HAWKMAN #25 - My Baby has a Temper!

Here's another series I'm pretty clueless to, but this cover lured me in and, boy am I glad it did. It sort of has a 'Coop' (Devil Girl artist Chris Cooper) look to Dillin's art (even though Coop was born the year this came out!). Anyway, I dig it a great deal - the sexy green 'Death Goddess' (not sure why she's 'green' on the cover) - the flames  - Hawkman getting his butt kicked - the purple background...

(HAWKMAN #25 cover-dated Apr/May 1968, on newsstands February 15th, 1968 with cover art by Dillin)

One of the things I always subconsciously noticed about Hawkman, despite almost never reading any of this series (or any of his series ever), is that they always seemed to make his wife Shayera Hol (I had to look that up), or Hawkgirl, look... more sexy than other DC women. 

This issue REALLY kind of highlights that, as she's possessed by the spirit of Medusa and goes berserk, wanting to destroy the world. 

(HAWKMAN #25 cover-dated Apr/May 1968, on newsstands February 15th, 1968 with art by Dillin)

Dillin, was a Quality artist (see what I did there?) who drew Blackhawk throughout the 50's and continued to draw the character over at DC as they bought the publisher. Finally after 18 YEARS on the book, he did a few issues to finish off the Hawkman series, before he'd make a name for himself on Justice League of America for the next 12 years.

Here, his art is... well I've already compared it to a semi-pornographic pop culture 'hot rod' artist, but... it has almost a Charles-Burns-does-a-Mainstream-Comic-Parody look to it, which means of course, I LOVE it. Chuck Cuidera's heavy brush inks, just add to it so well. 

(HAWKMAN #25 cover-dated Apr/May 1968, on newsstands February 15th, 1968 with art by Dillin)

Was Hawkgirl the only one who flies as a woman at DC Comics in 1968? What about Supergirl?

It used to drive me nuts when superheroes would make these kinds of statements, knowing full well it isn't true.

Richard Hughes wrote the story... he spent a long career at ACG Comics and then had a short stint at DC to finish his career. 

(HAWKMAN #25 cover-dated Apr/May 1968, on newsstands February 15th, 1968 with art by Dillin)

Come on. Look at this page. A sexy woman, a growling TIGER, and Hawkman flying in to save the day while holding a walkie-talkie! Or a radio. It sounds cooler saying it's a Walkie-Talkie.

But I love this page. The story is ok... I mean it's a 1960's comic book. But the art is cool and really, that's what I'm looking for.

If Dillin had a habit of drawing his females this sexy, I might have to take a look at his JLA run... I'm already won over by his art altogether.

(HAWKMAN #25 cover-dated Apr/May 1968, on newsstands February 15th, 1968 with art by Dillin)

It's not a full 20-page story, so they have a backup reprint story from Flash #12 (1940) drawn by Sheldon Moldoff and written by Hawkman co-creator Gardner Fox (with Dennis Neville). He co-created the story, he didn't co-write this story.

Some pretty cool detailed art by Moldoff for 1940...

(HAWKMAN #25 cover-dated Apr/May 1968, on newsstands February 15th, 1968 with art by Sheldon Moldoff. This story is a reprint from Flash Comics #12, cover-dated December 1940, on newsstands October 15th, 1940)

Reading a story from the Golden Age almost always shows us the difference in eras - society AND comics - and here Carter Hall (Shhh, he's really Hawkman), says, "There's Tommy Rogers. Drunk as a Lord." Good stuff.

Overall, a pretty enjoyable issue from a comic series I never read...

(HAWKMAN #25 cover-dated Apr/May 1968, on newsstands February 15th, 1968 with art by Sheldon Moldoff. This story is a reprint from Flash Comics #12, cover-dated December 1940, on newsstands October 15th, 1940)

Yeah, it's interesting to compare the evolution of the art, story, mannerisms, etc.

(HAWKMAN #25 cover-dated Apr/May 1968, on newsstands February 15th, 1968 with art by Sheldon Moldoff. This story is a reprint from Flash Comics #12, cover-dated December 1940, on newsstands October 15th, 1940)