Sonic the Hedgehog: Issue 247

Sonic the Hedgehog: Issue 247
Publication Date: April 2013

In April of 2013, when I picked up issue 247 of Archie’s “Sonic the Hedgehog” series from my local comic shop, I had no idea how significant it was. Yeah, it was seemingly wrapping up some long lingering plot lines. It was the last issue before the much hyped Mega Man crossover began. I – and most of the comic’s loyal readers – had no way of knowing that this was destined to be the final issue taking place in the original continuity. That this simple comic was were 21 years of stories, characters, and lore was going to end.

“At All Cost, Part One: Fate Interrupted” begins with Team Fighters cornering the Death Egg at its Arctic refueling platform. With the help of the Arctic Freedom Fighters, our heroes successfully enter the base. They are soon joined by Silver, who has finally deduced that Sally is the historical traitor he’s been pursuing. That saving her, and de-roboticizing her, will prevent his catastrophic future from coming to be. Robotnik, meanwhile, panics. After Sonic comes extremely close to his goal of saving his beloved princess, Eggman frantically activates another Genesis Wave. Thus begins a crossover. And that’s where the comic book, as it existed for twenty one years, fucking ends.

From the moment Flynn introduced him into the book, he’s had Silver the Hedgehog chasing this mythical traitor. And it’s always been dumb, an excuse to keep Silver coming back to the comic’s present. Fittingly, this dumb idea wraps up on an incredibly underwhelming note. Silver deduces that Sally must be the traitor, more-or-less by process of elimination. He realizes that there never really was a traitor. That the subtleties of events – Sally being turned into an evil robot against her will – got lost to the slow march of time. This could’ve been an interesting commentary on how history is shaped, often being distorted over the ages. But, because Flynn has always played this as a genuine mystery, instead of some Quixotic quest on Silver’s behalf, it comes of as a total shrug of a conclusion. The answer to the question has been in front of us the whole time.

Not only does this seriously give the impression that Flynn didn’t think up an ending to Silver’s quest until the last minute, it also disrupts the story’s pacing. This issue isn’t really about who Silver’s proposed traitor is. It’s about rescuing Sally. However, because Flynn has to shoehorn this half-hearted resolution in, the mission is interrupted. Team Fighters stops cold so they can argue with Silver about his deduction, seemingly forgetting they’re on a time-sensitive mission here. (Sonic is literally shown pacing the room at one point.) It’s a serious “get to the fireworks factory” moment. Stop the debates, you hedgehogs. We’ve got a princess to rescue. Maybe the people actually invested in Silver’s quest feel differently. But this is my blog, so I declare those people to be objectively wrong.

Putting this serious flaw aside, issue 247 is a solid action comic book. It’s fun seeing Team Fighters battle side by side with the often underutilized Arctic Freedom Fighters, even if they ultimately end up having very little to do in this issue. Ahklut the orca reappears, determined to get revenge on Sonic and Silver for freeing Rotor’s herd a while back, and smashes the underwater tunnel the team is traveling through. A super angry orca, flashing a mouthful of serrated teeth, turns out to be a very motivating threat. The fight with Mecha Sally doesn’t go on very long but is entertaining while it lasts.

Team Fighters’ mission in the Arctic is running parallel to some business back at home. Nicole’s unveiling of the newly rebuilt Castle Acorn is interrupted by the nanites going nuts. Cream then realizes that her Tails Doll has been missing every time something like this has happened. Its cover blown, the Doll then transforms into a giant, hideous monster.

This is a far more satisfying payoff than the reveal about Silver’s nonexistent traitor. First off, it plays off Tails Doll’s fanon reputation as a source of horror. Secondly, it shows Cream making herself useful by noticing something nobody else has. Lastly, I like the way Rotor immediately believes the little bunny, dismissing the cliche of the grown-up never believing the kid with the crazy story. If I had to look for a flaw in this subplot, it would be Tails Doll revealing his status as an infiltrator so quickly. But a little doll suddenly growing into a huge, grotesque horror actually is a decent cliffhanger, as opposed to the book’s primary ending.

On the artwork front, this issue sees the return of Evan Stanley. Stanley has gotten better with every appearance and her artwork really comes into her own here. Her art has a slightly more American style superhero comic book feel. Rotor and Gustav gain a more sinewy, heroic build. But everyone is definitely still on model. Stanley's action is excellent, especially the fight with Akhult. Her work on facial expressions are very good. Unlike a lot of artists on the book, who seem content just to emulate Yardley, Stanley brings her own style to the table. Which I like a lot.

It’s entirely impossible for me to separate my feelings for this individual comic book from my feelings about the decision to reboot the series. This comic book makes me mad. Five years later, I still feel an immense sense of frustration. I’ve spent way too much of my life invested in these characters and their world. Seeing it end would be one thing. Seeing it stop midway through a two-parter, to leave the characters at one point and then pick up in an entirely different universe, is another. Before, I’ve referred to the original continuity as ending on a cliffhanger but that’s not entirely accurate. This is more like the pages of a novel suddenly going blank three chapters from the end.

