Posted on: March 4th, 2010 Comically Challenged: Green Hornet #1

Practically my only exposure to Green Hornet is through a 1966 tv show.  There was a radio show in the 30s, a few movies in the 40s, and then comic books starting all the way back in the Golden Age.  But seriously, Van Williams and Bruce Lee rolling around in that gorgeous customized Imperial?  Makes me all weak in the knees.  Anyway, it was action-packed goofy fun.  I loved it.  Sadly though, after some 26 episodes, Britt Reid and Kato vanished from the mass public’s eye.

Well, hold on to your hats, kids.  This book starts the first hit of an up and coming cash cow.  Green Hornet is coming back at you and he’s picking up speed.  Truthfully, it seemed like the movie was never going to be made.  They’ve been trying to put together something for a long while.  Kevin Smith put together a screenplay and what happened? Nothing.  Then Seth Rogen came along and there was this glimmer of hope that it was happening.  Stephen Chow as Kato, maybe directing, maybe not.  Then maybe not in it at all.  Then a definite no.  Then production came to halt.  But now?  Now we’re cooking with gas.  The movie’s slated to be out in December of this year which only gives the comic book guys about nine months to cash in on this hopefully profitable movie.

But, wait.  What happened to Kevin Smith and his screenplay?  Well, it turned into a ten-part miniseries comic book.  Issue one dropped this week.  How’d it go? You know, it was pretty solid.

What we’re set up with is that Green Hornet was the best damn crime fighter ever.  Why? Because he stopped crime.  Solved it all.  Went into retirement.  When does that ever happen?  Never.  Well it sure as hell did here.  He retires with no intention of ever telling his son about his past antics.  (Which, for the record: I’d be pretty pissed if my dad had a car of The Black Beauty’s caliber and didn’t tell me.)  Now his son’s a bonafide grown up trust fund baby and living the life of a playboy.  Also known as, doing pretty okay.

Here’s what I like.  This book reads just like the tv show.  From the super awesome rotating floor in the garage to the bravado in the banter.  It felt like an honest to goodness tip of the hat to the character of old.  In fact, I can tell you that this first book would have made an excellent intro to the movie.

Granted, as it stands right now-this book gives us no clue as to what’s going to shake down in the books to follow.  Not so good when you’re trying to hook the audience in a comic book medium.  That is my main concern about this book.  The story was a screenplay.  It was conceived as a movie, not a comic book.  Like it or not, those require COMPLETELY different writing styles.  That’s why when comic books are made into movies, they’re called “adaptations”.  Because the writing was “adapted” to suit the medium.  Can you copy and paste the script and make it work?  I guess we’re going to find out with this book.  All eyes are on Phil Hester and his ability to work the layouts to fit the script.

I cannot emphasize this enough: the art in this book is breath-taking.  Jonathan Lau is on pencils with coloring by Ivan Nunes.  Even though this first book went nowhere, it was an absolute pleasure to look at.  The way they play with the lighting, and the strategic use of green hues.  I loved it.  Check out the full page spread on page 7 with all the issue information.  Green Hornet swinging down from a hook, pointing a gun, but it’s shown through the broken and bloodied eyeglasses of a Japanese crime boss.  Absolutely stunning.

One issue in, this feels like a good start to the miniseries.  It might be in your best interest to hold off on picking it up until the next issue drops.  Goodness knows, with as many variant covers as they made, they’ll still be on the shelf at the comic shop.  It certainly seems like it will be worth reading the run, but as of now, it just feels like you walked out 10 minutes into a movie.

Also on the way, The Green Hornet: Year One by Matt Wagner with Aaron Campbell on interior art and The Green Hornet Strikes! by Brett Matthews with interior art by Ariel Padilla.  But, seriously, go check out the old tv show.  You’ll thank me later.

One Response to “Comically Challenged: Green Hornet #1”

1. Katie Says:
   March 4th, 2010 at 4:43 am

   than ks for the review.. i wasn’t sure about this one but now imma pick it up!

Leave a Reply