Hawkgirl #3 cover, via DC Comics.
Hawkgirl #3 — Jadzia Axelrod, Writer; Amancay Nahuelpan, Artist; Adriano Lucas, Colorist
Ray — 8.5/10
Ray: So far, while Hawkgirl and Galaxy have been the lead characters here, the new villain Vulpecula has really stolen the show. Like the world’s worst genie, she finds vulnerable children and cuts deals with them — only to return decades later to claim them body and soul as part of a disturbing Nth-metal experiment. But in previous issues we’ve mostly seen her prey on victims, who were then horrified to be claimed when she arrived. That’s not the case for her target this issue, Farlane Condor — a conniving executive who Bruce Wayne has dealings with, and who is all in on her plan and willing to make the sacrifice she demands in exchange for power. There’s maybe a little too much attempting to nail down Bruce’s politics here, but Condor makes a compelling foil to him and this leads to one of the most enjoyable things so far in this series — Batman having to team up with the often ridiculous duo of Hawkgirl and Galaxy, both of which aren’t exactly his usual partners in anti-crime.
The acolyte. Via DC Comics.
Of course, we can’t forget that this issue is also where Axelrod gets to bring in Alysia Yeoh, who is now a restauranteur and gets to meet Hawkgirl when some Killer Croc-themed goons try to rob her. Alysia was the first trans character in a main-line DC comic, so it’s good to see the character continue to develop as potentially a new member of the Bat-girls. Another scene-stealer is Argus, Galaxy’s delightful talking Corgi, but we can’t forget that Kendra is the leader here and she gets an amazing spotlight moment this issue as she faces off against the Court of Owls — a surprising player that is revealed on the cover — and lets loose years of frustration and rage at being treated like an annex on someone else’s story. This is definitely one of the most ambitious stories in DC’s stable, and while that can sometimes overwhelm the story, it usually works as a fascinating character study.
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GeekDad received this comic for review purposes.
