Blood on the Wings! Hawkgirl & Hawkwoman Appreciation/Discussion Thread '19

[lemonpeace]

I have always had a fascination with Hawkgirl but I have never taken the time to deep dive into the character. So since there wasn't an appreciation thread for the character, I figured why not get info from the Hawkgirl/Hawkwoman fans. I'm looking for cool art, essential reads, her best stories, her worst stories, your favorite panels, what she's currently doing, all that good stuff. Also, what's going on with the Hawks' reincarnation cycle? Last I heard Hawkman changed the origin to some space angels of death or something. What's going on there? Where does that leave Hawkgirl? Discuss, please.

Created by: Gardner Fox (writer) Dennis Neville (artist) Shiera Sanders Hall; Gardner Fox (writer) Joe Kubert (artist) Shayera Hol; David S. Goyer (writer) Stephen Sadowski (artist) Kendra Saunders

First Appearance: Shiera Sanders Hall Flash Comics #1 (January 1940); Shayera Hol The Brave and the Bold #34 (March 1961); Kendra Saunders JSA: Secret Files and Origins #1 (August 1999).

Powers: Hawkgirl and Hawkman have been trapped in a seemingly endless cycle of death and rebirth throughout space and time for centuries. While not a superhuman power per se, the ability to reincarnation has allowed Hawkgirl to cheat death and return to active duty repeatedly.

Hawkgirl, in her various forms, has a deep connection to Nth metal, utilizing and even bond with it in many incarnations. The metal is psycho-reactive, responding to its bearer's thoughts and in its base form has several electromagnetic/gravitational properties. To the Hawks, it grants the power of flight, superhuman strength, super-acute vision, and an enhanced healing/regeneration ability.

Additionally, she displays advanced hand-to-hand combat skills due to her many lives, she retains the knowledge of several lifetimes' worth of fighting. This makes Kendra a brilliant tactician and fierce warrior.

Essential Reading

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[Electricmastro]

One of her earliest cover appearances (January 1943).

[K7P5V]

I enjoyed Hawkgirl's appearances during the Justice League animated series:

[Bored at 3:00AM]

While I thought the Hawkworld arc in Justice League was a bit of a dud, I really appreciated how it neatly separated Kendra "Hawkgirl" Saunders and Shayera "Hawkwoman" Thal into two distinct characters that are still linked, but can now explore different paths without either making the other feel redundant.

I also loved the perfect fix of explaining that Hawkman has been living lives across time and space, thereby allowing all previous incarnations of him to co-exist while also opening up a limitless number of new reincarnations from across the DCU. However, I am not really a fan of retconning Hawkman into a guy trying to gain redemption because he was in charge of the Space Holocaust. Granted, I didn't find the character particularly compelling to begin with (aside from the awesome visuals and cool reincarnation backstory), but making him the ex-leader of some kind of cosmic SS doesn't really help me sympathize with him at all. I preferred Johns's doomed lovers angle, but I suppose that didn't resonate with enough readers either.

Personally, I'm just not interested in reading about a Space Nazi trying to make up for murdering trillions. Cloud Atlas played with this idea in an interesting way, but I don't know if it necessarily works within the context of a superhero context. Given how poorly Hawkman has been selling, I don't think I was the only one who felt that way. Maybe they can course correct with the whole Dark Multiverse angle they're setting up.

[DrNewGod]

My fave Hawkwoman story. With the the hubs laid up after being impaled by Lionmane, arguably their most dangerous enemy, she goes out and lays the whoop on him single-handed.

Image.jpg

[lemonpeace]

While I thought the Hawkworld arc in Justice League was a bit of a dud, I really appreciated how it neatly separated Kendra "Hawkgirl" Saunders and Shayera "Hawkwoman" Thal into two distinct characters that are still linked, but can now explore different paths without either making the other feel redundant.

I also loved the perfect fix of explaining that Hawkman has been living lives across time and space, thereby allowing all previous incarnations of him to co-exist while also opening up a limitless number of new reincarnations from across the DCU. However, I am not really a fan of retconning Hawkman into a guy trying to gain redemption because he was in charge of the Space Holocaust. Granted, I didn't find the character particularly compelling to begin with (aside from the awesome visuals and cool reincarnation backstory), but making him the ex-leader of some kind of cosmic SS doesn't really help me sympathize with him at all. I preferred Johns's doomed lovers angle, but I suppose that didn't resonate with enough readers either.

