Mark Waid’s The Green Hornet #1

The Hornet faces his most dangerous enemy ever–an egotistical, arrogant Britt Reid! In his alter-ego as a powerful newspaper publisher, the Hornet has lost control, becoming a social crusader far too sure of himself and of his judgment. But when he finally goes too far, an innocent man pays a terrible price–and the legend of the Green Hornet begins its cataclysmic collapse!

I had been a fan of Dynamite‘s updated Green Hornet series kicked off by Kevin Smith. It felt like a nice update to the character and was an entertaining read until recently. The book took a dive in quality and I was a bit bummed. Then I heard a new series was launching with the original team of Britt and Kato and it’d be written by the talented Mark Waid. I was psyched.

Waid is a master writer of the pulp variety. His Daredevil run has been a modern classic and one of the best ever for the character. He’s taken long-standing icons and reinvigorated them, and in this first issue he brings a solid voice that gets the Hornet back to the basics.

This first issue is two-fold. It introduces the Green Hornet to new readers and also sets the character upon his path in a new, but familiar, way for the old fans. It’s a tricky balance and Waid pulls it off. Through a mix of dialogue and thought bubbles/caption boxes he lays out where this Hornet stands and what his mission is. Though I felt like I’ve seen this a bunch, Waid’s voice was new and interesting. It feels fresh and entertaining.

I’m convinced we’ll see some amazing things on Waid’s run. He’s already setting up a character, but most importantly a world, that’ll keep us entertained and engaged. Mark Waid is a master of the pulp genre, but overall he’s a master storyteller.

Story: Mark Waid Art: Daniel Indro Cover: Paolo Rivera

Story: 8.5 Art: 7.75 Overall: 8.25 Recommendation: Buy

Garth Ennis’ Red Team #2

The Rules: in which our heroes take a further step down a very dangerous road and lay out their battle plan. But not everyone is happy with the unit’s new direction, especially some of the other players in the game…

Garth Ennis, I generally think is a brilliant writer. The man can often make you think and at the same time present over the top violence to the point of satire. Red Team is a serious voice for the writer, about a team of cops who become corrupt and dish out justice on their own terms. Yes, this is a crooked/vigilante cop story, and it’s amazing.

Two issues in and this is gearing up to be one of the best new series of the year. It’s just amazing in every aspect. The presentation stands out to me. Each story is unveiled with both the narrative of the action, but also in an interrogation room. We know this rouge squad of cops goes wrong, we just don’t know when. We’re also presented how they went off the rails from the cops themselves. It’s an amazing presentation and narrative that’s worthy of a television series.

I’m a sucker for cop stories, so that only makes me more excited for this series. We’re two issues in and this is quickly becoming a series I need to immediately read when I get it in my hands.

If you’re a fan of police drama or crooked/rogue cop movies, this comic is a must have. It’s also a perfect comic to hand to people who are new to the entertainment medium.

Story: Garth Ennis Art: Craig Cermak Cover: Howard Chaykin

Story: 8.75 Art: 8 Overall: 8.75 Recommendation: Buy

Dynamite provided Graphic Policy with FREE copies for review