Project Superpowers: Chapter Two #11 and #12 - Dynamite Entertainment

There's a lot of revelations in the final 2 issues of this series. But don't worry . . it's not the end. They've already announced that there's going to be a Project Superpowers: Chapter 3 coming out in 2011. And it is credited as being the final chapter. So, we find out in these issue that this whole thing was actually a very elaborate plan by the living flame . . Prometheus. Apparently it knew that Captain Future was actually Zeus, and that eventually he was going to go off the deep-end, as he has done recently in this series. So, he tasked the Fighting Yank to lure all of his team-mates and associates in to the urn. Knowing that when they emerged, they would be changed. That is the other thing that we've learned in the last few issues. The side-affect of their imprisonment . . the shifting and changing of their powers, is all because the side-effect of their captivity is that they are now immortal. Which is something that they would need when it came time to fight Zeus. So, as I said, this whole thing was a big elaborate plan by Prometheus to prepare the heroes for their inevitable battle. I guess it would've been nice though if someone had told them what was going on. Anyways, we also learn that the 'Devil's power doesn't lie in the suit, but rather in it's wearer. Which is why when the Fighting Yank lured the 'Devil to the urn . . it didn't want Bart. It only wanted the costume. The costume is sentient. And now that it's been changed, also with it's immersion into the urn, it's apparently now alive. So, the guy from the village that's been chasing the 'Devil around, claiming that he's a fake . . finds out that there's not actually anyone in there. Although at the end of all this, when the 'Devil uses some ancient language to speak a spell that sends the Claw's horrendous construct back to the depths of Hades . . Dare calls him Sheitan. Apparently she thinks that the suit is now inhabited by the Devil himself . . Satan. Anyways, the Green Lama, and most of the other heroes, go back to Shangri-la, to try to transform is back into their home . . their worldwide base of operations. While the President not only pardons the heroes . . he's been directly involved in this whole conflict, and has witnessed the lengths that they've gone to save the world . . but he also takes some of them straight to the Supremacy to put them on notice. Of course they escape, but . . 'It's called a coup. We were here to alert them. To put them on notice. This moment will have resonance, Terror. We just declared that we're trademarking the name for ourselves. Welcome, my friends, to the new Supremacy. And now we must discuss how to truly save this world.' So . . the overall 'big picture' seems to have reached it's conclusion. However, the individual stories . . the effects and ramifications of this whole debacle on each of the individual heroes, has yet to be told. Which, I'm sure, is where the solo-books and mini-series are going to come in to play. This franchise has already built up a pretty decent sized library of books. But I think we've only really seen the tip of the iceberg. There's so much more to be told. And with Alex Ross and Jim Krueger at the helm . . I'm sure it's all going to be told in great detail. So far . . I'm still interested. However, I do still feel that there's entirely to many characters, as well as stories, for one individual book. I think we're going to see a larger expansion of titles in 2011. If you've been following this, you're either bought in to it as a reader, or . . you've already given up. I don't think there's going to be a whole lot of middle ground. But regardless of where you fall, you still have to give Alex and Jim credit for the amazing job and effort that they've put into this project. They've basically taken characters, and 'heroes' from the 40's . . that were really all but forgotten, and given them new life. I think it was a 'heroic' effort of their part. And now they just have to wait and see if people stay tuned in next year. By the way, Edgar Salazar is also a big part of this project . . doing the art on this entire series. I think he's grown a lot since the beginning, and continues to get better and better with every issue. I'm sure this will all be out in TPB before the new series start. So, if you're interested in getting caught up, that's probably the best way to do it. Overall I think it's a great series. But like I said, you're either bought in to it . . or not. But at the very least . . you could give it a chance. Who knows? You might not be disappointed.

Black Terror #11 - Dynamite Entertainment

It seems that the focus of this next chapter of the Black Terror is for constructed for him to find out who he is . . where he's come from . . and how exactly did his time in the urn change him. Carried over from the last issue is his battle with . . well, himself. Actually an earlier younger version of himself. Apparently this is another orchestrated attack by a member of the Supremacy. Somehow this energy that they've harnessed . . actually directed at the Black Terror by the Magi, is some sort of magical tapestry that presents it's opponent with an idealized version of itself. It gives it's opponent a target at which to direct and express unresolved issues. Eventually the Black Terror realizes that it's not really him, but rather something that's trying to break his resolve . . get him to doubt himself. But it isn't until the Green Lama enters the fray . . unaffected by the energies, because he wasn't in the urn . . that he instruct the Terror that it's actually feeding off of his rage, and anger. 'This trap is more finely tuned than I had imagined. Regret is not your handicap, but aggression. You seem to take great relish in punishing yourself. You have to let go Terror . . of your anger. Do not strike back. He is only as strong as you make him. You are connected to your fellow heroes, Black Terror. They will feel your resolve. Share it with them.' And from there they beat the trap pretty easily. Unfortunately, they don't know that this was an attack by the Supremacy. And . . it's only their opening salvo. They still have lots of different avenues they can take to get at these 'heroes'. But in the meantime, it looks like they may have planted the seed of doubt, as they had hoped, in the Black Terror. Besides the main title of this franchise, this is easily my favorite book in it. Over the course of the mini-series, and then this series, I feel like we've really gotten to know this character. And through his stories, we're being connected to some of the others. Alex Ross and Phil Hester are doing a great job here. Wagner Reis does the art. If you haven't looked into the Superheroes Project yet . . the Black Terror is a good place to start. I'm sure there's some TPB out there.

