Sonic X: Issue 14

Sonic X: Issue 14
Publication Date: November 2006

Last time, I referenced the weird push-and-pull inside “Sonic X.” This is two fold. Joe Edkin is clearly pulled between telling the original stories he wants to tell but, for some reason, is stuck working within the TV show's timeline. This makes the book really frustrating to read, sometimes. I suspect it made it frustrating to write too. The more pressing divide is in the book's tone. With issue 13, and it was evident in a few other issues too, you can see Edkin desiring to write a fun book referencing eighties horror flicks. On the other hand, this is still a book for little kids, forcing him from going too far with the monster movie shenanigans.

Picking up were we left off last time, Chris and Cream are being chased around a mansion by the ghost-possessed versions of their moms. When they attempt to escape, they find the home surrounded by more zombies. The two kids stay inside and fight off the ghosts with what they can get their hands on. Eventually, Cream finds a magical plot device that protects them and, eventually, helps them resolves the story once Sonic and Tails are sprung from prison.

In its opening pages, “Hare-Um Scare-Um: Part 2” is actually a pretty great horror story for young kids. The presentation of the ghost-possessed people – floating a few inches above the ground, huge but blank eyes, sharp teeth – is just eerie enough to be potentially creepy. Though we still don't know Vanilla and Chris' mom very well, parents attacking their children is edgy for this book. Edkin continues to make the zombie parallel rather literal. By surrounding the house with the possessed people, forcing Chris and Cream to hide, he intentionally recalls “Night of the Living Dead.” This builds towards my favorite sequence in the comic. Chris and Cream hide in an old wardrobe, while their demonic mothers float outside. The two have to stifle their screams while the creepy faces pass outside, visible through the crack in the door.

That scene is honestly as spooky as “Sonic X” was probably allowed to get. Which might be why the book immediately retreats into goofiness afterwards. We get a lot of really stiff, childish dialogue between Chris and Cream. The boy grabs a golf club, as if that'll protect him, before rather improbably ending up with a sword and a shield. Afterwards, we get a blatantly comedic sequence of Cheese being possessed by a ghost. At that point, the ghosts' true form – goofy, floating blue spectres – is revealed. This is significantly less spooky then the floating, corpse-like possessed bodies. After this scene, “Hare-um Scare-um” never recovers, remaining in a strictly goofy mood.

Admittedly, I chuckled lightly at the reveal concerning why the ghosts are here. Turns out, Mrs. Thorndyke's tennis court is haunted. The exact specifics why are escaping me at the moment but King Boom Boo – the giant ghost boss from “Sonic Adventure 2” - has taken up residence under the concrete. The constant sound of balls bouncing awoke and disturbed him or something. That's a goofy, amusing gag but leads to a rather disappointing conclusion. The ghosts explain his motivation before some nonsense about a magical talisman – another carry over from the cartoon show – wraps the story up. Kind of a bummer.

Continuing from last month, we get a few pages devoted to Sonic and Tails being in jail. There's one or two funny joke here, about Sonic slowly going stir crazy inside the small cell. He even helps Eggman assemble refrigerators – another carry over from the cartoon, Jesus Christ – strictly because he's going slightly mad from being pent up. Eggman's delight at the hedgehogs' anxiety makes for a decent laugh. As does his robotic henchmen saying the boss probably shouldn't admit to liking prison so much.

Sadly, this subplot also gets a hasty, lame resolution. Grandpa Chuck makes some phone calls, absolving Sonic and Tails of all guilt. They are immediately freed and instantaneously join Chris and Cream on the island. By this point, the ghost business has already more-or-less resolved itself. Sonic only shows up again so he can race the magical plot device controlling the ghosts or something back to its rightful place and so on and so forth.

David Hutchinson does the artwork for this issue but it's a major step down from his usually reliable work. Sonic and Tails go horribly off-model in several panels. There's a lack of mood and atmosphere throughout the latter half of the issue. This is odd, considering that is usually Hutchinson's strong suit. Sometimes, the perspective and proportions are kind of weird. In a major no-no, he even uses a stock picture of grass as the background in one panel. Seemingly in a move swiped from Tim Smith 3, bright, primary colors are used as the backgrounds on several other pages. In fact, I thought this was Smith's work at first. I guess Hutchinson was really rushing it on this one. He's capable of better work.

After a really promising start, “Sonic X's” first Halloween story arc ends in a very disappointing way. One or two dynamite moment can't make up for a flimsy script, overly easy resolution and mediocre artwork. And, just think, we were this close to a “Sonic” version of “Evil Dead.” [6/10]