Reviews Across Time And Space: Hawkgirl Vol. 1 No. 50

 

COMIC

Hawkgirl Vol. 1 No. 50
Cover Date: May 2006
Release Date: March 22, 2006
Script: Walter Simonson
Pencils/Inks: Howard Chaykin
Colors: Michelle Madsen
Letters: Rob Leigh
Editing: Mike Carlin, Tom Palmer Jr.
Cover: Howard Chaykin

BIRD'S-EYE VIEW

   Hawkman Vol. 4 ends at No. 49, which is the end of the Rann-Thanagar War and the beginning of the Infinite Crisis. The series continues at No. 50 as a Hawkgirl series. At the end of the Infinite Crisis, Hawkman (Carter Hall II) decides to stay behind and help rebuild Thanagar, so he is absent at the beginning of the series. Hawkgirl (Kendra Saunders I) returns to St. Roch. She continues her heroics as Hawkgirl and also runs the Stonechat Museum. Strange murders are taking place in the city, and some unknown entity tries to kill her. Hawkgirl tries to solve the mystery when a strange earthquake reveals a hidden passageway deep under the museum, and something is awakened.

PINIONS

   Hawkman has never reached a No. 50 in any of his series, but by a weird twist of DC finagling, Hawkgirl reaches that number with the first-ever Hawkgirl-titled book. The setup has promise. Kendra is set up as the administrator (no qualifications necessary!) of the Stonechat Museum, and apparently she's pretty good at it. Or the only one with some common sense. Take your pick. The museum is going well, and she's flying around at night, doing the hero thing as Hawkgirl. Oliver Evans and his son Danny are still there to help out at the museum, and there's the cantankerous, gonna-take-out-the-Hawks-just-you-wait Police Lieutenant Andy Grubs just pissing Kendra off and not doing much else. So we've got the St. Roch base, along with the museum job. Some supporting characters and an antagonist who is annoying enough to create drama and one-liners. 

     Kendra is still (STILL?!) wondering if she has feelings for Carter and whether, or when, he will return to Earth. Why can't this sad soap opera just diiiiiiiieeeeeeeeee? 
     As Kendra and Danny walk out of the museum, a piece of the roof falls. Kendra grabs Danny and jump-lifts them both to safety. She explains it as being "pretty good" at the long jump and hurdles in high school. Come on, Danny. Wake up and smell the Nth. 
    Something is killing the homeless in St. Roch and also coming after Kendra, and apparently this thing lives underneath the museum. 
    Walter Simonson is a legend in the comic book industry, but the issue felt kind of like a blank shot. If I wasn't a Hawkfan, would I come back for the next issue? I'm not sure, honestly. If the art is good, then I would give it a couple more shots. 
    But the art...
   

AVIAN ARTISTRY

    First, I must apologize before I get started. I know Howard Chaykin is very well known, and he has his fans. But IMHO, Hawkgirl just wasn't for him. Hawkgirl just looked...odd. Kendra seemed to be grinding her teeth in every panel. He made sure her nipples were a prominent part of her costume. And Hawkgirl's bare midriff made her look four months pregnant. It just looks weird. And he would go on to draw what I consider the worst cover of any Hawk character in their 87-year history (Hawkgirl No. 56). Chaykin is just not up my alley, I guess. The art is extremely distracting and seems out of place for a Hawkgirl comic. The writing was average, but the art took it down another level. I don't say that about a Hawk-related comic often, but there it is. 

MEMORABLE WHEET

" Kendra, I'm a guy who wears wings, an Edgar Rice Burroughs body harness, and a hawk's head. Everything I do is foolish. Don't follow my lead." - - Carter in Kendra's dream. 

Ergo: Tell me you don't want to write this character without telling me you don't want to write this character. 

AVIARY

PECKING ORDER

Verdict: A weak and disappointing issue

Next review: Hawkman Vol. 3 No. 1