You think Christmas is the favorite time of year for kids? Get real. It's June, man, the end of the academic year. So it makes sense for J. Torres to deliver a new Sidekicks one-shot centered around the summer antics of the student body of a super-hero school. This book lives up to its title. There's not much in the way of plot, really, but it's remarkably easy to see oneself in one or more of these unusual teens. The real strength of the book, though, is its visual diversity. Employing artists with radically different styles for each of the sequences was a great move.
School's out for the summer, and the kids from Shuster Academy have plans as varied as their super-powers. Garth bemoans the fact that he has to go and visit his grandmother, thereby missing out on the fun his pals plan to have at the ultimate summer concert: Onipalooza. Meanwhile, summertime means visits to the beach and pools, and that requires the latest in swimwear fashions. So the girls heads to the mall to get all decked out. Some find, though, that their insecurities make for some difficult fitting sessions.
Scott Morse's artwork marks a surprising sequence in the book, one that boasts such a radical shift in tone and genre that it makes for a pleasantly dizzying effect. By the end of the scene, it makes sense in the context of the story and property, but it's a delicious tribute to the Warner Bros. cartoons of yesteryear, notably those featuring Wile E. Coyote. It boasts a wonderful energy and sense of humor.
Norton's to be commended for making a clean transition in the middle of the girls' shopping activities. He takes over from Mike Wieringo toward the end of the scene, and while one can clearly distinguish between the two artists' styles, it's not a jarring shift, not in the least. Rolston's work is fun as well. He conveys the bravado and energy of teenage boys quite clearly, but he doesn't sacrifice the lighter tone of the book. His stuff here isn't as edgy as what we saw in Pounded and Mek, but the characters and the scenario do play to the artist's strengths.
The most interesting sequence in the book is the changing-room scene. Get yer mind out of the gutter, you sickos; it has nothing to do with teenage girls trying on swimsuits. No, the interesting aspect is how the girls' insecurities and questions about puberty come out naturally, given the circumstances. It's the only scene in the book that really says something about the characters.
