Sonic & Knuckles: Mecha Madness

 
Sonic & Knuckles: Mecha Madness
Publication Date: July 1996

When you’re a kid, you’re pretty easy to please. As a child, about the only thing I demanded from my comic books where bad ass dudes being bad asses. By the same accord, kids can also be very discerning. Even as a child, the superhero anti-heroes of Todd McFarlane and Rob Liefeld struck me as trying-too-hard. When I first entered the on-line world of Archic Sonic fandom, I was very surprised to see some people dismissed “Sonic & Knuckles: Mecha Madness” as an “all-action, no heart” spectacle. I fucking loved this comic book as a kid. Re-reading it as an adult, I still think it’s a pretty good book. Yeah, the emphasis is on action but sometimes, there’s nothing wrong with that, maaaaan!

“Mecha Madness” picks up right where Issue 39 left off. Mecha Sonic continues his rampage through Knothole, leveling the tiny village. As a last-ditch effort to save their community, Sally feeds the still dazed Knuckles through the portable Robotocizers the Freedom Fighters confiscated all the way back in issue 2. With some help from one of Rotor’s neuro-overriders, emerges Mecha Knuckles! He proves an even match for Mecha Sonic. Even after Robotnik threatens the Freedom Fighters with nuclear weapons, the echidna emerges victorious. Afterwards though, their remains a question: Can Sonic still be saved?

In retrospect, it’s impressive that Archie kept thinking up ways to keep the Sonic/Knuckles rivalry going strong. Knux was fully established as a hero at this point, after starring in his own mini-series. Even as of “Super Sonic vs. Hyper Knuckles,” their rivalry was becoming more playful then anything else. So you couldn’t have the two just get into a misunderstanding. The “Mecha Madness” story arc successfully uped the fucking ante: Turn ‘em both into goddamn robots. Unlike those previous scuffles, the fight here between Sonic and Knuckles is serious business. Mecha Sonic is attempting to destroy the heroes. Mecha Knuckles is all that stands in the way. The actual fight only lasts about eight pages. Yet it’s still so satisfying to see these two, in super powerful robotic forms, wail on each other. After seeing Sonic going over to the dark side in a big way last issue, it’s also satisfying to watch him taken down a notch.

Once again, Patrick Spazanate’s artwork is on a whole other level. Even from the title page, which shows Mecha-Sonic casting a shadow of an agonized organic Sonic, the book is packed full of detail, dynamic action, and emotional expression. Just the characters standing around and talking is gifted with a sense of motion and movement. Look at when Sally chastises Antoine for being a dick. Or when she makes a big speech, detailing her plan. Of course, Spaz’ action sequences are beyond compare. The page when Knuckles freaks out, punches Rotor, and then receives a spinning back kick from Sally is something I want framed on my damn wall. I adore the design for Mecha-Knuckles, the way his knuckle-spikes can retract, the block rocket jets in his feet. It’s such a flowing, natural design. It looks exactly like what you’d expect a robotic version of Knuckles to look like.

The battle between the two is best displayed in a two page splash page, where Knuckles deflects Sonic’s lasers with his claws. There’s spinning, throwing, punching. When Knuckles is tossed through the air by a powerful uppercut from Mecha-Sonic, the sense of movement is overwhelming. This is a really good looking story, is the point I’m making.

Interestingly, the last third of “Mecha Madness” isn’t devoted to action at all. Despite what grumpy gus Dan Drazen might say, this story is full of emotions. When Robotnik demands Mecha-Sonic just send him the coordinates for Knothole Village – something he probably should’ve done immediately – Sonic pauses. Some humanity is starting to leak through his robotic exterior. I was never a huge fan of Sally and Knuckles’ flirting. But it really flows naturally and nicely here. That Knuckles and Sally are always so happy to see each other is actually kind of cute. After Mecha-Sonic is defeated, our hero is actually on death’s door. When Sally and Tails think Sonic may be a goner, both choke back tears. This is a book that grapples with the possibility that its hero may die and how his friends loved ones response. Not exactly light material.

