Prime Video's The Tick: two-season sci-fi reboot hailed as best TV outing

Ben Edlund’s offbeat sci-fi superhero satire began as a comic shop mascot in 1986 and grew into a 1988 comic series with an eclectic cast of allies and foes. Edlund later wrote for shows like Supernatural, Angel and Firefly, but The Tick remains his boldest, most eccentric creation and has been adapted several times, from Fox’s 1994 animated series to a short-lived 2001 live-action version.

The Tick himself is an unusual hero: perpetually in a blue costume, without memory or an origin, yet possessing super-strength and invulnerability. He lives with his sidekick Arthur, a nervous former accountant in a moth suit, and balances naive childlike energy with oddly elegant, often philosophical quips — lines like “Am I never naked… Or am I never not naked?” and “The key to successful falling lies in realizing you are a falling person” capture that mix.

Prime Video’s 2016 adaptation, starring Peter Serafinowicz as The Tick and Griffin Newman as Arthur, leaned into more mature content and darker satire.

the tick, prime video, ben edlund, peter serafinowicz, griffin newman, arthur, superhero satire, comic series, 1994 animated, 2001 live-action