(image Source: Dynamite Entertainment / Mark Spears)
Released one year after the success of ThunderCats, SilverHawks was intended to be a sci-fi successor to the feline fantasy. Unfortunately, the cartoon did not prove as popular, despite a loyal following. History seems poised to repeat itself with the new SilverHawks comic, which follows Dynamite Entertainment‘s smash hit reboot of the ThunderCats franchise.
Our story opens in the distant world of Bedlama in the year 2839. It is a time of peace and tranquility. The beat cops of Bedlama, like Lieutenant Jon Quick, are rarely called upon to deal with serious crimes. Even the SilverHawks, a legendary order of cyborg peace-keepers, are in danger of being decommissioned by the intergalactic government. Indeed, the team’s leader, Commander Stargazer, has stepped down to a non-uniformed position and is facing retirement.
(Image Source: Dynamite Entertainment / George Kambadais)
Those plans are changed following a mass escape from Penal Planet 10. Chief among the escaped criminals is Mon*Star, a legendary crime boss whose capture 100 years earlier necessitated the full force of Bedlama’s peacekeepers. Faced with an unprecedented crimewave, Commander Stargazer is called upon to create a new generation of Silverhawks; one that will make use of the latest cybernetics and Lieutenant Jon Quick.
SilverHawks offers more mature take on classic show
Like the recent ThunderCats reboot, SilverHawks #1 taps the pilot episode of its source material for inspiration. However, as with ThunderCats and the Space Ghost reboot, the script by Ed Brisson veers into more sophisticated territory. This goes beyond increased violence, with actual death being depicted. There is also an element of body horror as the elder SilverHawks discuss the decay of their organic and robotic components. One quips that he is now “half metal, half arthritis,” which seems more appropriate to RoboCop than SilverHawks,
(Image Source: Dynamite Entertainment / George Kambadais)
Unfortunately, the artwork doesn’t quite match up to this darker take on the classic show. George Kambadais does a fine job capturing the character designs from the cartoon. However, his light inks, coupled with the bright colors of Ellie Wright, stand at odds with the story’s tone. It’s possible this was an intentional choice, to showcase a bright utopia destroyed. However, if that was the intent, it is not well-realized visually.
Despite the incongruous artwork, SilverHawks #1 is a promising start to Dynamite Entertainment’s latest comics reboot. This issue offers a solid foundation for the new series and considerable potential. Hopefully, it will continue to grow as the classic cast is reintroduced and finds a new audience.
Grade: 7/10
SilverHawks #1 arrives in comic shops everywhere on January 29, 2025.