There is no sense of finality, of conclusion, of satisfaction. It is extremely obvious that Ian Flynn had every intention of wrapping this story up naturally after the crossover was done. But because Archie is bad at paperwork, because the company never valued the book and treated the former writers like shit, because Ian Flynn sucks at sticking the landing, a panel of everything fading to white in the middle of the action is the closest thing the comic as we knew it got to an ending. Yes, it pisses me off. Yes, I consider the decision to reboot midway through a fucking two parter a betrayal of the fans who supported this series for two decades, no matter how shitty it got. Yes, I believe Archie handled the fallout of the Penders lawsuit in as awkward a fashion as possible. Flynn is at fault too, for allowing the Mecha Sally storyline to drag on for an entire year. It really all should’ve been settled before the continuity nullifying crossover began anyway.

But this is not the time or place for that rant, I suppose. (Believe me, that rant is sure as fuck coming soon.) It is not fair to judge issue 247 as the very unexpected, clearly unplanned ending to twenty one years of comic book history it is. As a story, it’s fine. Some pacing issues but mostly okay. I’d give it a [6/10.] The massive amount of baggage that comes with Archie frantically slamming the restart button is not this individual comic book’s fault.

Sonic the Hedgehog: Issue 225

Sonic the Hedgehog: Issue 225
Publication Date: May 2011

When you're reading this comic book as quickly as I am, you loose track of a sense of time. It seems we got from 2006, from Ian Flynn's introduction to the book, to 2011 really quickly. That was when Flynn wrote his third milestone issue of the main “Sonic” series. Time sure does fly, doesn't it? What makes 225 even more special is that it's this is the last issue before the big “Genesis” event began. So, naturally, this issue was greeted with much pomp-and-circumstance. It got a double wide gatefold cover and even a snazzy variant, a technique Archie would start employing more often from here on.

“One Step Forward...” begins with the new Death Egg looming high in the Mobian sky. Sonic and Naugus agree to put their differences aside, until Robotnik's new scheme is dealt with. The Freedom Fighters quickly mobilize. Sonic and Sally jump on the Tornado and head towards the flying fortress. The hedgehog and the Princess make it inside. Robotnik seemingly allows them to enter. In fact, this has all been a trap of sorts. The scientist happily prepares his next latest scheme, a ploy that will remake all of the planet. And Sonic and Sally are left in a very tight place.

Ever since it's appearance in “Sonic the Hedgehog 2,” Robotnik's Death Egg has become a pivotal part of Sonic lore. It's such a mainstay of the series that it's easy to forget the entire thing is a goofy riff on “Star Wars'” Death Star. As I said, despite its prominent place in the franchise's history, the space station has only appeared once before in the comic. So Flynn bringing it back – along with Silver Sonic, who has more appearances than the Death Egg it spawned from – makes issue 225 an even bigger deal.

This story is also pivotal for being Robotnik's proper return to major villainy. His time spent around the bend and hiding in the shadows has changed him. More than once since then, he's referenced that the hedgehog is the unavoidable, unpredictable, chaotic variable. So the mad doctor simply goes with the flow when the hedgehog sneaks onto his ship. Snively and Lien-Da think he's gone mad but it's an interesting change-up. Instead of the mad doctor going head-to-head with his enemy, he builds his latest scheme to occur around Sonic. If anything, going insane for a while has made the villain a little smarter than usual.

What I mostly like about “One Step Forward...” is how it's primarily devoted to Sonic and Sally adventuring together. The two are officially a couple again, making their big mission together especially crucial. Before leaping into the Death Egg together, the two lock lips in a fantastic panel. From there, we are greeted to a wonderful sight; Sally being all analytical about a mission while Sonic zips around, wanting to smash robots. While he's tango-ing with Silver Sonic – a solid action scene – Sally is off investigating. These are the simple joys I demand from my “Sonic” material: Two of my favorite characters, doing what they do best as a team.

Sonic and Sally are romantically involved again so, naturally, the Princess' head is back on the chopping block. The variant cover for 225 shows a hand – it's pretty obvious whose – laying on the floor, while Sonic stares on horrified. The issue ends on a massive cliffhanger, with Sally getting a faceful of a double barrel cannon while Sonic is too distracted to help. Once again, the book is teasing us with Princess Sally's death.

And I'm not sure how to feel about it. In 2011, I was more apprehensive. There were rumors that a series reboot was coming, following the upcoming “Genesis” arc. This cliffhanger seem to threaten Sally being removed from the series altogether. Now we know this wouldn't come to pass. Sally would survive the reboot, which wouldn't happen for a few more years. In practice now, the ending can't help but come off as a slightly cheap cliffhanger. A way to keep the reader glued to the page over the next three months, while Sonic is off in Sega-land.

