Hawk the Slayer: Watch for Me in the Night (2023)
Author: Garth Ennis | Illustrator: Henry Flint | Page Count: 128
"Since last you rode those awful paths, the black woods have almost doubled in size..."
Forty-three years! That's how long it took for a sequel to Hawk the Slayer (1980) to emerge. That's quite a span.
The only downside is the continuation is a comic book, not a movie. Wait, that's not a downside. It's quite the opposite, in fact, given how shit-awful modern fantasy movies are. The comic has no CGI, no extended universe crap, and no woke politics. That's a bona fide upside!
Was it worth the wait? No, but it did inspire me to rewatch the movie, so, again, I'm calling it a good thing.
Its story, written by Garth Ennis, of Hellblazer and Preacher fame, feels like an 80s B-Movie, which is how it should feel, in reverence to its predecessor.
It follows Hawk as he reunites with the remaining members of the Table of Five. Together with a couple of newbies, they go to thwart a great evil.
Artwork is by Henry Flint, a name I recognise from various 2000 AD stories, including ABC Warriors, Rogue Trooper, and the magazine's most famous helmet, Judge Dredd.
Likenesses are generally very good, being simple but effective, and the colouring is watercolour-esque, which suits the linework. Environments are reminiscent of Arthur Rackham's style.
My only criticism is that panels can be too full at times, overpowering the action and/or the focal point, but that's simply personal taste and other readers may feel differently.
The book collects together Hawk the Slayer: Watch for Me in the Night issues 1-5.
Individual covers. Click for FULL size:
No comments:
Post a Comment