A little while back, one of my favorite comic book series came to an end.
I used to describe this series as "my favorite discovery of the past several years," or something like that. However, now that it's all over, and it's been a little bit since the end, I can definitely say that this is one of my favorite comics book series that I've ever read.
The series in question is/was called "The Quick and the Dad," a one-creator-show independently published by writer/artist/etc Ken Holtzhouser under his "Questionable Literature" imprint. At present, you can find every issue of the series (and some collected volumes) in print or digital form at IndyPlanet.com.
"QATD," as I refer to it, is a lighthearted superhero sitcom-style affair, with slightly "cartoony" art selling the mood, and charming characters brimming over the panel borders of every page. In the words of Ken himself, it's a "post-adolescent fantasy," about a middle-aged father who feels he's losing touch with oldest son.
That mid-life moper soon discovers that his son is simply busier than usual because he is secretly operating as the city's greatest superhero! So, to catch up on lost time, Dad "offers" to become his son' super-heroic sidekick!
I say "offers" because the son isn't offered much choice in the matter for various reasons. Hilarity, as they say, ensues, but so does HEART. That's one thing that I want to get across very clearly, here: this series has more HEART than almost any superhero comic book I can remember.
In this final issue, the story picks up from the main character's wedding, which was of course interrupted by a super villain! Yes, it's a time-worn trope. But, this being QATD, the trope doesn't play out the way it usually does in all those other comics. I won't spoil it, of course, but suffice to say, things are resolved in a way that very much fits the tone of this series.
As I said up in the title of this post, "All Good Things Must," and if they must, may they all have a chance to end as well as this one did. All I can say is that if you're looking for something fun in the superhero genre, packed with characters you can actually like, and with stories that leave you smiling, then go to that link above and grab every single issue of this series, okay?
And ya know, I COULD have made this post all about the first part of the big wedding story, you know: the issue where I make an actual cameo appearance as a guest at the ceremony. But I didn't. If that's not proof that this is one of my favorite comic book series I've ever read, then I don't know what to tell ya.
One more time: follow this link IndyPlanet.com and go buy this entire series, eh?
