Peter Serafinowicz as the titular character in The Tick. Photo courtesy of CNET.
“This is an epic tale ripe with destiny, adventure, blood-loss, and good against evil!”
If that quote alone doesn’t make it obvious, Amazon’s new show The Tick assures us that this satirical tale is one of classic heroism, filled to the brim with self-aware wit, and is the timely superhero satire we didn’t know we needed. Amazon’s take on the property was created by Ben Edlund (Supernatural, Revolution)—the original creator of the titular character back in 1986—and is lead by Peter Serafinowicz (Guardians of the Galaxy, Shaun of the Dead) who plays The Tick himself. The 10-episode series will premiere on August 25th, and will be available for Amazon Prime members on their streaming service.
The Tick takes place in it’s own golden age of superheroes, where these people have been real and active for decades. Arthur Everest, played by Griffin Newman (Vinyl), is an accountant—a boring job in an such exciting world. Arthur’s obsession with his tragic past brings him to realize that there may be a huge conspiracy theory in motion led by a super-villain. It’s during Arthur’s investigation that he has his first run in with the mysterious new superhero, The Tick!
Griffin Newman as Arthur Everest (left), and Peter Serafinowicz as The Tick (right). Photo courtesy of Amazon.
The Tick is based on a New England Comics character created by Ben Edlund (Supernatural, Revolution) in 1986. Originally created as a mascot for a local comic book store, the character exploded in 1988 when he received his own comic line. From there he went off to star in his own Saturday morning cartoon in 1994 on Fox, that lasted for three years. In 2001, the character received a live-action television show. This attempt however, only lasted a short nine episodes.
If you have a love of superheroes, and their hold on the media in general, this show is right up your alley. The show expresses a love of the golden age of heroes, while being able to poke fun at the genre as a whole. Based on the recent trailer and the first episode, the show certainly has charm and consistent laughs. They seemingly haven’t missed the mark with the casting of Peter Serafinowicz. The Tick himself is a satirical amalgamation of superheroes as a whole, and Serafinowicz does the role flawlessly, perfectly displaying his goofy childlike charisma.
Jackie Earle Haley as the The Terror in The Tick. Photo courtesy of IndieWire.
The first episode of this new series has been available for a year now, having premiered on Amazon’s streaming service last August. So if you want to see what you may be in for by August 25th when the whole series hits, the first 30 minutes should be a good indication.
On August 25th, destiny—or Amazon—is calling. As Tick would tell his partner:
“Destiny’s on the line Arthur. Accept the charges.”
