The Brave and the Bold presents… HAWKMAN!!

Introducing The WINGED WONDER!

THE BRAVE AND THE BOLD Vol.1,  No.34,  March 1961;  Cover Art:  Joe Kubert;  Writer:  Gardner Fox;  Penciler:  Joe Kubert;  Inker:  Joe Kubert

Hawkman and Hawkgirl make their debut appearances in the DC Comics Universe in this very issue!  Thanagarian police officers Katar Hol and his wife,  Shayera,  arrive on Earth while seeking Byth Rok,  a fugitive criminal shape-shifter that escaped from their planet.  After researching Earth via an electronic brain on their ship,  they make contact with local Midway City police Commissioner George Emmett.  With his help,  they establish secret identities as Carter and Shiera Hall,  curators of the city’s museum.

There they encounter a naturalist named Mavis Trent with an unhealthy obsession concerning Carter,  and a press agent,  Joe Tracy.  Byth’s transformations include a number of Thanagarian creatures that resemble birds and dinosaurs,  but the two heroes eventually subdue him and return the criminal to their home planet.  They elect to remain on Earth,  however,  and continue their adventures as Hawkman and Hawkgirl alongside their new human friends.

Kudos to Dr. Arnold T. Blumberg for his expert commentary and to the talented artists and writers of DC Comics who captivated and inspired millions of readers during this magical Golden Age.  Dr. Arnold T. Blumberg is an educator,  publisher,  author,  comic book and pop culture historian, and former museum curator.  He is the author or co-author of Zombiemania,  The Big BIG LITTLE BOOK Book,  and Howe’s Transcendental Toybox.   He was the editor of The Overstreet Comic Book Price Guide and also wrote for Cinescape,  The International Journal of Comic Art,  Fandom,  and IGN.com.  He holds a doctorate in Communications Design from the University of Baltimore and teaches courses in everything from comics and superhero mythology to zombies to the Marvel Cinematic Universe.  You can find him on Twitter at @DoctoroftheDead