Sting of the Green Hornet #1–4 – A Wartime Adventure with Punch 🕶️🚗
🎭 Genre
Action | Superhero | Historical Fiction | Crime Drama
🦸♂️ Main Characters
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The Green Hornet (Britt Reid Sr.) – A fearless masked vigilante and crusading newspaper publisher who fights crime by posing as one of its own.
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Kato – Hornet’s loyal partner and martial arts expert, known for his precision, calm demeanor, and lightning-fast combat skills.
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Adolf Hitler (Cameo/Antagonist) – The real-world dictator orchestrating Operation: Double Strike.
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Colonel Streicher – A fictional Nazi agent spearheading the sabotage efforts on American soil.
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Lenore Case – Britt Reid’s secretary, who also plays a small yet vital role in the espionage efforts.
✍️ Writer
James Van Hise
Known for his deep dives into retro and pulp storytelling, Van Hise reimagines the Green Hornet during a global crisis. His writing here is full of old-school charm and high-stakes espionage drama.
🎨 Artist
David G. Williams
Williams captures the 1940s aesthetic with vintage-styled panels, classic noir angles, and expressive action sequences. His linework pays homage to Golden Age comics while maintaining a sharp, modern edge for '90s readers.
🖋️ Editor
Fred Burke
Burke’s editorial oversight ensures historical accuracy is balanced with superhero theatrics, making this miniseries both educational and exciting.
🏢 Publisher & Brand
NOW Comics
Published under NOW Comics' Green Hornet line, this series expanded the universe’s historical continuity. The brand was known for exploring multiple generations of Hornets.
📅 Release Year
1992
📖 Brief Plot Summary
Set in the spring of 1942, Sting of the Green Hornet finds America still reeling from the attack on Pearl Harbor. Amid wartime tension, Adolf Hitler launches Operation: Double Strike, a covert Nazi plan aimed at crippling America's morale and infrastructure from within.
Enter the original Green Hornet and Kato, who uncover cryptic radio transmissions hinting at sabotage across major U.S. cities. As Britt Reid Sr. uses the Daily Sentinel to probe deeper, Kato infiltrates Nazi cells through raw stealth and combat.
Together, they must race against time to expose a network of saboteurs, battle brainwashed sympathizers, and prevent a catastrophic attack on American soil — all while keeping their identities hidden.
🧩 Notable Arcs or Storylines
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"Operation: Double Strike" – The primary arc where the Hornet and Kato foil a Nazi plot involving explosives hidden in military supply routes.
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"The Shadow of the Blitz" – A subplot dealing with Kato’s emotional turmoil and flashbacks to his homeland's invasion.
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"Hornet’s Legacy" – The final issue hints at the generational nature of the Green Hornet identity, subtly connecting this Hornet to his modern-day descendants.
🧠 Fan Theories or Interpretations
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Kato as a wartime resistance icon: Many fans see Kato’s actions in this arc as symbolic of Asian-American resistance during WWII, contrasting wartime stereotypes with heroism.
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Reid’s journalistic duality: Some readers interpret Britt Reid’s dual life as a metaphor for media’s power in shaping public perception during times of war.
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Foreshadowing of generational legacy: The subtle references to future Green Hornets serve as Easter eggs for longtime fans, creating a meta-continuity across different timelines.
📝 Review Summary
Sting of the Green Hornet is a compelling blend of Golden Age sensibility and wartime intrigue. The storytelling captures the era’s paranoia and patriotism, all while delivering strong character moments between Hornet and Kato. Williams’ art style effectively channels vintage aesthetics with dramatic noir panels and high-octane chase scenes.
While the dialogue occasionally veers into pulp cliché, the overall pacing, historical setting, and spy-thriller tone make it a standout miniseries for both newcomers and longtime fans of the Hornet universe. A nostalgic punch of wartime heroics! 💣📰💚
⭐ Verdict: 8.5/10 – A pulpy, action-packed war-time escapade that honors the Green Hornet legacy.
Comic Resource / Read Online (External Source)
