Comic of the Week: The Batman’s Grave #1, long-form ambition meets single-issue crunch

October 14, 2019 by d. emerson eddy in Comic of the Week

By d. emerson eddy — It pretty much goes without saying that DC Comics, that is “Detective Comics Comics”, publishes a lot of Batman comics. Just this week alone there's something like 16 Batman, Batman-related, and Batman-adjacent titles. It makes sense, Batman is a draw and continues to sell comics. He's one of those characters that lends himself to just about any type of story from action/adventure right on through to zombie horror, and it usually works. I tend to adhere to the belief that it's very hard not to make at the least a good, enjoyable Batman story and that there are many out there that are simply great. In some cases, even the best that the industry can offer. Granted, I am biased. It may not always seem as such, but Batman, like Swamp Thing, was one of the things that cemented my readership in comics.

How HAWKMAN by Venditti and Hitch Turns Confusing History Into Great Comics

January 17, 2019 by Jack Sharpe in Comics

Hawkman #8 variant cover by Bill Sienkiewicz. — **Hawkman #8** variant cover by Bill Sienkiewicz.

By Jack Sharpe — The first Hawkman, alias Carter Hall, was introduced in 1940’s Flash Comics #1 by Gardner Fox and Dennis Neville. Since then, the character has gone through many incarnations over a nearly 80-year history at DC Comics. Alongside Hawkman has always been his lover/partner, Hawkgirl. First introduced as Shiera Sanders, she has gone through different incarnations throughout her own 80-year history. These different incarnations, however, have created confusion about the origin of Hawks.

Are they archaeologists reincarnated often dating back to the times of Ancient Egypt? Or are they police officers from the planet Thanagar? Throw in many other contradictions and confusions, and you get characters whose origins are among the most confusing in comics. That’s not to say creators haven’t told excellent stories with the characters—including writer Geoff Johns and artist Rags Morales in the early 2000’s—but many fans struggle with the confusing history.

In late 2017, however, DC reintroduced Carter Hall and Kendra Saunders to its universe during the Dark Nights: Metal event, setting the stage for future adventures. Kendra has now joined the current Justice League comic from Metal writer Scott Snyder and artists Jorge Jimenez and Jim Cheung, while Carter’s story is being told by writer Robert Venditti and artist Bryan Hitch in Hawkman. The latter book is taking the character in a new, easier-to-understand direction with a story based on mystery and exploration. Venditti and Hitch are using the character’s various incarnations and history to their advantage, cementing Hawkman as one of 2018’s best comics. Today I intend to explore the reasons why the book has worked so well.

Exploration and Mystery

In Hawkman #2, the journal entry narrative device continues, but who is Carter Hall writing to? — In **Hawkman #2**, the journal entry narrative device continues, but who is Carter Hall writing to?

The current Hawkman book is built on mystery. Why is he constantly reborn? What are the mysterious visions he keeps seeing? From issue one, Venditti and Hitch set the stage for mystery being central to the book. Through this they weave a tale of exploration and history. We as readers follow Carter as he finds clues to his past and uncovers truths about his life. We learn in issue one that Carter’s past lives go back much farther than Ancient Egypt. He has lived lives all over the DC Universe – Thanagar, Krypton, Rann, and other planets. We also get a vision of the Deathbringers, a threat returning to the DC Universe that has a tie to Carter he doesn’t yet understand.

The central stage of the first big Hawkman arc is then set. Carter goes on a quest which takes him to Ancient Egypt, Dinosaur Island, Thanagar, the microverse, and more. Throughout this journey he meets old friends and new, all while learning more about his past. We also see narration notes in the book, similar to those used in the Metal. This narration is made up of the words written in Carter Hall’s own journal. It seems likely to me he is either retelling the events to someone, or someone has found the diary and is reading it themselves. We don’t know who it is yet, but my guess would be that it is Shiera Hall.

The book also has Carter getting help from ordinary people in he DCU as well as other heroes. Issue one for example features a Greek fisherman helping Carter because Carter in a past life helped his father during the Greek Civil War. In that same issue, Carter also meets with Madam Xanadu in London. The best meeting in this book so far, though, is a team up featuring Carter Hall and Ray Palmer, taking places in issues 5 and 6. The partnership is a highlight of the current run – Carter and Ray’s relationship is so much fun and the creative team place huge importance on it. I don’t think I’m alone in wanting a Venditti/Hitch Ray Palmer miniseries from DC.

