Sonic X: Issue 5

Sonic X: Issue 5
Publication Date: February 2006

Last time, I was complaining about the competent but somewhat bland quality of the first four issues of “Sonic X.” With that issue, what would've been the original four issue mini-series wrapped up. So number five can be seen as something like the series' proper start. If this issue is any indication of the series' on-going quality, it's a good sign. Number five is, by far, the best installment of “Sonic X” so far.

After Sonic's latest act of heroics, Cream and Chris bond over the loneliness they felt when they were young(er) kids. Meanwhile, Eggman begins his latest, devious plan. After clipping a bit of Cheese's DNA two issues ago, he's clone a huge collection of Chao. He plans to sell them around the city as pets. Once the Chao have infiltrated every corner of Station Square, he'll activate a radio signal that will transform them into destructive monsters. Correctly predicting the nation's love of cute things, his scheme works exactly as anticipated. Once again, Sonic and friends have to save the day.

Eggman's scheme can't help but remind me of “Little Shop of Horrors.” Just as Audrey II accurately surmised that his off-spring would be bigger than hula hoops, Eggman sees the marketing value of the Chao and spins that into an evil scheme. Writer Joe Edkin could've spun this into a commentary on marketing fads. The Chao are a lot like Furbies or Tamagotchis, with the addition of being actual pets. Edkin doesn't do this, of course. Instead, the premise transforms into a homage to another eighties classic. Namely, “Gremlins.” The Chao look cute at first but soon grow into vicious monsters, causing chaos throughout the city. As a fan of both films, I do enjoy this whole idea, even if Edkin probably didn't intentionally reference them.

Through this story, Edkin also manages to find some character development for three of the book's more annoying characters. Firstly, Cheese isn't just a squeaking, cute thing in this issue. He's actually kind of sad, tired of being the only chao around the Thorndyke mansion. This shifts into a helpful refresher for those who didn't watch “Sonic X,” informing us why Cheese left the Master Emerald temple to stay with Cream. It also gives Cream a little development, expounding on the loneliness she feels being separated from her mom. Edkin doesn't comment on it too much but this does give the juvenile bunny rabbit and the flying, blue thingamajig something to relate on.

Even more surprising, issue five actually manages to make Chris Thorndyke – widely disliked even by “Sonic X” fans – an interesting character. We get an extended flashback to Chris' younger days. We see his grandpa, maid, and butler attempt to make up for Chris' parents being out of his life. This leads to a rather cute story about a birthday party Chris had, beginning with Chuck talking about aliens and ending with the maid being mistaken for a monster. It's pretty stereotypical stuff but serves two purpose. It grounds Chris' personality a bit, showing an experience from his childhood that we can all relate too. Lastly, it explains why he likes Sonic so much. As a toddler, he dreamed of befriending an alien. Now, he has.

As you've come to expect from “Sonic X,” the action scenes and the humor cross paths. After the cloned Chao become so popular, Eggman activates his plan. Sonic grabs a Power Ring and ties up the evil Chao in a lamp cord, tossing him in a garbage bin. This only comprises one scene, as the issue ends by revealing the chaos in the city. So we are mostly stuck with the jokes. Some are are better then others. Robotnik's commercial for the Chao is mildly amusing, threatening the public into buying the cute critters. Less entertaining is a stray thought from Amy we see. After Sonic is tossed a Power Ring, Amy wistfully thinks about Sonic giving her the ring some day. Jeez, I know Amy's obsession with Sonic is her primary characteristic but surely there's more to her than that, right?

Issue 5 of “Sonic X” is significant in another way. This marks the first time Tracy Yardley would draw an Archie “Sonic” comic. The company must've used “Sonic X” as a testing ground before bringing Yardley onto the main book. At the time, they had no way of knowing that Yardley's artwork would define how the Archie Sonic-verse looked for the next decade. Even from the beginning, Yardley's artwork was consistent. His cute, comedic style is well suited to the more light-hearted “Sonic X.” He stays faithful to the cartoon animation designs while still injecting the Yardley-isms we'll quickly grow use to. This is best displayed during the opening scene where Sonic rescues an owl from a forest fire and during the evil Chao's attack near the end. Yardley is definitely a big improvement over Tim Smith 3's pencils, which were starting to wear out their welcome last issue.

Huh, I actually enjoyed that with practically no reservations! While still strictly staying on the kiddie level, issue 5 of “Sonic X” is an amusing ride with a neat premise, some fun jokes, and good looking art. I may even be growing attached to these newer characters. Will this become the new standard for the series or will things settle back into the “just fine” groove? I guess I'll find out soon enough. [7/10]