Explain why you like Hawkman

[Strict31]

No, I'm not asking you to convince me to like the character. To me, he's always been a dude with a wing harness who punches people. I never liked him in Superfriends, i never liked him in JLA, and I never liked him in JSA. The first time i thought he was even slightly cool as a character was in the recent JSA relaunch.

So, I'm not asking anyone to change my mind. I just want to know your opinions on why you think he's cool. I wanna know what merits you think he brings to the table...power-wise, character-wise, whatever-wise.

[loupgaroukid]

For me it is purely visual- the wings and that fierce hawk's head cowl. The mace is a nice touch too.:cool:
Lately, a fun diversion of mine is to try and straighten out Hawkman's continuity and construct a cohesive back-story for him...good thing I have plenty of Tylenol on hand...

[cncoyle]

BIG.
F*CKING.
MACE.

http://www.monitorduty.com/mdarchives/HawkmanReturnSmall.jpg

What else needs explaining? :confused:

[BatWolverine]

...good thing I have plenty of Tylenol on hand...
I mailed all my Tylenol to Kitchener, Ontario...

...then again, I never cared any for ChickenHawkman in the first place.

[SouthtownKid]

Coolest looking mask in comic book history. I'm a fan of the Golden Age version mask, also. And the wings are a cool visual... just ask Alex Raymond, who the idea was ripped off from. Combine those elements with the distinctive Joe Kubert inking that I always associate with the character, and you can't go wrong.

I also like the space cop angle of the Katar/Shayera version, although nothing really compelling was done with it (imo) until the Truman series.

[cncoyle]

Lately, a fun diversion of mine is to try and straighten out Hawkman's continuity and construct a cohesive back-story for him...good thing I have plenty of Tylenol on hand...Y'know, I <3 Geoff Johns's work (well, about 75-80% of it), but I don't understand how he gets a "Get Out of Jail Free" card about Hawkman's muddled continuity. His fanatics claim how GJ cleaned up Hawkman's mess and made it work, when all I read in that particular story was Hawkman appearing out of some smoke/mist, with some reincarnation jargon that everything that happened before did happen, but no longer applies... WHA?!:confused: How did Shayera/Hawkwoman get separated from the Zero Hour merged Hawkman? And somebody explain to me where Carter Hall ends (esp. with the Ragnarok/Last Days of the JSoA battle) and Katar Hol beings.

Face it, Johns didn't clean up Hawkman's mess, he just swept it under a beautiful new rug.:p

[md62]

Looks cool - action oriented - fierce fighter - one of the Golden Age greats - use of ancient weapons.

[loupgaroukid]

I mailed all my Tylenol to Kitchener, Ontario...

Appreciated BW, though these days I spend more time wondering why Kendra's Bra VS the Space Vagine didn't sell better...too subtle maybe?:p

[BatWolverine]

Appreciated BW, though these days I spend more time wondering why Kendra's Bra VS the Space Vagine didn't sell better...too subtle maybe?:p
Two words...HOWARD CHAYKIN. :eek:

[CYOTI]

How did Shayera/Hawkwoman get separated from the Zero Hour merged Hawkman? The Zero Hour Hawkman died.

And somebody explain to me where Carter Hall ends (esp. with the Ragnarok/Last Days of the JSoA battle) and Katar Hol beings. Hawkworld is where Katar begins

[SouthtownKid]

Face it, Johns didn't clean up Hawkman's mess, he just swept it under a beautiful new rug.:pHe cleaned it up enough so that the character was usable again -- and that is saying a lot. But yeah, the seams on the fix do show. Don't pull on any loose threads.

[BubbaKanoosh]

Toronto > Kitchener.

for the simple fact I am from T.O.

[loupgaroukid]

Y'know, I <3 Geoff Johns's work (well, about 75-80% of it), but I don't understand how he gets a "Get Out of Jail Free" card about Hawkman's muddled continuity. His fanatics claim how GJ cleaned up Hawkman's mess and made it work, when all I read in that particular story was Hawkman appearing out of some smoke/mist, with some reincarnation jargon that everything that happened before did happen, but no longer applies... WHA?!:confused: How did Shayera/Hawkwoman get separated from the Zero Hour merged Hawkman? And somebody explain to me where Carter Hall ends (esp. with the Ragnarok/Last Days of the JSoA battle) and Katar Hol beings.

