If you click on a link and make a purchase we may receive a small commission. Read our editorial policy.
DC has rebooted Hawkman as an absolute bad guy thanks to one small tweak in his comic book lore
Absolute Evil has turned out to turn one long-standing DC superhero absolutely evil, and the reveal is rooted in a piece of mid-century DCU history
Popverse's top stories
- Post Malone's Big Rig is coming to New York Comic Con 2025 for a panel with Vault Comics
- Our most anticipated Artist Alley booths at New York Comic Con 2025
- Critical Role cast member (and monster expert) Alex Ward can see himself playing at least one of Brennan Lee Mulligan's creature creations, but reminds us that "humans are the worst monsters of all"
Spoilers for Absolute Evil #1 follow. Read at your own risk.
As promised, this week’s Absolute Evil #1 from DC Comics introduces a new version of the classic character Hawkman, who’s been part of DC lore for 85 years by this point… but the latest incarnation of the winged warrior takes a sharp turn from his more traditional portrayals, and it’s all thanks to one particular swerve on a storied piece of DC comic book history.
For those unfamiliar with DC’s Absolute Universe, it’s an alternate reality where history has been manipulated by Darkseid for his own purposes — with the end result being that things have turned out… well, worse, as if the title Absolute Evil wasn’t enough of a giveaway. (The hows and whys relate to the bigger DC All In of it all, which you can read about here.) The timeline alterations are why Bruce Wayne was raised in poverty in Absolute Batman, why Diana was raised in Hell in Absolute Wonder Woman, and so on — and why Absolute Hawkman is quite the villain in this version of reality.
The heel turn is laid clear as soon as the issue begins, with a flashback to 1951, where Hawkman has been called to a meeting of the House of Un-American Activities Committee and asked to reveal his identity in order to remain active. It’s a scene that’s been shown many times in traditional DC canon, although the character is normally surrounded by his Justice Society of America teammates in those retellings, with Hawkman graciously refusing to unmask, instead choosing to retire from superhero duties as a consequence of his actions.
Not this Hawkman, however. “My face, my name, my life — I do consider these my own business,” he explains. “But sometimes, business takes a back seat to pleasure… and you know what? It’ll be a real pleasure to inform on the Commie rats nibbling away at this great country. What do you want to know, boys?”
It’s the first sign that not everything is as fans might expect from Hawkman, the first DC character to go from hero to outright villain in his Absolute incarnation, but anyone hoping for a last-minute reveal that he’s a good guy after all is in for a disappointment… By issue’s end, it’s revealed that he’s the enforcer for NSA in this world, and that in that role, he’s just killed Oliver Queen who was attempting to fight back against injustice in a particularly Green Arrow-esque manner.
“Questions?” he asks, after throwing Queen’s corpse on a table. Only when we can expect to see this evil Hawkman again, really.
Absolute Evil #1 is available now.
Want to know what's coming up next in pop culture? Check out Popverse's guides to:
Follow Popverse for upcoming event coverage and news
Find out how we conduct our review by reading our review policy
Let Popverse be your tour guide through the wilderness of pop culture
Sign in and let us help you find your new favorite thing.
Comments
Want to join the discussion? Please activate your account first.
Visit Reedpop ID if you need to resend the confirmation email.