Monday, July 15, 2024

Showcase Vol. 1 #75

Showcase Vol. 1 #75 introduced the DC Comics pair of Hawk and Dove, siblings with different world views on how to handle serious situations. During a protest against the Vietnam War, brothers Hank and Don Hall hold different views over the war and the protestors, with Hank supporting aggression and taking action while Don believes in a peaceful and non violent alternative. When their father, a well regarded judge, becomes the target of an assassination attempt, the siblings involve themselves in figuring out who wants their father dead. Upon finding the hangout of the conspirators and realizing that they don't have a plan, Hank and Don are given powers and costumes from a mysterious force. As Hawk and Dove, they both try to stop the criminals and save their father while still keeping to their own beliefs with the former using aggression and the latter trying to be reasonable. For both an introduction and an origin story, this is a pretty good issue that manages to give us a lot of information about the new characters to keep us interested while giving us just enough of their development to make readers invested for their own series. Most of Steve Skeates's writing does a good job at showing the differences between the Hall siblings, though they're both a bit over the top in how extreme their beliefs are. The sudden moment of them getting their powers does feel very out of nowhere without any hints or foreshadowing towards it. But overall, the writing of the story is pretty good, the siblings are fun, and does make good points for both sides and ideals. For the art, it was all done by Marvel legend Steve Ditko, also a co-creator, and right from the first page you get such an incredible look. Characters are well detailed, colors are vibrant, backgrounds are great, and the sequential action is done really well. Hawk and Dove's debut in Showcase Vol. 1 #75 is not only a fun read but a pretty good time capsule of 1968. Over all: 100%
Top list so far for 3rd set of comics:
1. The Complete Peanuts Vol. 15: 1979-1980
2. Daredevil Vol. 1 #170
3. The New Teen Titans Vol. 1 #1
4. Green Arrow Vol. 1 #1
5. Star Wars: Dark Empire #1
6. Deadman: Love After Death #1
7. Walt Disney's Uncle Scrooge and Donald Duck: The Don Rosa Library Vol. 1
8. Showcase Vol. 1 #75
9. Detective Comics Vol. 1 #441
10. Marvel Super-Heroes Vol. 1 #18
11. Eternals by Jack Kirby: The Complete Collection (Eternals (1976-1978))
12. Hulk Vol. 5 #1
13. Avnegers: War Across Time #1
14. The Yellow Kid
15. Sabrina the Teenage Witch Vol. 1 #8
16. Archie and Me #132
17. Marvel Super Heroes Secret Wars #1
18. Action Comics Vol. 1 #674

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