Panel Vision - Legend of the Hawkman

Previously on Panel Vision I discussed the 1989 comic Hawkworld, a dark, gritty reimagining of the Hawkman characters and mythos that was informed by the stylistic trends and affects of Judge Dredd, Bladerunner, and Soylent Green.  However, despite being critically well regarded and establishing a handful of still relevant things Hawkworld really didn’t leave that big a footprint on the comics landscape or Hawkman in particular.  It spawned an ongoing comic that lasted for a few years followed by a new Hawkman comic in 1993, which has been rightfully forgotten by all good and descent comic fans, and then that was it. 

By 1997, when DC made a major shift in writers and series spearheaded by Grant Morrison’s relaunched Justice League of America comic, Hawkman had more or less passed on from continuity and would stay there for about 4 years.  In 2001, Hawkman returned with a back to basics look and a strained attempt to combine all the most popular elements of his mythos at the time.  Though interesting that Hawkman is pretty inhospitable to new comers, which is a shame given how much he incorporated from the Silver Age character while elevating the material through modern writing sensibilities.  Thankfully, in 2000 there was an exceptional mini-series that did just that: Legend of the Hawkman.

Written by Ben Raab and drawn by Michael Lark, with coloring by Lee Loughridge, Legend of the Hawkman was a bizarre experiment to try and tell a story using the elements and mechanics of previous DC continuities and status quos.  As such, the visual aesthetics of the comic are all rooted firmly in the Silver Age, with Hawkman and Hawkgirl sporting their classic costumes and even the various people they interact with affecting an old timey aesthetic.  It’s the kind of comic where the police commissioner that the Hawks work with dresses in a trench coat and fedora and smokes a pipe, even though it’s ostensibly set in the modern day.  It’s a strange amalgam but not an unpleasant or un-engrossing one.  It’s most reminiscent of the Batman animated series, which also combined style and technological affects to try and evoke a more timeless aesthetic.  The actual plot and characterization, however, is much more grounded in modern aesthetics and sensibilities.

As mentioned last time this is not “Egyptian reincarnation” Hawkman but rather “space cop” Hawkman.  Specifically, this story works exactly off the Silver Continuity that Shayera and Katar are Thanagarian police that came to Earth chasing a fugitive and have sense made a life here, living in disguise as the curators of the Midway City Museum.  The story, taking a cue from Hawkworld, revolves around fleshing out the identity of Thanagar only in a more mythical and less gritty manner, revolving around a legendary Thanagarian demon named Thasaro.  According to myth Thasaro was imprisoned in an urn on a distant planet and it just so happens that distant world was our own Earth.  As you’d expect from any good “imprisoned demon” story Thasaro ends up released and it falls to the Hawks to defeat him.  Where things get interesting is in the emphasis, especially in terms of how the two confront the menace.

The big twist of Legend of the Hawkman’s execution is that despite being steeped canonically in the Silver Age and sporting a pretty standard “big evil monster” bad guy it takes every opportunity it can to dig into the character and uniqueness of its heroes.  Hawkman and Hawkgirl get more development here, both as people and especially as a couple, than they do almost anywhere else.  

A lot of this comes from inter-personal conflict what with them being married and all, an often overlooked fact about these two heroes.  Specifically, the situation is that Shayera wants to leave Earth and return to Thanagar but Katar wants to stay though there’s a deeper argument at hand.  The bigger idea is about heritage, personal identity, strength, with Shayera defining herself by her connection to Thanagar and her faith while Katar views himself as his own man, separate almost from everyone and every thing else. 

This is all woven through the narrative as well as the dialogue.  The two may be arguing over these facts in their character development but Shayera’s faith and heritage ends up key to her standing against Thasaro while Katar’s detachment and skepticism ends up forcing him into a very different stance against the mythical demon.  That last bit is a very smart way of keeping the whole story in continuity and exploring the odd wrinkle of how faith works in a universe where Gods are demonstrably real.  

We actually see Katar interact with the ancient Gods of Thanagar in one of the comic’s best scenes, especially given how unforgiving he is of their Goldy pomp, circumstance, and grandeur.  It’s all incredibly well realized and decidedly natural and it’s plain that the relationship between the two is the true heart of the story.  It’s actually so good it makes me wish the Hawks were married again as they haven’t been tied that way since the end of the Silver Age. 

The book is also filled with tons of smart dives into unexplored elements of character mythos and even continuity.  For instance, the comic actually opens with a brilliant idea playing off the Hawk’s position as curators of the Midway City Museum, with the two setting up a special exhibit showcasing alien artifacts.  That might sound ridiculous and far-fetched at first but then you remember aliens are totally a real and confirmed thing in the DC universe, to the point that many of their world’s most recognizable figures are aliens. 

Add in the fact that most of the superhero community are aliens who could lone out artifacts and it makes perfect sense Hawkman and Hawkgirl would set-up an exhibit of extraterrestrial treasures.  There’s even a pretty great cameo by Superman, who shows up to collect his relics, and vaguely comment about the importance of ancient history to building personal identity as a way to slyly reference the themes of the story. 

The action is also a real treat, especially in the third comic when Thasaro is unleashed upon Midway City only for Hawkman and Hawkgirl to show up with a squadron of Thanagarian fighter spaceships.  Michael Lark (is that a pun?) does superb work, especially with scenes of mass chaos and wide scoped action.  Whenever he needs to draw Thasaro towering over the city-scape or shrugging off volleys from the military and air force it’s absolutely glorious.  Lee Loughridge is the real star of the artwork though as his coloring takes the art from rock solid to incredible.  Loughridge is an incredibly skilled colorist with a real talent for knowing when to bath the panels in an overall tint to inform the atmosphere and emotion or when to let the stark individual colors speak for themselves. 

Together, the two do great work realizing the insane scope and visualization of the classic Silver Age Hawkman comics, especially with how gleefully classic the action scenes are.  The emphasis on buried treasure, cursed relics, and bird/Egyptian iconography end up giving the comic a series adventure/Indiana Jones vibe in some spots that’s in no way out of place, especially the scene where the Hawks fight a bunch of mummies. 

Legend of Hawkman is a really great double feature read with Hawkworld as the two compliment the characters perfectly.  Hawkworld was concerned with blazing a new trailer, envisioning a Thanagar steeped in real societal problems where the details of the world are what informed the characters.  Legend of the Hawkman is all about the past and making the most of what’s already been established, digging deep into the details of classic Hawkman mythos and coming away with moving, character driven, drama.  Neither one is the “better” approach as their both thoroughly enjoyable and deeply engaging reads that emphasize the best aspects of Hawkman and Hawkgirl’s character, just in very different ways.  All that remains is to take your pick on what kind of story you prefer; world focused or character focused. 


if you liked this article please like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter