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Nighthawk (2016) (Single Issues) #1-6
Nighthawk: Hate Makes Hate
Straight from the pages of SQUADRON SUPREME comes one of the most brutal super heroes of the Marvel Universe. Nighthawk is Chicago's dark protector, dispensing swift, decisive justice to those that truly deserve it. When the city's shadiest power brokers turn up murdered in gristly ways, the apparent work of an inventive serial killer, Nighthawk must ask himself, Does this predator deserve to be caught? Who is the killer? What is he after? What does he want from Nighthawk? To answer these questions, Nighthawk must fi rst look in the mirror.
COLLECTING: NIGHTHAWK 1-6
COLLECTING: NIGHTHAWK 1-6
136 pages, Paperback
First published January 10, 2017
3 people are currently reading
175 people want to read
About the author
David F. Walker
293 books280 followersDavid F. Walker is a writer, filmmaker, and award-winning journalist. He teaches Writing For Comics at Portland State University.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 44 reviews
December 1, 2017
A serial killer is targeting Chicago's worst and most racist high profile citizens. Nighthawk contemplates if he should intervene.
Meanwhile Nighthawk protects Chicago from itself and those who intend to arm the people to murder one another.
First I want to say I'm absolutely amazed Marvel comics published this volume of Nighthawk at all and I'm not surprised it only lasted 6 issues. David F. Walker pulled no punches and stepped deeply into the problems facing Chicago. He covers police brutality,
illegal weapons,
gun violence,
gangs, and the possibility that perhaps it's simply best to let Chicago burn.
The undertaking of discussing these massive issues in a comic book is immense yet all sides are shown. The issue shows good and bad people in all walks of life along with those with questionable actions like Nighthawk himself.
This version of Nighthawk as always reminds me of a deadly version of Batman. In this comic I felt as though he was clearly a mixture of Batman and the Punisher. Nighthawk like Batman has a command center, someone to assist him from afar, and a slew of expensive high tech gadgets. He's like Punisher in that when he has the opportunity to end a problem he ends it instantly rather than providing it an opportunity to strike again.
It was interesting to see Nighthawk deliberate over how to handle the serial killer taking out Chicago's worst. Nighthawk seemed a wee bit hypocritical in that he went after the serial killer even though he himself killed similar people for similar reasons. I guess the difference is that Nighthawk never went out of his way to kill someone, he only killed those trying to kill him first.
Nighthawk is not for the faint of heart, but it's a good volume for those who enjoy real life political problems in a comic book world.
Meanwhile Nighthawk protects Chicago from itself and those who intend to arm the people to murder one another.
First I want to say I'm absolutely amazed Marvel comics published this volume of Nighthawk at all and I'm not surprised it only lasted 6 issues. David F. Walker pulled no punches and stepped deeply into the problems facing Chicago. He covers police brutality,
illegal weapons,
gun violence,
gangs, and the possibility that perhaps it's simply best to let Chicago burn.
The undertaking of discussing these massive issues in a comic book is immense yet all sides are shown. The issue shows good and bad people in all walks of life along with those with questionable actions like Nighthawk himself.
This version of Nighthawk as always reminds me of a deadly version of Batman. In this comic I felt as though he was clearly a mixture of Batman and the Punisher. Nighthawk like Batman has a command center, someone to assist him from afar, and a slew of expensive high tech gadgets. He's like Punisher in that when he has the opportunity to end a problem he ends it instantly rather than providing it an opportunity to strike again.
It was interesting to see Nighthawk deliberate over how to handle the serial killer taking out Chicago's worst. Nighthawk seemed a wee bit hypocritical in that he went after the serial killer even though he himself killed similar people for similar reasons. I guess the difference is that Nighthawk never went out of his way to kill someone, he only killed those trying to kill him first.
Nighthawk is not for the faint of heart, but it's a good volume for those who enjoy real life political problems in a comic book world.
