Just finished reading it. Really solid start. I think it checks off all of the boxes that Hawkman fans have been longing for for a long time now, with the possible exception of prominently featuring Hawkgirl as well (not that I was expecting that here anyway, though).
Just a short-list of what I'm talking about:
- Hawkman's established as an explorer and adventurer, both on the panel and in his words.
- He has a respect and admiration for history and life that would likely come to one with his pedigree and experience.
- He's shown to be a capable warrior, hesitant to enter a skirmish but all-in once the decision is made.
- He's as thoughtful and analytical outside of battle as he's ever been shown as being. This rendition of Carter is by no means a "Savage" or the Injustice caricature thug that's been pushed off on readers in recent years.
- A nice Silver Age nod in the form of the issue's one-off antagonist.
- Finally--and this is the big one, I think--his past lives, both those of fictional character Carter Hall of that of comic book character Hawkman, are all being folded in to one, it looks like.
On that last one: in other words, Carter and Katar are one in the same, the former's past lives spanning not just time, as the book itself reads, but also space. And how this cycle began and the impending doom it seems to spell for Earth is going to be the thrust of this first arc apparently.
So yeah, I really enjoyed it. I feel like this could, could be the spark that Hawkman's been waiting for as a character since Gray and Palmiotti finished their run with the character. It really felt like the start to a triple-A book to me; like Bendis's run on Daredevil, for example. Venditti clearly did his homework coming in; he figured out who Hawkman is and what he needs to be successful, and he wrapped all that cachet and mystique up in an entertaining story that finally moves the narrative forward.
Also, a note on Hitch's art: while it didn't completely blow me away, I thought it worked very well for the issue, especially during the back-half featuring Xanadu. I also enjoyed his commentary in the DC Nation this week, speaking about Hawkman's likely approach to battle and how that insight shaped Hitch's approach to drawing the character. I believe it's further proof that Venditti and Hitch both have a great handle on Hawkman.
Anyhoo, it's great. Highly recommended for fans and newcomers alike. It's not just a good start to a new Hawkman series, but a darn good issue in general.