Skip to content

Please note that when you buy through our links, we may earn a commission. Thanks!

When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Thanks!

Hawkgirl Kendra Saunders Reading Order

There were other Hawkgirls before Kendra Saunders made her first appearance in 1999 in JSA: Secret Files #1 (by James Robinson, David Goyer, and Scott Benefiel). It’s part of being Hawkgirl, an immortal warrior following a reincarnation cycle that reunites her with her lover Hawkman (Carter Hall).

But unlike past Hawkgirls who fully embrace their process, she actively resists it, trying to forge her own path rather than be bound by fate. A troubled young woman, Kendra Saunders died by suicide. When she was found by her grandfather, Speed Saunders, her body was miraculously revived—but her soul had been replaced by that of her ancestor, Shiera Hall, the original Hawkgirl.

While she doesn’t initially remember her past lives, she struggles with the memories of them and is pushed by unforeseen events to reunite with Carter and fight alongside the Justice Society of America to survive. Kendra retains her own personality and memories, and refuses to be defined by a past she doesn’t remember living.

However, she unconsciously acquires Shiera’s fighting skills and instincts. Like other Hawk avatars, she wields weaponry made from the mystical Nth Metal, which grants her flight, enhanced strength, and durability.

Hawkgirl Comics Reading Order

Kendra Saunders was introduced as a member of the new JSA team and her story is developed in the 1999 JSA series but also in the spin-off Hawkman series, both written by Geoff Johns (up to a point).

There are multiple ways to collect the Justice Society of America comic book series and you can find all about them in our guide to reading the JSA comics. As this article focuses on Hawkgirl comics adventures, we are following the original trade paperback collection to easily include the Hawkman/Hawkgirl series.

It may be a Hawkman comic book, but Hawkgirl is part of it too as they decide to become partners. Kendra takes a job at the Stonechat Museum in St. Roch which became their homebase.

After Hawkman #49, Hawkman went to Thanagar. The comic series was renamed Hawkgirl and the story picked up one year after the events of the Infinite Crisis. Kendra Saunders is now alone, running the Stonechat Museum and patrolling in the city of St. Roch, but not for long. What happened during the missing year? Not much as Kendra just got back on her feet–we briefly saw her in the weekly 52 series (making cameos in issues #4, 5, and 35).

The Hawkgirl series ended, but not Kendra Saunders’s adventures as she joined the Justice League of America (vol. 2).

At the end of Final Crisis, Hawkman and Hawkgirl are “killed” while trying to save people. Not really, but they are definitively killed during the Blackest Night event before being turned into Black Lanterns.

This is the end of the adventures of Kendra Saunders as Hawkgirl. Others used the name and wore the wings in the years that followed.

Hawkgirl Rebirth

With its DC Rebirth era, the Hawks got a reboot that came with a new mythology surrounding the Nth metal during the Dark Nights: Metal event from Scott Snyder that reintroduced Kendra Saunders. At least, a new Kendra and a new Carter. And it’s complicated.

Instead of being reincarnated, Shiera Saunders was split into two people: Shayera Hol of Thanagar and Kendra Saunders of Earth. When this is fixed, Shayera is the one connected to Carter while Kendra becomes independent, separated from the reincarnation cycle. The first is known as Hawkwoman and the second as Hawkgirl.

  • Dark Nights: Metal
    Collects Dark Nights: Metal #1-6, Dark Knights Rising: The Wild Hunt #1, and Batman Lost #1.

Following this event, Scott Snyder added this newly reintroduced Kendra Saunders to the roaster of his Justice League. You can find our guide to reading the Justice League Rebirth comics for more detail.

Hawkgirl’s Infinite Frontier

When DC Comics launched the Infinite Frontier initiative, Kendra Saunders as Hawkgirl was still a member of the Justice League, now in the hands of Brian Michael Bendis and David Marquez.

The Justice League famously “died” in Justice League #75 and when everybody predictably came back at the end of the Dark Crisis on Infinite Earths, the league was no more.

Dawn of DC’s Hawkgirl

In the continuity of the Infinite Frontiere era, DC Comics launched the Dawn of DC initiative, and with it came a new solo Hawkgirl comics miniseries dealing with Kendra’s move to Metropolis following the disbanding of the Justice League.

Beyond that, Hawkgirl mostly made brief cameos, but as DC Comics once again launched a new publishing initiative, DC All In, Kendra Saunders is back in the JSA. This time, it’s Jeff Lemire the writer. More adventures to come!

Pin
Tags:

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *