Hello and welcome to Comic Drake, where I talk about comic books and my name is Drake.
One of the largest tropes in the entire genre of superheros is that of the sidekick, but
what exactly IS that?
I know sounds it like a dumb question, but I feel like the actual definition of sidekick,
isn't really that well defined.
So the Merriam-Webster dictionary defines a sidekick as “A person closely associated
with another as a subordinate or partner.”
and this is WAY too broad.
However it might be a good place to start.
So let's dive into this really weird question on a comic book channel, What even is a sidekick!?!
To find a proper definition of sidekick, it might be smart to start with what we can exclude
from the category.
First and foremost, I’d say that superhero sidekicks needs to be crime fighters themselves
first and foremost instead of just being a supporting ally.
Calling Alfred or Commissioner Gordon a sidekick to Batman just feels a bit off.
They certainly contribute to the hero’s mission, but they lack solid superhero identities
of their own and act more like resources.
Side note, we’re going to be referencing the Batman family A LOT in this video since
a lot of the best examples for this discussion come from his supporting cast.
Naturally, duos who are equal partners such as Hawk and Dove don’t have sidekicks since
they both work together through and through.
There are also family setups like the Fantastic Four and The Incredibles where sidekicks don’t
really exist.
Despite parental figures being the clear leaders, every member of the group is relatively equal
and calling any of them sidekicks also just feels… wrong.
Similarly, you have teams where everyone collaborates on the same level.
In something like the Justice League and The Avengers, there are certain characters that
appear to have more authority than others, but overall the heroes are presented and often
act as equals.
I think the X-Men perfectly bridge the gap between family and team with younger members
growing and taking on leadership roles as they become upperclassmen.
That being said, younger/newer members still feel like vital parts of the team as something
larger than merely a sidekick.
It’s also a lot of fun to watch teams like the X-Men and the Teen Titans grow, seeing
how young members help carry on and redefine the groups for new generations.
Young characters who start off as “The Kid” like Kitty Pryde are now all grown up and
leading teams of their very own.
Similarly, many members of the original Teen Titans now have their own Titans team with
the Teen variety being reconstructed in new and fun ways.
Then there’s also the supporting characters who assist the heroes while remaining independent
in many aspects.
A big reason for this is that these characters typically aren’t chosen by the hero and
usually become integrated into their group simply by repeatedly showing up and helping
out.
The ultimate example of this would have to be Barbara Gordon, both in her roles as Batgirl
and Oracle.
Her desire to help people pushed her to become a crime fighter separately and without any
involvement from Batman.
She also has a great solo career, but she’s a lot more integral his mythos as opposed
to an ally that’s a separate entity entirely like a Superman for example.
Her role as Oracle also helps better define characters serving the “Guy in the chair”
trope as more of supporting characters than sidekicks.
After all, it’s a bit weird for Punisher’s Micro and Arrow’s Felicity Smoak/Overwatch
to be considered sidekicks although they do perform supportive work and have their own
unique codenames.
Additionally, I’d like to say that when a sidekick grows into their own unique role
separate from the hero, like Dick Grayson transitioning from Robin to Nightwing, they
similarly transition from sidekick to supporting character.
Okay great, that excludes plenty of people, but that still doesn’t really tell us what
a sidekick IS, just what it ISN’T. To help get to the bottom of this, let’s look back
to when sidekicks were first introduced.
Some of the earliest sidekicks in literature are Robin Hood’s Little John and Sherlock
Holmes’ Dr. John Watson.
Although these characters fit into this role nicely, modern interpretations of the sidekick
morso originate in audio damas and pulp storytelling, both of which massively influenced the origins
of the superhero genre.
Don’t worry though, we’ll touch back on Little John and Watson later on.
In these pulp dramas, one of the earliest examples of a sidekick is Tanto from the Lone
Ranger all the way back in 1933.
He was followed up in comics by DC’s Wing in Detective Comics #20 in 1938 and Ebony
White in Quality’s “The Spirit” in 1940.
In all of these examples, it’s a bit hard to ignore that sidekicks in this era tended
to be racial stereotypes that acted in subordinate roles to the hero.
Which… yikes...
In mainstream superhero comics though, we got arguably the most iconic and well known
sidekicks of all time only a few years later with Robin’s introduction in 1940 with Detective
Comics #38 and Bucky Barnes one year later in Captain America Comics #1 in 1941.
I know that’s a lot of dates thrown at you all at once, but hopefully that helps establish
the timeline.
While Robin and Bucky aren’t racial stereotypes, you might notice that they are SIGNIFICANTLY
younger than the heroes they support and still often play a subordinate role.
From a historical standpoint, young characters like Robin and Bucky were introduced in order
for children, the main comic buying demographic, to have characters they could identify with.
This tradition has carried on to the present and while there are definitely some exceptions,
sidekicks are almost never older than the hero.
This age gap might not have been intended to become such a hard line, but it is difficult
to ignore that this difference helps cement that no matter what, a sidekick is supposed
to feel like a subordinate to the hero.
This can be further supported by observing young sidekicks grow.
As they get older, these characters tend to just feel more like partners instead of sidekicks
learning the ropes and relying on their mentor for guidance.
Generally when the hero still views their aging apprentices as simply a sidekick, it
causes friction and typically leads to the sidekick leaving in order to form their own
identity such as again, Dick Grayson becoming Nightwing and Roy Harper becoming Red Arrow...
or Arsenal depending on the continuity.
The difference in age also helps highlight something else I feel that a character needs
in order to be considered a sidekick.
