REVIEW: ‘Darkhawk,’ Issue #2

Darkhawk #2 is written by Kyle Higgins, illustrated by Juanan Ramirez, colored by Erick Arciniega, and lettered by VC’s Travis Lanham. It is published by Marvel Comics. After the events of the first issue, Connor Young deals with a life that now includes medical treatments for his Multiple Sclerosis and a gem that gives him the ability to switch places with a superpowered Darkhawk android. A trip with his friend Derek to grab some new sneakers goes south with Connor runs into the thugs he fought in the first issue-along with Miles Morales/Spider-Man.

As with the first issue, Higgins chooses to focus on Connor’s relationships with his dad and Derek, the latter of which ends up tying into his adventures as Darkhawk. Connor’s MS diagnosis has altered how he thinks about life. He has to get used to taking new medicines, which he confesses “hurts like hell” and he and his dad are dealing with financial issues including medical costs and insurance which means he can’t afford a new pair of sneakers. While talking with Derek, Connor compares getting the shoes to taking a trip to Paris: fun to do but not that realistic. The Paris example comes up again while discussing Empire State University, showing that while Connor’s accepted his MS he knows that things can’t go back to normal.

The issue does contain a fight scene, and once again Ramierez and Arciniega shine while depicting Darkhawk’s fighting style. A three-page sequence features Darkhawk hovering menacingly over the thugs when they threaten Derek, telling them to stand down. When they open fire, the bullets simply rebound off of his armor. And then he attacks like a freight train, laying into the thugs with superhumanly strong punches and kicks and slicing through their guns with his energy claws. Ramirez draws this entire sequence in a fluid motion, making it seem like it’s almost animated, and Arciniega’s colors will draw readers’ eyes to Darkhawk—his black and silver armor is definitely a standout, as well as the glowing purple wings and claws he utilizes in combat. The fact that Lanham depicts his word bubbles as distorted only adds to the otherworldly feeling of the Darkhawk android.

However, the biggest gut-punch is at the end of the issue, where Connor learns that he isn’t the only person who’s holding a secret as Darkhawk. I won’t spoil this twist, but I will say that the ending changes the entire trajectory of the book and will give Connor a reason to lean into his superheroic persona. Readers will also want to check out the Winter Soldier miniseries that Higgins wrote, as a villain from that story plays a key role in this issue. Also, while Miles makes a brief appearance, future issues have teased a union between him, Connor, and Captain America. I’d love to see how Connor and Miles react to each other, as they share more than a few things in common.

Darkhawk #2 continues its protagonist’s superhero journey, adding a heavy dose of emotional weight along the way. I appreciate the work the creative team is doing to make Connor a fully fleshed-out character, and I also appreciate that Higgins is using the “Air Space” column in the back of the book to reach out to real-life people and experts about MS. I can only hope that other writers are willing to put in this level of effort when creating characters.

Darkhawk #2 is available wherever comics are sold.