Face it, Johns didn't clean up Hawkman's mess, he just swept it under a beautiful new rug.:p

QFT.
I guess when you have enough stroke you can bring back whatever character you want, regardless of how muddled they are, without needing to explain it. I never liked the re-incarnated angle, and appreciate the differences between Carter and Katar. Hawkworld is too good to be retconned.

[BatWolverine]

Toronto > Kitchener.

for the simple fact I am from T.O.
Where in To...n' where are u currently/nowadaze?

[cncoyle]

The Zero Hour Hawkman died.When? He was alive at the end of Justice League of America--the series just before JLA by Morrison/Porter. IIRC, his own series had been cancelled either prior to or at least while he was on that team (with Wonder Woman, Flash, Blue Devil, Nuklon, Obsidian, etc.)
Hawkworld is where Katar beginsI haven't read Hawkworld, but how does it tie in to post-Crisis history? Was Carter Hall still alive while Katar Hol was a member of the satellite-era JLA or even the Giffen/DeMatteis Justice League? If they're reincarnations of the same soul, how can they co-exist at the same time? If Carter Hall died right after the McCarthy era, is there enough time for Katar to have been born on Thanagar and come to Earth?

(I'm not trying to be daft, but it's just so confusing. This is why the multiverse was so much easier for some characters like Hawkman.)

[Wright Blan]

Y'know, I <3 Geoff Johns's work (well, about 75-80% of it), but I don't understand how he gets a "Get Out of Jail Free" card about Hawkman's muddled continuity. His fanatics claim how GJ cleaned up Hawkman's mess and made it work, when all I read in that particular story was Hawkman appearing out of some smoke/mist, with some reincarnation jargon that everything that happened before did happen, but no longer applies... WHA?!:confused: How did Shayera/Hawkwoman get separated from the Zero Hour merged Hawkman? And somebody explain to me where Carter Hall ends (esp. with the Ragnarok/Last Days of the JSoA battle) and Katar Hol beings.

Face it, Johns didn't clean up Hawkman's mess, he just swept it under a beautiful new rug.:p

Well, first off, it wasn't Shayera/Hawkwoman who was merged with ZH-Hawkman, it was Shiera Hall/Hawkgirl. When Hawkman "died" Shiera's soul was transfered (for lack of a better term) into the dying body of Kendra Saunders, the current Hawkgirl.

[cncoyle]

I never liked the re-incarnated angle, and appreciate the differences between Carter and Katar. Hawkworld is too good to be retconned.Although it weakened Hawkman's status, I think (like most things DCU) it was handled best on Justice League Unlimited. Their solution was the best of both worlds. We had the Thanagarian connection with Shayera and the Egyptian/reincarnation connection with Hawkman.

It's too bad that DC is backing the wrong horse--um, bird in Kendra. Shayera is so much more interesting.

[loupgaroukid]

If I remember correctly, the Hawks that appear at the beginning on the Giffen/DeMatteis JL (the issues in the 20's when they go to Apokolips) had to be explained away as a 3rd set (!!!) because the post-Crisis, Hawkworld Katar was not on Earth at that time.

[sexyjesus]

He's the second hardest badass in comics.

Right after Wildcat.

[AgentSaint]

Mace+Nazi Face=Awesome.

[md62]

1. I love alot of Dan Jurgens work but Zero Hour really "fried my bacon". It ruined the JSA for years. Although I think it was DC editorial that wanted it done. The deaths of the Atom, Hourman & the merging of all the Hawk characters ticked me off.

2. I always preferred the GA version (Carter) of Hawkman over the SA version (Katar).

[Wright Blan]

When? He was alive at the end of Justice League of America--the series just before JLA by Morrison/Porter. IIRC, his own series had been cancelled either prior to or at least while he was on that team (with Wonder Woman, Flash, Blue Devil, Nuklon, Obsidian, etc.)
I haven't read Hawkworld, but how does it tie in to post-Crisis history? Was Carter Hall still alive while Katar Hol was a member of the satellite-era JLA or even the Giffen/DeMatteis Justice League? If they're reincarnations of the same soul, how can they co-exist at the same time? If Carter Hall died right after the McCarthy era, is there enough time for Katar to have been born on Thanagar and come to Earth?

(I'm not trying to be daft, but it's just so confusing. This is why the multiverse was so much easier for some characters like Hawkman.)