Of course, “Mecha Madness” does have a pretty big flaw. In order to get the series back on track, Sonic and Knuckles have to be returned to normal by the book’s end. The answer to this question that Mike Gallagher cooked up is slightly inelegant. Knuckles can just be passed through the mobile roboticzer in reverse. Since this is the same device that transform Bunnie, how come they never tried that on her? For Sonic, the writer cooked up some real mystical mumbo jumbo. See, when Sonic gathered his one billionth Power Ring, he was surrounded with a “Protective Mystical Aura.” That’s how his soul was kept intact, if buried, while he was transformed. Nicole essentially plugs into Mecha-Sonic, interacts with this weird power ring aura thing, and zaps him back to being organic. It’s awkward and not well explained, to say the least.

I’ll address this more when I get to Issue #40 but I’m also not a big fan of the cliffhanger, where Sonic is arrested for treason for his action. Actions, you’ll notice, he had no control over. But we’ll talk about that more later…

Since “Mecha Madness” is a double-sized special, there are two back stories. The first of which is the verbosely entitled “Don’t Let the Island Hit You on the Way Down.” Since Knuckles is off fighting Mecha-Sonic, the Chaotix are left alone on the Floating Island. A group of villains called the Fearsome Foursome appear and whoop their asses. They're led by a mysterious, powerful villain called Mammoth Mogul. Despite his declaration of power, and an earlier defeat, the Chaotix still scare this new gang of bad guys off.

Listen, kids: I like Mammoth Mogul. I’m always for expanding on the Sonic universe’s rogue galleries. Mogul is essentially Archie’s version of Vandal Savage, an immortal wizard who has lived for centuries. Disappointingly, Mogul was rarely used well. In his debut story, he shows up, announces his back story, and declares himself all-power. The Chaotix then beat him back in one panel, after which he flees in a rocket car. Really makes him sound like all bark, no bite, doesn’t it? I like the Fearsome Foursome too, if only because it’s neat to see an essentially evil version of the Chaotix. However, Sergent Simian, Predator Hawk, Lightening Lynx, and Flying Frog are barely developed in this story. “Don’t Let the Island Hit You on the Way Down” is a fairly thin story. It’s at least better then the last story Scott Fulop wrote. Likewise, Harvey Mercadoocasio’s artwork shows some major improvement as well. It’s still pretty stiff at times but he’s obviously been practicing. There’s a newly emerged anime-esque edge to his work that makes it move a whole lot better.

Perhaps sensing this was a comparatively heavy book, “Mecha Madness” ends on a joke story. “Eel of Fortune” stars the Forty Fathoms Freedom Fighters, the aquatic heroes last seen in the “Tails” mini-series. The local reef is being terrorized by a new villain calling himself Eel Capone. He has his army of hired mussels beat up P.B. Jellyfish. In response, Bottlenose the Dolphin dresses up as a ninja and beats the crap out of him. End of story.

As previously mentioned, I like the Forty Fathoms Freedom Fighters too. However, “Eel of Fortune” is basically five pages of the goofiest aquatic puns you can think of. How many puns are there? By my count, sixteen. Some of the biggest groaners include: “hired mussels,” “current events,” “finja,” “Aquatraz,” “Choral Reef.” Oh brother. There’s no conflict to the story, as Eel Capone is a total joke once he’s introduced. Bottlenose dispatches him with such ease and speed that it’s clear he was never a threat. Basically, it’s a dumb collection of aquatic puns. Dave Manak’s artwork is typically goofy and blocky. The story’s biggest value is that it shows the range Mike Gallagher had. “Mecha Madness” was a relatively serious story with high stakes. “Eel of Fortune” is total goofiness from beginning to end.

“Sonic & Knuckles: Mecha Madness” isn’t a perfect book. Yet it’s one I like a lot. If nothing else, it’s worth picking up for Spaz’ incredible artwork. I’ll always consider it an important, landmark book in the Archie “Sonic” line and I imagine many would agree with me. [8/10]