BLACK ADAM – THE JUSTICE SOCIETY FILES: HAWKMAN #1

Writer: Cavin Scott

Artist: Scott Eaton & Norm Rapmunds

Colorist: Andrew Dalhouse

what’s it about?

Long ago, Hawkman was the leader of the Justice Society, but what is he now? Still a hero or another relic in a museum? Everything changes when he finds himself haunted by not only the past, but also the vengeful spirit of a wayward thief. Will this Gentleman Ghost be the death of Hawkman or will he deliver a warning from beyond the grave? The road to Black Adam begins here.

The Good

I picked up this book as a novelty. I truly didn’t expect much as I’m presumably in the minority of fans not anxious to see Black Adam when it arrives in theaters. Like many fans I have questions about where and if Black Adam has a place within the DC Extended Universe. The Justice Society Files serve to give us a keener insight into the world we’re going to see in the movie. Hawkman is one of several Justice Society members getting a solo issue along with Dr. Fate, Atom Smasher and Cyclone.

This issue was a pleasant surprise as it serves to do something DC couldn’t do for me for the last forty years; make Hawkman interesting. We learn in this series that the Justice Society is (was?) a fully functioning team in the same world as Superman for whom we receive several references. We also get an appearance from longtime Justice Society antagonist the Gentleman Ghost as well as Intregang. I’m a sucker for a good back up story and here we get a great one starring Adrianna Tomaz aka Isis written by Bryan Q. Miller, drawn by Marco Santucci and colored by Michael Atiyeah. The art team does a wonderful job capturing the look of Hawkman and Scott does a great job bringing us into the world of Black Adam.

The Bad

For a tie-in comic release for a major Hollywood film Justice Society Files: Hawkman really delivered although it does seem to have a hyper specific audience of people who plan on seeing the film and people with an advanced knowledge of the characters within its pages. I was fully expecting the inconsistent, rushed art and writing that is characteristic of movie tiein comics but both the main and back-up stories were nicely put together. The only panel that took me out of the book is where Teth Adam does the trademark Rock eyebrow raise. My apprehension with Dwayne Johnson playing Black Adam is that his characters are often indistinguishable from his wrestling persona. I want to see a Black Adam movie, not the Rock cosplaying as Black Adam. However, this issue hooked me for sure and ultimately did what it was designed to do, get me ready for the Black Adam movie.