Dynamite Entertainment 2016
Written by David Liss
Illustrated by Kewber Baal
Coloured by Adriano Augusto
Lettered by Tom Napolitano
There’s a new hero in town – and it isn’t Britt Reid! The Swashbuckler’s showing up the Green Hornet at his own game—but the cavalier vigilante has made Britt suspicious of his motives. Is the Swashbuckler a real hero? Or is one of the Hornet’s foes playing a far more subtle game?
From the pages of the Green Hornet comes the Swashbuckler! Has a nice ring to it doesn’t it? Personally i’d love a mini-series now because the mystery surrounding him and his flamboyant style has me more than a little intrigued. Plus he’s just a great character and the enigma he represents well it’s driving Britt mad and that’s never and always a good thing.
Speaking of mad David’s characterisation of Britt here is utterly marvelous. You feel his frustration coming from the dialogue and his actions in this issue. It’s like he’s not used to feeling not in control and with Demone and the Swashbuckler not to mention all their little playthings, those pawns being used in various ways, he really is letting this case get the best of him. It’s also nice to see that both Kato and Casey can’t even begin to talk reason to Britt, that he’s so stubborn and frustrated that he’s not listening to those closest to him.
I think the way that David has structured this story is superbly done. All the running around, misdirection and the way people are trying to use others, push their agenda and remain in the shadows not only frustrates Britt but us to a degree as well. This issue has some huge revelations and while we’ve been waiting to see a thing or two about some characters the reality we get is much different and that constant amazement by David is why we always come back. I mean heck this style where we’re in the dark alongside the main characters keeps us using our brains, trying our hand at the detective skills we’ve learned as we look for clues in the story and that of level of reader engagement and investment shows the level of talent on display.
Kewber and Adriano continue to bring us some incredible interiors here. The attention to detail is phenomenal and it’s little things like seeing the Daily Sentinel and it’s from and back pages that help the story stand out from the visual standpoint. The use of page layouts utilising the angles, perspective and the backgrounds in play make this more exciting and flesh out the story more fully.
So who is pulling Miss Travis’ strings I wonder sending her out to follow Britt and see what he’s constantly up to? Can’t be her own reporter’s intuition now can it? I can see a specific someone putting her on him this way and he’s a charming man who seems to get what he wants but we’ll see if i’m on the mark for that one at least. Heck i’d like to get at least one thing right here.
The level of storytelling and characterisation through pacing and story structure alongside the splendid interiors keep these adventures of the Green Hornet as thrilling as ever!