Heh, funny: I mentioned Hawkworld a couple years back, and in that very same post I mention the infamously terrible Warlord #10: then in my quarter-book haul last weekend, I got another copy of Warlord #10 (if I get them all, it better open a portal to hell or something...) and today's book: from 1991, Hawkworld #16, "Brothers and Sisters" Written by John Ostrander, art and cover by Graham Nolan. I note the cover, featuring Wonder Woman clocking Hawkwoman, since I had seen it in the ads for the War of the Gods crossover, and always thought it was a Brian Bolland number.
This was the post-Crisis versions of the Hawks, and Shayera was a hardened cop, while Katar was a relative rookie she called "Peacock." Katar may not have had all the skills, but was pretty damn adept at stabbing things, as he demonstrates on a pair of shape-changers. The shape-changers had been disguised as Feds, but worked for Circe; and had approached the Thanagarian embassy (?) in the hopes of setting the Hawks on Wonder Woman, who was currently a wanted fugitive for busting some Amazons out of jail, so one could receive medical attention. The Thanagarian ambassador Klus knew they wanted Shayera for her rep, figuring she might "accidentally" kill WW. And Shayera fights hard against Diana, who doesn't want to hurt her.
Katar hits Shayera with a net, giving them a chance to hear Wonder Woman's side of the story. She admits her guilt, circumstances not withstanding, and says she will face the charges after the War of the Gods business. She had already won over Katar (who describes her as the only person he'd met who believes in American principles, and she was a Themysciran) and Shayera agrees, coming up with a way to sneak her past the cops:
Not up on the continuity, but still a perfectly charming issue, even if Wonder Woman takes most of it away from the Hawks. I don't recall a lot of the War of the Gods crossovers--in fact, I only just picked up the second or third issue from another Hastings quarter-bin a while ago! Now, if I remembered where I put it...
I only had the 3rd issue, the one where the Suicide Squad just gets absolutely slaughtered by Black Adam and his minions, and the Animal Man tie-in issue, otherwards Me neither. It didn't seem too bad, but not that good either. It definitely had potential, but just for some reason couldn't quite get there.
ReplyDeleteIn Katar's defense, that is a pretty legit question;)
I know I'm not the only one, but War of the Gods confused me. Marvel would'a done like, Greek vs. Norse, Herc vs. Thor stuff. Pretty straightforward. DC went with the Greek gods vs. their Roman counterparts...bwuh? And all that makes Wonder Woman seem, I don't know, subservient to those gods? She has to do something for Hermes this issue, and is he the boss of anything? He's the delivery guy!
ReplyDeleteExactly! Plus, for me anyways, I was never and could never really get invested into DC's pantheon of Greek and Roman gods like I could at Marvel. Even the Titans weren't worth a damn when they weren't fucking up Donna Troy's origin.
ReplyDelete