MARCO SPEAKS SPIDEY: DARKHAWK #2 REVIEW

Okay, I’m not going to lie: I was expecting a lot of Spider-Man in this issue. Any mention of any web-slinger when it comes to Marvel’s description for upcoming issues will understandably get me, and many other fans around the world, very excited and hyped. And though, there was a tad less Spidey than I expected, after reading this chapter, I can honestly say as well that Darkhawk does have a new fan in me. And, actually, in more ways than one, we can see how there are many similarities and parallelisms between this new, young superhero and our favorite neighborhood web-slinger. Cheers to this new adventure for the young Connor Young, pun not intended, but I would also like to put it out there and say that hopefully there are juicier tales of him partnering with Miles… or any Spider-Man for that matter. I think there is a lot Connor can learn from these veteran superheroes.

OFFICIAL MARVEL COMICS DESCRIPTION:

DARKHAWK #2

STORY BY: Kyle Higgins

ART BY: Juanan Ramirez

MAIN COVER BY: Iban Coello

VARIANTS BY: Declan Shalvey, Miguel Mercado, Ron Lim

• Connor Young: star point guard, recently diagnosed with MS and the new armored hero, DARKHAWK!
• But why was he chosen? Was it destiny? Fate? A cosmic coincidence?
• And what does it mean for his path forward?
• He’ll need to figure that out soon, before he has a run in a with a certain web-slinger…

POTENTIAL UNLEASHED!

PROS:

• Well, the major reason I jumped onto this issue is because we were promised an appearance by Spider-Man. And that is, technically, what we got. During the appearance, we see Miles in his normal, civilian get-up, lining up patiently to get some new kicks. But the star of the show, Connor Young, uses his fame as the top player in his city and one of the best basketball rising stars in the country, to skip the line and get special priority, bagging those new shoes that Miles wanted so badly. I love the joke that maybe Miles should have told the people handling the line who HIS secret identity was… maybe that would have helped him get that special VIP privilege as well. But we all know that is not how a true Spider-Man operates.
• While obviously not Spidey-centric, this issue did manage to make me care for this new character, Connor Young. We have a very promising teenager, poised to take over the world of sports…. Unfortunately, he is affected by MS. This severely limits his physical capabilities, but as he is the new Darkhawk, there is still a way for him to protect both himself and his society with his powers. So, yes, ultimately, this issue did make me a convert, despite leaving me wanting more Miles Morales.

CONS:

• As mentioned earlier, there was just too little Spidey action. All Miles did was show up after the big fight, and ask Connor and his friend what was up… totally missing the whole point of all the trouble. He just left them soon afterwards, leaving them to go about their business. And we all saw how that turned out at the end of the issue where Connor’s best friend meets a very violent and untimely demise. Maybe Miles Morales should have put more detective work into this issue. But then again, maybe he was just in such a bad mood that he did not get his brand new sneakers that he wanted so badly. But tragedy, in most cases, is really what pushes these young heroes to go out of their shell and really excel at what they do… this may be the crucial turning point in the life of Connor Young.

FINAL SCORE: B

It was a smart move to market this issue with the Spidey branding. Well played, Marvel Comics. Well played. But moving on from my disappointment, I do sincerely look forward to more street-level collaborations between Darkhawk and the likes of a Miles Morales. I think the future is bright for the youthful characters of Marvel, and this is yet another example of how to tell an origin story properly. The creative team succeeded in making a character and story that new audiences actually care about… the next step is continuing this momentum and fleshing it all out.