The Six Sidekicks of Trigger Keaton, Vol. 1

The Six Sidekicks of Trigger Keaton #1-6

by Kyle Starks, Chris Schweizer (Artist)

"Kyle Starks is a treasure. With THE SIX SIDEKICKS OF TRIGGER KEATON he proves that he's not only effortlessly funny, but can also craft rich, distinct characters that you can't help but root for, even at their worst. And Chris Schweizer is an astounding artist, mastering both perfect expressions and wild action scenes on jam-packed, eye-popping pages. I highly recommend this book!" - Chip Zdarsky (Daredevil)

For fans of Chew and Assassin Nation comes a new action-mystery series from Eisner Award nominees Chris Schweizer (Crogan Adventures) and Kyle Starks (Sexcastle).

The world's most unlikable action star has been found dead and his previous TV sidekicks are looking to solve the mystery. But how can you catch a murderer when almost everyone hated the victim?

Now these sidekicks are going to learn what it means to the stars of the show...that is, if anyone of them survive the STUNTMAN WAR!

Collects THE SIX SIDEKICKS OF TRIGGER KEATON #1-6.

Genres: Comics, Graphic Novels, Comedy, Mystery, Fiction, Action, Crime

164 pages, Paperback

First published December 14, 2021

Reviews

[Diz · Rating 4 out of 5]

Trigger Keaton, a TV action star and a terrible human being, seemingly commits suicide, but his current TV sidekick thinks that he has been murdered, so he gathers up Keaton's past sidekicks in an attempt to solve the murder. Interestingly, all of the sidekicks, except for one, has had their lives ruined by Keaton. As they chase down clues, they deal with their trauma and bond with each other. Each of the sidekicks has a strong personality, so the interactions are interesting to read. This is well worth picking up.

[James · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ok, this was just a big box of fun. There’s this action star, Trigger Keaton, who is the scum of the earth. Treats everyone like crap and no one likes him. One day he is found dead. It’s going to be hard to find the killer since no one liked him and hard to get someone to investigate properly for the Sam reasons. However, these 6 different ex-actors that were all once sidekicks in his movies find themselves on the case to find the killer. This was goofy and silly and the art fit that bill. But I found myself laughing at the jokes and invested in the story to find out what Happened. Definitely worth checking out.

[Rod Brown · Rating 3 out of 5]

A goofy, violent, and fun whodunnit has the former costars of the meanest and most egotistical jerk in Hollywood teaming up to determine if his supposed suicide was actually murder. The ending isn't the least bit surprising, but the journey is quite amusing.

[Václav · Rating 5 out of 5]

(4,3 of 5 for decent comics with refreshingly interesting plots)
I didn't expect much, but boy how I enjoyed this. The art is fine, it fits the light-ish note of the comics (even if it tackles some heavy topics) and works well for static and dynamic scenes. And you get plenty of both here. I enjoyed the setting and plot, which was quite original to me. Yes, Kyle Starks uses some well-known tropes there and here, but the overall story is fresh and fun, there is also a lot of action and some lightened drama. Anyway, it's very energetic and immersive and I enjoyed it a lot. The characters are distinctive and interesting but easy enough to fit the atmosphere of this comic. How the story unveils and introduces new characters was the main joy to me, so I figure this won't stand repetitive reading very nicely, with that part of charm gone. But the first reading is great and I recommend it for anyone who likes action comedies. A lot of nice twists and, a lot of fun.

[Fraser Simons · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reminds me of Scott Pilgrim, in a good way. Gonzo fun with only an internal logic, otherwise it’s riding a wild ride. The art isn’t my favourite but it’s good storytelling that kept my attention. Loved the twists. And while funny, it wasn’t laugh-out-loud for me, but I’m sure it would be for people more into this particular style.

[Dakota · Rating 4 out of 5]

9/10. Such a fun read

[Paxton Holley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Maybe even a 4.5 star read.

Martial arts super star Trigger Keaton is the worst human being on Earth. And he’s found dead. So 6 of his former costars, who he treated like garbage and 5 of them hate him, set out to find his killer even though pretty much everyone is a suspect who had some kind of beef with Keaton.

This was hilarious. The art is fantastic. I can’t recommend this enough.

