Sonic the Hedgehog: Issue 134

Sonic the Hedgehog: Issue 134
Publication Date: March 2004

There are a number of infamous issues throughout the long run of Archie's “Sonic” book. Some are notorious for their lack of quality, like “Sonic Live!” or “Naugus Game.” Others are infamous for the events they depict, like Sally's apparent death in issue 47. Or this one, for example. Issue 134 contains what some fans have taken to calling “The Smack Heard Around the Fandom.” As a die hard Sonic/Sally shipper, it shouldn't come as a shock that I fucking hate that widely loathed event. Is the story around this controversial decision worth salvaging?

The epilogue of “Home” - subtitled “Say You Will,” because what Sonic book is complete without a Foreigner reference? - is exactly that. This issue is directly concerned with the fall-out of the “Home” arc. Sonic spends some time around Knothole, reconnecting with old friends and discovering some of the events that have changed.

“Say You Will” could've had a similar function as the first part of “Home,” an emotional story devoted to Sonic reconnecting with his friends and love ones. And technically it is, though in the most awkward way possible. For most of the page count, the hedgehog regurgitates things the readers already know. Such as explaining to his parents why Jules is still a robot while all the other Robians are now organic. Or telling Tails that his parents still live, though on the other end of the universe. (Of course, the answer to both of these questions is the rather uninspiring “aliens.”)

“Say You Will” does attempt to explain some of the changes that have occurred while Sonic was away for a year. Bunnie and Antoine have naturally drifted apart, the war with Eggman apparently changing the coyote. That's not a very satisfying explanation but, okay, sure. It'll do until the actual, far more insipid answer is revealed. As for the new changes: Dr. Quack is now sporting an eye patch, after stepping on a landmine. Mina now has a boyfriend, her asshole manager Ash, despite still singing songs about Sonic. Knuckles explains why the hell he's hanging out around Knothole. Turns out Robotnik took over Angel Island a while ago.

It's all fine and good, I guess, but not the thing anyone remembers about this issue. In “Say You Will,” Karl Bollers finalizes the despicable character derailing Sally Acorn has suffered for a while. On Mina's stage, in front of all of Knothole, Sally gives Sonic an ultimatum. Either retire from field duty and stay with her in wedded bliss or say goodbye to their relationship. Sonic refuses to quit fighting Robotnik, causing the Princess to smack him in the face and terminate their engagement.

This is absolute bullshit, you guys. Complete bullocks. Total fucking horse dookie. Why the fuck would Karl break up Sonic and Sally after finally letting the two officially become a couple just a few issues ago? And, if he had to break them up, why do it in such a stupid fashion? It could've been more natural. Maybe after thinking he was dead for a year, Sally is afraid of loosing Sonic again. Instead, it makes the Princess seem clingy and manipulative. Sonic so easily making this decision also makes him look like a callous asshole.

And it's so hard to believe. Once upon a time, Sonic and Sally would fight side-by-side on the battle field. The two risking their lives wasn't a problem back then! What the fuck happened, aside from bad writing? The Dork Age has been upon us for quite some time but this slap signaled the comic's most extreme downward spiral.

So how about that back-up story? Ken Penders' “25 Years Later” keeps going with “In Transit.” Knuckles and Rotor's meeting in the park is interrupted when he spots Lien-Da's son spying on them, the kid coming upon the secret meeting while making out with his girlfriend. Concerned about what he might have learned, Knuckles returns to Haven, spying on his enemy instead of his daughter. Meanwhile, Rotor and Cobar continue to hint ominously towards upcoming bad juju.

Once again, the plot is the least interesting thing about this story. Instead, “In Transit” is full of cute moments between parents and children. In Haven, we see Grandfather Sabre is infirm while Spectre and Sojourner are seemingly unaged. This leads to an especially hilarious panel, perhaps unintentionally. When Knuckles mentions that Julie-Su insisted he never spy on Lara-Su, Sojourner expresses bafflement. Invading people's privacy is such an ingrained part of the Brotherhood, that they literally can not understand why anyone would object to it. It sort of seems like Ken is poking fun at his own writing here but who's to say? I also like Lien-Da's continued characterization as a doting mother, who is more interested in her son getting to second base with his girlfriend than in any pertinent information he may be carrying.

