Hawkman, Vol. 4: Hawks Eternal

Hawkman (2018)

by Robert Venditti, Fernando Pasarín (Illustrator)

To save himself, Hawkman must confront his darkest moments--but will it be enough to save himself and Hawkwoman from their first and greatest enemy?

Thanks to the sinister manipulation of the Batman Who Laughs, Hawkman has become the villainous Sky Tyrant--the sum total of the worst versions of himself from his past incarnations. Hawkwoman recruits the Atom and Adam Strange to help, but will their combined forces be enough? Hawkman will have to revisit his past life as a plague doctor in the 17th century to fight off Sky Tyrant's control over his body for good!

Then, Hawkman and Hawkwoman reunite, but the romantic moment is interrupted when they're sucked into the realm of the Lord Beyond the Void! Hawkman is forced to confront the misery he wrought in his first life as Ktar Deathbringer--who seeks to end the winged hero's resurrections, permanently! Can Hawkman and Hawkwoman survive--and save the universe in the process?

This volume collects Hawkman #20-29.

Genres: Comics, Graphic Novels, Dc Comics, Superheroes, Fantasy, Graphic Novels Comics, Comic Book

217 pages, Kindle Edition

Published February 9, 2021

About the author

Robert Venditti is a New York Times bestselling author of more than three hundred comic books and graphic novels. Some of his works include the monthly comic book series Justice League, Superman ’78, Hawkman, and Green Lantern for DC Comics, X-O Manowar, Armor Hunters, and Wrath of the Eternal Warrior for Valiant Entertainment, and the graphic novel Six Days, inspired by the story of his uncle’s participation in D-Day. He has also adapted Rick Riordan’s global bestselling Percy Jackson and the Olympians and The Heroes of Olympus novels, as well as Tristan Strong Punches a Hole in the Sky by Kwame Mbalia and Blue Bloods by Melissa de la Cruz. His graphic novel The Surrogates was adapted into a feature film by Touchstone Pictures, and his work on The Flash was the basis for season three of the CW television series.

Venditti lives in Atlanta, where he both writes and serves as a storytelling consultant for some of the most recognizable entertainment brands in the world.

Reviews

[Chad · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good end to a great resurrection of Hawkman. Starts off with a continuation of the Year of the Villain story with Sky Tyrant in control of Carter's body. Once that's resolved we wrap up the other loose ends from the series with the Lord Beyond the Void. Then to wrap up the series we return to the Justice Society and those issues are fantastic. Venditti does a good job of bobbing and weaving between what Geoff Johns established during his Hawkman run.

Fernando Pasarin's art is great. Very detailed and controlled pencils. It's a very classic style.

[Sans · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pretty enjoyable, I’m glad I stuck with it.

[Chris Lemmerman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hawkman has succumbed to the dark infection of the Batman Who Laughs, and only Hawkwoman and The Atom can save him! Then it's time to meet The Lord Beyond The Void in an encounter that will change the Hawks forevermore! And one final adventure awaits as the Hawks head back in time to face off with Hath-Set, winner takes all!

Venditti's Hawkman has been a stellar take on the character, and I love how he uses the Year Of The Villain fallout here to push his story forward. The Sky Tyrant stuff is a unique take on The Infected banner, and it allows for the spotlight to fall on Hawkwoman moreso than before. The Lord Beyond The Void story feels like a good successor to the Deathbringers stuff from earlier in the run, and the last three issues are just full of nostalgia for me as the Justice Society turn up. But while all these trappings are great, the core of the story remains Hawkman, Hawkwoman, their journey through space and time, and their love for each other. Venditti has never forgotten this, which is what has made this run so successful for me personally.

The biggest complaint I had about the last volume was the artwork, but that's completely remedied this time around as Fernando Pasarin pencils all but two of the issues collected. His work has always been highly detailed and beautifully inked and coloured, and I'm glad to see that extend to this run. The fill-ins are by Marco Castiello, who has definitely changed his style in recent years, and Marcio Takara, who pencils a Past Lives-type flashback issue.

