Sidekick #5 Review

With all that’s happened, can this sidekick rise above? Should you care? Read on to find out.

The official description from Image:

For weeks, super-villain Julia Moonglow has been feeding off the body and energy of Barry “Flyboy” Chase while keeping him from remembering this. Now she’s ready to let him remember, and reveals why she’s been stalking him and the fate of her late twin sister. But that’s just the warm-up for the big reveal, as Barry learns for the first time that the Red Cowl may be alive, a discovery that shatters him down to his very core.

There’s a lot at stake within the confines of this narrative, as this story revs up to a pivotal turning point. The creative team crafts something that’s worth taking note of, as the franchise reaches what can be described as a series high. To all my fellow fanboys and fangirls: this is a comic worth owning.

J. Michael Straczynski pens the script, as he allows information to flow freely. It’s true that a good deal of it, at least on the surface level, came off as obvious but the inclusion of some explanations made the whole thing compelling. What we have is a tale of good intention gone horribly wrong, which then turned an icon into a nemesis as our protagonist stands confronted with what really happened on arguably the most pivotal day of his life. Only real complaint: the dialogue can be a tad bit too wordy.

The illustrations by Tom Mandrake continue to evoke the classic sense of the superhero genre. He employs just enough modern sensibilities to give this piece legs to stand on. It’s a visual barrage that had a couple instances that left  me more than a bit underwhelmed, as over expression buried intent under unnecessary layers. For the most part however, we’re given a solid display that never ruins the festivities but does hinder them on occasion.

Sidekick #5 is a really good comic book that suffers from a few inconsistencies, but manages to reach for the starts as it soars to new heights. Recommended.

4/5