The DC Comics Relaunch has some critical darlings among them and some dubious titles based solely on yet-to-be-final cover images and solicitations for the September debuts. Beauty is the eye of the beholder and I guess we’ll know what we think of the titles once we pick up the #1’s that interest us and perhaps are intrigued enough to pick up October’s #2’s and maybe even some #3’s in November.
That said, in addition to the 3 big October surprises that I already reported on, there is another seemingly big surprise in October. With the handful of artists being replaced in October on other DC Comics Relaunch titles, presumably due to speed issues, Rob Liefeld churned in his work and remains on the first two issues of Hawk and Dove. Certainly, Rob’s reputation at Image Comics and his independent works have recieved mixed reactions, but as of late whether returning to characters he created like Deadpool for Marvel Comics and now Dawn Granger / Dove for DC, Rob has become a reliable artist. So kudos to Rob.
In an era where we hear that “good art takes time” to justify late books or bi-monthly shipping titles, it’s nice to see Rob returning to the roots of the comics art form and producing art to be able to facilitate a monthly shedule for a book. Flavor of month artists take note!
In addition to that, October will see the debut of Condor and November appears to have the debut of Swan (see opening two cover pics in this column). Rob Liefeld had indicated he wanted to do more with the avatars concept since his first professional work on the Hawk and Dove mini-series in the mid-1980s. With acclaimed writer Sterling Gates in tow, it looks they are doing just that as part of the DC Comics Relaunch.
Now, I have no insight about how Rob and Sterling will change the dynamic of Hawk and Dove or expand their mythology. However, I do know that when Hawk and Dove debuted in the 1960s, when Dove was Hawk’s brother, they heard heard “voices” from anonymous beings that gave them their powers. In the 1980s the voices were said to belong to a Lord of Order and a Lord of Chaos, cults of supernatural beings of Doctor Fate infamy.
In addition, after Rob jumped to Marvel and DC continued with an ongoing Hawk and Dove series, we had a lot more explored about Hawk and Dove’s true respective Chaos and Order personas. Just check out what they looked like under their super-hero skin (Hawk’s red and white threads and Dove’s blue and white costumes weren’t traditional garb, but almost a second skin that they magically called upon when they assumed their “super-hero” personas). Check out the fantasy elements of the Hawk and Dove cover and interior panel on the above left that shows mystical Dove and barbarian Hawk – their “true” personas… in the 1990s anyway.
It is not clear if the Lords are in fact behind the avatars or whether these “avatars” are something new. I would hope that we get more than Condor and Swan as part of the DC Comics Relaunch. When world or mytholofy building, you can’t leave readers with supposed dopplegangers. There should be a broader pantheon with distinct roles for each character. Condor and Swan do not appear that original, superficially anyway, when compared to Hawk and Dove, but all we have are the covers to the relaunch’s Hawk and Dove #3 to go on. There is likely more to this and my hope is the doppleganger tags fade away as we learn more about Condor and Swan.
I would also hope DC brings Kestrel back into the mix. He constituted DC’s first elaboration of the avatar mythology in the 1980’s Hawk and Dove mini-series and is a character Rob co-created and designed. Kestrel was a maniacal foil with a gravitas that made Hawk and Dove seem outmatched even when they would have a 2-to-1 advantage over Kestrel.
Will or should Doctor Fate be part of the mix? I think if DC is expanding the avatar mythology, I imagine the Lords of Chaos and Order, as well as Doctor Fate, won’t be part of the equation. However, we’ll see.
Anyone else have Hawk and Dove on their “try” list from the DC Comics Relaunch? Here are some interior teases that may pique your interest.
Where do you think Rob and Sterling will go with this avatar mythology? What do you hope to see?
