Written by: Mark Waid
Art by: Peter Krause
Publisher: IDW
Sidekicks are an integral part of superhero stories, but have you ever considered what would happen if these sidekicks became arrogant jerks? Would Batman simply backhand Robin, or would Barry Allen travel back in time to stop Wally West from becoming Kid Flash? Well, Mark Waid aims to explore this mentor/sidekick dynamic in a new way with the comic Insufferable, and issue #1 is does a great job establishing a universe in which a sidekick tries to leave his mentor’s shadow in a very rude and upsetting way.
Insufferable #1 is set in the town of St. Barrington, a place protected by the hooded hero Nocturnus. Now, Nocturnus is known to be more of the old guard that can still stop criminals, but the Ben-Gay jokes are evidence that these criminals are less fearful of him. Unfortunately, the other hero in town is a cocky young kid named Galahad, who is more obsessed with social media, getting girls, and posing for GQ. As Insufferable explains, Galahad used to be Nocturnus’ sidekick, but he left after years of feeling disrespected. Plus, Galahad also happens to be Nocturnus’ son, which adds a whole other dynamic to the strained relationship.
Much of Insufferable #1 follows Galahad and Nocturnus as they go their own separate ways and live vastly different lives, but the beginning does serve as a helpful introduction to the characters. A vicious criminal named Fossor has kidnapped a young girl and is live streaming her burial while trying to raise money for her release on the Internet. Of course, Nocturnus is there to stop the criminal, with some help from Galahad, but the whole situation changes once the media arrives at the crime scene. Galahad stops acting helpful towards Nocturnus and immediately turns back into the arrogant jerk.
After this helpful introduction, Insufferable #1 provides a fascinating look at Galahad’s inner workings. Despite a media friendly outer appearance, Galahad is nothing more than a spoiled child. This is evidenced by the moment when he takes to an Internet forum to argue about himself under an anonymous name. He insults Nocturnus and the commenter at the same time while “defending” his honor on the forum. Galahad is the perfect example of an Internet troll with the minor exception of possessing impressive hand-to-hand combat skills.
Insufferable #1 is by far one of the more fascinating and entertaining starts to a superhero saga. Both Galahad and Nocturnus appear to be interesting characters, despite the lack of provided knowledge. Plus, the world of St. Barrington looks to be an interesting place with more areas to learn about. Of course, no good comic is complete without impressive art, and Peter Krause provides some of the best. The world of Insufferable is darker and gritty, but it doesn’t appear to be depressing. Krause also does an impressive job alternating color schemes between the partying life of Galahad and the more realistic and subdued life of Nocturnus.
Insufferable looks like it will be a continuously entertaining story that explores the dynamics of superhero teams. Hopefully, the story keeps the intensity level higher and the plot interesting as the issues continue. Seriously, this mentor/sidekick relationship is downright fascinating.
