Preview: Green Hornet: Year One #8 Alternate Cover

An alternate cover preview for issue #8 by artist and interior colorist Francesco Francavilla of the best new Green Hornet series now on the stands!
This piece reminds me of some of the best Shadow or Batman covers showing the hero looming ominously over the baddies!
A treat for Golden Age and Film Noir fans alike!

Golden Age Green Hornet Reprints

From the promo material...
"A new series of Golden Age reprints featuring the classic adventures of the original Green Hornet!
Each issue in this new series of classic Hornet material is 40 big pages!
Dynamite has commissioned Joe Rubenstein to create brand-new covers, inspired by the golden Age comics of yesteryear!"
Compare the new cover above with it's 1940 "inspiration" below. 

Personally, I'm less than enthralled with the new art.
As much as I LOVE Joe Rubinstein's absolutely-amazing inking, I've never been a fan of his pencilling.
If I was the art director, I'd have him...
1) eliminate the "earmuffs".
2) fix the perspective on the fedora.
3) re-detail the gun to match the modified Mauser on the original.
4) add the scarf.
5) modify the Hornet insignia on the mask to curve it around the head.
I'd also eliminate the upper-corner box art (which has the wrong time-period Hornet in it, and enlarge the logo closer to the dimensions of the original.
But then, I'd have used the original cover, since it's so darn kool we made it the centerpiece of our Classic Green Hornet collectibles line!
I do suggest you pick up the title, since it's the only print version of the Golden Age material currently available at a reasonable price.
But it will be available, along with the other issues of the run, in a combined book edition you can pre-order here in time for Christmas (and then put under the tree with one or more of our Classic Green Hornet collectibles in a perfect holiday gift set for the Green Hornet fan in your life!

Preview: Green Hornet: Year One #7 Alternate Cover

A companion piece to yesterday's post of the Kato: Origins #6 cover.
An alternate cover preview for issue #7 of the best of the various new Green Hornet series now on the stands by artist and interior colorist Francesco Francavilla.
A treat for Golden Age and Film Noir fans alike!

Preview--KATO: Origins #6 Cover

Moody cover by Francesco Francavilla for #6 of the companion comic mini-series to Green Hornet: Year One, detailing the 1940s origins of The Green Hornet & Kato.Of all the Green Hornet series from Dynamite, these two are easily the best!

Preview--KATO: Origins #5 Cover

Moody cover by Francesco Francavilla for #5 of the companion comic mini-series to Green Hornet: Year One, detailing the 1940s origins of The Green Hornet & Kato.
Of all the Green Hornet series from Dynamite, these two are easily the best!

Preview--Kato: Origins #3 Cover

From the talented pen of Francesco Francavilla, here's the cover (sans type) for Kato: Origins #3 from his blog!
Enjoy!

Preview: Green Hornet: Year One #4 Alternate Cover

Another film noir poster  /  pulp magazine style cover from the talented pen of Francesco Francavilla!
With all due respect to main cover artist John Cassaday, these covers really evoke the feel of the era!
Check out Francesco's blog for MORE goodies!

Kevin Smith's Green Hornet--Who Will DIE?

According to reports, someone dies in Kevin Smith's Green Hornet #3!

Is it Green Hornet (Junior)?

Is it Kato (Junior)?

IS it Green Hornet (Senior)?

IS it Kato (Senior)?

Judging from the Alex Ross cover to #4 (above) both the Juniors survive!

SO, will Britt Reid or Kato join the Choir Eternal?

NOTE: In the NOW Comics version (which also had a female Kato), Britt Reid died...

For KSGH #3, I'm betting on Kato (Senior)

BONUS: Penciler Michael Netzer discloses details about the four covers on his blog!
(Now there's a name I haven't seen in a long time! Welcome back, Mike! You've still got the touch!)

Preview--Kato: Origins #2 Cover

Another moody, pulp-style cover by Francesco Francavilla, from his blog.
It's for Kato: Origins #2, due out in June.
Why they don't give this guy a whole Green Hornet book is beyond me!
He's already proven himself with Zorro!

Vampirella Resurrected...at Dynamite!

Before Twilight!
Before True Blood!
Before Buffy the Vampire Slayer!
Before Blade!
There was…Vampirella!

Dynamite Entertainment (Project SuperPowers, Green Hornet) has acquired the Vampirella property from Harris Publications.

Vampirella debuted in 1969 in a black & white magazine titled simply Vampirella.
Initially, she was just the hostess of various horror stories, much like EC's Crypt Keeper or DC's Cain and Abel, but much cuter!

In Vampirella #9, the character received her own strip, with the first tale being (what else?) her origin story!

 

Vampirella has been around since then in both b/w and color comics form from Warren and then Harris Publications, remaining one of the most popular female and/or vampire characters in comics!
In addition, there was a series of paperback novels by Ron Goulart, adapting the comics storylines into prose!
There was even a Vampirella feature film starring Talisa Soto as the Draculonian, now available on dvd.

We wish her a long and prosperous un-life at Dynamite!

Preview: "Green Hornet: Year One" #3 Cover

A preview of the cover for Green Hornet: Year One #3 from pencils to inks to color concept to final piece by artist Francesco Francavilla.

Preview: Alternate Cover for "Green Hornet: Year One" #2

Francesco Francavilla's "chase" cover for Green Hornet: Year One #2, detailing the origin of the Golden Age Green Hornet.

Note he's wearing the full-face mask from the two movie serials, 

not the "lower-half of face" mask from the original 1940s comics.

Kato, on the other hand, is wearing a mask like the one worn on the 1960s tv series by Bruce Lee!

In the Golden Age comics and movie serials, Kato wore goggles (and a bow tie)!

Teaser: KATO by Francesco Francavilla

Another kool piece by Francesco Francavilla, the artist who's coloring the interiors and providing alternate covers for the Green Hornet: Year One mini series from Dynamite!
(You can read his previous blog entry about his work on the series here!

News about The Green Hornet: Year One mini-series!

According to noted Zorro artist Francesco Francavilla on his blog, he'll be doing both the interior coloring and alternate covers for the new Dynamite Comics mini-series Green Hornet: Year One!
As you can see from the promo piece, his art has a real pulp-era/Golden Age feel!

The NEW Green Hornet series by Kevin Smith

Here's a look at art from the NEW Green Hornet mini-series from Dynamite Comics.

You'll note that Kato is a woman, like the NOW Comics multi-generational series of the 80s.

This is not to say that it is the same character with same backstory.

No doubt, it is a totally different character.

The new mini is based on the unproduced screenplay for the proposed Kevin Smith written-directed film from several years ago.

Interesting note: the promos for the project emphasize that the story and art for the are completed.

This is due to Smith's tendency to take on comics projects and then delay them interminably, if not complete them at all. (To his credit, Smith has gotten better at meeting deadlines.)

The interor art is by Johnathan Lau who's already done some impressive work for other Dynamite titles.
And, Dynamite is pushing hard on this high-profile title, making a variant of issue #1 their contribution to Free Comic Book Day 2010 !
I'm looking forward to it...I hope you are, too!

And, in case you've forgotten, we offer some kool kollectibles featuring the tv version of the heroes, with more goodies with imagery from the Golden Age comics and 1940s movie serials to come, just in time for the new comics and feature film!