Six Sidekicks of Trigger Keaton
Writer: Kyle Starks
Artist: Chris Schweizer
Publisher: Image Comics
Something that is regularly frustrating about Marvel and DC comic books are how beholden each title is to their wider universe.
Even worse is when the two publishers’ realise after a couple of issues that a limited series is a major hit, and decide to commission additional issues, or even turn the limited series into an ongoing title. Story structures are stretched, superfluous material gets added, pacing gets destroyed, additional creators are needed, and excellent quality work quickly devolves into mediocrity.
Thank God for Indie publishers. They manage avoid this pitfall by creating stories that adhere to basic narrative structure (crazy, right!), with stories told as planned by their creators. Even their ongoing series tend to break for a couple of months, factoring in time to allow creators to be able to draft ideas for their work, before putting their heads down to write and draw the final product.
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In addition to ensuring the right results creatively, it’s also a wise sales strategy. Readers can be far more confident when picking up an indie trade that it’s going to tell a story with a beginning, a middle, and an ending, and that the quality isn’t going to radically dissipate after the first two issues of a ten issue book.
‘Six Sidekicks of Trigger Keaton’ is a mystery, the exact type of story that requires meticulous planning to steadily reveal its story, and keep readers intrigued while they ponder the possibilities in-step with the characters. It follows six one-time sidekicks of ex-movie and television star Trigger Keaton, as they join forces to try to uncover who murdered their bitter-and-twisted former collaborator. As they search for the killer, they also seek to understand the negative path he placed each of them upon, and uncover the will they need to revitalise their unexceptional lives.
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And it’s funny. As a mystery, ‘Six Sidekicks’ is focused on a murder with countless suspects, with no one really genuinely caring whether or not it’s solved given their overwhelming disdain for Trigger Keaton. It successfully introduces readers to a fun ensemble of new characters with little in common apart from their respective entertainment work with the murder victim. They’re the only ones willing to attempt to solve the murder (immediately written off as a suicide by disinterested police) due to, really, a lack of anything better to do.
Their lack of genuine care for the solution to the murder is explored through flashbacks to the abuse and mistreatment they each received from Trigger. As wild action and dangerous hijinks ensue, the former strangers bond over their shared trauma and become friends, and readers will find themselves hoping that they just forget about the case and head out for a beer and pizza.
Without spoilers, the story ends with a very satisfying conclusion, a deserved reward for any reader willing to take a chance on it. Highly recommended.
Want more of 2021’s greatest comics? Visit Amazon to purchase the full length ‘Best Comic Books of 2021’ book or eBook. It contains 45 detailed essays reviewing the year's best comic book titles.
After more comic book news and reviews? The Sea Shell mobile app is available worldwide as a free download on the App Store and the Play Store. Download it today.