Dynamite Entertainment adds another tale of the Green Hornet. This time, the tale takes place in the not-so-distant future. Unlike the other Green Hornet titles, the main character is unknown to the reader. We're introduced to him breaking into a mob boss's building and taking down two chatty security guards. Breaking from the Green Hornet tradition, this obviously young Hornet wears a gas mask that covers his face. He still wears the traditional green garbs, but carries a gas canister on his back. Right away, he looks like a punked out version of the Hornet.
The story leaves the mystery man and follows an old gentleman entering the same building earlier in the day. The man is John Reid, and he checks in for his appointment with Mr. Kaast. After checking in with security he's escorted to the 34th floor. Mr. Reid is there to sell the identity of the Green Hornet to Mr. Kaast for the sum of two million dollars.
Our young Hornet is shown navigating through the office building, also on the 34th floor. He runs into trouble with a beast of a man guarding the elevator. The two exchange blows before the Hornet wins the battle. Finally the young Hornet makes his own way into Mr. Kaast's office. His reward is a bullet in the shoulder for underestimating Kaast. The Green Hornet flees from the building and Para-shoots from a ledge. Injured, beaten and tired the question remains: Will he survive the fall?
Green Hornet Strikes is an interesting take that continues the legacy of the Green Hornet. Although Dynamite's other Hornet books have been interesting and refreshing, they are forced to use the characters that were created for them. In "Strikes", Brett Williams (The Lone Ranger) is able to use the legacy and tell a new story with different characters. Williams instills a lot of personality on the young Hornet by the use of simple narration. In fact, the young Hornet never speaks a single word. Kaast is already set up as the ultimate bad guy and given a personality to match. Without saying to much about John Reid's role in the book, I can say that he's a very cool character that has more depth than face value gives him.
The art maintains the same feel and coloring of the other Green Hornet books, which makes it easy to dive into. Ariel Padilla uses sharp edges and iconic frames to aid in the mystery of the Hornet. The costume is very simple yet is incredibly cool. Ariel's storytelling on the page allows the readers to transition back and forth in time with great ease. It's fluent, yet distinct enough that it's never confusing.
The coloring of the book definitely makes the book fit right in with the rest of the Green Hornet line at Dynamite. In fact, Dynamite seems to have a strict set of standards for the coloring of all their books and Giovanna Guimaraes (Robocop) meets those standards. The colors are sharp and the entire book is underlined with green.
This is yet another solid book in the Green Hornet line and a welcome addition. It's mysterious and interesting in a way the other Hornet's can't be. Even though the world is mostly unexplained, it is very well developed and leaves enough for the reader to discover. The best thing about this book is that by continuing the legacy of the Green Hornet, it leaves the stories open to a world of possibilities.
Overall Score - 8.9/10
That makes five Green Hornet titles with a sixth on the way! Follow Dustin on Twitter and ask him anything on FormSpring.
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Our young Hornet is shown navigating through the office building, also on the 34th floor. He runs into trouble with a beast of a man guarding the elevator. The two exchange blows before the Hornet wins the battle. Finally the young Hornet makes his own way into Mr. Kaast's office. His reward is a bullet in the shoulder for underestimating Kaast. The Green Hornet flees from the building and Para-shoots from a ledge. Injured, beaten and tired the question remains: Will he survive the fall?