[Paul Spence · Rating 4 out of 5]

From writer Kyle Starks, art, colors, and lettering by Chris Schweizer, coloring assists by Liz Trice Schweizer, editor Jon Moisan, published by Image Comics. This volume collects issues 1-6.

Trigger Keaton can best be described as an asshole version of Chuck Norris. He’s an action star, a martial arts expert, horrible to everyone, violent, drunk, dangerous, and yet he makes money so he keeps getting work. Along the way he has had various sidekicks on his often canceled TV shows. Six of them in fact. One day, Trigger’s body is discovered. Ruled a suicide, but his most recent sidekick doesn’t believe that. After the reading of the will, a murder investigation begins which will tie all six of his former sidekicks together with one mission – to discover who killed Trigger Keaton.

The story flows with such logic, and emotion, and heart, and humor, and drama. It literally has everything. Characters have reasons, history, and every part of the story makes sense and is revealed in ways that don’t feel forced. No heavy handed exposition. Plus, and it’s too bad this is a rarity in some comics, every single character is distinctive and readers will have no trouble keeping them apart. This felt like six fully formed real people brought together, and not character tropes with no soul. As much as that is a tribute to how well written the six sidekicks are, the art is really something unique. It’s every classic Mad magazine artist jumbled into one pen. Richly detailed, yet cartoonish. Dramatic pacing like Mort Drucker, silliness of Don Martin, and a fight outside of the panels like Sergio Aragones.

All the while I’m trying to guess the murder myself and never saw the ending coming. Red herrings abound yet the truth makes tons of sense. Where the sidekicks go next is also perfect. I don’t know how old Starks or Schweizer are but there’s some big children of the 80s vibes here and I’m loving it.

[Josh · Rating 5 out of 5]

"By now, Kyle Starks has carved out his distinct brand of comics storytelling, and 6 Sidekicks is an excellent showcase of his abilities. The comic is initially a murder mystery—one where allies and enemies alike have good reason to be suspects. Against the sleazy Hollywood backdrop of social politics and shattered dreams, the environment is ripe for secrets and betrayal. And in true Starks fashion, a healthy dose of absurdity colors the familiar landscapes. Ninjas strike without warning. The stuntman guild declares war on those who offend them. And a simple murder investigation has the chance of turning into a martial arts battle at a moment’s notice. Picking up a Starks comic promises comedy and mayhem, and 6 Sidekicks features no shortage of either."

Full review at: https://noflyingnotights.com/blog/202...

[Kristin · Rating 4 out of 5]

A hilarious send up of 80's and 90's television as a Chuck Norris/Jan Michael Vincent type action star is murdered and his ill-treated former co-stars decide to solve the mystery out of spite.

[Cody Wilson]

Chris Schweizer's cartooning on the Six Sidekicks of Trigger Keaton is excellent. His work is crisp and dynamic. He has an incredible sense of fight choreography and the way figures should move in space and motion. I wouldn't be surprised if Schweizer originally studied animation.

While simple, Schweizer's style is highly intentional. He doesn't cut corners, whether rendering vehicles in an impressive car chase or countless figures in a lengthy group fight scene. In an age when artists avoid drawing more than three or four panels per page, Schweizer loads his pages with panels, providing ample space for each member of the comic's large cast. The characters each have a distinctive design and personality, which is important in an ensemble book.

My praise for this comic is mostly reserved for the art. I know Kyle Starks has made a name for himself as a go-to humor writer in comics, but I don't find his writing here very funny outside of a few good one-liners. His jokes are juvenile and goofy in a way that I may have enjoyed as a teenager but don't now. Humor is subjective and I'm glad others seem to be amused. I also found the characters and the attempt at character arcs to be underdeveloped.

I probably won't read this story again but I can see myself flipping through it from time to time. This miniseries is a great showcase for Schweizer and I'll be sure to check out his work with another writer.

