Sonic Universe: Issue 78

Sonic Universe: Issue 78
Publication Date: July 2015

Obviously, a big part of “Worlds Collide’s” appeal was seeing Sonic and Mega Man interact with characters they otherwise would never meet. As the full cast was revealed, there were some pleasant surprises. “Street Fighter” was a phenomenal catch, as I never would’ve dreamed that Sonic and Chun-Li would share space together in any thing but my wildest/kinkiest daydreams. (These franchises have since overlapped two more times.) “Golden Axe” was a wonderful inclusion, being another classic Genesis series and, by far, Sega’s most metal franchise. “Billy Hatcher” and “Viewtiful Joe” were all natural choices, as their aesthetics blend well with “Sonic.” So were “Alex Kidd” and “Nights Into Dreams,” as seeing the blue hedgehog interact with Sega’s other mascot characters was a simply irresistible proposition.

But there were some disappointments, mainly because my fanboy imagination got away from me. I’m sure Ian Flynn’s corporate overlords had some say in what series he could draw from but it seems his taste largely dictated what video games were rolled into this plot. Flynn’s love of weeby RPGs meant boring bullshit I couldn’t care less about, primarily “Breath of Fire 3” and “Skies of Arcadia,” got included. (“Monster Hunter 4” was apparently inserted at Capcom’s insistence, so we can’t blame Flynn for that one.) Considering he was referenced in the last crossover, I was really hoping Sega would dig into the archives and include “Vectorman.” Or other Genesis weirdos, like “Comix Zone” or “Ecco the Dolphin.” The likes of “Okami” and the original “Panzer Dragoon” definitely strike me as second choices.

Naturally, I would’ve done it differently. I would’ve gone after Dreamcast-era oddities like “Jet Set Radio,” “Space Channel 5,” and “Power Stone.” Secondly, I would have insisted that my second all-time favorite video game franchise, Capcom’s “Darkstalkers,” been included. Yeah, the sexy and macabre character designs probably aren’t a great fit for “Sonic” and “Mega Man’s” E-rated audiences.

But once I started thinking about this, I couldn’t stop. My mind immediately imagined scenarios like Sonic and Felicia spin-dashing together. Or Rouge and Morrigan comparing wings and outfits. That “Darkstalkers” had already appeared in comic books (pretty good ones too) might’ve given me more false hope this could’ve actually happened. Alas, my fan fiction-like fever dreams never became reality. At least the “Ghost ‘n’ Goblins” characters appeared, insuring the spookier side of Capcom and Sega’s respective menageries weren’t totally ignored. I guess “Resident Evil” and “House of the Dead” were totally out of the question, weren’t they?

Anyway, what was I talking about? Oh, yeah, this comic book. Part nine of “Worlds Unite,” “Infinite Realities,” shows the United Army traveling to other worlds and gathering more heroes for the cause. Sonic and Break Man gather Alex Kidd and Stella. Knuckles and Quake Woman recruit those “Skies of Arcadia” pirates. Tails and Air Man team up with Nights and Reala. Bunnie and Zero tag in Sir Arthur and Firebrand, from “Ghost ‘n’ Goblins.” Sally and Wood Man visit the world of “Okami” and meet up with Amaterasu and her handler. Even more “Street Fighters” join the fray, as M. Bison decides no one is going to conquer his world but him. All this dimensional hopping leaves the Sky Patrol vulnerable to Sigma though.

As the above plot synopsis probably made clear, “Infinite Realities” is not the most narratively complex part of this crossover. Really, the entire comic book is just devoted to our heroes traveling to the next world and grabbing a new set of good guys and bad guys. It does feel like a kid mashing a bunch of his action figures together. There’s a definite formula here. The “Sonic/Mega Man” pairings arrive in the new world, see the heroes and villains take out some of Sigma’s men, and asks them if they want to help out. Naturally, nobody declines this call to arms. This was probably unavoidable, considering the nature of crossovers and how many characters are being added to the cast this time.

Having said that, Flynn at least keeps things speedy. He doesn’t linger in one place for too long, keeping the story moving fast enough that this constant barrage of new introductions doesn’t get too tedious. He even squeezes in something like a theme. In many of the worlds, heroes and villains put aside their differences to help the greater good. Astaroth tells Firebrand to assist Sir Arthur, Wizeman tells Reala to follow Nights. The reasoning is always selfish – of the “how will I conquer the world if this other jerk destroys it?” variety – but it’s a nice idea. And that page devoted to Bison crushing the Maverick’s head is, full stop, pretty badass.

Flynn also does a pretty good job of quickly establishing who everyone is and what they are all about. We see the sheer joy Alex Kidd and his girlfriend get from conquering evil. The contrast between the carefree and playful Nights and the serious, fight-orientated Reala is notable. Amaterasu’s handler awkwardly hits on Sally, which is pretty funny. (Though the surreal rules of that world definitely could’ve been more clearly incorporated with the other, more grounded characters.)

Of course, not all of these stop-offs can be as compelling. Yes, I’m going to bitch about “Skies of Arcadia” some more. This scene drags horribly, as the characters shout magical spells and perform their coordinated attacks. Everyone shouts melodramatic stuff, drawing attention to their own abilities. It comes off as hopelessly artificial. While Alex Kidd or Nights immediately come off as people with personalities, this New Romantics cover band seems utterly lifeless and lame. And while I really love the “Ghosts ‘n’ Goblins” world, it easily comes off as the most cartoonish of the guest stars introduced here.

The cliffhanger also feels a little shoved in. As I said last time, Sigma probably should’ve done something sooner about everyone escaping to the other worlds. Likewise, the skeleton crew on the Sky Patrol makes no attempt to hide themselves from the giant, genocidal android in front of them. So when Sigma grabs the ship and starts to squeeze, it’s really their own fault. The next issue is also going to be another round of introductions, making it seem like Flynn threw in this cliffhanger because the issue was ending, not because the story was at an organic stopping point.

Another factor that keeps this ship sailing smoothly is its humor. The panels devoted to Sticks cheering on a stoic Guile’s shoulders, or Sir Arthur’s increasingly baffled reaction to what’s happening, are amusing. Or the way Ken and Ryu go about destroying the Unity Engine, which is clearly inspired by “Street Fighter II’s” special stages. A lot of the humor comes from Tyson Heese’s excellent artwork, the son of a bitch. It’s clear he really enjoys illustrating the “Nights” and “Street Fighter” sequences. (Though his take on Alex Kidd veers towards the Cal-Arts side of things.)

While the stakes aren’t as high here as they were in some of the earlier issues, “Worlds Unite” is still rolling along at a decent pace, remaining a lot of fun. Would this issue be less entertaining if I didn’t already like a lot of the guest characters? Probably. But, hey man, this is my blog and I’ll do whatever I want.  [7/10]