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 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 Ultimate List of All Hawkman Comics!

Looking for Hawkman Comics?
Here are the three lists: Updated (March 12, 2021)
1. List of all comics important to Hawkman and Hawkwoman/Hawkgirl's history (includes other series)
2. List of only Hawkman series (Legacy Numbering)
3. List of all Hawkman trades, collections, and omnibuses (Includes content and in order of release dates)

Hawk Sketch Cards by Doug Zawisza

 During the month of January and February, Doug Zawisza did some awesome sketch cards of many of the characters, including Hawkman and Hawkwoman as well as their friends and enemies! They were so good that I collected them! I was lucky enough to receive four of these a few years ago when Doug sent me some Hawk figures from the States. 
Also, if you have never picked up "Hawkman Companion" by Doug, you're missing out on a great record of Hawkman and Hawkwoman history! This book is a must for any Hawkfan! I'll post links below for you to order your copy. Enjoy! 

Hawkman Companion (2008) by Doug Zawisza 

Links to order! 
Goodreads  
Amazon 

Check out Doug's Twitter account for sketches of many more heroes and characters! You might find your favorite! 

Beautiful Art from "DC Love is a Battlefield"

DC Comics put out a Valentine's Day special on February 9th called "DC Love is a battlefield." It had eight-page features of ten couples. Jose Luis, Jonas Trindade, and Rex Lokus gave us a beautiful shot of Hawkman (Carter Hal) and Hawkwoman (Shayera Hol) in the last panel of the story. 

I wanted a version without the panels and words, so I clipped the hawks out of the art to make a png file. I then add a new background of a blue sky. I had to look around for a while to find a png file of a sun to set behind their wings that would match the color of the rays on their wings. I also had to patch up a hole in Hawkman's left wing. I clipped a part of his right wing and added it to the left wing. I also added Hawkman and Hawkwoman logos. Pretty happy with the end result! 

The Hawkman Vol. V Trade Paperbacks

The complete set of the trade paperbacks of Hawkman Vol. V by Robert Venditti is now out! One of the best Hawkman series came to an end last November. This series has consistently been reviewed as one of the best series DC Comics has put out in recent years. Even if you know nothing about Hawkman, you will be able to dive right in and enjoy the series. From the amazing new origin by Venditti and the art of Bryan Hitch to the beautiful ending and art of Fernando Pasarin, you won't be able to put it down. There are four volumes in all:

Vol. 1 Awakening: Issues 1-6 (Released June 2019)

Vol. 2 Deathbringer: Issues 7-12 (Released December 2019) 

Vol. 3 Darkness Rising: Issues 13-18 (Released June 2020)

Vol. 4 Hawks Eternal: Issues 19-29 (Released February 2021) 

Here are three places to order the comic:

Altered Ego Comics: If you want to support a great comic book store, contact the guys here. They will go the extra mile to make sure you get your comics. They helped me send out over 60 comics to the winners of Hawkworld's giveaway contests during the Hawkman Vol. V run, and there was not a single complaint. These guys are good! Click their name to go to their website.

Or if you just want to go the Amazon route, I would suggest going to Goodreads instead. 

If you have any questions about the books or how to order, please comment below and I'll be glad to help where I can! Enjoy! 

Board Review: Love is a Battlefield: Together Forever

Love is a Battlefield
Together Forever
Writer: Cavan Scott 
Pencils: Jose Luis 
Inks: Jonas Trindade 
Colors: Rex Locus 
Letters: Carlos M. Mangual
Editor: Michael McCalister 
Cover: Kaare Andrews 

The Hawkman series ended three months ago, but we got a nice surprise in this year's Valentine's Day issue. 

Tim Board's Hawkworld Gallery

 

Since I first started following Hawkman in 1977, I've gradually built up my collection of Hawkman and Hawkwoman comics, art, trades, figures, and other items. I've especially worked on building up my art collection in recent years. Here is a list of the items I have displayed in my collection. 

Five Years of Hawkworld

The first group head photo of Hawkworld / Art by Joe Prado

Five years ago, on January 15, 2016, I started the Hawkworld group on Facebook and the Hawkworld account on Twitter. It was just on a whim, to be honest. I had been bouncing around between groups and sites, looking for Hawkman, and it suddenly dawned on me to just start my own group. I had a bunch of ideas and things I wanted to do, and I didn't want to invade someone else's group, so I started Hawkman Winged Warrior.

Hawkworld 5th Anniversary Comic Giveaway!

Hawkworld is celebrating our anniversary on January 15th! To celebrate,
Altered Ego Comics is joining with me to offer a free copy of Hawkworld Vol. 4 (out on Feb. 9)! Just hop over to Hawkworld on Twitter and retweet this tweet to enter! I'll select a random winner on Jan. 15th!

The last trade of the series by Robert Venditti includes issues #20-29. 

Go check out Altered Ego Comics! They are based in Orange Park, Florida, but they mail comics to anyone who requests it! I have to tell you that they've been helping me for the last three years and they always go the extra mile for their customers!