Hawks Eternal ends this era of Hawkman stories in the same vein as it has been thus far. Venditti's scripts combined with Pasarin (and friends') lovely pencils make for a book that may be about two people smashing things with a mace on the surface, but is far more heartfelt and emotional once you dig a little deeper.

[Fred · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good wrap up to the current series that ties up some Hawkman continuity and gives him a soft reset. Some of the art is especially worth checking out. Pasarin has a flair for the Hawks & action scenes. The Justice Society issue is perfect for JSA fans!

[Brannigan · Rating 5 out of 5]

A perfect ending to an amazing series.

[Will Robinson Jr. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Robert Venditti concludes his epic run on the Hawkman series. I enjoyed every minute of reading this final volume. This series really proves that every DC comics character is worthy of being taken seriously. The artist and colorist crew really match Venditti's spectacular writing. The artwork ranges from good to perfection. In this volume Venditti takes readers all the way back to the start of Hawkman's reincarnation journey through the history of the DC universe. A lot of questions are answered bur yet Venditti leaves the door open for the next writer to play around with the Hawkman legend. I have to say if we never get another Hawkman series anytime soon I am ok with the ending to this series. It was so satisfying. There is great action in this book and I found the Hawkman and Hawkgirl romance intriguing. The inclusion of the original JSA team just really wet my appetite for a Venditti & hitch JSA series. Venditti really seems to love writing the Golden Superhero stuff. I highly recommend this book to superhero loving readers. Definitely checkout these Venditti series & titles: Freedom Fighters: Rise of a Nation, Superman: Man of Tomorrow (2020) #1 and Hal Jordan and the Green Lantern Corps, Vol. 1: Sinestro's Law.

[Will Brown · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5/5 A finale that stumbles all over itself rushing to its finale before cancellation. What I find frustrating about this book is that ANY of the plots here would be suitable endings, but instead we get 3 and none of them feel polished enough. I wish this team had picked an ending and stuck with it so this series could have gone out with a bang. Instead it takes 3 more laps across the finish line and takes the scenic route every time. This is the best Hawkman series to date, but I don’t blame people for not picking this one up.

[Guilherme Smee · Rating 3 out of 5]

A fase/volume do Gavião Negro por Robert Venditti começou muito bem nos dois primeiros volumes. Já no terceiro, em que foi ligado com a péssima série O Ano dos Vilões, a onda de ruindade da saga atacou também essa e outras séries, como a da Supergirl, por exemplo. Este quarto volume traz alguns remanscentes dessa saga, com Carter Hall tentando se livrar do Tirano Celeste, o seu nêmese criado pelo Batman que Ri. Mesmo com as aparições de Átomo e do Adam Strange, essa história não melhora. Como este volume traz nove edições, temos dois arcos presentes no encadernado. O segundo é um pouco melhor e traz um desfecho para a história do Destruidor de Mundo, com a redenção necessária trazia através do amor de Shayera Hall, a Mulher-Gavião. Temos também alguns vislumbres da Sociedade da Justiça, o que é ótimo também. Assim que este último volume de Gavião Negro fica assim, no meio do caminho, com um arco bom e outro nem tanto.

[Frédéric · Rating 4 out of 5]

Third vol. was a let-down but Venditti steered it right again to close his run.
I haven’t read much of Hawkman over the years so I’m probably not the best judge but I think this is the best I’ve read.
Back from the origins of the mythos to a very decent end; of this Hawkman I’d like to read another series.

[Relstuart · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great strong finish to Venditti's run on Hawkman. This run would be a great choice for an omnibus.

[Kyle Dinges · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was an underrated run compared to some of the concurrent DC series. Good plot, good art, good story-telling. It’s a testament to letting someone get an uninterrupted run in a small pocket of the universe to just spin a good super hero yarn.

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

*Lots of reading + no time review = Knee-jerk reactions!*

An excellent ending to the tale of Hawkman. I enjoyed getting to see this characters finally get their redemption and also get to live out their lives in the happiest way possible. Solid action, some nice character insights--just an all around really solid graphic novel.

[Steven · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great end to great run. Sad to see it end but it’s a solid & complete package with a good dramatic arc. It’s akin to Robinson’s Starman series as a good contained story.

[Adam Fisher · Rating 4 out of 5]

Is this character completely done? Do we have a "Death of" coming soon? Or will we continue to see the characters live out their final lives till the 30th or 40th century? While I am slightly confused as to why this ending came about, the collection was very good.
Highlights:
"Death's Doorway" - the storyline of Sky Tyrant being in control of Hawkman's body continues and finishes here. With the help of Adam Strange and The Atom, Hawkwoman is able to subdue Sky Tyrant. Two things happen though: 1) A "key" is being searched for Sky Tyrant, which will open the way to The Lord Beyond The Void, whom Ktar Deathbringer worshipped. 2) Hawkwoman touches the Key and is flooded with all the memories of her and Carter together. They end up warping away.

"Hawks Eternal" - After a brief stint through one of their previous lives, Carter and Shayera awaken in a realm, the plague of Sky Tyrant finally defeated. They are now in the realm of the Lord Beyond the Void and he is ready to take the lifeforce from both of them to restore himself. Both our hawks decide to overwhelm the Void Lord with the power of their previous lives, which destroys him. It is at this point we see their sacrifice has finally turned the tables on Hawkman's curse and he and Shay are now on their final lives.

"Final Justice" - They choose to start their final lives where they were the happiest: in the 1940's as members of the Justice Society of America. Their one adventure there almost gets them both killed, but shows Carter just how much will to live he has left in him. (This is where we get the future jump that I already talked about....)

Overall, this has been a good run for Hawkman. I really haven't dived into the character before, but feel good about this time. I hope we get to see more from these heroes and they get to continue to help in the major DC events and crossovers.
Recommend.... but obviously all 4 Volumes.

[Michael O'Sullivan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I don't know much about Hawkman, I have old vintage issues somewhere hidden away from when I was a kid but he never struck me as particularly interesting. This graphic novel set though, Hawks Eternal, turned out to be a great point to start as it not only had beautiful artwork but also an in-depth history of the Hawkman and Hawkwoman characters.

Turns out their stories contain some fantastic themes - spirituality, reincarnation, a love story told through different times and eras, great action scenes.

Really highly recommended, especially if you aren't a fan of the character previously like I was. Go in blind, be enchanted by the great art and let the story do the rest.

[Roberto Diaz · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great end to Venditti's Hawkman Saga

This is a character with such rich and varied history, that is incredible how Robert Venditti manages to take from each era and give it its due. Even if the ending might feel a bit rushed due to the comic been cancelled in its original run, it is wrapped up the best way possible, giving the Hawkman and Hawkwoman closure. One of the great runs of the character.

[Nick Underwood · Rating 5 out of 5]

Five stars for the run as a whole. Venditti took one of the most convoluted characters in DC’s pantheon and made sense of his history in a very entertaining way. I thought this was a satisfying end to his time on the character and leaves Hawkman and Hawkwoman as two of my favorite characters.

[The Spooky Jedi · Rating 5 out of 5]

The ending of Robert Vendittis run and the last few pages were so beautiful and such a great ending!

[Teresa Williams · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hawkman

The graphics are awesome and the action fantastic, hadn't seen a Hawk man comic in years but it did not fail to bring childhood memories.

[Tony Laplume · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hawks Eternal has the great fortune to speak directly to the times in which it was created, a fortuitous coincidence that only further cements the timeless quality of the whole run. I’m speaking of course of the plague doctor episode, a brief moment that again emphasizes so much of what Venditti’s < I>Hawkman>/I> was and might have been in an era less quick to cut short its run.

