Sonic Universe: Issue 27

Sonic Universe: Issue 27
Publication Date: April 2011

In all his previous appearances, Enerjak has always been a slightly compromised character. When Dimitri was the villain, he had all the powers of a god. Sadly, he was also an idiot, rarely using his powers to their full potential and frequently being undone by his own hubris. When Knuckles was manipulated into being Enerjak, he still had some control over himself and wasn't a full-blown villain. The “Fractured Mirror” story arc allows us to see an Enerjak who is fully unleashed. And, as the really snazzy cover makes apparent, that's an intimidating idea.

“Fracutured Mirror: Part Three” gets the subtitle “Shattered.” Within its pages, Jani-Ca and her Freedom Fighters continue their battle against Enerjak and his Prelates. The heroes put up a valiant effort against the villain's shock troops but they are ultimately defeated. Soon, it's down to Jani-Ca and Silver to save the day. The echidna, however, has personal issues to work out with her dad. This ends up unlocking an anger in Silver that might save the day.

On the first page of issue 27, Enerjak punches Silver across the sky, establishing that this is a story focused on action. You turn the page and you're greeted to an awesome double spread of Jani-Ca's Freedom Fighters battling with Enerjak's Prelates. From there, we have the telekinetic lifting whole buildings into the air and tossing them at the villain. We know Silver is powerful but this is the first time we've really seen how limitless his abilities are. It also makes for some pretty awesome fisticuffs.

In the middle of the action, Silver gets a pretty neat moment of character development. After collecting all the cores of the Prelates, Dagger – that's the equivalent to Rotor – wonders if it's worthwhile bringing these people back into such a fucked-up world. He then launches into a tirade about not giving up hope, of maintaining a reason to fight even when the odds are against you. This is classical heroic shit and actually works really well. Sometimes, you just need a good guy to launch into a speech about why we fight. It's certainly another strong moment for Silver, a character Flynn has done wonders for.

And it leads up to a pretty cool moment. As strong as he is, Enerjak is still on a whole other power level than Silver. After toying with the hedgehog, he buries him up to his chin in the concrete. This leads to another moment that recalls countless fighting animes: Where the hero is on the ropes but summons up a greater strength inside him, finding the will to fight even harder. Flynn even sneaks in some humor, such as when Silver images what his two mentors – Edmund and Mogul – would say and not getting much out of either. It's certainly leads to a powerful cliffhanger to conclude on, when Silver summons up a massive fist to bash the bad guy with. Yardley's artwork, focusing on Silver's anguished face and swooping powers, really shines here as well.

The relationship between Jani-Ca and Enerjak, daughter and father, really emphasizes what an incredible villain this guy is. The extent of his sadism is shown, when he reveals that he's kept the Freedom Fighters alive simply because they amuse him. He could have killed them at any point but let's them fight, let's them have hope that they might succeed, simply to give himself something to do. In the middle of the fight, he similarly pauses to consider the situation, assured that they can do nothing to harm him. He brags and gloats and, unlike most villains, can actually back it up. He proves this by immediately dismantling the Freedom Fighters in seconds.

This builds towards the best moment in the comic. Enerjak scoops up Jani-Ca. He tells her that he hoped she would follow in his footsteps. That they could build an empire together and they she still has potential. In this moment, Enerjak becomes even scarier. Because he's human. (Okay, technically, he's an echidna but you know what I mean.) There's a heart and a soul behind his villainous actions. He's not merely a lunatic. He's a rational, thoughtful person who has chosen to become a demi-god of destruction and tyranny.

If I have any complaint about “Fractured Mirror” so far, it's that Jani-Ca's team of Freedom Fighters have yet to receive much development. Dagger's doubts about their mission is really the first time he has said anything. There's a brief bit where Payback Fox, this universe's version of Fiona, flirts a little with Silver. Other than that, the characters continue to be defined solely by their special abilities. Demo Duck likes to throw explosives. Cutlass has a sword. Scarlette Rabbot can fly, I guess. That's about it. If we knew more about these guys, we'd be a little more invested in the conflict.

So it's another good entry in a strong story arc and probably the best single issue of “Sonic Universe” we've had in quite a while! [7/10]