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Darkhawk (1991) #51
Darkhawk #51
Years ago, Chris Powell discovered a mysterious amulet that allowed him to transform into the spacefaring gladiator known as DARKHAWK. With his newfound edge against crime, he stood against some of the most extreme threats the Marvel Universe has to offer! Now, when two members of the Fraternity of Raptors descend on New York with designs on stealing the amulet and returning it to the stars, it's not Darkhawk who has to rise to the challenge…it's Chris Powell!
23 pages, Kindle Edition
Published November 29, 2017
1 person is currently reading
10 people want to read
About the author
Chad Bowers
132 books9 followersFreelance comics writer. Country song come to life. SNAKE EYES: DEADGAME, X-MEN '92, SLEEPWALKER, PBS Comics, and plenty of other stuff
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
December 1, 2017
This seems an interesting comic series. I was attracted to it by the name. But then I got to know it's kind of the off-spin of its previous series of 50 ISSUES!
I almost understood what was going here. But for full understanding, I have to read previous issues. Will read them soon, but not right now. :)
I almost understood what was going here. But for full understanding, I have to read previous issues. Will read them soon, but not right now. :)
December 6, 2017
Dang, I would totally be into more of this! I hope these one shots get picked up.
December 17, 2017
I’m going to take a minute and do something slightly different here, and talk about a single issue instead of a full volume.
A couple of months ago I was perusing Marvel’s upcoming releases, when I spotted something out of the ordinary; Darkhawk #51. This took my brain a moment to comprehend, though I immediately had two thoughts following it; 1.) Has Darkhawk been rebooted and I somehow magically missed fifty freaken issues! (my poor heart!) 2.) Is this the first of a Darkhawk reboot, has that moment finally come?
As it turned out, my second thought was more accurate than the first (thankfully I had not been so oblivious as to miss 50 whole issues). The Darkhawk so many of us know and love (please tell me it isn’t just me that fangirls over him?) is back, but it isn’t a full-fledged reboot (yet). Titled ‘the Return’ it’s part one of a one part story; meaning it’s the only new issue of Darkhawk…for now. If one were to say…flip to the second to last page in the issue, they’d see a rather large (and sad) announcement talking about how there’s nothing next after this (my heart!) BUT, and please bear with me here, you can do something about that! Included below the heartbreaking announcement is an e-mail (MHEROES@MARVEL.COM) as well as a hint (or rather, instructions) to send an e-mail titled ‘OKAY TO PRINT’ to said address, gushing about the latest (and hopefully not last) Darkhawk issue.
Now, being the huge fangirl I am, I want to do more than that. So here I am, lighting the Fires of Isengard. I implore you, if you have ever been a fan of Darkhawk, or would like to become a fan, pick up this issue (money talks after all), and send them an e-mail! Write a blog post, talk about it on facebook, pester your friends about it. I know I’m probably more hopeful than I should be about a Darkhawk reboot; but seriously, I’ve been waiting years, YEARS to see what happens next to Christopher Powell. It isn’t the first time I’ve gotten my hopes up either; I completely freaked out by his walk on appearance in the Runaways, and I was also so sure that would lead to something else..but alas.
I know I’m not the only one who would love to see this actually go somewhere. So do me a solid, and give the series a try (fun fact: all of Darkhawk’s past exploits can be found on Marvel Unlimited, so it’s pretty easy to hunt everything older down).
I should also mention they’re test piloting (I’m assuming that’s what’s going on here) four more other series; Master of Kung Fu (#126), Not Brand Echh (#14), Power Pack (#63), and Silver Sable #36) so if you’re a fan of any of those series, I strongly urge you to follow the same instructions as mentioned above.
For more reviews, check out Quirky Cat's Fat Stacks
A couple of months ago I was perusing Marvel’s upcoming releases, when I spotted something out of the ordinary; Darkhawk #51. This took my brain a moment to comprehend, though I immediately had two thoughts following it; 1.) Has Darkhawk been rebooted and I somehow magically missed fifty freaken issues! (my poor heart!) 2.) Is this the first of a Darkhawk reboot, has that moment finally come?
As it turned out, my second thought was more accurate than the first (thankfully I had not been so oblivious as to miss 50 whole issues). The Darkhawk so many of us know and love (please tell me it isn’t just me that fangirls over him?) is back, but it isn’t a full-fledged reboot (yet). Titled ‘the Return’ it’s part one of a one part story; meaning it’s the only new issue of Darkhawk…for now. If one were to say…flip to the second to last page in the issue, they’d see a rather large (and sad) announcement talking about how there’s nothing next after this (my heart!) BUT, and please bear with me here, you can do something about that! Included below the heartbreaking announcement is an e-mail (MHEROES@MARVEL.COM) as well as a hint (or rather, instructions) to send an e-mail titled ‘OKAY TO PRINT’ to said address, gushing about the latest (and hopefully not last) Darkhawk issue.