Anyway, it is through this meeting that we finally get an explanation for Hawkman’s confusing timeline. Ray explains that Carter’s past lives may not be in chronological order. This means that Carter Hall has been reborn not just through space but also through time, so we as fans now understand that Carter’s past lives may have taken place at anytime and anyplace. It’s a brilliant way of explaining the confusing mess of Hawkman’s origins. They all happened, but they could have happened at any time and in anyplace. This is how Hawkman gets a new origin, one that also explains his reincarnation cycle and his link to Hawkgirl.

New Origin and Hawkgirl

In Hawkman #7, we see a past life in which Hawkman committed unspeakable atrocities. — In **Hawkman #7**, we see a past life in which Hawkman committed unspeakable atrocities.

In issue six we see Carter Hall trapped with Ray Palmer on Moz-Ga. Ray discovers that Carter was at one point an adventurer in the Microverse and may well have left something to help his future selves uncover the truth of his origins. Ray’s hunch is right, and Carter discovers a ship built by one of his past selves. After escaping from Moz-Ga and learning how to pilot the ship, Carter sets off into space to continue his journey. During this journey Carter discovers his first life, which changes everything we knew about the character.

It is revealed that Carter Hall’s first life, Ktar, was the leader of the Deathbringers, whose hunger for life meant that Ktar and his partner Idamm had to sacrifice thousands upon thousands of people to satisfy the Deathbringers. It is clear that Ktar is not happy doing this. He is fighting amongst himself, desperate to be a better person. On Thanagar after an attack, Ktar is confronted by a mysterious woman who senses the pain inside from his actions. Only Ktar can see this woman and, while it is not said who she is, it is hinted that she is the first incarnation of Hawkgirl.

One criticism of this series has been that it ignores Hawkgirl. I don’t believe that is the case. Hawkgirl doesn’t appear in physical form, not yet anyway, but she is almost a spectre haunting Carter. Each issue has journal entries and it is clear Carter is writing this journal to someone. While he may be writing this journal for his next incarnation in case he fails to stop the Deathbringers, I feel he is writing this journal to Hawkgirl. She may not be in the book physically, but she is there in both spirit and memory. This is shown via issue seven and the mysterious woman, who only appears to Ktar and no one else. She might be a past victim of the Deathbringers, or Ktar’s own conscience trying to get him to revolt against them, but either way her appearance eventually leads to Ktar betraying Idamm and the Deathbringers, causing his first death.

Although her physical presence is not yet overt, as of issue #7 Hawkgirl may have arrived in this story.

Ktar is then awoken by a strange voice. He has done many horrific things as leader of the Deathbringers, but his final actions showed a man willing to change. As such Ktar is given a deal. He can die now and be forgotten. Or he can be reborn repeatedly, saving lives all over the galaxy until he has saved as many lives as he can. This will not be easy, but he will eventually earn final atonement and be allowed to rest. Ktar chooses to be reborn, and so begins his reincarnation cycle.

This revelation is an example of Venditti and Hitch using the mysteries of Hawkman to craft a character-based story. The audience follows Carter Hall, who grows before their eyes. The reveal that he was the leader of the Deathbringers shocks Carter, but he remains steadfast in his journey. He continues with his ship and heads towards his next adventure – Katar-Ol, the Hawkman of Krypton.

Final Thoughts

Before the current Hawkman series, I was not very familiar with the character. After giving this series a chance, I’ve become a huge fan of him. His love of history and exploration speaks to me so much. The mystery behind the character and the peeling back of said mystery shows us a character with a deep and thought-provoking past, as well as a future that is very exciting. For upcoming issues I hope the creative team continues its exploration of Hawkman while also introducing more of Hawkman’s supporting cast. I also hope that DC Comics does more with the Hawks as a whole. I’d love a Hawkgirl book or miniseries exploring some of Hawkman’s other lives.

