12 Days of Anime: My Favorite Superhero

My favorite superhero is the one and only Hawkgirl. I was first introduced to Hawkgirl in Justice League animated series. I adore her, because of her strong personality and confidence. The way she was portrayed on this animated show made me look into the comics she was featured in. Looking for Hawkgirl features in comics started my love for comics and it made me start reading them more often.


Hawkgirl was a big part of life my childhood and kind of shaped who I am today. When people say fictional superheroes aren’t important or its childish ignore them. Many superheroes I love has shaped me in some way shape or form. Hawkgirl is such a strong character and she keeps that same energy with every version of her. I always loved her attitude and confidence she had throughout the show and comics. Each version of her has been badass and I love it.

Hawkgirl has really taught me to be sarcastic. I have to say that I have watched the Justice League animated series so many times that I have sort of mastered the language of sarcasm. Hawkgirl has a witty comeback for everything that is said to her and I have to give props to the one that taught me. A good comeback will make people remember you in a good and bad way, trust me on that.

Hawkgirl has had 3 names over her time and I never really liked revisions or reincarnations, due to the fact you have to leave behind your favorite version. I get different era they would want to reintroduce heroes as new people. The thing with DC is that the backstory to most characters is so depressing. I most likely hate having to read the backstory and understand the characters because DC believes you have to come from this ultimate traumatic experience to become a superhero.

Shiera Sanders Hall, Shayera Hol, and Kendra Saunders are Hawkgirl’s identities and the one I’m most familiar with is Shayera Hol. Hol has been apart of the Justice League animated series and that’s all she’s been used for. Shiera and Kendra have been used for a series and I root for them. Shiera was mainly in the comics so I’m a fan of hers. Kendra is new to me because I haven’t read any of the comics she’s featured in and I have yet to see any of the animated movies she’s used in.

I have to get familiar with Kendra to say I really adore her as I can say for Shayera and Shiera. I do know that Kendra is being used in CW’s DC Legends of Tomorrow, I only saw the first episode of that series. I saw that Hawkgirl could retract her wings and I couldn’t sit there and watch. It was something new and I wasn’t ready for it to happen, I used to think if her wings retracted it’d be so cool.

Once I actually saw the idea brought to life I didn’t like it. I felt like Hawkgirl’s legacy is attached to her wings being visible at all times. I’ll go back for Kendra when I have time because I do need to catch up on my DC animated movie watchlist, I’ll eventually get to the TV show because I want to see if she keeps the same attitude like her past identities.

Shiera is one that I probably know the most because I was really stuck on her backstory of being a reincarnation of an Egyptian Princess. I had a history phase where I was researching ancient Egypt and it was around the same time I started reading comics with Shiera.

I was fascinated that at the time of me being obsessed with Egypt I find out one of my favorite superheroes is related to my obsession. Shiera has a special place in my heart when I start going on what I like to call history binges, where I obsess over a period in history until I don’t anymore. I always go look up Shiera’s backstory to get that good old nostalgia.

Shayera is my favorite because she was who I was introduced to first. I will always love Shayera because she and John Stewart was the first ship I ever had and it was already canon for the series. I love Shayera and John’s relationship with all my heart, I have never fangirled over a couple as I have with them. Their romance was the drama of the Justice League animated series and I lived for all their interactions. This relationship really showed me that people can love each other and still grow apart. Watching them grow together and apart in the series made me really value communication in all my relationships.

I started getting back into watching Justice League and then I thought why not get to know Kendra and see if I can love her. Kendra shouldn’t be any different in the animated series from Shayera. I have high hopes that I can find something in Kendra’s backstory and go on a history binge. I really missed Shayera which is why I started watching Justice League again, I have a few artworks I picked up at cons over the years. I want to collect as much Hawkgirl memorabilia because she’s kind of hard to find sometimes. When people do predictions of Justice Leauge they usually don’t include her in them. I do have some funko pops and I know the DC Bombshells would be my best bet for anything updated.

Thank you for reading my rant on about Hawkgirl and her various reincarnations. I’ve always loved superheroes because of the hope and genuine care they have for justice. When I was little I always wanted to be a superhero and I have to say Hawkgirl helped me become one. Hawkgirl has inspired a few things in my life that I’m grateful for and I wouldn’t have any other way. I’m one of the greatest superheroes in my eyes and I hope you read this and others in this world realize how powerful they really are.