Like the last volume the stories within cleverly encapsulate a mandated crossover event, in this case the Sky Tyrant arc that unites a Lex Luthor event and Scott Snyder’s Death Metal, while remaining thoroughly grounded in Venditti’s own work, a masterclass in corporate comics storytelling if there ever was one.

Then the story shifts back to rounding out the big reveal of why Hawkman, and Hawkwoman, has endured so many reincarnations, and then a Justice Society interlude, and a reunion with the jealous Egyptian foe who at one time embodied the start of the whole cycle, all of it a greatest hits (as was the reprise of Shadow Thief last volume) to further contextualize everything, along with the appearances of classic Hawkman allies Atom and Adam Strange.

Simply put, this entire run represents a single way to explore Hawkman’s whole legacy.

And what a grand one it is, especially in the hands of Robert Venditti. Twenty-nine glorious issues, four volumes, an epic sweep of superheroism. This is what a modern classic looks like. I keep saying that, but the material attests, the way it all plays out. If it had to be so relatively brief (Starman>/I> had double the space), it could not have been done better, all arcs and singular moments to grand effect.

And finally, in this volume, Hawkwoman included. That alone is worth the price of admission, to solidify the last material as worthy of what preceded it, and in some ways, this volume almost a complete experience itself. Which is to say, if you were really pressed for time, Hawks Eternal is the essential volume of an essential experience.

[Ronan The Librarian · Rating 4 out of 5]

Robert Venditti definitely did Hawkman justice throughout this run. From expanding his lore in depth and making Carter Hall more captivating than ever, to penning his own (great) ending for the character of Carter and Shayera.

This volume is a bit uneven as it's a longer one, but theres much more good than meh. There's an Infected/Year of the Villain tie-in story that doesn't quite resolve properly (I assume it's in the main aforementioned events. Damn you tie-ins!). Seeing that one vanish into thin air randomly was unsatisfying, but Sky Tyrant was annoying, and the fallout from that story was much better. Venditti confronts Hawkman's origins, motives, and reason for being like never before. And while that big showdown was admittedly cliche, it's great exploring Hawkman down to his foundation.

There's a followup story with the JSA, and Anubis' avatar of death (forgot his name, but Hawkman and Hawkwoman's nemesis) that I enjoyed, and following that is a perfect bookend for Carter and Shayera. The art in this volume is also spectacular. I don't know if I've heard Pasarin's art be talked about much, but it's great. Sort of a cross between Bryan Hitch and Mikel Janin (but obviously his own). It was consistent too (which always makes a big difference)! Super detailed and bold, and definitely elevated the story.

I really liked this series more than I expected, and would love an omni (though will probably have to make a custom). Vol. 3 is a bit of a slump, but everything else has been great. Seriously, don’t let this run fly under the radar. A great dive into Hawkman that I would strongly recommend to anyone interested in the character, and it sticks the landing!

[Fez Vaccaro · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was cancelled as part of the 2020 DC Implosion due to COVID-19. In the end it's not a bad thing, the first 12 issues were really great and the remaining have been solid but I think suffer from being what Hawkman too often becomes - if you're a fan it's good but if you're not, I don't know why you'll be invested in this. And it's hard to convince new readers to get interested or stick with it after a certain point, hence the inevitable cancellation.

We at least get a nice, proper ending to this series since Hawkman's return post-Death Metal. And it's great having Shayera join as a full cast member of the book this time around. However, the dispatching of all three villains here is ultimately underwhelming. Venditti does a really good job to up the threat level with these villains and they are more or less easily dispatched and resolved by their respective arcs end.

Venditti did, however, do a great job of expanding the Hawkman mythos overall and cleaning up continuity after Geoff Johns also great work on the character. Ultimately if you're a Hawkman fan, I think there's a lot to have enjoyed over these 29 issues. If you're not, you can give it a go but I think this is one that's more rewarding if you've followed the character and his world.

Fantastic artwork by Fernando Pasarin too.

