Unfortunately for Eric, igniting a gang war doesn’t just wipe out the “bad guys,” and local law enforcement swoops in to investigate the sudden rekindling of hostilities. (The two gangs had a truce.) Meanwhile, our vigilante has fled the scene carrying newswoman Yvonne Price to safety on the back of his motorcycle; however, the Devil Marauders haven’t been entirely wiped out, and one straggler is willing to tap into some occult texts to find an opponent no one in our world has ever seen.
Randyl Bishop’s The Hawk of New York #6 tries to pick up immediately after the events of issue #5 and uses them to move Eric into the public eye as a people’s hero against gang violence; however, some of the story vignettes cut into the main plot in ways I found a little difficult to follow. The only plot reason I could find for the showdown between Eric and a supernatural baddy was an explanation for the disappearance of the protagonist’s iconic motorcycle, and I didn’t feel that the attraction between Yvonne and Eric had been earned. (I’m firmly believing that some things occurred off the page to justify it.) The confrontation between our lead and his friend, Doc, moved me deeply, though. In issue #5, the older man cautioned against Eric’s course of action, but Eric’s anger prevented him from seeing that Doc’s words held caring, not just censure. When he returns with both physical and emotional wounds, he admits that he was blinded by his pain and loss, which I believe is the first step towards rebuilding his shattered soul. Hopefully, the two men can reconnect further since Doc’s mentor role is something Eric needs.
The middle of this issue includes three incredible tributes to lost comic book creators: Doug “Artist Rex” DeTar, Gary Friedrich, and the famous Stan Lee. I was touched by the love for each of these creators that spilled out of the short blurbs and pictures, and my heart goes out to all of their families.
Unfortunately, music doesn’t play quite as central a part in The Hawk of New York #6 as it did in previous issues. There are still a few song lyrics in the background, but the primary focus is the action, not the atmosphere.
Overall, The Hawk of New York #6 takes Eric from secret vigilante to folk hero in a mostly seamless arc. I didn’t follow a few of the side trips the author chose for the character, but I hope that we get more information and/or payoff in upcoming issues. How will Eric handle his newfound fame? How will the power imbalance caused by the annihilation of the Devil Marauders and the Killaz affect the New York metropolis underworld? Where will the Bogre show up next? The answers can only be found by reading future installments!
4 London HONY Cosplayers 5
Creative Team: Randyl Bishop (editor, coloring, shading, penciling, and inking), Peter Palmiotti (story consultant and inking), Mitch Rogers (creator of The Bogre, cover art, and penciling), Ricky Zero (story consultant and writer of Day of Reckoning), Jas Ingram (typographic design for Day of Reckoning chapter title)
Publisher: Timebound Entertainment
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