Board Review of Metal No. 5: Maces, Magic Lassos, Martians and Madness

By Tim Board

Since the Metal saga began last summer, Scott Snyder’s “rock and roll” restructuring of the DC Universe has been building up to a crescendo. With only two more issues left in the series, I felt that issue No. 5 would be the one where it would reach its highest hope-devouring note and it feels like that is exactly what we got. So many things happened, and we had to run through it so fast, it left me wishing that this was a 12-issue bi-weekly. But if I got my wish, I imagine Greg Capullo and Jonathan Glapion might want to strangle me.

We open up the issue to find Barbatos perched on his pole, with dragons flying around. Not just dragons, but Joker dragons! I didn’t think much of it at first, because with seven evil Batman-things and Batmanium in the story, one gets used to such things.

Hawkman and Batman: Two Iconic Heroes Together

Over the last 78 years, Hawkman and Batman have been two of the most iconic superheroes in comics. Batman obviously has become the standard bearer of DC Comics, while Hawkman has been regulated to 2nd or 3rd tier status in recent years. Regardless, the Metal event has been a series to get all the Batman you could ever want, and it may also be the turning point for bringing Hawkman back to the forefront. I put together 13 of the times that the heroes were together in art or comics and the 13th dimension comic site put the article out with all the pictures so go check it out!
Link: Winging It: 13 Great Batman and Hawkman Moments

Unadorned Cover Art for Action Comics #588 by John Byrne

Tom Ziuko, one of the top colorists in comics, sent our Facebook group a picture of Action Comics No. 588 by John Byrne! 

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY TO HAWKWORLD! In light of this special occasion, here's something I'm sure that no one has seen before, at least not like this. As the colorist on the Superman books when John Byrne took over the franchise, I would always try to get a hold of the covers in the production department before the logos and any copy had been added. This is the unadorned cover art for Action Comics #588, featuring the Man Of Steel along with everyone's favorite Thanagarians. Kirby says: "Don't ask - just ENJOY!" 

Many thanks to Tom Ziuko for an awesome surprise! 

New Hawkman and Hawkgirl Figures by Funko!

Funko has released a new DC Comics figure series called HeroWorld, available only at the Target stores in America. Hawkman and Hawkgirl are included in the series, packaged together for $25 (listed price). For some reason, in all of the promotional pictures, Hawkman is wearing green shorts only, looking kind of odd, but in the actual figures at the stores, his costume is as it should be. Had to screw Hawkman up somehow I guess. Any way, this looks like a great addition for those who are collecting Hawkman and Hawkgirl figures! 

Hawkman wearing the wrong pants in the promotion pic. 

Hawkworld Anniversary Article by Doug Zawisza

Hawkman.

Geez. What can I say about the guy that I haven’t already said? I mean I wrote (most of ) the Hawkman Companion, an article for Back Issue magazine, and a Comic Love post for Comicosity on Hawkman and Hawkwoman (Hawkgirl). There can’t be that much more to say, can there?

Except there is.

I could rage about how Hawkman and Hawkwoman have been short-changed and neglected (the only characters that haven’t been celebrated with “A Celebration of 75 Years...” book, despite debuting in the same issue as the Flash, having more solo adventures than the Joker, and going toe-to-philosophical-toe with Green Arrow) or how their adventures seem to get undercut by events (the promise at the end of Brightest Day never materialized, but had super-strong emotional potential) but I don’t want to wallow. I want to celebrate.