When I hear the word “sidekick,” the first one my mind immediately imagines is the ludicrously dressed, teenage companion of Batman. That’s right, Dick Grayson, the original Robin. And I’m sure you all initially think the same thing. But some sidekicks move way beyond their roles as mere comrades or wingmen; some sidekicks have the potential to become leaders themselves.

Check out the list below of the Top 5 Sidekicks Who Could be Heroes.

The Ancient Oak
Written by Sean Patrick O’Reilly
Art by Chris Uminga
Letters by Shawn DePasquale
Edited by Casey Jones
Arcana Comics
Release Date: August 29, 2012
Cover Price: $5.95

The Ancient Oak is a charming little graphic novel for all ages. I read this to my 8-year-old daughter and she loved it, definitely picking up on the moral of the story. Not to worry, though. This isn’t a preachy little book. Quite the opposite, it is a fun read with a point to be made.

I loved the tale and all of it’s Eco-friendliness. Centered around a young Princess, the story starts with her father, the King, cutting down a forest at record speed. Even after a warning, he continues until it seems he has destroyed the local climate. Luckily, the young Princess isn’t afraid to try to repair the damage. In the process, she learns a valuable lesson about doing her part to help nature.

All Fall Down
Written by Casey Jones
Art by Jason Reeves, Brian Brinlee, Gian Fernando, Anvit, Pericles Junior, Barnaby Bagenda
Color by Cirque Studios, Al Jerek Torrijas
Letters by Andrew Diroll-Black
Edited by William T. Marks
Arcana Studios
Release Date: December 6, 2011
Cover Price: $19.95

Ah, the old “superheroes lose their powers” story. GoD’ers have undoubtedly seen this storyline hundreds of times. Nearly every comic hero must endure this rite of passage where they lose their power and prove that their heroism comes from more than just their super-strength and heat vision. Given the countless derivations of this concept, writer Casey Jones presents an amazingly unique twist on the one of the most common story angles in his debut comic, All Fall Down.