Green Hornet #31

Right off the bat it's clear Dynamite is hoping Masks is bringing more readers to Green Hornet.  This issue begins with a very uncharacteristic rundown of all the main characters and storypoints needed to enjoy the issue.  It also is the best effort so far from the new creative team.  As a massive Hornet fan, I appreciate any increase in attention and quality the title may get, but it's too little and too late.  There are only a few more issues set to be released and the countdown to the Mark Waid relaunch has begun.

The Green Hornet has seemingly been left to coast on brand value alone for some time now.  It started out decently with Kevin Smith's run, but has seriously lost it's way since then.  Too much time and attention is spent on what should be periphery characters at best.  Clutch defies his name by being anything BUT necessary.  Moonbeam/Scowl often runs away with basically entire issues and this is another sad example of that.  When I buy a Green Hornet comic, I expect to read about the Green Hornet.  Here, we get an issue where at least half the story is taken up with Jeffrey (Moonbeam's alter ego) at high school trying to get a girl.  The majority of the Hornet's role in the plot, up until the very end, is limited to panels of Reid and Mulan Kato having sex.  This Ross and Rachel type plotline is not the sort of thing I expect from Green Hornet.  It's been going on way too long, takes up too much time in each issue, and often is written awkwardly.

Complaints about the title in general aside, this issue is a slight improvement over previous ones.  If you've been buying the Hornet due to loyalty to the character, this issue will leave you slightly less unhappy than usual.  If you're just checking out Green Hornet for the first time thanks to Masks, do yourself a favor and get Green Hornet:  Year One by the great Matt Wagner instead.