the Boys #45 and #46 - Dynamite Entertainment

The revelations are coming fast and furious now. Annie not only tells Hughie her secret . . she shows him. Because at first he doesn't believe her. I think he loves Annie . . at least he thinks he does, but he has a hard time getting past all the things that he's seen the 'supers' do, and . . all the things that Butcher and his group has done. I just don't think that this is a situation that he ever saw himself being in. Later on . . thinking it all through, Hughie realizes Annie is a 'super'. And the Boys . . they hunt 'supers'. Which means eventually Annie will be on Butcher's radar. So he goes to talk to him. And surprisingly . . Butcher is very cordial. Meanwhile, while all of this is going on, the Frenchman and the Female are doing a little undercover work at the 'Believe' festival, in the park. Basically, they're following the Homelander around and trying to get any information that they can. Which actually end up being quite a bit. The Homelander has a little heart to heart with Oh Father . . kind of piggybacking on his little revelation that he almost exposed at the end of Herogasm. It kind of sounds like he wants to get out from under the thumb of Vought-American. So Hughie and Butcher have this big old talk, putting everything out there on the table. Once they do that, Butcher tells Hughie how they get all their information on the Seven . . and how they keep getting those cameras in their base . . Queen Maeve. Seems she's mad at the Homelander for some reason, so she went to talk to the Legend some time ago. They worked out an agreement, and Queen Maeve's been helping them ever since. Butcher also lets him look through the tapes. He says that there's so much of it that they haven't had the time to look at it all. So he lets Hughie take a crack at it. And of course he going to see the footage for when Annie first came to the Seven. I'm not sure if Butcher is doing it to break them up, or if he's just trying to get Hughie nice and pissed at the Homelander. But whatever the case, Hughie's about to see some stuff he'll wish he hadn't. And after talking to Annie, I think the Homelander is starting to realize that Annie really is as innocent and naive as she acts. Plus this Christianity stuff that she's tauting for 'Believe' isn't just rhetoric to her. I think the Homelander kind of envy's her perspective of the world. It turns out he's got something planned and I think he's trying to keep Annie out of it. Garth Ennis has everything kind of slowing down right now . . there's a whole lot of character and story development going on, but I think he's building up to something really big. This story-arc really has a different feel to it than the previous ones. But, I think that's all about to change. It's kind of like he's moving all the players around, getting them ready for whatever big gambit he's got in store for us. Russ Braun is doing the art for this story-arc. With Darrick Robertson doing the covers . . as usual. I know some people aren't thrilled with this series, but . . I like it. I think it's a lot of fun. And I like the way it pokes at the traditional super-hero genre. Basically, it's making fun of itself.

Kato #3 - Dynamite Entertainment

I appreciate what Andre Parks is trying to do here . . set up this whole origin story for Kato, and his daughter Mulan, but . . I'm just not really getting in to it. Plus . . I have a few questions. We seen Kato and the Green Hornet in action around 1938. As far as the Green Hornet Year One story is going. However, when we start this story, Kato is a young boy in southern China, circa 1960. And obviously his dad didn't partake in the life of adventure because he's just a scared man living under a very strict communist regime. We then move forward in time to the present day, and Mulan is trying to make Hirohito Juuma pay for killing his mother. Remember, last issue he killed her in the warehouse in which they were living? She can't find him directly, so she attacking one of his business' . . a trendy bar / brothel. But this is apparently before her dad really started working with her. She knows enough to be dangerous, but not enough to be doing this on her own. She been staying with her father, and a few other warriors . . Haro, Yukio and Naoko . . but she wants to make a name for herself. Plus she wants to avenge her mother's death. Anyways, Kato helps her get out of a rather sticky situation, but not before she attracts the attention of Juuma. If she'd been by herself, Juuma might not have made the connection to Kato. But seeing as how he and his comrades showed up to participate . . the family is now clearly on his radar. And he's seriously pissed. It is an interesting story. However, I find myself just not really caring all that much. Plus, like I said, there's a few difficulties with the time-line. Things don't seem to be matching up between this book and the other ones. I'm really not trying to find mistakes, just so I can point them out. I just think it makes things a little confusing for the reader. Diego Bernard does the art. It looks pretty good. Unfortunately, I just don't think I'll be sticking with this one to much longer. Sorry! I have to watch were I spend my money. And there's other more deserving books.

