But the show focuses so much on “saving the world” and the idea that anyone can be a hero that it misses that chance to reach greater heights and become more than the merely entertaining show that it is.Den of Geek: Kid Cosmic is about a kid who is so engaged in comic books that when a set of super-powered stones literally lands at his feet, he wants to be a real superhero, arguably at some pretty significant costs and risk. Through giving side characters more opportunities to grow, Kid Cosmic might have said more about the value of teamwork and the responsibilities of leadership. Learning to embrace your flaws is an important part of growing up, and it’s a natural lesson for a story about an unlikely, ragtag team of superheroes. In particular, it’s hard not to notice the fact that the one Black character on the team, Jo, is consistently stuck with babysitting and doing the tough problem solving and clean-up work following The Kid’s brash decisions. But he never actually grows out of or from this mindset-his character arc is so concerned with redefining the idea of a superhero that it fails to adequately address his hurtful behaviors (and even celebrates his tendency to rush into battle, putting his whole team in danger as they try to protect him). Some of the best contemporary cartoons focus on an immature young boy learning from earnest mistakes, and the Kid is clearly drawn as a flawed character in need of growth. (Vital backstory that would’ve made him more sympathetic isn't shared until later in the season.) He calls himself the “leader,” but struggles with his self-esteem-when his battles go wrong, he recklessly seeks out bigger battles where he thinks he’ll be able to prove himself. Though he offers useful lessons through anti-anxiety mantras like “freaking out, breathe it out,” his immaturity ends up consistently putting the team in danger. Instead, it focuses on the inner life of The Kid himself-and The Kid is, frankly, an extremely challenging character to sit with. Super powers never seem to end up with the person The Kid would have picked.Unfortunately, once the season moves past these origin stories, Kid Cosmic doesn’t allow much emotional growth for its cast of characters. All of these oddballs become irreplaceable, beloved members of the team. Jo, the lanky teenage waitress, can create instant teleportation portals while the power to spawn dozens of copies of oneself ends up with The Kid’s long-bearded grandfather, “Papa G.” Rounding out the five, a cat who can see the future ends up being one of the show’s best characters. There’s four-year-old Rosa, who steals a ring that turns her giant-sized, and her resulting “playtime” makes townsfolk think there’s an earthquake. Individual episodic arcs are bombastic and fun, since super powers never seem to end up with the person The Kid would have picked. Goofy character proportions and snappy action sequences pay homage to the show’s comic book roots, while a bold, earthy color palette and scenic background art makes this desert story feel like a western. Tonally, the comedy feels like it would be right at home at Cartoon Network, with a sense of humor veering between the ridiculous and brief moments that are incredibly dark, paired with a delightful animation style. Kid Cosmic is at its best when telling the origin stories for its team of misfits.Kid Cosmic is at its best when telling the origin stories for its team of misfits, conveying the traditional “anyone can be a hero” rhetoric of superhero films while adding a goofy, kid-friendly spin. And though an early villain is named, the table stakes are never made clear until a later plot twist clarifies these details, but even that feels disjointed and unearned. As a result, there’s very little motivating the story past its first few episodes. (Each episode is a slightly different length, from 17 to 25 minutes long.) After introducing the plot in the cold open of the pilot, the show doesn’t advance its own story until midway through the season. The resulting pacing is a bit awkward across the season’s 10 episodes. Kid Cosmic lands somewhere in between these two techniques-laying some brief character groundwork early before moving into a much more plot-focused story.
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