Hawkman Sketch By Yildiray Cinar

Our Hawkman sketch today is by Yildiray Cinar, who has done such DC work as the Ravager co-feature, Legion of Superheroes, and Teen Titans. As a testament to the modern collaborative nature of comics, Cinar actually lives in Istanbul!

This is one badass looking Hawkman! Everything screams the current "rageaholic" take on the character, from the broad shoulders, the dangerous gauntlets, the large mace, and the kickpad shin protectors. The look on his face, so to speak, further sells the notion that this is one hero you do not want to mess with if you value your bones all being in the proper alignment!

You can check out more of Cinar's work here.

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

Image: Hawkman, 2010, Yildiray Cinar, image retrieved from CINAR.

Waiting In The Wings -- 05/26/2010

There's only one product out this week which features Hawkman and Hawkgirl, but it's a real doozy!

Wednesday Comics HC -- Collecting the entire broadsheet series in one oversized hardcover, this book of course contains all twelve installments of Kyle Baker's Hawkman strip, which features a plane being hijacked by intergalactic terrorists, Hawkgirl piloting their spaceship against an alien armada, and a fight with a tyrannosaurus.  I was cool to this strip at first but warmed up to it as it continued.  Baker is still not terribly suited to Hawkman but his style is certainly unique.  Most of the other strips were really good, and this is a very tempting piece to have sitting on the coffee table -- although, for $50, this is a bit too rich for my blood, considering I have all of the individual issues!

This also serves as a nice kick in the butt that dang it I need to write up the Wednesday Comics summaries!  

Read: Brightest Day #2

Issue: Brightest Day #2
Title: "Nuclear Options"
Published Date: May 2010
Generation: Modern Carter, Modern Shiera
Retcon Status: In Continuity

Summary:  Above the jungles of Peru, Hawkman and Hawkgirl deposit the goons they battled last issue into their headquarters.  Upon examining the base, the Hawks find that Hath-Set has been watching them for generations.  Worse, he has made death masks of them throughout the ages, casting their dead faces to decorate his wall.  Hawkman rages furiously, smashing the masks, proclaiming that they will no longer let Hath-Set decide their destiny -- because the time has come to hunt him down and kill him.

Review: Well cripes!  Hath-Set just got even creepier!  This definitely expands upon the resurrection stuff which Johns (along with Goyer) spent a lot of time developing in Volume 4, which makes perfect sense.  I definitely pumped my fists to Hawkman's fury, and liked even more seeing Shiera put her hand on his shoulder to steady him.  Not much Hawk-stuff this time out, but this really has a lot of promise.

Image: Brightest Day #2, 2010, David Finch.

Hawkman Sketch By Andy Kuhn

Our Hawkman sketch today is by Andy Kuhn, an extremely prolific comic creator, who has credits for writing, penciling, inking, coloring, and lettering, on titles ranging from The Adventures Of The X-Men to Cthulu Tales.

Hawkman definitely looks ready to fight in this image, his fists balled up and his arms cocked back like he is about to mess someone up. Nevermind the grimace. The smaller wings are an interesting take, making the figure look more compact; typically, Hawkman looks more hulking than his frame because of the wingspan. The raptor in the foreground is a nice touch as well.

You can check out more of Kuhn's work here.

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

Image: Hawkman, 2010, Andy Kuhn, image retrieved from Comic Twart.

"Absolute Justice" Re-Airs Tonight!

If you missed the Smallville telefilm "Absolute Justice" from earlier this year -- featuring the Justice Society of America, including Hawkman -- you have a chance to catch it tonight, at 8:00 PM eastern on The CW. Enjoy!

Waiting In The Wings -- 05/19/2010

What sort of Hawkman and Hawkgirl related stuff can we expect to see at our local comic shops this week?  Let's find out!

Brightest Day #2 -- Last time, the new version of Hath-Set gained possession of the bones of Prince Khufu and Princess Chay-era.  Will we see more of his plan this time out?  And perhaps more of the Hawks bashing thugs with their maces?  

DC Universe: Legacies #1 -- You can't talk about the original Justice Society of America from the Golden Age without Hawkman.  
And when you put Len Wein, the Kuberts, and JG Jones on a book, well, cripes, that pretty much sells me on it right there.

