Black Adam Review (Immediate Reaction Podcast)

Black Adam was finally released in Japan on December 2. I watched it four times on opening day. After I got home, I made a podcast of the process I went through to get here and my initial thoughts on the movie. A bit rambling maybe, but just a Hawkman talking straight about Hawkman's first appearance on the movie screen. LINK

Black Adam Movie News Updates

Internet Movie Database: Black Adam 

Aldis Hodge's first camera test as Hawkman (From Black Adam News on Twitter)

Hawkman's Mace Replica on sale at Factory Entertainmen!

 

Thanks to a Hawkfan living in the States, I found out that Factory Entertainment is selling replicas of the mace that Aldis Hodge used in the Black Adam movie. They are scheduled to come out in the fall of 2023. Here's a link to the site! LINK

Black Adam Movie Reviews

Black Adam has finally been released! The reviews are pouring in. Here is a collection of the reviews that I've been able to catch. Going with mostly positive reviews here. 

We Are Movie Geeks: BLACK ADAM – Review

Internet Movie Database Ratings Page

Comic Boom!
BLACK ADAM: Spoiler REVIEW - Trust the Audience score, not the critics! Epically fun superhero movie

Ｕpdate of Tim Board's Hawkworld Gallery

Just added the Hawkman Cruiser and the movie poster from the Black Adam movie to my Hawkman collection. I hung it from the ceiling (top right) for now. 

Hawkman on Six covers in October 2022 Solicitations

 The solicitations for October 2022 were released and Hawkman and Hawkgirl appear on six covers. Most are promotion variants for the Black Adam movie coming out on October 21. 

Multiversity: Teen Justice #5 

Black Adam movie variant cover by Lee Bermejo
Comes out on October 4

 

Review of Black Adam The Justice Society Files: Hawkman No. 1

Script: Cavan Scott
Pencils: Scot Eaton
Inks: Norm Rapmund
Colors: Andrew Dalhouse
Letters: Rob Leigh
Cover: Haare Andrews
Editor: Katie Kubert

   I had no idea what to expect for this issue, and it's supposed to be a lead-in to the movie, so I approached it as a completely elseworld story. This Hawkman looked almost nothing like the Hawkmen we've had in the past, so I expected a lot of changes. However, Cavan Scott has written Hawkman and Hawkwoman before, and he has been "loyal" to the basic idea of Hawkman. He picked up very nicely (DC Love is a Battlefield, 2021) where Robert Venditti left off so I wasn't TOO worried. 

   1. The story. 

   The story started out simply enough and I enjoyed seeing another version of my favorite Hawk villain, the Gentleman Ghost. It got a bit convoluted and left me with a lot of questions towards the end. That's what any good comic book does to get us to pick up the next issue, but since this is a sort of one-shot, I'm wondering if any of these questions are going to be answered. We've had a lot of stories lately where things were just thrown out there and never followed up, and that's the feeling I got reading this issue. I sincerely hope it proves me wrong. There were references to the Justice Society, Doctor Fate, and the Intergang, which will be in the movie, so we'll see where this goes. Hopefully, Hawkman will appear in the following one-shots for Cyclone, Atom Smasher, and Doctor Fate so we can see where this is going. I really don't want to pay $18 for three digital issues that may or may not have Hawkman in them, but DC has left me so starved for Hawkman, I guess I'll have to. 

   2. Hawkman

   I think Cavan Scott gets Hawkman. I love it when Hawkman says things like, "The sky is MINE." Hawkman is the premier aerial fighter in the DC Universe, so I enjoy seeing any kind of reference to that. We saw the Stonechat Museum in St. Roch, Carter Hall's status as a world-famous archaeologist, his instant costume change with his chest medallion, the mention of the Nth Metal keeping him warm, his metal control of his mace, and the strange ability of the Nth metal to affect ghosts or spirits. Hawkman is referred to as the leader of the Justice Society and he appears to have some sort of friendship with Kent Nelson aka Doctor Fate. I'm really looking forward to seeing the two heroes interact with each other in the movie, so this seemed to set that up a teeny tiny bit. The only thing that seemed off was Carter's disinterest in the exhibition at the museum. He has a deep love for history and no one knows history more than Carter ("living historical document of the universe") so I would think he would love being at such a rare event. Since the beginning of Venditti's run, Hawkman's desire to avoid killing and save as many lives as he can was also apparent. In the movie trailer, Hawkman says, “In this world, there are heroes and there are villains. Heroes don't kill people." This story seems to be trying to set up that line of thinking as well. Overall, I enjoyed this Hawkman. I want more. 

   3. Jim Craddock (Gentleman Ghost)

   The Gentleman Ghost is my favorite Hawkman villain, so I'm glad to see him make an appearance, although he seems to be one-and-done in this issue. I would love to see a Hawkman movie with the Gentleman Ghost, Shadow Thief, and Lion Mane teaming up to bring down Hawkman. GG can be an absolutely terrifying villain if done right, and I hope he comes back in a future story with a more classic look and better control of his powers. 

