Hawkman #13 Review

by Hussein Wasiti on June 12, 2019

Written by Robert Venditti
Art by Will Conrad
Colouring by Jeremiah Skipper
Lettering by Richard Starkings and Comicraft
 
Following a fairly intense year-long story, and with the departure of artist Bryan Hitch from the title, a little reprieve was just what this book needed. Robert Venditti has been seriously impressing me with this series, and the train doesn't stop here. This issue is a great one-shot that demonstrates how Carter can use his knack for reincarnation to someone's benefit without realising.
 
This issue has the perfect framing device: Carter reads an old journal of his. Most of the issue is a flashback, and tells the story of a cosmic conflict, the H'Gris-Malanite War. Throughout many years and many deaths, he begins to reexamine his place in the conflict. That's all I'm going to reveal about the story, because this is worth going in cold.
 
Will Conrad joins the fray for this issue, and this looked fantastic. Former series artist Hitch created such a unique visual identity to the book that following up on it directly probably wouldn't have been the best idea, but the nature of the story facilitates a completely different visual identity from the rest of the series. This is a war story, and we don't see a winged Hawkman for the entirety of the issue. It's about character and layouts, and Conrad did a beautiful job. Joining him is regular series colourist Jeremiah Skipper, who I'm glad has stayed on the book. His palette keeps things consistent with the rest of the series so this doesn't seem like a radical departure. He manages the contrast between bright and darker colours very well, which makes this entire book pop.
 
This is a perfect place to jump onto the series. If you've heard great things but have been on the fence or hesitant to jump on in the middle of an arc, this is the most opportune moment to acquaint yourself with the character.
 

Our Score:

8/10

A Look Inside