Now, being the huge fangirl I am, I want to do more than that. So here I am, lighting the Fires of Isengard. I implore you, if you have ever been a fan of Darkhawk, or would like to become a fan, pick up this issue (money talks after all), and send them an e-mail! Write a blog post, talk about it on facebook, pester your friends about it. I know I’m probably more hopeful than I should be about a Darkhawk reboot; but seriously, I’ve been waiting years, YEARS to see what happens next to Christopher Powell. It isn’t the first time I’ve gotten my hopes up either; I completely freaked out by his walk on appearance in the Runaways, and I was also so sure that would lead to something else..but alas.
I know I’m not the only one who would love to see this actually go somewhere. So do me a solid, and give the series a try (fun fact: all of Darkhawk’s past exploits can be found on Marvel Unlimited, so it’s pretty easy to hunt everything older down).
I should also mention they’re test piloting (I’m assuming that’s what’s going on here) four more other series; Master of Kung Fu (#126), Not Brand Echh (#14), Power Pack (#63), and Silver Sable #36) so if you’re a fan of any of those series, I strongly urge you to follow the same instructions as mentioned above.
For more reviews, check out Quirky Cat's Fat Stacks
December 22, 2017
Marvel has been doing an interesting thing as a part of their Marvel Legacy event: in addition to going back to Legacy Numbering for most of its titles, is has also resurrected some long-cancelled titles for one-shots with the contiguous numbering. As such we get Darkhawk #51, a full twenty-two years after Darkhawk #50.
I've read a few of these one-shot test-kitchen titles, and this by far has been the one which appealed to me the most. Not only was I a longtime Darkhawk fan back in the day, back when you could pickup comics easily at the local pharmacy, but also has someone who enjoys good storytelling. Because this is, of all the Legacy One-Shots, the one that seems to have the most going on. Most of them seem like issue-long flashback designed to remind a disinterested public as to what these properties are, but author Chad Bowers actually has a story to tell here. I hope her gets the chance to continue it.
I've read a few of these one-shot test-kitchen titles, and this by far has been the one which appealed to me the most. Not only was I a longtime Darkhawk fan back in the day, back when you could pickup comics easily at the local pharmacy, but also has someone who enjoys good storytelling. Because this is, of all the Legacy One-Shots, the one that seems to have the most going on. Most of them seem like issue-long flashback designed to remind a disinterested public as to what these properties are, but author Chad Bowers actually has a story to tell here. I hope her gets the chance to continue it.
July 18, 2019
AWESOME!
December 11, 2017
Check out this and my other reviews!
The newest issue of Darkhawk is another of Marvel's one-shots that I was interested in. Also it was one that I knew nothing about beyond the synopsis and the fact that it is some kind of a cosmic hero. It is both a good and a bad thing.
Marvel has an impressive library of cosmic characters at its disposal however it seems like it is ashamed of it. The cosmic corner of Marvel Universe is rarely visited and keeps gathering dust. The cinematic Guardians of the Galaxy made this team of rag-tag heroes more mainstream but it came at a cost; the characters were changed to resemble their movie versions. There is also Captain Marvel who gained some major popularity after Kelly Sue DeConnick's run on the character, yet the infamous Civil War II (may it be forgotten forever) destroyed her as a character and now Carol Danvers has to regain our trust. There is also a solo Thanos series and that's about it. Darkhawk's lore is already being reintroduced on the pages of Guardians so the issue at hand is whether Darkhawk will get his own series or be limited to guest appearances in Guardians.
This issue works similarly to DC's solo Rebirth one-shots from the beginning of this initiative; the character's history is reminded and there is a call to action. As a teenager Chris Powell found a cosmic amulet that transforms him into powerful Darkhawk. He uses his newfound power to try to make a world better place yadda yadda yadda you know the drill. There are two interesting parts of this classic (cliché) origin:
Chris's dad was a dirty cop so being Darkhawk is for Chris a way to fight against his dad's legacy and to become a man he fought his old man was.
The crystal giving Chris his powers belongs to a clandestine brotherhood of assassins called Raptors. It is a weapon meant for dark deeds and Chris is not only in charge of it.
The amulet has been inactive for over a year and if not counting some reoccurring nightmares, Chris believes that this part of his life is over. He has a girlfriend and works for the New York Police Department. His work as a policeman is supposed to compensate for him not being a superhero anymore and to allow him to deal with his dad's bad fame. Chris decides to finally get rid of the amulet and once and for all remove Darkhawk from his life. AS it is easy to be expected, it doesn't go according to the plan.