In addition to being a fun story, “In Transit” also looks amazing. It might have been this point that Steven Butler surpass Manny Galan as my favorite Knuckles artist. What about the cover story? It's drawn by newcomer Jon Gray. Some folks love Gray's artwork. I, personally, can't stand it. I was in high school when this issue came out and, reading it, Gray's pencil couldn't help but remind me of the shit girls I knew doodled on their notebooks. It's extremely loose, characters bending in all sorts of ridiculous, exaggerated ways. There's no interior cohesion to Gray's work, the cast members sloppily changing shape at a moment's notice. Gray's ridiculous artwork also undermines what should've been a fairly serious story. That's another reason the slap is so notorious. Gray draws it with the biggest, most oversized emotions possible.

For the first time, I think I have to rate the cover story and the backstory on different scales. “In Transit” is my favorite edition of “25 Years Later” thus far, a funny, charming story. It gets a [7/10.] The cover story would just be another mediocre Karl Bollers joint, awkward plotting choking out the smoothness, it if wasn't for the odious treatment of Sally. For totally assassinating everything lovable about the People's Princess, “Say You Will” gets a [2/10.]

Sonic the Hedgehog: Issue 133

Sonic the Hedgehog: Issue 133
Publication Date: February 2004

Despite an emotional beginning that was soundly praised by most every one in the fandom, except for those fuckheads who don't like the pre-boot verse at all, the “Home” story arc soon became more focused on driving action. Which wouldn't have been a problem if the plot heavy action was less interesting than just seeing the characters interact with each other. Especially since Karl continues to dole out tiny details about the changes Mobius underwent during the year Sonic was tossed in space.

“Home: Part 4,” which is simplistically subtitled “Finale,” continues to split the plot among different locations. Sonic fights Mecha. Tails fights A.D.A.M., the sentient computer virus still in control of the Tornado. Knuckles and the Chaotix, with assistance from Rouge and Amy Rose, faces down Robotnik's mechanical army. The threads slowly connect, leading Sonic and the Freedom Fighters to a temporary victory.

“Finale” is mostly focused on the big action sequences. The problem is that too much of the action is kind of dull. M, Robotnik's statuesque robotic daughter, isn't the most invigorating of enemies. She shoots laser beams from her eyes, which Sonic dodges until he can't. After a punch from Bunnie and a grenade from St. John, the depths of M's unoriginality is revealed. She exits the fire as a robotic skeleton. Yep, Mecha is a rip-off of the Terminator. More specifically, Kristina Loken's Terminatrix from “Terminator 3.” Considering “Rise of the Machines” had just come out a year before this comic, the resemblance probably isn't a coincidence. Sadly, Mecha isn't even as captivating a threat as that character. After humbling Espio and Hershey, Sonic easily defeats the fembot by dropping her into some sewer water, shorting her circuits. Robotnik coated his killbot in human flesh but didn't water proof it?

In fact, both of Robotnik's “children” prove underwhelming. As soon as A.D.A.M. controls of the Tornado, the virus probably should've crashed the plane into a mountain side. It might not have killed Tails – the fox is, after all, well known for his ability to fly even without a biplane – but it at least would've minimized that threat. Instead, Tails stumps A.D.A.M. by telling him riddles. Thus another element of Robotnik's flawed design work is revealed. He didn't think to program A.D.A.M. with a sense of humor. Tails' warmed-over witticisms, which includes such chestnuts as “What's black and white and red all over?,” is enough to temporarily send ADAM off-line! Christ, it's a good thing Tails didn't ask the A.I. to comprehend love.

There are a few nuggets of character development that makes the finale of “Home” slightly more compelling than its prior two parts. Despite never displaying  an aptitude for heath care before, Fiona Fox now acts as the team medic, giving her some reason to be here. After Rouge offers Knuckles some help, Julie-Su squints at them in jealousy. It's a cute moment, acknowledging the sexual tension Knuckles and Rouge shared in “Sonic Adventure 2.” (This potential attraction would never be furthered developed, which is fine since this book probably didn't need another love triangle.) Most importantly, after Sonic asks Bunnie and Antoine to go on a mission together, it's revealed the former couple haven't been together for months. This plot point would develop in a stupid direction eventually but it certainly catches the reader's eye here.

