DCU Comic Book Reviews

HAWKMAN #13

Killers, Part One

May 2003

Written by Geoff Johns

Pencils by Ethan Van Sciver

Inks by Mick Gray

Cover by Andrew Robinson

Synopsis

The DEO and the police have come to arrest Kendra Saunders (aka Hawkgirl) for the murder of a police officer she killed in self-defense when she was a little girl.  Carter Hall (aka Hawkman) wants to help, but feels powerless.  Meanwhile, in the police car, Kendra learns the Chief Nedal is driving.  Nedal knows she didn’t do it and decides to help her escape because he loves her.  But Kendra remembers, Nedal was the other cop!  Because of what happened, Nedal had to change his name and move to St. Roch.  He also killed Kendra’s parents.  Now, he will kill Kendra, but not before he finishes what he started all those years ago.  As Nedal is talking, Kendra frees herself from the handcuffs and attacks him.  The car drives off the road and into the river.  Nedal escapes.  Hawkman saves Kendra, who then takes Carter’s weapons and goes off in search of Nedal so she can kill him.  Hawkman warns her not to do it, but she refuses to listen.  Meanwhile, Nedal continues to run away, but is stopped by the Gentleman Ghost, who might be able to help Nedal with regards to the Hawks.  

Review

“But my past wouldn’t let me go.  I suppose th’ past never lets us go.  It always follows us.”

As the first part to a two part issue, all I can really say is that this was a very good set-up and it certainly has me intrigued to learn what will happen next.  The mystery behind the death of Kendra’s parents kicked off this series and now, over a year later, we learn why it happened and who was responsible.  The fact that Nedal is the mystery police officer is not all that surprising given some of the events that occurred, especially the shooting of Warwhip back in issue #8, but it does alter the way anyone might re-read these issues later.  While the resolution of the mystery is somewhat of a let down and not all that big of a deal (I mean, Nedal is not an important character to the series; Danny Evans as the culprit might have been even more shocking and interesting), I am pleased it is not a deranged masked lunatic or even Hath-Set.  Kendra’s past may be connected to the Hawks and their mythology, but it does not preclude normal, yet horrible, events happening to her as well.  Moreover, this event in her life will remain in the past, allowing to either get past it or perhaps to always remember it, similar to Bruce Wayne.  Her reaction to remembering Nedal’s guilt and her subsequent desire to kill him also is nice to see; to me, this is a normal reaction anyone would have.  It will be curious to see how this is played out, since we know as comic book readers that our heroes do not cross the proverbial line. 

One little moment caught me somewhat by surprise.  It is the scene when Jayita indicates her feelings for Carter, showing that perhaps she has fallen to him.  Hawkman spent time with another to make Kendra jealous, but it then blows up in his face.  And it happens at the wrong time.  What caught of guard was the sly, offhand way this little tidbit was added to the story.  In the middle of Kendra’s plight, Johns still manages to toss in tidbits of various plot points, including the odd little bit with the coffin.  -- MRB