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Hawken #1-6
A Man Named Hawken
Tim Truman returns to the Weird West! The industry legend teams with his son, writer Ben Truman, for a violent new tale of the supernatural! In the land of the lawless rode the soulless! Scout, hunter, raider, killer-for-hire: Kitchell Hawken has been many things - most of them bad. Scalped, tortured, and left for dead by the mysterious order called the Ring, Hawken returns, seeking vengeance... but surrounded by the ghosts of every person he's ever killed!
104 pages, Paperback
First published November 6, 2012
3 people are currently reading
14 people want to read
About the author
Timothy Truman
542Ìýbooks53ÌýfollowersTimothy Truman is an American writer, artist and musician. He is best known for his stories and Wild West-style comic book art, and in particular, for his work on Grimjack (with John Ostrander), Scout, and the reinvention of Jonah Hex, with Joe R. Lansdale. Truman is currently writing Conan and is an instructor at the Pennsylvania College of Art and Design.
Truman's first professional comics work was Grimjack with writer John Ostrander, for the independent comics company First Comics. Grimjack first appeared in Starslayer #10 in November 1983, before moving to his own series after issue #18 in 1984, and continued for 81 issues. Along with being a fan favorite and often imitated character, Grimjack almost single-handedly defined the "grim and gritty" action comic character archetype.
Truman has been continuously creative for more than 20 years, displaying his pulp sensitivities in his writing. In 1985, he created Scout, which was followed by Scout: War Shaman, a futuristic western. A year later, he relaunched the Hillman characters Airboy and The Heap for Eclipse Comics. He also developed The Prowler, a Shadow type character, and adapted The Spider for Eclipse. In 1991, at DC Comics he created Hawkworld, a reinvention of Hawkman. With author Joe R. Lansdale, he reinterpreted Jonah Hex as a horror western. In it, their creation of villain Edgar Autumn elicited a complaint from musician Edgar Winter. With his son, Benjamin Truman, he created A Man Named Hawken.
Truman was chosen by Dark Horse Comics to illustrate a newly completed Tarzan novel and wrote a story arc for the comic book. He also wrote virtually the entire run of Turok: Dinosaur Hunter for Valiant Comics, after David Michelinie launched the book with its first three-issue story arc and subsequently departed the series. For the defunct SF imprint of DC, Helix, he created The Black Lamb. He also worked on a typical pulp adventure Guns of the Dragon, featuring Enemy Ace and Bat Lash; and wrote Star Wars at Dark Horse Comics. While at Dark Horse Comics, he took over the writing of Conan from Kurt Busiek in 2006, and after that series ended he started Conan The Cimmerian.
Truman's startling work, Simon Girty, Renegade was a two-volume black and white graphic novel that translated the horrors and triumphs of the American settler's western frontier in a fresh, interesting light. In bold, black and white use of positive and negative space, Truman appealed to both young and old audiences in West Virginia and Pennsylvania. It was especially important for West Virginians that had been struggling against novelist Zane Grey's portrayal of Lewis Wetzel in an overly romanticized, florid light. Truman himself is an avid historian who dislikes nothing more than to see a drawing of a war using the wrong weaponry, and the second volume of his two-volume series on Simon Girty was devoted to the errors caught in his first volume.
Tecumseh! a graphic novel based on the West Virginia Outdoor Theater, is a colored graphic novel that shows the play from beginning to end. It renewed interest in the warrior in Appalachia. When asked why he used "Tecumseh" instead of "Tecumtheh" he explained he didn't want to explain to the mainstream audience the variance in spelling � the movement on pronunciation began with General William Tecumseh Sherman who came from a family that wanted to commemorate the warrior, but felt the lisping "Tecumtheh" would be unmanly.
Truman's first professional comics work was Grimjack with writer John Ostrander, for the independent comics company First Comics. Grimjack first appeared in Starslayer #10 in November 1983, before moving to his own series after issue #18 in 1984, and continued for 81 issues. Along with being a fan favorite and often imitated character, Grimjack almost single-handedly defined the "grim and gritty" action comic character archetype.
Truman has been continuously creative for more than 20 years, displaying his pulp sensitivities in his writing. In 1985, he created Scout, which was followed by Scout: War Shaman, a futuristic western. A year later, he relaunched the Hillman characters Airboy and The Heap for Eclipse Comics. He also developed The Prowler, a Shadow type character, and adapted The Spider for Eclipse. In 1991, at DC Comics he created Hawkworld, a reinvention of Hawkman. With author Joe R. Lansdale, he reinterpreted Jonah Hex as a horror western. In it, their creation of villain Edgar Autumn elicited a complaint from musician Edgar Winter. With his son, Benjamin Truman, he created A Man Named Hawken.