To conclude - Robert Venditti and Bryan Hitch are currently helping Hawkman soar once again. They crafted one of 2018’s best comics, and here’s to hoping their partnership continues for years to come. It’s an exciting time to be a Hawkman fan. Let those days continue.

SOAR.

Check out more great writing about comics!

Jack Sharpe is a huge fan of history and comics. When he's not in the trenches surrounded by history, he's reading and studying comic books. You can follow him on Twitter at @JackJacksharpe5

The Eye of the Storm: WildStorm Past and Present

August 16, 2018 by Taylor Pechter in Comics

WildStorm is really 25 years old now. Really.

By Taylor Pechter — The 1990s was a consequential decade for comics, a decade of deaths and broken backs, of shoulder pads and huge guns. It was also the decade that gave us WildStorm Productions, an imprint created by then-rising star Jim Lee, who jumped ship from Marvel and DC along with other big-name artists following disputes over creators’ rights. When WildStorm began in 1992, it could have been dismissed as just more large guns, heavily-detailed art, and not much focus on story.

After the company grew in popularity, though, Lee sold it to DC. With this sale, DC editorial took the universe under its watch, ultimately overseeing great experimentation in storytelling spearheaded by writers such as Warren Ellis and Joe Casey and artists such as Bryan Hitch, whose worked helped redefine what comics look like.

Now get ready because today we’re jumping head first into the defining era of WildStorm, looking at the themes and visuals from the imprint that have had such a lasting impact on the comic book industry today.

StormWatch

The year is 1997. The comics speculator market bubble has burst and sales of WildStorm books have stagnated. Enter Warren Ellis, a British writer who had done some work at but was not on many fans’ radars. With his run on Stormwatch starting at #37, however, that quickly changed.

Ellis would completely redefine the team, splitting it into three squadrons: Prime (defense against superhuman threats), Red (members with destructive powers for deterrent displays), and Black (undercover black ops). As the run started, Ellis introduced us to his thematic interests via the words of Frederick Nietzsche, I want to teach men the meaning of their existence; which is the Superman, the lightning from the dark cloud that is man.

Ellis’ run incorporated themes of corruption of power, the relationship between man and superhuman, and ultimately how supherhumans change a world. These themes are primarily conveyed through StormWatch leader Henry Bendix (alias The Weatherman), the StormWatch Black Team (Jenny Sparks, Jack Hawksmoor, and Swift), and The High and his Changers. As the run progressed, StormWatch’s prominence grew while Bendix became madder with power, coming to view his team as the end-all, be-all of planetary surveillance and defense, akin to worldwide secret police. This eventually leads him down a path of murder and a removal from his position, with former field leader Jackson King (alias Battalion) taking over in his stead.

Meanwhile, the members of StormWatch Black personified rebellion, especially their leader, Jenny Sparks. As one of the proclaimed century babies, Sparks lived through the highs and lows of the 1900s, coming to be known as The Spirit of 20th Century. She’s also seen firsthand how superpowers changed society, with adventures through the decades as a solider in the wars and later a member of the shady Royal Space Program. This history also informs her relationship with John Cumberland (alias The High). The High is the main ideological lynchpin of the run, with his actions in the story Change or Die reflect the theme of the run, as The High actually says, We are Superhumans, just as your modern crimefighters and Covert Action teams. However, we feel a different responsibility than they do… They try to save the world, but make no effort to change it. This speaks to the somewhat hypocritical nature of the modern superhero. As time passed, StormWatch dissolved due to infighting, Bendix succumbing to insanity, and SkyWatch (the team’s satellite command center) being set upon by alien infestation. With most of the team dead, field commander Nikolas Kamarov (alias Winter) made the final decision to the throw the station into the sun. StormWatch was dead, but from its ashes rose a new force, an Authority that would either save the world, or rule it with an iron fist.

The Authority

Out of the ashes of StormWatch rose The Authority, a team formed by former StormWatch Black operatives Jenny Sparks, Jack Hawksmoor, and Swift. It also included Apollo and Midnighter, The Engineer, and The Doctor. The Authority’s story is broken up into three four-issue arcs, which focus on innate fears with society: the fear of terrorism, the fear of foreign invasion, and the fear of the unknown. Through The Authority, Ellis wove a tale of a team of powerhouses trying to save the world and to also change it for the better. However, their goals came at a cost.