Personally, I'm just not interested in reading about a Space Nazi trying to make up for murdering trillions. Cloud Atlas played with this idea in an interesting way, but I don't know if it necessarily works within the context of a superhero context. Given how poorly Hawkman has been selling, I don't think I was the only one who felt that way. Maybe they can course correct with the whole Dark Multiverse angle they're setting up.

I can't speak to the Space Nazi stuff, I'll have to check it out to get my own take from it, but I do like the idea of untethering the reincarnation concept from ancient Egyptian lovers and broadened it out across space and time. As for the Hawkworld arc, it had some cool ideas but it felt rushed, I feel like they had a lot of ideas they could've spent more time on. Plus it didn't help that they switched to an inferior artist for only that part of the story; they did that story arc dirty.

[lemonpeace]

My fave Hawkwoman story. With the the hubs laid up after being impaled by Lionmane, arguably their most dangerous enemy, she goes out and lays the whoop on him single-handed.

Image.jpg

which series and issue is that? it sounds interesting.

[lemonpeace]

I enjoyed Hawkgirl's appearances during the Justice League animated series:

YOU FORGOT HER FINAL FORM! =P


the animated series version is one of my favorite female superheroes of all time. she was fun, she was fierce, and her relationship with John Stewart is still one of the most well handled romantic relationships I've watched on TV; it left a significant impression on me when I was a kid

[K7P5V]

YOU FORGOT HER FINAL FORM! =P


the animated series version is one of my favorite female superheroes of all time. she was fun, she was fierce, and her relationship with John Stewart is still one of the most well handled romantic relationships I've watched on TV and left a significant impression on me when I was a kid

Agreed. I also thought it was an interesting twist when it was revealed that she's the mother of Warhawk from Terry McGinnis' JLU -

https://dc.fandom.com/wiki/Rex_Stewart_(DCAU)

[DrNewGod]

which series and issue is that? it sounds interesting.

86 or 87. Start earlier, with The Shadow War of Hawkman mini (85?). The series is a continuation of the mini. They're all on DCUNIVERSE.

[DrNewGod]

YOU FORGOT HER FINAL FORM! =P


the animated series version is one of my favorite female superheroes of all time. she was fun, she was fierce, and her relationship with John Stewart is still one of the most well handled romantic relationships I've watched on TV; it left a significant impression on me when I was a kid

It was good, but I've always been a fan of The Hawks as a couple, because they were done so much better than other supercouples of their time, so couldn't quite buy it. Still, it was well written and we'll developed.

[Electricmastro]

I enjoyed Hawkgirl's appearances during the Justice League animated series:

I found it to be an interesting choice to have her be a founding member of the DCAU Justice League instead of Aquaman, who was part of the namesake of the original Justice League.

[lemonpeace]

I found it to be an interesting choice to have her be a founding member of the DCAU Justice League instead of Aquaman, who was part of the namesake of the original Justice League.

it was smart move, the demographic make-up of the original Justice League was very of-it's-time. Replacing Hal and Aquaman for John and Hawkgirl expanded the mass appeal of the show and led to interesting team dynamics and matchups.

plus


look at how lovely that is! Aquaman could nevuh!

[lemonpeace]

It was good, but I've always been a fan of The Hawks as a couple, because they were done so much better than other supercouples of their time, so couldn't quite buy it. Still, it was well written and we'll developed.

I can respect that, I personally grew up on the show first before getting into comics so I never cared to much for the Hawks together. Even if she doesn't end up with John (which admittedly I have a bias toward) I prefer her not being so thoroughly chained to Hawkman. i can't speak to exactly how well the Hawks' relationship has been handled over the years but part of the reason I wanted to dig deep into the character is because while i like the character, I always felt the way the reincarnation angle relates to her characters doesn't add anything to her besides making her the girl to Hawkman's boy, and I wanted to put that observation the test. admittedly, this view may be partially informed by the animated series because a big part of her character was rejecting that she "belongs" to anyone, fate be damned, and affirming her own agency whether she was or wasn't a reincarnation. THAT was one of the things I felt was particularly compelling as a kid and was one of the first times I recognized such a "grownup" concept.

[Electricmastro]

it was smart move, the demographic make-up of the original Justice League was very of-it's-time. Replacing Hal and Aquaman for John and Hawkgirl expanded the mass appeal of the show and led to interesting team dynamics and matchups.

Yeah, it really did help that John and Hawkgirl were interesting characters.