July 9, 2017
I know people don't like to get political. It scares them. That's fine. I thought the same growing up too. I never liked to talk about it because people get nasty about it. But I always used music and comics as a outlet, and damn near every comic/artist used music as their outlet to help express their views. Some I agreed with, some not so much. What I always found amazing was the fact they even took the RISK to do so. To alienate a fan from their work because of their views. It made me think "Oh I'd never speak up. I don't want people to hate me." But I learned the older I got that it's okay. If someone HATES me because of my views I shouldn't care what they think in the first place.
Why am I bringing this all up? Because Nighthawk is a comic that bases its first arc largely around Police, police brutality to be exact, but also a overarching message of going too far to justify the means. It's actually a pretty important message and I think David handles it very well. I thought Powerman and Ironfist was a surprise hit so I was excited to try this one. I'm glad I did.
Nighthawk is very similar to Batman in terms of what he could do. He has a few gadgets but his main power is whooping your ass if you piss him off. He has no magical powers (that I know of) just him and a sidekick to help him out over the phone line (or headset.) The story focuses on two things. Police brutality which is one storyline, and a serial killer out there murdering cops/white power members for their past actions. As it progresses they collide which brings Nighthawk into a odd mix of what to do to handle both.
What I liked: The art is pretty solid. Reminds me a lot of Powerman and Ironfist or Hawkeye. Everything flowed smoothly and was pretty easy to follow. I liked Nightshade as well (Old Cap villain) as she's the one feeding him information. Throughout she helps and doesn't feel like a useless add on. I also enjoyed that our hero was always on the line of who to hurt (or kill) and that he had no problem taking a life of people who deserved it but wouldn't just let the Serial killer murder families and such for the action of one person. However, it was nice to see the divide and similarities between em.
What I didn't like: Sometimes the issues talked about in politics today can feel a little heavy handed here. Or well, hamfisted (is that right?) and I knew what David was saying without just plainly saying it. Also the ending is anti-climatic and it makes you said this one got canned.
Overall I think Nighthawk is important. Even if you don't like it, or even if you hate the message because it collides with your view points, I think it's important to encourage a artist/writer to push on with what they love and to do it with love. David obviously cared about these characters and this story to tell and that to me is very respectful. He just happened to also write a really solid story with it. A 3.5 but I'll round it up to a 4!
Why am I bringing this all up? Because Nighthawk is a comic that bases its first arc largely around Police, police brutality to be exact, but also a overarching message of going too far to justify the means. It's actually a pretty important message and I think David handles it very well. I thought Powerman and Ironfist was a surprise hit so I was excited to try this one. I'm glad I did.
Nighthawk is very similar to Batman in terms of what he could do. He has a few gadgets but his main power is whooping your ass if you piss him off. He has no magical powers (that I know of) just him and a sidekick to help him out over the phone line (or headset.) The story focuses on two things. Police brutality which is one storyline, and a serial killer out there murdering cops/white power members for their past actions. As it progresses they collide which brings Nighthawk into a odd mix of what to do to handle both.
What I liked: The art is pretty solid. Reminds me a lot of Powerman and Ironfist or Hawkeye. Everything flowed smoothly and was pretty easy to follow. I liked Nightshade as well (Old Cap villain) as she's the one feeding him information. Throughout she helps and doesn't feel like a useless add on. I also enjoyed that our hero was always on the line of who to hurt (or kill) and that he had no problem taking a life of people who deserved it but wouldn't just let the Serial killer murder families and such for the action of one person. However, it was nice to see the divide and similarities between em.
What I didn't like: Sometimes the issues talked about in politics today can feel a little heavy handed here. Or well, hamfisted (is that right?) and I knew what David was saying without just plainly saying it. Also the ending is anti-climatic and it makes you said this one got canned.
Overall I think Nighthawk is important. Even if you don't like it, or even if you hate the message because it collides with your view points, I think it's important to encourage a artist/writer to push on with what they love and to do it with love. David obviously cared about these characters and this story to tell and that to me is very respectful. He just happened to also write a really solid story with it. A 3.5 but I'll round it up to a 4!
November 29, 2017
This is the United Nations International Decade for People of African Descent.
I would also urge people to look up the Report of the Working Group of Experts on People of
African Descent on its mission to the United States of America for some good background information on the setting of this series.
See, when this book got cancelled, I knew then that Civil War II was an evil thing.
