Monday, January 23, 2012

Savage Hawkman #5 Preview!

Over at Pop Matters, we have an interesting opinion piece comparing Tony Daniel's work on The Savage Hawkman with the old Gold Key science fiction books, as well an exclusive preview of issue #5!

The author, shathly Q (an alias, I assume!), raises some interesting points regarding how Hawkman compares to some classic science fiction archetypes. I don't think I would have compared Savage Hawkman to either Flash Gordon or Turok, Son Of Stone, but it's an interesting conceit. So check it out, and the preview, though I typically avoid previews of books I am definitely buying!

Thanks to Matt Orr (@Hawkmanfans on Twitter!) for the find!

1 comment:

Juss said...

This seems like deft rationalization on the part of the writer, attempting to pass off Tony Daniel's crude attempt at subtlety as the real thing. It's all personal taste, of course, and both Daniel's Savage Hawkman and the writing in the old Gold Key comics may have enthusiastic fans. But though I read several of the Gold Keys--Magnus, Robot Fighter; Doctor Solar; The Phantom, Tarzan--I was young and read for the characters and the art. I don't remember any particularly great stories, other than those that Tarzan followed from ERB's originals.

I'll continue to buy Savage Hawkman, because I like keeping up with Carter Hall too much not to, and because despite what I perceive as Daniel's flaws of execution, I still believe he brings up interesting ideas. My hope for right now is that new co-writer Jim Bonny will serve as a focusing lens for Daniel's diffuse plotting and overly allusive dialogue, and that in the longer term, the not-bad plot- and backstory-points that Tony (and Jim) are establishing now will pay off, somehow, in a miracle of rare device--a Rob Leifeld series with substance and legs.