DC Comics reviews for 2/14/18
Sideways #1
Sideways was facing an uphill battle. Of all the New Age of Heroes, it seems the most likely to be labeled a rip-off of another character on first glance. But for those willing to give it a chance, rest assured that despite the high school setting, this is no Spider-Man wannabe. And already looks like another winner from DC.
Derek is a regular teenager who had the misfortune of being in Gotham during the mountain incident from Dark Nights Metal. After a yet to be detailed incident, he gained powers to open rifts that give him teleportation powers and some degree of invulnerability.
Writers Dan DiDio and Justin Jordan manage the most challenging aspect of any teen focused book — not sounding like adults attempting to sound like teenagers. That’s so important in making Derek and his friends sound authentic. That definitely rings true in the sequence when Derek live streams as Sideways in a very funny sequence.
[irp]
There’s some other refreshing aspects to the book as well. Derek has already told his best friend/potential future love interest Ernestine about his identity. Ernie appears to be an aspiring costume designer and whipped up his outfit. But Ernie has a twin sister, which could lead to some fun mix-ups down the road. Derek is also adopted, which should also lend itself to some unique story options as it relates to his parents.
Kenneth Rocafort handles the art and this is already a great fit for his style. Rocafort tended to make the Red Hood and the Outlaws characters look a little too young, which isn’t a problem for high school students. He adds such a vibrancy to regular pages that there’s a nice sense of energy and movement throughout. Daniel Brown’s color work complements the art really well.
I’m excited about this one as it seems to have a lot of potential. Hopefully DiDio, Jordan and Rocafort can keep the fun going. With such a wide open character, the only real problem will be their imagination and getting readers to give it a try. It’s definitely worth taking a look and falling for Sideways.
Rating: 9.5 out of 10