This book is amazing and ballsy in just about everything it did. I am going to read Supreme Power: Nighthawk just so I can get a taste of the source material. But this guy is the hero we truly deserve in these times. I knew because of the nature of this book that it would not last long, but I can only hold out hope for a sequel that is as radical and honest about, crime, race, and what is really going down in Chicago as this masterpiece is.
I would also urge people to look up the Report of the Working Group of Experts on People of
African Descent on its mission to the United States of America for some good background information on the setting of this series.
See, when this book got cancelled, I knew then that Civil War II was an evil thing.
This book is amazing and ballsy in just about everything it did. I am going to read Supreme Power: Nighthawk just so I can get a taste of the source material. But this guy is the hero we truly deserve in these times. I knew because of the nature of this book that it would not last long, but I can only hold out hope for a sequel that is as radical and honest about, crime, race, and what is really going down in Chicago as this masterpiece is.
Read
May 12, 2017A de facto miniseries for the Supreme Power survivor premised on the question: what if Bruce Wayne had been a black kid whose parents got murdered by white supremacists? Well, first off, he'd be considerably less #alllivesmatter, and indeed there are cheering scenes here right from the first issue where, unlike Batman giving the Joker CPR to ensure he can carry on murdering innocents, Nighthawk blows up a warehouse with a bunch of wounded Nazis inside. Good lad. However, this does make for a problem at the heart of the story. One of the villains is a serial killer, the Revelator, who's going after cops who got away with shooting unarmed black kids and other victims who won't exactly be on Nighthawk's Christmas card list either. Now, normally if you were doing a similar story with Daredevil and the Punisher, or Batman and the Huntress, or whoever, the angle would still be clear - 'We don't kill, this is sinking to their level, let the system do its job in spite of the fact I am telling you this while engaged in masked vigilantism'. But Nighthawk does kill, and he knows the system doesn't work, so I never got a real sense of why he wasn't just patting the Revelator on the back and offering him a few hints. There are a few mutterings about it contributing to tension in the city and the possibility of riots, but surely that goes for Nighthawk's actions too? A frustrating gap in an otherwise taut story. Still, it supports my theory that while all of comics' many Superman analogues, even Supreme, are less good than their flawless original, pretty much all the Batman stand-ins improve on theirs. Yes, even the original Owlman - come on, he had 'Why are you hitting yourself?' powers, who could fail to love that?
November 7, 2016
Like Hyperion I elected to wait until the series was finished to read this. Nothing against the book, but as soon as I read that it was cancelled, I figured I might as well binge read the thing.
Walker tries to add social relevance, and a social conscious, to Nighthawk. However, I think Walker just misses the mark (though he does much better than Coates does with the Black Panther). As Raymond Kane Nighthawk is balancing how to use his money and connections to make Chicago's disadvantaged areas better. While as Nighthawk he fights an inner battle between being a crime fighter and releasing his rage against those whom he feels abuse their power.
All of the above raises some good character and story telling points. Unfortunately, I think Walker would have needed more than the six issues he was given to realize those points. Plus, the need to write for trade nowadays sticks the reader with a serial killer story that was more of a distraction than a compelling story.
At times Nighthawk's penchant for violence, and frankly being a Batman pastiche, the level of violence at times reminded me of the early days of Jim Valentino's Shadowhawk (this is meant more as a comparison and not a commentary on the violence). I don't think Walker's violence is gratuitous but it may not be for everyone.
Walker tries to add social relevance, and a social conscious, to Nighthawk. However, I think Walker just misses the mark (though he does much better than Coates does with the Black Panther). As Raymond Kane Nighthawk is balancing how to use his money and connections to make Chicago's disadvantaged areas better. While as Nighthawk he fights an inner battle between being a crime fighter and releasing his rage against those whom he feels abuse their power.
All of the above raises some good character and story telling points. Unfortunately, I think Walker would have needed more than the six issues he was given to realize those points. Plus, the need to write for trade nowadays sticks the reader with a serial killer story that was more of a distraction than a compelling story.
