DCU Comic Book Reviews

JSA CLASSIFIED #22

Fire and Ice!

late March 2007

Written by Walter Simonson

Pencils by Walter Simonson

Inks by Walter Simonson

Cover by Walter Simonson

Synopsis

[Continued from JSA Classified, #21]

On Rann, Hawkman is fighting Komand’r (aka Blackfire), who has joined forces with the Grand Mor of Thanagar against Rann, although she is attempting to destroy both races so she take the planet for her own people.  Blackfire hits Hawkman, knocking off his wings and sending him falling to the ground.  Blackfire takes the wings and leaves for Earth.  Later, Hawkman pulls himself out of the ground and retrieves another pair of wings to follow her.  He finds Blackfire and Hawkgirl in the midst of battle.  He then uses a zeta beam to transport Blackfire to the dark side of Thanagar, where her powers fail to work due to the lack of a sun.  Hawkman depowers Blackfire and returns her to Rann to stand trail for war crimes.  Hawkman and Hawkgirl then return home.  [Continued in Hawkgirl, issue #60]

Review by Binkley (e-mail)

My overall impression of this comic book is that I did not particular like it.  The art is not the greatest; I am not a fan of the hash lines and Blackfire just looks plain weird.  Nor did I like the writing, which comes across as very clunky and not effective.  In fact, the entire comic comes across as a throwback to the 80s without the retro feel that would make it cool.  Instead, it feels like Simonson made a comic the way he knows he how, which unfortunately 20 years behind the times.  Yet, I must admit, I did not like the story and I liked how Hawkman was finally able to not only defeat Blackfire, but also neuter her (not that it will last; you know how comics are).  I am a bit annoyed at the use of the testament pod.  It is a bit of cliche for the villain to spill their guts to the hero, only to be caught on tape, thus proving their guilt.  Like that would ever hold up in a court of law.  But, I digress. 

I think the basic problem I have with this entire storyline is the notion that Hawkman spent an entire year trying to take down Blackfire.  What is such a big deal about this?  Why does Hawkgirl make a big deal out of it?  She really does seem pissed that Hawkman was gone for a year.  She knew where he was.  It is not like she couldn’t have gone to Thanagar to help him.  I am sure the Hawk plane is still available for her to use. And, yes, I realize the decision to remove Hawkman from the DCU was an attempt by DC to make Hawkgirl a viable character in her own right.  Yet, if you are going to do that, you need to make the reason for his absence a little bit bigger and bolder than simply I am hunting this villain.  And it should not have taken a year.  Well, it certainly gave him enough time to think of the plan to take away her powers, but still.