Sonic the Hedgehog: Issue 37

 
Sonic the Hedgehog: Issue 37
Publication Date: May 1996

Throughout my reviews, I’ve mentioned the odd push-and-pull Archie’s “Sonic the Hedgehog” series has, between its inspiration and the weird world the writers had created themselves. Some stories published in the book feel like they could only be published here. Others, meanwhile, feel like left-over SatAM scripts retrofitted for the comic book. Don’t take that last point as an insult, as SatAM was awesome. Issue 37, both its cover story and its back-up, feel like storyboards for an episode of the cartoon that never reached production.

First is “The Day Robotropolis Fell.” Sonic and Sally are in Robotropolis to meet with Uncle Chuck. From his underground lair, he informs them that a major earthquake is about to hit the city. Robotnik, Snively, and his army of SWATBots have left the area in a flying craft, in order to avoid the damage. Robotnik, meanwhile, has left the robotocized Mobians in the city, not concerned for their well being. While the dictator is out of the city, Uncle Chuck has a crazy plan to de-robotocize a number of the mechanical citizens. They have to accomplish all of this before the earthquake strikes, which happens sooner then anyone expected.

“The Day Robotropolis Fell” is a straight-forward, concisely constructed story. The in-coming earthquake provides a time limit on the story, ratcheting up the suspense. The natural disaster isn’t the only visceral threat the story provides. Uncle Chuck is trying to restore free will to a crowd of people under Robotnik’s control. This the kind of noble cause the Freedom Fighters should be working on all the time. When the earthquake strikes early in the middle of the story, it puts more pressure on our heroes. So now they have to survive the city crumbling around them, successfully de-robotocize a group of innocents, get them on a plane, and then Sonic and Sally have to get out of the city themselves. Yet the story progresses through these points in a clear way, never making the script seem over-stuffed or sloppy. This might honestly be one of the best constructed stories ever presented in the comic.

All of this is before the major events that happens mid-way through the story, which lends this issue its undeniably eye-catching cover. While Sonic and Sally make their escape, a structure falls on Sally, injuring her and knocking her unconscious. (Though, given the size of the rock and the distance it fell, it really should have killed her.) Now, the problem is personal for Sonic. His best friend and love interest is harmed, which just exacerbates the issue. He has to protect Sally and escape a crumbling city. The race through the earthquake affected Robotropolis leads to another dramatic decision, the hedgehog forced to think fast on his feet. Luckily, everyone makes it out okay. Yet the tension, stakes, and pressure in this story are excellent.

There aren’t too many problems with “The Day Robotropolis Fell.” Chuck’s plan to restore the Mobians – which involves a big ass explosion – doesn’t make much sense. There’s a totally unnecessary epilogue where Robotnik and Snively crash their ship on the way back into the city. It’s the only time this felt like an Angelo DeCesare story, whose work is normally much goofier. This is the best work DeCesare has done in a while and further evidence that, when he was really trying, he could produce some great stuff.

Well, there’s the issue of the artwork. Brian Thomas’ pencils were last seen in Issue 34, which was a fairly weak story not helped but Thomas’ off-model artwork. His work here is no better. It’s clear Thomas doesn’t have much aptitude for drawing these characters. He has a bad habit of drawing Sally’s arms way too long. He also makes her eyes huge and anime-esque, which is a style the book wouldn’t adopt fully for a few more years. His faces are okay and he has a decent sense of motion. Mostly though, Sonic and the rest seem somewhat undefined here. The artwork is a bit squishy and off-model. I really wish Art Mawhinney could’ve handled the pencils on this one. He would’ve killed it.

The back-up story turns the spotlight on Bunnie, who the comic too often overlooked. When I mentioned that Issue 37 feels like a SatAM episode, I was serious. I could’ve sworn that this story, “Bunnie’s Worst Nightmare,” appeared as a segment on the show. I can’t find any proof of this though, so I guess I'm remembering shit wrong? Anyway, the back-up story concerns Bunnie developing an odd rash on her organic skin. Soon, her mechanical components begin to spread throughout her body. Seemingly, the robotocization process has resumed, slowly turning her completely into a robot.

It’s a potentially powerful story. As the title indicates, Bunnie’s worst fear is loosing her humanity. She’s come awfully close to it happening before. The story is both written and drawn by Rich Koslowski, who hasn’t done much work on the book before or after this. His pencils are a bit awkward. His facial expression are overly broad and truthfully weird-looking. His backgrounds are too often just bright colors. He does seem to have a general better grasp on the character designs then Brian Thomas.

As for the story, it has Bunnie confronting her worst fear and choosing to sacrifice herself rather then endanger her friends. A little too much of the comic focuses on Rotor trying to reverse the condition, instead of focusing on Bunnie’s emotions. The appearance of Robotnik, via ghost-like hologram, is an odd moment. As the title foreshadows, the last page reveals the story to be a nightmare. On one level, the events are way too clear and sensical to be a dream. On the other hand, Bunnie’s predicament is definitely nightmarish. The story could’ve been a deep exploration of the character’s fears and insecurities. And it does do that, a little bit, but eight pages isn’t quite enough space to exploit the story to its full potential. Still, “Bunnie’s Worst Nightmare” isn’t bad.

