STAR HAWKS Volume One

The success of Star Wars resulted in plenty of imitators, and at first glance the daily newspaper strip Star Hawks appears to be one of them. Debuting in late 1977, it’s a tale of space-bound derringdo that fits happily into the Star Wars mould, but was actually a previously-shelved project created in 1976 by writer Ron Goulart and legendary Marvel artist Gil Kane.

The success of George Lucas’s iconic creations gave Star Hawks a second chance, and the whole series is now being collected in handsome hardback editions. This first volume introduces Jaxon and Chavez, heroic “Star Hawk” law enforcement agents, and wastes no time in throwing them into danger as they investigate mysteries and battle evil regimes across the galaxy.

Like many daily comics, Star Hawks is told at an energetic and sometimes relentless pace, leaping from one cliffhanger to another at nothing less than breakneck speed. A melodramatic romp, it plays like a fusion of the sillier side of classic Star Trek with the swashbuckling grandeur of Alex Raymond’s Flash Gordon comics. While the script is often predictable and clichéd, the art from Kane truly shines, pulling off some amazing sci-fi visuals, and making this a treat for the more nostalgically-minded comics fan. Saxon Bullock