Batman '66 Meets the Green Hornet #5 Review

Written by: Kevin Smith and Ralph Garman
Art by: Ty Templeton
Cover Price: $1.99
Release Date: July 16, 2014

An Unlikely Pair

Personally,  Batman '66 Meets the Green Hornet has been a bit of a disappointment.  Maybe I expected too much from Smith and Garman or possibly expected something a little different.  The biggest problem I've had is something I thought this book would provide in spades...fun.  I'm just not having much.  Batman '66 is something that makes me smile just thinking of it, but this book just doesn't do it for me.  It's obvious that Smith and Garman know and love the source material, but something seems lost in translation.  Maybe they are afraid to take it too far in fear of sullying the name of Batman '66, but so far they've given the reader a pretty by-the-numbers story.  This issue starts a new arc, but does it change things in general?  Let's find out.



Last issue ended with Robin and Kato in the clutches of General Gumm and the Joker.  Batman and Green Hornet have to agree to let the villains go in order to save them, but in the heat of the moment get snagged by the fine print.  It's actually a pretty funny moment that shows Batman's emotional attachment to Robin but also his honor.  This is a good start.

In order to get their partners back, Batman and Green Hornet must team-up together.  This is what I've been waiting for since the first issue.  Of course, in order to solve the whereabouts of General Gumm and the Joker, they must go to...the Batcave!  After sleep gassing the Green Hornet (another fun moment) they get to the Batcave in all it's campy techno goodness.  I have to give an early shoutout to Ty Templeton.  The moment when the Green Hornet awakes in the Batcave is the best use of the motion comic format I've ever read.  The POV aspect is incredible.

In yet another fun moment, the two heroes (along with the Bat Computer) try to figure out the villain's hideout.  It's a back-and-forth that ranks with some of the best riddle solving bits in the show and finally shows that the Green Hornet is as much a force to reckon with as Batman.

Meanwhile, the Villains have a devious plan to get rid of their sidekick prisoners.  They must battle to the death with the winner being the sole survivor.  If they refuse, the Joker's pet shark gets an early snack.  A bit grim, but still more fun and the promise of at least one awesome scene no matter what the two decide to do.

Obviously, I had more fun reading this issue than most.  It had snappy dialogue, some fun character moments and the Batcave.  I hope this is the issue that turns this series around for me because I really want to love it.

I have loved Ty Templeton's art from the beginning.  Along with the moment I mentioned above, everything else looked great as usual. He nails the characters and their expressions help with the storytelling so much.

Bits and Pieces:

Batman '66 meets the Green Hornet #5 was one of the better issues of the series.  It was fun and that's something I've found missing from the book as a whole.  Smith and Garman finally deliver the dialogue and situations I was hoping for and Ty Templeton's art remains great.  Recommended.

8.5/10