Not all the character development here is satisfying. Karl continues to drop the ball concerning Princess Sally. Despite not long being kept away from the action by her parents, the Princess has once again been reduced to pining for her hedgehog love. After Sonic is injuried on the battle field, Sally runs away weeping. Is this the same Sally that was dropping backkicks on robots years earlier? Meanwhile, Karl's characterization of Shadow the Hedgehog remains simplistic. The black furred hog confronts Robotnik, threatening to murder the mad scientist for reasons I can't remember now. This is consistent with Sega's characterization of Shadow at the time. (After all, the next year would bring his solo video game, with its machine guns and motorcycles.) But, after Shadow's cute reaction to Hope in “Sonic Adventure 2.5,” it seems like a step back.

In the back pages, Ken Penders' “Mobius: 25 Years Later” arc continues. Knuckles and Rotor meet in the park at night. There, the walrus informs the Guardian that something creepy is happening with the skies, hinting at a forthcoming cataclysm. Meanwhile, Julie-Su and Lara-Su have a heart-to-heart, in the wee hours after her unveiling.

Once again, Ken Penders has presented a vague, forthcoming ecological disaster as the main adversary of his story. This is at least the second, maybe third, time he's pulled that shit. Was he traumatized by a hurricane as a kid or something? Ken's attempt at witty dialogue between Rotor and Knuckles, amid loose warnings about what's to come, aren't very interesting. The scene between Julie-Su and Lara-Su is a little better. Julie-Su seems to have developed into a slightly overprotective mother. Lara-Su continues to be annoyed that she can't have solo adventures. Julie-Su assures her that mom and dad know best. It's a bit awkward but think about this. Both Knuckles and Julie-Su believed themselves to be orphans until they were fifteen. Being slightly clingy towards their daughter makes sense, as both understand what it's like to live without parents.

After Ron Lim and Dave Manak took uninspired shots at the “Home” arc, Steven Butler returns to draw all of issue 133. Butler's strength for drawing sexy females is especially noticeable. Whether it's Bunnie's cleavage, Fiona's heaving bosom, Rouge being Rouge, or Julie-Su and Lara-Su lounging around in skimpy nightgowns, this issue has no shortage of fan service. Beyond T&A, Butler's gift for action and detail also shines here... For the most part. There's an occasional weird panel. The open two page spread shows Sonic leaping over a laser blast, which looks awkward. A later panel shows Shadow running over a body of water, displaying some weird perspective work. Yet every weak panel is overpowered by an especially strong one. Such as Bunnie triumphantly wrecking Robotnik's battle ship or Knuckles and the Chaotix heading into battle against Robotnik's robot army.

“Home” started really strong but started to falter almost immediately afterwards. There's a crumb or two of something more interesting in this issue but Sonic's grand return to Mobius could've been better handled. “Mobius: 25 Years Later” remains refreshingly low-key in comparison. Gee, does that balance out to a [5/10] or so? Sure does.

Sonic the Hedgehog: Issue 132

Sonic the Hedgehog: Issue 132
Publication Date: January 2004

Man, does it bother any one else when big plot arcs get split up by years? Just me? Okay. But, yes, the “Home” series headed into its third part as Archie's “Sonic the Hedgehog” began 2004. After a strong start, the story line would cluttered apart into uninspired action. I remember 2004 and 2005 being especially weak years for Archie's “Sonic” series. So I'm not exactly excited to be heading into these next 26 issues. Let's get this over with as quickly as possible.

With all the pieces moved into place last time, Sonic and the Freedom Fighters begin their offensive strike against Robotnik's empire. Sonic and Tails confront Eggman on his battle ship, unprepared for the doctor's new mechanical children: A sentient computer virus named A.D.A.M. and a super strong female android named M. Outside the Kingdom of Acorn, the Chaotix faced down an army of ShadowBots. Princess Sally, meanwhile, watches helplessly while her friends get their asses kicked.