What Ellis also did was break down the glitz and glamour of a superhero team. The Authority is brash, arrogant, and—most of all—violent. Cities were leveled and an entire alternate Earth was destroyed. The Authority, however, considered it just part of the job, losses to make the world a better place. Toward the book’s end, the team eventually faced an alien entity that was blocking out the sun. Jenny Sparks shocked its brain and the day was won, but at a cost that shook the team to its core. As the century wound down, so did the life of Jenny Sparks. After 100 years of being a planetary defense mechanism, she died at the stroke of midnight January 1, 2000, in the arms of Jack Hawksmoor. With a new century, however, came a new generation of defenders.

The Art: While Ellis’ scripts were certainly groundbreaking, so too was the artwork of Bryan Hitch, inker Paul Neary, and colorist Laura Depuy (later Martin). With wide panels, splash pages galore, and cinematic action, Hitch was, and still is, the main purveyor of widescreen comics art. With Neary’s clean inks and Martin’s luscious colors, The Authority is still one of the most visually influential books in modern comics.

Wildcats

What happens to covert teams that don’t have a war to fight? What happens when a teammate dies, splintering the rest of the team? Or, when a team’s leader wants to transcend to a higher level of living, one that requires he be killed?

In 1999, writer Joe Casey and artist Sean Phillips took over Wildcats and set out to answer these questions. After a mission gone wrong, Zealot is killed and Grifter is left reeling. Grifter has become a washed-up shell of his former self, trying to find answers about Zealot’s death. On the other end, Lord Emp (known to Earth as Jacob Marlowe, leader of the Wildcats), is asking his long-time rival Kenyan to kill him so he can ascend. Kenyan, however, instead kills himself, and Spartan is forced to kill Emp. In the aftermath, posing as Emp’s great-nephew Jack Marlowe, he is bequeathed HALO Industries and inherits Emp’s fortune. Meanwhile, Priscilla Kitaen (alias Voodoo) and Doctor Jeremy Stone (alias Maul) are living together. Jeremy has locked himself in his lab to to find a cure for a disease.

That’s a lot, to be sure, but overall Casey tells a story about destiny and legacy. Spartan has to deal with running HALO and guilt for killing Emp, which is easy enough because as a synthetic humanoid, he feels no emotion. This, however, conflicts with Grifter mourning the loss of his trainer and lover. Spartan also has to deal with having the Marlowe name, a target since Emp had many enemies. After Pris is nearly murdered by superhuman serial killer Samuel Slaughterhouse Smith, she is visited by a Daemonite, of which she is a half-breed. With that meeting she fully comes to terms with her heritage. Optimism reenergized, she then looks to a brighter future, alongside Jeremy.

The Art: Joining Casey on this book is noir art master Sean Phillips. With deep shadows, imposing figures, and brutal action, Phillips creates a foreboding tone to perfectly match Casey’s script. Sadly, the book only lasted two years before being cancelled but returning a year later as Wildcats Version 3.0. In a short time, however, Casey and Phillips crafted one of, if not the defining runs on Wildcats.

Planetary

It’s a strange world. Let’s keep it that way. This is the mantra for Warren Ellis’s magnum opus, Planetary. A decade in the making, Planetary revolves around a four-person team of mystery archaeologists who explore the world. This team consists of Elijah Snow, our ride along character Jakita Wagner, The Drummer, and Ambrose Chase.

With Planetary, Ellis constructs a story that revolves around genre and—more importantly—pop culture. This journey through 20th century pop culture is seen through the eyes of Elijah, who like Jenny Sparks is one of the century babies. The series has one main through line, but each issue also tackles a certain genre, breaking it down and showing how it has changed the world. These stories included a ghost cop out for revenge in Hong Kong (Dead Gunfighter); the somber Vertigo-tinged To Be In England, In The Summertime; the hypocrisy of vigilantism in The Torture of William Leather, and the metaphysics of superheroes in Zero Point.