Truman was chosen by Dark Horse Comics to illustrate a newly completed Tarzan novel and wrote a story arc for the comic book. He also wrote virtually the entire run of Turok: Dinosaur Hunter for Valiant Comics, after David Michelinie launched the book with its first three-issue story arc and subsequently departed the series. For the defunct SF imprint of DC, Helix, he created The Black Lamb. He also worked on a typical pulp adventure Guns of the Dragon, featuring Enemy Ace and Bat Lash; and wrote Star Wars at Dark Horse Comics. While at Dark Horse Comics, he took over the writing of Conan from Kurt Busiek in 2006, and after that series ended he started Conan The Cimmerian.
Truman's startling work, Simon Girty, Renegade was a two-volume black and white graphic novel that translated the horrors and triumphs of the American settler's western frontier in a fresh, interesting light. In bold, black and white use of positive and negative space, Truman appealed to both young and old audiences in West Virginia and Pennsylvania. It was especially important for West Virginians that had been struggling against novelist Zane Grey's portrayal of Lewis Wetzel in an overly romanticized, florid light. Truman himself is an avid historian who dislikes nothing more than to see a drawing of a war using the wrong weaponry, and the second volume of his two-volume series on Simon Girty was devoted to the errors caught in his first volume.
Tecumseh! a graphic novel based on the West Virginia Outdoor Theater, is a colored graphic novel that shows the play from beginning to end. It renewed interest in the warrior in Appalachia. When asked why he used "Tecumseh" instead of "Tecumtheh" he explained he didn't want to explain to the mainstream audience the variance in spelling � the movement on pronunciation began with General William Tecumseh Sherman who came from a family that wanted to commemorate the warrior, but felt the lisping "Tecumtheh" would be unmanly.
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
July 2, 2021
When Kitchell Hawken's former friends turned on him and left him for dead, they made one mistake: THEY DIDN'T FINISH THE JOB! Now, haunted by the spirits of the people he killed, Hawken travels the West for vengeance!
I watched an interview with Tim Truman not long ago when he mentioned creating this series with his son. Western Comics Month was just around the corner so the stars were right.
Created on a road trip through Arizona with his son, Hawken is a classic western vengeance tale. The baddest outlaw of them all goes looking for payback. Hawken has his dog Caramba in tow, along with his blind mule. As Hawken's vengeance trail is washed with blood, his protégé Sombre gets sprung from the pen and goes looking to finish the job.
The writing is punchy and it reminds me of the Jonah Hex stuff Truman did with Joe Lansdale for Vertigo about a thousand years ago. There were a few times I though Hawken might not make it but it's his name on the cover.
The art is fucking spectacular. Truman has grown tremendously as an artist over the years. It feels gritty as hell and the sepia tones add a lot to the spooky mood, as does the use of negative space to make the desert feel like a vast, unwelcoming place.
If I had to find one thing to gripe about, it's that Hawken's quest isn't quite over at book's end. There's still killing to be done but Truman's son Ben, his co-writer and Hawken's cocreator, says they've got tons of ideas in the hopper.
A Man Named Hawken may be Tim Truman's best work to date. Five out of five bullet riddled outlaws.
I watched an interview with Tim Truman not long ago when he mentioned creating this series with his son. Western Comics Month was just around the corner so the stars were right.
Created on a road trip through Arizona with his son, Hawken is a classic western vengeance tale. The baddest outlaw of them all goes looking for payback. Hawken has his dog Caramba in tow, along with his blind mule. As Hawken's vengeance trail is washed with blood, his protégé Sombre gets sprung from the pen and goes looking to finish the job.
The writing is punchy and it reminds me of the Jonah Hex stuff Truman did with Joe Lansdale for Vertigo about a thousand years ago. There were a few times I though Hawken might not make it but it's his name on the cover.
The art is fucking spectacular. Truman has grown tremendously as an artist over the years. It feels gritty as hell and the sepia tones add a lot to the spooky mood, as does the use of negative space to make the desert feel like a vast, unwelcoming place.
If I had to find one thing to gripe about, it's that Hawken's quest isn't quite over at book's end. There's still killing to be done but Truman's son Ben, his co-writer and Hawken's cocreator, says they've got tons of ideas in the hopper.
A Man Named Hawken may be Tim Truman's best work to date. Five out of five bullet riddled outlaws.
May 29, 2019
IDW's discount Jonah Hex.
One-dimensional characters and a drab, paper-thin plot, with frustratingly little actually explained or expounded on. There is really only one reason to read this: to see some mean, ultra-violent Wild West action, which is done really well here.
One-dimensional characters and a drab, paper-thin plot, with frustratingly little actually explained or expounded on. There is really only one reason to read this: to see some mean, ultra-violent Wild West action, which is done really well here.
May 14, 2016
I have a soft spot for Weird Westerns having wrote a few myself, and this was a really good one.
