This article is part of the DC Database Recommended Reading project, a series of articles written by our editors. They are meant as a guide to help both new and old readers, either getting into comics for the first time or looking to read more on their favorites. These should not be taken as a definitive guide; obviously you can start wherever and with whatever you want, but they're some general suggestions that we think you might find useful and enjoyable.
Hawkman is covered in the blood of people who said he isn't cool.
Hawkman and Hawkgirl can be very difficult to get into because their continuity is hopelessly confusing. There are a lot of great solo Hawkman stories, but a lot of his popularity comes from his roles in team books like Justice League and Justice Society. Here are a couple good places to start if you've never read Hawkman before and want to try for the first time.
Where Do I Start?[]
- Hawkman: Endless Flight (2002), written by Geoff Johns and James Robinson, is the first arc in Johns' ongoing Hawkman series that lasted for 25 issues. It is a sort of companion piece to the writers' work on JSA but can easily be read on its own.
- Hawkworld (1989), by Tim Truman and Enrique Alcatena, is the official Post-Crisis origin of Katar Hol. The series was originally meant to take place in Hawkman's past, but it was so popular that they decided to make it set in the present and spin it off into an ongoing series. It was continued as the Hawkworld ongoing series, which then later turned into John Ostrander's fan-favorite Hawkman series.
- JSA: The Return of Hawkman (2000) is a JSA arc written by David S. Goyer and Geoff Johns. The story reintroduced Hawkman to the DCU after several years of continuity limbo, and established his new status quo with Kendra Saunders as Hawkgirl. This is the beginning of an interpretation of Hawkman that would last for the next decade.
- Legend of the Hawkman (2000), by Ben Raab and Michael Lark, is a three-issue retelling of the Hawkman legend. It's not in regular continuity, but it is an excellent solo series if you're just looking to learn the basics.
- Brightest Day (2010) isn't exactly a Hawkman book, but Hawkman is one of the six major storylines in addition to Aquaman, Deadman, Firestorm, Hawk and Dove, and Martian Manhunter. The series is written by Geoff Johns and it's basically him taking all of these characters who have difficulty sustaining their own solo books and proving that they can be awesome. The story directly follows Blackest Night where Hawkman was resurrected alongside the original Hawkwoman, and shows them putting their life back together.