Hawkman #2

Hawkworld (1990-3):

1. [Hommy (dies), Bladebat] H to be sent to Earth (something to do with a Thanagarian museum exhibit (?) and bonus to deal with Byth who escaped to there). I like the tension between H&H, she’s from Downside, and they differ in their politics. I also like the intensity of H, esp. following his isolation for years on the Island of Chance, and the tribulations he overcame in Hawkworld (1989) Trilogy. Nb. Hw is being sent basically to spy on H. Very good (so far).
2. H has been sent to Earth as Thanagarian’s hero, plus to get him away from Thanagarian where he makes some people nervous. Awesome scene of H arriving on Earth to an unexpected international press/celebration, still nauseous from hibernation, and throwing up all over the reporter. Blyth uses that drug on some gang members, and with them, attacks a function H is attending, meanwhile, Hw is experiencing “Earth police methods” (all for PR reasons really). Some nice tie ins, e.g. exposed to ancient weapons, and due to necessity borrowing them to go after Blyth. Blyth (amongst other things) wants the Absorbascon the pair used on their journey to Earth in order to acquaint themselves with the people. A nice dark scene in which they hear the violence on the news, and H says to himself, This is just another Hawkworld. Still good.
3. [Krotan (drug), Furies (gang)] Deal with Furies. Given Bill of Rights to read, and they struggle with it, the hypocrisy on one hand, but also the radical ideas in it. Very good.
4. Continue to establish themselves in Earth culture. Hw at police. H at museum. Each becomes fond of a person there. H continues to explore philosophy of contract theory etc. Dangerous ideas. Still good.
5. The ambassador is working with Blyth for some reason, who hires a ninja assasin and gives him shadow tech to take over the H’s ship in orbit, but as a diversion and trap, whilst Blyth’s brother leaves with some illicit cargo heading for Thanagar. Blyth has set himself up as the head of a Japenese tv manufacturing company. Still good.
6. Continue space fight. H subdues ninja (his name is Shadow Thief!). Subdue smugglers too. A bit weaker.
7. Hawkman Annual #1 – [Janus, Fiddler (incl. origin story), Jay Garrick, Wally West, Cartar Hall, Perry Carter] Incl. details about the relationship between silver age JSA H&H and these post-Crisis incarnations. Seems that Katar’s dad was sent as a scout etc.

Hawkworld #7 – [Blyth]

1. Blyth kills policeman that Hw was “seeing”, and she goes after him to kill, but is prevented by H, who is both following the law and copying her actions (i.e. when she prevented H’s revenge on B back on Than.) But then she does “kill” B (except not really, he faked it).
2. H defies orders to return to Than., and returns to capture and arrest B and free Shayera. They make a fresh start on their relationship, trust. Nice one. (This is apparently Truman’s last issue in this series, he was co-writing with Ostrander).
3. Shayera ordered to Than. taking with her Blyth to stand trial there, and an Earth trade delegation. I’m loving Katar’s twisted sensibility, scarred soul, war/world-weariness.
4. Shayera approached by her (previously unknown) maternal grandmother, reveals that the original Shayera Thal was actually Shayer’s mother. And on Earth: H meets Blackhawk, who later asks for help dealing with a threat to destroy some bioweapon he’s carrying in a place (apparently to be stored and destroyed in the arctic), the fallout could kill millions. There’s a quick jab at Superman; Blackhawk guy explains that he couldn’t get S because he’s always either in town, then in space, then ok, then losing all his powers – you never know what’s going on with that guy(!). They go into the sky, and the issue ends with H attached to the outside of the flying plane. A few brilliant moments and moves here. This is a man who in one scene describes his desire to court a lover with poetry and flowers, and in another scene claims to not understand why the bioweapon is being destroyed. After all, they kill whilst preserving the infrastructure. And, Katar adds, war has nothing to do with morality. I’m trying to grasp the nature of his character, put it into words. He’s a romantic, with a scarred soldier’s eye. He acknowledges the terror of the abyss, yet strives for impossible ideals.
5. Bomb is released without damaging cargo. On Thanagar: Mother Hyancith is messing with religious politics, and a Raven (like a religious senator’s PA/assassin) is also revealed to be stirring up a revolution, uniting all the gangs of the Downside. We get an interesting look at religion on Than. (incl. 7x gods, which seem to act as 7 religions although related). Fine but not great.
6. “It’s the power of money that makes this a Hawkworld”. We get a glimpse of a life in a conversation with a stranger on the train, before it is shattered by loss, as the Maurader battle suit prototype is used to destroy buildings and life, all in a ploy to leverage a company’s finances. Defeat Marauder with Firehawk’s help. First issue I’ve read in this series that I’ve felt to be too close to “average” to really like.
7. [Tros Samoth is the Raven, who qua head of the Downside gangs holds the title “Shadow Lord”, I’m getting the feeling that he’s a genuine believer and following the orders of his master in that vein] More on the Thanagar religious plot and political strife. Whilst on Earth some artefacts relating to the old Than. religion are stolen from the museum. Shayera prepares to return to Earth. Ok.
8. “War of the gods” (old Than. gods). Meh.
9. “War of the gods”. [Wonder Woman]
10. Scorpion terror attempt. And: Origin of Attila. A few moments were it struggles to be more, but ultimately: Meh.
11. [Attila]
12. [Attila; (and on Than.) Shadowlord et al.]

