The Tick: Karma Tornado, The Complete Works

The Tick Comics

by Jackson Publick, Clay Griffith, L.C. Cheverett

THE KARMA TORNADO THE COMPLETE WORKS

256 pages. Contains all nine issues of this classic early Tick series!

Continuing our series of 'phonebook' trade paperbacks THE KARMA TORNADO THE COMPLETE WORKS collects all 9 issues of this classic Tick series in its massive 256 pages! Includes an all new editorial by Chris McCulloch, writer/artist of The Karma Tornado, The Tick animated/live action show's writer and creator of Adult Swim's The Venture Brothers.

Genres: Comics, Graphic Novels

256 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published January 1, 2009

Reviews

[Little Timmy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ya just can't beat the Tick for over the top Justice and adventure. Great funny and fun read. very recommended

[Adam Graham · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the second series of Tick Comics, collecting Karma Tornado 1-9 and Tick's Back -4 to -1, a lead up to the Big Blue Destiny series.

Issues 1-4 were written by Chris McCulloch and were meant to be set out of continuity for when Ben Edlund promised to return to continue on the Tick with Issue 13 when the cartoon was done. This never happened.

The first two issues featured the Tick competing in some intergalactic for unknown prizes. It was a surreal parody of stories like Secret Wars. Not as funny as Edlund's best, but still pretty good.

The next two have Tick sidetracked on his way home by a space monkey and the fantastic Galactus parody Nigh Omniputus as Tick becomes his personal assistant until realizing he's up to no good. The story ends on a cliffhanger which is never resolved.

Issue 5 begins completing ignoring the last four issues as Clay Griffith goes on a comic tour de force, with some pretty solid satire. In Issue 5, he features the, "League of Justly Compensated Heroes." Issue 6 makes fun of politics and media coverage in "Mr. Tick Goes to Washington" which leans a little left but not too far in its parody. Issue 7, "The Night of the Living Tick" is a great horror comic parody. Issue 8, "C-Spandex" has Tick signed to a variety of roles on a Superhero TV network.

Then Griffith left and we were left with LC Cheverett to close out the series with the mostly unfunny, "Tick's Life in the Day" which seems like typical sitcom fare and unfunny sitcom fare at that.

The Comet Club one-page stories were mostly okay, but sometimes slightly underdeveloped. The four Tick's back stories are short 4-6 page stories that feature the Tick and are of mixed quality.

Overall, there's some solid issues. Issues 5-8 are my favorite, but I wouldn't discount 1-4 either.

[Brendan Hough · Rating 5 out of 5]

Eye read 2017
10/10 what can i say, i love the tick XD

[Shaun Phelps · Rating 4 out of 5]

Generally fun and a little frustrating. This series was intended to occur outside of the continuity, while somewhat in canon while Edlund worked on the tick cartoon. Then this storyline ends abruptly with issue five as Edlund took McCullough to assist with the show. While the comic continues to be fun overall this book is a challenging collection of unfinished stories that becomes smatterings of short stories injected randomly in the timeline without rhyme or reason.

[Jessica · Rating 4 out of 5]

a bit of a mixed bag. the first ones are okay, but then the middle/late ones are fantastic. overall great fun.

[Matt · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a collection of The Tick comics published after Ben Edlund left to work on the animated series. They're still lots of fun. The first few are written by Chris McCulloch, aka Jackson Publick who went on to create the Venture Bros.