Paul Jenkins, whose work in the super-hero genre is often critically and commercially successful, takes a few good-natured jabs at the genre in which he's worked for so long. Jenkins is a writer of intellect, as his past works have shown, so I was interested in what he might have to say about super-heroes by way of satire. Though Sidekick is entertaining, it never really rises above standard super-parody fare. What sets it apart from, say, Keith Giffen and J.M. DeMatteis's Justice League and Hero Squared material is the baudier nature of Jenkins's characters and script. It's diverting and cute at times, but ultimately, it doesn't leave me eager to see more in a second issue.
Eddie Edison is a pizza-delivery guy whose life is far from perfect. His job sucks, and his other job -- the one few people know about -- blows big time too. Eddie is secretly Superior Boy, sidekick to the invincible and all-powerful Mr. Excellent. The problem is that Excellent may be big in the brawn department, but the shelves are empty when it comes to intelligence. Despite the perk of having sex with the ignorant super-hero's hot wife, Eddie decides to find a new gig, approaching the city's other iconic heroes and adopting new sidekick identities as part of his pitches.
Moreno's cartooning style is well suited to the over-the-top tone of the script. Also appropriate are the bright, dayglo colors, which really engage the eye and reinforce the goofy nature of the story and characters. The costume designs are rather generic in tone, but I suspect that's entirely on purpose, so as to tap into the archetypes the creators wish to mock. There's a subtle hint of a Bruce Timm style in Moreno's work, but it's certainly not overwhelming.
The book's greatest appeal isn't as a parody of super-heroes, but as a sendup of the working man's frustration with the Boss. No, not Springsteen, but the Boss from Hell. We've all had bosses who were stupid, petty or downright abusive. It's easy to connect with Eddie on that level. I think the plot goes astray when we see Eddie try to break out of his submissive situation by entering into similar circumstances.
I think one of the book's greatest stumbling blocks is the fact that it doesn't seem to follow its own rules. Either Mr. Excellent identity is a secret or it's not. It makes no sense that he would have a multi-million-dollar merchandising empire of which his own sidekick would be ignorant. Who's the clueless one, Excellent or Superior Boy? I'm also at a loss as to why the other super-heroes announce to everyone but the sidekick of their decisions first and why the sidekick applies for four gigs without waiting for a response from each. The thought process isn't even given a goofy explanation. 6/10