[Alex Sarll]

More Kyle Starks action nonsense, though this time the eponymous badass really is both bad and an ass, a preening, obnoxious action star hated by pretty much everyone who ever worked with him. Between the personality and the shows in which he appeared (of which we get lovingly terrible glimpses), I ended up thinking of him as a sort of Seagal/Shatner hybrid, though significantly more wiry than either (the main difference between Chris Schweizer's art and Starks' own is generally looking a bit gnarlier – and never more so than with this git). Anyway, now the old bastard is dead, and the cops are happy to treat it as suicide, but something doesn't sit right, and six of his former co-stars team up to investigate, despite not much liking each other, and definitely not liking Trigger, who one way or another fucked up all their lives, even if one of them does his damnedest to deny that. Punching, kicking and silliness ensue, but while it has that much in common with the likes of Sexcastle, it also does a surprisingly deft job of having its cake and eating it, always aware of the costs (both personal and cultural) of the same macho bullshit it so gleefully depicts.
"Trigger Keaton was an American icon. He did what he wanted, when he wanted. Hell, he was America!"
"He was an asshole. You saying America is an asshole, Komodo?"

[Leslie Carnahan · Rating 3 out of 5]

I usually like a good murder mystery but this one fell flat. The fact that the person who died was liked by no one and was a complete d*** to everyone made me kinda not care about his murder getting solved. I finished reading the book because it was The Book Of The Month at the shop I work at... But this one didn't do it for me. :/

[Bryan · Rating 5 out of 5]

It is so hard to write a comic book that is literally laugh-out-loud funny. Kyle Starks does it over and over, and I don’t know how he does it. This might be the best of his work that I’ve read so far.

[The_J · Rating 4 out of 5]

Actually, a twisted version of Hollywood, and all the time wondering if in fact the target is William Shatner to parody

[Chandra · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was pretty good. Funny too.

[Sai · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 ... this is so fun

[Justin · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fun little story about hollywoo and how it destroys young people. I’m pretty sure the titular movie star is 60% Chuck Norris & 40% Steven Segal.

[Ryan Fohl · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great premise. I laughed several times. I wish this was a movie!


What I learned:

It’s a good thing those Chuck Norris jokes were just jokes.

[Dakota Morgan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I didn't really know what to expect with The Six Sidekicks of Trigger Keaton, but a murder mystery with lots of punching was not quite it. And yet, this was pretty great!

Basically, Trigger Keaton was the most racist, misogynistic, sumbitch action star you've ever heard of, but he had a sweet contract with the studios that allowed him to keep making films and TV even as he slurred out racist swill to the nearest female. For each piece he worked on, he had a sidekick who he denigrated. Now, Keaton has been murdered and the sidekicks (though initially hating each other) have teamed up for the whodunit.

The sidekicks are mostly action stars in their own right, thus the copious punching. The good stuntpeople of Los Angeles take quite the beating. The mystery itself isn't particularly interesting - it's the friends we make along the way. The Six Sidekicks of Trigger Keaton is a fun and funny read that feels pretty different from the usual Big Two stuff.

[Stephanie Bange · Rating 4 out of 5]

A graphic novel mystery full of yuks at all things Hollywood? You bet!

World Karate Champ Trigger Keaton is an actor who is a nasty, mean, terrible person. He treats no one with respect including his co-actor sidekicks on the set. When he is found hung from the neck in his apartment by Miles (his sidekick from his current film production), the police mark it as suicide. Miles uses skills that he has learned when preparing for this current role to determine that the police are wrong; Trigger was murdered. He reaches out to his list of suspects: other Keaton sidekicks whose film-making careers had been destroyed by the actor. This ragtag group of misfits clumsily work together to finally find the killer.

Starks fills this story with stereotypes of Hollywood and works it for all the laughs he can get. Each character is well-crafted and lovable in their own way. The goofy brawls and hidden talents of each sidekicks adds to the hilarity. Chapters start out with a magazine "ad" for the show that Trigger starred in with each sidekick. Artwork by Chris Schweizer reinforces and enhances many of the gags, adding a few of his own visually.

Be sure to read the backmatter: "Monkey Business" (a comic short starring Trigger and another surprising sidekick), a short story featuring Trigger, ads to join the "Trigger Keaton Fan Club" and buy toy spin-offs from one of his shows, a social media conversation about the show "Sidecar", an interview with sidekick/martial artist Allison, an interview with sidekick/former NFL player Richard, a recipe for "Pre-Pasta-Roushy- Good Hot Dog Spaghetti" and resume from sidekick/former stuntman Terry, and a TMDb movie database entry for Trigger.

