It’s time to map the DC Universe! In June, I’ll be joining with Near Mint Condition to launch the Tigereyes Most Wanted DC Omnibus 2nd Annual Poll! This post explains every Hawkman omnibus that does NOT exist – all of which will appear as options on the 2025 poll.
Through the end of May I’ll be covering DC entire publishing history by mapping missing omnibus volumes to fill in every gap in your DC oversize shelf! That’s all leading to the kickoff of the Tigereyes Most Wanted DC Omnibus 2nd Annual Poll on Near Mint Condition the first week of June.
Hawkman only has one slim omnibus to his name – and that’s entirely due to the writer: Geoff Johns. That’s despite there being a murderer’s row of talent on other Hawkman runs – including Jenny Blake Isabella, John Ostrander, William Messner-Loebs, Jimmy Palmiotti, Walt Simonson, & Robert Venditti!
There are several of those runs I’d love to see in omnibus – especially Ostrander’s 90s material, including Hawkworld. But, it was Robert Vendetti’s run (another book I love) that almost made the on-air results last year. Will it squeak in this year? You have the power to make it happen!
If you’re not sure of what to vote for, stick around for a list of books vetted by a gang of the biggest mapping nerds on the internet with explanations from yours truly – keeper of the most-definitive guides to collected editions on the planet.
Or, if you don’t care about omnibuses, just use this post to learn about DC history and find some great comics to read!
This post covers the following speculated omnibus volumes:
- Hawkman Omnibus Mapping – Golden & Silver Age
- Hawkman, The Golden Age Omnibus Vol. 1 (1939 & on)
- Hawkman, The Silver Age Omnibus Vol. 1 (1961 & on) [could continue to Bronze backups]
- Hawkman Omnibus Mapping – Crisis to Flashpoint
- Hawkman by Tony Isabella (1985 – 1987)
- Hawkman: Hawkworld by John Ostrander & Tim Truman (1989 – 1993)
- Hawkman by Ostrander, Messner-Loebs, et al (1993 – 1996)
- Hawkman & Hawkgirl by Palmiotti, Gray, & Simonson (2004 – 2007) [follows Hawkman by Johns omni]
- Hawkman Omnibus Mapping – New 52 & Rebirth
- Hawkman: The Savage Hawkman, The New 52 Omnibus (2011 – 2013)
Hawkman by Robert Vendetti (2018 – 2020)
- Hawkman: The Savage Hawkman, The New 52 Omnibus (2011 – 2013)
Remember: These titles and mappings are a suggestion of how DC could assemble these books. Your vote on the poll is a vote in favor of DC creating a book with that title or covering that period, NOT an endorsement of a specific map. Maps are presented as a proof of concept and to help you build your personal reading list.
Want to check out all of the other voting options for the 2025 Tigereyes Poll? Check out my 2025 Tigereyes poll options overview page that explains the poll, how to vote, and every title that will appear – including links to all of the posts in this series.
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Hawkman Omnibus Mapping – Golden & Silver Age
Hawkman, The Golden Age Omnibus Vol. 1 (1939 & on)
Hawkman appeared in every issue of Flash Comics (1939) #1-104, though only stories from the first 22 issues were collected into a Golden Age Hawkman Archives hardcover.
Those stories were always 9 pages long, and Hawkman sometimes appeared on the cover (or, at least, received a cover blurb). That means this material will take 1040 pages to collect, plus front and back matter.
DC has never once broken the 900-page mark on a Golden Age omnibus, so it’s very likely this would be two volumes – maybe including some other Golden Age material alongside the Flash Comics (1939) stories.
This would begin to collect Hawkman stories from Flash Comics (1939) #1-104, which are nine story pages each plus cover.
Hawkman, The Silver Age Omnibus Vol. 1 (1961 & on) [could continue to Bronze backups]
Hawkman has a pair of black-and-white Showcase Presents volumes collecting his Silver Age stories, which means we have more than enough to kick off a Silver Age Omnibus line. In reality, this might make more sense as a “Silver & Bronze” line that continues through his Bronze Age anthology stories.
That would begin to collect The Brave and the Bold (1955) #34-36 & 70, 42-44, & 51, The Atom (1962) #7 & 31, Mystery in Space (1951) #87-90, Hawkman (1964) #1-28, and The Atom and Hawkman (1968) #39-45.
Hawkman Omnibus Mapping – Crisis through Flashpoint
Hawkman by Tony Isabella (1985 – 1987)
This would collect The Shadow War of Hawkman (1985) #1-4, Hawkman Special (1986) #1, DC Comics Presents #95, Hawkman (1986) #1-17, all by Tony Isabella, and maybe also Legend of the Hawkman (2000) #1-3 by Ben Raab.
Note: Author Tony Isabella recently changed her name to “Jenny Blake Isabella.” However, it is her wish that prior work for DC continue to be credited to “Tony,” saying “I don’t consider ‘Tony Isabella’ to be a dead name” in a recent blog post that discusses how her past credits should be handled.
Hawkman: Hawkworld by John Ostrander & Tim Truman (1989 – 1993)
Hawkworld was a reimagining of the origins of Hawkman and Thanagar for Post-Crisis continuity. A 1989 prestige mini-series introduced the society of Thanagar with a clear system of castes as seen through the experiences of Katar Hol and Byth Rok. Then, a 1990 ongoing series by John Ostrander continued the story of Thanagar, but followed the conflict between Katar and Byth to Earth.
Much like George Pérez’s Post-Crisis origin for Wonder Woman, this re-write of Thanagar’s past significantly altered everything we previously knew about Hakwman – which would lead to some confusion when the Justice Society were canonized into the past of the Post-Crisis universe (less DC’s Trinity, but with Hawkman still intact).
Both Hawkworld series are thrilling from start to finish. I wish we had seen this collected while Hawkman was having a brief moment with his appearance in the Black Adam movie, but maybe he’ll make an appearance in the new DC film universe to spur DC on to printing this book.
Or, maybe you could just vote for it!
This would collect Hawkworld (1989) #1-3 (written and drawn by Tim Truman) and Hawkworld (1990) #1-32 & Annual 1-3 (written entirely by John Ostrander).
Hawkman by Ostrander, Messner-Loebs, et al (1993 – 1996)
With the final threads of the Thanagar plot resolved at the end of Hawkworld (1990), the title focused to a more conventional superhero book for a relaunch as Hawkman (1993). Ostrander continued his run on the character by launching the book and writing through issue #6, with William Messner-Loebs taking over at #10 and writing through the end of 1995 with issue #27 before other writers wrapped up the final six issues (including three final issues by Christopher Priest).
This would collect Hawkman (1993) #1-33 & Annual 1-2, as well as any crossovers and significant guest appearances from that period.
The Hawkman by Geoff Johns Omnibus fits here.
Hawkman & Hawkgirl by Palmiotti, Gray, & Simonson (2004 – 2007) [follows Hawkman by Johns omni]
This volume would collect the back two-thirds of Hawkman (2022), the first 25 issues of which are collected in Hawkman’s single omnibus. That includes a title swap to Hawkgirl (2006) that continued the same numbering.
This would collect Hawkman (2002) #26-49 and Hawkgirl (2006) #50-66 and JSA Classified (2005) #21-22.
Hawkman Omnibus Mapping – New 52 & Rebirth
Hawkman: Savage Hawkman, The New 52 Omnibus (2011 – 2013)
Hawkman was one of the few DC heroes to launch with an adjective in his book title at the start of New 52 in 2011. His was also one of the most troubled titles, going from launch writer Tony Daniel to a brief stint being piloted by Rob Liefeld (?!) to the end of the series being written by Marvel stalwart Tom DeFalco.
Given that uneven track record, it should come as no surprise that this was one of the lowest-ranked books on last year’s poll – and the lowest ranked Hawk-book by far. But, it’s still a complete, discrete run of Hawkman!
This would collect The Savage Hawkman (2011) #1-20 & 0 and Green Arrow (2011) #14. Though it was released early in Rebirth, it could make sense to add Death of Hawkman (2017) #1-6 to the end of this book, rather than the beginning of the next one.
Hawkman by Robert Venditti (2018 – 2020)
I am a massive fan of this Hawkman series by Robert Venditti, with a first year of art by Bryan Hitch. It felt like a massive, universe-spanning event comic that just happened to be the adventures of a single hero. Also, it took a character who I previously found to be impenetrable and turned his tangled continuity into a storytelling asset.
This would collect Hawkman (2018) #1-29. It could add Hawkman: Found (2017) #1 as a prologue.
We could also add Death of Hawkman (2017) #1-6, which occurred early in DC Rebirth. It doesn’t especially fit with the prior book kor with this one, but given the choice I might prefer it in the prior book – it’s weird to start this with his death.
I’m working on a custom bind of the 1993 Hawkman series and the one big crossover is “Way of the Warrior”, which adds Guy Gardner: Warrior #32-34 and Justice League America #101-102 — although I didn’t include #102 because Hawkman isn’t in it and the subsequent plot reads well enough without it.
Oo, that’s a great note! Let me get the next post up and then I’ll swing back to add this to note to the maps of all three of those books. I’ve always wanted to read all of this Hawkman stuff but THERE ARE NO COLLECTIONS (as you know). He is my most hotly-demanded new DC Finest Line.
We do actually have a DC Finest Hawkman vol out August 19th, so they are making a start on it.
Ahh, I’m the co-keeper of the sheet and I totally forgot they announced the line after me begging for it for the past six months!!!
in the post Crisis Omni there should be the stories from
Detective Comics 428,343,446,452,4354,45,467,479,480 and 500
Showcase Vol. 1 101,102,103
World´s Finest 256-276