The Tim Truman art was great as always, and this one is in black and white which allowed the line work to really shine through.
This is a blatant Weird Western as the M/C is haunted by the ghosts of all he's murdered. At its heart it's a revenge tale, but there's monsters and ghosts tossed in as well. Just a gritty, violent Weird Western that covers all of the ground you'd expect.
I recommend this to all Weird Western fans!
The Tim Truman art was great as always, and this one is in black and white which allowed the line work to really shine through.
This is a blatant Weird Western as the M/C is haunted by the ghosts of all he's murdered. At its heart it's a revenge tale, but there's monsters and ghosts tossed in as well. Just a gritty, violent Weird Western that covers all of the ground you'd expect.
I recommend this to all Weird Western fans!
October 16, 2020
A Weird Western graphic novel which could have been great if turned into a longer series. Story revolves around a scary thin old man who wages a war against his ex criminal organization at the end of 19th century. There are some elements of horror and fantasy in the story too.
I could enjoy it more If ending could have been left clear and satisfying.
I could enjoy it more If ending could have been left clear and satisfying.
December 6, 2012
Hawken by Benjamin and Timothy Truman is a graphic novel that tells the story of a killer unlike any other, a man that seems to be a force of nature.
This is one of those special creations that keep the reader constantly at the edge of his sit. There’s too much action in it, great characters, some hints of dry humor here and there, and a plot that drives the narrative from peak to peak.
An old man is riding a blind mule, in 1881, on a trail called The Road of Death that goes through the Sonoran Desert. He has done many bad things in his life. And his name is Hawken. And that’s just about how the story begins; a story full of villains, and in which bloodsheds are never too many pages apart.
Hawken is a man with a mission, and he’s determined to accomplish it no matter what. As it’s already established he’s no angel, but there are worst human beings out there; beings that need to die and thus follow him every step of the way as he heads for his final destination.
The journey will prove long but the old man rode because he was not yet finished. His enemies are plenty, and they all belong to the Ring, a gang or an order of sorts, unlike any other.
Hatred seems to be the keyword in this story. The hatred he feels for his enemies; the hatred they feel for him. In fact everybody seems to hate everyone else, yet: It is rare for a man to kindle a hatred that burns so brightly that it has the power to touch the unliving. Well, Hawken does. And that’s what keeps him going; from town to town, from massacre to massacre.
The strange thing is that the most of the humor here is provided by his victims, his ghosts. They argue with him, they have a laugh at his back, and they urge him to move forward until he reaches his goal. So it comes as no surprise that when some philosophy finds its way into the text, it has to do with them:
“All men are haunted, whether by ghosts or by memories.�
Though, “sometimes it is the living who are the ghosts.�
This team of father and son do a great job in delivering to the reader a story that is not only gripping but also hard to forget. Hawken is a character that plants himself into your memory and makes you think of his persona and his mission again and again. I guess in the hands of a capable and imaginable director this could make a beautifully dark and slightly funny movie.
This is one of those special creations that keep the reader constantly at the edge of his sit. There’s too much action in it, great characters, some hints of dry humor here and there, and a plot that drives the narrative from peak to peak.
An old man is riding a blind mule, in 1881, on a trail called The Road of Death that goes through the Sonoran Desert. He has done many bad things in his life. And his name is Hawken. And that’s just about how the story begins; a story full of villains, and in which bloodsheds are never too many pages apart.
Hawken is a man with a mission, and he’s determined to accomplish it no matter what. As it’s already established he’s no angel, but there are worst human beings out there; beings that need to die and thus follow him every step of the way as he heads for his final destination.
The journey will prove long but the old man rode because he was not yet finished. His enemies are plenty, and they all belong to the Ring, a gang or an order of sorts, unlike any other.
Hatred seems to be the keyword in this story. The hatred he feels for his enemies; the hatred they feel for him. In fact everybody seems to hate everyone else, yet: It is rare for a man to kindle a hatred that burns so brightly that it has the power to touch the unliving. Well, Hawken does. And that’s what keeps him going; from town to town, from massacre to massacre.
The strange thing is that the most of the humor here is provided by his victims, his ghosts. They argue with him, they have a laugh at his back, and they urge him to move forward until he reaches his goal. So it comes as no surprise that when some philosophy finds its way into the text, it has to do with them:
“All men are haunted, whether by ghosts or by memories.�
Though, “sometimes it is the living who are the ghosts.�
This team of father and son do a great job in delivering to the reader a story that is not only gripping but also hard to forget. Hawken is a character that plants himself into your memory and makes you think of his persona and his mission again and again. I guess in the hands of a capable and imaginable director this could make a beautifully dark and slightly funny movie.