Green Hornet #6 - Dynamite Entertainment

Last issue Britt Ried learned the secret of his father . . the original Green Hornet. And out of necessity donned his father's costume to help out Mulan, the new Kato . . the original Kato's daughter. However, while he may have some athletic skills and training, he's never used them for this type of endeavor . . and is sadly lacking when it comes to strategy and planning. But . . that's why Kato, the original, has stuck around . . to train him. Well, that and Britt Reid Sr charged him with his son's protection . . should something happen to him, which . . it did. There's also another Kato in the mix . . Clutch Kato. He's kind of the tech, mechanic, 'M' kind of character. Anyways, most of this issue shows us the progression of Britt into his father's shoes, and the working relationship between him and Mulan. We also see that as well as apologizing, and showing respect for his father . . he's also in this for revenge. He wants the Black Hornet to pay for killing his father. Bad! I like the way that Kevin Smith has progressed this story so far. It's been kind of slow, but . . I think it does effectively show the young Britt's transition. I'm trying to follow some of the other mini-series related to this . . or this character, but . . this is definitely the most exciting. I'm not sure how long I'll stick with the rest, but . . I'll probably be with this one for awhile. I also think Jonathan Lau's pencils get better and better with every issue. I think this particular series has a bright future.

Green Hornet - Year One #4 - Dynamite Entertainment

I wasn't really thrilled with this issue. Right now, Britt and Kato are traveling from Japan to Chicago. We see the current politics and underworld in Chicago, and watch Britt and Kato discover things about each other as they traverse their great distance. I mean . . it's ok . . we're learning things about both of these characters. We see them interact with each other shortly before they take on their crusade. And then we watch them begin their adventure in the wild-west of Chicago, circa 1938. But other than that . . it was all rather boring. I know Matt Wagner is trying to build on this story . . progressing it slowly through this duo's formative years, but . . I actually fell asleep during this one. Saturday afternoon, sitting in my favorite chair, and as I'm reading this book . . as I get closer and closer to the end . . I'm finding it harder and harder to keep my eyes open. Of course, it probably didn't help that the cat was curled up at my feet on the ottoman. But . . I really did fall asleep reading it. I do, however, find it interesting. It just feels like it might be moving along a little to slowly right now. And I'm not thrilled with Aaron Campbell's art. It's ok. It just seems a little to 'old' for me. But . . that might be what he's going for. I'll probably give it at least a couple more issues, but . . I don't honestly know how much longer I can hold out on this one. It just doesn't seem worth the investment to me. Sorry!

the Boys #44 - Dynamite Entertainment

Well it finally happens at the end of this issue . . Annie finally tells Hughie that she's a 'super'. But, to be honest, it's all coming to a head anyways. There's a religious thing that Vought does in the park every year called 'Believe'. Basically, it's like a tiered faith thing. Every year you pay more money, move up a tier, and more sins are forgiven. Plus they link it with the super-heroes . . specifically the Seven, and it draws an even bigger crowd. Well Vought-American wants the Homelander and Starlight to be the main attractions. Plus they want to up Annie's exposure. But, since she's been keeping this secret from Hughie, that's the last thing she wants. Anyways, one thing leads to another and Annie and Hughie end up in the park days before the 'Believe' event. As the conversations turns towards the 'supes' that will be attending, Hughie finally lets his guard down and tells Annie what had happened to his last girlfriend, Robin, when she was caught in the middle of a fight with A-Train. Annie's shocked by his story . . especially since she's currently one of A-Train's teammates. And that's when she can't stand it any more and tells Hughie the truth. But we'll have to wait until next issue to see how he reacts, because . . that's how the issue ends. I thought this issue was a nice change of pace. We have Butcher wanting to apologize to Hughie for what he did to him with Super-Duper . . and what led to his altercation with Malchemical, but . . in order to do so, he'd have to let him know why he did it, and what he knows about Annie. He thinks it would be better for Hughie to find out about Annie on his own. Which . . he now has. We also see that Homelander has a secret. We don't know exactly what it is yet, but . . it seems that it's getting harder and harder for him to hide it. Overall, I thought that Garth Ennis did a lot of character development this issue. It was a nice change of pace from all the mayhem. And Russ Braun steps in to do the art. I can't believe this book is almost up to issue #50 already. Where does the time go?

