Review - Hawkman by Geoff Johns Book One

Hawkman has returned from the dead and much has changed in his absence. With a new Hawkgirl by his side, he has re-joined the Justice Society and has settled down in the sleepy southern town of St. Roch. Metaphoric and literal ghosts from their past return in full force as Hawkgirl launches a campaign to find the identity of her parents’ killer.

Hawkman by Geoff Johns Book One collects Hawkman 1-14 and Hawkman: Secret Files and Origins 1, written by Geoff Johns and illustrated by Rags Morales.

Spinning out of the pages of JSA, Geoff Johns’ Hawkman is a smoothly written series that seeks to resolve the complex and often convoluted elements of the Hawkman mythos. The titular hero and his partner Hawkgirl are the result of a centuries-old curse that causes star-crossed lovers Prince Khufu and Princess Chay-Ara to be reborn ad infinitum in new bodies, only to die before achieving true happiness. Khufu and Chay-Ara now live on as Carter Hall and Kendra Saunders – the winged Hawkman and Hawkgirl – but there’s a new wrinkle in this cursed cycle. Kendra has no recollection of her past and she has no intention of pursuing a relationship with Carter. On his end, Carter is trapped between the knowledge of his love for the soul of Chay-Ara and the reality of his lack of knowledge of who Kendra is as a person. This ratchets up the tension in Hawkman, leading to a truly electric dynamic between the high-flying heroes. For the first time in the history of the curse, the souls of Khufu and Chay-Ara may not fall in love. It’s never made too obvious, but the struggle between fate and free will is a central theme to this collection of stories. This is personified through the main characters’ perspectives. Carter has faith that his destiny will play out as it always has while Kendra seems intent on doing everything possible to ensure that it doesn’t. The contrast between them is highly entertaining in this regard.

The issues collected here are divided into several arcs, but tell one long overarching story. The primary thread is Hawkgirl’s search for her parents’ murderer, which brings the Hawks to India, Tibet, and back to St. Roch. Along the way they must contend with a trio of villains as they attempt to steal a mystical artifact, team-up with Green Arrow to clear his name after he is framed for the murder of several officials in St. Roch, and rescue Kendra’s grandfather after he is kidnapped by the reincarnated Hath-Set. These globe-trotting adventures provide plenty of memorable fight scenes, including a rather intense smackdown with some yeti, as well as a slew of guest stars. Green Arrow and the Atom both show up, with the former bringing out the absolute worst in Hawkman and the latter bringing out the softer side of him. These interactions not only help show some off the different facets of Hawkman’s personality, but they also give us the overall scope of the character’s influence on the DC Universe. That said, the real star of this collection is Hawkgirl. There’s something contradictory about the fact that the series is titled Hawkman when Hawkgirl has equal (if not greater) importance to the stories written. Her action sequences are stunning throughout and her brash personality has a tendency to overshadow that of Hawkman (which is a feat in and of itself). Moreover, her narrative deals with some very heavy issues regarding a tragic event in her past and it’s guaranteed to leave a lingering impact on the reader. Though Johns seems reticent to define the event for what it was, the images and implications are obvious (and gut-wrenchingly so).

Hawkman by Geoff Johns Book One offers a glimpse into one of Geoff Johns’ more underrated works. The affection he has for the history behind the character is evident and it keeps you invested in the story. Rags Morales’ expressive art and dynamic action scenes help to maintain this engagement as well. Beyond that, I appreciate the effort made to explore deeper themes and more mature subject matter without being too heavy-handed or gratuitous. Much of this converges on Hawkgirl and her place within the narrative. She could have easily been relegated into being a sidekick or stock love interest, but she is neither. Kendra is Carter’s willing partner with autonomy of her own. While she frequently falls into the “Action Girl” trope that Johns is often guilty of, Kendra has depth and the fact that Carter’s expectation for them to be together because of their curse is consistently questioned and criticized speaks is refreshing to see in a medium where women are little more than objects. As such, Hawkman proved to be a surprisingly self-aware read with a strong female presence (but Johns gets demerit points for fridging a supporting character towards the end). It's worth a read, though be forewarned that some of its subject matter can be emotionally trying.

RATING: B