Today in Comics History, February 14, Valentine's Day: You stink, Hawkman

from "Galentine's Day" in Mysteries of Love in Space #1 one-shot (DC, March 2019), script by Cecil Castellucci, pencils and inks by Elena Casagrande, colors by Jordie Bellaire, letters by Steve Wands

The Super DC Calendar for 1977 2022: July Jousting and Jurisprudence

Well, more macing than jackhammering, but Hawkman's classic big-ass weapon doesn't start with J, and after June and now July I'm kinda running out of J-words. I'm in such jeopardy!

Anyway, enjoy the Hawks all this month because this 1977 calendar also functions as one for 2022! And it's set in my favorite city after Brooklyn, London! Don't you dare dent Big Ben, Carter Hall!

"July 1977," from Super DC Calendar 1977 (DC, 1976), art by Joe Kubert
(Click picture to Benjamin, Big-size)

Today in Comics History, February 14: Happy Hawkiversary, Katar and Shayera Hol!

Married this day on the planet Hawkitania Thanagar: Hawkman and Hawkwoman! They didn't hire a wedding planner, so for all the arrangements of the ceremony and receptions, they had to wing it.


from Super DC Calendar 1976 (DC, December 1975), letters by Ben Oda
The Take-Off Two first appeared in The Brave and the Bold (of which they are both) #34, and unusually for a comic book couple, they've already been married for several years, so no double-sized, frought with danger collectors' item wedding special comic for them! (Barry Allen can tell ya they're best avoided, really.)


from Brave and the Bold #34 (DC, February 1961), script by Gardner Fox, pencils and inks by Joe Kubert, letters by Gaspar Saladino
Just in case you're upset there isn't a wedding in this issue...there is! Who says this isn't the Daring DC Age of Nuptial Necessity?!


And the Hawks lived happily ever after without any Three's Company-style misunderstandings or man-hungry husband-stealing neighbors.


"Say, Shayera, you don't think we'll arouse any suspicion being hidden aliens here on Earth, do you?" "Certainly not with this hu-mon clothing I copied from a book titled Costume and Style of the Edwardian Age, Kator dear!"


Here's a much later comic (altho' still set in a Pre-Crisis era) with the Hawks celebrating Valentine's Day without mentioning that it's their anniversary, but still, it's a good thing that Hawkman didn't buy her a bowling ball for the occasion.


from "Love in the Air" in DC Comics Presents: Hawkman #1 one-shot (DC, September 2004), script by Kurt Busiek, pencils by Walter Simonson, inks by Bob Wiacek, colors by Michael Atiyeh, letters by John Workman
Hey look, it's Man-Stealin' Mavis! This is set before she got her own popular treasury edition, Mavis Trent Commits Adultery with the DC Universe.


Say, Carter, since your first story shows you two already married, how did you and Shiera meet-cute? Let's have a flashback, shall we?


Everybody loves Valentine's Day, right, Commissioner Emmett?...oh. It's hard to put your foot in your mouth with those gigantic talons, but Hawkman managed it.


Then, I dunno, Simonson drew some symbolic doves into the panel; look, I don't write these, I just read 'em.


Ah, sweet khy'tarishk! (That's Thanagar for "l'amour.") As they go on through their married life, we wish all the best to these crazy kids. Here's to many more, Hawkman and Hawkw...whoops, their origin's been retconned in the middle of that sentence.