When we last we saw the Black Terror, he was being held captive by a bunch of cult hippies experimenting with powers beyond their control. This time around, Black Terror takes another backseat to someone slightly less crazy, his sidekick. Writer Max Bemis (Moon Knight) and artist Ruairi Coleman (Kiss/Army of Darkness) take us on a hilarious journey to tell the complicated backstory for a sidekick named… Tim.
Tim is impatient, annoyed, and flustered. He’s a superhero sidekick born with memories of a life he hasn’t lived yet. The hysterical part is no one believes him or even really cares. Despite the setback, Tim perseveres as part of a teen troupe that fights crime on a lower scale than the big wigs like Black Terror. When an incident occurs involving some of his fellow team members, he and Black Terror start busting down doors around town in search of suspects.
I love the unorthodox style of storytelling that Bemis has given us with three issues already in the can. The third issue, in particular, feels like a cross between Mark Millar’s Kickass and the Adam West Batman series. Sidekick Tim is Syndrome from The Incredibles if he had actually been a smart and tough badass. The funnier thing about Tim is he comes off a lot tougher than Black Terror, even though he’s the sidekick.
Unlike the previous issue where Black Terror sat on the sidelines, Bemis has him tag along with Tim as they hunt down the bad guys. The chemistry between the two, while brief, is pretty genuine and they share some very funny moments. In addition, the book is filled with Easter eggs and homage moments to different iconic superhero duos like Batman and Robin, Big Daddy and Hit Girl, and even the Mystery Men.
Ruairi Coleman
You can tell that Coleman had a lot of fun drawing this book. His style channels Ryan Ottley, which is ironic given this is a superhero story. He has a very good distinction for facial and character designs and there’s a lot in this issue. One of my favorite pages in this issue sees Tim and Back Terror eating lunch up on a high rise building discussing a case.
The Verdict
Black Terror #3 was a fun read. Hopefully we get to see Tim again in the future. Seeing how none of the issues really connect to one another, one can only wonder what awaits our hero in the next installment. Bemis and Coleman work well together. I hope they create a series that features more team-ups with Tim and Black Terror. Maybe we could even get a Tim and Black Terror and Batman and Robin crossover. One can only dream.
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