The DCEU is gearing up for its eleventh release, and in preparation for Black Adam, DC Comics is kicking off their film promotion with the origins of one of the newest heroes to be adapted to the silver screen: Hawkman. Set to be portrayed by Aldis Hodge in the upcoming superhero throw-down starring Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, Hawkman is starring in the first of a series of one-shot comics to introduce characters from the upcoming film - a 48-page comic entitled Black Adam - The Justice Society Files: Hawkman.
Fans were ignited in 2019 when Johnson revealed that DC hero team the Justice Society of America, (a forerunner to the more famous Justice League), would be appearing in the DCEU, keeping with the trend of expansion as has been demonstrated in other franchise properties such as James Gunn’s film The Suicide Squad and television series Peacemaker. The film itself, slated to be a spin-off of 2019's Shazam, will be directed by Jaume Collet-Serra, and is being teased as a grittier, but still fantastical, romp through the lesser-shown side of DC’s superhero stable.
According to a solicitation shared by The Beat, Black Adam - The Justice Society Files: Hawkman will present two new stories from DCEU continuity. The first features the winged warrior written by Cavan Scott (Star Wars: The High Republic) with art by Scot Eaton (Aquaman) and Norm Rapmund (X-Treme X-Men.) The second is a tale starring the heroine Isis (to be played by Sarah Shahi) from Bryan Q. Miller (Batgirl) and Marco Santucci (Injustice: Year Five.) The report also mentions that Hawkman’s story will introduce a DCEU version of the classic supervillain Gentleman Ghost as well as provide glimpses into Black Adam’s past from the perspective of Isis as she investigates artifacts from his life thousands of year previously. Enjoy the cover and issue synopsis below:
Long ago, Hawkman was the leader of the Justice Society, but what is he now? Still a hero, or another relic in a museum? Everything changes when he finds himself haunted by not only the past, but also the vengeful spirit of a wayward thief. Will this Gentleman Ghost be the death of Hawkman or will he deliver a warning from beyond the grave? The road to Black Adam begins here.
Also in this issue: As a pivotal moment in the life of Teth-Adam and his son Hurut begins to unfold in ancient Kahndaq, modern-day Kahndaq meets a new hero - antiquities professor by day, “cultural recovery specialist” by night, Adrianna Tomaz. And unfortunately for Adrianna, she’s about to “liberate” a sacred totem from the wrong interested party - Intergang!
The synopses suggests a particular backdrop of a superhero team past their prime, dispersed and relegated to the outskirts of a world they once strove to defend from crime and violence. In particular, Hawkman’s internal dilemma takes center stage, with the man who claims to be an Egyptian god reincarnated asking whether or not he is truly still a hero. Now on the run from the vengeful spirit of a mysterious former villain, Hawkman’s plight will likely serve as a forerunner to the greater thematic matter being discussed in the long-awaited film, with upcoming one-shots focusing on other members of the JSA.
It seems the run-up to Black Adam will offer multiple chances for new fans to get to grips with the movie's heroes, and for longtime comic fans to see how their favorite characters are being interpreted by the DCEU. Fans can check out Black Adam - The Justice Society Files: Hawkman from July 5 wherever comic books are sold.
Source: The Beat