Writer: Danny Fingeroth, Dan Abnett, and Kyle Higgins
Artist: Mike Manley, Andrea Di Vito, and Juanan Ramirez
Publisher: Marvel Comics
Release Date: April 14, 2021
Cover Price: $4.99

I’ll admit that I knew next to nothing about Darkhhawk before Marvel announced this issue. So, I went and read Darkhawk #1 (1991), gathered some information (code for reading the wiki page), and away we go! I liked the character pretty quickly, so I was excited to read this first issue and review it. The coolest thing about this issue is that it gives readers the complete scope of Darkhawk and even promises some big things in the future. Let’s get into it…

Danny Fingeroth and Mike Manley kick things off, and it’s like jumping into the Wayback Machine set for the 90s. I am glad I read that first issue from ’91 because, without it, I may not have realized how cool it is to have these two doing Darkhawk again. The nostalgia factor is high as we are (re)introduced to Chris Powell and Darkhawk in a way that old and new fans can enjoy. It does feel like a story plucked off of a 90s spinner rack, and that is both good and bad. The narrative pushed ahead whether it makes sense or not, and in the end, a lot of it feels a bit forced. Still, if you want to get the feel of what it must have been like to read Darkhawk when Fingeroth and Manley were writing him back-in-the-day, this just might fill your needs.

Next up is Dan Abnett, with a story that shows the cosmic side of Darkhawk. It’s a quick read that looks good and fits well with the cosmic shenanigans that have happened recently in the MCU. It’s a story about being a hero, even if nobody wants you to be one. It looks great and works best as a springboard to go and check out more of Darkhawk’s cosmic stories.

The issue wraps up with Kyle Higgins setting things up for the future. Again, it’s a quick read that may have some Darkhawk vets worried, but after reading the entire issue and seeing the cliffhanger, I am suddenly interested in more Darkhawk in the future.

This is a nice little celebration for a character that hasn’t gotten a ton of play lately. I already said it, but I went from not knowing the character to looking forward to an upcoming series from this, so it must have done something right. It’s not perfect but looks great thanks to Mike Manley, Andrea Di Vito, and Juanan Ramirez and is fun in its unique way.

Final Thoughts:

I went from knowing next to nothing about Nighthawk to looking forward to a future series from this 30th-anniversary issue. ‘Nuff said!

8.0/10