Sonic the Hedgehog: Issue 195

Sonic the Hedgehog: Issue 195
Publication Date: December 2008

Archie's “Sonic the Hedgehog” book would wrap up 2008 with the first part of “Hedgehog Havoc.” Sonic, Scourge, and Amy are now stuck in Moebius Castle, at the mercy of crazy Rosy and her fatal hammer. This inevitable confrontation is interrupted by a number of outside forces. A hedgehog from the future, calling himself Silver, zaps into the castle, looking for a traitor to the crown. Rob O' the Hedge, who first encountered Silver, is dragged along. Robotnik builds a new Metal Sonic, equipped with an engine that can leap through dimensions, who immediately sets off to find Sonic. Shadow, meanwhile, also teleports into the castle seemingly because he took a wrong turn at Albuquerque. In other words, it's the “Destroy All Monsters” of hedgehog comics.

Let me begin with a rambling anecdote that is barely related to the subject of this review. I promise I'll circle back around to the point eventually. In the seventh grade, a friend and I attempted to write a screenplay. Being young horror fans, we were both obsessed with the classic Universal Monster movies. The project, which we quickly named “Monstrous,” was designed to bring as many as these classic creatures together as possible. Being twelve year old boys, we intended to ram in as much gore and sex as possible. As we wrote the script, it became apparent to me that it's really difficult to juggle all these characters. Monsters would weave in and out of the story, sometimes fighting each other, occasionally murdering or fucking random civilians. Somehow, I managed to assemble something resembling a full screenplay but the titular word described the content. “Monstrous” was, of course, a complete mess. “The Monster Squad” did it way better, obviously.

What the fuck does any of this have to do with “Hedgehog Havoc?” Even though the aim and content are radically different, this story and the deranged scribblings of twelve year old me have some things in common. Both intend on bringing as many similarly themed characters together for a massive fight scene, logic and coherence be damned. Yet to get all these pins lined up, it means juggling a number of plot points. Characters that have no need to be in this story are brought in, the script cooking up shaky justifications for their inclusion. The short version: It's a mess.

For some reason, Ian Flynn chose this chaotic story to introduce Silver the Hedgehog. When introduced in the infamous “Sonic '06,” Silver received a mixed reaction from fans. Sonic fans being who they are, some immediately latched onto him and declared their ever-lasting love. More nuanced observers noted that this franchise really didn't need another superpowered hedgehog. Flynn would eventually form Silver into an entertaining character, writing him as a good-intentioned but inexperienced bumbler. In this first appearance, he just makes grand statements about the world, screams about finding a hero, and zaps Sonic with his psychic powers. He doesn't get very much page space in an overcrowded plot.

As rushed as the explanation is, at least Silver has a reason for being there. Shadow and Metal Sonic are lumped into “Hedgehog Havoc” just so Flynn can achieved his goal of cramming in as many hedgehogs as possible. Metal Sonic at least gets an introduction, being quickly rebuild by Robotnik and hastily setting off on his objective. Shadow teleports into the eight-way fight totally by accident. He grumbles a few lines about attempting to locate the Special Zone before Sonic talks him into fighting Scourge. Shadow has absolutely no reason to be in this issue.

With such a stacked cast, somebody is inevitably going to get left out. Amy Rose and Rob O' the Hedge get the short end of the stick. Amy was basically Sonic's co-lead on this plot up until now. In 195, she asks Buns to get assistance, runs from Rosy, and then gets recruited into the battle royale. She doesn't even have time to say hi to her uncle. She's essentially just there to add another warm body to the fight scene. Rob, being one of the more modestly empowered characters, has even less to do. He escorts Silver to Moebius before he gets drafted to start firing arrows. His only stand-out moment is when he questions Silver's loyalties, by putting a bow upside his head. Which is a question he probably should have asked sooner.

But I get it. This is a fight issue. This is the WrestleMania of Sonic comics, getting as many hedgehogs in the ring as possible and letting them all wail on each other. Yet the inevitable side effect of having so many characters in a fight is that the audience doesn't know who to focus on. There's so much going on, the battle collapses into disorganized sparring pretty much immediately. Sonic, Scourge, and Shadow are spin-dashing all over the place. Amy and Rosy provide excessive hammer swinging. Rob's arrows bounce harmlessly off of everyone. Metal Sonic rushes around and can't get a damn thing done. Silver's reaction to this melee – wide-eyed bafflement – more-or-less matches the reading. And then he joins the fray, throwing psychic lightning bolts around. It's just too much to take in.

The big rumble touted on the cover doesn't crystallize into something sturdy until Flynn has the character reach an important realization: They all hate Scourge. In the final few panels, they surround Sonic's evil clone and chase after him. We already know Scourge can handle multiple aggressors in a fight. This is the place Flynn should've started with, everyone uniting against a greater foe. Instead, Scourge's status as the biggest bastard in the room doesn't come up until the very end, leaving the proceeding twenty pages a grabastic mess.

So, out of all this chaos, what rises to the surfaces? Truthfully, the handful of moments on Sonic's home world are more meaningful than the big fist fight. The comic opens with Bernie, Jules, and Uncle Chuck expressing concern for Sonic. Nicole has to answer their questions and assuage their worries. The two pages devoted to Meta Sonic's reconstruction continue to illustrate Robotnik's failing mental state and Snively's scheming in an amusing, focused manner. Rob's entrance into the story prompts two cute moments: When his echidna wife assures him she'll be okay without him and when Rob bows to Sally, giving the princess the royal welcome. Little moments of character interactions like this are more valuable than endless fight scenes.

And so 2008 wraps up with Ian Flynn's first real stinker. “Hedgehog Havoc: Part 1” has two competing problems. It has two much on its place, with the huge cast. Yet it's goals – a giant fight – are also far too modest. It's just a messy issue and not very much fun to read. Unlike my seventh grade screenplay, it also doesn't have a sex scene featuring the Bride of Frankenstein, which is probably for the best. [5/10]