Comic Book Review: Green Hornet #6

Book Information
Written by Kevin Smith
Breakdowns by Phil Hester
Pencils by Jonathan Lau
Colors by Ivan Nunes
Letters by Troy Peteri
Cover by Alex Ross

My Awe-Inspiring Opinion
What I really need to do is lend these first six issues of Kevin Smith’s Green Hornet to my mom and ask if it compares to the Green Hornet of her childhood. The Green Hornet was one of the many super heroes of my mother’s childhood that I seem to recall her enjoying more than the others. I want to know her opinion because it would blow my mind to hear that Smith’s new interpretation of the classic hero is not as good as the one she grew up with. Smith is blowing this title out of the water; sure it’s predictable, but boy is it fun!

Much like anyone who discovers something fantastic about themselves, our hero decides to embrace this “calling” and run with it. But much like a child who’s just found the keys to the candy store, Britt Reid also goes a little haywire in trying to create his own image of his father’s legacy. As he goes through costume after costume in a series of hilarious criminal interventions, one of which almost fails, Reid decides the best course of action is to keep it old school and sport the green jacket, black Dockers, and detective’s hat. It was a fun way to induct Young Mr. Reid into the Green Hornet persona, but it also allows readers to understand that Kevin Smith isn’t trying to change anything; he’s merely giving it a new character twist while staying true to the hero fans know and love.

Jonathan Lau, again, presents panel after panel perfection with vivid and lively art that emotes both character and livelihood. The wide range of emotions he is able to put into his characters faces is a skill I wish I could master to the level of Mr. Lau. And of course, this is all only enhanced by the great Ivan Nunes who has an uncanny ability to recall the classic “speed lines” style and enhance it to meet a more mature and diverse artistic audience.

And finally, let’s give a warm round of applause to the legendary Alex Ross who never ceases to amaze me in the amount of detail he puts into every piece of art work he does. The cover is not only one of the most artistic of the year so far, it’s clever as well. Keeping the hero in context of his character, Ross allows Mr. Reid the liberty of tipping his hat to us in this seductively sexy scene. While I’m not sure how it connects to the story within, it is definitely a site to see.

My Profoundly Climactic Conclusion
“Hey mom! Check this out? Does it compare?”

Ratings
Writing: 10
Themes: 10
Art: 10
Overall: 10 out of 10

Comic Book Review: Green Hornet #3

Book Information

Written by Kevin Smith

Art by Jonathon Lau

Lettered by Simon Bowland

Cover by Alex Ross

My All-Inspiring Opinion

Certain patterns are beginning to emerge within Smith’s Green Hornet storyline that are quite familiar and unoriginal.  How many superheroes have adopted the superhero persona due to violently loosing their father?  The superhero is nothing more than a victim of some terrible circumstance that spurns this need to right the wrongs and defend the defenseless, but they all seem to have the same origin story.  Having the original Kato in the mix doesn’t help the obvious and predictable nature of this book knowing, once you see him sitting at the bar, that he will be taking it upon himself to train the Green Hornet’s son and introducing him to his father’s secret legacy.  I understand Smith’s Silver Age intention behind the story, but even a predictable story needs to have something that shocks and alarms.

Most notably, Dynamite has been building up the “surprising death” that would happen in issue #3.  The possibilities were laid out there for us to pick and choose from.  Either Kato, his daughter, Green Hornet senior or junior would find themselves beaten, broken, and in a coffin under the ground.  We knew it wouldn’t be Britt’s son or Miss Kato since the whole story is based around them and their beginnings, which only leaves the judo master and the Original Green Hornet.  Based on the typical comic trends, a father would have to die to help push the son forward into avenging his death, only to be trained or guided by a wise, experienced individual who has a connection with both men.  The event might have been much more dramatic and surprising if Dynamite hadn’t of given everything away a few weeks prior to this issue actual publication date, but Dynamite ruined the surprise with their enormous build-up and marketing of this drastic event.

Apart from the predictable nature of the book, the story in and of itself is entertaining and fun to read.  Kato’s real-time training session was humorously tense and foreshadowed what Britt Reid junior’s future will be like.  In addition, Smith does create an interesting mystery behind the young Japanese woman we all know to be the daughter of Kato.  But what we don’t know is why she was at the Reid fundraiser to begin with and how she knew of the oncoming threat. 

Artistically this issue couldn’t have made me happier.  Despite the overabundance of speed lines, the 3-demensinal approach that Jonathon Lau is taking on this title is beautiful and poetic.  He creates such strong and dominate body structures that don’t go too far, nor are they lacking in anything anatomically.  And who can argue with that cover?  When Alex Ross dies, it is certainly going to hit the comic book industry harder than anything in history.

My Profoundly Climactic Conclusion

Issue #3 is fun and I think anyone following the series will enjoy it.  However, don’t expect anything mind blowing or “new.”  This was purely the “action sequence” chapter of Kevin Smith’s Green Hornet Movie script.

Ratings

Writing: 8

Themes: 4

Art: 10

Overall: 7.33

Comic News: Top 100 Comic Book Storylines Masterlist

So I'm a little late in seeing this, but I had to post this.  According to comic book resources, a poll was taken (who the voters were I have no idea) of the greatest 100 comic book storylines ever written.  Now I wont be posting the ENTIRE list, I'll let you do that yourself by clicking here, but I will post the top ten from that list and summarize the conversation I had with two friends.  This list goes as follows...

10. Maus: A Survivors Tale. By Art Spiegelman.  723 points, 17 first place points
9. Kingdom Come, By Mark Waid and Alex Ross.  740 points, 19 first place points
8. Seasons of Mist, By Neil Gaiman. 752 points, 18 first place points
7. Crisis on Infinite Earths, By George Perez.  782 points, 24 first place points
6. All Star Superman, By Grant Morrison. 930 points, 34 first place points
5. Dark Knight Returns, By Frank Miller. 1112 point, 24 first place points.
4. Batman: Year One, By Frank Miller.  1149 points, 21 first place points
3. Daredevil: Born Again, By Frank Miller.  1349 point, 29 first place points
2. The Dark Pheonix Saga, By Chris Claremont and John Bryne.  1472 points with 59 first place
1. Watchmen, By Alan Moore, Dave Gibbons.  2003 points, 78 first place points.


Now I for one am pleased to see Watchmen made the number one spot; rightly deserved.  Watchmen is and always will be the greatest graphic novel of all time.  Not just because of the strides it took as a new way of writing a Graphic Novel, but purely on the face of how intelligently written it is.  Alan Moore is a genius and is just as great of a writer as Neil Gaiman.

However, I am disappointed to see Grant Morrison making the top ten list with his piece of garbage storyline "All-Star Superman."  That series was the one of the biggest wastes of time that I wish I could get back.  For some reason, people like what he writes.

And of course, like always, Frank Miller gets more of the spotlight than he deserves.  If there's one writer whose worse than Morrison, it's Miller.  But even with that said, I love his Sin City series can't believe DKR made it higher than that!  It blows my mind by how much people seemed to love Millers work.

I'm glad to see Neil Gaiman made the top 100 list, as well as Maus.  I probably would have put Maus a little higher in the ten, but oh well.

Make sure you go to Comic Book Resources and check out the whole list.