Review – Black Adam The Justice Society Files – Hawkman #1: The Age of Heroes

Black Adam: The Justice Society Files – Hawkman #1 – Cavan Scott, Bryan Q. Miller, Writers; Scot Eaton/Norm Rapmund, Marco Santucci, Artists; Andrew Dalhouse, Michael Atiyeh, Colorists

Ray – 8.5/10

Ray: Setting up the upcoming movie, this series of one-shots will not only introduce the Justice Society in interlocking stories, but will also provide vital backstory to Black Adam and his supporting cast. Written by Cavan Scott on the JSA segments and former Batgirl writer Bryan Q. Miller on the Khandaq segments, we kick things off with a Hawkman issue that wastes no time setting the stage for a dramatic battle. Aside from his new skin color (thanks to being cast with the talented Aldis Hodge in the movie) this is the classic Hawkman—archaeologist and superhero, while carrying the weight of countless lifetimes and memories. And he’s not alone—he’s bringing one of the most iconic JSA villains with him.

When Benjamin Craddock enters the fray, he’s just a common “gentleman thief” robbing the museum where Carter Hall works for his bosses in Intergang. But when things go south and Craddock winds up dead, he becomes a pawn in the power play of some sinister demons who return him to earth as a vengeful phantom. This plunges Carter into something rather like a horror movie, as Craddock creates twisted visions of a dark future that pulls in some other Justice Society members. While I thought these would mostly be one-shots, this ends on a cliffhanger that leads into the Cyclone issue. It takes a bit to figure out where all this fits into the world of previous DC movies, but I’m definitely interested in seeing more of these characters.

The backup starts with a segment where Teth-Adam and his son witness the brutal reality of life in ancient Khandaq, but it soon flashes forward to focus on successful professor and single mother Adrianna Tomaz—aka the future Isis. Intergang seems like it might be the greater-scope villain of the movie, as they show up here as well trafficking in stolen goods from Khandaq. She seems like an intriguing, likable character, and this backup also does its job in getting us excited for the launch of a new DC franchise.

To find reviews of all the DC issues, visit DC This Week.

GeekDad received this comic for review purposes.