Who is Hawkman?

Podcast: The Hawkworld Report #001

Finally restarted my Hawkworld Podcast! Here is the very first episode. I'll be answering questions in future podcasts so post your questions about anything concerning Hawkman, Hawkwoman, Hawkgirl, or anything Hawk! I'll do my best to answer them! 

Episode #001: The Hawkworld Report LINK

Contents:
1. Opening
2. Recent Comics
3. Justice League #63
4. Justice Society Comic?
5. Justice Society WWII
6. Black Adam News
7. Taking your questions!

The Basic Foundation of Hawkman

 When I read an article, watch a YouTube video, or chat with someone about Hawkman, there is almost always the comment about how confusing he is. I don't dispute that, because there are different versions. There are the Golden Age Earth-2, Siver Age Earth-1, Hawkworld, Zero Crisis, Savage, and the current versions. They all have different origins and stories. 

When you look at Superman or Batman, the stories are relatively simple. Superman escaped the destruction of Krypton, landed on Earth, was raised by an American couple, and became a reporter for the Daily Planet in Metropolis. Batman saw his parents murdered and swore his life to avenge them and defeat evil by using his wealth and abilities in Gotham. 

Action Comics No. 1, Detective Comics No. 33

So what about Hawkman? There are different versions, and some of them have even coexisted at the same time. DC Comics really botched up a bunch of characters with their endless crisis events and reboots. They seem to try to take care of their first-tier characters, but the other characters are often swept under the rug, leaving their fringe fans wondering what is going on. Hawkman has been rebooted and rewritten several times. The TV versions have always altered his story as well. It's no wonder that everyone is confused. 
But all the versions are just layers of his story. There is a foundation to the character, just like there is for Superman and Batman. When in doubt, always go back to the beginning.

Flash Comics No. 1 (January 1940)

Hawkman first appeared in Flash Comics No. 1. His name is Carter Hall. He is described as a wealthy weapons collector and research scientist. This sets up his knowledge of both weapons and science that he uses in his battles. 

In the very first issue, Carter Hall's reincarnation is brought up. This is what separates Hawkman from all the other heroes and gives us the key to tie everything together. Geoff Johns really began to expand on his reincarnation during the 2000s, and Robert Venditti took it a step further in the most recent series (Hawkman Vol. V, 2018-2021) by how Hawkman had been reincarnating across time and space. 

Reincarnation is the key to understanding Hawkman. All of the versions that we have seen, every last one of them, are connected. The current Carter Hall/Hawkman that we see in the comics today has all the memories and knowledge of the past versions. The Thanagarian version, the Savage version, the Egyptian version, all of them are his past lives. 
Venditti blew the doors open on the reincarnation and past lives of Hawkman. We know now that Hawkman has lived for millions of years, with past lives on Thanagar, Rann, Krypton, the Microverse, the Microverse, Earth-3 and even the Dark Multiverse.

Hawkman Vol. V No. 1 (August 2018)

While there are many versions of Hawkman, there is no need to be confused about who or what he is. Stay with the basic Hawkman's back story of reincarnation. If you try to fit it all together in one nice puzzle, it's not going to work. DC Comics, in all its crazy reboots and ideas, has created a character that is relatively simple and fabulously complicated and deep at the same time. 
The Basics of Hawkman is simply this: 
Hawkman is Carter Hall; an archaeologist and historian who discovered the mysterious Nth metal. The Nth metal gave him his powers of flight, super-strength, super-endurance, regeneration/healing, and many other abilities. As a homage to Horus, the hawk god of the sky, he wears wings and a winged helmet. The Nth metal also triggered the memory of his past lives, revealing his past lives in Egypt, England, the old West, and on Thanagar, Rann, Krypton, New Genesis, and many other planets. Together with his wife/partner Hawkwoman (Shayera Hol), he fights the forces of evil who would take the precious lives of others.

When you see Hawkman, don't look at him as a complicated character who is impossible to understand. There are many chapters and stories and each one is a part of one character; Hawkman. In Hawkman Vol. V No. 8, Hawkman is described as the living historical document of the universe. He has lived through the history of DC Comics. By reading Hawkman, you can discover the history of DC Comics as well. 

Hawkman Vol. V No. 8 (March 2019)

Yes, Hawkman and Hawkwoman are complicated at times. It's not always a perfect fit. But it doesn't need to be. What started in Flash Comics No. 1 way back in 1940 is still continuing. Give Hawkman and Hawkwoman a try. You might be amazed at the intricate and beautiful story of life and love that you will find in these characters. 

Check out my other articles and charts of their history!
Hawkman and Hawkwoman's Timeline
A Guide to All the Versions of Hawkman
A Guide through the History of Hawkman
The Story of Hawkwoman and Hawkgirl
The Ultimate List of All Hawkman Comics

Talking Hawkman on Phillip's Let's Talk Podcast

 I was invited to come on Phillip's Let's Talk Podcast on June 12! We talked about an hour about all things Hawkman so come over and check it out! LINK

Carter Hall Figure

Carter Hall (Hawkman) FigureI took a figure of archaeologist Daniel Jackson of the Stargate series and added a HALL name tag and Hawkman logo. Michael Shanks played this character from 1997 to 2008, and Hawkman in the Smallville series so I thought it was perfect!

Michael Shanks from the Smallville series / Panel from Dark Days The Casting

Two Giants Among Men – Kubert and Anderson (Pop Culture Squad)

 Great article by Ed Catto on two of the greatest artists ever to draw Hawkman: Joe Kubert and Murphy Anderson! Ed gave Hawkworld a mention as well! Check it out! 

