I was reminded, while correcting typos on the previous post, that Kevin Smith produced other Green Hornet content for Dynamite Entertainment after the story based on his unused movie script concluded. It was in mid-2014, in collaboration with DC comics, and a task that, looking back, he was probably far more suited to tackle.
This is one of those projects that, when you first hear about it, you just assume there's no way it can suck. The first issue feels a bit more Batman-heavy, mind you.
The adventure starts at stately Wayne Manor, while Robin/Dick Grayson is getting ready for a date. As aunt Harriet straightens his tie, a call comes in from the police commissioner on a red phone in Bruce's study.
The commissioner, from his perspective speaking to Batman, explains that a valuable shipment is headed to some shithole town (not his exact words) on the Gotham Express and he'd sure like some help with security.
Dick still has his date to contend with, so Bruce plans to fly solo on this one.
Or will he? On the train, he has a chance encounter with Sentinel publisher Britt Reid. Reid happens to be from that shithole town to which the valuable cargo is headed. "Good to see you, old friend!", Wayne says.
This, of course, leads to an entertaining dick-swinging chat about their respective city's masked men, debating which of the two is the more capable. It also appears to reference the TV episode in which they met, so the timeline is clear.
The train comes to sudden stop. Concerned, Reid, Wayne, and Kato rush to the locomotive.
They find out that the train was stopped by some improbably strong adhesive substance. Sensing a mystery afoot, Wayne calls in his ward Dick from his date, ruining a rare opportunity for the young man to finally lose his virginity.
While waiting for Robin to appear, Wayne checks in on the fossils that were being transported...and what does he find??
Gasp!!
This is from the "digital only" version of the series, which released the books in half-issue installments. So basically, "next chapter" in the image above refers to pages 12-21 or so of issue #1. So let's soldier on and complete the print version of the first issue.
Wayne is in a pickle here, but the Green Hornet busts in to save the day while, it should be noted, continuing to sell his criminal image.
The attention to that aspect of the character is appreciated.
Naturally, pink asses are whooped. Wayne exits stage left.
Wayne runs off to meet with Robin, who appears in the Bat-Copter to hand over Bruce's Bat gear.
In the train's storage area, the fight is going poorly for our pink-clad foe. He leaves his men to get kicked around by Green Hornet and Kato, and climbs to the roof of the train car, only to encounter...Batman and Robin!
GH/Kato dispatch the remaining henchmen and head to the top of the train car as well in pursuit of Colonel Gumm, as he comes to be called. Trapped between the two crime-fighting duos, Gumm (after we're treated to his whole back story) unleashes his strongest weapon. Glue!!
He then slips away and removes the adhesive keeping the train from running, leaving the four heroes to be brained by the oncoming tunnel.
We should all think they're done for, but there were five more issues in the series, so...
Honestly, this isn't what I usually look for in a book, but overall it was a lot of fun and very well done. The tone of the time was captured, the dialogue seemed right out of the Batman TV show, and I expect we're going to get more of all the various supporting characters from both shows in short order, and maybe even Bat Shark Repellant. Pretty cool.
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