Before The Boys, Prime Video Made A Superhero Series That's Finally Coming To Netflix

Superhero media has defined both feature-length releases and the TV landscape for the last few decades, especially when it comes to streaming series. Given its saturation, satire was inevitable, and for many, Amazon Prime dominated that arena the moment that The Boys arrived in 2019. Netflix tried to compete with hits like The Umbrella Academy and lesser-known gems like The Guardians of Justice, but no dissection of superhero stories has resonated like Butcher’s battle against Homelander.

Fortunately for Netflix subscribers, Prime Video’s penchant for superhero satire will soon be available to them. However, it’s not The Boys crossing sides in the streaming wars, but a lesser-known yet equally impressive, if arguably even better, series from back in 2016. That show is The Tick, the larger-than-life superhero comedy that proved Prime Video could deliver sharp, subversive takes on comic book tropes years before The Boys.

Based on cartoonist Ben Edlund’s beloved series, The Tick follows the adventures of the impossibly optimistic blue superhero Tick (Peter Serafinowicz) and his reluctant partner Arthur (Griffin Newman) as they uncover a conspiracy involving a supposedly dead supervillain. After spending over a decade as something of a cult hit on Prime, both of its seasons and all 22 episodes will arrive on Netflix on July 9, giving a much wider audience the chance to discover a superhero series that deserves far more attention.

The Tick Is One Of The Best Superhero Satires Of All Time

Superhero fans among Netflix subscribers are in for a genuine treat when The Tick lands on the platform on July 9. Although it never reached the mainstream popularity of The Boys or Netflix's own The Umbrella Academy, The Tick is quietly one of the finest superhero satire series ever made. It pokes fun at virtually every corner of the superhero genre, effortlessly balancing clever and emotional writing with relentless absurdity.

The sincerity with which The Tick embraces its ridiculous premise is nothing short of inspired. Tick is nigh-invulnerable and possesses a level of optimism that borders on delusional. His comedically unwavering belief in justice becomes the perfect contrast to Arthur, a deeply anxious accountant who constantly fears for his life and has no interest in being a superhero. Tick decides to make him one anyway, and that dynamic allows The Tick to satirize familiar superhero conventions while still having a relatable narrative anchor.

The Tick’s larger-than-life characters are all exaggerated to hilarious extremes without losing the emotional investment that keeps viewers coming back. Villains and heroes alike behave with complete sincerity, even while inhabiting a world filled with bizarre costumes and increasingly ridiculous situations, and it’s comedy gold. The Tick balances this humor with genuine heart in a way few shows can claim to, superhero satire or otherwise.

By the time the action escalates into full-scale superhero spectacle, viewers are invested in the characters as much as the jokes, and that combination keeps The Tick feeling remarkably fresh even a decade after its original release. The Boys may be the most well-known superhero satire, but Prime Video already perfected a very different style of comic book deconstruction years earlier, and now it’s becoming available on Netflix too.

The Patrick Warburton Version Is Also Arriving On Netflix In Select Territories

As good as Prime Video's The Tick is, it represents just one chapter in the character's long history. Cartoonist Ben Edlund originally created The Tick as a comic book parody in 1986, following which the oversized blue hero expanded into a successful animated series during the 1990s. The popularity of both versions eventually led to live-action adaptations, and the 2016 Amazon Prime series wasn’t the first.

Before Peter Serafinowicz donned the famous blue suit, Patrick Warburton played Tick in Fox's live-action adaptation, which premiered in 2001. Although it lasted for just a single nine-episode season, the series has developed a loyal cult following thanks to Warburton's perfectly deadpan performance and its commitment to embracing the comic's wonderfully bizarre sense of humor.

The two live-action versions of The Tick share the same central concept but approach it in very different ways. The 2001 series leans heavily into surreal comedy with an intentionally cartoonish tone that closely resembles the original comics. By comparison, 2016's The Tick grounds its story far more firmly in reality. Although the comedy remains wonderfully absurd, the emotional storytelling and more cinematic presentation give the Prime Video reboot a more modern feel.

Netflix subscribers in several international territories, including the UK, Europe, and some Latin American regions, will soon be able to compare both versions of The Tick. Alongside the arrival of Prime Video's 2016 series on Netflix on July 9, the 2001 adaptation will also begin streaming in select regions. Unfortunately, the United States is not among those territories, but fans in the US shouldn't lose hope. The Patrick Warburton series was previously available on Netflix in 2015, and with renewed interest thanks to the arrival of the 2016 show, there is every possibility the 2001 version could find its way back.