Smith’s doing the movie montage in full effect this issue. He’s even got a wacky sidekick for the Green Hornet–a white guy who acts Chinese. I think it’s supposed to be hilarious.

Smith frames the issue around Britt’s training, his first crime fighting efforts and his costume.

There’s some bickering with Mulan too (it’s not really right to call her Kato since the comic’s full of Katos–how Smith is avoiding a Kaelin is beyond me).

The issue lacks narrative drive. Smith doesn’t bring the Japanese supervillains back into this issue, so it’s just the Green Hornet and Kato taking out random criminals. I know Smith’s goal is to show the reader how much Britt is changing… but he’s doing movie montage. This issue should have taken up five or six pages, not an twenty-some.

It’s not like the characters have any charm, so why read about them?

CREDITS

Wearing o’ the Green; writer, Kevin Smith; artists, Phil Hester and Jonathan Lau; colorist, Ivan Nunes; letterer, Troy Peteri; editor, Joseph Rybandt; publisher, Dynamite Entertainment.

It’s interesting Smith made the villains the Japanese, which makes the comic seem dated… even if it takes place in the future. Smith’s never made the time period work.

This issue is–except the villain reveal–an all action issue. It shows off the Black Beauty’s technology (for those unaware, the Black Beauty is the Green Hornet’s car)–it can go faster than a rocket and it has a huge magnet for sucking the guns out of bad guys’ hands. And nose piercings. Though I swear the nose piercing thing is from something else.

As an all action issue, it’s weak. Smith does a fight scene, a chase scene, another chase scene, a fight scene. In between Kato (Mulan) explains to Britt how the Green Hornet works and doesn’t work. The characters have zero chemistry, mostly because Kato talks in declarative statements.

Smith doesn’t even plug his latest plot hole.

CREDITS

Crash Course; writer, Kevin Smith; artists, Phil Hester and Jonathan Lau; colorist, Ivan Nunes; letterer, Troy Peteri; editor, Joseph Rybandt; publisher, Dynamite Entertainment.

Smith sure does have his way of prolonging things. This issue opens with the reveal of the Hornet Cave (or whatever they call it) from last issue. Then there’s some flashback while Kato’s describing the history of the Green Hornet to Britt–in other words, the first issue’s prologue is a total waste of pages since Smith is doing regular flashbacks in the series.

Then the female Kato–Mulan–shows up and she and her dad, Kato Kato, ship Britt off to China for safe keeping. Where he’ll be met by another Kato. Having this league of Katos is somewhat boring and Smith will undoubtedly explain it eventually, but getting it over with sooner than later might make one think about its silliness less.

The cliffhanger’s decent, but it doesn’t make any sense in terms of timeline or logic. Smith’s going too much for cinematic effect. It’s hurting his writing.

CREDITS

A Hornet’s Nest; writer, Kevin Smith; artists, Phil Hester and Jonathan Lau; colorists, Ivan Nunes, Bruno Hang and Adriano Lucas; letterer, Troy Peteri; editor, Joseph Rybandt; publisher, Dynamite Entertainment.

Forget everything nice I said about Smith’s pacing. This issue is a fast, empty read (no pun intended).

Smith introduces a narration here–it’s close third person, inside Britt Jr.’s head. The issue also features the death of Britt Sr., so I can just start calling Britt Jr. Britt.

It’s a bold move for a movie–undoubtedly Smith wanted a big star for the original Green Hornet–but for a comic book, again, it doesn’t work quite right. It’s not a big deal, the way he paces out the story. Smith doesn’t even deal with the female Kato, he just has her around for a bit, then brings back an aged Kato to mentor Britt. Presumably.

Smith does come up with good breakpoints. They’re not cliffhangers, just ending points. In other words… he’s doing a good job adapting his screenplay at times, but the content doesn’t fit a comic.

CREDITS

Sins of the Father; writer, Kevin Smith; artists, Phil Hester and Jonathan Lau; colorist, Ivan Nunes; letterer, Simon Bowland; editor, Joseph Rybandt; publisher, Dynamite Entertainment.

Smith’s Green Hornet script is based on his unproduced screenplay and it shows this issue. Not in a bad way–Smith comes up with an amazing action sequence with a female Kato in an evening gown using her heels both as weapons and as hooks–but it’s nothing special for a comic book.

The issue actually has quite a bit of content–there are lengthy talking heads scenes with Britt Sr. as he does an expository newspaper meeting (great way of doing exposition, though I’m sure Spider-Man and Superman have done it many times in the past) and then Britt Sr. and Britt Jr. having lunch. Oh, and Britt Sr. and the possibly corrupt mayor.

So Smith’s not being lazy, not even with the big action sequence at the end (it would be better with someone less glossy than Lau). It’s just not a comic book. The pacing’s wrong.

CREDITS

Happily Ever After; writer, Kevin Smith; artists, Phil Hester and Jonathan Lau; colorist, Ivan Nunes; letterer, Simon Bowland; editor, Joseph Rybandt; publisher, Dynamite Entertainment.