REVIEW: The Tick, Amazon Prime Series, Not For General Audiences!

Griffin Newman and Peter Serafinowicz

With Marvel and DC enjoying relative success these days in both movies and television, it's no surprise the age of superheroes (and their respective villains) is dominating popular culture. Just look at online photos of the various attendees of San Diego ComiCon for more than the last two decades. But one aspect of this genre/medium that doesn't get talked about a whole lot is the difference between heroes with superpowers and those who just dress up. It's the latter that makes a character like the Tick so enduring.

Initially created as a comic book series created by Ben Edlund in 1986, the Tick is a satire of superheroes, with a lean, muscular physique contrasted with a dimwitted-yet-determined personality. The character found his way on T.V. in the early-Nineties with the animated show, featuring NBC-"Must-See T.V." announcer Townsend Coleman as the voice of the famed blue bug. Later, in the early-2000s, a short-lived live-action version on Fox starred "Seinfeld"-veteran Patrick Warburton. This time around, British actor Peter Serafinowicz (Shaun of the Dead, Guardians of the Galaxy) takes up the mantel and the aforementioned personality in a more grounded-in-reality setting, whereas the previous adaptations relied on over-the-top humor.

What this new Amazon Prime series does, interestingly, is tell it from the point of view of his eventual sidekick, Arthur (Griffin Newman). A financial advisor, who also moonlights as a private eye, believes that a sinister plan is underway in the city. Furthermore, this city has forgotten its superheroes (of whom Arthur was a fan, and who apparently haven't been around for years). One night, he meets a mysterious figure, a hulking and ridiculous "superhero" who simply calls himself "the Tick," who encourages him to accept what"destiny" (whatever that may be) called him to: a hero and a sidekick. "You've got the brains. I've got the 'everything else'," the big blue bug tells the nervous Arthur. But (according to the pilot episode, at least), is the Tick actually real, or is he just a figment of Arthur's conflicting imagination?

The Tick's animated counterpart

The tone of this series works from the get-go. The pilot, which was first shown on Amazon Prime during a streaming series last year, is one of the best I've seen in a while, and each episode ends on a cliffhanger (perhaps a bit much, along with the respective half-hour running times). Nevertheless, the meta humor and silly narration helps make the show a riot.

The themes of normal, everyday people (not just "superheroes") making a difference in the world and finding their true calling shine through here. It could even be argued that the Tick is something of a voice of reason. "I'm the you you've always wanted to be." He adds, "You're not going crazy. You've gone sane in a crazy world." It's also interesting that there's some mystery to who the Tick is, including his lack of knowledge about where he came from and where he lives, other than he's called to fight. ("Destiny called, Arthur.")

I grew up with the blue bug on Saturday mornings with other lesser-known characters like Bobby Generic and "Eek!" the Cat. As a kid, it was easy for me to look at him as a silly superhero. In retrospect, the character and premise could never be more, shall we say, fitting, especially since so many movies and T.V. shows have taken darker routes (which this version does, at times). Moreover, the Tick represents the kind of character much needed in this difficult day-and-age.

Peter Serafinowicz

But while Serafinowicz's committed take is hilarious and Newman helps genuinely ground the show in reality, most of the circumstances and villains they encounter are anything but. While certainly no Batman v Superman, the serious elements this show gets into are still surprising, and not in a good way.

Sadly, the writers chose to have characters, like the angsty villainous Ms. Lint, shout several harsh profanities (some of them f-words!). There's also brief but graphic images of violence and blood splatter, courtesy a mercenary aptly named Overkill. "Murder," the Tick tells Arthur, "it's just not cool." Indeed, while the Tick's character and actions run contrary to, say, Deadpool's, almost "everything else" in this show could be a distant cousin of the infamous "Merc with a Mouth".

And it's these elements that put this show out of bounds for what could have been a more general audience. I, for one, was really looking forward to it.