DarkHawk #1 -spoilers and discussion

I wasn’t planning on reading this but hey it’s Kyle Higgins who does a lot of Power Rangers type stories that I genuinely really like so I took a chance on this. I will say the biggest praise I will give this is that it looks good and our main protagonist is sympathetic. I’d like to say more then that but come on it’s a whole new character using an established name in a five issue miniseries. It’s essentially just set up for this new kid Connor Young.

I will say we do get a pretty good dive into his headspace of how a personal tragedy has effected his life and it’s a little somber because he has MS. They really do try to play up the emotional aspect of this kid going through all this.

Then he gets the crystal and turns into an upgraded Darkhawk costume and fights some criminals who mistake him for War Machine (love Rhodey getting a shout out). Of course later we learn that he probably has greater stakes in the crime going on around him, as one of the criminals is actually someone very close to him.

So yeah we got a new Darkhawk, I know that doesn’t sound the most exciting statement but this is just one of those situations where it will all depend on how this whole miniseries plays out.

I really enjoyed it. I thought it did a good job of capturing the spirit of the original really well while establishing itself as an interesting cast of characters in its own right.

I appreciate that Chris Powell will be a part of the story; I have some ideas about how that might play out, so I look forward to seeing his reintroduction.

-Pav, who likes Connor's version of the armor...

I was surprised at how much I liked this issue. It was entertaining, fun, and surprisingly fresh. Yes, there were mentions of ESU, Darkhawk, and War Machine, but honestly the story could have been told outside of the Marvel Universe. It felt stripped down too. A young, well-liked kid who has everything going for him. Only to have the new issue of MS. The scene with him hearing all of those comments as he watches a basketball game was pretty emotional. I'm glad to read that Higgins is getting real input from someone who is currently dealing with the condition.

Of course, there were other elements as well. A new gang committing robberies, Connor's family and friends, all of the elements of a good story are there.

The artwork was great. I was surprised at how much I liked Darkhawk's new design and capabilities. And of course, Higgins says that Chris hasn't been forgotten. That's a good thing. Still, I'd like to see where Connor's story goes.

I'm excited where this story will go. Looking forward to the next issue.