The Tick Clings to Hope for Resurrection

Amazon is looking for its own piece of superhero pie! As a new season of pilots will eventually hit the web, amongst them will be a resurrection of the cult classic, The Tick. The comedy stars Patrick Warburton (Emperor’s New Groove, Family Guy) as a bumbly, broad-jawed superhero in bright blue, and the originator of the character, Ben Edlund, will be back as a writer and producer. The series aired on Fox in 2001 after three seasons of a successful animated series based on the same character ran in 1994. As with other Fox series, it was canceled too soon, airing only eight episodes.

Of course the success of the show is not guaranteed. Amazon is likely to release the pilot for free next year, along with other hopeful series, and will gauge interest based on views and comments. If it’s well received, Amazon can pick it up and it will be available through Amazon Prime Instant Video.

The Tick originated as a mascot for the New England Comic chain by Edlund, then just a fanboy, and the slacking superhero became popular in the area. The chain decided to fund a black and white edition in 1988 which gained mainstream attention.

Warburton excellently impersonates the Superman wannabe with his “see-through vision,” ability to fly, and even his career in newspaper journalism. Other classic superhero mockeries are likely to make cameos. There was Batmanuel, a Latino inspired Batman played by Lost’s Nestor Carbonell and the actual Superman-esque character called The Immortal, who has a massive heart attack while…ahem…entertaining Captain Liberty, who appears to be the female love child of Captain America and Wonder Woman.

It will be exciting to see how the series can develop within its budget. In 2001 there was much to be desired, but it also added to the quaint charm of the show. Hopefully, the writers can harness the qualities that made The Tick great, like the nods to other classic comic characters, the ability to not take itself too seriously while still providing an entertaining and compelling plot, and characters you care about.

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