NIGHTHAWK #6
Writer: David F. Walker
Penciler: Ramon Villalobos
Colorist: Tamra Bonvillain
Inker: Tamra Bonvillain
Letterer: VC’s Travis Lanham
Price: $3.99
Release Date: October 26, 2016
Plot: Nighthawk‘s final chapter has the titular hero finally piecing everything together in this mystery and trying to save his city from the multiple threats of the rising gang conflicts as well as the Revelator.
Story: Nighthawk has done an amazing job with it’s story and this issue concludes things very nicely. The book has provided some great insight into a character who feels very easily relateable and faces real conflicts that are going on in the world currently. David F. Walker has really constructed Nighthawk around grounded issues and provided an in depth look into situations such as gang violence, police corruption and forcing gentrification. Walker has never been afraid to be brutally honest with this story and it has translated nicely and kept the book honest and realistic. Nighthawk is an edgy character which has led to telling a great story that puts characters into tough situations where good questions revolving around where individuals stand on very touchy moral issues.
Walker has established a very well thought out setting that utilizes the supporting characters in interesting ways. The best part of Nighthawk is how many character’s perspectives get incorporated into the story; this issue immediately begins to focus on Nina dealing with witnessing Dixon shoot Sullivan and then be killed by Nighthawk. The character is put into a very unique situation that causes Nina to make quick decisions based on where she stands morally. She watches a cop commit murder only to be taken out by a vigilante, and while she knows Dixon got what he deserved, she questions whether Nighthawk should be brought in or not. This is the type of additional information that really takes a story to the next level because the writer can seamlessly include these outside perspectives.
The writing for Nighthawk has been phenomenal because not only has it established the characters of all types but it has built up some great relationships as well. The chemistry between Nighthawk and Tilda has been very natural feeling; she has been the perfect counter to Nighthawk and adds a lot of fun to a serious and quiet hero. Tilda’s tech-savvy intelligence has been an important aspect of the book, but her lighthearted (and mostly one-sided) conversations with Nighthawk have always injected the right amount of humor to serious situations. The only disappointment around Tilda is that she never made it into the field or operated on foot like she appears on the issue’s cover. Aside from this, Walker has also done well with the understanding and relationship that Nighthawk and Sullivan have had with one another. Sullivan represents an important part of Nighthawk because he allows the main character to operate as a brutal vigilante knowing there are still trustworthy cops out there.
Nighthawk is a character who pushes the boundaries of being considered a hero; the character operates almost 100% as a vigilante unafraid to injure villains and uncaring whenever they die. Issue six brings this aspect of the character to life when he faces off with the corrupt businessman trying to gentrify the neighborhood. It’s hard to say that someone deserves to lose their life, but it’s also easy to recognize when people deserve what’s coming to them. Nighthawk has never been afraid to brutally show people getting what they deserve, and it is a big part of the character and story. This issue concludes the story and pushes the hero to make tough choices in the end, but he ensures that the corrupt villains get what they deserve, no matter how bold it might seem from Walker, he nails it.
Art: The art in Nighthawk has echoed the story extremely well in displaying it’s tone and feel. A lot of the scenes have a very gritty feel to them the same way the surrounding city setting Walker has set up seems to be crumbling from the inside out. Things are drawn by Villalobos and feel very rough and unpolished but properly mimic the city. Most of the heroic characters are drawn with more detail and clearer lines. Looking at the panels and scenes with Nina or Sullivan, their emotions are communicated much clearer compared to the villains readers are supposed to feel less for.
Nighthawk has also created some very nice full panel action sequences that are fast paced and communicate the sequence well. Villalobos chooses proper poses to transition between that flow perfectly and convey the full spectrum of a sequence. Nighthawk is a physical hero who is never afraid to take action, so the book has always featured a lot of different fight scenes that the artists have always drawn and colored properly.
Tamra Bonvillain has also done incredible work with the coloring in Nighthawk. Her color choices have always brought the scenes to life and given them a great feel. The scenes with Tilda at her computer felt like a person glued to a television at night, wondering what’s going to come next. She also has nicely toned the backgrounds and provided fitting colors for the different feelings scenes are trying to communicate. Nighthawk’s color has always helped to emit the emotion that pours through the book, Bonvillain’s choices help amplify character emotions and the weight certain scenes carry.
Verdict: Nighthawk has been an incredible book from Marvel and it’s sad that this will be the final issue. David F. Walker, Ramon Villalobos and Tamra Bonvillain have never failed to communicate this story and the characters emotions. Nighthawk #6 closes out the story perfectly and concludes an amazing book.