DC / Hanna-Barbera: Green Lantern/Huckleberry Hound #1

If you tend to dismiss comics based on a concept you will be making a major mistake if you assume Green Lantern / Huckleberry Hound Special #1 is just another forgettable crossover story. Mark Russell has proven time and time again when his name is attached to a comic you can trust him no matter what character is on the cover. He is one of today's best satirist regardless of medium. For now, comics should just be happy to have him. Read Full Review

It can be hard to take these one-shot comics seriously because the Hanna-Barbera side of things is a far cry from what we used to know. Putting that aside makes a pairing such as Green Lantern and Huckleberry Hound an exceptional way to approach serious issues without trivializing them while using a unique hook to provide enough of the escapism readers look for in comic books. Read Full Review

Green Lantern/Huckleberry Hound Special #1 is another excellent, and unexpected, cartoon crossover from DC, a powerful lesson on history and power in a brightly-colored, entertaining package. Read Full Review

DC teamed John Stewart with Hanna-Barbera's Huckleberry Hound in a story examining the cost of war, and racial injustice in our society. The duo seems like the ultimate odd couple, but just like the other one-shot crossovers we've seen, they make a great team. Both characters turn hardship into triumph and learn to channel their inner strength to stand up for those who can't stand up for themselves. Read Full Review

For the most part though, the subjects don't seem forced onto Huck and Stewart, and while the message probably won't surprise you, there's no arguing it's a message worth revisiting, and who knew it would be a blue dog and a Green Lantern to get the point across so effectively. Read Full Review

Still, the first story makes Green Lantern/Huckleberry Hound worth picking up, if you enjoy the old Hard-Traveling Heroes style of topical commentary. Read Full Review

While a little scattered and awkward at times, Russell crafts a masterful story that has something for everyone. Read Full Review

Leonardi does great work with the art in the issue and conveys a gritty style that matches the seriousness of the subject matter. Read Full Review

Overall, it's an effective story, but not a particularly effective crossover. Read Full Review

John Stewart bewares his power while Huckleberry Hound is...also there. Read Full Review

Why the heck is Huckleberry Hound even in this??? If this was an annual with his part being replaced by some random washed-up star that they made up for just one issue then I'd probably give it an 8. Instead, they made this a crossover with a headlining Hanna Barbera co-star... who basically did nothing. There was no point in having this specifically feature Huckleberry Hound. For that, I'm taking a point off. Read Full Review

At the end of the day, the DC/Hanna Barbera hit-or-miss streak continues, but Mark Russell's socially conscious comic booking reputation remains intact. Read Full Review

It's a good story, but Huck's presence is somewhat superfluous. He serves as a sounding board for John's doubts, and provides some pithy life advice, but such a role could have been filled by almost anyone. Read Full Review

Gizmo

Nov 04, 2018

Mark Russell takes us on a journey through the turbulent 60s, from the Vietnam War, to the 1967 Detroit Rebellion, to Watergate (featuring an unexpected appearance of Prez Richard). You don't need to be a Green Lantern or a Huckleberry Hound fan to enjoy this. And I appreciate the use of the Green Lantern Corps as a vehicle to portray the proper time to be disobedient. Unfortunately, the artwork needs refinement. I had no idea what was going on in the Secret Squirrel backup as this was part two of four and I didn't buy any of the other DC/Hanna Barbara crossovers this week. I would have preferred to omit the secret squirrel story and save the extra buck on the cover price.

I Review Comics

Nov 19, 2018

Mark Russell is one of my favorite writers in comics today. From Flintstones to Snagglepuss to Lone Ranger he consistently touches on universal social conditions that are timeless, yet topical.  Green Lantern Huckleberry Hound continue his run of classic comics and delivers another commentary on modern society.  The story takes place early in John Stewart's history as a Green Lantern. After finishing a training session with his superior, Katma, John is sent back to Earth with the test of not using the Power Ring. He walks his neighborhood and see's the destitute surroundings and the brutality and struggles with simply playing at being an observer. After engaging with some old war buddies John excuses himself to go see Huckleberry Hound. Huck's in town downing stand-up. After bombing the performance Huckleberry and John bump into each other and have a chat.  It Turns out that Huck's career spiraled downward after the events of the Snagglepuss Mini-Series. He made the mistake of publically disparaging President Nixon on stage. Shortly after sabotaging his career his show was canceled and he traveled the country as a has-been celebrity.  After recounting his story Huck asks John about his time in "Nam". John tells him about his brother and their relationship. How he ended up being killed by the police less than twenty-four hours after returning home from active duty.  Huck notices the Green Lantern ring and asks John why he doesn't do anything about the injustices he sees around him.  John tells the story of a Lantern that decoded to solve all the problems of a city he was protecting. He was successful but after being called away for another mission the city ended up destroying itself. The power of the Green Lantern didn't solve the cities problems It just gave the illusion of peace.  While they continue their conversation they are interrupted by a rapidly escalating situation outside between a group of African American men and the police. The situation continues to escalate until John ends the conflict by using his ring and presumably failing his test.  After the conflict, John goes home and Laments his failure. Katma arrives and John tries to give her his ring. She stops him and lets him know that he passed the test and that one of the most important duties of a Lantern is to know when to use their powers and also when to disobey orders.  A year later John runs into Huck at a bar. They watch the Watergate hearings on television. John makes the point that change may be slow but progress will eventually come about when people are engaged. They don't need a Green Lantern lording over them.  Rumination Getting the easy gripes out of the way first. I was not a fan of the art in this issue. Rick Leonardi's pencils are sufficient enough to tell the story but lack detail, giving the story a rushed quality that feels unfinished. Its not the worst but I could think of several artists immediately come to mind that could have put conveyed this story masterfully.  My second complaint is that although it was great to see Huckleberry Jr. again he seems more like an afterthought than a co-star. You could easily substitute any random character and essentially told the same story in this issue.  The easter eggs from Snagglepuss were a nice touch but I wish the connections were either more pronounced or Huck was given more presence to balance with John.  Despite the story's flaws what elevates this issue beyond mediocre is the question of Power and the Illusion of Power. Huck asks John why he doesn't do anything to make a difference.  It's a fair question, especially in light of the tragedy that befell John and his family. It would be very easy for John to clean up his city but in doing so he would take all agency from the community and they would likely depend on him to keep the peace.  On the other hand, Johns enemies would submit to his authority but the minute he falters or leaves his post they would revert and the order that was established would collapse.  John can intervene and take out an emerging threat but that would take agency from the people he is protecting. The comic ends as Nixon is being held accountable for the events of Watergate and one of the victims of the police brutality running for city council.  John says goodbye to Huck and tells him that he's just a guy with a ring. The real change is gonna come from the community standing up for itself.  For More: https://www.gtmediareviews.com/ more

Br'er Lapin AKA 20-Ish Ceiln

Nov 03, 2018

This is basically a solo John Stewart story where Huckleberry Hound takes the place of a washed up comedian in a bar that he shares his stories with. In other words, Huckleberry Hound is really only an aesthetic to the story and doesn't help nor detract. The story itself is pretty solid, but only recommended for Green Lantern fans, like myself.