AvengersArena6

It could be ANYONE under that helmet :) . This is a hilarious cover for Avengers Arena #6, and it’s helluva well done. There’s something about the art style that makes it stand out from standard cover work.

This cover illustrates a part of Darkhawk that I actually wish there was more of. Under that helmet is a guy who grew up in the shadow of Spider-Man for the most part. He was given a power he had to be responsible for, but his life kept getting in the way of him becoming a real hero in the eyes of the public.

It’s a guy who never quite got his lasting shot of fame due to industry title implosion of the mid to late 90s. He became more defined visually as “the suit” and for almost a decade Chris Powell fell even further into obscurity than his armoured persona.

It’s a teen who grew up to fill the roll of a missing father, and in his early 20s got a position as Director of a leading security agency of SHIELD to protect the Earth from dangerous artefacts. Once again, his ambition was to protect people, and instead, he become a danger to those around him thanks to Razor. Once again, Chris has been handed the uphill struggle of clearing his tarnished title of space assassin.

It’s a slightly cocky, kinda jocky, harshly self-judgmental, relationship-rebounding, eager-to-please, young adult who cares more for those around him, than he does for himself. All these aspects are very real human traits. All these things keep getting buried deep under the armour.

I want more stuff that digs deeper into “The Powell”, the man, the potential leader!

As Buckethead fans know, according to alternate universe, Reed Richards, in League of Losers: “He always had it in him”… so here’s hoping Avengers Arena can further demonstrate that he more than the suit.