Once upon a time, Dave Manak was the regular artist on this book. As the book grew more serious, Manak's cartoonish illustrations appeared less and less often. Usually, Manak only contributed to back-up stories or brief appearances during landmark issues. For some reason, Manak was brought back to draw issue 132. Along with his angular pencils, a certain degree of silly humor has also returned to the book. In “Home Part 3: A.D.A.M. & EVIL,” Tails distracts the evil computer virus with corny jokes. Vector blows away an entire fleet of evil robots with loud music, beamed from a pair of giant amplifiers. Considering the crux of this story revolves around Robotnik threatening to nuke two heavily populated cities, it's an odd decision to include jokey elements like this.

As the title indicates, this story does successfully introduce Robotnik's “children” as serious threats. A.D.A.M. proves unhackable, impervious to Rotor and Tails' attempts to combat him. Apparently, Tails' navigational computers are compatible with whatever system A.D.A.M operates on, as he causes Tails' Tornado to zip-zag through the sky. M, meanwhile, prefers to beat the shit out of people. The statuesque female robot kicks Sonic in the face, bends him over her head, and tosses him into the water. Manak's handle on action isn't the best but these moments are mildly diverting.

This is far from the only action in the book. Since getting her Chaos Emerald assisted growth spurt, Amy Rose hasn't contributed too much to the book. She hasn't had much of a chance to develop beyond her status as Sonic's number one fan girl. (Even then, Mina mostly eclipsed her in that capacity.) In “Home: Part 3,” Amy suddenly reveals herself as a massive bruiser. Armed with her magical hammer, she single-handedly destroys a whole army of ShadowBots. It's a surprising change, that's slightly hard to believe, though the book would run with it. Amy's hammer swingin' robot massacre is certainly easier to believe then Vector wub-wubing apart an equally impressive selection of mechanical soldiers.

In all this chaos, the book pauses for two brief moments of emotion. Before the ShadowBots descend on their outpost, Julie-Su and Knuckles have a conversation. She's reluctant to have Knuckles fight in this battle. After only getting him back recently, she's afraid to loose him again so quickly. This sweet moment is bordered with some nice humor, when Knuckles jokes that death ain't nothing he hasn't lived through. Julie-Su, showing her toughness again, swats at him, not appreciating the humor. This sequence certainly works better then the one devoted to Sally. Once again, Karl has reduced the Princess to pining for Sonic from a distance, her hands tied by royal bureaucracy. Gee whiz, haven't you hit that note enough already, Bollers?

For a while, I've been complaining that Archie didn't know how to utilize the new characters Sega was introducing in their more recent video games. This continues to hold true with “Home.” Both Shadow and Rouge appear in this story. Both saunter on-screen suddenly, providing heroic support when the other characters need it the most. In other words, the “Sonic Adventure 2” additions continue to float around the comic's universe, entering the story only when the writers can find a slot for them. Which is weird, considering this comic has always had a massive cast. You'd think Bollers and the bunch would be better as juggling characters.

In the back pages, Ken Penders continues his lo-fi “Mobius: 25 Years Later” epic. “The Unveiling” is, as you'd expect, devoted to Lara-Su's unvealing party. Which is like a weird puberty prom or something. Lara-Su dresses up in a pretty gown, dances with her dad, uncle, and potential boyfriend, while everyone else stares at her. Meanwhile, Rotor and his partner Cobar make a startling discovery about the dimensional fortitude of Mobius' Prime-Zone.

Last time, I compared unveilings to a bat mitzvah. I think Ken was still kind of going for that but the purpose of the ceremony seems different. Instead of Lara-Su entering adulthood, and becoming responsible for her own actions now, the unveiling seemingly has a different purpose. It's about presenting Lara-Su as a sexually mature individual, ready to be romanced. Which is pretty creepy and exacerbated by Lara-Su dancing with both her father and her uncle during the ceremony. This can't help but bring to mind those symbolically incestuous “purity balls” that were all the rage among Christian nut jobs a decade ago. Considering Knuckles was so eager to abandon traditional in the last issue, it's weird that he would be so insistent on something as traditional and regressive as an unveiling. (There's also a really lame panel where Julie-Su insist that Mace, Knuckles' previously unmentioned half-brother, get married soon. This does not seem in character for her.)