The start of a fun series; I look forward to reading more about these sidekicks.

Recommended for adults, due to violence and language.

[Trike · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is hands-down one of the wackiest and funniest comic books I’ve ever read. It’s just completely over the top.

Trigger Keaton is the world’s greatest fighter and martial arts expert who is also the world’s biggest prima donna and asshole. He likes beer, blow and the skankiest hookers he can find. He’s also a huge star, so the studio looks the other way. He’s belligerent and abusive, he’s made enemies of everyone from stuntmen to trained chimpanzees… and he’s been murdered.

So his six former sidekicks, most of them child actors he mistreated, team up to solve his murder. And everyone — including them — keeps wondering why. Trigger Keaton was the worst, a monster’s monster, and the world is better off with him out of it.

The whole story is a cynically hilarious look at Hollywood and I loved every minute of it. The send-up of everyone and everything in Tinseltown is a hoot-and-a-half. It has genuinely funny asides, such as this exchange in the middle of the Stuntman War:
https://ibb.co/PhYGwz3

Oh yeah, the sidekicks inadvertently start a beef with the entire guild of stuntmen, which everyone immediately calls the Stuntman War.

I also like the extra stuff at the back that fills out the world. Not only does Trigger Keaton star in every genre of TV series satirizing specific shows (Star Trek, Hill Street Blues, Night Rider, Walker Texas Ranger, etc.), Starks has gone the extra mile with Inside the Actor’s Studio interviews, magazine puff pieces, and even making pseudo-IMDB pages (TMDb - The Movie Database):

https://ibb.co/gZ7nvG9

I can easily see this as a limited TV series somewhere, and I hope someone makes it.

[Owen Townend · Rating 4 out of 5]

An odd sextuple of underdogs solve the death of a one-time Hollywood A-lister.

The Six Sidekicks of Trigger Keaton is an offbeat murder mystery featuring martial artist actors who meet at the funeral of the titular Keaton, a martial arts actor styled on Chuck Norris with a cruel and criminal reputation. When Miles Nguyen, his most recent sidekick, applies crime-solving skills learned on-set, he draws Paul Hernandez, Terry Komodo and Tad Haycroft into an amateur murder investigation. Along the way they join forces with Richard Brannigan and Allison Sainte-Marie to make the six, and fight off a Stuntman War started by Keaton's career-long abuse of the professionals.

This comic book is a crime comedy blast featuring rivalries, a vintage car, Samoan enforcers and, of course, the truth behind Keaton's apparent suicide. The premise tickled and the quippy dialogue carried me through the perhaps drawn-out investigation. Starks writes some endearing character dynamics and Schweizer's angular cartoonish artwork serves this and even the choreography well. That being said, I am a little skeptical about the open ending. This collection feels like a one and done to me and any attempt to extend it could dilute the lively character development.

As it is, The Six Sidekicks of Trigger Keaton is suitably action-packed and a wonderfully endearing parody of Hollywood stars and the true legacy they leave behind. I recommend it to those who enjoy high kicks, clashing personalities and pop culture trends.

[Andy Hickman · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Six Sidekicks of Trigger Keaton
Undecided after the first issue but I resumed and I’m glad that I did. The humour was LOL. Very comical. When a megalomanic Chuck Norris type martial arts character dies several of his enemies are suspected of his murder.

#1 – Marshall Art! – “It’s HOLLYWOOD. You’re NEVER going to make it if you’re not willing to HURT someone.” – T.K.
…. “Trigger Keaton was an American icon .. Hell. He WAS America!” – Komodo. “He was an asshole. You saying that America is an ASSHOLE, Komodo?” – Allison
#2 – Sidecar! – “Jesus, Trigger, you don’t have to be such a jerk all the time.” – Skippy
#3 – Spaceboat! – “I swear, this set is full of f###tards and mental incompetents.” – T.K.
#4 – Frankenstein & Frankenstein! – “I’ll kill you, Keaton!” – Brannigan
#5 – Marshal Art(2)! – “ALL these guys killed Trigger? Like a stuntman Orient Express?” – Paul
#6 – Precinct Blues – “AND MAKE SURE YOU BRING THE RIGHT BEER TONIGHT!” – T.K.
Epilogue – Monkey Business & Trigger Finger & Trapped & The Actors Yurt & Terry Komodo biography. (Hilarious!!)

