“Yesterday’s” Comic> Darkhawk #20

The Blob comes down with a case of the 90s.

Darkhawk #20

Marvel (October, 1992)

Sleepwalker appears demanding to study Portal’s armor in the hopes it can take him home, not aware that it’s Portal’s powers and not the armor that allows him to traverse dimensions. Sick of this nonsense, Portal escapes, leaving Sleepwalker enraged at losing a potential way back home and Darkhawk angry about losing the only link to finding out where his form comes from. Spider-Man tries to play peacemaker between the two, since their mutual enemy is the Brotherhood Of Mutants (currently led by Toad of all people, and featuring the Blob, Sauron, and Phantazia). Portal goes to a tribesman who may be able to give him advice but the Brotherhood tracks him down and kidnaps him, Sauron using his mind control powers to make him serve the Brotherhood. Instead he tricks them and makes them appear in Times Square instead of a weapon depot Toad wanted to hit. The Brotherhood clashes with our heroes, but Portal ends up stranding Spider-Man in another dimension before making their escape, sending a sign crashing down on the humans below. Sleepwalker follows the Brotherhood through their gateway, leaving Darkhawk alone to hold a heavy sign. (concludes in Sleepwalker #17) And while all this was happening, someone else in Hawk armor is coming to Earth.

What they got right: I do enjoy seeing heroes team up. And it’s not a bad story.

What they got wrong: Oh, the 90s art is bad in this one. I don’t usually bring it up because we all know art was bad in the 90s for the big 2, a poor attempt to imitate Image, which wasn’t that great to begin with. (They got better.) Here it’s just really bad. Also, Sleepwalker is just dropped in on us. This story started last issue (which I don’t have) so maybe he was explained there but picking up this issue I have no clue who he is beyond what I’ve heard of him after the fact. You get nothing from this comic, and this is supposed to drive you to the next issue for the conclusion. This I actually did pick up.

Recommendation: This is not the issue to start out on. It’s fair at best and not very indicative of either Darkhawk or Fingeroth. Until I finish the rest of the arc in Sleepwalker I believe next week that’s all I can really say for now.