Carter was in a DC version of Asgard when Katar Hol's post crisis version came to Earth. He was in a time loop with the majority of the JSA, fighting Raganok over and over again.
The Hawkman from JLI was later retconned by Ostrander as a Thangarrian impersonating Carter Hall's son (but not Hector Hall) before the Invasion event.

So, have I made you head explode yet? :D :p

[cncoyle]

Carter was in a DC version of Asgard when Katar Hol's post crisis version came to Earth. He was in a time loop with the majority of the JSA, fighting Raganok over and over again.
The Hawkman from JLI was later retconned by Ostrander as a Thangarrian impersonating Carter Hall's son (but not Hector Hall) before the Invasion event.

So, have I made you head explode yet? :D :pCan someone tell me how alternate/parallel universes (different versions existing on different worlds at different vibrational frequencies) are supposedly much more complex than what was posted above?!:eek: :confused: :p

[BubbaKanoosh]

Where in To...n' where are u currently/nowadaze?


I live in the east end, Scarborough, but I work downtown:)

[BubbaKanoosh]

Can someone tell me how alternate/parallel universes (different versions existing on different worlds at different vibrational frequencies) are supposedly much more complex than what was posted above?!:eek: :confused: :p


Texan was trying to explain to me all this Hawkman/girl/woman stuff last night..

my one eye is still crossed at all the info.

[Tomorrow Man]

Hawkman exudes flavor. I personally think he's DC's Wolverine but much cooler (from me that's saying a lot because I think Wolverine is great): animal theme, tough guy attitude that is willing to kill, brawler with sharp weapons, older and wiser than he appears and with over a lifetime of battle experience, healing factor, and heightened senses. Pre-Geoff Johns I thought Hawkman was only an averagely interesting character. Post-Geoff Johns he has quickly become one of my favorite DC characters. He has a terrific character design, and most importantly of all--and this is where I prefer him over Wolverine--Hawkman has a rich mythology behind his character that includes ancient Egypt, the planet Thanagar, his hundreds of lives, and his connection to the JLA and especially JSA.

[cncoyle]

Texan was trying to explain to me all this Hawkman/girl/woman stuff last night..

my one eye is still crossed at all the info.But see, that's where I don't drink the Kool-Aid. Instead, I do what Hawkman would want me to do--I smack that cheap-ass Solo cup right out of your hands, pick up a mace and start swinging! Who cares who did what on which planet in which time period.

He's got wings, a hawk helmet and loves using medieval weapons on bad guys, especially Nazis: THAT is what I like about Hawkman.:cool:

[BatWolverine]

I live in the east end, Scarborough, but I work downtown:)
I am in the West, Mississauga...

...Was in/at Scarborough Town Centre yesterday afternoon.

[neodragzero]

Hawkman is that badass character that you can't help but enjoy see kicking ass. Whether it's in the past Hawkman series or the Nazi beating of the current JSA run, he always seems to be the mace wielding guy that makes it suck to be a villain on the receiving end of mace.:D

[Wright Blan]

Can someone tell me how alternate/parallel universes (different versions existing on different worlds at different vibrational frequencies) are supposedly much more complex than what was posted above?!:eek: :confused: :p

Aw c'mon! My writing can't be that incoherent! :rolleyes:

[BubbaKanoosh]

I am in the West, Mississauga...

...Was in/at Scarborough Town Centre yesterday afternoon.

5 mins from there lol

[BatWolverine]

5 mins from there lol
Whoa. That's even closer than diana_*Grosse Point*_fan. :eek: :p :D

[BubbaKanoosh]

Whoa. That's even closer than diana_*Grosse Point*_fan. :eek: :p :D


scary aint it?:eek:

[BatWolverine]

scary aint it?:eek:
Tell me about it. :eek: :o

[NatePetrelli]

Hey you Canucks up top,Hamilton over here.:D

I just got into Hawkman recently.Johns' work on Endless Flight was superb so far.Looking forward to Allies and Enemies and Wings of Fury.

1.Looks so frigging cool.
2.The mythology and ancient history tied to the character.
3.Use of pretty dangerous weapons.
4.DC's original Badass.

It blows my mind that the guy has been around as long as Bats and Supes and is often unsung.

I hope with the cancellation of Hawkgirl's book,a relaunch is in the forseeable future.

