3 out of 5

The Tick is so conceptually hilarious, I’m not sure why the show itself leans toward being a snooze.  The cartoon was on at about that era when I was watching these things before or after school, and either due to a conflict with another show or a run for a bus, I recollect it always being something of an ordeal to get to see it.  Oddly, I remember a similar feeling even then, though – that I really thought the idea was a gas, but when I would catch the episodes, it seemed like I had already watched it.  And therein lies the catch, methinks: that The Tick is sort of one long gag.  The show aims to be the animated version of superhero cartoons that Police Squad! was for police dramas – a parody of the genre, but one where no one is in on the gag.  It’s my favorite form of humor, because it can be smart or biting without malice (malice is fine, it’s just “easy” with comedy, whereas the satire route can be trickier and more rewarding).  I can’t quite pinpoint why Police Squad! makes my laugh like crazy but The Tick only ever makes me smile, but it seems rooted in the presentation: The Tick is absurd, but the cartoon hero medium is already absurd.  With creator Ben Edlund co-scripting almost every episode, the show maintains its creativity and intelligence, and the cartoon voice stalwarts who pop-up do a great job with every character.  From afar, this jokey take on the hero is a bucket of laughs, but the deadpan humor combined with over-the-top characters tends to wear thin pretty quickly.