Earlier this year, The Tick fans let out a collective “Spoooooon!” when Amazon Studios announced plans to give Ben Edlund’s classic comic book series another shot at live-action stardom. We’re pretty huge fans both of The Tick animated series and the short-lived live-action TV show, which aired on Fox. But we were worried when we heard the show might be taking a darker turn. Should we be? (And how could anyone not love Patrick Warburton as the Tick? That was such perfect casting!)

As eager as we are to see actor Peter Serafinowicz’s take on the Tick, Edlund’s recent comments about the new Tick series being “darker and more grounded” have set off a new round of nerd panic. Does this mean that the Tick’s going to be snapping the necks of evil-doers and out-grimacing Zack Snyder’s Batman and Superman? To quote Marvel’s Thor, “I say thee nay!”

Remember, context is everything, people! On today’s Nerdist News, Jessica Chobot explains why “darker and more grounded” doesn’t necessarily mean that The Tick is straying too far from its roots. In fact, it may actually be closer in tone to the original Tick comics, as opposed to The Tick animated series, which was more of a broad comedy geared towards younger viewers. Even Edlund has admitted that the first live-action Tick series was basically a cartoon.

Maybe Amazon should take a fresh approach to the new series. Honestly, playing an absurd character like the Tick against the backdrop of a more realistic superhero world could be really funny! There’s also a lot of material in modern superhero comics that could be easily mined for comedy gold. We believe that Edlund is more than capable of pulling off new superhero satire, especially after several years of TV experience including stints on Firefly, Angel, Supernatural, and Gotham.

What do you think, Tick fans? Let’s discuss in the comment section below!