Hawkman #29 – Robert Venditti, Writer; Fernando Pasarin, Penciller; Oclair Albert, Inker; Jeromy Cox, Colorist
Ray – 9/10
Ray: It’s the end of the road after a two and a half year run that has revolutionized Hawkman mythology, and after the last issue I was wondering if the final threat wouldn’t live up to the rest of the run. I shouldn’t have worried, because Robert Venditti has always had a solid grasp on the main thrust of this series. Yes, Hath-Set—the ancient Egyptian priest who has reincarnated alongside the Hawks as an ancient enemy—isn’t nearly as compelling as a villain as the Deathbringers and their master were in this run. I think that’s the point. This arc isn’t really about the villain stalking the Hawks, it was about Hawkman’s own fear of death as he grapples with true mortality for the first time in an eon. While the action in the final battle wasn’t all that great compared to some of the stunning set pieces, the script more than made up for it was some compelling moments of heroism for both Carter and Shayera.
And then, once Hath-Set is defeated, this issue really comes into its own. The connection between the Hawks has often been something writers tell rather than show. This is the first time that’s been subverted in a while because for the first time we get to see what happens when Hawkman and Hawkwoman get to turn away from the endless battle and be happy. The decision to leave them in the 1940s surprised me at first, but the story isn’t quite what it appears to be are still going to happen—they’re just apparently going to happen in the future because the story of the Hawks is a long one. Much longer, in fact, than I suspected. Is there an explanation for how these two, on their last lives, live for thousands of years? I don’t think so. I also don’t care, because that final scene of them in the far future is one of the best in the entire series. And people said romance comics were dead.
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GeekDad received this comic for review purposes.
