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Cover Date: October 2005-August 2006
Script: Alex Ross, Jim Krueger
Pencils: Doug Braithwaite
Colors: Alex Ross (painting)
Letters: Todd Klein
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The villains of Earth start seeing the same nightmare: the world being destroyed in a nuclear holocaust despite the Justice League's efforts to save it. They band together and begin their plans to save the Earth in their own way. They begin by attacking each of the members and discrediting them in the eyes of the public. The Justice League is caught off guard and completely knocked back on their heels. Many of them are captured, shot, attacked, and injured. By helping each other, they begin to figure out what is going on and slowly start to regroup.
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| Art by Alex Ross |
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Picture it: USA, Saturday mornings, 1978. Scooby-Doo has wrapped up another mystery, and you go grab more of your favorite breakfast cereal and get ready for your Saturday morning highlight: The Challenge of the Superfriends. You see your heroes fly across the screen. "This is....The CHALLENGE OF THE SUPERFRIENDS!" I can still feel that Cheerios/orange juice-induced high, especially when I saw Hawkman or Green Lantern show up. Waiting for Saturday morning was agony, but that made it all the more special. It was truly a great time to be a superhero-loving kid. If you didn't grow up in that era, I wish I could bottle that feeling and give all of the younger fans a taste.
That's basically what Alex Ross and Jim Kruguer did here. I tried to think back to that time and the reasons why this series felt so special. One was the TV show, but I remembered another series that came out about the same time as Justice that may have played a part in it. I went back to check the dates, and I remembered that Identity Crisis ended about 8 months before Justice kicked off. I didn't really notice it at the time, but looking back, that may have had a part in my joy of reading this series. After Identity Crisis, the Justice League seemed broken and scarred. It was a real downer, to be honest. And then came Justice. Justice was a non-continuity story, set in the Silver/Bronze/Superfriends era of comics. The villains were villains, and the heroes were actual friends, a group of heroes who cared for each other, loved each other, understood each other's strengths and weaknesses, and banded together to figure it all out. This series is that bottle of Superfriends that I wish everyone would pick and taste. It's an absolute high for any comic book lover.
This review spotlights Hawkman and Hawkwoman's role in the story. Ross and Krueger's love and knowledge of the Silver/Bronze Age heroes shone, and in my humble opinion, they had a firm grasp of what makes Hawkman and Hawkwoman work. Katar/Carter and Shayera/Shiera are together, side by side, the entire series. Their conversations and battles are absolutely spot-on.
They are Katar Hol and Shayera Hol, police officers from Thanagar and working at the Midway City Museum as curators, Carter and Shiera Hall. They first appear in issue No. 1 in the villains' dream, falling from the sky during the destruction of Earth. They don't show up again until issue No. 4. They are at the Midway City Museum when they are suddenly attacked by Toyman. This scene is about two and a half pages, but it is fantastic. Shayera yanks Katar out of harm's way, tight skirt, heels and all, tosses Katar a flail, and they go on the offensive. This scene is all Shayera, and she looks absolutely badass.
We should settle this debate (is this even a debate?) right here. Hawkgirl/Hawkwoman ain't no sidekick. She is an absolute badass (I keep saying that) who is more than capable of taking care of herself. She is Hawkman's equal/partner/companion/lover/wife and his superior in many ways. An average Thanagarian lifespan is 300 years, so it's hard to say how long they have been together, but it's probably been a while, a few decades even. Their partnership is mutual and tight. These heroes work best when they are together. I hope that someday the DC writers will go back to this special dynamic. This is what makes them work, and DC has been tossing it aside for almost three decades now.
Back to the story. While they are being attacked by Toyman, the Atom (Ray Palmer) is shot and badly wounded by Giganta, who apparently works on the side as a sniper. As he lies bleeding, he tells his fiancée Jean Loring to "call Carter." A man calling for his best friend. It's the little moments like this that make this series so special. Ross and Krueger didn't forget the special friendship these two shared and made sure they put it in the story.
