DCU Comic Book Reviews

HAWKMAN #18

Blood Lines

October 2003

Written by Geoff Johns

Pencils by José Luis García-López

Inks by José Luis García-López

Cover by John Watson

Synopsis

Carter Hall (aka Hawkman) returns to Germany, the home of one of his many past lives.  He first visits the tavern he built in the 1500s.  There, he stops an angry drunk who recently lost his wife from getting into a fight and then he has a drink with the owner, who also happens to be the drunk’s brother.  Later, he goes to the ceremony and to his own gave site.  There, the drunk returns to apologize.  The drunk talks about his late wife.  He tells Carter that the worse than her dying is if he had never met her at all.  There may be a hole in his soul from losing his wife, but there would be no hole in the first place if he had not loved her.  After the drunk leaves, Carter traces the headstone for his collection.  Later, Ray Palmer (aka The Atom) calls to inform Carter that his university has agreed to let Carter give a lecture and that afterwards they can get eat dinner.  Carter agrees.  

Review

“When you know you will always lose the people you love, it’s hard to justify loving anyone.”

I think, by far, this has been my favorite Hawkman issue to date.  My first reaction to the opening pages was actual despair because it looked as if we were going to go down Continuity Road with the Hawks yet again.  But while this issue was about Carter’s past, it was not laden with Hawkman continuity, unlike the Western issue several months ago, which tried so hard to connect events from the DC past to the current Hawkman series.  This issue does not even attempt that and I think it is much, much better because of it.  This is the type of Hawkman story that I feel should be told every so often.  Not too often mind you, but an occasional look into Carter’s past lives is a good thing. 

But while this look into Carter’s past is not lade with continuity, the theme of love’s lost does keep in touch with recent events in Carter’s life, from learning that to love Kendra means certain death to holding good friend and possible lover Jayita in his arms as she has died.  With the burden of living a long life (or multiple lives) the number of holes in Carter’s soul must make it look like Swiss cheese.  You can get the sense that Carter is struggling with finding his way, whether that is to shut himself off to avoid the pang of losing a loved one or to develop a deep connection regardless of what may or may not happen.  I like the ending that suggests that perhaps Carter took the drunk’s word of advice. 

According to Carter’s book, here are some of his lives (and years lived):

Koenraad Von Krimm:  1483-1514

Captain John Smith:  1519-1631 (112 years!)

Hannibal Hawkes:  1868-1911

 

The dates would suggest that the life between Koenraad and Smith (depicted in this issue as being born in Japan) lasted about 4 or 5 years.-- MRB

 

 

 

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