Review – 6 Sidekicks of Trigger Keaton #6 (Image Comics)

Publisher: Image Comics
Writer: Kyle Starks
Artwork: Chris Schweizer
Colour Assists: Liz Trice Schweizer
Release Date: 10th November 2021

And so we reach the end of the mystery, as our sextet of sidekicks finally track down the person responsible for the murder of the universally-despised Olympic-level asshole TV star, Trigger Keaton.

It’s clear that both Kyle Starks and Chris Schweizer have been having an absolute blast with this Image Comics series, playing around with some classic cheesy TV tropes, broad humour and wild fight choreography to create a thoroughly entertaining read. Anyone who’s familiar with either man’s previous work will know exactly what to expect from this one, and whether it’s snappy one-liners, impossible feats of hand-to-hand awesomeness or hilarious sound effects, this is pretty much all that any self-respecting Starks or Schweizer fan could hope for from the finale.

Once again, Schweizer delivers a masterclass with the artwork, eschewing unnecessary detail for energetic action scenes and note-perfect facial expressions. As you might expect, there’s a good amount of fighting in this finale, and Schweizer definitely doesn’t disappoint, bringing chunky impact, effects and a real sense of dynamism to the drama and humour-filled showdown.

As expected, Starks has more than a few cool ideas to throw in before we reach our conclusion too, with some absolute gems of dialogue and a grin-raising epilogue that teases the possibility of a return to this series somewhere down the line (count me in!) I’m not sure if it’s a personal thing or he’s just a legitimately funny dude (or maybe both?), but Starks’ sense of humour seems almost perfectly aligned with mine, making it pretty much impossible for me to read anything he writes or draws without a massive smile on my face.

It’s also worth drawing attention to the fantastic supplementary material that has punctuated each issue so far, with this final chapter featuring Trigger Keaton’s “TMDb” page and a brilliant retro-style toy advert. These have been a real treat all throughout this series, and it’s definitely going to be worth picking up the collected edition to see these gems collected together in the same place.

Honestly, this series has been an absolute blast from start to finish, something which was pretty much guaranteed given the pedigree of its two creators. If you’ve been here since issue one, then this conclusion is definitely not going to disappoint, and if you’re new to the series but enjoy hilarious dialogue, kung fu action and cheesy TV references, this series should be considered a must buy once the trade paperback hits shelves in January.

Rating: 4.5/5.

[PREVIEW ARTWORK – CLICK TO ENLARGE]