Justice League of America #45 -- Now that Brightest Day has begun, could we see Hawkman hanging around with Robinson's Justice League?  I suppose it's possible, but I haven't seen anything suggesting it yet.

Poll Results: What Hawkman Series Do You Want To See?

Well, the results from Being Carter Hall's first poll are in.  And yes, I meant to do this post a few weeks back.  Them's the breaks.  Anyways.  

So the question was what kind of Hawkman solo series would you readers like to see in the wake of Blackest Night.  The responses ran about what I thought they would, although there were some surprises in there as well.

32 pages, $2.99 -- 50%

I figured that this, the most likely choice, would win out in the end.  After all, this is what most fanboys and fangirls dream about right?  Their favorite hero "now in their own series!"  I think we may have a good shot at actually seeing this after Brightest Day wraps, but we have a long time before that happens, so patience is a virtue.
 
40 pages, $3.99, lead feature  -- 21%

A situation I personally would be happy with, the "co-featured" books at DC seem to be losing some momentum.  And the lastest round of solicitations have a couple of 32 page books at $3.99, so that's a bad sign.  But given the right backup I think this could be doable.
 
40 pages, $3.99, "The Atom And Hawkman" -- 17%

Hey, you got rid of that other Atom, so why not team Ray up with Carter and let the good times roll?  This would be cool but honestly, how long would this run?

I don't want to see a Hawkman series  -- 7%

Okay, I have to ask about this folks.  Really?  You don't want to see a Hawkman series but you take the time to read a Hawkman blog and vote in the poll?  It takes all kinds I guess but this just confuses the heck out of me!
 
48 pages, $4.99, anthology with other heroes -- 3%

This is one I hear bandied about on a board I frequent, and I always call "BS" on it.  Because the people who always clamor for anthologies pretty much never buy them when they get released!

40 pages, $3.99, backup ("co-feature") -- 0%

I thought this might get one vote... yeesh!  So people would rather Hawkman not have a feature at all than be a backup?!

Interesting results... and good feedback, which I appreciate.  I'll try to put up another poll this week and we can do this again!

Hawkman in Smallville "Salvation"

Hawkman made an extended cameo on the Smallville season 9 finale, "Salvation," which aired this past Friday the 14th.  Joining him in cameos were Stargirl, Cyborg, Martian Manhunter, and Black Canary.  
When General Zod's Kandorian forces attacked and defaced landmarks all over the world, including the Great Wall of China, the Great Pyramids, and the Washington Monument, Chloe Sullivan dispatched her network of heroes to invesitage.  In Giza, Hawkman found "nothing but mummys" and advocated a pre-emptive strike against Zod.  Green Arrow said that was a great idea if he wanted to get slaughtered, to which Hawkman said "Big surprise, Mr. Green Jeans is yellow."  Clark Kent eventually talked Hawkman into letting him take care of the Kandorians, telling him that while his powers allowed him to come back to life, the others who would lose their lives in such a battle would not.  Clark told the assembled heroes to be ready, and that once he was gone the world would need them to protect it.

Considering he got one scene and that was on a viewscreen from a remote location (of course he got sent to Egypt), I thought this was a good Hawkman appearance.  Michael Shanks still looks and sounds like the modern Carter Hall, and the bickering bewteen him and Oliver was nice.  I can very much see Hawkman advocating this strategy -- give him a kryptonite mace and he'd take out more than his share of Kandorians, methinks.  As a side note, we don't see his wings but we do get a glimpse of him putting on his helmet.

Overall this was a really good episode, but the rest of it deals with non-Hawk stuff so I won't get into it here.  Hopefully we can see more of the Winged Wonder (or Wonders!) next season!

Hawkman Sketch By Ron Salas

Our Hawkman "sketch" (it's really a painting, folks) today is by Ron Salas, who I know primarily for his work on Mice Templar.

Salas plays up Carter's Egyptian "heritage" here with the use of the kopesh and shield, a nice touch. The kopesh is a very visually interesting weapon which never gets much play outside of Mummy movies. The softer nature of the painting adds a regal touch to the former Prince. And the wings are posed very nicely, giving him almost an Egyptian god feel.

You can check out more of Salas's work here.

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

Image: Hawkman, 2010, Ron Salas, image retrieved from Comic Twart.

Hawkman On Smallville "Salavation"

Finally got a chance to watch this past week's episode of Smallville, the last before the season finale on Friday the 14th, which is entitled "Salvation."  If you are eagle-eyed you can spot a super-quick glimpse of Hawkman in the preview, which pretty much confirms the long-standing rumor that the Winged Wonder was coming back for the finale.  

You can see the video here but I am having trouble getting it to play so no promises!

Read: Brightest Day #1

Issue: Brighest Day #1
Title: "Second Chances"
Published Date: May 2010
Generation: Modern Carter, Modern Shiera
Retcon Status: In Continuity

Summary: Over the Andes, Hawkman and Hawkgirl follow the leadings of the shard of the Heart of Zamaron, and end up on a cargo plane transporting the bons of Prince Khufu and Princess Chay-era.  The two Hawks go to town on the mercenaries on board, and are able to smash through most of them.  When Hawkgirl is in trouble, Hawkman rages that he is not losing her so quickly; she replies by taking out her assailant and telling him that he won't be rid of her that easily.  The head of the team arranges for a teleport out of harms way, then shoots the pilots.  With the plane heading down, the Hawks grab the survivors and bail, with no clue as to why the bones survived the end of the Blackest Night, who wanted them, and for what purpose.

Elsewhere, the shadowy "client" is revealed to be a reincarnation of Hath-Set, who now possesses the remains.

Review: The maxi-series kicks off proper here, and it's a heck of a ride.  The non-Hawk stuff includes some tremendous scenes with Aquaman and Mera, including the return of a character very important to the Aquaman mythos, Ronnie and Jason discovering a problem with their new Firestorm matrix, and the Martian Manhunter heading off to investigate a new mystery.

But the Hawk scenes are my focus here.  They get essentially an extended action sequence, fighting in close quarters on the cargo plane.  The art crew, anchored by Ivan Reis, puts over the danger and power of Hawkman and Hawkgirl beautifully herein.  The banter is similar to the #0 issue -- Hawkman is overly concerned about Shiera and Shiera has to reassure him -- but it's great seeing them in action together.  The reveal of the baddie is not overly surprising, although this version does not look like Roderick and I guess is a new reincarnation.  (Besides the big villain reveal this issue belongs to another character.)  All told this was a very good issue and I am totally on board for the series.

Image: Brightest Day #1, 2010, David Finch.

Hawkman Sketch By Chris Samnee

Our Hawkman sketch today is by Chris Samnee, who has done work for Marvel, DC, and Oni. His most well known work currently is probably his work on Siege: Embedded over at the House of Ideas.

I really dig how ticked off Hawkman looks here. The straightforward musculature and trim look overall gives me the feeling of Murphy Anderson, but with a little more looseness than his work typically had. The mace looks great, as do the wings. Really captures the rage of the character very nicely.

You can check out more of Samnee's work here.

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

Image: Hawkman, 2010, Chris Samnee, image retrieved from Comic Twart.

Brightest Day #1 News Roundup

There's a couple of news items out there for you guys to peruse regarding the release of Brightest Day #1 yesterday (which was pretty awesome).  

First off, from Newsarama's interview with Peter Tomasi:

Nrama: We're seeing some reference to the various colored rings in Brightest Day, and the energy of love seems to be already playing a part, at least on the Claw of Horus that Hawkman is wearing. How important a role do the seven colors of emotions play in Brightest Day?

Tomasi: Emotions are always key and push stories in specific ways, and that's all I've got to say about that (in my poorest Gump voice).

I too am quite curious about the shard and what its connection to the Claw of Horus.  Guess we'll have to wait and see!

And from the first edition of "Daybreak," CBR's bi-weekly feature talking to both Tomasi and Geoff Johns:

CBR: Can we close with a little word play? Give us a word that best describes where each of these heroes and villains are at the start of "Brightest Day," and maybe we can play this again at around the half-way point of the series and see if we have any improvements or setbacks.