Project Superpowers: Chapter Two #10 - Dynamite Entertainment

We're getting near the end of this chapter of the Project Superpowers, but . . there's still a lot of stuff going on. We find out this issue that Zeus' fires, the ones that he gave to Prometheus, have been plotting against him ever since. So the guys working on the tomb for him . . Marvelo, Mr Face and the other guy with the propeller on his chest, whom I don't know his name . . are just part of the fire's master plans. This issue, it seems that everything has come together serendipitously. We have the one group of heroes that were fighting him, but now all appear dead. However, the Green Lama is sure that their mortality has been changed by the urn. Anyways, while they're lying around, Kid Dynamic, who has been masquerading as Kid Terror for all these months, is more that strong enough to take the abuse that Zeus is dishing out. Plus, he's saving up the charge . . like a battery, and redirects it into the fallen heroes to give them a jump-start. As this is going on, the Silver Scarab, with the rest of the Dynamic Family show up to take him on. All of this is enough of a distraction that when the other guys lower the tomb, Zeus is sucked in to it. However, I'm wondering if it's enough. After it sucks him in, it goes pummeling into the ground. But on the final page we see Zeus rise, the tomb having been fashioned into an armor of sorts that he seems to be wearing. So it looks like maybe their plan failed? I don't know, we'll have to wait until next issue to find out. Anyways, while this is going on, the people outside of the Pentagon have begun to meld together into a large human form. I believe that they are going to be part of the resurrection of the actual Claw. And the mystery behind the Death Defying 'Devil, and Bart Hill, just keeps getting more and more involved. But to me the best part of the book was the discussion between the Green Lama and the Black Terror over the semantics of what they're trying to accomplish. The Green Lama's argument is that, basically, their attack on the Supremacy may be focusing their powers against the wrong enemy. He thinks that while the Supremacy isn't necessarily looking out for the best interests of the world . . there's other villains and evil out there that, in the process, is slipping under their noses. I thought it was a great argument between 2 people that are trying to accomplish the same thing, but have focused their attention on different aspects. And, I think, they have a different view of what they think the 'real' problem is. I thought it was a great discussion, and very well argued. Anyways, overall I think that Alex Ross, and Jim Krueger are doing a fantastic job with this project. I think it's great that they're bringing back all of these characters from the 40's and 50's. And I like the way that they're handling their natural evolution. Edgar Salazar is also doing a great job with the art. Only 2 more books to go and then this chapter will be wrapped up. I can't wait to see what the future holds.

Green Hornet #5 - Dynamite Entertainment

This title was much more interesting than the last one I read . . the Kato Origins blog. This was much more exciting and entertaining. We see Britt Jr finally step into the shoes of his father. He's a bit hesitant at first, but . . once he gets out there and experiences the thrill, as well as his seemingly new partner, Kato . . the original Kato's daughter . . he thinks, 'Oh yeah. I might be able to get into this.' We also see that he's developing a nemesis as well. And in the tradition of the father/son thing, this new 'bad guy' is his father's old foe's son . . Oni Juuma / Hirohito Juuma. Hirohito and the Mayor are the one's who've developed this new character, the Black Hornet. Oni wanted the Green Hornet's identity, and in return he's provided the Mayor with someone to fight . . someone to push him ahead in the polls before his election. Oni is also trying to mentor his son. He tells him that he killed Britt Sr as a business decision. It appears that the Juuma family has once again sunk their teeth into the Century City underworld. If Britt was left alive he would've begun the hunt anew. However, his son, ignorant of the past would spend his energies elsewhere . . even if he did take up his father's mantle as Oni suspected that he would. By the time Britt Jr would focus his attention towards him, Oni would be to entrenched or powerful for the new Green Hornet to make an impact. Which is why he wants to keep Hirohito out of his sights and under his radar. But we just know that Hirohito is to full of anger and frustration to play that role. You just know that he's going to be out there messing up his father's plans. I thought this was a great story by Kevin Smith. And I love Phil Hester and Jonathan Lau's art. I may have to forgo all the other Green Hornet series, and minis, and just stick to this one. It's definitely the most interesting.

Kato Origins #2 - Dynamite Entertainment

Again, this issue . . I wasn't overly thrilled with the story. Or the art, actually. It was . . ok. These guys have a lot more talent than I do. But . . I can't say that it was worth the $4 which I paid for it. And with the economy tightening up, the cost of books going up, and lots of new titles hitting the shelves . . I constantly have to think about which books are worth continuing, and which books aren't'. I really don't want to miss something that I might really enjoy, just because I'm trying to follow something else that's only mediocre. I'm sorry. I don't like to think of these books like that, but . . I'm on a budget just like everybody else. I need to think about how and where I'm spending my money. And . . I want to get the most out of it I can. This story just seemed like the normal origin. Sure there's action and intrigue . . along with a bit of a mystery. But really, when it all comes down to it, it's all about Kato finding the love of his life and then doing anything and everything he can to protect her. And actually, this seems more like a 'Year One' story than necessarily an origin. Unless of course it's the origin of his love . . how he met Jung Noh completely by accident. Anyways, I'm sorry, but it just wasn't that entertaining to me. There's a few interesting ideas floating around in here. And a unique perspective on the world, from Kato's eyes. Things were a lot different in the 30's or 40's . . or wherever this story is set. So . . that was interesting. But overall, I just found it rather bland. Jai Nitz wrote the story, with Colton Worley doing the art. I don't know how long I'll hang with this one, but . . we'll see. Maybe it'll get better.

