Explain the Appeal ~ Hawkman

[DragonsChi]

This is a thread theme (created by yours truly ) to explain why a certain character appeals to you. This character may be misunderstood by most, considered a joke by others, or just over looked by more popular characters but you still love them anyway!

Here is your chance to explain to others why this character has your interest either through word, feats, pictures or whatever else. Think of it as a character being placed on trial as to why he/she should gain anyone's interest at all.


WHAT THIS IS NOT! This is not a place to bash or vent. This is solely a place to discuss why certain characters history, powers, cast, and overall Mythology appeals to fans. If the character is not all that great say so but do not go out of your way to negatively respond/post to prove whatever point you have. (MODs PLEASE HELP ME WITH THIS)

Todays Character On Trial .....

Hawkman

[Lee Stone]

For me...

Hawkman is one of the lesser-powered heroes that hasn't been given a BatGod complex (at least not yet), which puts him borderline between the pulp heroes of old and the traditional superhero.
And like Adam Strange, he's deeply rooted more in the 'adventure' genre than 'crime-fighter' genre.

And depending on the current background of the character, he either has mythological roots (either Egyptian or American Indian, with a chance for more because of his archeological career), or sci-fi (Thanagarian), or both. Both of which lend a bit of mystique to the character and make him more unique.

He also tends to have some nice visuals (unless it's Liefeld, obviously), with some of his best (for me) being the hirsute Joe Bennett look or the black leather Jan Duursema look.

While Moon Knight often gets recognized as the closest Marvel character to Batman, Hawkman (to me) is the closest DC character to Moon Knight, especially when you refer to the 'Fist of Khonshu' era Moon Knight with the gold accessories and ankh symbol.

I also think that he's a character that would totally fit Mike Grell's style, and it's unfortunate that we've never gotten an ongoing Hawkman series by Grell.

[Jabare]

he has wings

he's always showing off those pecs


and he's usually wielding a cool weapon

[Thor-Ul]

he has wings

he's always showing off those pecs


and he's usually wielding a cool weapon

He has a cool helmet.

'Nuff said.

[phantom1592]

The costume.

Something about that feathered helmet the open chest and the wings just looks so COOL! I think once they start delving too much into the reincarnation and the ultra violence, upping his strength levels and above all 'modernizing' the costume.... I like him less and less. But old school JSA/Satellite era Hawkman… Carter OR Katar, he was always a favorite mid/low tier hero of mine.

[BatmanJones]

When Kubert drew him he probably had the best look of any superhero around. Those pages made him a real bad ass. And like Dr. Fate his costume (mostly helmet) just makes him a bad ass.

I also like him just because he has such deep roots in a mythology I love (two actually: JSA and JLA). And as a kid I freaking loved the GA/Hawkman conflict in JLA. I always preferred Katar and Shayera to Carter/Shiera though I prefer Carter to the mashup version, which is only needlessly confusing. It's like trying to mash up the Ray Palmer and Al Pratt Atoms. It can't be done without a lot of uncomfortable shoehorning. It's also like that in that, why would you want to?

A comic book is only as good as its writer and artist though and while Hitch is always a pleasure Vendetti wasn't the guy to turn a new generation onto a hero with a checkered continuity/popularity. I didn't think anything could make me drop a title about the first 4 earth GL's but Vendetti's run put me to sleep. And his Hawkman #1 didn't much change my opinion. I should have known better than to look forward to this as much as I did.

[Jim Kelly]

Ordinarily, the first stories of a super-hero aren't the best, but in my mind when it comes to Katar Hol and Shayera Thal, the original Gardner Fox/Joe Kubert stories from THE BRAVE AND THE BOLD 34 - 36 & 42 - 44 have never been topped.

[Skedatz]

The appeal is he's a brawny guy with wings, a mask, and a mace who goes around bashing people's faces in while crying for his Hawkwoman.

It takes a pretty self secure guy to do that.

[Captain Craig]

I recently bought the nu52 era trades of Savage Hawkman. The last stretch of Hawkman I read was the Hawkworld in the 90s (Ostrander?). The characters look is iconic and unmistakable. Unfortunately his look is more iconic than the character himself to most, me included. However, that doesn't mean I'm not open to reading up on the character.

DC has just launched a new Hawkman series that hit the shelf yesterday. I've become more of a trade reader these days but I flipped through it on the shelf and the art was good. Madame Xanadu was in there and spot reading it gives the impression this is another series taking a shot and reconciling the zany Hawkman mythology and reincarnation.

HAWKM_Cv1_ds.jpg

[Cap808]

Like many others, I've always liked the visual of 'the big guy with wings'. To me he's iconic in a way that so many other super teams need to have one of these 'winged' guys on the team.

My favorite version of him was when he wore a darker costume and when he was the Hawk Avatar. In my opinion, that world with so many other avatars running around, provided a great ongoing, and one-time threat, type of cast.

[kingaliencracker]

For me, it was actually the screw-up of Hawkman's continuity post-Crisis that made him so appealing to me, as weird as that may be.

I can't remember exactly how I became aware of the screw-up except that I think I was confused by something that came up in a Superman comic like 30 years ago. But when I researched the issue it got me into the character.

[K. Jones]

I like Hawkman a lot but while convolution isn't always a negative and sometimes can become the sort of puzzle box that makes me get really into a character and want to know everything about their backstory, Hawkman's always felt daunting in a way that was ... I dunno ... overblown? Like overblowing his importance in the DCU in general by tying him in to so many other things. It's like it's trying to do too much - tying in the whole resurrection angle, a character that has had all these multiple lives ... with the whole ... you know "savage warrior with bird mask and wings" image.

Getting back to what I truly love about Hawkman though is that image. I love the costume, colors and mask. I think it's some of the purest of DC Pulp. Hawkman so clearly could (and should) be DC's answer to your Flash Gordons and your John Carters of Marses and maybe even your Masters of the Universes. "Superhero Indiana Jones" is also a fine realm to go into, as is all the kind of Egypt meets Space Cultures very very Stargate angle played by the relationship between Khufu and Thanagar. And sure, through in the multiversal, "sourcey" magical energy of the Nth Metal, too. Why not.

Tangentially I think both the Carter/Katar aspects of him are fine, like the supporting roles of the two more or less different Hawkwomen that tend to crop up between Shayera and Kendra (oh god, now there's even an Earth-2 Kendra running around). Mostly because of their looks and personalities.

I never really dug any of the Hawks until Wednesday Comics and Kyle Baker's strip.

[bat39]

I like Hawkman a lot but while convolution isn't always a negative and sometimes can become the sort of puzzle box that makes me get really into a character and want to know everything about their backstory, Hawkman's always felt daunting in a way that was ... I dunno ... overblown? Like overblowing his importance in the DCU in general by tying him in to so many other things. It's like it's trying to do too much - tying in the whole resurrection angle, a character that has had all these multiple lives ... with the whole ... you know "savage warrior with bird mask and wings" image.

I kinda get what you mean. But the Flash and Green Lantern mythos have also been pretty deeply entwined with the DCU in general, so I wouldn't say that 'overblowing' Hawkman's importance is necessarily a bad thing. I mean, he IS one of DC's earliest characters - someone who's been around nearly as long as Superman and Batman, and longer in fact than some of the other stars like Wonder Woman, Aquaman or Green Arrow. So expanding his mythos and tying him in to DC's past makes a lot of sense - especially considering his own backstory.

[nj06]

he has wings

he's always showing off those pecs


and he's usually wielding a cool weapon

Basically this.

[Flash Gordon]

He's an underdog and he's a shirtless, winged, self serious dude- can't go wrong.