Sidekicks: Super Fun Summer Special

    (Oni, 2003)

The title is mostly a misnomer; it might be summer, but there’s nothing all that super, fun, or special about this one-shot from Sidekicks creator Torres — except, perhaps, for those intimate with the mini-series. The rest will probably find this to be nothing more than a mildly amusing story about a bunch of kids on their summer vacation, albeit kids who happen to be super-heroes-in-training.

Torres’ story isn’t a bad one, by any means, but it lacks anything remotely resembling an explanation of who these characters are, and he does nothing to make readers care. It’s a feeling not unlike what a first-time Dawson’s Creek viewer might experience while watching a mid-season episode.

Faring a little better is the team of six artists (Takeshi Miyazawa, Scott Morse, Steve Rolston, Mike Wieringo, Mike Norton, and J. Bone) whose simple, animated styles don’t inspire awe but for the most part mesh together pretty well. The exception? Morse, whose disjointed, misplaced contribution reads more like a Road Runner cartoon than a segment of the story.

It’s unlikely any non-Sidekicks reader would pick up this comic book in the first place, but it’s unfortunate that no one involved even tried to make a sales pitch to new readers.

— Jim Johnson
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  NotesWriterArtist
#1

July, 2002
Cover Price: $2.95
3 copies available from $1.75 		J. TorresTakeshi Miyazawa, C. Scott Morse, Steve Rolston, Mike Wieringo, Mike Norton