The Hawkman Archives, Vol. 1

Hawkman Archives #1

by Gardner Francis Fox, Joe Kubert (Illustrator), Murphy Anderson (Illustrator)

The first Silver Age adventures of Hawkman and Hawkgirl are reprinted in a stunning Archive edition! Reprinting the Hawkman stories from THE BRAVE AND THE BOLD #34-36, #42-44 and MYSTERY IN SPACE #87-89, this volume also includes the heroes' team-up with the spacefaring Adam Strange from MYSTERY IN SPACE #90.

Genres: Comics, Superheroes, Graphic Novels, Fiction, Science Fiction

240 pages, Hardcover

First published May 1, 2000

About the author

Gardner Francis Cooper Fox was an American writer known best for creating numerous comic book characters for DC Comics. Comic book historians estimate that he wrote more than 4,000 comics stories, including 1,500 for DC Comics.
Fox is known as the co-creator of DC Comics heroes the Flash, Hawkman, Doctor Fate and the original Sandman, and was the writer who first teamed those and other heroes as the Justice Society of America. Fox introduced the concept of the Multiverse to DC Comics in the 1961 story "Flash of Two Worlds!"

Pseudonyms: Gardner F. Fox, Jefferson Cooper, Bart Sommers, Paul Dean, Ray Gardner, Lynna Cooper, Rod Gray, Larry Dean, Robert Starr, Don Blake, Ed Blake, Warner Blake, Michael Blake, Tex Blane, Willis Blane, Ed Carlisle, Edgar Weston, Tex Slade, Eddie Duane, Simon Majors, James Kendricks, Troy Conway, Kevin Matthews, Glen Chase

Reviews

[Dan · Rating 3 out of 5]

This collects the Hawkman stories from The Brave and the Bold #34-#36, #42-44, and Mystery in Space #87-90. Gardner Fox writes the stories. Joe Kubert does the art on the Brave and the Bold issues and Carmine Infantino do the art on the Mystery in Space.

First off, I respect Gardner Fox in the great pantheon of creators but I'm never excited to read one of his stories. There were some interesting bits but the plots were pretty forgettable, honestly. I did like the Manhawks, though.

I bought this for the Joe Kubert art and I was definitely not disappointed on that score. Joe went above and beyond the material he was given. Murph and Carmine did a good job on the other issues too. I'd say this was worth reading just for the Joe Kubert art.

[Scott · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of the better volumes of 1960s DC archives: Kubert's artwork has something edgy about it that I can't describe, and Fox's writing is at his peak. The Murphy Anderson illustrations pale beside Kubert's, but are still of excellent quality, just look more like standard DC fare of the period. Much of what is great about Ostrander's Hawkworld has its roots here, and the way the characters went back and forth between Earth and Thanagar so early in the run is impressive, even if their motivation for remaining on Earth after capturing Byth seems a bit forced. The final story in the volume is a team-up with Adam Strange, who makes a guest appearance in an earlier story, though it's kind of a shame the stone's back story is left to a different volume (I assume Adam Strange vol. 3, which I have yet to read). Surprisingly, there is no hint of the later antagonism that would occur between Rann and Thanagar in later years.

[Nicolas · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm glad I picked this up. It was unusual with a cool sci-fi spin. The costume looks real dumb without the helmet wings though.

We discussed this book over on Howe's Things. https://soundcloud.com/allthebooks/co...

[Brent · Rating 4 out of 5]

I always loved the artwork in these stories by Joe Kubert and Murphy Anderson, more so since Kubert's recent death. I forget if I ever read the run-of-the-mill team-up of the Hawks with Adam Strange in Mystery in Space #90. What's special about it, though I loved the formula for Adam Strange's adventures on the planet Rann... is great art by Carmine Infantino inked by Murphy Anderson. I've been enjoying the craft of Gardner Fox's script's, his introduction of characters in brief outline, and those splash pages that recapitulate the story in miniature.
I also love the quirkiness that Fox made his protagonists museum professionals (on earth) and police (in space), like he made other heroes of archaeologists (Adam Strange, Dr. Fate.) i understand Fox had a law degree, but I always appreciate his science fiction tinged writing for comics.
Here's to you gentlemen, to your memory, and to Murphy Anderson, still out there.
Highly recommended.
Thank you, Atlanta-Fulton Public Library.

[Robert · Rating 3 out of 5]

Early adventures of the Winged Warriors from Thanagar.

[J · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Silver Age revival of Hawkman, collecting his try-out issues in Brave and the Bold, and his short run in Mystery in Space. Writer Gardner Fox seemed to be all over Silver Age DC. Having written the Golden Age Hawkman, it was probably a good choice. Unlike the GA Hawkman, whose origin was surrounded by magic, this new Hawkman is instead a police officer from another planet, come to Earth to capture a thief from his home world. Eventually, Hawkman, joined by his wife, Hawkgirl, stay on Earth to study our police methods. Using a lot of ancient weapons, the Hawks do battle with all sorts of criminals, occasionally using their alien technology to help solve the crimes.

Poor Hawkgirl is in every story and is just as important a character as her husband, but she never receives equal billing with him. Although she is also a police officer, once on Earth she is shown doing all sorts of wifely duties, like serving him coffee in a frilly apron - the very picture of Silver Age domesticity.

Most of the art is done by Joe Kubert, who was most commonly seen drawing war stories. His scratchy art, which I love, works here because the Hawks are not your typical super-heroes in spandex. He has a good grasp of what alien technology was thought to have looked like in the 1960s, and he can certainly draw monsters and alien creatures with enough spooky verve. Murphy Anderson takes over when Hawkman shows up in Mystery in Space, and although very different stylistically, his smooth and fine art still works well with the duo.

Most of the villains are rather ho-hum, but the dispatch of them is quite good. Fox delivers an interesting foil for the Hawks in their civilian identities with Mavis Trent, who works at the museum the Hawks run. She is enamored of both Hawkman and Carter Hall, and although she never gets to Lois Lane level of silliness when running after him, provides some rather nice comic relief to these stories.

Recommneded if you're a Hawkman fan.