Dynamite Entertainment 2015
Written by Daryl Gregory
Illustrated by Brent Peeples
Coloured by Michael Bartolo
I really don’t think I’ve enjoyed the Green Hornet as much as I have in this adaptation. The legend of the Green Hornet has never been as interesting as it in this scenario with the whole Steampunk aspect. Daryl really embraced this world and the characters making them fresh, new and exciting. I’d love to see this creative team keep going with these types of stories and fully explore the Legenderry Universe.
Brent and Michael’s contributions on the interiors have gone a long way to my enjoyment of this book. I love the way that we see the steampunk elements are incorporated into the character designs they really make an impact. Then we see the Veiled lady's husband and wow if this is the kind of opponents they are going to face then we do need more.
As both Hornets leave the fighting below they head upstairs to face the Veiled Lady and what they find is a little more surprising than they were expecting. Seriously I’m just really impressed with the dialogue that leads up to the confrontation and then the whole way it’s all constructed. First by seeing Tik-Tok and how Mae deals with him and Britt’s reaction then moving onward where Little Lord Homicide already has his stepmother the Veiled Lady at his mercy.
This is where we see Mae’s intensity and Britt’s guile come into play and it’s pretty fierce stuff to witness. There’s even a moment of humor as the Veiled Lady asks if “anyone here not avenging a family member” and then Britts response just made that scene all the more worthwhile. They way this book has been crafted has just been astonishingly well done. The intensity of the story and the way the characters interact with one another, play off each other just grabs your attention and it doesn’t let you go. There’s really something here that is akin to lightning in a bottle.
How the culmination of this story plays out it’s kind of shocking and sincere and all kinds of plot twisting and interweaving of new and old threats. This leaves us with so much promise and hope for what’s still to come. I love the idea of Little Lord Homicide being the major crime boss in town taking after his father and stepmother and trying to be a thorn in the Green Hornets side. While Blackmass may be gone for now threat of his return also adds some drama to the mix and his ire towards those who have thwarted his plans well that’s just good reading.
This is the kind of re-imagining that needs to be experienced and enjoyed by everyone and to understand why the classic heroes of the past hold so much relevance still today.