...

CBR: Hawkman.

Johns: Cursed.

CBR: Hawkgirl.

Johns: Cursed

Yikes!  That doesn't sound good.  I can't see Johns killing either of them off after all the effort to bring 'em back, but hey.  You never know, right?

Waiting In The Wings -- 05/05/2010

It's Cinco De Mayo, which means its time to have a few Coronas and head down to the LCS for some new Hawk-merch.

Brightest Day #1 -- The story of the resurrected heroes begins proper here, including our favorite Power Couple.  Who is the mysterious client who had sought out the bones of Khufu and Chay-era?  What does the Heart of Zamaron mean and what is it's connection to the Claw of Horus?  All this and Martian Manhunter's pants!

Justice League of America: Second Coming -- Reprinting #22-26 of the current series, the now-deceased Kendra Saunders figures into these adventures by Dwayne McDuffie with Ed Benes and Ian Churchill.

Read: Flash Comics #17

Issue: Flash Comics #17 (reprinted in The Golden Age Hawkman Archives v.1)
Title: "Murder At The Opera" (suggested title)
Published Date: May 1941
Generation: Golden Age Carter
Retcon Status: In Continuity

Summary: Carter and Shiera are enjoying a night at the opera when the diva, Camilla Cordova, onstage suddenly chokes and collapses.  Rushing the stage, they find the poor girl is dead.  A doctor in the audience, Dr. Selkirk, examines her and concludes that the cause of death was asphyxiation -- in plain view of the entire audience.  Shiera doesn't buy it, but Carter says they should stay out of it.  Back at his home, Carter finds a small golden mummy idol, warning him not to interfere.  Shiera and Carter then agree that Hawkman should investigate.  Winging back to the opera house (armed with a bow and arrow), Hawkman finds a tiny prick in the girl's neck, suggesting she was killed with a poisoned dart.  But he does not see the knife-wielding man creeping up behind him...

Back at Carter's house, Shiera is suddenly attacked by a golden skinned man, claiming to be an agent of the Golden Mummy.  The thug tosses Shiera in the trunk of his car, and rigs a shotgun on Carter's door as a trap.  Hawkman disables his would-be killer, and then takes him to the roof of a skyscraper.  When the man doesn't talk, he tosses him off!  Grabbing the man before impact, the goon is all too willing to tell Hawkman where the Golden Mummy is hiding out.  Hawkman wings there, and rescues Shiera, while the Mummy and his last goon make tracks back to Carter Hall's house, hoping to lay in ambush for him.  But the goon forgets to tell the Mummy about the trap, and he winds up shot.  Before he dies, the Golden Mummy is revealed to be Dr. Selkirk, Camilla's jilted lover who desired revenge.

Review: An interesting mix of the modern and the ancient, this story is something of a prototypical Hawkman story.  The gilded assassians and the mummy suggest a supernatural foe of some kind, but in the end it's the more mundane gangster.  Also nice in this issue is Hawkman's rather Batman esque tactic of interrogation, though Batman typically doesn't actually throw them off the roof!

Moldoff turns in his typically nice linework.  The last few panels are especially noteworthy.  One features Shiera moralizing on the death of Selkirk with Carter, and she looks downright beautiful.  The next two panels have our couple in their opera attire, and the gown Shiera wears is stunning.  Moldoff certainly gave Shiera plenty of love!

Image: Flash Comics #17, 1941, Sheldon Moldoff.

Hawkman "Retro" Poster

We're taking a look at this very neat "Retro" poster representing the Winged Wonder himself.  The artist is one Michael Myers, and you can see the rest of the line, featuring lots of classic DC character, here.

I really like the almost art deco approach to this poster.  Taking the two far and away most iconic aspects of the character besides his wings is a nice choice.  It really has a sort of Darwyn Cooke, New Frontier asthetic which is just fine with me.  It's unfortunate that he cannot sell prints of these because I would totally buy this one to put on the wall.

Thanks to rob! over at The Aquaman Shrine for putting up the poster representing the King Of The Seas and putting me on track for this one!

Image: Hawkman Retro Poster, 2010, Michael Myers, image obtained from Behance Network.