Hawkman is soaring high in the sky once again. The Thanagarian warrior hasn’t been at the forefront of DC comics since 2017’s The Death of Hawkman. Robert Venditti is helming this series after his acclaimed run with Hal Jordan and the Green Lantern Corps. Joining Venditti on pencils and ink is Bryan Hitch, who has worked on JLA, Marvel Ultimates 1 and 2, as well as television and film. Rounding out the creative team is colorist Alex Sinclair, who has worked on Batman: Hush, Infinite Crisis and Alan Moore’s Top 10. DC has stated that they want to make both Hawkman and Hawkgirl staples of their universe. This creative team certainly seems like they are up to the task of helping Carter Hall--alias Hawkman--soar once more.

Writer Robert Venditti does an excellent job of explaining who exactly Carter Hall is, or, one could say, who he was. One of Hawkman’s defining traits is that he has been reincarnated throughout time, living many different lives. However, Venditti gives Carter Hall’s character a new twist that shakes up his entire history, and, frankly, makes the character all the more interesting. Venditti really makes this issue approachable to even first time readers. There’s quite a bit of exposition, yet the story flows quite nicely. Venditti has helped set the stage for what will no doubt be an exciting adventure into the past lives of archeologist Carter Hall.

Artist Bryan Hitch will no doubt add some firepower to this series. The first half of this issue plays out like an action movie. A search for treasure, followed by a daring escape played out panel by panel leaves readers eager to flip to the next page as quickly as possible to see what happens next. If this first issue is any indication of what is to come in this series, then readers are in for a real visual treat, and Hawkman will be a series that needs to be in your collection.

Alex Sinclair adds a magic touch with colors in this issue. One point of prominence is the sun. Sinclair colors it in a way that looks so real. It’s almost as if looking at a photo of the sun, the way the rays streak and blur as they stretch out from the center. Sinclair also does a fantastic job helping tell the story with atmospheric lighting. From a spooky underground temple, to midday underwater, to a coastline kissed by a setting sun, Sinclair helps set the mood for the action taking place in the panels.

This creative team has set a pretty high bar as to what can be expected from this series. This is a great number one issue to pick up for readers who may not be familiar with the character and want to start fresh. Each member of the team is on top of their game, and have set the stage for an exciting series that will have a big impact in the new DC universe.

Grade: A+