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Hawkworld (1989)
HAWKWORLD: BOOK ONE - FLASHZONE DC Comics
comic book
Unknown Binding
First published January 1, 1989
3 people are currently reading
11 people want to read
About the author
Timothy Truman
542 books57 followersTimothy Truman is an American writer, artist and musician. He is best known for his stories and Wild West-style comic book art, and in particular, for his work on Grimjack (with John Ostrander), Scout, and the reinvention of Jonah Hex, with Joe R. Lansdale. Truman is currently writing Conan and is an instructor at the Pennsylvania College of Art and Design.
Truman's first professional comics work was Grimjack with writer John Ostrander, for the independent comics company First Comics. Grimjack first appeared in Starslayer #10 in November 1983, before moving to his own series after issue #18 in 1984, and continued for 81 issues. Along with being a fan favorite and often imitated character, Grimjack almost single-handedly defined the "grim and gritty" action comic character archetype.
Truman has been continuously creative for more than 20 years, displaying his pulp sensitivities in his writing. In 1985, he created Scout, which was followed by Scout: War Shaman, a futuristic western. A year later, he relaunched the Hillman characters Airboy and The Heap for Eclipse Comics. He also developed The Prowler, a Shadow type character, and adapted The Spider for Eclipse. In 1991, at DC Comics he created Hawkworld, a reinvention of Hawkman. With author Joe R. Lansdale, he reinterpreted Jonah Hex as a horror western. In it, their creation of villain Edgar Autumn elicited a complaint from musician Edgar Winter. With his son, Benjamin Truman, he created A Man Named Hawken.
Truman was chosen by Dark Horse Comics to illustrate a newly completed Tarzan novel and wrote a story arc for the comic book. He also wrote virtually the entire run of Turok: Dinosaur Hunter for Valiant Comics, after David Michelinie launched the book with its first three-issue story arc and subsequently departed the series. For the defunct SF imprint of DC, Helix, he created The Black Lamb. He also worked on a typical pulp adventure Guns of the Dragon, featuring Enemy Ace and Bat Lash; and wrote Star Wars at Dark Horse Comics. While at Dark Horse Comics, he took over the writing of Conan from Kurt Busiek in 2006, and after that series ended he started Conan The Cimmerian.
Truman's startling work, Simon Girty, Renegade was a two-volume black and white graphic novel that translated the horrors and triumphs of the American settler's western frontier in a fresh, interesting light. In bold, black and white use of positive and negative space, Truman appealed to both young and old audiences in West Virginia and Pennsylvania. It was especially important for West Virginians that had been struggling against novelist Zane Grey's portrayal of Lewis Wetzel in an overly romanticized, florid light. Truman himself is an avid historian who dislikes nothing more than to see a drawing of a war using the wrong weaponry, and the second volume of his two-volume series on Simon Girty was devoted to the errors caught in his first volume.
Tecumseh! a graphic novel based on the West Virginia Outdoor Theater, is a colored graphic novel that shows the play from beginning to end. It renewed interest in the warrior in Appalachia. When asked why he used "Tecumseh" instead of "Tecumtheh" he explained he didn't want to explain to the mainstream audience the variance in spelling — the movement on pronunciation began with General William Tecumseh Sherman who came from a family that wanted to commemorate the warrior, but felt the lisping "Tecumtheh" would be unmanly.
Truman's first professional comics work was Grimjack with writer John Ostrander, for the independent comics company First Comics. Grimjack first appeared in Starslayer #10 in November 1983, before moving to his own series after issue #18 in 1984, and continued for 81 issues. Along with being a fan favorite and often imitated character, Grimjack almost single-handedly defined the "grim and gritty" action comic character archetype.
Truman has been continuously creative for more than 20 years, displaying his pulp sensitivities in his writing. In 1985, he created Scout, which was followed by Scout: War Shaman, a futuristic western. A year later, he relaunched the Hillman characters Airboy and The Heap for Eclipse Comics. He also developed The Prowler, a Shadow type character, and adapted The Spider for Eclipse. In 1991, at DC Comics he created Hawkworld, a reinvention of Hawkman. With author Joe R. Lansdale, he reinterpreted Jonah Hex as a horror western. In it, their creation of villain Edgar Autumn elicited a complaint from musician Edgar Winter. With his son, Benjamin Truman, he created A Man Named Hawken.
Truman was chosen by Dark Horse Comics to illustrate a newly completed Tarzan novel and wrote a story arc for the comic book. He also wrote virtually the entire run of Turok: Dinosaur Hunter for Valiant Comics, after David Michelinie launched the book with its first three-issue story arc and subsequently departed the series. For the defunct SF imprint of DC, Helix, he created The Black Lamb. He also worked on a typical pulp adventure Guns of the Dragon, featuring Enemy Ace and Bat Lash; and wrote Star Wars at Dark Horse Comics. While at Dark Horse Comics, he took over the writing of Conan from Kurt Busiek in 2006, and after that series ended he started Conan The Cimmerian.
