Best Hawkgirl Comics: Where to Start and the Key Issues to Own, article illustration

For the best Hawkgirl comics, start with the JSA series launched in 1999 by James Robinson and David S. Goyer, which introduces Kendra Saunders, then read Hawkgirl (2006-2007) by Walter Simonson, where she finally gets the title. For the most recent take, pick up the 2023 Hawkgirl miniseries by Jadzia Axelrod and Amancay Nahuelpan. Shayera Thal, the 1961 wearer of the wings, is found in The Brave and the Bold #34 and then in Hawkworld.

Search "Hawkgirl" in a catalog and you land on three distinct women who have worn the wings: Shiera, born in the stories of 1940, Shayera, who arrived in 1961 alongside a Thanagarian policeman, and Kendra, a young American who debuted in 1999. Their stories overlap, copy one another and contradict one another. This guide ranks six reads and names the wearer in each case, so you know exactly which character you are holding.

As always in this guide, only verified information (creators, issues, dates) is stated as fact; the analysis is our own, with no reproduction of protected art or dialogue.

The selection covered in this article for Best Hawkgirl Comics, from first to last entry

Her first appearance

The journey begins with Shiera Sanders, who shows up in Flash Comics #1, cover-dated January 1940, in the same twelve-page story as Hawkman. Fox, on script, and Neville, on art, sign the birth of the duo. At that point Shiera appears as Shiera in civilian life; the Hawkgirl costume does not exist yet.

She only takes the name Hawkgirl in All Star Comics #5, in 1941. The costume of this version is by Sheldon Moldoff, who built on the one Neville had drawn for Hawkman. That issue is therefore the one to hunt for if you want the moment the character becomes Hawkgirl, while Flash Comics #1 remains the issue of civilian Shiera. In later stories she is called Shiera Hall.

Twenty years later, the second wearer lands in 1961 in The Brave and the Bold #34, with Fox on text and Kubert on art: Shayera Thal, who accompanies the Thanagarian policeman Katar Hol. She is renamed Hawkwoman in World's Finest Comics #274, in 1981, the name her adventures of the period still carry. The third, Kendra Saunders, is born in JSA Secret Files #1, in August 1999, created by James Robinson and David S. Goyer.

To place the first wearer in her era, our guide to Golden Age comics explains what you find inside a 1940 or 1941 single issue. The context of the second is detailed on our page about The Brave and the Bold #28, the title that served as DC's testing ground at the time.

1: JSA, James Robinson and David S. Goyer (1999-2006)

For Kendra Saunders, everything goes through this series, which ran from August 1999 to September 2006 and totals 87 issues. James Robinson and David S. Goyer launch it; Goyer then co-writes with Geoff Johns, who carries on alone when Goyer leaves. The art passes through several hands, including Stephen Sadowski, Leonard Kirk and Don Kramer. Kendra joins the Justice Society in the early issues, after her debut in JSA Secret Files #1.

What this read brings to the character comes down to one shift: Hawkgirl is no longer a hero's companion, she is a recruit who has to learn what the wings demand of her. In this story, Kendra is presented as the reincarnation of Shiera, which ties the 1999 version to the 1940 one and gives the series its flavor of a legacy saga.

A word on her role: JSA is a team book, and Hawkgirl is one of several members, not the headliner. It is nonetheless the most natural entry point, since everything that follows, from the 2006 solo title to the 2023 miniseries, assumes you know this Kendra.

Who is it for? The reader who likes old-school ensemble books and is willing to follow ten characters to understand one. How to read it: start with the 1999 special, then issues 2 to 4 of the series, and decide after four single issues whether the tone suits you. Collected editions spare you from chasing every issue separately.

2: Hawkgirl, Walter Simonson (2006-2007)

The title in her own name arrives in 2006 without starting from scratch: the Hawkman series changes its name with issue 50 and becomes Hawkgirl, running through issue 66 (July 2007). Walter Simonson writes the whole period; the art is handled by several artists, including Howard Chaykin at the start and Renato Arlem on later issues.

Here, Kendra is truly at the center. Issue 50 opens on the theme of "one year later" and shows her trying to make a name for herself in the fictional city of St. Roche. The series' final movement, collected under the title Hath-Set (issues 61 to 66), pits her against Hath-Set.

This read gives the character what JSA could not offer: a voice, choices and a setting of her own. It suits whoever wants to see Hawkgirl act alone, with no team to cover for her, and accepts a series from another era with dense writing. To read it, go volume by volume: one of the collections is titled Hawkman Returns, and the one gathering the end of the series carries the title Hath-Set.

It is wordier and more mythological than the modern miniseries. If you want a brisk adventure, move on to the next entry; if you want the full-page Kendra, this is it.

3: Hawkgirl, Jadzia Axelrod and Amancay Nahuelpan (2023)

This is the most accessible read. Six issues, from July to December 2023, under the "Dawn of DC" banner: Jadzia Axelrod writes, Amancay Nahuelpan draws, and Adriano Lucas signs the colors. It is collected in a trade paperback titled Once Upon a Galaxy.