At times Nighthawk's penchant for violence, and frankly being a Batman pastiche, the level of violence at times reminded me of the early days of Jim Valentino's Shadowhawk (this is meant more as a comparison and not a commentary on the violence). I don't think Walker's violence is gratuitous but it may not be for everyone.
February 10, 2017
3 3/4 stars
September 30, 2018
David Walker tackles the superheroes but in the real world with Nighthawk. Nighthawk has always been considered a ersatz Batman (but Black!), but Walker places him in the corrupt and racially divided Chicago. In this Marvel alternative universe Chicago, Walker and Nighthawk address police brutality, corruption, gentrification, and neo-nazi groups with violence. They take real life examples and either alludes to them (kids-for-cash judge, slumlords that slowly kill the poor with lead paint, and police brutality). It's all the better (or worse) that there's a serial killer who targets the same people except he brutally kills and mutilates them in their own homes. As Nighthawk's "man in the chair" Tilda "Nightshade" Johnson, who was a former Captain America villain, points out that that this guy has the same targets as Nighthawk, but just different methods. I mean, Nighthawk kills as warehouse full of weapons dealing neo-nazis, so it's not that different.
There is also the thematic threat the collection refers to in the subtitle "Hate Makes Hate" is never fully dealt with because there's a recurring reference to his mother warning against hate consuming a person, but the collection closes on the six issues and the series was not picked up for longer.
I enjoyed the cover art by Denys Cowan, Bill Sienkiewicz and Chris Sotomayor. They're in the consistent and darkly evocative style that calls on the grittiness and darkness of this violence collection. Ramon Villalobos and Martin Morazzo both draw in the Frank Quietly-style of lots of stipple and linework and the faces are elongated, especially down to the two female characters who have the same face despite different hair and races. It adds to the fight scenes and there are some great layouts like the cut-out get-away van in issue 2 and the two page 4 x 4 layout of the final battle and the 3 x 3 denouement on the last page.
There is also the thematic threat the collection refers to in the subtitle "Hate Makes Hate" is never fully dealt with because there's a recurring reference to his mother warning against hate consuming a person, but the collection closes on the six issues and the series was not picked up for longer.
I enjoyed the cover art by Denys Cowan, Bill Sienkiewicz and Chris Sotomayor. They're in the consistent and darkly evocative style that calls on the grittiness and darkness of this violence collection. Ramon Villalobos and Martin Morazzo both draw in the Frank Quietly-style of lots of stipple and linework and the faces are elongated, especially down to the two female characters who have the same face despite different hair and races. It adds to the fight scenes and there are some great layouts like the cut-out get-away van in issue 2 and the two page 4 x 4 layout of the final battle and the 3 x 3 denouement on the last page.
Read
March 23, 2017Wow, Marvel canceled this before I even realized it existed. A shame, really :(
This is a gritty and brutal comic. There's a lot of graphic violence (I mean it!), and not just because one half of the plot involves chasing down a serial killer. There is police violence, neo-Nazis, slumlords, anti-Blackness. This series doesn't pull its punches, which is probably why it got canceled. I wasn't a fan of Walker's Cyborg with DC, but this one worked for me.
While we're at the whole punches thing, this has some of the most satisfying fight scenes in the past few years. The fighting feels like fighting, not like weird contorted superhero ballet. There is also a surprising amount of plot packed into 6 short issues. I would definitely have read more...
This is a gritty and brutal comic. There's a lot of graphic violence (I mean it!), and not just because one half of the plot involves chasing down a serial killer. There is police violence, neo-Nazis, slumlords, anti-Blackness. This series doesn't pull its punches, which is probably why it got canceled. I wasn't a fan of Walker's Cyborg with DC, but this one worked for me.
While we're at the whole punches thing, this has some of the most satisfying fight scenes in the past few years. The fighting feels like fighting, not like weird contorted superhero ballet. There is also a surprising amount of plot packed into 6 short issues. I would definitely have read more...
February 7, 2019
A really solid use of violence as a reaction to the current political climate with a villain who is just a little further along the spectrum than the hero. Nighthawk is, as has been observed elsewhere, Black Batman, and Walker does a great job of highlighting reasons his characters would have to feel as angry as they do and listening to Native Son at the exact same time as reading this, it's obvious how much hasn't changed in the last 80 years.
