Hawkman #8 Review

Weapon of Mass Instructions

Written By: Robert Venditti

Art By: Bryan Hitch, Andrew Currie, Andy Owens, Jeremiah Skipper, Starkings & Comicraft

Cover Price: $3.99
Release Date: January 16, 2019

Now that we know where Hawkman started, it should be about time that we find out where he's going and hopefully that means right towards the Deathbringers.  I know we just got this back story about how Carter was the Deathbringers General during his first life and that he banished them in the end, but I still really don't know what the Deathbringers are.  Pretty much just look like giant bird mechas that are constantly in the shadows.  Let's hope that we find out more about them as Carter Hall goes to Krypton to get the weapon that will supposedly defeat them now that they're back.  Let's check it out.

While I was really looking forward to this issue going in because of the Krypton connection that Hawkman had and because I find this whole "space and time" reincarnation thing to pretty kind of cool, this issue didn't really do much to add to the excitement of the story, or to......... the story.  Where we had our scavenger hunt style formula to each issue, where we found our hero being hurled throughout time and space and having to fight an earlier version of himself, here you just have the two characters standing around and talking, mostly about the end of Krypton and how Superman and Supergirl survive the destruction of the planet.  Maybe this is fine for some folks, but I don't need Carter talking about things I already know, while leaving me in the dark about things going on in this series.  What the hell are the Deathbringers?  Oh, you don't have an answer, then why not just tell me about how Jor-El sent his only son on a rocket to Earth............. nonsense.

Now don't all huffy puffy about me talking trash on Hawkman.  I love Hawkman and I want this series to be amazing....... it's just not doing that right now and it seems to be padded out just to give us pseudo-action and things that look important so that DC can get full trades out of this story, without really telling us anything.  This seems to be the current status quo for most stories coming out recently, but for whatever reason I feel it the most out of Hawkman and the pacing of this book is killing me.

All in all, the art remains strong, even though it's pretty much two guys standing around and talking....... which is the problem.  The story is two guys standing around and talking, mostly about things you already know about Krypton, while only moving our story forward by pretty much saying that Carter Hall has had the power within him all along.  It's very disappointing, but I can hope now that all of this nonsense is out of the way we can finally get to some proper Hawkman action, while spilling the beans about what the Deathbringers actually are.

Bits and Pieces:

Hawkman sadly continues to disappoint me as we pretty much have an issue about two guys talking about the destruction of Krypton, while leaving all of the cool details about this series as a mystery that we'll hopefully get later.  I enjoyed the art in this issue, as I have the previous ones, but this snail paced story-telling is killing me.

5.8/10