Link: With Further Ado #147: Two Giants Among Men – Kubert and Anderson

Hawkman Commission by Timothy Truman

 

Comic Art Fans (Timothy Truman)

A Guide through the History of Hawkman

DC Comics’ Hawkman is a character who has been around for over 80 years. During those 80 years, he has been rewritten, rebooted, and rebirthed. He has been given several different origins and names. He has been the victim of Crisis events, crossovers and tie-in stories. For the casual reader, it’s understandable that his continuity seems confusing, crazy and convoluted. After the Metal series in 2018, Robert Venditti was given the task of writing a new version of Hawkman. Venditti set out to give us a version with a new origin, but he figured out a way to include all the other past versions as well. Every Hawkman you have ever read can be included in his new origin. As a Hawkman fan and self-appointed guide, it’s my hope that comic book fans will pick up Venditti's series and discover what a fascinating hero Hawkman is. To help other fans understand the character as easily and as quickly as possible. I have made a chart to show where all of his past stories interact. To make it as simple as possible, I have divided all of the Hawkman versions into five categories:

New Justice Society Comic!

Art by Bryan Hitch

It was announced on May 25th that there may be a new Justice Society comic coming our way. Details are very sketchy. There was no release date announced. Apparently, Geoff Johns is the writer and Bryan Hitch is the artist. Hawkman appears to be in the lineup but there is no sign of Hawkwoman. More details are coming I assume. I'll add two links to the news below. Stay tuned and Wings crossed! 

CBR: Stargirl Teases a Major DC Team's Return With an Arrowverse Threat
Multiversity Comics: DC Teases New “Stargirl” and “Justice Society” Titles 
Bleeding Cool: DC Teases Justice Society Of America with Geoff Johns and Bryan Hitch 
Comic Watch: Stargirl Spring Break Special #1: People and Things That Went Before

Interesting to see similar titles for the story.
Interesting to see similar titles. Maybe it was intentional?
Hawkman Vol. V No. 1: "What's Past is Prologue"
New Justice Society title: "Past is Prologue"

Hawkman vs Archangel by Ace Continuado

 

Ace Continuado Site

Read Hawkman Comics and Discover the Hero!

Share this with your comic book groups if you can!

If you've never read Hawkman comics, give it a try. Not the team or crossover comics. Too many writers use Hawkman as a plot device, and they fail to go into his character, which is actually pretty fascinating. In his own series, you will find a character who is committed to justice, saving lives, finding the truth, and punishing evil.

Hawkman and Reincarnation

Stop killing Hawkman off in every story. It's no longer dramatic, surprising, emotional, or memorable. It's boring and it is proof that the writer has no idea how to write the character. 

Hawkman and the Hostess Snacks Ads

Anyone remember those ads for Hostess Snacks in DC and other comics? They usually featured one of the heroes overcoming a villain or situation with one of the Hostess Snacks. It was silly but a lot of fun and many comics fans remember them fondly. I read somewhere that there was an agreement that the hero would never be seen actually eating the snack in the ads. Between 1975 and 1981, there were over 350 of these ads. Here are the three that Hawkman appeared in: 

1966 Hawkman Club Official Member Badge

Back in 1966, Button World released a series of pins of the DC and Marvel Superheroes. Hawkman got his own badge as well. The pin is about 3cm wide and features the art of Murphy Anderson. The badge has become a collector's item over the years. You can see them sold anywhere from $10 to over $100. 

Hawkman vs. Hath-Set in DC Superhero Girls

From the episode "The Bird and the Bee." Broadcasted on September 27, 2020. 

Not bad. Better than some of the other stuff we've been given. 

Hawkman by Fabris

 

A Guide to All the Versions of Hawkman

Whenever you read an article or watch a video about Hawkman, one of the first things they say about the character is that he's "confusing" or "convoluted." Granted, Hawkman has been through a few changes, and many of the crisis events or reboots that DC Comics loves so much have left him getting the short end of the stick. But if you have actually read Hawkman comics, you can put the basics together to see how the character got to where he is today. In this article, I will explain the story of each major character that had the name of Hawkman, where you can find them, and where they ended up. 

Hawkman and Hawkwoman by Tom Grummett

 

The History of Hawkman and Hawkwoman by Tim Board

 Here is the history of Hawkman and Hawkwoman/Hawkgirl explained as simply as possible. I've tried to include all of the major events, reboots, changes, and series that the Hawks have experienced since their first appearance in 1940. I've also made an attempt to explain the current Hawkman, Hawkwoman, and Hawkgirl as simply as possible. If you click the link, you can see the chart up close. I hope they help. If you notice something that is wrong or something you think I should include in the chart, feel free to leave it in the comments.
Page 1 LINK     Page 2 LINK     Page 3 LINK     Page 4 LINK

The Story of Shayera Hol/Hawkwoman and Kendra Saunders/Hawkgirl

By Tim Board

Since the release of the Dark Nights Metal series in 2017-18, Hawkfans have been wondering when Hawkman and Hawkgirl were going to get back together. The current Hawkman series kicked off in June 2018, but Hawkgirl was not a part of the series. We saw her in some of her past lives; Chay-ara, Shayera Thal, and Sherra, but we never saw her as Hawkgirl in the first 18 issues. That all changed in issues #19-26. This article is to explain who Hawkgirl and Hawkwoman are and their connection to Hawkman. Warning: This article contains spoilers, so if you have not read Hawkman No. 19-26, check those issues out first!