the Boys #43 - Dynamite Entertainment

Things finally hit the fan this issue. After what Mother's Milk found out from the Legend, he goes to confront that guy from Vought-American. I don't know what he hoped to accomplish there, but . . it just serves to make him madder at Butcher. He's finally realized that the reason Butcher sent him after Super-Duper was because . . he knew that eventually he'd cross paths with Malchemical. With him witnessing Hughie's involvement with Annie, he convinced himself that he was working for Vought. So he figured he'd have Malchemical take him out. It didn't even occur to him that Hughie hadn't even made the connection as to who Annie was. 'How could he not know?' To which Mother's Milk replies, 'Oh shit, I dunno! How could he answer the goddamned door wit' blood from the bitch's snatch all over him? How could he end up takin' a shit on the floor of Tek-Knight's cave? Because he's Hughie, man . .!' And then he tells him that he heard the guy from Vought give the order to waste Hughie. So obviously Hughie can't be working for him. Meanwhile, while all of this is going on, Hughie has gone into Super-Duper's house to confront Malchemical because he's decided to use his superior power to make all of these idiots his bitches. Butcher's been watching as Malchemical has been moping the floor with him. So when Butcher finally goes in to save him, Hughie is pretty beaten up. And as Malchemical comes at him in gaseous form, Butcher simply pulls out his lighter and blows him up. He wants to take out the rest of Super-Duper also, but . . Hughie convinces him that they don't really know what they're doing. The issue ends with Butcher and MM arguing. And Annie, it appears, has taken off from the Seven's orbital platform towards Earth. I wonder if she knows about Hughie's condition. Also the Homelander is sitting on the outside of the platform looking down on the Earth and thinking. 'What I know? I can do anything. Maybe it's time I got started.' That sounds rather ominous. Anyways, now that they've finally got this situation with Hughie sorted out, Butcher knows that he still is loyal to the team . . we can move on to the next story-arc. It seems that Hughie is the only one that doesn't have a clue about Annie. But then, Hughie doesn't have a clue about much, which is what I think makes him such a likeable character. This is one of those books that no matter how could the current story-arc is . . I can't wait for the next one. I've really enjoyed the work that Garth Ennis and Darick Robertson have done on this book. I know it's not for everyone. But that's ok. If you don't like it . . don't pick it up.

Kato #2 - Dynamite Entertainment

This isn't the Year One title of this character, but in this issue we kind of see how Kato's daughter is dragged into this life of 'justice' and 'heroism'. In the present Kato is attacked by an arch-enemy, Juuma. He is a mistake from Kato's past life, and now he's a problem that's come back to haunt him. Basically he arrives as Kato's home shortly before his return, and kills his wife. In some flashback scenes, running congruently with the 'present' storyline, we also see how Kato and Sayomi's love and relationship blossomed. Which serves to emphasize the frustration Kato is feeling as he's fighting this guy for his life, as his dead wife lies in the other room. The problem is, Juuma is probably 10 years Kato's junior, and is at his peak of physical performance. And it's apparent that while still an accomplished fighter, Kato's best years are clearly in his past. Plus . . Kato lives by a code. A code which Juuma has clearly ignored for the want of material rewards in his life. Plus Juuma is Yakuza. Anyways, the Tokyo police show up and Juuma has to make a run for it. After burning down his house, with his wife in it . . it's a funeral pyre kind of thing, plus I don't think Kato is interesting in living in the house he and his wife had built . . Kato wants to put the rest of his family in hiding while he deals with Juuma. 'I have known men like Juuma before. He is a shark. He will not rest until this is done.' But his daughter wants to share in the fight to avenge her mother. But she's all that Kato has left, so he doesn't want her getting caught up in this. In the end she bows to his wishes, but you just know that she's going to do something impulsive . . stupid. I really enjoyed Andre Parks' story here. It was entertaining and emotional. It really gave us a sense of what was running through Kato's heart as he was going through all of this. As were also witnessing the frustration building in his daughter's heart. Diego Bernard does the art. It looks really good. I wasn't sure about following all of these books, but . . the more I read them, the more I like them. I just hope they can keep the momentum going.