Once you get past the creepy subtext, “The Unveiling” isn't a bad story. Lara-Su continues to express ambivalence, if not outright disinterest, in tradition. The best panel occurs when Knuckles retreats to the balcony. He bemoans how quickly his daughter has grown up. It's a cliched moment but a sweet one, that any parent can relate to, especially once Julie-Su comforts her husband.

This story also introduces us to Argyle, Vector's son. Unlike his braggart, blowhard dad, Argyle is shy and soft spoken. As the son of a braggart blowhard, that seems like a realistic development. A cute moment has Argyle cutting a rug with Lara-Su, continuing to develop their romance. (By the way, we never meet Vector's “wife” so this in no way disproves my head cannon that he's queer as hell. Argyle could be adopted, for all we know.) These small, character-driven moments are certainly more interesting than Rotor discovering that repeated dimensional travel has weakened the physical laws of the universe, leading to another one of those prophecized disasters that Ken loves so much.

The cover story has one or two interesting moment, mostly thanks to a clever action beat, but remains a bit on the dull side. The back-up story creates some unfortunate implication but is otherwise pretty good. If the post-time jump world continues to go the way I remember it going, things are going to stay that way for a while now. [6/10]

Sonic the Hedgehog: Issue 131

Sonic the Hedgehog: Issue 131
Publication Date: December 2003

You probably expected the rest of the five part “Home” story arc to tread similar emotional ground as the first issue. Would this be an entire story line exploring the ramifications of Sonic's return to Mobius? Showing his reunion with his friends in extended detail? If you were expecting such a thing, get ready to be disappointed. Issue 131, containing the story “Home Part 2: The Gathering,” is a straight ahead action story, focused primarily on plot mechanics over character interactions.

Following Robotnik's threat to blow up two major cities, the Freedom Fighters gather their forces and organize an offense. Half of the Freedom Fighter team fly into the atmosphere aboard a redesigned Freedom Fighter Special, preparing to take the fight to Robotnik. Knuckles, the Chaotix, and Amy Rose for some reason rush to help General D'Coolette against an incoming army of ShadowBots. Station Square throw together a special team, including Rogue, to protect their city. Lastly, Sonic and Tails rush Robotnik's base straight ahead.

Karl has done this kind of thing before. Before heading into a big, action filled story event, he'll spend an entire issue setting up the adventure. Which is fine, I guess. After all, you can't rush right into the action. However, all the characters being slotted into place doesn't make for a very satisfying read. “The Gathering” is essentially a collection of vignettes, following different characters as they get ready. The relentless focus on plot construction leaves little room for any sort of character interaction. The cast members are reduced to players in a simplistic series of events.

Karl even devotes some time to characters we definitely do not care about. Two entire pages to are devoted to the President of Station Square arguing with Hugo Brass, the head of G.U.N. (Brass is miscolored, so you can't even tell its him at first.) Brass is incensed that the President is relying on Sonic to save the day... Which sort of makes sense. When Station Square has a nuclear army at their disposal, it is odd that the President would expect a ragtag band of rebels to save the day. Continuing his focus on characters we don't care about, the real Fiona Fox – who still hasn't been developed as a character – is now a member of the Freedom Fighters. Because this book needed another fox running around.

Sonic himself doesn't even have much to do in this issue. He appears at the very beginning of the issue, rushing toward Freedom HQ. He has a brief conversation with Sally that ends shortly. He doesn't appear again until the very end of the issue, rushing towards Robotnik's battle ship on the Tornado. It's kind of weird that the hedgehog gets the title position but has so little to do in this particular story?

Then again, “Home Part 2” isn't really the main attraction of this issue. The cover is devoted to the back-up story. Issue 131 is the official debut of “Mobius: 25 Years Later,” a story line that Ken Penders had been hyping since nearly the beginning of his run on the comic. Does the story arc detail the future Knuckles struggle with an inter-dimensioal cyborg Robotnik or Dr. Ian Droid or something? Nope! It takes place after that! Instead, “Mobius: 25 Years Later” focuses on how life has changed on Angel Island in that time frame. The focus is especially on Lara-Su, who is nervous about her “unveiling.” This is apparently a tradition for echidna females that seemingly serves the same function as a bat mitzvah, though it's for sixteen year olds instead of twelve year olds.