They need to be bringing something to the table that the hero simply does not, even
if it’s just comedic relief.
I mean think about it.
If the sidekick is just a carbon copy of the hero then what’s the point?
In classic literature, Little John was a massive warrior.
Although Robin is generally considered to be a better fighter, John frequently acts
as muscle for the Merry Men and is typically second in command of the troupe.
In the case of Watson, it could be worth noting that writer Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, wanted
to make sure that there was a character the audience could relate to, but didn’t solve
the case themselves.
Watson was by no means an idiot, but he was definitely less intelligent than Holmes.
At the end of a Sherlock mystery story, there’s that “Aha!” moment where all is revealed,
generally showcasing the superior wit of the hero.
Watson, who had been along for the ride the whole time, knew all of the facts and asked
questions as a reader surrogate that Sherlock would immediately answer.
Now lets bring it back to comics and take a look at the Robins.
Each one of them adds and/or is straight up better at something than Batman.
Dick Grayson is a better acrobat.
Jason Todd is a better marksman and is willing to go over the line.
Tim Drake is a better detective.
And in the case of Damian Wayne, he’s a better fighter, but there’s also something
a bit unique.
You see, when Damian was first brought on as Robin, it was Dick Grayson that was in
the role of Batman and not Bruce.
This caused the dynamic of the duo to become slightly reversed.
Batman was the lighthearted one and Robin was the dark and brooding one.
Now if you combine that with how Tim Drake only joined Bruce because it was clear he
was off following the death of Jason Todd, it helps cements that the Batman/Robin relationship
is one of balance.
So with ALL of that said and done, what do I think makes a superhero sidekick?
They need to be directly chosen directly by the hero, they need to act in a subordinate
role, they need to actively fight crime with their own codename, and they need to directly
contribute something that the hero lacks.
So I’ve actually had this video on the back burner for quite a while since I didn't even
know what this topic would actually be about.
I mean if it’s just “What is a sidekick” I feel like that sounds a little bit hollow.
Maybe a better question is not “What is a sidekick?”, but rather “Why bother having
a sidekick in general?” and for that I really don’t know if i'm the best person to tackle
it.
So let’s pull out the Magic 8 Ball and see who we can have to educate us more on this
topic…
So It Goes?
He has like no subscribers, I don’t even know if that’s going to do much for us.
Eh whatever, means I don't have to write this next part.
Take it away So It Goes!
Hey Drake, thanks for letting me share my thoughts here!
Sidekicks clearly learn how to act and fight from the heroes, but the truth is these apprentices
also play an important role in pushing their mentors forward.
Similar to how raising children forces young parents to see things differently, Oliver
Queen is more mature and understanding today because he had heartbreaking experience of
catching his ward doing drugs.
Even someone like Wolverine, who has spent a solid chunk of his life brutally murdering
people, softens up when he has a sidekick to look after.
Now Drake, I know you already said X-Men don’t typically have sidekicks, but Wolverine is
also an Avenger, so he’s a special exception to the rules I guess.
Over the years, Logan has taken many young heroes under his wing, but it’s his relationship
with Jubilee that first showed how open and loving he could be.
Instead of just being a mindless animal who can slash through opponents for hours, he
can be incredibly nurturing and helps people around him grow in different ways.
It’s the relationship with Jubilee, someone Wolverine has no blood relation to, that helps
him understand how showcasing his soft side can be an asset instead of a liability.
Jubilee is an important character on her own who has grown into a vital member of the X-Men,
but her interactions with Logan allow audiences to remain constantly aware that this hairy
fighter, also has a heart of gold and is willing to do anything for the people he loves.
Contrast that hint of maturity with characters like Hal Jordan or Iron Man, heroes who sometimes
work with teams but don’t formally have their own sidekicks, and the behavioral differences
are immediately noticeable.
Both of these characters have certainly matured over the years and are secure in their leadership
positions, but the fact that they were never responsible for molding young heroes has allowed
them to be a bit more hot headed and reckless than some of their peers.
Sure, they’ve both made mistakes and carry trauma from their past, but for the most part,
these heroes still act in a generally happy-go-lucky fashion that has yet to be tapered down by
the harsh realities of fighting with a sidekick.
Batman and Captain America, on the other hand, are a bit more measured and solemn because
they’ve had partners sacrifice everything for their mission.
The dark memories of losing their partners, people they were responsible for keeping safe,
have weighed heavily on both heroes as they move forward with their lives.
While they have both taken new allies under their wings since the death of their former
partners, the loss sticks with them and impacts every decision they make.
Being a superhero is never easy, and it’s understandable for someone to want help as
they wage war on crime, but there are a lot of risks inherent in having anyone, especially
vulnerable children in need of mentors, join tat crusade.
On paper, sidekicks are nothing more than little heroes who fight crime alongside big
heroes.
But if you really dig deep, you can see that every sidekick plays a vital role in helping
their mentors mature and develop as a hero while they receive training of their own.
Well Drake, I hope I answered that question for you!
Please feel free to hit me up if you ever have anything interesting to discuss, but
for now, leave me alone so I can finish my own video.
Well hey maybe I can actually help with that!
If you guys want to see my opinions on why we need young heroes, then go check out my
part of the collaboration with So It Goes.
But if you like this video then why not consider subscribing or even watching another one?
I know this is little bit different from the normal content on my channel and if you're
new here, you might want to watch some of the other videos that are a bit more in line.
I’ll actually include a playlist with some of my favorites so maye give those a watch.
But anyway, I hope you learned a little something new and hopefully I’ll see you next time!