On The Shelf: Green Hornet returns, and Ric Flair becomes a secret agent?

 Shannon Eric Denton isn't known as a writer, but, rather, an artist who has worked in both comics and in television (i.e. Cartoon Network). His first real foray into comics writing has him entrusted with a Green Hornet 1-off for Dynamite.

In "One Night in Bangkok", the Hornet, working alone, tries to solve a mystery of revenge that involves some previously undocumented backstory regarding his father. Denton's script is just fine, and so is the artwork.

Three different covers were issued. The one I have, by Dan Panosian, seems to confuse the Hornet with the Spirit because of the style of mask depicted on said cover. That seems to be the only quibble.

Rating: B.

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The deconstruction of the MLJ heroes published well before the company changed its name to Archie Comics continues with a Bob Phantom 1-shot.

Walter Whitney used to be a credible reporter, now working for a small time tabloid in New York. With Valerie (Josie & The Pussycats) in town to act & sing in a production of "Phantom of The Opera", Walt is assigned to cover the show, and his attempt to save Valerie from a would-be attacker fails miserably.

So where does Bob Phantom fit? How about as a figment of Whitney's imagination?

What they've done here is reboot the character as a Walter Mitty fantasy of Whitney's. With predictable results. Seems Archie's editors commissioned this story to retain the copyright, nothing more, with references to other Archie characters.

A better writer references the original source material, and works from there, instead of taking a tangent to the twilight zone.

Rating: C.

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When it was announced that Scout Comics had signed Hall of Fame wrestler Ric Flair to star in his own comic book, I figured, this just won't work unless it's set in the past.

Well, it is.

The Flair book debuts in April from Scout, and purports that the "Nature Boy" moonlighted as a secret agent early in his career, dating back to the mid-70's at the least. Ok, so Flair's being presented as an American James Bond.

To borrow from Shania Twain, that don't impress me much.

The whole concept sounds like it was lifted from the late Chuck Barris' memoir, Confessions of a Dangerous Mind, which was later adapted into a movie. I may be a wrestling fan, but I'm more of the discriminating type. Pass.