There are huge stakes in Hawkman #25 that make it feel as epic and insurmountable important as any line-wide event. When a comic book opens at “the beginning” in a Biblical sense, you know you’re in for a story huge in scope. Robert Venditti and Marco Castiello deliver. Check out the preview of issue #25 before reading ahead!
This book opens with an issue-setting flashback as Hawkwoman hears what sounds like the voice of God, commanding her to listen. We essentially learn what she has done and what she must do in order to get in the good graces of the voice. Across a page and a double page layout, Castiello draws your attention with a vast sea of human skulls, godlike lighting by Jeromy Cox, and a sense of unimaginable power. This smash cuts to the Lord Beyond the Void, who is holding Hawkwoman and Hawkman prisoner. There is a heavy weight on the heroes, and the implications of their loss that never loses you, keeping you tethered to every word said in the book.
Pretty!
Credit: DC Comics
As a superhero comic, this is a slightly wordy issue, though there is action. Venditti is laying the groundwork for an epic battle, reducing our heroes and limiting their powers to make it quite clear all is almost lost, but not quite. There’s a sense of adventure and heroism across the book due to these characters never giving up, and Hawkwoman has an incredible full-page splash that will have you cheering. The book opens with the request for Hawkwoman to help Hawkman save billions of lives and given this setup, they may just pull it off.
They’re doomed!
Credit: DC Comics
The art by the creative team is strong here. Lord Beyond the Void is a bit too similar to Skelator, but his giant evilness works. The opening page and following two double-page layouts are incredible and help exude a sense of pure good one page, and pure evil the next. The stakes couldn’t be higher, and the artists don’t let you forget that.
I’m certainly no expert in Hawkman, but I can’t help but love how important this story feels. Hawkman may be in for a complete change after this story, which further cements how epic the story feels. Give it up to the creative team for turning a story that’s mostly characters on their knees talking into something you can’t put down.
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