REVIEW: ‘Six Sidekicks Of Trigger Keaton,’ Issue #1

Six Sidekicks of Trigger Keaton #1 is written by Kyle Starks, illustrated by Chris Schweizer, and colored by Liz Triece Schweizer. It is published by Image Comics under the Skybound Entertainment banner. When actor and martial artist Trigger Keaton is found dead, his six former costars are brought back together as they attempt to solve the suspicious circumstances behind Keaton’s death. Complicating matters is the fact that each one of Keaton’s sidekicks is struggling with their own problems and Keaton’s long history of physical and verbal abuse behind the scenes.

The concept of the book is a genuinely unique one, and right in Starks’ wheelhouse. Starks launched a similar book for Image/Skybound titled Assassination Nation, which saw multiple assassins hired to protect a mysterious benefactor. Trigger Keaton contains a similarly eclectic group of characters, including actor-turned-nurse Paul Hernandez; brash fanboy Terry Komodo; Tad Havcroft, who voiced a talking car in one of Keaton’s projects; NFL player-turned-struggling actor Richard Brannigan; former martial arts prodigy Allison Sainte-Marie; and Keaton’s current co-star Miles Nguyen. The interplay between the six sidekicks is laced with humor and tragedy thanks to Starks’ scripting; Komodo wears on everyone’s nerves, Paul just wants to live a normal life, and Richard is struggling with a rapidly spiraling career. Miles is the only one who seems to want to solve the case, putting his skills to work, and soon drawing the others into the case, starting with Paul.

Starks also wears his influences on his sleeve, as the comic makes multiple shoutouts to various TV programs and the actors within them. Keaton himself is obviously a take on Chuck Norris, complete with cowboy hat and beard, and the Schweizers drawing him with a trademark swagger similar to Norris’s. Much like Norris, Keaton stars in a show called Marshall Art, a clear homage to Walker: Texas Ranger. Other shows, including Star Trek and Knight Rider, also get clever shoutouts. What I appreciate about the scripting here is that the shoutouts are fairly easy to decipher, yet also very clever and don’t distract from the main story.

The Schweizers perform art duties for the issue, lending a rather animated style to the proceedings. Each character is built differently; Komodo has the beer belly and Hawaiian print shirt associated with men of a certain age, while Richard is well put together and impeccably dressed-a front for hiding the various issues he’s dealing with. Each one of the six sidekicks is introduced with their name and number in a different colored font, with Chris Schweizer also inserting snippets from various TV guides and newspaper articles that detail their rise and fall along with Keaton’s. I highly suggest paying attention to these cutouts, as they may possibly hold a clue to the identity of Keaton’s murderer.

Six Sidekicks of Trigger Keaton #1 takes a darkly comedic approach to the world of syndicated television, setting up a mystery and a cast of eclectic characters along the way. If you watched TV during the ’90s, or enjoy oddball mysteries in the vein of Chew, then this comic is worth a read.

Six Sidekicks of Trigger Keaton #1 is available wherever comics are sold.