The lore of the Raptors and the Darkhawk armor seems dark, twisted and interesting but it was a lot to deal with in a one-shot issue. It was fun yet confusing. If the series picks up as an ongoing I hope it will be explained in more detail and in a less of a hurry.
This issue is definitely atmospheric. It has lighter comedic tones when Chris interacts with his girlfriend Miri, there is gritty police realism when Chris's disappointment in his dad is touched upon and then there is even some dark horror when Darkhawk's world catches up with Chris. The artwork reflects it, adding some bang when the supernatural starts to happen and shifting the structure of the frames when action is more dynamic. the backgrounds could be more detailed and a lot of characters look like they have broken noses but other than that it is solid.
Despite the flaws I am curious to see where Chris's story will go and I want to see more of the world of Darkhawk and Marvel cosmos. At the same time I want see more interaction between Chris and his girlfriend and the corrupt police force but the fought of yet another New York based superhero makes me cringe. Enough of this already.
In other words give it a try, there are some fin characters and a promise of something cool, even if it looks too complicated to get into. Let's send Marvel a message.
P.S. I really like how Miri, Chris's girlfriend is not yet another super model look alike super hero love interest. I love MJ as much as the next guy but not all women need to look like that, they can be more voluptuous.
Three out of five raptors.
The newest issue of Darkhawk is another of Marvel's one-shots that I was interested in. Also it was one that I knew nothing about beyond the synopsis and the fact that it is some kind of a cosmic hero. It is both a good and a bad thing.
Marvel has an impressive library of cosmic characters at its disposal however it seems like it is ashamed of it. The cosmic corner of Marvel Universe is rarely visited and keeps gathering dust. The cinematic Guardians of the Galaxy made this team of rag-tag heroes more mainstream but it came at a cost; the characters were changed to resemble their movie versions. There is also Captain Marvel who gained some major popularity after Kelly Sue DeConnick's run on the character, yet the infamous Civil War II (may it be forgotten forever) destroyed her as a character and now Carol Danvers has to regain our trust. There is also a solo Thanos series and that's about it. Darkhawk's lore is already being reintroduced on the pages of Guardians so the issue at hand is whether Darkhawk will get his own series or be limited to guest appearances in Guardians.
This issue works similarly to DC's solo Rebirth one-shots from the beginning of this initiative; the character's history is reminded and there is a call to action. As a teenager Chris Powell found a cosmic amulet that transforms him into powerful Darkhawk. He uses his newfound power to try to make a world better place yadda yadda yadda you know the drill. There are two interesting parts of this classic (cliché) origin:
Chris's dad was a dirty cop so being Darkhawk is for Chris a way to fight against his dad's legacy and to become a man he fought his old man was.
The crystal giving Chris his powers belongs to a clandestine brotherhood of assassins called Raptors. It is a weapon meant for dark deeds and Chris is not only in charge of it.
The amulet has been inactive for over a year and if not counting some reoccurring nightmares, Chris believes that this part of his life is over. He has a girlfriend and works for the New York Police Department. His work as a policeman is supposed to compensate for him not being a superhero anymore and to allow him to deal with his dad's bad fame. Chris decides to finally get rid of the amulet and once and for all remove Darkhawk from his life. AS it is easy to be expected, it doesn't go according to the plan.
The lore of the Raptors and the Darkhawk armor seems dark, twisted and interesting but it was a lot to deal with in a one-shot issue. It was fun yet confusing. If the series picks up as an ongoing I hope it will be explained in more detail and in a less of a hurry.
This issue is definitely atmospheric. It has lighter comedic tones when Chris interacts with his girlfriend Miri, there is gritty police realism when Chris's disappointment in his dad is touched upon and then there is even some dark horror when Darkhawk's world catches up with Chris. The artwork reflects it, adding some bang when the supernatural starts to happen and shifting the structure of the frames when action is more dynamic. the backgrounds could be more detailed and a lot of characters look like they have broken noses but other than that it is solid.
Despite the flaws I am curious to see where Chris's story will go and I want to see more of the world of Darkhawk and Marvel cosmos. At the same time I want see more interaction between Chris and his girlfriend and the corrupt police force but the fought of yet another New York based superhero makes me cringe. Enough of this already.
In other words give it a try, there are some fin characters and a promise of something cool, even if it looks too complicated to get into. Let's send Marvel a message.
P.S. I really like how Miri, Chris's girlfriend is not yet another super model look alike super hero love interest. I love MJ as much as the next guy but not all women need to look like that, they can be more voluptuous.
VERDICT
Three out of five raptors.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews