Review by Ian Keogh

It might have been thought that no-one remembered Darkhawk fondly, yet Chris Powell and his mysterious power amulet had a respectable four year run in the 1990s alongside a career in the New Warriors. However, quality was hardly a watchword.

Time had passed when Chad Bowers and Chris Sims revived Darkhawk. Chris is now a serving police officer, lives with a girlfriend and for a year the amulet hasn’t worked for him. Having Kev Walker assigned as artist always adds sparkle, and in what’s a teaser set-up Bowers and Sims efficiently reboot the feature over the opening chapter.

The Raptors to which Darkhawk is connected have a role in Infinity Countdown, except as rapidly revealed in the four chapter tie-in, they’re not the real thing. The opening teaser won’t make much sense to anyone who hasn’t followed Infinity Countdown, but otherwise Bowers and Sims more or less pick up where they left off, with Chris learning surprising revelations about his power upgrade. An unpredictable guest star ensures Darkhawk becomes involved in the concerns of the Raptors, after which Bowers and Sims continue their repurposing.

If Walker couldn’t be around to draw the tie-in, then Gang Hyuk Lim doesn’t let anybody down. Delicate linework is matched with design flair, and he’s the complete package, handling the colour as well. It’s dynamic and effective, and looks just fine.

This is used to tie-up the subplot featuring the Rider brothers, who take misunderstandings and personal slights to a new level. In the core series one of the less convincing aspects is Robbie Rider determined to follow a chosen path despite the revelation of utterly changed circumstances, and that plays out here, although not in the way anyone might have expected. There’s a clumsiness, but it’s an interesting idea.

Anyone who grew up reading Darkhawk in the 1990s is very likely to enjoy this, and his story continues in the revival of another 1990s hero in Infinity Wars: Sleepwalker.