This review spotlights Hawkman and Hawkwoman's role in the story. Ross and Krueger's love and knowledge of the Silver/Bronze Age heroes shone, and in my humble opinion, they had a firm grasp of what makes Hawkman and Hawkwoman work. Katar/Carter and Shayera/Shiera are together, side by side, the entire series. Their conversations and battles are absolutely spot-on.
They are Katar Hol and Shayera Hol, police officers from Thanagar and working at the Midway City Museum as curators, Carter and Shiera Hall. They first appear in issue No. 1 in the villains' dream, falling from the sky during the destruction of Earth. They don't show up again until issue No. 4. They are at the Midway City Museum when they are suddenly attacked by Toyman. This scene is about two and a half pages, but it is fantastic. Shayera yanks Katar out of harm's way, tight skirt, heels and all, tosses Katar a flail, and they go on the offensive. This scene is all Shayera, and she looks absolutely badass.
We should settle this debate (is this even a debate?) right here. Hawkgirl/Hawkwoman ain't no sidekick. She is an absolute badass (I keep saying that) who is more than capable of taking care of herself. She is Hawkman's equal/partner/companion/lover/wife and his superior in many ways. An average Thanagarian lifespan is 300 years, so it's hard to say how long they have been together, but it's probably been a while, a few decades even. Their partnership is mutual and tight. These heroes work best when they are together. I hope that someday the DC writers will go back to this special dynamic. This is what makes them work, and DC has been tossing it aside for almost three decades now.
Back to the story. While they are being attacked by Toyman, the Atom (Ray Palmer) is shot and badly wounded by Giganta, who apparently works on the side as a sniper. As he lies bleeding, he tells his fiancée Jean Loring to "call Carter." A man calling for his best friend. It's the little moments like this that make this series so special. Ross and Krueger didn't forget the special friendship these two shared and made sure they put it in the story.
In issue No. 5, the Martian Manhunter tries to contact Hawkman and Hawkwoman telepathically. The two emerge from the ruins of the museum and discover that all of the villains were in on the attack on the Justice League members. In issue No. 6, the Hawks meet up with the Martian Manhunter to find out where Toyman is. They promise to meet up at the secret rendezvous point after they find out what is going on in Midway City. They enter a warehouse and are immediately attacked by Toyman and his gadgets. They are able to fight them off initially, only to discover that Toyman is building an army of Brainiacs. And that is where the issue ends. Stay tuned for the second half review!
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What else can be said about Alex Ross' work? I feel incredibly unqualified to try to describe his work. I can say that his work brings back that spark in me that I felt as a kid when I opened up a comic and read about my favorite heroes. His style has a way of making them almost lifelike, and I can imagine what it would be like to actually meet these heroes in real life. He brings them out of the pages and into your room. The expressions, the action scenes, the feeling of nostalgia that fills the pages - all of it makes you stop and stare at the pages for hours. I would imagine that Hawkman would be a difficult character to bring to life. The bizarre winged helmet, the bare chest, red harness, wings coming out of the back, all of it. Seeing this character flying at you would be the most terrifying moment of your life, but Ross manages to make him look accessible and heroic. The same goes for Hawkwoman. You can almost imagine looking up in the sky and seeing these two incredible characters flying by. Penciller Doug Braithwaite and Ross gave a gorgeous book, and it will forever be an all-time favorite of many comic book fans.
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"I wonder if you actually have the strength to watch Hawkman and Hawkwoman fall?" (Superman)
"Call...ambulance. Call Carter." (Ray Palmer)
"Don't worry, Carter. Everyone knows you're MY Superman." (Shiera Hall)
"Carter?" "Yes, Shiera?" "Just in case. I love you." (As they enter Toyman's warehouse.)
"Call...ambulance. Call Carter." (Ray Palmer)
"Don't worry, Carter. Everyone knows you're MY Superman." (Shiera Hall)
"Carter?" "Yes, Shiera?" "Just in case. I love you." (As they enter Toyman's warehouse.)
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Verdict: The Absolute Best of the Best!
Extra! The covers of the first six issues.
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