[BatWolverine]

Hey you Canucks up top,Hamilton over here.:D
Hamilton?! An' you can have enough 'visibility' to not only read the posts but actually type a reply!! :eek:

...just wanted to get the obligatory-cliched-tires Ham-SMOG-ilton (effort at a) joke out of the way. :o

[Mundungus]

Isn't Hawkworld and Thanagar the same place?

[Strict31]

Some interesting replies so far. Even the ones about canada...mainly because I've passed through all those places driving up to Toronto many times.

I think the reason I liked hawkman in recent JSA issues was because it was one of the first times I've seen him portrayed as something other than a mouthy d<aaa>ick. He's not just randomly there to kick some asses, he's there to protect lives and he ain't got a whole lotta time for lip-flappin'. He just goes to work to protect a bunch of innocent folks. I can respect that.

Prior to that, I never really liked or hated him until Johns popped him back into the previous run of JSA. I felt he was taking the spotlight away from characters like Sand and Mr. Terrific and even Kendra, mainly for the sake of nostalgia. And I couldn't see how anything Johns did with him made him simpler. It was more like, "Everything you've ever read or forgotten you read happened. Now watch as I bust this mutha f<aaa>ucka with this kick-ass morningstar. Later, I'm gonna screw this fine winged shorty! Behold my hairy chest, fanboys!"

[ouroboros]

You said it yourself - he's conan the barbarian in a wing harness that beats people up. There's something fundamentally cool about that. The JSA is facing an alien invasion...what will Hawkman do? Fly up there and smash someone's head in with his mace.

If the character ever needs a restart, its within reason to turn him into the 'wolverine' of the DCU - especially after GJ 'streamlined' his origin and made him more accessible. He's someone that would be awesome to see REALLY REALLY pissed.

[Captain Cosm]

And I couldn't see how anything Johns did with him made him simpler. It was more like, "Everything you've ever read or forgotten you read happened. Now watch as I bust this mutha f<aaa>ucka with this kick-ass morningstar. Later, I'm gonna screw this fine winged shorty! Behold my hairy chest, fanboys!"

It may not be simpler, but it's damn impressive. :p

But yeah, Hawkman is awesome for the reasons stated above: mace, asskickery, sweet design, and in some respects, the muddled backstory. It gives us fans a whole lot to kvetch about, does it not?

[Tomorrow Man]

Here's a Hawkman related question. Where is the Nth metal on Hawkman? I assumed it was the hawk icon on his chest, but I read from a profile that it's his belt, which is kind of dissappointing because all he has on his belt is a plain old, ordinary looking belt buckle.

[stiltman6969]

Hawkman is awesome because his character really harkens back to another time where you fixed a problem when it needed to be fixed. There is no hemming and hawing in Hawkman's life... there is just smashing with large metal weapons.

I always loved the fact that he had enhanced strength, yet still used medieval weapons to smash. In a comics age of examination, introspection, and pathos... Hawkman was the antithesis.

here is the "history" of Hawkman as i know it, and it seems simple to me... Thanagarians crash on earth in ancient Egypt, where Hawkman and his Lady through the use of Nth Metal from the Thanagarians have a great time (even hanging with Black Adam), killed by evil jerkface and souls tied to Nth Metal. Lovers successively reborn over the years in different people. boom.

[Moonbeam]

No, I'm not asking you to convince me to like the character. To me, he's always been a dude with a wing harness who punches people. I never liked him in Superfriends, i never liked him in JLA, and I never liked him in JSA. The first time i thought he was even slightly cool as a character was in the recent JSA relaunch.

So, I'm not asking anyone to change my mind. I just want to know your opinions on why you think he's cool. I wanna know what merits you think he brings to the table...power-wise, character-wise, whatever-wise.

Hawkman is like Hulk, but with smarts, historical reference, a conscience -- and panache.

Hawkman smash with style.

[Innagroove]

When I was a kid my friends and I would play superheroes and I would always be Hawkman because he was badass and could fly.

[joekelly007]

Hawkman is cool , way cool i mean who amongst us have never dreamed of flying ...with wings no less the guy is like a human pteradactyl !!!!!

I personally prefer the KATAR HOL version cause i'm a science geek, though i love history the sci fi angle was just more freaking cool and believable than the whole re-incarnation stuff.

btw all this stuff about continuity was caused by just three simple words being left off the wonderful HAWKWORLD mini " ten years ago"

I find it hard to believe that DC is being so pig headed about correcting that, but then if POWER GIRL is indeed from EARTH 2 and the JSA as well, so we definitely had TWO HAWKMEN

[BatWolverine]

Hawkman is like Hulk, but with smarts, historical reference, a conscience -- and panache.

