DCU Comic Book Reviews

HAWKGIRL #59

Relics Of War

February 2007

Written by Walter Simonson

Pencils by Renato Arlem

Inks by Renato Arlem

Cover by Howard Chaykin

Synopsis

Although it has been more than year since Hawkgirl left Hawkman on Thanagar after the Rann/Thanagar War, she finds that she still misses him.  She attempts to move on with her life by dating Detective Henri ?????, but the excitement level with Henri is not the same as with Hawkman.  At the Stonechat Museum in St. Roch, Kendra finds a canopic jar from the tomb of Hath-Set.  She also finds on her desk a cube with a Thanagarian police emblem.  In outer space, Blackfire emerges from hyperspace with her sights set on St. Roch.  Meanwhile, Hawkgirl visits the Mole, a weapons expert, to find a new weapon.  As she tests out the weapons at the museum, she is interrupted by Blackfire, who is wearing Hawkman wings.  Blackfire tells Kendra that she killed Hawkman and has now come to kill Hawkgirl.  [Continued in JSA Classified, issue #21]

Review by Binkley (e-mail)

This was not a bad issue, but neither would I classify it as a good issue.  I liked the bit with the mole; Kendra really does need some new weapons.  I still am not happy with Kendra mooning over Carter’s disappearance.  If she really missed him that badly, she could easily (I think) return to Thanagar and find him.  And if she really loved him, why would she date Henri?  Why couldn’t Simonson just show Kendra getting on with her life and not make such a big deal over Carter’s absence?  The book is called Hawkgirl and should focus on her and not on how she lives without Carter.  Do you know what I mean?  Did I make any sense? 

Given the upcoming preview on the final page for JSA Classified, issue #21, we know that Hawkman is alive and well.  While Blackfire’s statement that she killed Hawkman still has impact on Kendra, on us the readers we know she is full of crap.  I wonder what kind of impact this issue might have had if it had occurred earlier when the possibility of Hawkman’s death still existed.  Now, we know he is coming back.  This, of course, is a whole new debate.  The re-launch of Hawkman into Hawkgirl has not been a success and even though I have not seen the numbers, I am willing to bet that Hawkgirl has been shedding readers like crazy.  So, the question becomes:  does the title revert back to what it was or does DC keep with Hawkgirl and hope Hawkman’s presence boosts sales?  I guess only time will tell. 

I have a mixed reaction to the new artist.  While I liked his work and thought some of the visuals were quite strong, I was put off by the gratuitous drawings of Kendra’s ass.  The first is the last panel on page 7 which is a shot from behind Kendra at waist level.  Then the next page.  Is there any particular reason why Kendra needs to be drawn lying on her bed, not only wearing a thong but also drawn so he ass is pointed right to the reader?

 

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