Darkhawk Celebrates 30th Anniversary With Giant-Sized Anthology One-Shot

As a ’90s kid, I’m obligated to love all the weird super heroes that popped up in that decade, most notably Darkhawk. The character has been through all kinds of adventures and even some reinvention a few years back as a cosmic hero. This April, Marvel celebrates the hero’s 30th anniversary with a special giant-sized anthology one-shot. Darkhawk: Heart of the Hawk collects three tales celebrating the character’s legacy, exploring his defining eras, and setting him up for his future.

Darkhawk is really Chris Powell, a teenager who discovers a mysterious amulet and transforms into the armored spacefaring hero. This anthology will feature a story from Darkhawk’s creators, writer Danny Fingeroth and artist Mike Manley, as well as writers Dan Abnett and Kyle Higgins and artists Andrea Di Vito and more.

“It’s an understatement to say that I’m thrilled to team up once again with the great Mike Manley to reveal an untold tale of Darkhawk’s earliest days,” Fingeroth said. “Hawkamaniacs are always asking me when we’ll be returning to the character we established, and I’m glad to have the opportunity to once again tap into the Darkhawk magic with Mike. Hope everybody enjoys this new tale of the high-flying, amulet-wielding hero!”

“When I was asked to write a story celebrating Darkhawk’s thirtieth (!) anniversary, I was happy to oblige – especially as it was chance to revisit the cosmic part of his career when I put him out among the stars with the likes of Nova and the Guardians,” Abnett said. “And I enjoyed it more than I imagined – I had forgotten what a great, lonely, determined hero he was. I also love the fact that this special reflects the different ages of Darkhawk’s thirty year odyssey, bringing back creators who created him and helped shape him through every stage of his adventures.  He may be turning thirty, but it’s been quite a ride and, for Darkhawk, the future is just beginning…”

“As someone slightly newer to Darkhawk — certainly compared to Danny, Mike and Dan — I’m incredibly honored and excited for the opportunity to build a story that both celebrates what Danny, Mike, Dan and so many other fantastic creators have built over the last thirty years… while also setting course for the future,” Higgins said.

I like how this is set up as a past, present, and future for the character. I can’t wait to see where this goes and I sincerely hope this is the beginning of something more. Darkhawk has had a few one-shots during the past decade or so, but nothing seems to have taken off. Darkhawk: Heart of the Hawk #1 features a cover by Inhyuk Lee and is set for release in April 2021.