Hawkman smash with style.
Yeah but ChickenHawkman just smash...

...while the Hulk, he SMASH!! :mad: :mad: :mad:


:p :D

[SouthtownKid]

Isn't Hawkworld and Thanagar the same place?Yes.

But when people are saying "Hawkworld" in this thread, they are typically referring to the series titled, "Hawkworld", not the place. There was a 3-isssue mini series by Tim Truman, which was to Hawkman as 'Longbow Hunters' was to Green Arrow. It was followed by a regular series written by Ostrander and drawn by Graham Nowlan that ran about 30 issues in the early '90s. Great stuff.

[GCarbone]

Visually he works very well (the mask, the arsenal, the wings).

He is willing to do what is necessary and is willing to get his hands dirty. If you take story of his many reincarnations as cannon, then he has been around for a long time, and knows (or atleast believes) that modern man has not evolved very far from his violent past.
If Superman was the hero at the traditional end of the spectrum and Black Adam was the anti-hero at the other end, Hawkman would be somewhere in the middle. This is one of the reasons why Black Atom approaches him to stand at his side in the beginning of Black Reign.

Originally, he was a policeman, and has very conservative views regarding criminal nature and the role of law enforcement which I think work very well in the DC Universe. To him, the bad guys are bad and deserve a mace in the face and the why does not really matter. Not saying I agree with this but it makes him more interesting and a good contrast with Superman, Green Arrow and even Batman. I think Batman believes in the hope of rehabilitation while Hawkman does not.

Unlike Barry Allen and Zatanna, I don't think he ever really regrets the mind altering of the villians. Again I am not saying I agree with him but he stuck to what he believed in.

Egyptian crossed with spaceman is very cool.

Regarding confusing back history, the best thing that can be done is to put the confusing back history aside, stick to what is interesting about the character and just go forward.

[PA_Kid]

Well for those who struggle with Hawkman continuity, the whole issue can be traced to one thing:

Pre-crisis there was Earth 2 Carter Hall Hawkman and Earth 1 Katar Hol Hawkman. Post Crisis, Katar Hol continued to appear in ancillary books (such as the JLA), but then Hawkworld came out saying that Katar Hol never left Thanagar until he had in Hawkworld.

Basically Hawkworld was the Crisis reboot of Hawkman, but it came out so much later than Crisis that it goofed up anything that appeared between it and Crisis. Everything else has been damage control since then. If you acknowledge that gaff as the gaff it was, it gets easier to understand and accept why Hawkman is so confusing. (I'm doing that from memory, so I appologize if I missed something)

Why do I like Hawkman? As a kid it was simply because he was "the cool flying dude with wings". As an adult, I love the way Geoff Johns reinvented him - a noble savage eternal warrior who mixes ancient and futuristic weapons. Hawkman for me currently keys into the same potential I saw in the Eternal Warrior book from Valiant and the old Highlander tv show. Not only are there great stories to tell about his current life, but there are all of his past lives also. The fated lovers part also speaks to the romantic in me.

As Johns says, there are no bad characters. Personally I think if you got a writer on Hawkman who loved the Indiana Jones archeology and past lives mythology as much as the barbarian aspect, you would have a book that could draw a lot of people in. Not that the savage warrior part is bad, but I think some writers use that as an easy out and write him as a one note character.

[PA_Kid]

btw all this stuff about continuity was caused by just three simple words being left off the wonderful HAWKWORLD mini " ten years ago"


Heh, I never considered that, but you are so right! The problem is that I don't see that fixing things now after the Hawkworld series and the Zero Hour Hawkman series.

I'm guessing that at the time Ostrander wanted to make Hawkman his own and wanted to do it just of the mini, without any of the other baggage - but god would that have been an easy fix. :)

[Batman1983]

When Morrison refers to Batman as a "hairy-chested love-god" hes just refering to a state of being Hawkman invented... BEHOLD!!!

http://images.comicbookresources.com/news/hawkman3_panel1.jpg

But seriously hes too cool for school and kick-arse all at the same time w/ wings no less!

[sirbluenose]

The wings, the mace, the almost psychopathic tendencies, mask, the whole package.

Saying that I don't actually buy Hawkgirl cos it was piss poor from day one