October 26, 2020
Right out the gate I was happy. Vigilante who kills? Fuck yeah.
Then it was all down hill. The badguy was tame; he was basically a Punisher esque vigilante, so I wasn’t particularly passionate about Nighthawk catching him. Furthermore, Nighthawks costume is fucking stupid.
This didn’t go anywhere interesting. The drama was minimal, and the moments of action had very little meaning.
Even just 6 issues seemed too much for this boring series.
Then it was all down hill. The badguy was tame; he was basically a Punisher esque vigilante, so I wasn’t particularly passionate about Nighthawk catching him. Furthermore, Nighthawks costume is fucking stupid.
This didn’t go anywhere interesting. The drama was minimal, and the moments of action had very little meaning.
Even just 6 issues seemed too much for this boring series.
February 27, 2019
Wow. This is probably like therapy in graphic novel form, working through rage over villains who unfortunately are too real for comic book panels. I knew where it was headed, but that didn’t blunt the impact of this jarring and powerful work. It’s unsettling, but not unnecessarily so. It’s an honest and necessary work, anger and all.
December 31, 2025
I liked this comic a lot. It’s depressingly as relevant today as it was when it was written, probably even more so.
The ending was a bit rushed, but since it was cancelled, that’s hardly surprising.
The ending was a bit rushed, but since it was cancelled, that’s hardly surprising.
October 30, 2016
I was incredibly excited for this comic as David Walker (Power Man and Iron Fist) is one of my favorite current Marvel writers and Ramon Villalobos (E is for Extinction) is an incredible artist from the Frank Quitely school. This book exceeded all my expectations and it's a tragedy it only got 6 issues.
Nighthawk is a Batman analogue who's filled many niches in the Marvel Universe since his creation in 1969. This particular take on Nighthawk is the most interesting and dates back to the mid-2000s J. Michael Straczynski series Supreme Power (side note: That Nighthawk was in an alternate universe but he was deposited in the main Marvel Universe after the events of Secret Wars. So he changed his name from Kyle Richmond to Raymond Kane in order to prevent confusion with the main Marvel Universe's Nighthawk. COMICS EVERYONE!)
Like Batman, Nighthawk is actually a wealthy madman named Raymond Kane who puts on a suit and beats the shit out of criminals. Unlike Batman, Raymond Kane is a black man in Chicago who fights white supremacists, crooked racist cops and a Donald Trump stand-in. And his Alfred/Robin figure is a black woman named Nightshade who is a former Captain America villain.
It's an incredible if all to brief story and Villalobos draws some of most physical and inventive fight scenes I've seen. Really, my only criticism is that Villalobos didn't draw the whole thing. Martín Morazzo fills in on issues 3 & 5. He does a decent job of working in Villalobos's style, but it's just not the same.
Nighthawk is a Batman analogue who's filled many niches in the Marvel Universe since his creation in 1969. This particular take on Nighthawk is the most interesting and dates back to the mid-2000s J. Michael Straczynski series Supreme Power (side note: That Nighthawk was in an alternate universe but he was deposited in the main Marvel Universe after the events of Secret Wars. So he changed his name from Kyle Richmond to Raymond Kane in order to prevent confusion with the main Marvel Universe's Nighthawk. COMICS EVERYONE!)
Like Batman, Nighthawk is actually a wealthy madman named Raymond Kane who puts on a suit and beats the shit out of criminals. Unlike Batman, Raymond Kane is a black man in Chicago who fights white supremacists, crooked racist cops and a Donald Trump stand-in. And his Alfred/Robin figure is a black woman named Nightshade who is a former Captain America villain.
It's an incredible if all to brief story and Villalobos draws some of most physical and inventive fight scenes I've seen. Really, my only criticism is that Villalobos didn't draw the whole thing. Martín Morazzo fills in on issues 3 & 5. He does a decent job of working in Villalobos's style, but it's just not the same.
January 3, 2021
I have mixed feelings about this one. I'm 100% on board with the intent, but not so much the execution.
