Death of Hawkman #1
Written by Marc Andreyko
Art by Aaron Lopestri
Published by DC Comics
Death of Hawkman #1 is a much needed reminder of how great a character Adam Strange is. He's a pulp science fiction character straight out of the 1950s, literally. He was created a full year before Robert Heinlen had Starship Troopers published Dec 1959. He even has an energy blast gun. He's kept his goofy suit that everyone in the fifties thought swashbuckling science heroes should wear. And the best thing about him is that he's not even a hero on Earth. He's only a superhero when he travels to Rann, a distant planet where his wife is an important government official.
Issue #1 starts in the present and flashes back to reveal how Adam Strange arrived in a war-torn Rann on the run alongside a badly wounded Hawkman. We are left with more mystery than answers, but it works well in this story. Adam starts out confused and the devastation of Rann's capitol doesn't it easier for him to find answers. Writer Marc Andreyko gets to have some fun by pairing two very different straight men. Hawkman is stoic and tough. Adam Strange is the science geek overreactor. Most stories can only get away with having one of these guys, but Andreyko makes the unlikely pairing charming.
By the end of the issue, all we really know is that it look like Thanagar attacked Rann and both Hawkman and Strange want to stop the war from getting out of hand while they help those in need. Andreyko doesn't try to connect the dots for us yet. We are still in the exposition phase and this issue doesn't try to cram in too much.
Aaron Lopestri does fine work throughout the issue. He illustrates an exceptional sequence near the beginning that bounced between the past and present of Adam Strange's life. It starts with a close up of his eyes behind his visor and slowly backs away to reveal more and more of Strange's surroundings at different points in his life.
So far, Andreyko and Lopestri have managed to keep the story light, despite the grim circumstances of our heroes. It's a balancing act that doesn't falter once in the first issue. I look forward to seeing more adventures of Adam Strange and Hawkman...well, for as long as Hawkman survives.
Art by Aaron Lopestri
Published by DC Comics
Death of Hawkman #1 is a much needed reminder of how great a character Adam Strange is. He's a pulp science fiction character straight out of the 1950s, literally. He was created a full year before Robert Heinlen had Starship Troopers published Dec 1959. He even has an energy blast gun. He's kept his goofy suit that everyone in the fifties thought swashbuckling science heroes should wear. And the best thing about him is that he's not even a hero on Earth. He's only a superhero when he travels to Rann, a distant planet where his wife is an important government official.
Issue #1 starts in the present and flashes back to reveal how Adam Strange arrived in a war-torn Rann on the run alongside a badly wounded Hawkman. We are left with more mystery than answers, but it works well in this story. Adam starts out confused and the devastation of Rann's capitol doesn't it easier for him to find answers. Writer Marc Andreyko gets to have some fun by pairing two very different straight men. Hawkman is stoic and tough. Adam Strange is the science geek overreactor. Most stories can only get away with having one of these guys, but Andreyko makes the unlikely pairing charming.
By the end of the issue, all we really know is that it look like Thanagar attacked Rann and both Hawkman and Strange want to stop the war from getting out of hand while they help those in need. Andreyko doesn't try to connect the dots for us yet. We are still in the exposition phase and this issue doesn't try to cram in too much.
Aaron Lopestri does fine work throughout the issue. He illustrates an exceptional sequence near the beginning that bounced between the past and present of Adam Strange's life. It starts with a close up of his eyes behind his visor and slowly backs away to reveal more and more of Strange's surroundings at different points in his life.
So far, Andreyko and Lopestri have managed to keep the story light, despite the grim circumstances of our heroes. It's a balancing act that doesn't falter once in the first issue. I look forward to seeing more adventures of Adam Strange and Hawkman...well, for as long as Hawkman survives.
A Look Inside
