https://legacy.aintitcool.com/node/67044#4

THE HAWK OF NEW YORK #1
Writer: Randy L. Bishop
Illustrator: Randy L. Bishop
Publisher: Lunar Works Productions
Reviewer: Mr. Pasty

Eric Warden is a “half-Indian, half-white” orphan who grew up in the (corrupt) state system after being dumped on the doorstep of the Hendom County Orphanage in fictional Mohawk Springs, New York, wrapped in a leather jacket and holding a dreamcatcher. It's impossible to not think of Willowbrook State School (of CROPSEY fame) considering the locale/timeline and as expected, the Hendom experience is equally horrifying. But why is our protagonist able to survive and, dare I say, prosper? The answer lies somewhere within the yarn conceived by creator Randy L. Bishop. From Bruce Wayne to Annie, there's no shortage of rags-to-riches stories in pop culture and I think they're easy to relate to for a couple of reasons. Obviously, every abandoned child fantasizes of the day they become “someone”, but I think all kids have big dreams which, unless fulfilled, tend to tag along well into adulthood. I'm probably not going to play first base for the New York Yankees, but hey, I can still be General Manager!

What's interesting about THE HAWK OF NEW YORK is how each panel is layered with music, which might sound unusual for a comic, and I will admit it felt a bit cluttered in the beginning. Once I understood the correlation between the lyrics and the overall narrative – including Warden's growth as a character – it made a little more sense. So many mediums are using music these days to fill in the blanks, and that was one of my gripes about the last season of THE WALKING DEAD, a show that felt compelled to saturate every scene with country strings and wailing voices. That's not the case here, as Bishop is careful to construct each panel with a sense of purpose. The arrangement is not just “Hey, we have music!”, but rather a separate layer to help with exposition when Warden has nothing to say. He is a loner, after all, so we don't always know where his head is at, and like most loners or lost souls, he wraps himself in a blanket of lyrics to keep warm. It's a risky move in a comic, but one that pays off here thanks to Bishop's ability to put order above chaos.

As for the artwork, well, that's a little more difficult to describe. There is clearly a skilled pencil at work here, and if you take a long view of the page, it almost looks like the wall of a tattoo shop has come alive. Since Warden is “half-Indian” and the obvious "hawk" of New York, there exists a recurring and not-so-subtle placement of wings. Not just from birds and eagles, but also Warden himself, outstretched on gymnastics rings. He also floats in and out of dream states, casting a shadow of existentialism across the book's overall tone. Whether or not it's enjoyable to the reader depends on a number of qualifiers. THE HAWK OF NEW YORK bills itself as a coming-of-age tale featuring "murder, motorcycles, punk rock, and Indian magic", but I think anyone with a love for good music and quirky comics should check this one out. It's unique, well-paced, and just flat-out fun to read.

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