‘Darkhawk #1’ Review

Writer: Kyle Higgins / Artist: Juanan Ramirez / Image I decided to give Darkhawk a shot because reviving old heroes is dope when pulled off the right way. Darkhawk #1 is drops 30 years after Stan Lee claimed he would be the greatest hero of the 90s. We all know how that turned out, but there’s always room for improvement when you’re working with a cool concept that died long ago. Kyle Higgins is the man in charge of the Darkhawk revival, and I like the job he did on this first issue. Room for improvement? Sure, but it’s clear Higgins has a handle on the high school and degenerative disease subject matter that is necessary to create a well written book. Conner Young is a basketball star killin it during senior year. Luckily, the ability to sink buzzer beaters didn’t turn him into a pompous ass. In fact, Young is the kind of kid who understands the weight of his scholarship to Empire State and the value in giving back to the community. You get all that from Conner’s post-game interview, and this why I was confident this origin story would unfold nicely.

In Darkhawk #1, We learn that Conner has MS (Multiple Sclerosis), and it is a crushing development for the kid who’s fully aware of the impact it will have on his chances to ball again during his last year of high school, or keep that scholarship he covets. A chance encounter with an amulet changes all of those things though, and we’re gifted with the rebirth of Blackhawk! While I’m not sold on the costum…