Prime Video’s 10-Year-Old Superhero Series Is Even Better Today

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One major problem with having so many superhero stories is that time moves quickly. What feels fresh and original today can become ordinary after about ten years, just because audiences have seen similar things over and over again.

As a huge movie fan, I’ve been thinking about how much Marvel’s changed. Back in 2016, Deadpool felt genuinely groundbreaking with its R-rating and self-aware humor. Doctor Strange blew my mind with its visuals and the way it played with the multiverse – I’d never seen anything like it. And Captain America: Civil War was smart, showing heroes actually clashing in a really complex way. But looking at those movies now, in 2026, they don’t feel quite as fresh. So many films have borrowed those ideas since then, and what was once innovative just feels…familiar.

Even though superhero shows often don’t stay popular for long, a Prime Video series from 2016 actually feels even more impactful today than when it first came out.

The Tick Was Brilliant In 2016, And It’s Even Better Today

With the huge popularity of superhero stories, we’ve seen a rise in adaptations that challenge the typical hero mold – think shows and movies like Watchmen, Joker, and The Umbrella Academy. But before these, there was The Tick, which first appeared as a live-action series in the 1980s. It playfully poked fun at more conventional superheroes, and the 2016 version continues that tradition.

Starring Peter Serafinowicz, known from shows like Spaced and Shaun of the Dead, The Tick perfectly blends exaggerated comedy with heartfelt characters, establishing the show’s overall feel. It’s delightfully silly, but always manages to keep you invested in the story and its people.

Beyond its comedic surface, The Tick explores surprisingly deep and thoughtful themes – even questioning the meaning of being a superhero. This introspective quality is similar to the tone of Michael Keaton’s Birdman, but with a superhero twist. The show has grown more sophisticated over time, and given the strange turn the world took in 2016, its subtle complexities feel even more relevant and impactful now than when it first came out.

One key reason the recent The Tick series has held up so well is the continued involvement of its original creator, Ben Edlund. He was an executive producer and writer for the Prime Video show, which is unusual – it’s rare for the person who first imagined a superhero to also help bring it to life on screen. This dedication to the original vision brings a genuine energy and lasting quality to the Prime Video version, making it stand out from temporary fads.

The Tick Was A Predecessor To Prime Video’s More Successful Superhero Parody

Image via Prime Video

When people hear about superhero parodies on Prime Video, many immediately think of The Boys, and for good reason. Eric Kripke’s show, based on the comic by Garth Ennis, has become incredibly popular, offering commentary on both the superhero genre and current political issues.

Both The Boys and The Tick brilliantly satirize the superhero genre, but also manage to tell surprisingly traditional superhero stories. The Boys actually builds on the foundation laid by The Tick three years earlier, sharing its playful mockery of superhero tropes, a dark twist on the Superman archetype (with Homelander and Superian as compelling rivals), and a perpetually bewildered sidekick character (like Arthur/Hughie). Interestingly, Valorie Curry appears in both shows. Ultimately, the two series are equally adept at both parodying and embracing the conventions of the superhero world.

While The Tick is definitely more eccentric, the popularity of Prime Video’s The Boys shows that Peter Serafinowicz’s unconventional superhero was actually quite forward-thinking. The Boys brought a new, edgy take on superheroes to a wide audience, but The Tick pioneered that approach years earlier – which explains why the 2016 series still feels fresh and relevant today.

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2026-02-12 01:20