In them all, Ellis demonstrates how the aspects of various genres has affected society through use in pop culture. While the macro exploration of genre and pop culture is the book’s driving force, the heart of Planetary is the micro exploration of Elijah Snow as a character, as well as how he becomes more in tune with the world. Snow’s motives, while staying somewhat consistent throughout the first half of the series, shift as we approach the final act. As readers, we are Elijah, not just in terms of the world Ellis is crafting but also the world outside our window. There is so much to explore here, and we’ve barely scratched the surface.

The Art: Not to be outdone by Ellis’ deft scripting are John Cassaday’s art and Laura Martin’s colors. Cassaday shifts his style throughout each chapter to capture the tone. This can mean changing panel sizes, borders, shadows, or expressions. It’s commendable how much work he put into each page, and it’s made even better by Martin’s amazing colors, with bright reds and blues making the art pop. This book was subject to many delays, attributed to both Ellis and Cassaday, but Planetary eventually ended with its 27th issue, becoming one of the most celebrated comic books of all time

The Wild Storm

Twenty years after he helped redefine the WildStorm Universe with StormWatch, Warren Ellis is doing it again with The Wild Storm, which just released issue #16 this week. This time, Ellis is writing a stripped down, no frills, corporate espionage tale focused on three organizations: tech giant HALO (run by Jacob Marlowe), black ops intelligence agency International Operations or IO (run by Miles Craven), and secret space program Skywatch (led by Henry Bendix). This is an entirely new story, rather than a continuation of past titles.

The main conflict in this series is rivalries between organizations, with the story asking how Earth would react if it was ruled by these power structures. There is, of course, a twist. While IO is interested in Earth and its resources, Skywach is more interested in ruling space, even going as far as colonizing other planets. After Bendix starts getting a vested interest in Earth’s resources, IO starts to retaliate. Caught in between this corporate battle is a team of rogue IO and Skwatch agents who have formed their own covert action team, a Wild CAT. Their objective is to stop this war, fearing it will tear the planet apart.

The Art: Joining Ellis on art duties is Jon Davis-Hunt, whose simple yet dynamic style lends to the gritty espionage themes and to the frenetic action that is wonderfully brutal. His linework combines with the gorgeous colors of Steve Buccellatto. With stripping down the universe and giving it a more modern feel, this creative team has given new life to characters Ellis made his name writing.

In conclusion, following its start in the ‘90s, WildStorm went grew from the typical extreme fare of the decade into one of the most fertile grounds for storytelling in all of superhero comics, doing everything from looking at how superheroes have changed the world to how a team can survive in a world that doesn’t accept them. WildStorm also has a history of art that has redefined the style of comics, from the widescreen destruction of The Authority by Hitch, to the noir stylings of Wildcats by Sean Phillips, or the versatility of John Cassaday in Planetary. These artists helped raise a new generation, also contributing to the creation of the modern comics event.

Thank you all for joining me on this journey—hopefully you too will now jump into the eye of the storm.

Taylor Pechter is a passionate comic book fan and nerd. Find him on Twitter @TheInspecter.

How Hawkman Soars: A Five-Panel Explainer

August 14, 2018 by Zack Quaintance in Comics

By Zack Quaintance — Hawkman by Robert Venditti and Bryan Hitch feels like a throwback (in a good way) for a couple reasons. First, it’s a story of a modest scale. This is an odd notion, given we're talking about a comic that spans all of space and time, but at its core Hawkman is a relatively simple adventure starring a character who is unraveling personal mysteries while also combating threats to the larger world. Second, it features killer artwork by Bryan Hitch.

Regarding Hitch: it’s often hard to see how the standards and conventions of a storytelling medium limit it until someone breaks them. This was true of my perception of comics in the ‘90s (a super weird decade, yet not as bad as its reputation...a topic for another day). Hitch’s work on The Authority showed me the freeing potential of excessively splashy spreads brimming with gigantic action and wide perspective. Basically, I’d never realized how claustrophobic most books felt until Hitch blew it up.

Lately I’d forgotten how much a revelation his style once was, especially since it has now become commonplace in superhero stories. Obviously, it’s not a fit for every book, and it has maybe been overdone at times (way overdone), but when used well as it is in Hawkman—look out. And so that’s what I’d like to discuss today via five-panel explainer: how Hawkman soars on the wings of old school adventuring and free-flying artwork. Let’s do it!