Superheroes, originally, were metaphors for the times where we want to help but can't. Superman is the big things, like plane crashes or major earthquakes, and part of you thinks "If only I had been there, I could have done something," but, really, what could you have done? Batman is the need for justice when the police or judges can be bought by organized crime, or maybe there's just too much red tape for them to be effective.
So what would modern superheroes be doing? Well, someone would be fighting for justice for all of the crimes committed against black people in America, that's for sure.
And that's what Nighthawk is doing. He's fighting against white supremicists and corrupt cops. He is NOT fighting ALL cops, or all white people, and he's not letting black criminals walk away. But he is working in the gray area of racial tensions.
Conceptually, this is the book I was looking for, because this is what a superhero should be doing. But I hated the artwork. I didn't like the banter between Nighthawk and his assistant. The story is set up like there's a big reveal for who the serial killer is, but there isn't. This piece might start conversations, but it isn't actually making a statement. It just falls flat.
Superheroes, originally, were metaphors for the times where we want to help but can't. Superman is the big things, like plane crashes or major earthquakes, and part of you thinks "If only I had been there, I could have done something," but, really, what could you have done? Batman is the need for justice when the police or judges can be bought by organized crime, or maybe there's just too much red tape for them to be effective.
So what would modern superheroes be doing? Well, someone would be fighting for justice for all of the crimes committed against black people in America, that's for sure.
And that's what Nighthawk is doing. He's fighting against white supremicists and corrupt cops. He is NOT fighting ALL cops, or all white people, and he's not letting black criminals walk away. But he is working in the gray area of racial tensions.
Conceptually, this is the book I was looking for, because this is what a superhero should be doing. But I hated the artwork. I didn't like the banter between Nighthawk and his assistant. The story is set up like there's a big reveal for who the serial killer is, but there isn't. This piece might start conversations, but it isn't actually making a statement. It just falls flat.
June 21, 2017
I don't like really like this super violent and seemingly bloodthirsty version of Batman (and let's be honest, this is exactly what this Nighthawk is), but I understand why he exists, and more importantly, why he needs to exist. Regardless of the goofier aspects of superhero narratives, this seems to me a pretty realistic portrayal of what a person might do if his people were on the receiving end of non-stop systemic violence and oppression. How that anger might manifest. I'm not smart enough to properly discuss this, but it feels right, it feels real, even though I don't like it.
Onto more ridiculous discussion points: why is Nighthawk using Goblin Gliders? Did he buy them in bulk at Costco and outfit them with owl accoutrements? Also, why is Nighthawk now at Oracle, Inc.? Last time I saw this company was in the Heroes for Hire comic from the late 90s when it was owned by Namor, led by Jim Hammond, and bankrolling Iron Fist and gang. And finally, just how did Tilda Johnson, the awesome robotics expert/reformed criminal Nightshade who fought Captain America a few times come to be Nighthawk's mission control? Enquiring minds etc.
Onto more ridiculous discussion points: why is Nighthawk using Goblin Gliders? Did he buy them in bulk at Costco and outfit them with owl accoutrements? Also, why is Nighthawk now at Oracle, Inc.? Last time I saw this company was in the Heroes for Hire comic from the late 90s when it was owned by Namor, led by Jim Hammond, and bankrolling Iron Fist and gang. And finally, just how did Tilda Johnson, the awesome robotics expert/reformed criminal Nightshade who fought Captain America a few times come to be Nighthawk's mission control? Enquiring minds etc.
November 16, 2019
I wanted this to be much, much better. Captain America is mentioned once (apparently Nighthawk's techie dispatcher, akin to Oracle in the Bat-verse but much more angsty and sassy, once fought him when she was a super-criminal), but otherwise, this book seems to take place outside the rest of Marvel continuity. Obviously it hits lots of real-world issues on the head (or the nose) concerning anti-black police brutality, white supremacist violent neo-nazi gangs being endorsed privately by gov't figures in power, and gentrification. When I started it, I thought Nighthawk was going to be a Marvel analogue of a Black Batman ... if Batman also had no qualms about brutally slaughtering every bad guy he crossed paths with. Ultimately, it's a violent revenge fantasy story and not much more. Characters each have just one character trait or motive that guides everything they do, and there's not much nuance or exploration of the multitude of tools available in the fights for and against racial equity.