Truman's startling work, Simon Girty, Renegade was a two-volume black and white graphic novel that translated the horrors and triumphs of the American settler's western frontier in a fresh, interesting light. In bold, black and white use of positive and negative space, Truman appealed to both young and old audiences in West Virginia and Pennsylvania. It was especially important for West Virginians that had been struggling against novelist Zane Grey's portrayal of Lewis Wetzel in an overly romanticized, florid light. Truman himself is an avid historian who dislikes nothing more than to see a drawing of a war using the wrong weaponry, and the second volume of his two-volume series on Simon Girty was devoted to the errors caught in his first volume.
Tecumseh! a graphic novel based on the West Virginia Outdoor Theater, is a colored graphic novel that shows the play from beginning to end. It renewed interest in the warrior in Appalachia. When asked why he used "Tecumseh" instead of "Tecumtheh" he explained he didn't want to explain to the mainstream audience the variance in spelling — the movement on pronunciation began with General William Tecumseh Sherman who came from a family that wanted to commemorate the warrior, but felt the lisping "Tecumtheh" would be unmanly.
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
January 21, 2025
Hawkworld, Book One: Flashzone
Katar Hol is a young idealist officer on the planet Thanagar, but becomes disenchanted after his unit carries out a violent raid on some off humans that are derogatorily referred to as "meat". Katar comes to terms with his own privilege having grown up amongst the elite of Thanagarian society, and the callous treatment of the wingless people and off-worlders in the slums initiates his radicalization. A hunting trip taken with Administrator Porvis Thal and his daughter Shayera serves to really open Katar's eyes as to the injustices propagated by his own people.
By its own narratives, characters and themes, Hawkworld isn't really doing anything all that unique. The finesse only comes from the world-building, wonderfully realized by Tim Truman's gorgeous artwork. The design of Thanagar and the various characters is what makes this an engaging read, and Truman is able to craft an engaging story out of relatively paper-thin characterizations. The color work by Sam Parsons really adds to Truman's compositions, providing an grimy, industrial aesthetic to the morally decayed society that is present in Hawkworld.
Katar Hol is a young idealist officer on the planet Thanagar, but becomes disenchanted after his unit carries out a violent raid on some off humans that are derogatorily referred to as "meat". Katar comes to terms with his own privilege having grown up amongst the elite of Thanagarian society, and the callous treatment of the wingless people and off-worlders in the slums initiates his radicalization. A hunting trip taken with Administrator Porvis Thal and his daughter Shayera serves to really open Katar's eyes as to the injustices propagated by his own people.
By its own narratives, characters and themes, Hawkworld isn't really doing anything all that unique. The finesse only comes from the world-building, wonderfully realized by Tim Truman's gorgeous artwork. The design of Thanagar and the various characters is what makes this an engaging read, and Truman is able to craft an engaging story out of relatively paper-thin characterizations. The color work by Sam Parsons really adds to Truman's compositions, providing an grimy, industrial aesthetic to the morally decayed society that is present in Hawkworld.
October 16, 2020
On the planet Thanagar the privileged noble Katar Hol joins the law enforcement Wingmen Division and discovers a very different side of life among the poor and desperate denizens of Downside.
This book represents one of the many attempts to revise and revamp the character of Hawkman following the 'Crisis on Infinite Earths' (by Marv Wolfman), giving him a clear origin as a police officer on a divided alien world.
Now, I can't claim to have ever been a Hawkman fan and I found that this definitely wasn't the book to win me over.
There's very little subtlety and nuance to what we're offered here, with the 'rich and privileged rookie getting a sharp lesson in the real world' story being pretty cliche.
Also, this short book is the first of a three part miniseries, so nothing substantial gets developed or resolved here, meaning that unless it grabs you enough to keep you reading the subsequent volumes it'll prove disappointing. It certainly didn't grab me.
* More reviews here: https://fsfh-book-review2.webnode.com/ *
This book represents one of the many attempts to revise and revamp the character of Hawkman following the 'Crisis on Infinite Earths' (by Marv Wolfman), giving him a clear origin as a police officer on a divided alien world.
Now, I can't claim to have ever been a Hawkman fan and I found that this definitely wasn't the book to win me over.
There's very little subtlety and nuance to what we're offered here, with the 'rich and privileged rookie getting a sharp lesson in the real world' story being pretty cliche.
Also, this short book is the first of a three part miniseries, so nothing substantial gets developed or resolved here, meaning that unless it grabs you enough to keep you reading the subsequent volumes it'll prove disappointing. It certainly didn't grab me.
* More reviews here: https://fsfh-book-review2.webnode.com/ *
July 14, 2022
Comienzo muy interesante. Lo que lo vuelve atractivo es, sobre todo, el impresionante arte de Alcatena.
June 30, 2018
Edición española, libro 1 de 3.
Want to read
January 13, 2016Edición española en formato prestige en tres tomos.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews