Hey, you! Excited about the upcoming HAWKGIRL l series from me, Amancay Nahuelpan and Adriano Lucas? Curious about what comics to read to prepare yourself for this high-flying heroine? Look no further! Here’s a guide to all of the relevant previous appearances of Kendra Saunders, Hawkgirl!
Keep in mind, though, that you don’t HAVE to read any of these. HAWKGIRL #1 is very new-reader friendly, setting up Kendra’s current status quo without you needing any previous character knowledge. But, if you WANT to read more…
JSA SECRET FILES AND ORIGINS 1
Kendra’s first appearance, first time she puts on the costume, first time she flies. More of a tone poem than a proper story, but it hits the right tone.
JSA 16-27
Kendra joins the JSA with issue 2, but is kind of in the background until the crackerjack “Injustice Be Done” arc, which has an *extremely* significant interaction with Tigress. Hawkman’s return follows, showcasing Kendra’s difficult relationship with the Hawk legacy. JSA 21 also includes a conversation with Zuriel, an actual angel. You don’t need to worry about him, but what they talk about is…relevant.
HAWKMAN (2002) 1-4, 8, 10-12
HAWKMAN revolves around, well, Hawkman, so not every issue is worth reading if you’re looking for Kendra. But! There’s some nice stuff here about Kendra’s family, especially her relationship with her grandfather, Speed Saunders.
HAWKGIRL 63
There’s not a whole lot that we reference from Simonson’s Hawkgirl series that piggybacked off Hawkman’s numbering, but I really like the peer relationship it established between Kendra and Batman.
JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA (2006) 30
This run of JLA had a fun romance between Kendra and Roy Harper, but all you really need to know is they broke up. Messily.
BLACKEST NIGHT 1
Spoiler Warning: Kendra dies here. She gets better, but not for another decade or so.
DARK NIGHTS: METAL 1-5
Kendra returns! She’s now a part of the Blackhawks! Then she turns into the demonically-posessed Lady Blackhawk! Then she’s back to herself, but with Nth metal wings (that’s new) and complete memories of her past lives (also new). It’s a journey!
JUSTICE LEAGUE (2018) 1-39
Yeah, I know, this is a lot of comics, but Kendra is pretty central to this storyline, and we get some cool stuff in here like her relationship with Martian Manhunter, their alternate future child, and a fun meeting with Sheyera Hol, aka Hawkwoman.
HAWKMAN (2018) 22-29
Kendra isn’t in this Hawkman series at all–she was over in Justice League–and you don’t have to read the whole thing. But you may want to pick up the final issues and get in on what they reveal about the Hawk reincarnation legacy, and its future.
GALAXY: THE PRETTIEST STAR
Again, not a book Kendra appears in, but if you wanted some backstory on Galaxy, who will be a supporting character, this is the place to start. Also good if you wanted to read something else written by me.
And that’s it! Again, you don’t have to read ANY of these comics to read HAWKGIRL. I explain things as you go, and some things–like about the villain Vulpecula–I made up out of whole cloth. Feel free to not do any homework at all and just enjoy the ride!