Project Superpowers: Chapter Two #9 - Dynamite Entertainment

As we head towards issue #12, and the end of this second chapter, we are starting to get a lot of little revelations about some of these characters. First, as you can see by the cover, Kid Terror is back from the dead. If he ever really was dead. He was also in the urn and maybe he just had a hard time finding his way back to the rest of the heroes. But, we already have a Kid Terror. And he's been hanging out with the Inheritors. Well . . it turns out that was actually Dynamic Kid posing as Kid Terror, to put a spy behind enemy lines. Enemies of the Supremacy, I mean. Which explains why Cat-Man was acting so primal. He knew that he wasn't the real deal. All of this comes while a large portion of the heroes are trying to face down Zeus. Meanwhile the Huntsman is throwing around accusations that the 'Devil is not who he says he is. He claims that he is not Bart Hill. But since the 'Devil doesn't talk, he can't really defend himself. During all of this, Black Terror introduces the rest of the gang to the new American Crusader, Marcus. Also the Green Lama and the Black Terror come to blows because Bob is unhappy that Jet has given the Pentagon back to the people. And Jet is unhappy that Bob left when they needed him most. Even if he was going off to help Archie. And the Supremacy has been keeping an ever vigil eye on all of this. They don't like the recent developments, but they think they're still salvageable if Dynamic Man takes his seat on the Supremacy and uses all of his resources to bring down the heroes facing Zeus. They're then hoping to open a dialogue with the god himself. But it seems that Dynamic Man is starting to question all of this. He doesn't want to sacrifice his brothers and sisters. 'I've allowed myself . . all of Dynamic Forces . . to be controlled. We are not machines. Only mechanical beings. Only artificial bodies. But not machines. I was a hero once. A long time ago. I saved lives . . helped people . . I'd like to do that again.' Meanwhile Zeus, tired of the fray, uses his 'god-fire' to bring down all of the heroes. 'Let's put your immortality to a test. Shall we?' As the issue ends, the only one left standing in defiance is Kid Terror . . the Dynamic Kid version. This was another great chapter in this series. Alex Ross and Jim Krueger did a great job with the story. And I think Edgar Salazar's art improves with every issue. Also . . I loved the cover. The only thing I don't like about this book . . I keep going to Wikipedia to try to find out more and more about the history and time-line of these characters. It's a daunting process, but . . kind of fun too. Unfortunately I only have the time to do it in little pieces.

Green Hornet Year One #3 - Dynamite Entertainment

I like the way they've set up the story in this book. Not only does it give us 'Year One' of the Green Hornet, but it also shows us the circumstances leading up to Britt Reid and Kato's meeting. Britt was an adventurer, and wandering the world. He ended up in China about 6 months before Japan attacked. Unfortunately he became trapped in the city because of the war and the fighting. Likewise, Kato had reluctantly taken up with the Japanese army. He knew that the attack on China was wrong, but at the same time his honor demanded that he defend his country. He could best do that in the army. Unfortunately, there was no honor in the army, or in war. He found himself witness to all form of atrocities forced upon innocent people . . simply because they weren't Japanese. So he became Ronin. He was skilled, but . . it was still only a matter of time before he would be overcome. Luckily, before he was killed, Britt saw what was happening and saved him. And that's how they became connected. The rest of the story takes place in 1938 Chicago. We see the Green Hornet terrorizing the gangs. And chopping away at them, piece by piece. Obviously Matt Wagner is very skilled in these tales . . and it shows. But I was surprised by Aaron Campbell's pencils. Most of this issue is done with heavy shadows, as is appropriate to how the Green Hornet operates. And it really looked fantastic. Plus it had that 'old' look to it . . both in history, and in comic stylings. It was actually kind of refreshing from some of the other books I've read. I thought it was another great issue.

Green Hornet #4 - Dynamite Entertainment

This issue takes the young Britt Reid one step closer towards becoming the new Green Hornet. Last issue Kato . . the father, Britt's father's former associate . . had taken Britt to show him the secret lair of the Green Hornet . . his father, Britt Sr. Britt honestly had no idea. He just thought his dad was a work-a-holic. But while this opened his eyes to what his father really was, he had no intention of trying to become him . . filling the shoes, as it were. It's a path he never in his wildest dreams thought that his life would take. But it has, and now he has a choice to make. Unfortunately, he chooses what his father has asked for in his will . . he's headed to China where he'll be kept safe and the remnants of his father's crime-fighting career will be destroyed. Kato and his daughter, the girl we met at the party, will stay behind to find his father's killer, and hopefully make Century City safe again. We see Britt take off in his father's jet, and then Kato's daughter begins taking on the gangs. The problem is . . no matter how many fighting styles she knows, no matter how many weapons she's deadly with, she's still only one person, and . . a girl. No offense. But most of these gangs are made up of numbers. Large numbers of muscle bound young men . . for protection. Men that are not only willing to put their lives on the line, but do so without even thinking about it. Despite their unskilled and inept fighting, 20 against 1 will still eventually wear down the 1. So it's a good thing when Britt comes crashing through the window at the end. I don't know that he's decided to become the Green Hornet, but I'm guessing he at least can't live with not helping to catch his father's killer. Next issue should be very interesting. Kevin Smith is doing a great job with this story. I can see how it could've been a movie script. It's got all the elements of a good adventure / crime-drama. Plus it gives us the history of the character and updates it at the same time. Phil Hester and Jonathan Lau do the art. It looks really good. I decided to pick this stuff up from Dynamite on a whim, but . . I'm starting to think I made a good choice.