   4. Giant Hawk

   The giant Hawk creature reminded me of the Hawk avatar from the 90s series, so the story left me wondering if there is some sort of connection there. A reference to a Destroyer reminded me of Venditti's Lord of the Void. I wonder if this universe's LotV is still planning to take over the universe. The reference to Hawkman being the death of his plans could be a setup for a future Hawkman/Hawkwoman movie. That would be really, really cool. 

   5. The Art

   Scot Eaton has done a Hawkman issue in the past (Hawkman Vol. 4 No. 19, November 2003, a Hawkman-Black Adam confrontation story no less) and he didn't let us down here. Yes, this Hawkman looks completely different and it takes some getting used to, but there's no denying that Eaton draws a great Hawkman. Norm Rapmund (his 6th Hawkman issue if I remember correctly) is also great for the character. I always judge a character by his wings, and Eaton-Rapmund do it very well. Andrew Dalhouse's colors were good. This Hawkman has a lot of red, and that could have been distracting, but Dalhouse toned it down a bit, which was a plus. I don't really care for Hawkman's wings being red and gold, but maybe it'll grow on me. My only complaint would be the lettering. The Gentleman Ghost's lines were very hard to read. It was completely different, but it reminded me of that awful Batman Who Laugh's red on black. There's gotta be a way to do ghost-talk without making it a chore to read. 

   6. Summary

   I enjoyed the issue more than I thought I would and the references connecting Hawkman to past versions made me smile. Hawkman has a rich history and any time the writer connects us to that past is a good thing. Without that, this Hawkman would have been a completely new and unfamiliar character, leaving us old-timers with no reason to want to follow this version any further. But I think Scott captured the essence of the hero very well. I wish DC would give him a Hawkman/Hawkwoman series instead of a one-shot or mini-run. I think he could do amazing things with the character. 

   Did this comic give me hope for the movie? I will admit I have more interest in the movie now than before I read it. So I guess it's mission accomplished. 

Rating 8/10

Black Reign (JSA/Hawkman 2004)

 In 2004, Geoff Johns wrote a six-issue story that crossover over in the JSA and Hawkman series. It told the story of how Black Adam took over Khandaq and how the Justice Society went to stop him. It was one of the highlights of both series. The upcoming Black Adam movie (July 2022) will probably take its main storyline from this series. It's a fantastic story that is well worth picking up. You can find the collection of the six issues in the JSA #8 trade paperback. Another official Black Reign trade is scheduled to come out in June. Definitely worth picking up!

#1 JSA No. 56	#3 JSA No. 57	#5 JSA No. 58
#2 Hawkman No. 23	#4 Hawkman No. 24	#6 Hawkman No. 25

Hawkgirl Out of the Black Adam Movie

Art by Arthur Adams

Sad news. We got news from Dwayne Johnson The Rock himself that Hawkgirl has been dropped from the roster for the Black Adam movie. This is incredibly disappointing news as many fans were looking forward to seeing the Hawks together on the silver screen at last. It's not happening this time, but I hope we get to see Hawkman and Hawkwoman flying across the silver screen together someday. Preferably within my lifetime.
Article: 'BLACK ADAM' FORCED TO DROP HAWKGIRL

Hawkman Officially Confirmed for Black Adam

Dwayne Johnson confirms Hawkman for the upcoming Black Adam movie. It's scheduled to be released in December 2021.

Who will be cast as Hawkman in the Black Adam movie?

The Black Adam starring Dwayne Johnson aka The Rock is still scheduled to be released in December 2021. Very little news and a whole lot of rumors have been flying around about the movie for years. As the production schedule gets closer, there is a lot of speculation about who will play Hawkman. Hawkman has never appeared on the big screen, so there is a lot of excitement among fans about who will be announced. Many fan sites have made their predictions about who is going to be the first to bring the Winged Wonder to the silver screen. Below are some of the predictions and links to the sites. Who do you want to be cast as Hawkman?

Hawkworld (Tim Board)
Hawkman: Alexander Skarsgard
My own personal choice for Hawkman has been Skarsgard for a few years now. He would be perfect casting in my opinion.

Hawkman and Black Adam: Egyptian Connection

Art by Alex Ross

Back in March 2019, we received the surprising news that the upcoming Black Adam movie starring Dwayne Johnson aka The Rock will feature Hawkman, Stargirl, and Atom Smasher. That news was confirmed by The Rock himself during the end of August and again in November, saying the movie would start production in 2020, and that it would definitely feature Hawkman. The casting has not been announced yet, but it has been rumored that The Rock is looking for someone who is in his 30s and with the physique that can go toe-to-toe with Black Adam. Until they announce an actor for the part, it's all just rumors and speculation, but let's take a look at the interesting relationship these two DC Comics characters have with each other.