The Tick: Specials by Sean Wang

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


The Tick Specials is a sprawling Seventeen Comic collection chocked full of Big Blue goodness as we're given several Tick Yule Log specials and Halloween specials as well as specials for other seasons such as "Summer" and "Tax Time."

The first seven issues in the book are my favorite. All of them are very self-contained stories without the trappings of comic book continuity. We have a short with Arthur trying to teach the Tick about Hanukkah, Arthur going to Sidekick Summer Camp, old Tick foes Barry Hubris and Chainsaw Vigilante teaming up (and eventually battling it out), the Tick and Arthur in a haunted house, and the has the Tick trying to teach the true meaning of Christmas to a stranded alien overlord. It some ways it reminds me of the cartoon series.


The second half of the book is not bad, but has some problems. The first seven specials of the year 2000 (Big Ydear 2000 Spectacle, Tax Time Terror, Mother's Day Special, Father's Day Special, the two massive Summer Vacation Spectacles, and the Big Cruise Ship Vacation special are essentially another ongoing series masquerading as a series of specials and the last issue leads into the Tick Color series. There are strengths and weaknesses in the series. The Father's Day Special with Kid Tick is hilarious and the idea of criminals making rules with heroes in the Summer Time spectacles is hilarious and very clever. The Year 2000 special was a little hard to follow and the Mother's Day special was a bit odd.

The book closes with a hilarious Halloween special with the Tick battling killer Pumpkins, and then an okay Yule Log special with the male members of the Tick's superhero team on vacation. It's okay but ends a bit weird.

Overall, this is one of the better Complete works books with a lot of fun. If you're wanting to keep right with continuity I'd recommend purchasing this one after Big Blue Destiny but before the Tick and Arthur. Overall, this is a very nice collection for fans of our big blue hero.



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