Black Terror #10 - Dynamite Entertainment

With Alex Ross and Phil Hester writing this book . . of course it's going to be great. But I have to say, this issue the art is done by Wagner Reis. I've never seen his work before, but I thought he did a tremendous job. The whole issue had a really good feel to it, and there were some amazing panels in here. Personally, I'm all about the story. I think the writers make or break the book. But . . no matter how good the story is, it's just much more fun to read when those scripts are interpreted by a very talented artist. This guy's got a bright future ahead of him. Anyways, the Supremacy has a new plan up their sleeves. They've got a shaman in Africa basically trying to gather up all the dreams of the heroes that spent time in the urn. 'These nails are a lightning rod for the ghosts of the living. When a human being grows older the dreams and regrets of the past are cast off, left adrift. This unholy form captures them, tethers them to the physical world.' But the shaman has warned the Supremacy that there's a price to pay for this kind of magic. ' The half-ghosts I call forth will be a beacon to the living who shed them. It is an open wound on their souls. They will come in search of this abomination. No matter where you hide it. They will come in great anger.' But it appears . . that is what the Supremacy is counting on. While the Terror, Masquerade and Pyroman are testing out the Terror's new floating ship, they spot a fire in the city. But near the fire there is a giant apparition that has appeared. The Flame was the first on the scene and it seems to have already defeated him. He tried to fight it by flying inside, but it spit him out . . comatose and powers acting abnormally. Other heroes show up, but nobody knows what to do. So the Black Terror willingly flies in . . to face whatever it has to throw at him. He does fine until he reaches a boy. It's a boy playing with a Black Terror doll. The issue ends with the Black Terror fighting another version of himself. It seems to be having a devastating affect on the apparition and on everything around it. It seems that the Supremacy basically wants to heroes to be fighting themselves . . literally. That way they can defeat and disgrace them without really having to do anything. I thought this was a great issue and I can't wait to read more.

the Boys #42 - Dynamite Entertainment

We don't make much progress in the story this issue. Hughie is still sitting on the worst super-team ever, Super-Duper. They're so dumb, they don't even know that Hughie is watching them. Even though he just happened to be there to save one of their lives last issue, and this issue . . after one of them accidentally lands on his car, they invite him in for tea. Anyways, Butcher is punishing him because he spotted him with Annie . . the Starlighter. Butcher knows she's with the Seven, but Hughie doesn't. Hell, Hughie doesn't even know she's a 'super'. However . . Butcher is naturally suspicious. And even thought Hughie has been with them all this time, he still thinks that he might be a plant by Vought-American. Apparently he's just one of those conspiracy nuts. Or in this case, someone who believes in long drawn out plot-lines. Anyways, Mother's Milk doesn't know what Butcher is up to, but he doesn't like the way he's treating Hughie. And, seeing as how they're not getting all the same information that Butcher is . . he's starting to think that Butcher may be up to something. If they'd all just sit down and talk, they could get this all sorted out. But that's not going to happen. They're all to hard-headed. Plus their ego far outweighs their intelligence. Anyways, the only thing that really happens this issue is that Annie continues to write her letter to Hughie. She wants to come clean about everything, and . . she wants to quit the Seven. Both of which I think are going to be harder than she expects. And, Malchemical, after getting into an argument with Auntie Sis and with Hughie, decides to use his powers to start mucking with the team a bit. We see him get a deep dark secret out of Auntie Sis this issue, but I'm just wondering what he's going to do to mess with Hughie. Oh yeah, and out of frustration, it looks like Mother's Milk is going straight to the horse's mouth, as it were, to get some answers . . that guy from Vought-American. So . . even though this particular issue was a bit boring, I'm still in the league of fans that feels that this book is fantastic. I love the way that Garth Ennis pokes fun at the traditional super-hero genre. And now it feels like he's starting to explore the psychological make-up of this team and just what exactly all of this cloak and dagger stuff can do to one's perspective. Hughie actually seems the most balanced of them all. While Butcher seems to be starting to fray around the edges. But if you deal with liars, and cheats, and thieves, and whores every day . . I'd imagine that's what you'd start to think about everyone around you. Who do you trust? And who helps to keep you grounded? 42 issues later and I still enjoy every installment of this series. Of course, Darick Robertson's art doesn't hurt either. This story-arc wraps up next issue. I can't wait to see what happens.

