DCU Comic Book Reviews

HAWKMAN #12

Darkraven

April 2003

Written by Geoff Johns

Pencils by Rags Morales

Inks by Dennis Jahne & Michael Bair

Cover by Andrew Robinson

Synopsis

In Tibet, Hawkman is battling the Darkraven after his beloved Helene Astar, the reincarnated soul of Hath-Set has been turned into a statue from the absorbascon.  The Darkraven claims Hath-Set will be back.  Hawkman positions himself so when Darkraven attacks, he accidentally destroys the statue when Hawkman ducks out of the way.  Hath-Set has been killed.  Together, Hawkman and Hawkgirl take down the Darkraven moments before an avalanche.  They are able to escape, but the Darkraven is trapped.  On the plane home, Speed Saunders says goodbye to his granddaughter, Kendra before he parachutes out of the plane.  Later, at the Stonechat Museum in St. Roch, Kendra and Carter realize they with Hath-set dead they can now choose their own destinies.  They realize are friends as well as partners.  Just then, a D.E.O. arrives to arrest Kendra on the murder of a police officer.  In the Epilogue, Hath-Set tells Kristopher Roderic that allowing Helene to die was part of the plan; to allow the Hawks to believe they are free before Hath-Set strikes once again.   

Review

I liked this issue and I liked how the relationship between Hawkgirl and Hawkman became deeper and stronger because of the events that occurred.  And part of me likes the idea that the Hawks believe that have freed themselves from destiny to do what they want.  However, and this is a very big point for me, I do not for one minute believe that these characters would be so stupid and so naive to think that Hath-Set was so easily killed.  Think about it.  Hawkman has lived countless lives over the centuries.  And each time he encountered and supposedly died at the hands of Hath-Set.  I can not imagine that Hawkman could so easily believe that Hath-Set has been killed.  As I was reading the final pages, I kept asking myself that same question, over and over.  And then when I read the final page I just got fed up and walked away.  To me, the characters are acting stupid and it really bugs me when writers portray their characters as stupid.  Hawkman should know better.  Well, I guess Geoff Johns should really know better.  Yet, as I said earlier, I liked the idea that the Hawks will be free to chart their own destiny.  This whole Kendra must fall in love with Carter so they can die thing was getting old.  So, now that they think their destinies are open, they will naturally fall in love.  Ahhh, the cynic in me. 

I do have to give Johns some credit.  He could have easily finished this issue off on a high note, with the Hawks feeling good and about themselves and their future.  The final pages with Carter and Kendra were emotion filled as they reassessed their relationship to each other and the world.  Yet, at the very end, Johns still pulled out the rug and ended this issue with the cliffhanger:  Kendra is being charged with murder.  I am going to assume that she is being charged with the murder of the police officer from years ago, although wouldn’t the statue of limitations have passed by now.  Regardless, things are not going to be easy for the Hawks anytime soon. 

There is one plot development in this issue that was not explicitly stated one way or another, so Johns can go whichever way he wants later.  This point is the moment when Kendra reached down to touch the absorbascon.  Something happened to her, although it is difficult to really say what.  In a previous issue, her grandfather Speed tells her that if she were to touch the absorbascon, she would get her memories of all of her past lives.  Interesting to note that later in this issue Kendra says to Carter:  “You know, I think I finally get it.”  The “it” she is referring to is Carter’s obsession with the past.  This suggests that Kendra remembers her own past or at least is beginning to.  As I said, it is not stated outright what happened.  At any point Johns could decide to go one way or another with whatever he wants.-- MRB

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