Sideways #13 // Review
The end is here, Kenneth Rocafort and the one and only Dan DiDio close out this final of the title for the young hero with an unfortunate wimper. With an abundance of untapped potential, this hero never found his importance and over place in the DC Universe at large. From teen with a YouTube channel to interdimensional traveling hero, the possibilities were nearly endless. As the ‘New Age of Superheroes’ line seemingly crumbles and falls to the wayside, Sideways is yet another unfortunate victim in this long line of cancellations.
This finale was a disjointed and underwhelming mess, from the ‘secret origin’ of Derek’s power being teased to his birth mother deciding to show up on the very last issue, this series is officially letting the sharks jump over it. Whether editorial or poor planning around its cancellation, not to mention Dan DiDio being a part of this series, it should have never even gotten to this point. Instead of a swan song to send off and fondly remember the titular hero by, readers are subjected to a half hearted “k bye” from the publisher himself.
Having Rocafort pencil the final issue, for it to be a poorly paced and rushed ending is yet another slap in the face to the waste of potential that is Sideways. Rocafort brings his beautiful signature work to the table, albeit its use is unfortunately uneventful and anticlimactic, to say the least. With concepts thrown at the reader of things that were assumed to be what would have came next, brought this final chapter down another peg and making it even more incoherent. The time Rocafort spent away from the series, stands as another detriment to the series as it lost steam while the quintessential artist of the series remained absent for multiple issues at a time. As the line of books had been sold as an artist driven line, allowing those key artists to leave those particular books appears far from lucrative.
With the proposition of Sideways returning, as teased by the “cliffhanger” ending, this series has suffered every cliché imaginable with these last few issues as it makes its way toward death’s door. Without any greater responsibility to go along with his great power, this Spider-Man pastiche remains unrealized and ultimately unimportant as he is indefinitely shelved. All the potential in the world couldn’t save this character if the creators don’t actually seem to care.
