[Editor’s Note: This review may contain spoilers]
Writer: Robert Venditti
Pencils: Bryan Hitch
Inkers: Andrew Currie & Andy Owens
Colors: Jeremiah Skipper
Summary
Hawkman flies his ship to where Krypton once existed. There he hopes to find a weapon that might be able to destroy the soon-to-be invading Deathbringers.
Once there, Hawkman timeslips again to the distant past to when Krypton was just about to explode. There he meets Catar-Ol, his Kryptonian self from a previous life. But unlike Hawkman’s other recent timeslips, Catar-Ol acts as if he expected Hawkman.
Catar-Ol knows he must guide Hawkman to the weapon. Along the way they exchange information. Cat-Ol shares what Krypton and it’s culture is like, while Hawkman shares information on who survives the planet’s destruction and what becomes of them when they reach Earth.
Catar-Ol lets Hawkman know that, not only is the weapon incomplete, but it’s also the size of a city. It isn’t something that can just be carried around and the plan was to lure the Deathbringers to Krypton and ambush them with it.
Hawkman realizes his journey may have been for nothing. Not only is the weapon incomplete in the past, but in the present Krypton and the weapon are destroyed so there is no reason to lure the Deathbringers to that location.
Positives
Action takes a backseat in this issue as Hawkman finally has a chance to learn something about the weapon he needs to find. I found this to be a great choice on Venditti’s part. If every issue was just Hawkman fighting himself from a previous life, it could get old and redundant. But Venditti mixes it up here and the two characters have a valuable dialogue together.
As readers, we get to learn a little more about Krypton as well as see how Catar-Ol is connected to Supergirl. That connection shows him as her teacher, which means part of her morals and heroic nature could have been passed to her through his teachings, potentially making him heroic by proxy.
Negatives
I’m not sure this is actually a negative for this issue considering I understand why writers do this type of thing. But the convenience that Catar-Ol knows Jor-El and Kara seems a bit unrealistic. We are talking about an entire planet and of course Hawkman’s previous life knew them?
I understand it’s a great way to connect the two and pay homage to Superman with Easter eggs, especially in such a short time, which readers always do enjoy. And I would probably do the same thing given the scenario. But it is also an opportunity missed. This was a chance to explore Krypton, its culture, its people and its history without looking through the lens that its Superman’s birthplace. Perhaps later down the line Venditti may very well do that, but as of now, even though I really enjoyed the issue, I just see it as a missed opportunity for Venditti to really put his own mark on Krypton as a whole and not just Catar-Ol.
Verdict
Another great issue! It’s a slower paced issue than previous issues, but it explores an important element to the entire Deathbringers arc. It also connects Hawkman to Superman’s past in a unique way that readers will enjoy. The last panel has me excited for the next few issues since it seems as if the Deathbringers arc may soon hit its climax. Overall, this title continues to be my favorite ongoing series out there… I like it so much, it almost makes me feel guilty since Hal Jordan is my favorite superhero 🙂