Kendra is the heroine from start to finish, and the story takes her all the way to Gotham. The tone aims to be more direct than that of the 2000s series: six issues, a self-contained plot, and no prior knowledge required of the reader.

Who is it for? The reader who is discovering Hawkgirl and wants to size up the most current wearer without committing to a series of several dozen issues. You can read it in an evening or two, in order. If you enjoy it, work your way back to JSA to see what has been simplified or transformed.

4: Hawkman (vol. 4), Geoff Johns and James Robinson (2002)

This series, launched in 2002, is the one where Carter Hall and Kendra find each other. James Robinson and Geoff Johns co-write it at the start, Rags Morales provides most of the art, and Justin Gray and Jimmy Palmiotti take over from the third year. Issue 1 is titled "First Impressions."

Mind the role: the title is Hawkman, and Hawkgirl is the partner of the hawk-man rather than the protagonist. She appears regularly all the same, and the series links the two characters. The stories of this period are reprinted under the titles Endless Flight, Allies & Enemies, Wings of Fury and JSA: Black Reign.

It suits whoever wants to understand Kendra's bond with Hawkman, which JSA only partly shows. Read it after JSA: you will meet characters whose stakes you already know. Our guide to the best Hawkman comics covers this series from Carter Hall's point of view; here, we keep only Kendra's share.

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Best Hawkgirl Comics: the sections of this guide, in reading order

5: Hawkworld, Timothy Truman (1989)

Change of wearer: this three-issue miniseries is about Shayera Thal, the Hawkgirl of 1961. Timothy Truman writes and draws the whole thing, with inks by Enrique Alcatena. The series restarts Katar Hol and Shayera from zero: she is here a young officer from a modest background, who helps Katar unmask the renegade captain Byth Rok, then becomes his partner.

This story redefines Shayera: she is no longer the wife who came from Thanagar, but a lower-ranking officer who earns her place beside Katar. Note that the miniseries is shared between the two of them: Shayera does not hold the title, but she is one of the two central figures of the story.

The ongoing series that continues this story runs from 1990 to 1993: thirty-two issues, plus three annuals. Truman contributes to the plot of the first six issues, which John Ostrander stages, and then Ostrander stays on as sole writer. This read is for those who prefer political science fiction to ancient marvels, and who appreciate a late-1980s reboot.

6: The Brave and the Bold #34, Joe Kubert and Gardner Fox (1961)

The last pick is the oldest. This 1961 single issue sets up Katar Hol and Shayera Thal, two Thanagarians who land on Earth in pursuit of a criminal, in the looks Kubert gives them. Shayera is Katar's partner there, and it is the male character who carries the title of the magazine, not her.

It is useful above all to understand where the second Hawkgirl comes from, and to then place the overhaul work of Hawkworld. Read it as a collector's piece, not a way in: the pacing is that of an era when a story fit in a few pages.

The following issues of the magazine (#35 and #36) extend the trial run, before Hawkman gets his own series in 1964. For continuous reading, look for a reprint that gathers them rather than chasing each single issue separately.

Where to start based on your profile

The profiles below do not compete with one another: they answer different motivations.

Whatever you choose, stick to one wearer at a time. Mixing Shiera, Shayera and Kendra on your first read is the best way to get lost, because later stories borrow their traits without always recalling them. Once you have mastered one of the three, the other two read like variations.

Key issues to know

Here are the chronological landmarks of Hawkgirl, with the wearer concerned. No dollar figure is given here: the search method matters more.

Before buying, identify the wearer, because catalogs sometimes lump all three under the same name. Then note the cover year and the volume; compare three sold listings in the same grade, leaving out extreme cases. For issues from before 1960, favor copies whose condition is described with photos rather than by a single adjective.

Best Hawkgirl Comics: the frequently asked questions answered in this article

Frequently asked questions

For the modern version, start with the 2023 Hawkgirl miniseries by Jadzia Axelrod and Amancay Nahuelpan, in six issues. To understand Kendra Saunders in context, open the 1999 JSA series by James Robinson and David S. Goyer, then the 2006 Hawkgirl title. Both entry points read without any prior background.

It depends on the wearer. Shiera Sanders appears in Flash Comics #1 in January 1940 and becomes Hawkgirl in All Star Comics #5 in 1941. Shayera Thal is born in The Brave and the Bold #34 in 1961, and Kendra Saunders in JSA Secret Files #1 in August 1999.

Shiera Hall is the Hawkgirl of 1940, from the Golden Age stories. Shayera Thal is a Thanagarian police officer, Katar Hol's partner since 1961. Kendra Saunders is the 1999 version, presented as the reincarnation of Shiera. Each has her own stories, and it is better to read them separately.

Yes, twice. The Hawkman series became Hawkgirl with issue 50 in 2006, written by Walter Simonson, and ended at issue 66 in July 2007. A six-issue miniseries followed in 2023, by Jadzia Axelrod and Amancay Nahuelpan.

Not necessarily. The 2023 miniseries stands alone, and Timothy Truman's Hawkworld is enough for Shayera. For Kendra's version, however, the 2002 Hawkman series adds context; read it after JSA, which remains the best foundation. Our Hawkman guide details that series.

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