I came into The Hawk of New York late, starting on issue five. With that being said, as much as I thought I might feel left behind, I really wasn’t. This issue can stand alone, by itself, and yet still feels like it’s a part of a bigger narrative. That’s a big deal, and kudos to writer/creator Randyl Bishop on that, as it is no simple task to make happen.
We open with a gangland killing being investigated by the police. They take us over the whole incident and why they’re certain that it was a local MC taking out some beef on a crew of gangbangers, The Killaz. Add in innocent bystanders, crazy action, and an anti-hero biker vigalante and you’ve got The Hawk of New York#5. The story remained easy to follow and not at all bogged down with information from other issues. I will say, I don’t know completely what the Hawks reason for his war on street crime is, but if you enjoyed #5 like I did, then it’s easy enough to go back and pick up all of the remaining 4 issues.
The art was very dark and gritty, done in grey scale with no color. This felt more than appropriate for the tale presented. The linework is thick inked and shadow heavy, very reminiscent of crime noir books. The amazing thing is that as far as interiors are concerned, Randyl handles all jobs from writing to lettering. Besides editing, one of the few things Randyl didn’t do everything, though. One special part of this issue is the cover, done by Javier Saltares of Ghost Rider fame. Seeing the cover, and understanding the hero, this move makes perfect sense!
Another nice touch I found with this book is that it comes with music. There is music that occurs during the book and then Randyl has linked you to listen to the actual tunes, which, to be honest, are right down my alley. It’s a nice addition, and something I think can really set the book apart as it seems to be an ongoing trend for the series.
This particular issue kept me turning to see where the Hawk would turn up and what he had to do with everything that was going on. The explosive climax made all of that known, and the final page did exactly what it was supposed to do as well; it forced me to ask, “wait, where’s issue 6?”
You can pick up all of the issues of The Hawk of New York at www.timebound.co . And if for some reason my review didn’t sell you, here’s a trailer for the book, filled with more great tunes, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s-ZTjDKqQQ4&feature=youtu.be