Why no big bruhaha over the return of Hawkman?

[drwho]

Hawkman was thought dead and missing after Infinite Crisis, yet now he is showing in JSA Classifieds which is in current continuity.Anyone have any idea why they didnt hype his return and made it pretty much into a non event? Has his popularity hit the toilet?

[manofsteel]

Uhhhh... Hawkman returned? Ok... given the lack of press this has gotten and the fact I haven't checked out the JSA lately... I totally missed it.

I WOULD like to know what happened. I am guessing it will be revealed in the last act of 52... which would be why it's not addressed as a big deal now... but I could be wrong.

[Jack Zodiac]

Hawkman was thought dead and missing after Infinite Crisis, yet now he is showing in JSA Classifieds which is in current continuity.Anyone have any idea why they didnt hype his return and made it pretty much into a non event? Has his popularity hit the toilet?

No one thought he was dead. It's been mentioned sporadically in books and interviews that he was still on Thanagar dealing with the post-war skirmishes. And it wasn't hyped because you can only hype the return of the same guy so many times. :p

[drwho]

spoiler for jsa classifieds








Turns out Thanagar is still not liveable. Hawkman was on a mission to find evidence that Starfire's sister was still stewing the pot to cause war. The Rans and Hawks were still fighting.

[Carter Hall]

It was no secret that Hawkman was coming back since in JLA #1 they considered asking him to be on the new team. Plus, I think DC still wants to keep Hawkgirl in her own light as much as possible, as we see at the end of the current issue #60.

All that being said, I really think that since Infinite Crisis this book has gone downhill. I like Walt Simonson as a writer, but he does not have the understanding of this character that Geoff Johns had when he restarted this series, nor do we see a progression of the characters like under Palmiotti/Grey. Plus, in my opinion Howard Chaykin's art was awful, and while this new guy Renato Arlem isn't bad, Rags Morales and Joe Bennett had awesome runs with this book that have set a very high bar. The one bright spot for this book in the last year was when Joe Bennett came back to draw for issues 57-58. Here's hoping he becomes the regular artist again when 52 finishes.

If anyone from DC is reading this, I even liked Bennett's drawing of Hawkman's origin in the back of 52, week 26. Just bring the guy back. Please.

[Suzanne]

There was more excitement over his return in JSofA #2 on other boards. Again, we all knew he would return, it was just a matter of when and under what circumstances.

[protege]

i have to admit- Hawkman's return was anticlimactic for me- finding out whe was still on Thanagar, as opposed to missing in action- that plus, he'd only been back for a few years time. I like Hawkgirl as much as the next guy, but I'm more interested in Hawkman, and the decision to give kendra her own book never really sat well with me. I hope that if the rumors are true, and hawkgirl is on the chopping block, that a new Hawkman series may not be too far off- but I doubt it.

[Shellhead]

When Hawkman appeared in JSofA #2, it was exciting and very much in character. There's this family reunion picnic going on, which gets attacked by nazi villains who are killing off everybody related to the JSA. Everything was calm until suddenly Hawkman slams this villain down *hard*, and it's a villain from the Hawkworld series who was a white supremacist. Then the nazi villains attack and the story cuts away to a different scene.

By contrast, the recent issue of JSA Confidential was just a mediocre story with Hawkman investigating the underlying causes of the ongoing Rann-Thanagar War. Pitting him against Starfire's sister (Blackfire?) is mildly interesting, and that leads into his return to Earth, but it just wasn't as dramatic as his appearance in JSofA #2.

[hondobrode]

Hawkman is one of my favorite characters. Johns integrated sci-fi Silver Age and his mystical Golden Age roots to make a really great character and built on the reincarnation theme as well as the lost love aspect with Shayera. Walt Simonson is a dynamic penciller in the Jack Kirby / Johnny Romita Jr style, but his writing is mixed. Unfortunately, it's more miss than hit with Hawkgirl. Not enough action and it just drags on and on. Hopefully Hawkman comes back to his own title and it doesn't get cancelled as this has definitely been one of DC's biggest OYL bombs despite almost universal anticipation of the teaming of legendary Howard Chaykin and Walt Simonson. Who would have thought that it would tank like it has ?

[EnDwiGast]

i have to admit- Hawkman's return was anticlimactic for me- finding out whe was still on Thanagar, as opposed to missing in action- that plus, he'd only been back for a few years time. I like Hawkgirl as much as the next guy, but I'm more interested in Hawkman, and the decision to give kendra her own book never really sat well with me. I hope that if the rumors are true, and hawkgirl is on the chopping block, that a new Hawkman series may not be too far off- but I doubt it.

This is pretty much how I feel about it.

Going from what I read in Hawman #49 to what I've seen since is a huge disappointment.
Give me a hawkman book again, then I'll really be excited.
I had been looking forward to hawkman's retunr in JSA Classified, but i wasn'thappy with the art andfelt the characterizations were really stiff.

I think this might have worked out better as either a storyline in JSA Classified or Hawkgirl, but not both.

I also think the attempt to re-introduce a reason to keep Hawkman and Hawkgirl apart makes my patience waiting to see them reunited feel wasted. I would rather have seen them move them move the story forward post #49 than erase what came before.

[Rocket13]

For a long time Hawkman was one of the books that really looked forward to each month. Since it has been replaced by Hawkgirl I really haven't enjoyed it nearly as much. Hopefully they will bring back Hawkman and at least give the book a chance at getting back to where it was and not just let it die a painful death.

[Carter Hall]

Going from what I read in Hawman #49 to what I've seen since is a huge disappointment.
Give me a hawkman book again, then I'll really be excited.
I had been looking forward to hawkman's retunr in JSA Classified, but i wasn't happy with the art and felt the characterizations were really stiff.

That's a great way of putting it. I also thought that the last really good issue of this book was #49, and I too felt the characterizations were too bland.

My other gripe (as is my right as a fanboy, however annoying it may be :D ) is how the first 49 issues really focused on how the couple had grown together during all that had been happening. Now they seem like total strangers again. I understand that the tension is interesting and is something that can make some great stories, but given where their relationship was at before, it now just feels like they're moving backwards. Very anticlimactic.

[Apathy Boy]

Geez, that's the best explanation they came up with for Carter's disappearance? "Anti-climax" would be an understatement.

But Hawkman's return had no bruhaha because the HAWKGIRL title has been awful and bleeding readers for the last year. Chalk it up to a huge error in judgment on DC's part. A shame, 'cause the series was building sales momentum when Palmiotti and Gray were writing it.

[hondobrode]

Ok, so what's the lowdown on Hawkman's return ? I haven't read it.

Yes, Palmiotti & Gray were picking up readers when Simonson & Chaykin took over. Is Simonson staying on or is there going to be a new creative team later on ? That would make sense with a new direction.

[protege]

Actually, the book is bordering on being cancelled.

[TROUBLEZ]

I just started reading the book and I like it. I hope they keep Hawkgirl and the art by Renato Arlem. I really like the art this issue. I not a fan or Rags so this is a breath of fresh air. I like Hawkman too, but theres not that many female superhero comics that keep me interested like this one.

[Suzanne]

I was hoping there'd be some huge reveal when he returned, that he'd be in the know regarding the next Big Event, or at least tie into the JLA/JSA crossover since Thanagar will be part of it.