It all equals out to a very good story, far more concerned with clear plotting and the character’s emotional states then this comic usually is. Truthfully, only the shaky artwork is what keeps this from being a truly stand-out issue. [8/10]

Sonic the Hedgehog: Issue 34

 
Sonic the Hedgehog: Issue 34
Publication Date: March 1996

Though primarily based on the Saturday morning cartoon show, Archie’s “Sonic the Hedgehog” comic would delightfully expanded into its own weird thing over its long run, taking elements from the video games and other cartoon shows but mostly from the writers’ weird imaginations. At times, the book would struggle over its identity. Issue 34 attempts to bring the comic in-line with certain events from the cartoon show. Meanwhile, it introduces a new breed of robotic mooks that would, briefly, supplant the SatAM-created SWATBots.

In Knothole Village, Sonic and Rotor discover that nothing they can do effectively de-robotocizes Uncle Chuck and Muttski. The two Robians seem in high-spirits about it, just happy to have their freedom back. Meanwhile, Robotnik, who has developed a new military fetish, unveils his latest line of weapons: The Combots, a heavily-armed fleet of robotic soldiers. Dulcy hears in on this and reports back to Knothole. Sonic, Uncle Chuck, and Muttski head into Robotnik’s lair to destroy the machines before they can be deployed. However, Chuck and the dog are blasted by a beam, their free will zapped again. Now, Sonic is strapped to the front of Robotnik’s tank and the Combots are marching towards the Great Forest, wiping out everything in their path.

“To ‘Bot or Not to ‘Bot” is a story with potentially high stakes that manages to squander all of them. The story has both a visceral threat and an emotional threat. The Combots are said to be super-destructive new machines. Robotnik, with a new militaristic zeal previously unseen, seems very determined to murder his enemies. The emotional threat, meanwhile, is to Uncle Chuck and Muttski. After getting back his uncle and dog after so many years, Sonic is now faced with loosing them all over again.

These ideas could have made an impact but writer Angelo DeCesare drops the ball on both points. First off, the Combots never actually get to show off their dangerous abilities. They stand around, look intimidating and do some marching. The only serious thing they wind up doing is walking off a cliff. Keep in mind, this is at least the third time one of Robotnik’s newest machines where destroyed by being led off a cliff. You’d think he would just stop attacking that part of the Great Forest. The Combots look cool. Their metal scowls, spiked shoulders, and camouflage color schemes certainly make them visually threatening. However, they end up not being very impressive.

The emotional threat fizzles out too. Spoiler alert for a nineteen year old comic book: Uncle Chuck and Muttski aren’t reduced to robotic slaves again. In a cheap, last minute plot twist, Rotor reveals that he planted them earlier with the microchip meant to maintain Sally’s free will, from back in Issue 29. The whole story was an act of misdirection. It looks like Robotnik has victory in his grasp but he was never close. Chuck reprogrammed the Combots to march off the cliff and Robotnik flees in defeat. On one hand, this is meant to give Comic Uncle Chuck the same purpose Cartoon Uncle Chuck. He’s a double agent for the Freedom Fighters, acting like a robotocized cog but actually reporting back to his nephew and friends. Unfortunately, it also ends the story on a total cheat.

Providing pencils for Issue 34 is Brian Thomas, an artist who rarely worked on the book again. It’s not hard to figure out why. Thomas doesn’t seem to have a grasp on the Sonic characters. Sonic, Uncle Chuck, and Muttski look all right. Everyone else is wildly off-model. Rotor’s snout is too long. Snively’s eyes are too wide. Sally’s head is too big and her eyes are too blue. Antoine’s forehead is too large. Bunnie’s neck disappears. Tails’ nose points too far up. Robotnik, meanwhile, spends the whole issue in a General Patton get-up, with reflective sunglasses, a kaiser helmet, and medals lining his shirt. Along with Thomas’ squishy art, he winds up looking like an entirely different character. Thomas obviously has some skill but he doesn’t seem suited to this book at all.

Rounding out the book is another Penders “Knuckles” story. Luckily, this isn’t a lame two pager and actually provides some backstory. In the shadow of Mount Fate, Knuckles recalls the history of the echidna empire. How the Floating Island was once on the ground and echidna society was scientifically advanced. When a white comet was on a collision course with the city, the scientist harnessed the power of the Chaos Emeralds and the island floated into the sky. This is a suitably mythic origin for the Floating Island and would inform most of Knuckles’ mythology. Since this is another action-light story, they’re aren’t many opportunities to draw attention to Penders’ weaknesses as an artist. (Though his decision to make red the default coloration for all echidnas was probably a mistake.) The dialogue is slightly heavy-handed but the writing is decent and the artwork is acceptable.

A decent back story only brings up the quality of Issue 34 so much. The cover story is a dud, thanks to an underwhelming script and some seriously off artwork. [5/10]