Release Date: 8/7/07

The Show

Before the death of Saturday morning cartoons, there was a small window in the early 90’s that saw some very good modern classics. FOX had a number of these awesome animated series like X-Men and Batman. Tapping into comic books were the new way to go, and following that line of thought, The Tick seemed like an obvious choice to offset the more serious comic series with a biting and witty cartoon starring a not so bright blue costumed superhero.

As a parody of all things superhero, The Tick brought us a look at heroes that didn’t quite have it all together upstairs. At first, it might seem like sophomoric humor, but once you think about it, the more it makes sense. Much like The Tick, the villains he faces off against are just as zany. These guys and gals have ridiculous powers and if you can imagine living everyday like that, it has to bear on your mind a little to drive you over the edge of sanity. Some have stupid powers, all are ridiculously disfigured, and there’s even one guy with a chair for a head. It’s a breath of hilarious fresh air that was welcomed in the 90’s and is still a shining point for cartoons based on comics.

For the second season, the off the wall humor continued in fine form, if not transcending the level of comedy from the first season. Some of the more memorable episodes include Armless But Not Harmless as noted by the box art and Heroes, where the show spoofs the original reality show, COPS.

The 2-disc set includes 12 episodes from the second season, which will surely disappoint the fans, as there were actually 13 episodes (episode #15 is missing). A Play All option is included on each disc.
Disc 1
1. The little Wooden Boy and The Belly of Love
2. Armless But Not Harmless
3. Leonardo Da Vinci and His Fightin’ Genius Time Commandos!
4. Coach Fussell’s Lament
5. Bloomsday
6. Evil Sits Down for a Moment
7. Heroes
8. Ants in Pants!
Disc 2
1. The Tick Loves Santa
2. The Tick Vs. The Big Nothing
3. The Tick Vs. Reno, Nevada
4. Grandpa Wore Tights

The DVD

The main menu comes with a very nice animated background and music. Submenus contain music with static stills.

The video transfer is offered in 1.33:1 Fullscreen Format. While the art on the series was great, the video simply doesn’t allow you to enjoy it. There’s plenty here to gripe about, from the lack of detail, jittery compression issues, bleeding colors, and grain. There’s been no work done on these episodes at all, and it’s a shame.

The audio is offered in English Dolby Digital Stereo and French Dolby Digital Stereo. Like the video, the audio hasn’t been cleaned up. While it’s serviceable, there is a level of hiss and white noise that becomes increasingly annoying once you notice it. Subtitles are available in English and French.

The Extras

The 2-disc comes in a standard Amaray case with an extra flap to house the extra disc. It’s all encased within a glossy embossed slipcase. Aside from a disappointing “collectible” lithograph, we get nothing by way of bonus options.

Final Thoughts

Not much has changed since the first season’s release, so fans will be somewhat disappointed from The Tick Vs. Season Two. Short of having the episodes (not even the complete series is available here), the audio and video quality are sub par while the bonus options leave much to be desired. All things considered though, fans will pick this up regardless, while those uninitiated with the world of The Tick will find enjoyment from a rental.

- Morris Tang