May 30, 2020
No wonder Marvel cancelled the series quickly; you don't see the kind of themes Walker deals with on mainstream superhero books.
It goes without saying that sadly a book like this will remain timely, but it must recognized how good Walker was at managing superhero comics and racial themes; you can tell that despite editorial involvement, this is a book that is upfront about how it wants to touch the many issues that the USA still has regarding race and how the justice system treats African-American people.
Villalobos' art is also great; it has a unique style that works perfectly with the violence of the book (it does some pretty grim stuff) and Bonvillain's colors are a perfect match for his art.
Sadly, as the book was cancelled while issue 4 was being written, the ending feels a bit rushed, it's a shame that Marvel didn't let this team develop the character and themes fully, but at least we have this comic as a rare gem that shows how you can deal with serious issues within a superhero comic book.
It goes without saying that sadly a book like this will remain timely, but it must recognized how good Walker was at managing superhero comics and racial themes; you can tell that despite editorial involvement, this is a book that is upfront about how it wants to touch the many issues that the USA still has regarding race and how the justice system treats African-American people.
Villalobos' art is also great; it has a unique style that works perfectly with the violence of the book (it does some pretty grim stuff) and Bonvillain's colors are a perfect match for his art.
Sadly, as the book was cancelled while issue 4 was being written, the ending feels a bit rushed, it's a shame that Marvel didn't let this team develop the character and themes fully, but at least we have this comic as a rare gem that shows how you can deal with serious issues within a superhero comic book.
May 6, 2017
I was not a fan of JMS' take on Squadron Supreme with Supreme Power. I don't care for David Walker's run on Power Man and Iron Fist. And Deadly Nightshade as a reformed villain... Meh. So a Nighthawk series written by David Walker was not on my radar. But after a few recommendations I gave it a shot.
It's a little uncomfortable starting this book with the murder of teenage Jordan Edwards by a cop. Because this book deals with a villain who is killing white men who got away with committing crimes against the black community, including a cop who killed a black man. And you have Nighthawk going up against white supremacists (no not ULTIMATUM). And I felt it was handled well. Nighthawk is not shown in a heroic light, and neither is Revelator (did we run out of names?). It's not preachy, and it's not heavy handed either. It's a good read, I wish it were an ongoing series but I'll settle for a solid mini series.
It's a little uncomfortable starting this book with the murder of teenage Jordan Edwards by a cop. Because this book deals with a villain who is killing white men who got away with committing crimes against the black community, including a cop who killed a black man. And you have Nighthawk going up against white supremacists (no not ULTIMATUM). And I felt it was handled well. Nighthawk is not shown in a heroic light, and neither is Revelator (did we run out of names?). It's not preachy, and it's not heavy handed either. It's a good read, I wish it were an ongoing series but I'll settle for a solid mini series.
December 2, 2025
A really good story for Batman expy Nighthawk, as he tries to manage the race riots ripping through Chicago after another cop gets off scot-free for killing a black person, while simultaneously looking for a serial killer who kills white people that have done injustices to black people. There’s a lot of questioning of where the line is between Nighthawk’s own brutal vigilante justice and what the serial killer is doing—presumably, if this had been a series for more than 6 issues, Walker would’ve examined this more. It doesn’t really get a cap besides “sometimes you do what has to be done for the good of people”. Fair enough! Regardless, it’s a thrilling story with some good art by Villalobos and Morazzo, kept consistent by the colorist, with fun action and panel layouts that manage the pace well. The final fight is excellent, filling a two page spread with tiny squares to get every beat.
February 3, 2019
Tough, gritty, sociopolitically-charged, an angry black vigilante who squares off against police corruption as much as he does urban crime, an anti-hero who walks the line between Batman's cop- judge-and-jury style of justice and Frank Castle's straight-up executioner. Yes, NIghthawk has little to no compunction about killing as long as the bad guys take aim first (usually). The social commentary isn't subtle but it doesn't need to be. Walker's writing is sharp, acerbic, his characters pop so much I can't help wanting to cast them in my head, and this would indeed make a terrific streaming series on Amazon or Netflix or Hulu. Shame it wasn't a hit because it's challenging, powerful, far from the bog-standard stuff. I'm pleased whenever one of the Big Two gives a platform to more diverse voices and I can't wait to read more from Walker.