[TinySalutations · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was hilarious. If you can't handle crude humour, you probably won't like this. This was non-stop comedy, which was great, a lot of which was parody of 90s TV. My favourite part was the backmatter that contained mock Reddit threads. There were also mock articles, but the Reddit threads were so funny, because they were just so realistic. There's just always that jerk that responds to your honest question about how the scifi tech would work with "it's not real".... we know dude, not helpful, go be a downer somewhere else lol.

When I saw this cover I thought I wouldn't like it. I thought it would be gory or gross, which I'm not into. It's the giant dead guy feet. They should have gone with something more playful, less zombie, to reflect the storyline/tone. I ended up really liking it, which makes me wish they had changed the cover to better advertise what the story is really about. It was a recommendation, otherwise I may have passed it up after a look at the cover!

[Clint · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the great kind of wacky. A Chuck Norris-type TV actor who destroyed most of the shows he was on with his bad on-set behavior has recently died, and his various past co-stars team up to find an explanation for his supposed suicide. Each of their old shows is a pastiche of a different iconic genre show (Walker Texas Ranger, Knight Rider, and Babylon 5, among others) and I love how each one gets briefly revealed through old filmed clips or review write-ups or ads. They’re a charming group of misfits, and their memories of Keaton paint a hilarious image of a memorably awful coworker who nonetheless still holds some sway over them all in different ways. Schweizer draws the story in a colorful cartoony style that’s easy and fun to read.

[Benjamin]

Oy vey, I'm not looking forward to writing lengthy reviews in 2023, so:

How? Recommended by Christopher Farnsworth, an author I like.

What? 6 issues (so far) of boffo premise: world's most unlikable action movie star is dead, and his 6 sidekicks -- whose lives he variously ruined -- join together to prove it was murder.

Yeah, so? Unabashed nonsense fun, with Hollywood seemingly run by one big studio, a stuntman's guild that's our for blood, etc. Also, really gentle and moving portraits of people whose lives are on some variety of skids/downswing. But with an ending that-- well, they solve the mystery. So how can there ever be a second volume?

https://twitter.com/inCatastrophe/sta...

[Steven]

I wanted to like this book. It had some good reviews. And, there is a part of me that wonders if I were a younger reader I might find it better. It is relentlessly goofy (I mean that in a good way), and has some basic complexity to it, thanks at least to having a diverse cast of characters. But, in the end I felt myself sort of marching through it with no real connection. There are certain graphic novels that can punch you in the face (Ghost World), or have a staggering complexity to them (Watchmen), and I suppose it would be unfair to compare a book to the top things in the field, but I suppose what I'm saying here is that this book is more mildly amusing than it is top in the field. If you miss reading it, your life will not be less rich as a result.

[Holly Cruise · Rating 3 out of 5]

An action comic for sure!

This short series is a light and breezy read in which the six sidekicks (from six TV shows) of arsehole martial artist/actor Trigger Heaton team up to solve his murder. It's heavy on the fighting set pieces, which get more and more absurd and OTT as the book does on.

The art was very enjoyably dynamic and cartoony, and I mostly liked the characters, who were mostly well-drawn and distinct, with the possible exception of the token female character who a bit of an action hero manic pixies dream girl. The plot overall made no sense whatsoever, and the actual murder mystery was hampered by being far less ridiculous than everything else whilst also not being believable in the slightest.

A fun romp.

[Cale · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a blast to read, as six sidekicks (all of whom hated their former partner Trigger Keaton) nevertheless work with (and against) each other to figure out exactly why he died. The mystery isn't particularly deep, but it's the interactions between the characters that are central. Each one has their unique traits and personalities (Alison was definitely my favorite, but all of them have their moments), and their adventures as they stumble through the mystery, angering all sorts. It is laugh-out-loud funny on multiple occasions, and the action moments play out coherently and entertainingly. It's also a one-and-done, with the entire story wrapped up in one volume. All good things, and definitely worth a read.