Waiting In The Wings -- 7/29/2009

A day early, yes, and a short list as well, but let's take a look at what Hawk-related merchandise we can find at our local comic shops this week.

Wednesday Comics #4 -- The Hawkman strip by Kyle Baker is featured again this week as DC's summer series rolls on.  I said last week that I wasn't sure about Baker's style and the character of Hawkman, and I am still unconvinced.  But, the third page of the story really sold me on the strip, and now I am very much looking forward to what he has in store for us this week.  

Last week's page pushed the envelope in terms of the fluidity of the action as well as the insanity of the story, placing both feet squarely in a sort of neo-Silver Age mentality which plays perfectly on newsprint.  The details still look worried over, but the broad strokes -- the characters, how they are positioned and how the panels tell the story -- are quite nicely executed.  

Part of the more subtle appeal of Wednesday Comics as I have read is the mixing and matching of creators on project that seem obvious (the Kuberts on Rock) or head-scratching (Pope on Strange Adventures), and Baker's Hawkman falls into that latter category for me.  And while it is not the first choice I would have made, Baker's depiction of the Thanagarian hero is growing strongly on me and I am glad I stuck with it.