Hawkman may have the single most convoluted history in comics. If anyone needs a clean slate in the relaunch, it’s him.
General Information
Title: The Savage Hawkman #1
Author: Tony Daniel
Illustrator(s): Philip Tan (art) and Sunny Gho (colour)
Cover Date: November 2011
Cover Price: $2.99
Buy the digital edition.
Premise
Carter Hall is tired of being Hawkman, but Hawkman isn’t tired of being Carter Hall.
High Point
This is clearly a hero whose personal is not a shiny, happy place.
Low Point
That’s a pretty extreme opening to be given without revealing *why* he considers this a curse.
The Scores
This may be an original take on Hawkman; I haven’t read a lot of the history. The feel of the book is very much like Marvel’s Ghost Rider at its best. I give it 4 out of 6.
The artwork has the “darkened pencils” feel to the inking that I’ve never really been a big fan of. I think the pencils would have been crystal clear, but the light inks with the muddy colour scheme and extremely dark enemies makes some of the panels somewhat hard to discern. I give it 4 out of 6.
The story is well assembled as a plot and action driven first chapter. I give it 5 out of 6.
The characterization could be better. We get a crystal clear picture of Carter’s emotional state here, but have no indication of what drove him to this state. I give it 4 out of 6.
The emotional response is mild. There’s good stuff here, but it feels like too much background was left out to hit this particular last page. Carter’s life is clearly in a miserable place, but this single issue doesn’t tell me why I should sympathize with him or his history really is. I give it 4 out of 6.
The flow works well enough. The only part of the story that skips ahead suddenly is supposed to do that for a disorienting effect. I give it 5 out of 6.
Overall, this is another title that just didn’t grab me with a mediocre launch. If I don’t care about the lead by the end of the first issue, there’s a problem. I give it 3 out of 6.
In total, The Savage Hawkman #1 receives 29 out of 42.
The New 52
Here are handy links for the reviews of all 52 new #1 issues:
- Action Comics
- All-Star Western
- Animal Man
- Aquaman
- Batgirl
- Batman
- Batman and Robin
- Batman: The Dark Knight
- Batwing
- Batwoman
- Birds of Prey
- Blackhawks
- Blue Beetle
- Captain Atom
- Catwoman
- DC Universe Presents
- Deathstroke
- Demon Knights
- Detective Comics
- The Flash
- Frankenstein, Agent of S.H.A.D.E.
- The Fury of Firestorm
- Green Arrow
- Green Lantern
- Green Lantern Corps
- Green Lantern: New Guardians
- Grifter
- Hawk and Dove
- I, Vampire
- Justice League
- Justice League Dark
- Justice League International
- Legion Lost
- Legion of Super-Heroes
- Men of War
- Mister Terrific
- Nightwing
- O.M.A.C.
- Red Hood and the Outlaws
- Red Lanterns
- Resurrection Man
- The Savage Hawkman
- Static Shock
- Stormwatch
- Suicide Squad
- Superboy
- Supergirl
- Superman
- Swamp Thing
- Teen Titans
- Voodoo
- Wonder Woman