Review: Lone Ranger/Green Hornet #3
1938 America, the Cavendish gang have been killing off scientists with knowledge of the atom. They have ties to the Nazi bund in th United States. Eliot Ness tries to bring John Reid, the Lone Ranger, out of retirement but at 88, he’s past his prime. John tries to enlist the aid of his grandnephew, Britt. Britt refuses to become the Lone Ranger and adopts his own identity, the Green Hornet. John enlists another American hero to become the Lone Ranger, none other than Olympic gold medal winner Jesse Owens.
The Creative Team:
Michael Uslan keeps the action rolling, his interweaving of real and fictional characters continues to be a delightful read. In this issue we see the first appearance of Olympic Gold Medalist Jesse Owens as the Lone Ranger and things don’t turn out as expected. Maybe the Lone Ranger is a character best left in the old west after all. Uslan’s Britt Reid knew that all along. Uslan begins this issue by taking us to the 1936 Olympics in Berlin. The tension mounts as a U.S. Nazi, German born Fritz Kuhn, tries to introduce the Reid’s to Der Fuhrer only to be greeted by the cold shoulder.
Giovani Timpano has a good feel for the characters, both fictional and non-fictional. The first appearance of the Green Hornet in this issue is in fine form. A night time scene illuminated by car headlights. Bringing the contrast out in a strong way. Then the tone shifts to an abrupt red as we head into the Hofbrau Haus. The colorist Pete Pantazis enhances Timpano’s art with a gusto that says something’s not right in the father land. The change in tone helps to heighten the pressure we feel for team Reid to succeed. One of my favorite scenes in the entire issue is when both The Lone Ranger (Jesse Owens) and the Green Hornet break down the doors to do battle with the bad guys. Their initial entry into the fray leaves much to be desired. Confusion is etched in every face and we’re left wondering if our heroes can succeed.
The Cover:
This cover has a bit more serious tone than the first few issues. A close up of John Reid’s Lone Ranger with a serious look on his face. While in front of him is Britt Reid dressed as the Green Hornet, but his mask and Fedora are on the ground. He has an anguished look on his face. It should catch the eye of the comic book store surfer and tell him/her that the Reid’s are in for a confrontation in this issue, the best cover in the series.
In Conclusion:
A telling issue. Is Britt ready to take on the crime syndicate? Is Jesse Owens ready to become the new Lone Ranger? The characters all too human mistakes pile up and we’re left wondering if the Cavendish gang has anything to worry about after all. We also get to see, in flashback, Dan Reid’s graduation from law school and something new is revealed about the Reid family that will leave us wondering about their future as crime fighters. The Reid’s decide to take a much needed night off and take in a show when who should show up? Read it and find out.
Lone Ranger/Green Hornet #3
Writer: Michael Uslan
Art: Giovanni Timpano
Color: Pete Pantazis
Letters: Troy Peteri
Cover: Jan Duursema
Publisher: Dynamite Entertainment
Publication Date: Oct. 2016
About the Author
Kevin Given Kevin Given has studied with "Longridge Writers Group" and "Writer's Boot Camp" a speech/communications major from the University of Maine Presque-Isle/Orono sites. He has created the "Karl Vincent Vampire Hunter" franchise which includes 2 novels and 8 comic books. They can be found on amazon, Indyplanet and Kindle. For a limited time you can get digital copies of "Karl Vincent: Vampire hunter" #1 and "Files of Karl Vincent" #1 for free on Indyplanet. Kevin is producing the third novel in the series "Dracula Rising" (working title) and developing "Foul Blood" into comic book form.
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