Sonic X: Issue 40

Sonic X: Issue 40
Publication Date: December 2008

When I began my trek through Archie's “Sonic X” comic, it was with the reservation that I had never watched much of the cartoon and was deeply unmoved by what I had seen. From the beginning, there was this dim hope that the comic wouldn't be so bad, tempered by a mounting fear that I would actually hate it. Sadly, the latter instinct turned out to be more true. Reading through all forty issues of “Sonic X” was frequently a slog, as the book's plots were lame, the character work non-extensive, the humor far too broad, and ideas deeply simplistic. There's only one more of these fucking things left so let's, as a wise sage once said, go fast.

The definitively entitled “The End” begins with Sonic having a peaceful tea party with Cream and Vanilla. This is interrupted when Shadow the Hedgehog and Metal Sonic Chaos Control on top of their table. But this isn't the versions of Shadow or Metal Sonic from the “Sonic X” cartoon. One seemingly doesn't exist and the other is locked in a tube in Eggman's lab. Instead, this is Shadow and Metal Sonic from Archie's other, better “Sonic” comic. How'd they get there? Because Archie fucking sucks at scheduling this story is actually set after issue 196, which wouldn't be published until a month later. Anyway, most of the comic is devoted to the “X” version of Sonic showing Shadow around his world, until the darker hedgehog unceremoniously returns home.

There's a reason Sonic takes Shadow on a tour. Usually, the two fight when they bump into each other like this. However, this is the final issue of “Sonic X.” Ian Flynn clearly wanted fans to get one more peak at as many “Sonic X” exclusive characters – x-cluvises, if you will – as possible. So Sonic stops by the Chaotix's office, which they are in the process of rebuilding. Inside Eggman's laboratory, we see his El Gran Gordo suit, his trucker outfit from issue 20 and his collection of creepy love letters to Ella. Further walking reveals the giant leprechaun robot he built in issue 17, some of the evil Chao from issue 5, and the ruined X-Robot from issue 24. Sam Speed, Chris' parents, Rouge, and Topaz drop in for a handful of panels. Big the Cat has a cameo in a single panel. It's clear that Ian wanted to pay homage to the series' forty issue run by sneaking in as many callbacks as possible.

A big problem I've had with “Sonic X” throughout its run is how the comic connected with the cartoon show. Archie's other “Sonic” book stood alone from the SatAM. “Sonic X: The Comic,” however, would often weave in and out of episodes from the first two seasons of “Sonic X: The Series.” This annoying habit of referencing stuff that happened on the TV show continues even into the final issue. When Chris sees Shadow, tears well up in his eyes and he gives the black hedgehog a big hug. Where did this homoerotic chemistry between Chris and Shadow originate? I have no idea! Later, we discover Eggman has this universe's Shadow in a tube in his lab. How did he get there? I don't know! Setting the comic in-between the events of the TV show was a bad idea. Either make it a definitive alternate continuity or set it after. Don't jerk us around like this.

Speaking of jerking the readers around! You know how the evil organization, S.O.N.I.C.X., have shown up occasionally to fuck with Sonic's good days? You'd expect the last issue of the comic book to conclude that plot point, right? Nope! The S.O.N.I.C.X. council appears on one page, revealing that they've bugged Sam Speed's car. Upon seeing that Shadow has returned, the S.O.N.I.C.X. members get cold feet and call off the plan. (Which further shows how utterly weak and incompetent these guys are.) So all that foreshadowing about the organization's shadowy leader probably being Captain Woodward? We never find out the truth. It's all been a bunch of build-up for nothing. That just fucking sucks and is a complete failure on the behalf of Archie's writing and editorial staff.

Considering this bull-shittery, I had a thought. Maybe this S.O.N.I.C.X. story concludes in the anime, since so much of the “Sonic X” book referenced the show? I looked it up and was dismayed to find out that S.O.N.I.C.X. is a comic exclusive organization. It really seems to me that the “Sonic X” crew knew the end was coming, since Archie has been hyping “Sonic Universe” for a while. But maybe the cancellation notice was totally sudden. Even then, would it have been too much to include an extra page of Westwood revealing himself and disbanding the organization, declaring it an obvious and dismal failure? Some sense of finality would've been nice.

By including Shadow in this final issue, Ian actually ends up distracting from the regular “Sonic X” cast. Aside from Chris, the rest of Sonic's friends don't get much to do. Cream, Tails, Knuckles and Amy don't appear until the final handful of pages. If Flynn was going to sacrifice the main cast for Shadow and Metal Sonic's guest spots, you'd think he'd at least make the fight scenes awesome, right? Once again, the answer is “no.” Shadow and Metal Sonic wrestle on the first two pages. Near the end of the book, they leap at each other before Chaos Controlling back out of this comic book. It ends the series on one hell of a weak note. (Then again, considering this issue was more-or-less a big advertisement for “Sonic Universe's” premier issue, maybe devoting so much attention to Shadow was just an excuse to draw eyeballs to the upcoming new series.)

In the end, Ian Flynn tries to make issue 40 seem like a proper send-off to “Sonic X,” despite the dangling plot threads and disorganized plotting. The final page has Sonic telling Chris that his mansion, and Earth in general, have become like a new home for him. He then promises Throndyke and all his other pals that more adventures will follow. Once again, “Sonic X: The Comic” is writing around the TV show. Even if the series had been over for a while by the time this book came out, Flynn can't put a definitive end on “Sonic X.” That was up to the show writers and whatever they did in the third season.

And thus “Sonic X,” a mostly pretty poor excuse to promote a cartoon show, came to an end. Forty issues – not quite four years – was actually a great run for this series, especially since the scripts were often extremely weak. I actually really liked one or two issues, when the comic balanced its kid-friendly setting and goof-ball humor well. But, most of the time, “Sonic X” was not a comic book I enjoyed reading. As I said at the beginning, this simply isn't my version of Sonic. So, it is with very few mixed feelings that I bid Archie's “Sonic X” adieu. Bring on “Sonic Universe.” [4/10]