When
last we blogged, we commented on the fact that
Batman, not
Superman, would be the first DC character to interact with
Doc Savage.
But, then,
Batman was usually the
first to meet up with other publishers' characters..
Almost a decade before
Superman vs. Spider-Man,
Batman met up with another company's character...
The Green Hornet!
(Note: Most people disregard this as a legitimate cross-over since it was live-action and not a comic, but, AFAIC, characters are characters, and if it's not a pirate / illegal production, it's REAL and it counts!)
In the two-
parter "A Piece of the Action" / "Batman's Satisfaction",
The Hornet &
Kato visit Gotham City while tracking counterfeit stamps.
Since
The Hornet's M.O. is pretending to be a criminal,
Batman naturally assumes the
Vermilion Villain is there to cut himself in on...you guessed it, a piece of the action!
But, since
The Hornet is, in fact, a hero, he has to find a way to a) put the counterfeiters out of business and b) avoid a confrontation with the Caped Crusader!
To add to the problem, it turns out that the characters' millionare alter-egos, Bruce Wayne and Britt Reid, have known each other since childhood, and have been competitors at almost everything from then to now!
It ain't a classic by any stretch, but it is fun, and the Big Finale Fight is more Bat-fistcuffs than Hornet-martial arts, but it does have it's moments.
It also provides the answer to the trivia question:
Who's the ONLY actor to play a villain opposite
Batman,
Captain Kirk, and
The Green Hornet?*
(Most people say Frank Gorshin or Julie Newmar, who had memorable appearances on both
Star Trek and
Batman!)
If you haven't seen them, the episodes will pop up as both
Batman and
The Green Hornet are in syndication, and airing in a number of cities.
In one of the Great Crimes Against Art, neither show is available on DVD, but I suspect with the Seth Rogan
Green Hornet film coming next year, at least Van Williams & Bruce Lee will finally be made available!
*Roger C. Carmel, who played
Harcort Fenton "Harry" Mudd in three
Star Trek (2 Classic, 1 Animated) eps and
Colonel Gumm in the
Batman / Green Hornet crossover on
Batman!
which features both the movie's personnel and characters from the movie prequel comic Green Hornet: Parallel Lives
.
, which was as good, or (more often) better than his work. 
(and Kato)?
or comics!
KATO 
in
When last we blogged, we commented on the fact that Batman, not Superman, would be the first DC character to interact with Doc Savage.
Well, with Seth Rogan's appearance (with the new Black Beauty) at the San Diego Comic Con, it looks like The Green Hornet movie is finally moving ahead with a projected release next summer!
In the 1966 Green Hornet tv series, the Black Beauty was a converted 1965 Chrysler Imperial towncar with high-explosive rockets under the front and rear directionals, knockout gas sprayer in the front grille, and "infra-green" lights, which combined with flipdown translucent sunvisors, enabled driver and passenger to see in the dark.
As shown this weekend by the 2010 Green Hornet movie's star Seth Rogan at the SDCC, the NEW Black Beauty is strikingly-similar, but with the addition of high-powered machine guns in the same positions as on the Batmobile in the 1989 Batman movie!
As all us fanboys (and fangirls) know, before Seth Rogan's version of The Green Hornet was "green-lighted" (ahem), fan-turned-pro Kevin Smith was scheduled to write and direct a new film adaptation of the multi-media character.
Interestingly, he seems to have adapted several elements from the tv series including the domino mask (rather than the lower-face mask of the comics and radio show ad art or the full-face mask of the serials) and use of a "stinger" weapon, as well as the NOW Comics' female Kato! (and of course, having Alex Ross do the costume designs and cover art doesn't hurt!)