[Alex E · Rating 3 out of 5]

Hawkman succumbs to the Batman who laughs and also faces off against the Lord beyond the Void!

This book is basically two stories, and to be honest, the first one was not to my liking at all. It stems from the Year of the Villain event and in it, we see Hawkman struggling with a past incarnation of himself named Sky Tyrant. Sky Tyrant takes over Hawkman's body, but Hawkman fights him from within. With the help of Hawkgirl, He eventually breaks the infection and returns to normal. This story was so "by the numbers" and predictable that I almost stopped reading. Its a good thing I didn't because then Venditti gives us the last story.

The Lord beyond the Void story is a love letter to not only the character, but to the Justice Society as well. VEnditti does a great job establishing not only the bond between the team, but the bond between Hawkman and Hawkgirl. I'm not a huge Hawkman fan, but this story really did a great job of showing us how much history the character has, as well as why he is a big deal in the DCU.

Overall, a rocky start but Robert Venditti stuck the landing. This was a great way to send off the series. Recommended for fans of Hawkman.

[Dexter · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bis zu Robert Vendittis Run konnte ich nicht viel mit der Figur anfangen. Da gibt es diesen Krieger, den es seit der Zeit des alten Ägyptens gibt, und der einfach immer wieder reinkarniert, wenn er in einer Schlacht fällt. Der größte Reiz ist dabei noch der, dass er sich nie an das zuvor gelebte Leben erinnert, sein Aussehen ein anderes ist, aber sich immer in eine Frau verliebt, die sein Schicksal teilt (Hawkwoman) und ihm in jedem Leben aufs Neue zu unterschiedlichen Zeitpunkten begegnet. Dieser romantische Aspekt ist für mich das reizvollste an dieser Figur. Venditti vertraut genau darauf, konstruiert darum eine Geschichte, die den Status Quo der beiden neu zementiert, und bringt mir so das Innenleben eines B-Helden nahe, den ich jetzt nach dem Lesen des finalen Bandes irre cool finde und über den ich gern mehr epische und alles verändernde Geschichten lesen möchte. Bitte? Danke.

[AChristianNerd · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hawkgirl (specifically Shayera Hol) has always been my favorite superhero. This is a wonderful comic to show one of her beginning and endings. I absolutely adored it, and it was really cool to see her as a Herald.
After seeing the aftermath of the Justice Society of America in the Stargirl tv show, it was really neat to see them at their prime at the end of this comic.
It felt like a wonderful, well-done and deserved ending. They lived through so many of their superhero teams one more time and then trained others in the future. They've died in so many ways over the years, I'm so glad they finally got a happy ending.

[Vishal · Rating 5 out of 5]

Not just the best Hawkman book but one of the best comic book of this era

This was brilliant! Rescue, action, revelation, love, redemption, and fulfillment all in one book. Robert Vendetti has just become one of my favorite writers of all time, now I will find more books written by him. Also art is much improved since the last volume, in fact I would say this volume has the best artist, Fernando Pasarin. Wonderfully illustrated and written, don't miss out on this.

[Javier X · Rating 4 out of 5]

Amazing!! A great end overall to the whole series, it closes all the loose ends and also paved the way to the JSA (if it ever happens in 2022?).

I’m happy that i decided to read the whole series, now I really have an idea of who he is and also this made me care not only for him but also for Hawkwoman, Atom and Adam Strange.

[Jiro Dreams of Suchy · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great conclusion to a great run- Hawkman and Hawkwoman finally tip the scale and redeem themselves- they’ve saved more than they’ve killed. They can now go on and adventure - more archaeological time travel stories please 🙏

[Robert · Rating 3 out of 5]

Carry-over plot from the prior volume mucks up the first part, but the rest has a fairly decent story with some very nice themes on duty and atonement.
...And then it was cancelled.

[Daniel Butcher · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really a really strong ending to a tale that retcons all of Hawkman’s crazy history.