Writer: Walter Simonson
Pencilers: Howard Chaykin
Cover Artist: Howard Chaykin
Publisher: DC Comics
Publication Date:May 2006

When I first saw the announcement that Walt Simonson and Howard Chaykin would be taking over the reigns of Hawkgirl for DC’s One Year Later series relaunch, I was admittedly quite geeked. Simonson was responsible for some of the best runs on several Marvel titles back in the 80’s and 90’s, most notably Thor and Fantastic Four, and it had been quite a long time since he had done a regular, monthly comic. And when combined with Chaykin doing full pencils and inks, I expected a great deal out of what is supposed to be a long run on one of DC’s younger titles. Well, needless to say, after only the first issue, I’m regretting my high expectations because Hawkgirl #50 leaves a lot to be desired, both from a writing and artistic perspective.

DC went through a lot of trouble to clean up Hawkman’s continuity when Geoff Johns brought him back in JSA several years ago. Since then, Hawkman (and Hawkgirl) had been spun off into their own ongoing series. So, when I saw that Hawkgirl would be flying solo come issue 50, I questioned DC’s reasoning. Okay, so Carter Hall is missing after the events of Infinite Crisis, and Kendra Saunders has been on her own for a year, presumably establishing herself as a hero and a woman. I’ve no problem with this, but why did it have to happen because Hawkman went missing?

The first issue of the redubbed Hawkgirl opens with Kendra fighting off a horde of winged skeletons, only to be saved by Hawkman. Of course, this is only a dream, and it also happens to be the only time you’ll see Kendra in costume in the whole issue. You’d barely have known you were reading Hawkgirl from the lack of any real superheroics. It seemed to me that most of the issue was spent with Kendra trying to escape a series of strange events that keep befalling her. I realize this is part of the mystery Simonson is trying to build, but it’s really left me in the dark.

As for the art, while I’ve never been a big fan of Chaykin’s style, I once again must admit I expected more. His renderings of Hawkgirl and Hawkman are just okay, and his style just doesn’t seem a good fit for a title who has counted Rags Morales and Chris Batista among its past artists. Chaykin’s style just isn’t “heroic” enough. It’s too bad that the Kubert brothers are tied up with other DC books because it would have been a treat to see one of them providing the art for a title Joe Kubert drew back in the Silver Age.

I’ve never been a big fan of “reboots”, and even something like “One Year Later” which is less of a reboot and more of a restart makes me queasy. It may help some books, but Hawkgirl isn’t one of them

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Topics: DC Comics, Hawkgirl, Howard Chaykin, Walter Simonson