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Sidekick #1
Sidekick, Vol. 1
What happens when a hero's sidekick is abandoned by tragedy, mocked by the media, scorned by enemies and heroes alike...when his entire world is turned upside-down? Drawn by Julia Moonglow into investigating the death of the Red Cowl, Flyboy will discover things that will shatter his life completely as he uncovers a conspiracy of murder and terrible, life-changing secrets. Who was the Red Cowl, really, and what scared him so badly that he had to stage his own death in order to escape it? The debut volume of Sidekick contains the first six issues of this saga of grief, madness, and murder.
Collects SIDEKICK #1-6
Collects SIDEKICK #1-6
160 pages, Paperback
First published March 11, 2014
2 people are currently reading
91 people want to read
About the author
J. Michael Straczynski
1,374 books1,292 followersJoseph Michael Straczynski is an American filmmaker and comic book writer. He is the founder of Synthetic Worlds Ltd. and Studio JMS and is best known as the creator of the science fiction television series Babylon 5 (1993–1998) and its spinoff Crusade (1999), as well as the series Jeremiah (2002–2004) and Sense8 (2015–2018). He is the executor of the estate of Harlan Ellison.
Straczynski wrote the psychological drama film Changeling (2008) and was co-writer on the martial arts thriller Ninja Assassin (2009), was one of the key writers for (and had a cameo in) Marvel's Thor (2011), as well as the horror film Underworld: Awakening (2012), and the apocalyptic horror film World War Z (2013). From 2001 to 2007, Straczynski wrote Marvel Comics' The Amazing Spider-Man, followed by runs on Thor and Fantastic Four. He is the author of the Superman: Earth One trilogy of graphic novels, and he has written Superman, Wonder Woman, and Before Watchmen for DC Comics. Straczynski is the creator and writer of several original comic book series such as Rising Stars, Midnight Nation, Dream Police, and Ten Grand through Joe's Comics.
A prolific writer across a variety of media and former journalist, Straczynski is the author of the autobiography Becoming Superman (2019) for HarperVoyager, the novel Together We Will Go (2021) for Simon & Schuster, and Becoming a Writer, Staying a Writer (2021) for Benbella Books. In 2020 he was named Head of the Creative Council for the comics publishing company Artists, Writers and Artisans.
Straczynski is a long-time participant in Usenet and other early computer networks, interacting with fans through various online forums (including GEnie, CompuServe, and America Online) since 1984. He is credited as being the first TV producer to directly engage with fans on the Internet and to allow viewer viewpoints to influence the look and feel of his show. Two prominent areas where he had a presence were GEnie and the newsgroup rec.arts.sf.tv.babylon5.moderated.
Straczynski wrote the psychological drama film Changeling (2008) and was co-writer on the martial arts thriller Ninja Assassin (2009), was one of the key writers for (and had a cameo in) Marvel's Thor (2011), as well as the horror film Underworld: Awakening (2012), and the apocalyptic horror film World War Z (2013). From 2001 to 2007, Straczynski wrote Marvel Comics' The Amazing Spider-Man, followed by runs on Thor and Fantastic Four. He is the author of the Superman: Earth One trilogy of graphic novels, and he has written Superman, Wonder Woman, and Before Watchmen for DC Comics. Straczynski is the creator and writer of several original comic book series such as Rising Stars, Midnight Nation, Dream Police, and Ten Grand through Joe's Comics.
A prolific writer across a variety of media and former journalist, Straczynski is the author of the autobiography Becoming Superman (2019) for HarperVoyager, the novel Together We Will Go (2021) for Simon & Schuster, and Becoming a Writer, Staying a Writer (2021) for Benbella Books. In 2020 he was named Head of the Creative Council for the comics publishing company Artists, Writers and Artisans.
Straczynski is a long-time participant in Usenet and other early computer networks, interacting with fans through various online forums (including GEnie, CompuServe, and America Online) since 1984. He is credited as being the first TV producer to directly engage with fans on the Internet and to allow viewer viewpoints to influence the look and feel of his show. Two prominent areas where he had a presence were GEnie and the newsgroup rec.arts.sf.tv.babylon5.moderated.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 30 reviews
August 24, 2017
Sidekick is a twisted tale indeed. As a young man he sees his parents killed by a serial killer. Just as he is about to die-he is rescued by the Red Cowl. But the boy surprises the Red Cowl by being able to fly off and kill the serial killer. Red Cowl impressed takes the boy in to become his partner. The boy becomes Flyboy.
