel, an adventure with Liberty Belle fighting Zoom, the JSA making pancakes for a local firehouse, and the return of Superman from Earth-22.  Great stuff all around.

Strange Adventures #2 -- Continuing Jim Starlin's latest space opera.  Hawkman figured tangentially into the backup story with Bizarro last time, and I imagine he will have a similar role this time out.  I still wonder about the the ramifications of that, and what that means for the Hawks; ie, will Hawkman still be a member of the Abberant Six?  Time will tell I guess.

Trinity #44 -- As usual, Hawkman has been a semi-regular in this title, so he could pop up here.