So what of “Genesis?” I'll discuss my thoughts on that story soon enough. As a prequel to that story, “One Step Forward...” is slightly uneven. It's a pretty strong story that stands happily on its own without much trouble. Knowing that a 25th anniversary story is coming up next, that the main story will be taking a break to re-adapt the original video games, makes “One Step Forward...” is a little less exciting in retrospect. Robotnik's evil plan is no less sinister than re-creating the Sega Genesis games for a while, which is probably not as terrifying as the the mad scientist hopes it will sound.

Issue 225 suffers from being awkwardly shoved between different story threads. We have “Genesis” on the horizon and the still lingering plot tumor of Naugus' attempt to rule Mobotropolis behind us. The result is a milestone story that is not as satisfying as 175 or 200. however, I still like this one a lot. Mostly because watching Sonic and Sally kick ass together will never not be a big deal for me. [7/10]

Sonic the Hedgehog: Issue 26

 
Sonic the Hedgehog: Issue 26
Publication Date: July 1995

I’ve commented before about the wild tonal shifts this series underwent in its early years. It still varies from issue to issue at this point. Last time, I reviewed the “Sonic & Knuckles” one-shot, whose tone was relatively serious and closely in line with the SatAM series. Now, here comes Issue 26 with a story that feels like its right out of “Adventures of Sonic the Hedgehog.” Heck, Robotnik even hangs out in a hill-top tower, like he did in that series, and Snively is reduced to a pun-slinging sidekick, recalling the role played by Scratch or Coconauts. At times, the constant back-and-forth between mostly serious and mostly silly can really give the reader whiplash.

In “Way, Way Past Cool,” Sonic and friends are enjoying a pleasant summer day down by the stream. That is, until a freak snowstorm blows in. Soon, the entire area is below zero and everyone is freezing. Naturally, Robotnik is behind this freak weather change. He has created a device to drastically change the weather, expecting to wipe out the Freedom Fighters with me. When the frost-bitten furries take coverage in a cave, they meet another group of Freedom Fighters which may help them turn the tide.

This is a fairly basic story. The bad guy cooks up a standard plot – a big ass freeze ray is not exactly the most original scheme – the heroes scramble for a while before regrouping and finding a solution. The early scenes of the Freedom Fighters wandering through the snowstorm is mostly devoted to goofy puns and threating about what’s happening. Robotnik is in pure silly mode, yelling and screaming in a mock-serious fashion, acting like a comic relief villain. Though freezing to death is a fairly serious threat, the story doesn’t treat it very seriously.

If Issue 26 has anything memorable about it, it’s the introduction of a new group of Freedom Fighters. I’ve always liked new teams being introduced, as it makes Mobius feel like a more fleshed-out world. It’s good to know that Sonic and his friends aren’t the only ones out there rebelling against Robotnik’s regime. However, this issue doesn’t get much time to develop the Arctic Freedom Fighter’s personality. Guntiver the Wolf is the blandly heroic leader. Augustus the Polar Bear is the big guy. Flip the Penguin is the carefree, fun-loving one. And Erma and Sealia are the girls. All Erma does is help chip Sonic and friends out of a block of ice later one. Sealia does nothing. The character designs are funny and interesting but the team is so thinly sketched, it’s hard to care much about them.

 
Still, there’s some okay moments in “Way, Way Past Cool.” The scene of Sonic sliding on the ice in the cave is mildly amusing, showing that his speed isn’t always enough to make it out of a situation. Seeing the two teams come together is mildly satisfying, as is the catapult the heroes build out of nowhere. Snivley is in groveling, suck-up mode here, doing his best to appease his boss, which is one of my favorite Snivley modes. Mostly though, I wish the story made better use of its snowy setting and its new cast. Dave Manak’s angular, goofy artwork doesn’t help matters much.

The back-up story, “Fortified,” is a lot better, if equally disposable. While exploring the woods, Sonic twists his ankles. This leaves the Freedom Fighters without their most valuable member. The group explores the woods before coming to an abandoned wooden fort. Robotnik is right on their trail, in a tree leveling bulldozer. With Sonic out of commission, Rotor builds Bunnie a suit of armor from the old scrap metal lying around the fortress.

First off, it’s always nice when this series remembers that Bunnie exist. I don’t think she’s contributed to a story since Issue 23. The comic was still finding a use for her at this point. In this story, the writers seemingly realizes that she is actually the most powerful member of the team. When Rotor whips her up some body armor, she easily shreds a whole team of SWATBots. The sudden appearance of an old fort really comes out of nowhere. However, the story is breezy and fun. With Art Mawhinney’s typically spot-on artwork, forested setting, and a focus on the ensemble, “Fortified” really feels like a lost episode of SatAM. Not a super memorable one but an entertaining one nevertheless.

So I guess what I’m saying is you can skip the cover story and go straight to the back-up. [6/10]