February 19, 2013
If you love Sergio Leone, Jonah Hex, Spaghetti Westerns, The 7 Faces of Dr. Loa, and Joe R. Lansdale, then you'll love "A Man Named Hawken". Tim Truman teams up with his son Benjamin here to tell the tale of Kit Hawken, a bad man who has done bad things gunning for the bad men who did worse things to him. And he's got company: the ghost of every person he's ever killed tagging along as unholy nags and commentators.
This is the grim, gritty west, full of macabre characters, dust and death. Team Truman deliver a great story that stands on its own, but clearly sets the stage for further adventures of Kit Hawken.
This is the grim, gritty west, full of macabre characters, dust and death. Team Truman deliver a great story that stands on its own, but clearly sets the stage for further adventures of Kit Hawken.
October 20, 2023
Muito tempo atrás, um velho homem cavalgava uma mula cega pela Trilha da Morte. Ele era um homem mau e muitas coisas más ele fez; ele buscava vingança e era assombrado pelos fantasmas de todas as pessoas que ele matou.
E era muita gente.
Como todo bom Western, esse é uma história de vingança.
Kitchell Hawken era um criminoso, abandonado para morrer pelos seus ex-companheiros, ele sobrevive e surge como um fantasma maltrapilho, sujo e violento no deserto do Arizona caçando os membro da sua ex-gangue, o Anel. Hawken é um daqueles personagens amorais que representam o pior da humanidade e seus inimigos são ainda piores; impossÃvel não pensar num Jonah Hex ou num Constantine nos seus piores momentos; em cada edição Hawken é apontado contra um bando de inimigos e não sobra ninguém.
Eu gostei bastante, tem aquela violência suja e escrota que acompanha o Truman desde o Hawkworld - um dos quadrinhos que me impressionaram muito mil anos atrás - e não tem moral, nem compromisso, nem nada; é só bala e sangue.
Não sei se rolou uma continuação, mas seria uma bela e mortal ideia.
E era muita gente.
Como todo bom Western, esse é uma história de vingança.
Kitchell Hawken era um criminoso, abandonado para morrer pelos seus ex-companheiros, ele sobrevive e surge como um fantasma maltrapilho, sujo e violento no deserto do Arizona caçando os membro da sua ex-gangue, o Anel. Hawken é um daqueles personagens amorais que representam o pior da humanidade e seus inimigos são ainda piores; impossÃvel não pensar num Jonah Hex ou num Constantine nos seus piores momentos; em cada edição Hawken é apontado contra um bando de inimigos e não sobra ninguém.
Eu gostei bastante, tem aquela violência suja e escrota que acompanha o Truman desde o Hawkworld - um dos quadrinhos que me impressionaram muito mil anos atrás - e não tem moral, nem compromisso, nem nada; é só bala e sangue.
Não sei se rolou uma continuação, mas seria uma bela e mortal ideia.
May 8, 2017
The rating is lower mostly because this book isn't my cup of tea. It's a bit too foul and dirty for that--but given that this tone was exactly what it was going for, I'll say it succeeds. Plus, the line art is superb.
March 28, 2021
Çizimler güzel hikaye bildiğimiz intikam hikayesi. Western okumayı özeldiyseniz güzel gelebilir.
March 28, 2021
Gritty
Dark gritty and irreverent, what's not to love. Take the ride well worth it. Best western since Johna Hex. Looking forward to more.
Dark gritty and irreverent, what's not to love. Take the ride well worth it. Best western since Johna Hex. Looking forward to more.
February 4, 2013
I've been a long time fan of Timothy Truman's work. I wish I had the opportunity to met him when he visited Tucson last November, I've certainly got a whole bunch of books I'd love to have signed by him. I think I first discovered his work during his Jonah Hex collaborations with Joe Lansdale back in early 90's. To this day I still buy old and new books of his, namely reprints of older material like Grimjack and Scout along with his newer Conan works. The fact his art style is reminiscent of John Severin is a plus in my book. This book was written by Tim's son who happens to reside in the same city as myself. The western-horror hybrid and revenge plot plays to Tim's artistic strengths and his work looks really slick in black and white. Some pages look stunning and lovely with ink wash and the pinup gallery was a neat surprise with Geoff Darrow sporting a drawing! I hope the publisher plans to print more adventures.
December 27, 2012
A very grim graphic novel about a very bad man. Kit Hawken is tough, bitter, and travels with a huge posse of ghosts. Similar in tone to Joe Lansdale's Two-Gun Mojo which Truman illustrated. The protagonist is no hero by any stretch of the imagination. He's just a guy who's very good with his guns.
A fun, violent read, if you are into Westerns that subvert the usual tropes.
A fun, violent read, if you are into Westerns that subvert the usual tropes.
January 28, 2013
Freaking gritty horror ghost westerner worthy of Jonah Hex at his best.
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