Convergence: Hawkman #1 Review

With Convergence’s conjunction of convoluted continuity, how will Convergence: Hawkman #1 deal with the famously thorny history of DC’s favorite bird-themed intergalactic policeman and sometimes reincarnated Egyptian prince?

CONVERGENCE: HAWKMAN #1
Writer: Jeff Parker
Pencils: Tim Truman
Inks: Enrique Alcatena
Colorist: John Kalisz
Letterer: Dave Sharpe
Cover: Rafael Albuquerque
Editor: Marie Javins
Publisher: DC Comics
Price: $3.99

WHAT ABOUT HAWKWOMAN?

Convergence: Hawkman #1 opens on a riot in Gotham City, where the police are aided in quelling the disturbance by a duo of Hawkpeople. In the process, the former Thanagarian Enforcers Hawkman and Hawkwoman uncover the existence of a Thanagarian sleeper cell lurking in the besieged city. The best of the Convergence titles deal with the dome and the issue of convergence head-on, while the worst are mere exercises in nostalgia for fans whose favorite characters have been left behind by continuity. Jeff Parker makes sure that Convergence: Hawkman #1 falls squarely in the former camp. Hawkwoman and Hawkman are given an engaging plot, with a clear-cut objective and some nice character beats. Some of the dialogue is stiff, as Parker dumps background information here and there, but for novice readers, it is a necessary thing. Parker doesn’t get too deep into the swirling depths of Hawkman continuity, but does reference a few past events, like the Shadow War and the Absorbascon. And while the issue is called Hawkman #1, it is Hawkwoman that gets the very best moments. The scene where she marshals a modicum of hope for the embattled city is as good a happening as I’ve seen in a Convergence comic yet.

HAWKMAN VERSUS MANHAWKS

Tim Truman is a comics veteran, who did major work on the characters in the 1980s with Hawkworld. His style is fittingly retro, bolstered by confident, thick inking from Enrique Alcatena. A mid-issue fight between Katar and Shayera and the dreaded Manhawks (male harpies with a suspiciously Green-Goblin-like face) is tremendous fun, getting a deal of swashbuckling vitality from Truman’s art. His art is simpler, giving his Thanagarians a bit more heft and weight than more recent glossy interpretations of the characters. The costumes are the classic underwear over tights looks, but the characters seem all the more heroic without the armor from the newer versions.

BOTTOM LINE: GOOD AS FAR AS CONVERGENCE GOES

I am still not sold on the idea of Convergence, since I do not have a feel for what’s going to stick around after Convergence is over, and a two issue “miniseries” does not make for a satisfying read. But some creators are able to make the best of a bad situation, and Parker and Truman do that in Convergence: Hawkman #1. The plot and characters are easily grasped without needing a PhD in DC continuity, while having an old hand on art is a nice bonus for the aged Hawk heads out there. Check it out.