DCU Comic Book Reviews

HAWKMAN #17

The Thanagarian, Part III:  Conclusion

September 2003

Written by Geoff Johns

Pencils by Rags Morales

Inks by Michael Bair

Cover by John Watson

Synopsis

Shayera Thal (aka Hawkwoman) and Buddy Baker (aka Animal Man) are fighting the criminal Byth Rok, a shape shifter from the planet Thanagar.  Byth is able to shift into a dragon-like creature, knock out Buddy, and then fly away with Shayera in its claws.  Later, Carter Hall (aka Hawkman) and Kendra Saunders (aka Hawkgirl) follow Byth to the Hawks’ Hangar.  Byth has taken their ship, intent on reaching Thanagar.  The hawks are able to get the ship before it leaves Earth.  Hawkman knocks Byuth outside and Shayera follows, without her wings.  Byth sees her and turns into a lizard creature, ready to eat her.  With Hawkgirl and Animal Man’s help, they steer the ship directly into Byth, knocking him out cold.  Hawkgirl then flies down to catch the falling Shayera.  Later, Shayera prepares to leave for Thanagar with Byth in custody, but not before she gives Kendra her harness.

Review

The was a solid ending to an unnecessary attempt to provide closure to a messy, convoluted back history for Hawkman.  Hopefully Johns has this out of his system and he can get on to, you know, writing about Hawkman and Hawkgirl and not their past. 

I liked the ending.  I really liked the way Shayera handed Kendra the harness as a sort of passing of the hawk torch from one generation to the next.  Well, it was not really generations, but I think you understand what I mean.  If this was the purpose of this story arc, then I think it did what it was supposed to do:  clear out continuity gaps, remove Shayera from Earth and cement Kendra has Hawkgirl and a bona fide hero.  Since her appearance in the re-boot of the JSA, I think Kendra has earned her wings, both literally and figuratively.  Of course, I am not certain there was a reason to remove Shayera from Earth simply because I am not too sure most people even considered that she was still part of the DCU.  That has been my problem with this entire story:  why drag the hawks through the convoluted mess of continuity when most people don’t really care.  I would think the most important thing to do is establish Hawkman and Hawkgirl now and for the future.  If you worry too much about the past, you’ll be looking behind you and never get to see the great things in front of you.  Or something like that.  Sorry about getting so sentimental.  But you understand me, right? 

I am mildly disappointed that Animal Man did not get to do too much in this issue or the last issue.  In fact, I am not even sure exactly what the hell he was doing in the first place.  At best he provided information about the hawk avatar, but there could’ve been a non-hero person that could have provided that information.  And in the fight in this issue, Buddy was really a non-factor.  No, wait, he did tell the Hawks about Byth’s plan.  So, there, he was important. 

How did Shayera get free of the chains around on the ship?  They disappear between pages 10 and 11.  What happened? -- MRB

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