Panel One - The Continuity

Like many DC heroes, Hawkman is a great character with a long and convoluted history, one that can potentially act as a barrier of entry for new readers. Venditti and Hitch realize this, and in Hawkman #1 we get this stunning panel, which orients us and conveys the basics while also establishing that this book is about our hero himself coming to terms with his background. Basically, they’re telling us relax...it’s okay to be confused. We’re heading out—together—to explore.

This killer spread from Hawkman #1 does a great job refreshing the current state of Hawkman's continuity. — This killer spread from **Hawkman #1** does a great job refreshing the current state of Hawkman's continuity.

Panel Two - The Journal

From Hawkman #3, our hero pours through his journal, reminding us of the status of his quest. — From **Hawkman #3**, our hero pours through his journal, reminding us of the status of his quest.

This second panel is less visually-exciting, yet it’s just as important as the one above in terms of giving structure to the narrative. If that frenetic spread establishes we’re sorting out our hero’s past together, the journal acts as a device for reminding us what we’ve so far learned. It gives our protagonist an organic means of taking stock of his progress, and it gives Venditti a nice way to craft interesting narration without showing the writer’s hand in the story. It’s been well-done through three issues, and I'm hoping we’ll see more of it moving forward.

Panel Three - The Museum

Not to go too far into the story, but this book is about Hawkman learning he’s been reincarnated not just over time but also throughout space. In any given issue, the story goes to another planet, another time, and then back to present day. It’s a lot and it could become unwieldy...if Venditti and Hitch weren’t so good at creating pedestrian visits to things like subways and museums. Basically, this book positions Hawkman as the Indiana Jones of the DCU, and so it needs the cleaned up scenes where Indie is curating or teaching classes. So far, we’ve gotten them done well. This panel is a personal favorite.

The significant of an epic quest can sometimes get lost if there's nothing present to ground a character, which Venditti and Hitch do well in this museum scene from Hawkman #2. — The significant of an epic quest can sometimes get lost if there's nothing present to ground a character, which Venditti and Hitch do well in this museum scene from **Hawkman #2.**

Panel Four - The Monsters

An old school adventure comic book is nothing without its monsters, and Hawkman is no exception. This was the hardest panel to pick because there were so many good choices, but I went with giant angry ape (apologies to giant angry T-Rex and giant angry flock of automaton birdmen). This is classic Hitch, with larger than life kinetic artwork that explodes through panels and off pages. Love it.

What's an adventure that travels through space and time without giant angry monsters? Scene from Hawkman #1. — What's an adventure that travels through space and time without giant angry monsters? Scene from **Hawkman #1.**

Perhaps the most important panels in the entire series are those in which Hawkman takes to the sky. Artwork from Hawkman #3. — Perhaps the most important panels in the entire series are those in which Hawkman takes to the sky. Artwork from **Hawkman #3.**

Panel Five - The Skies

The best visual bits of this book, however, are the open skies...as they should be in a story about a flying character. There are plenty of closeup action shots, sure, but Hitch and Venditti often pull the theoretical camera back to show us what a speck our hero is against the vastness of the sky he moves through. This framing is used often and clearly not meant to diminish his stature, which it really doesn’t—we’re never more than a panel or two away from him hitting a dinosaur or something with his mace—but instead it aims to show us the freedom of his explorations, the limitless nature of his life and his journey, and it wildly succeeds.

To wrap up, I’ll say that through three issues Hawkman has established itself as a welcome addition to DC’s superhero line, a book that flies a bit beneath the radar, content to function on its own as a rewarding and good-looking read, hard to predict and loaded with mystery. It remains to be seen if the creative team can take the protagonist to meaningful places through a prolonged run, but Venditti has a good track record with long-form superheroics (see X-O Manowar and the recently-concluded Hal Jordan and the Green Lantern Corps), while someone in Burbank deserves a hearty pat on the back for fitting Hitch’s artwork to this character and story.

Zack Quaintance is a journalist who also writes fiction and makes comics. Find him on Twitter at @zackquaintance. He lives in Sacramento, California.