Sidekick #2 Review


The latest creation from Joe’s Comics barrels on, but is it shaping up into something worthwhile?  Read on to find out.

The official description from Image:

The Moonglow Twins were two of the Red Cowl and Flyboy’s greatest enemies.  Now that the Red Cowl is dead, one of them has returned with a vengeance. But whose vengeance, and why, and what is the reason for her sudden interest in Flyboy?  Is Flyboy about to find a reason to live and repair his life, or is he about to hurtle down into even greater depths of madness and depravity?  It’s a monthly book, what the heck do you think is going to happen?  The fun is in seeing just how far he spirals downward and what’s waiting for him when he hits bottom….

It’s a tough sell to make a title about a brand new superhero compelling.  Apparently killing that icon and leaving his self destructive sidekick alone, as our protagonist, leads to some very interesting material that this creative team capitalizes on.

The script by J. Michael Straczynski is oozing with personality, so much so that any missteps taken are largely overlooked as a cacophony of emotions overwhelm the narrative.  More depth is introduced as Flyboy continues to try and come to terms with all that’s happened in his life.  Probably the most remarkable aspect of the story is the cornball nature that’s juxtaposed to the darkest possible sides of ourselves, and somehow the scribe makes it work in unison.

Tom Mandrake handles the art and I have to say I was very impressed.  The pencil strokes offer deep detail, strong emotion and a near perfect realization of form.  He capitalizes on the innate organs of the human experience in a way that uplifts not just this issue but the visual side of this sordid affair.  In short: the comic book is very pretty to look at and if the text isn’t enough to sell it to you than this portion should.

Sidekick #2 is a moving testament to both the good and bad angels that plague our nature.  Highly recommended.

4.5/5

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