Flyboy and the Red Cowl become famous heroes. Beloved by all. Then one day-the Red Cowl is assassinated. Then it all begins to fall apart for Flyboy. It turns out without the Red Cowl he is looked at as nothing more than a sidekick. This is the start of his change from a hero into a villain. He is joined in his quest by another villain (who lost her sister) and slowly you begin to see the change in him.
Dark and twisted this is the story of a sidekick's desire for respect. It shows another side to the heroes that we know and puts the role of sidekick into perspective. It is an interesting look at the dynamics of being in a super-hero duo. It is a rather interesting twist.
Flyboy and the Red Cowl become famous heroes. Beloved by all. Then one day-the Red Cowl is assassinated. Then it all begins to fall apart for Flyboy. It turns out without the Red Cowl he is looked at as nothing more than a sidekick. This is the start of his change from a hero into a villain. He is joined in his quest by another villain (who lost her sister) and slowly you begin to see the change in him.
Dark and twisted this is the story of a sidekick's desire for respect. It shows another side to the heroes that we know and puts the role of sidekick into perspective. It is an interesting look at the dynamics of being in a super-hero duo. It is a rather interesting twist.
August 7, 2015
I picked this up at the library without really knowing anything about it. I wanted to try out a superhero type of comic because I've not ever really given them a fair chance, but unfortunately even though I 'got' this is wasn't anywhere near as entertaining and exciting as some of the non-superhero comics I've read.
This has an interesting concept as it focuses on a Sidekick called Flyboy who is working with Red Cowl up until his untimely death. After Cowl is gone Flyboy doesn't really know what to do with himself and he struggles from idea to idea and new plan to new problem.
The artwork in this book is certainly not my favourite and one of the biggest issues I frequently have with Superhero comics is the artwork because it's so dark and dingy and there's too many sex and battle scenes for my liking. I don't mind sex and battle scenes with a reason but unfortunately many of the scenes in this didn't seem to have enough depth to them for a full on 'battle'.
Overall it has potential, but it's just ok for the moment and although I'm sure it gets better as it goes, this one wasn't engaging enough for me to want to go and get the next one ASAP. 2*s, just ok
This has an interesting concept as it focuses on a Sidekick called Flyboy who is working with Red Cowl up until his untimely death. After Cowl is gone Flyboy doesn't really know what to do with himself and he struggles from idea to idea and new plan to new problem.
The artwork in this book is certainly not my favourite and one of the biggest issues I frequently have with Superhero comics is the artwork because it's so dark and dingy and there's too many sex and battle scenes for my liking. I don't mind sex and battle scenes with a reason but unfortunately many of the scenes in this didn't seem to have enough depth to them for a full on 'battle'.
Overall it has potential, but it's just ok for the moment and although I'm sure it gets better as it goes, this one wasn't engaging enough for me to want to go and get the next one ASAP. 2*s, just ok
January 20, 2018
If you like your superhero stories more upbeat, then you'll probably want to avoid this. Sidekick is a dark tale about loneliness and rejection. When he is Red Cowl's sidekick, Flyboy is happy and his life is fulfilled. He and Red Cowl are praised for their superhero exploits, and Red Cowl is generous in his own praise of his sidekick. Then Red Cowl is assassinated and Flyboy's life is turned upside down. Suddenly he is blamed for not preventing the assassination, then he is viewed as a lesser superhero when he tries to fit into Red Cowl's shoes. The media and public are ruthless in their portrayal of his failures, as if they are unaware Flyboy is a person with emotions.
I think this is something we can all relate to, feeling unappreciated, feeling jealous of another who is seemingly more celebrated for their work, and the loneliness that comes with those feelings. Of course, most of us don't take those feelings to the extent that Flyboy eventually does. In Sidekick, we see how the media transforms one man into a monster, and praises another who turns out to be a monster in secret. This is a complex, darkly enjoyable story.