Hawkworld Annual #2 – Armageddon 2001 event. End of Attila (after it virtually consumes yet another life).

1. Return to Than. due to H’s injuries. Stupid story about stolen warp drives and alien bounty hunters. (It’s modern “space opera” in the old, pejorative, sense of the label).
2. “Escape From Thanagar Part One of Five” – First a tale of the old H&H, and the dissolution of the JS, and the leaving of the (till then unknown to be) Thanagarian Katar senior. Then about events on Than., incl. the ongoing persecution of the Downsiders. (I don’t and won’t like these Parts which are told in very short chapters, so that each issue feeds a few tales each a little bit).
3. A tale of old, MM confronts and H who says he’s not the original, but is a junior Cartar Hall.
4. A tale of Hw discovering that “H” is not Cartar Jnr, but a Than. spy betraying Earth. In other stories: H is joining the Downsiders, trying to spread a philosophy based on his terrestrial learnings, seemingly attempting to spark a revolution, whilst they and he are pursued by the authorities. And: Hw is sent to Earth with a fake H who are together to “retrieve” the Attila battlesuit; she is being blackmailed by her grandfather. This fake H tells that he was the previous fake Cartar Jnr.
5. Continue.
6. Part 5. H steals a ship, takes some Downsiders with him, goes to Earth and subdues the fake H, then he and Hw request political asylum on Earth. (Since they’re breaking with Than., they dispose of their old uniforms, and make newer, (more H-traditional looking) ones).
7. [Shadow Thief, Shadow field generator] H steals Atilla and hides it.
8. “Fight’s End” part 1 of 6 – [White Dragon] a racist superhero that targets minority criminals. Hw tails to get photo of WD’s secreted identity.
9. Part 2 – Thanagar offer Earth shadow field tech in exchange for H&H to be extradited. Something about the old Shiera/Carta being transported into the present somehow – not sure if this is related to any tie-in issues, but in any case they go to “deal” with their other namesakes.
10. Part 3 – Old H’s realise the new H’s are innocent (after fighting, obviously, which was kinda cool). They then help subdue WD after he is sent to capture the new H’s.
11. Part 4 – [Netherworld] Weird.
12. Part 5 -[Furalyce (previously Zuluu)] Count Vibe (who can swap his mind into an other’s body which is how he’s survived centuries) is trying to control the Netherworld in order to rise up and take over the country (in order to save it, he says).
13. Part 6 – End. TBC in 6 months in “Hawkman #1”. It’s not clear at the end whether H is dead etc.

Goes all the way to #32 (when cancelled), and includes a third Annual issue.