Polite Dissent

In Teen Titans Spotlight #7 and #8, Hawk gets his first solo adventures courtesy of writer Mike Baron and penciler Jackson Guice. They also take a superficial stab at environmental and nuclear issues. While the comics are readable, they show some fundamental misunderstandings about the characters of Hank Hall and Hawk.

As Teen Titans Spotlight #7 begins, Hank Hall arrives in Denver, Colorado to attend an anti-terrorism conference at a local think tank. While at the airport, he is approached by an anti-nuclear protestor who he promptly punches. Talking to the police after the fracas, he explains who he is and why he’s in town. They sternly advise him to refrain from punching people in the future, and conveniently drop the news that there has been a terrorist threat against the local nuclear plant.

At the conference, Hank quickly grows weary of opinions different from his own. He takes a hike in the nearby hills for some fresh air. A National Guard helicopter flies over, warning the people at the conference that terrorists have taken over the nuclear plant. Hank changes into costume, puts together the never-before-seen custom Hawk-glider and flies down into the yard of the power plant.

Scouting around, Hawk discovers an incredible number of insects buzzing around and all the plant personnel dead or unconscious – apparently from insect stings. He also finds one other living person — one of the nuclear protestors he encountered the day before. She explains that she was protesting outside when the terrorists took over, and in all the confusion, she snuck inside to see if she could help (the authorities presumably, but she may have meant the terrorists. It’s not exactly clear). She also explains that she’s wearing insect repellant and that’s why she hasn’t been bitten by the bugs.

Hawk and the girl explore the plant and discover that a giant four-legged insect calling itself “Arachnid” has taken over the plant. Arachnid is a hive mind composed of thousands and thousands of insects living in a symbiotic mass. Arachnid instructs plastic-eating termites to start chewing through the control panels of the plant. Hawk tries to tackle Arachnid, but it just dissolves into its constituent insects and escapes. Luckily, Hawk discovers an electric keyboard in the plant director’s office and manages to find a tone that drives the insects away when played over the PA system.

Hawk and the girl are questioned by the cops, but released when thousands of dead insects are discovered in the plant’s controls. Hawk heads to the hills again to contemplate the recent events. Without warning, Arachnid appears in front of him. The insect-beast explains that while Hawk may have won their first encounter, he believes that the two of them should be able to reach some kind of compromise. He invites Hawk down to South America to meet his “Queen.” Hawk agrees and this sets the plot for the following issue, Teen Titans Spotlight #8.

The art by Guice is quite good. He draws an imposing Hawk, towering above the other characters. The action scenes are well choreographed, and unlike many other artists, he does an excellent job with backgrounds. Guice is ably inked by Larry Mahlstedt who gives him a nice clean line, not the muddy mess that often results when Guice inks himself (Doctor Strange: Sorcerer Supreme anyone?).

The story is an entertaining enough read, but it is clear that Baron does not have a good grasp of Hawk. At several points in the story, Hank is shown physically putting on and taking off the Hawk costume. In another scene he is shown talking to police, his mask and hood off and hanging around his neck. Hawk’s costume does not work this way; it is a magical construct that appears when danger is present and Hank yells “Hawk.” As shown in The Hawk and The Dove #1, the costumes cannot be removed by conventional means. This is a misunderstanding of one of the most basic premises of the character. As a side note, this is also the first (and only) time that Hank is ever shown wearing glasses.

Hank is quite free with his secret identity in this comic. He tells the police who he is, and the other members of the conference know him both as Hank Hall and Hawk. When exploring the nuclear plant he refers to himself as “Judge Hall’s little boy.” This is not consistent with past and future adventures when he is very concerned with is secret identity, particularly where his father is concerned.

Hawk compromising with a terrorist? Never. Gonna. Happen.

Finally, do I even have to say it? A four-legged insect named Arachnid. That is wrong in so many ways.