Story by: Dan Didio and Kenneth Rocafort
Written by: Dan Didio
Letters by: Travis Lanham
Colors by: Dan Brown
Cover Price: $2.99
Release Date: February 27, 2019
Review by: Tony Walton
This is one book I always look forward to because I believe Derek has massive potential to be like a Jessica Cruz, Connor, Wally or even like a Starfire. Unfortunately, for the past year, all signs pointed to they had no clue what they were and wanted to do with Derek. He became the latest victim of new characters with no direction. Well, this is it, the last issue of Sideways, or is it? Can Dan Didio wrap this story to please Spider-Man, I mean Sideway’s fans? Let’s dig in and find out...
We start off with Tempus and some stranger in a cloak that we can presume is located in the Dark Multiverse spying on Derek and telling us how he really got his powers. Apparently, this hooded figure gave their powers to Derek so he can get out of the multiverse. I will give them this, if I was born yesterday, I would not have guessed that this hooded figure is actually Derek’s mom especially later when we see Derek open the door to meet his actual mom, it says that that scene is taking place now. Which can only tell us that what we just read took place either in the past or the future? We also get some dialogue with Tempus and this hooded figure, which felt like he needed to be there even though if you took him out of the scene, it would not have made a difference.
Later at Flynn’s household/ home of Derek James, Derek meets his mom who greets him in Spanish even. Which have no idea why Dan Didio didn’t put it in marks what she was saying especially how it was a good amount of Spanish? Derek and his foster dad greeted her back in English, and she talked more in Spanish. Obviously, she is not that bright, if they didn’t return what she said nor spoke Spanish back, why assume they would. She says some more stuff and still doesn’t realize that no one has any idea what she is saying. Not until Derek mentions that he doesn’t speak Spanish and his dad admits they never got around to teach him which isn’t his fault. He was never around to teach Derek anything. The last issue his dad wanted to make amends with Derek but this issue, he’s barely in it. Luckily Detective Hopkins calls to give them an update on the case just in time as his biological mother who left him years ago screams at his father for not teaching Derek Spanish.
We find out who actually “killed” Derek’s mom and this is somebody who I would not have expected. Even with the amount of TV that I watch. The killer is, the executive assistant! Unfortunately, when Derek caught up to her, he revealed his identity and she told us the reason why, I felt like I was reading a Scooby Doo comic, “I killed her for the promotion!” Feel like there was no creativity with this murder case. Derek rifts Sandy someplace we don’t know but knowing his anger, can only imagine wasn’t Disney World.
Later that week, Derek and Ernie meet up to see how things are, we get Ernie messing with the statue that looks like Derek’s mom and sees if he should join a team like the Seven Soldier, Teen Titans, or Young Justice. Which I really hope we see Derek on the Titans working alongside fellow young superheroes, increasing his skills. Derek takes Ernie by the hand and rifts her someplace but before going all the way through, his phone lights up and we see the screen of the text message that his mom sent the night that she died as he is looking at for quite a bit before reply that he misses her and loves her. As he rifts he gets a text from his mom saying she loves him too as we get a “The End?”. Why does it feel like almost every single canceled book, on the last issue we get a “?”?!
Bits and Pieces:
Well, this is it, the end of Sideways (or is it…). Well, I am sad to not read him once a month, I really hope we see him again. Maybe with someone, he seems like he could be a character you could excel on when pairing him up. Maybe with Blue Beetle, Duke, or if he has a dark side have him be an outlaw. The art really has been one of my favorite things in this series! If you don’t want to pick it up for the story, maybe pick it up for the art. It’s just sad that we never really got to know who Derek is, just a one-dimensional character.
4.3/10
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