Green Hornet #3 - Dynamite Entertainment

With this issue we see that the fates of Britt Reid Jr and Sr are beginning to come together. I know. They're father and son. That should be a given. But Britt Jr has done everything he can to stay away from following anywhere close to the path that his father had blazed before him. But . . he's about to get an eye opener that he wasn't expecting. At the party, last issue, Britt Sr seemed to be the focus of the attack. This issue we find out it's even worse than we expected. The men attacking are calling themselves the Black Hornets. And they seemed to be just as skilled as Britt once was . . but much younger. Anyways . . they end up killing him. Which leaves Britt Jr feeling very guilty for having given his father such a hard time these past few years. And in fact . . their last real conversation was an argument. So he goes out on his own to look for his killers. Which leads him to a rather seedy bar. What happens there isn't really as important as who he meets. He doesn't know it yet . . he has no frame of reference to make the connection, but I think this mystery guy is either Britt Sr's former sensei, or . . it's the original Kato. We don't know which yet, but he's very skilled. And he talks to Jr in that Mr Miyagi kind of way. So he decides to show Jr what his dad really did for a living. On the final page Britt Jr has his destiny shoved in his face . . he finally sees the Hornet's Nest. This chapter takes us into the meat of the story . . bringing the Green Hornet character into the 21st century. I think Kevin Smith did a pretty smooth transition here. It was a little predictable . . I think we all kind of knew that something like this was going to happen. But . . I think maybe when we find out who these Black Hornet characters are, and what their motivations for attacking Britt Sr, we may be surprised. Maybe! But first Britt Jr has to decide to assume his father's mantle. I'm assuming that we'll find out how that goes next issue. It was an enjoyable story. So far . . I like it. I'm also enjoying Jonathan Lau's art. Dynamite Comics has really seemed to pick up a very talented pool of new artists. Plus, they all seem to be growing into their roles very quickly. It's a great thing to watch. I'm picking these books up just for something new to read. However, if your not a regular follower, I'm sure the TPB will be out shortly. I can't see this one waiting too long.

Kato Origins #1 - Dynamite Entertainment

This book was ok. But as far as Kato's origin goes . . after reading this issue, I don't feel like we got a whole lot of information. Basically, this issue was set up like a crime drama. Kato runs across the murder of a Korean man. Since this story is set up in 1942, there's a lot of profiling being done towards Asian-Americans. Kato is Japanese. However, since Pearl Harbor happened only a year ago . . he's letting people believe that he's Korean. He's not happy about it, but . . it's a necessary evil right now. Anyways, he's witness to a lot of prejudicial feelings, and even more appalled that the murder of this man is being left on the street like a stray dog because of his skin color. But he knows that this is a message for him because this is a Korean man with Japanese Kanji scripted on the wall of the alley in his own blood. It says "Coward". And that's pretty much the gist of the book. As far as Kato's background goes, we learn that he was in the Japanese army, and . . we learn about Japanese card games. I'm not sure of the relevance, but . . maybe it'll become clearer in the second issue. Jai Nitz writes it, with Colton Worley doing the art. Of the three Green Hornet series that have been released so far, I'd have to say that this is my least favorite. It just didn't do anything for me. I don't know. I'll probably pick up the second issue, just to see if maybe I missed something, but . . I'm not holding to high of expectations for it. I'll be open-minded. We'll see.

Green Hornet Year One #2 - Dynamite Entertainment

This series takes us through the original Britt's life . . the father . . the original Green Hornet. While the Kevin Smith series introduces us to the new Green Hornet . . Britt's son . . Britt. As much as people worry about being like their parents . . doesn't it seem a little odd that not only do they have the same name, but . . they also follow in each other's profession? I'd have to say that there's definitely cause for therapy there. Anyways, we get a couple different points of view. We see Britt's and Kato's attempts to knock off the local mob boss, Mr Caruso, in Chicago . . circa 1938. We also see Britt's life, a few years before that, when he's trotting around the globe. But it's not like the usual trust-fund kid's attempt at 'finding himself'. Britt is actually looking for trouble, and trying to find ways that he can make the world a better place. He genuinely wants to make a difference. Then we also get a view of Kato's life, also a few years before he comes to Chicago. He wants to be a samurai, it's what his father taught him. But with the ambitions of the Emperor, he's called into the service of his country. And as one of it's soldiers, he witness' many atrocities while pursuing their push into China. Obviously Matt Wagner is trying to show us the things that make up these characters . . not just their alter egos. And in the usual style of Matt's incredible writing, he's really showing us that these characters are much more than their flashy persona's. I'm enjoying the story, but honestly . . I think this one would be better read when the TPB comes out. Don't get me wrong . . I think Matt and Aaron Campbell are doing a great job here. But I think that it would be a much more enjoyable, and cohesive read, to be able to peruse it from start to finish. I am enjoying the story. But I'm much more interested in Kevin Smith's version. Although this series is a great source for anyone who's not really familiar with the character. Anyways, if you're on a budget . . wait for the TPB. I'm sure it'll only be a couple of more months. I'm sure it'll be a much more comprehensive read that way.