Green Hornet: Year One #1

Dynamite Entertainment launched its Green Hornet line in early 2010 with a then modern-day version of the character based on an unproduced screenplay by Kevin Smith of Clerks and Mallrats fame.

The book was a very successful for the publisher, but the series that began the following month is perhaps the finest depiction of the Green Hornet and Kato in comic book form. Clunky solicitation text follows the rather awesome John Cassaday cover below.  

Writer: Matt Wagner
Penciller/Inker: Aaron Campbell
Colorist: Francesco Francavilla 

Covers: Alex Ross (25%), John Cassaday (25%), Matt Wagner (25%) and Stephen "Wolverine" Segovia (25%) 

Publication Date: APRIL, 2010

The Green Hornet expansion continues as Dynamite presents the original tales of comics most iconic hero! And Matt Wagner, one of the most creative creators in comics takes the reins, bringing the characters to their basic roots a la All-Star Superman, and Matt Wagner is the man to do it! Rooted in the pulp tradition, the original tales of Britt Reid, and Kato being here!

Joining Wagner is artist Aaron "Sherlock Holmes" Campbell, whose stunning recreation of the industrial world of 30s Chicago is sure to wow fans across the globe! Plus, covers by Wagner, Ross, Cassaday and Segovia!

And here are the covers in question!

Alex Ross

Stephen Segovia

Matt Wagner

I have no idea if Matt Wagner was a huge fan of the character, or if he just dove into past material to put this series together (I suspect the truth is somewhere in the middle), but he touched on the majority of the features that make the Green Hornet and Kato entertaining right from the first issue.

The book begins with two scenes taking place in 1921, one featuring a young Britt Reid in Chicago contemplating a particularly intimidating insect in his newspaper publisher father's office...

...while the other displays a young man completing his Samurai training, though questioning his father as to when he will be worthy of learning the "shadow ways". 

We see additional key moments in their lives set in 1926, 1931, and 1934, which will lead to their eventual meeting and guide their moral compasses, all interspersed with an adventure in 1938, the book's "current day" setting. 

In 1938 Chicago, an organized crime boss named Vinnie Caruso is attempting to "influence" union workers when the Green Hornet and Kato step in. 

Despite the save, the would-be victims run away in fear, to the surprise of the Green Hornet.

And so the pretense that the Green Hornet is a member of the criminal element is born. 

This was the first of 12 issues and I look forward to continuing to revisit this series. If pushed to recommend one book to someone for the purpose of turning them into a fan, it would be this one.