The King Shazam story, which includes the Absolute Hawkman, finally comes to a close in Absolute Superman No. 21. The action in this story was pretty insane, and Hawkman had a pretty big part of it, so here's a spoiler-rich review of the issue. If you haven't read it yet, come back later!
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| Absolute Superman No. 21 (September 2026) |
The battle between Superman and King Shazam continues on the moon, and they literally just beat the crap out of each other and almost destroy the moon in the process. King Shazam appears to be the stronger of the two, but only because he is willing to kill Superman, while Superman wants to save him. I had to wonder if Superman would prevail if he let loose, but he is determined not to. Even if it means the end of his own life. During the fight, Shazam gets a hold of Hawkman's mace, while Superman fights with Steel's hammer. Nice contrast.
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| Absolute Superman No. 21 (September 2026) |
Hawkman is a killer, and he has no qualms about it whatsoever. But Superman has awoken something in Carter, and he decides to help Superman defeat King Shazam without killing him.
In this universe, there is a father box instead of a mother box, and this device from Apokolips is what Hawkman uses to stop Shazam. Shazam makes the mistake of saying Shazam, turning him back into the young boy he once was. Before he suffocates to death, Hawkman puts Shazam back into the father box and sends it to a planet far, far away from Earth. Shazam awakens again on the planet and vows to kill Superman when he returns to Earth.
This story brought a few changes in this villainous version of Hawkman, and it also showcased just how powerful he is. Superman's ability to stay true to his creed and not waver makes Hawkman question the decisions he has made over the years. With all the killing he has done, I wonder how Jason Aaron will try to find redemption for Hawkman, if that is possible.
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| Absolute Superman No. 21 (September 2026) |
Can we talk about how insanely powerful Hawkman is in this universe? He went toe-to-toe with Superman during their first encounter. In the battle against Shazam, he wasn't as durable as Superman, but he seemed to have pretty fast recuperating powers. Steel stayed down for the count, but Hawkman got up pretty quickly. He also could fly at incredible speeds because he was reaching locations, including the moon, amazingly fast. He was able to knock Shazam into the stratosphere with his mace. And that mace is proving to be one of the most durable weapons in the Absolute universe. In the end, Hawkman was seen flying through space near Venus, drinking beer as he went. He must be going through some things.
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| Absolute Superman No. 21 (September 2026) |
It looks like he is no longer following Talia al Ghul's orders. Maybe he will try righting some wrongs he has done. Since Oliver Queen is apparently resurrected from the dead, it will be interesting to see a final confrontation between Carter and Oliver.
Will Absolute Hawkman show up again soon? It's anyone's guess. Many non-Hawkfans have said a lot of positive things about the character. It'd be hard to believe that DC would shelve this character, even in the Absolute universe. But then again, this is DC, so it also would not surprise anyone if this character never shows up again.
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