March 1, 2020
It's not surprising that this book got canceled after only six issues, but it is somewhat surprising that it even got published at Marvel. I don't know all of Nighthawk's backstory from the Squadron Supreme, but that's not necessary to read this book. Nighthawk is a vigilante operating in Chicago. He doesn't have superpowers, but like Batman, relies on his suit and tech to gain an advantage over his antagonists. His antagonists include white supremacists and cops who hurt unarmed black teenagers, and his ultimate antagonist is a real estate developer who actually says "make America great again" (the series ran in 2016 but before the November election). It's a tough book to read at times because of the violence, but it asks a lot of hard moral questions about how to fight injustice and what boundaries can or cannot be crossed.
October 21, 2017
Not to be alarmist or accelerationist--but this has the edge that I was expecting Ta-Nehisi Coates Black Panther to have.
This is sometime that has more of a social edge--with "beautiful violence".
Years ago--Supreme Power was poised to be similar to Marvel's MAX's version of Wildstorm cum Ultimates, with JMS, Gary Frank, Howard Chaykin and others writing a "real world story".
Daniel Way's Supreme Power: Nighthawk rattled me. This was a Batman with his balls back. Hardlined--an insane clown fighting a genuine vigilante that would kill you.
...spines were ripped out.
This newest version if from the Marvel Now! Initiative, a perhaps unsubtle attempt to bring diversity to the Marvel U. It really never bothered me--because it let to interesting stories like this one.
This is sometime that has more of a social edge--with "beautiful violence".
Years ago--Supreme Power was poised to be similar to Marvel's MAX's version of Wildstorm cum Ultimates, with JMS, Gary Frank, Howard Chaykin and others writing a "real world story".
Daniel Way's Supreme Power: Nighthawk rattled me. This was a Batman with his balls back. Hardlined--an insane clown fighting a genuine vigilante that would kill you.
...spines were ripped out.
This newest version if from the Marvel Now! Initiative, a perhaps unsubtle attempt to bring diversity to the Marvel U. It really never bothered me--because it let to interesting stories like this one.
June 20, 2020
A black Batman/Punisher type hero fighting gentrification, a race war fueled by white supremacists in league with the police, and a serial killer. Much more grim and violent than I usually read, but for a comic from 2016 this was AWFULLY topical and a real gut punch to read. I can't recommend it enough, David F Walker is a powerhouse in comics, if I have any complaints it's that the ending felt a smidge rushed and I'd love to have a stronger conclusion.
June 23, 2017
Je ne connaissais pas le personnage de Nighthawk avant de lire ce comics. J'ai trouvé qu'il ressemblait à Batman (les gadgets, assistant qui vérifie les écrans, costume) ,amis l'histoire était très bonne. Le côté plus sérieux et adulte des sujets abordés comme la pauvreté et le racisme m'ont beaucoup plu.
July 6, 2017
Timely/ Topical...and Villalobos is great, but the story seems to plod in that it doesn't connect us to the main character. Rather, we're more connected to his sidekick who exhibits some level of personality. It's no wonder she pops up over in OCCUPY AVENGERS.
March 27, 2019
Really enjoyed the whole concept of this and really only docked a star because it's a lot bloodier than I would have preferred. The writing is great overall, clever and fun even when dealing with weighty topics of racism and police brutality.
March 10, 2021
Grizzly and dark but feels more relevant even now than when it was published in 2016. The original Nighthawk is one of the more annoying Marvel characters but one also ripe for a reboot. Overall I liked Walker’s story but didn’t feel he was helped much by the art.
August 27, 2022
I’m pretty mixed on this one. I love the premise—what if Batman was Black? But the execution is incredibly clunky. It’s all concept with incredibly little in the way of character. The messaging is loud and clear, but as a story it leaves a lot to be desired.
May 30, 2017
Really well done.
June 18, 2018
Worth reading. Raises questions. But doesn't answer them. Maybe not the book's fault?
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