I think this is something we can all relate to, feeling unappreciated, feeling jealous of another who is seemingly more celebrated for their work, and the loneliness that comes with those feelings. Of course, most of us don't take those feelings to the extent that Flyboy eventually does. In Sidekick, we see how the media transforms one man into a monster, and praises another who turns out to be a monster in secret. This is a complex, darkly enjoyable story.
March 6, 2019
JMS is really trying to explore every permutation of superhero tales. This starts off with a sort of Batman TV series type of setup with a silly superhero — the Red Cowl, whose logo is a picture of his own face — who takes an orphaned superpowered boy as his ward, the titular sidekick. Said boy can fly, so RC dubs him Flyboy. So they have adventures and Flyboy is content to be Red Cowl’s sidekick.
Then Red Cowl is assassinated. Flyboy spirals into depression as his life starts to truly suck, and the comic suddenly shifts into a gritty character piece. Flyboy coerces a prostitute to service him in lieu of arresting her, he screws up superheroing, he amateurishly stages break-ins that he “solves”... then he really fucks up. He’s a total loser.
Which drives him over the edge.
It’s an examination of how someone’s life can spiral out of control, viewed through the lens of superheroes. It’s not groundbreaking but it does move right along. There are some twists and mysteries, but this is only half of the story. (I hope. There’s another volume that I’ve already downloaded. Here’s hoping the resolution is in there.)
The art is serviceable and the storytelling clearly presented.
Then Red Cowl is assassinated. Flyboy spirals into depression as his life starts to truly suck, and the comic suddenly shifts into a gritty character piece. Flyboy coerces a prostitute to service him in lieu of arresting her, he screws up superheroing, he amateurishly stages break-ins that he “solves”... then he really fucks up. He’s a total loser.
Which drives him over the edge.
It’s an examination of how someone’s life can spiral out of control, viewed through the lens of superheroes. It’s not groundbreaking but it does move right along. There are some twists and mysteries, but this is only half of the story. (I hope. There’s another volume that I’ve already downloaded. Here’s hoping the resolution is in there.)
The art is serviceable and the storytelling clearly presented.
August 24, 2014
1.5 out of 5
Well the concept is pretty cool but the delivery is just awful and don't even get me started on the awful dialog.
Well the concept is pretty cool but the delivery is just awful and don't even get me started on the awful dialog.
February 11, 2015
J. Michael Straczynski - writer
Tom Mandrake - illustrator
I really liked this one. The young man known as Flyboy has only ever known the life of a sidekick. When the hero he has spent his entire life idolizing is taken from him in one brutal moment, how will a man who was never allowed to be anything other than a footnote find order and direction in an unfamiliar and hostile world? A somber and cynical look at the relationship between hero and sidekick, and all the psychological baggage that goes along with that, Sidekick is a very enjoyable book. Reminiscent of Mark Waid's Irredeemable, this is a powerful, dark look at Superhero mythology that includes plenty of twists and turns.
4.5/5 Highly Recommended
Tom Mandrake - illustrator
I really liked this one. The young man known as Flyboy has only ever known the life of a sidekick. When the hero he has spent his entire life idolizing is taken from him in one brutal moment, how will a man who was never allowed to be anything other than a footnote find order and direction in an unfamiliar and hostile world? A somber and cynical look at the relationship between hero and sidekick, and all the psychological baggage that goes along with that, Sidekick is a very enjoyable book. Reminiscent of Mark Waid's Irredeemable, this is a powerful, dark look at Superhero mythology that includes plenty of twists and turns.
4.5/5 Highly Recommended
September 3, 2019
I always thought the best thing to be in a rock band would be the bass player. Well, I didn't ALWAYS think that. Of course, when you're a little dope idiot, you think you want to be the lead singer. But when I grew up a little, I figured it out. Because how many people recognize the bass player from...Creed? Nickelback? I wouldn't recognize the bass player from some bands I quite like. I bet if you're the bass player from U2, you can probably go through an airport hassle-free.
So you get all the cash, the fun job, but none of the hassles. It's all the positives of being a rock star, none of the negatives.
But then you start thinking. You must have to be a pretty good bass player to be in these huge bands. Because it's not like you'll have a mass exodus of fans if the bass player is ousted. It's not going to be a Journey thing where Steve Perry leaves and everyone's like, "Well, who gives a shit, then?" You probably have to work pretty hard. And as soon as you get into hard work, PETE IS OUT!
So you get all the cash, the fun job, but none of the hassles. It's all the positives of being a rock star, none of the negatives.
But then you start thinking. You must have to be a pretty good bass player to be in these huge bands. Because it's not like you'll have a mass exodus of fans if the bass player is ousted. It's not going to be a Journey thing where Steve Perry leaves and everyone's like, "Well, who gives a shit, then?" You probably have to work pretty hard. And as soon as you get into hard work, PETE IS OUT!
November 13, 2022
Then let it burn.
Flyboy is Red Cowl’s partner. One day, during a parade, Red Cowl is shot ä la J.F.K. What’s a sidekick to do? He has to investigate while draining his sorrow with alcohol.
August 14, 2015
Awful. Ugly art, unlikeable characters, lousy plot. You have no reason to root for Flyboy, or any of the characters for that matter. It just fails on all levels.
September 20, 2015
The premise has potential, but the execution is uneven and overall I didn't think it went in an interesting direction.
October 23, 2023
Super serious dark and gritty “mature” superhero comics have been done to death, so much so that I am beginning to feel that they are the cliché and fun, lighthearted superhero comics are really for the cool kids. JMS' writing is of such high quality that he makes what sounds like a tired concept a compelling read.
The Red Cowl is a decidedly Golden Age flavored hero. He fights crime in Sol City with his sidekick, Flyboy. These Batman and Robin doppelgangers are met with tragedy when The Red Cowl is assassinated in a manner similar to JFK, resulting in Flyboy becoming a laughing stock and sliding down a hole into depression, alcohol, and lost battles. Then something occurs (I won't say what) that leads Flyboy to believe that The Red Cowl is alive, and it is more than he can bear. JMS seems to work in 12-issue cycles on a lot of things, so hopefully this will all pan out.
Tom Mandrake's art is great as usual. His superhero battles are reminiscent of Neal Adams or John Byrne, a great contrast to the static, statuesque poses that so many artists do these days. Mandrake conveys story, whereas others just try to get a licensable image to slap on a T-shirt and get royalties from.
The hook is strong enough for me to come back for Volume 2. JMS is on his own timetable, so I won't be holding my breath.
The Red Cowl is a decidedly Golden Age flavored hero. He fights crime in Sol City with his sidekick, Flyboy. These Batman and Robin doppelgangers are met with tragedy when The Red Cowl is assassinated in a manner similar to JFK, resulting in Flyboy becoming a laughing stock and sliding down a hole into depression, alcohol, and lost battles. Then something occurs (I won't say what) that leads Flyboy to believe that The Red Cowl is alive, and it is more than he can bear. JMS seems to work in 12-issue cycles on a lot of things, so hopefully this will all pan out.
Tom Mandrake's art is great as usual. His superhero battles are reminiscent of Neal Adams or John Byrne, a great contrast to the static, statuesque poses that so many artists do these days. Mandrake conveys story, whereas others just try to get a licensable image to slap on a T-shirt and get royalties from.
The hook is strong enough for me to come back for Volume 2. JMS is on his own timetable, so I won't be holding my breath.
May 15, 2017
This is another creator owned exploration of a more or less traditionally super-heroic figure gone bad. It's an iteration worth exploring, and there's some real depth to the world and characters here. It smacks of Mark Waid's Irredeemable, but with the "sidekick" twist is definitely its own book.
The art is solid, and appropriately dark, and as the story continues it goes as dark or darker than anything Mark did with Irredeemable. In addition with Irredeemable, as I remember it, the source of the protagonist's turn was a bit...unclear. At least i always found it difficult to determine. Straczynski takes some very specific and classic human motivation and drives his character over the edge. As one of the few comics writers who--in my opinion--holds a candle to Mark Waid's overall body of work, Straczynski's take on this story is enticing.
Still, it still feels familiar enough, just enough that I decided a 3.5 rounds down rather than rounding up. I'm hopeful for volume two--which I'll start when I get off of here--but I'm not quite ready to commit to the series long haul.
The art is solid, and appropriately dark, and as the story continues it goes as dark or darker than anything Mark did with Irredeemable. In addition with Irredeemable, as I remember it, the source of the protagonist's turn was a bit...unclear. At least i always found it difficult to determine. Straczynski takes some very specific and classic human motivation and drives his character over the edge. As one of the few comics writers who--in my opinion--holds a candle to Mark Waid's overall body of work, Straczynski's take on this story is enticing.
Still, it still feels familiar enough, just enough that I decided a 3.5 rounds down rather than rounding up. I'm hopeful for volume two--which I'll start when I get off of here--but I'm not quite ready to commit to the series long haul.
September 28, 2018
What the hell did I just read?
The story starts with the introduction of the superhero dynamic duo of Red Cowl and his sidekick Flyboy. They are the defenders of Sol City. Both loved and respected. Then Red Cowl is assassinated and Flyboy’s world is destroyed. From that point on, we watch him endure betrayal, abuse and rejection. It is a sad descent into despair and madness. This is not a happy tale.
I don’t know if this is a journey of vengeance or redemption (hopefully a bit of both). But Flyboy isn’t alone. An old nemesis, Julia Moonglow is by his side seeking some justice of her own.
This is a twisted one. Gotta say, so far I don’t have a lot of empathy for those who get in Flyboy and Moonglow’s way. They are ruthless.
The artwork is okay. The colors are nice. I liked the use of shadow. Not my favorite style but it does support the story’s darkness and anger.
Overall, I liked it. I’m a little nervous for volume 2.
The story starts with the introduction of the superhero dynamic duo of Red Cowl and his sidekick Flyboy. They are the defenders of Sol City. Both loved and respected. Then Red Cowl is assassinated and Flyboy’s world is destroyed. From that point on, we watch him endure betrayal, abuse and rejection. It is a sad descent into despair and madness. This is not a happy tale.
I don’t know if this is a journey of vengeance or redemption (hopefully a bit of both). But Flyboy isn’t alone. An old nemesis, Julia Moonglow is by his side seeking some justice of her own.
This is a twisted one. Gotta say, so far I don’t have a lot of empathy for those who get in Flyboy and Moonglow’s way. They are ruthless.
The artwork is okay. The colors are nice. I liked the use of shadow. Not my favorite style but it does support the story’s darkness and anger.
Overall, I liked it. I’m a little nervous for volume 2.
April 21, 2022
Interesting. Like many of my favorite graphic novels, it takes an idea and turns it around.
I'm looking forward to the second part of Flyboy's journey, so far it felt a little underwhelming, but this seems like a comic book one should read twice, so maybe all will make a lot more sense once the story has been fully told.
Sounds strange, I know, but so far issues 5 and 6 had a lot of backstory that added to the first four issues. I don't mind, but the rating (the first time around) suffers a bit.
I'm looking forward to the second part of Flyboy's journey, so far it felt a little underwhelming, but this seems like a comic book one should read twice, so maybe all will make a lot more sense once the story has been fully told.
Sounds strange, I know, but so far issues 5 and 6 had a lot of backstory that added to the first four issues. I don't mind, but the rating (the first time around) suffers a bit.
May 14, 2018
I like JMS and Tom Mandrake's art was great, but this is just another in a longer-than-you'd-think line of comics where the prologue starts off with "When I was a kid I hated sidekicks!". Interesting story overall, but the cynical concept reads more conformist than subversive.
January 11, 2024
JMS starts this off as a subversion to the atypical Superhero trope and before you realise you are rooting for a flawed character. The story definitely has its ups and downs but more ups than downs. And the big plot twist by the end of this volume… well you need to read it to savour it
December 4, 2017
Interesting dark take on the superhero world. Nice art and different plot made this a good read. Recommended.
May 31, 2019
Excellent series form J.Michael Straczynski from his 12 part series showing the life and downfall of the sidekick of an elite hero.
April 7, 2026
Deplorable. I’m glad I didn’t pay for this trash.
February 24, 2017
I like it..It is a sad story to read.
February 18, 2015
Hmm...I thought this was a complete series, but it's just volume one of an ongoing story that ends with a "to be continued." It might be my fault for not realizing that, however. I've long been a fan of Tom Mandrake's art and the darkness he brings to it really fits the story here. The story: Flyboy, the junior sidekick of a super-hero known as the Red Cowl, is left on his own after the Cowl is murdered. He tries to make it on his own, can't, and goes a little crazy (maybe a lot crazy). While Straczynski could have gone full satire on the superhero sidekick idea, he mostly just tells the story of one boy/man, Flyboy. Some interesting twists come up in the story (the Red Cowl's still alive? Is Flyboy being manipulated by a villainess? Is redemption even possible?), but this volume (being #1) doesn't go deep enough into any of them.
December 19, 2014
I didn't see the Volume one on this when I read it - I assumed the entire story would be wrapped up in the volume. And honestly, it kind of felt like it should have been. Instead it drags on. A sidekick finds himself alone when his hero is killed, and he doesn't have the abilities to take his place. It's full of derision and darkness for its character, and is generally a pretty miserable read. The protagonist is at the end of his rope, the world is viciously cynical, and the overarching story, a villainess who is using the sidekick for her own purposes, doesn't get developed enough to play out (I'm guessing most is saved for the second volume). It's not badly written, but it's not saying anything new or really anything at all in an interesting enough format to continue reading.
February 4, 2015
Collects Sidekick issues #1-6
This started out good, and then got really good.
This story is all about what happens to a sidekick when the hero he followed is killed. Flyboy (Barry Chase), the protagonist of this story, does not take it well, and his life starts to spiral out of control. Mysteries abound, while some truths are uncovered, and by the end of this first volume, Barry's life is unrecognizable from the life he lived before his mentor died.
This comic is a little more graphic than some other comics, so I wouldn't recommend this for kids. With that being said, I am really looking forward to reading Volume 2 of this series.
I want to give this a 4.5-star rating, and am close to rounding up to a 5-star rating, but I'll play it safe by rounding down to 4.
This started out good, and then got really good.
This story is all about what happens to a sidekick when the hero he followed is killed. Flyboy (Barry Chase), the protagonist of this story, does not take it well, and his life starts to spiral out of control. Mysteries abound, while some truths are uncovered, and by the end of this first volume, Barry's life is unrecognizable from the life he lived before his mentor died.
This comic is a little more graphic than some other comics, so I wouldn't recommend this for kids. With that being said, I am really looking forward to reading Volume 2 of this series.
I want to give this a 4.5-star rating, and am close to rounding up to a 5-star rating, but I'll play it safe by rounding down to 4.
April 14, 2014
The concept of this series is rather simple: what is Batman was kind of a dick, got killed, and Robin turned out to be sort of a klutz. Of course there's more to it, but quite frankly most of the "surprising twists" I saw coming from miles ahead. I'm sticking with it for now, but J. Michael Straczynski better be coming with some significantly better storylines soon.
June 13, 2014
Someone must have been kicking Mr. Straczynski's puppies, or perhaps he's bitter no one will fund a Babylon 5 movie.
This is easily the darkest comic I've read in a LONG time.. sort of 'What if Batman was killed and Robin had a breakdown?'... then it gets REALLY dark.
Strangely, I do want to see what happens next though.
This is easily the darkest comic I've read in a LONG time.. sort of 'What if Batman was killed and Robin had a breakdown?'... then it gets REALLY dark.
Strangely, I do want to see what happens next though.
May 14, 2014
4/5/14 (Full?) Review tk.
5/8/14 Brief review: http://www.iwantmytwodollars.com/2014...
5/14/14 http://www.criminalelement.com/blogs/...-
5/8/14 Brief review: http://www.iwantmytwodollars.com/2014...
5/14/14 http://www.criminalelement.com/blogs/...-
October 29, 2014
Un héroe atípico. Sidekick nos narra las aventuras de un superhéroe que siempre había sido el compañero de otro, the Red Cowl, el auténtico héroe, pero al morir éste, no sabe qué hacer. Es un Robin sin Batman. Empieza a caer en una espiral negativa que acaba llevándolo al lado oscuro.
July 15, 2015
A dark tale but an interesting one. I am a major JMS fan so this might be a little biased but I enjoyed his take on seeing someone's life unravel. It certainly isn't a tale of redemption and rebirth but I'm fascinated by Flyboy's journey.
November 23, 2014
What a dark story! This one begins on a low note and just keeps plumbing the depths. I like JMS, but this one is depressing. That said, I can't wait to see where it goes next.
January 1, 2016
I didn't expect that.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 30 reviews