There's a new superhero in town...and he's 75 year old!

With a multi-million dollar 3-D movie and several comic book series (set in different time periods of his history), The Green Hornet is experiencing a revival in public interest not seen since his Batman-inspired 1960s tv series 45 years ago (yes, it's been that long)!

One of the first true multi-media characters, The Green Hornet has been in...

• movies (two multi-part serials, two feature films composed of tv series episodes, and next week, an all-new feature film)
• dramatic radio (a 16-year run)
• tv (though only on the air for one year, it reruns continuously throughout the world and is one of the most-demanded shows still unreleased on DVD in America)
• comic books (over a dozen series from 1940 to the present)
• novels and Big Little Books

Though each version changes details, the basics stay the same.

The Green Hornet is Britt Reid, newspaper publisher who goes out in his "Green Hornet" secret identity to fight crime. Unlike other masked vigilantes, he pretends to be a villain to ingratiate himself into criminal operations, then betray them to police on the basis of "eliminating competition".

He's accompanied by a masked associate, Kato, who drives Black Beauty, a car equipped with advanced technology, and acts as his bodyguard.

The Hornet doesn't wear a skintight costume. Instead, he dons a coat, fedora, and mask, with one or more elements colored green. Kato wears a black/midnight blue chauffeur's uniform with a mask or goggles.

The Green Hornet carries a variety of weapons, with a knockout-gas gun being the only one used in every version.

Now, if you're wondering why we're not detailing the differences in the various versions, it's because, beginning Monday, this column will present a daily primer about the characters from their radio-based origins on Monday to the feature film's opening on Friday!

• Monday: the radio show
• Tuesday: the 1940s movie serials, and comic books
• Wednesday: the legendary 1960s tv series and it's spin-offs
• Thursday: the comic books (from the 1980s to the present)
• Friday: the new feature film (And a review by a dedicated Classic Green Hornet fan!)

PLUS: each day there will be links to FREE downloads of everything from mp3s of the radio shows to cbz files of the comics to YouTube videos of the tv series!  AND the best places in Chicago (and online) to get Green Hornet goodies!

Don't miss it!