DCU Comic Book Reviews

HAWKMAN #3

Lost In The Battlelands

July 2002

Written by Geoff Johns & James Robinson

Pencils by Rags Morales

Inks by Michael Bair

Cover by Andrew Robinson

Synopsis

Deep in the jungles of India, Danny Evans has found the Eye of Shiva.  Before he can take it, however, Tigress steals it and takes off.  Hawkgirl is unable to follow; her wings were damaged in the explosion.  As they climb out of the caves, Danny and Hawkgirl are greeted by the military, who want to know what happened to Hawkman.  At that moment, Hawkman, along with Jayita, Copperhead, and the Shadow Thief are in the Battlelands, a hidden fold in reality.  They are being chased by large sword wielding elephant-like creatures.  Suddenly, blue men capture the elephants and then surround Hawkman and the others.  In St. Roch, the Mayor tells Roderic he can pressure Stonechat Museum, but only if Roderic gives him more money.  On the way to his home, the Mayor’s driver gets shot with an arrow and the car drives off the bridge into the water.  Watching nearby is a shadowy figure that looks like Green Arrow.  In the Battlelands, Hawkman and the others are treated as guests by the blue-skinned Makhna.  In India, Hawkgirl and Danny learn Roderic hired the military moments before she grabs him and flies away. Meanwhile, Hawkman searches for Copperhead, whom they find sated after eating one of the Makhna.  Hawkman then hears screaming and follows the sound until he finds a mine being worked by the elephant creatures treated as slaves.  Just as Hawkman says it must be stopped, one of the Makhna knocks him out.  When he awakens, Hawkman is manacled and told to work, like a slave.

Review

There are a lot of things going on in this issue and perhaps too much.  I liked it and, man, was it a very quick read, but I would have liked to seen more of the heroes and villains being forced to work together or perhaps gotten to know one of the ninja elephants before they were captured.  It might have helped to generate more sympathy when Hawkman finds them enslaved.  For that matter, why were the ninja elephants chasing Hawkman to begin with?  Regardless, this issue was not helped due to a striking similarity between it and Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom.  While the Indian setting is perhaps just a coincidence, having Hawkman/Indiana uncover a hidden cave that harbors slaves in the service of some obscure religion is too much. 

The appearance of Green Arrow was also very unsettling.  Despite the “fat cats” quote, the random killing of the Mayor (however corrupt) and the driver (who is probably only guilty of driving over the speed limit) is a gross mis-understanding of who he is.  I hope this is addressed in subsequent issues. 

Many people complain that there is too much decompression (taking more space to tell less story) in comics these days.  Anyone reading this issue would be hard pressed to make a case for decompression.  However, this issue does make the case that comics are now being written with the trade paperback in mind.  The bit with Green Arrow is the perfect example.  It does not have much to do with the current storyline of the hawks in India, so it is obvious it is setting up future storylines.  Another is the brief but with Kendra and her parents.  It seems odd that in the middle of running for your life that you so would be so insistent on finding out what Danny knows about your folks, but it was added to keep that bit in the reader’s mind.  Reading the trade paperback, I doubt this little part would come off as odd as it did here. -- MRB

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