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Green Hornet: One Night in Bangkok #1
- Writer:
- Shannon Eric Denton
- Artist:
- Jethro Morales
- Letterer:
- Taylor Esposito
- Cover Artist:
- Dan Panosian
- Publisher:
- Dynamite
- Price:
- 4.99
- Release Date:
- 2023-01-25
- Colorist:
- Jorge Sutil
Some may remember the '60s Green Hornet show, where Bruce Lee made an indelible mark as the character Kato. Others may have painful recollections of the modern 2011 remake movie of the radio show. What many people may have missed is that the comic book series from Dynamite Entertainment has cultivated its own world and established characters over time. The Green Hornet has gone through a transformational stage as the mantle has passed over to the next generation, who are now carrying the legacy on. Green Hornet: One Night in Bangkok #1 is a one-shot with bombastic action, written by Shannon Eric Denton, with art by Jethro Morales, colors by Jorge Sutil, and letters by Taylor Esposito.
Green Hornet: One Night in Bangkok #1 begins in Bangkok, where a ruthless mercenary named Snake competes in a Muay Thai match for the entertainment of wealthy guests. As he comes out victorious, he is greeted by his mentor, who gives him his blessing for his next target in America: the Green Hornet. Once in Central City, Snake launches an onslaught against organized crime and the police force, blaming the Green Hornet for the death and destruction. The circumstances force the Green Hornet's hand, and he follows the crumbs of hints to discover Snake's true objective, which is to destroy him because of a personal grudge.
Green Hornet: One Night in Bangkok #1 nails it with the character introduction of the Snake, who serves as the fearsome foe of the book. For a big chunk of the opening, he remains the focal point character, driving the narrative to an incitement point, where the story goes uphill with a series of continually rising stakes. From then onwards, the focus shifts to the hero. Britt Reid Jr. is a capable Green Hornet, a man who puts his money where his mouth is. In this regard, Snake and the Green Hornet are two sides of the same coin -- both suffering from the sins of their fathers, which have plunged their lives into utter misery. Their status in society has led to one going astray in his pursuit of justice from the other, creating a discernible contrast between the two characters. Denton keeps the readers on their toes with a barrage of action and fight scenes in an erstwhile simple and short plot.
Jethro Morales' artwork captures the unrelenting nightlife of Central City exceptionally well, giving the place a brooding atmosphere perfect for a vigilante to run around beating up mob bosses. His lucid linework allows the eyes to follow the action from panel to panel, and there is a lot of it. Amidst hand-to-hand combat showing realistic martial arts moves, the jaw-breaking tussles and flurry of gunfire allow letterer Taylor Esposito to display the full extent of their talent of laying striking SFX for immersion. Jorge Sutil's colors control the lighting and help bring out the underlying emotions to the surface. They apply a cinematic sheen over the artwork with bright tones of jade and ocher, often overwhelming the purple overtones of nightfall.
Green Hornet: One Night in Bangkok #1 never takes its foot off the gas. It is a non-stop thriller that stretches the mythos both in the past and into the future, with readers being privy to unadulterated fun and swashbuckling action in the present. There is blood all throughout the book as Green Hornet crosses the line that traditional superheroes are afraid to, giving a different dimension to the basic good vs. evil trope. The folly of the old days comes rolling into an avalanche of consequences for the newer generation, forging new enmities and making the one-shot a pivotal point in the Green Hornet's tale.