The intervening twenty-five years have certainly had an affect on our cast. Sonic and Sally are now king and queen. Tails is a successful businessman, apparently. Knuckles is wearing Grandpa Hawking's hat, a matching Indiana Jones get-up, and has a robot eye. Julie-Su has grown her hair way out but can still rock a pair of bicycle shorts. Rotor, for some reason, wears an ominous black hood as the Acorn Kingdom's emissary. Espio is sporting a frankly embarrassing goatee/trench coat combo. Lien-Da has settled down, birthed a son, transformed into a smothering mother, but still hangs out with Grandpa Dimitri's floating head. Harry is still driving a cab, poor guy.

On one hand, these changes seem entirely superficial. Yet give credit where it's due. The first part of “Mobius: 25 Years Later” shows off some good world building. The first scene is set in Lara-Su's high school. Which is a natural way to deliver some exposition. The formerly isolationist Angel Island is now opened to the entire world, becoming a bustling metropolis and a major city on Mobius. I like how Ken casually presents the changes here, how many of the main characters are now parents or experienced professionals. When Sonic and Knuckles have to get together, they have to set up official meetings. It works pretty well.

Even though the story is called “Mobius: 25 Years Later,” it's clear Ken originally planned this as a “Knuckles” story arc. Naturally, this episode focuses primarily on the Guardian and his family. Thankfully, Knuckles is a much better parent than his dad. He's concerned but not obsessive about Lara-Su's romantic life. He's done away with many of the Guardian traditions. He doesn't abandon his kid in the wilderness. He doesn't expect Lara-Su to take over his position as Guardian, which Knuckles considers antiqued. She, however, wants to become guardian. Which leads to a cute scene where Lara-Su won't come out of her bedroom. When Knuckles' temper gets the best of him, Julie-Su sternly talks him down, a wonderful moment. Calmness prevails and dad and daughter work through their differences.

Ron Lim draws the cover story and, typically, it looks pretty shitty. The back-up, meanwhile, features some assured, detailed, well done pencils from Steven Butler. That first story is pretty lame, showing the “Home” story arc's quick degradation, but the back-up shows some promise. Some times, that's just how it goes. [6/10]

Sonic the Hedgehog: Issue 130

Sonic the Hedgehog: Issue 130
Publication Date: November 2003

With issue 130, Sonic the Hedgehog returns to his home world, his journey through space officially over. I'm not sure why Archie tossed Sonic through space for four months, other then to expound on the sci-fi concepts the Xorda introduced. Maybe it was in pursuit of those two words comic editors are always after: “Fresh” and “new.” Though the five part “Home” story arc had Sonic – go figure – returning home, this story arc was also striving for a fresh and new approach. Because this isn't the same Mobius Sonic left behind.

Sonic’s ship crash-lands on Mobius, finally returning the hedgehog home. The first person he runs into upon arriving is Geoffrey St. John and Hershey surrounded by ShadowBots. He saves their asses, the two quite surprised to see him alive. Sonic’s tearful reunions with all his friends and family – including a Sally deeply grateful to see him alive – is interrupted by Robotnik’s latest plan. The Eggman is pointing weapons of mass destruction at Knothole again. He’s got a nuke pointed at Station Square too.

Why are things on Mobius so different? Because Sonic has been in outer space for a year. Oh, it only seemed like a few days for him but, you know, relativity and all that shit. The “one year later” gimmick is something comic do from time to time. Three years after this issue, DC Comics would launch an event actually called “One Year Later.” I’m not a fan of time-jumps like this. They’re usually cheap, easy ways to introduce big, sweeping changes into the book, with no explanation provided. At least not immediately.

The first part of the “Home” arc certainly provides its share of changes like that. Geoffrey St. John and Hershey get married on the third page. Antoine is now a stoic bad-ass with a scar over his eyes. Knothole Village has been re-built into a high-tech city. Robotnik is accompanied by two new creations: A.D.A.M., a super smart computer, and M, a fem-bot bodyguard. Rotor has a vest and Sally has long hair. The book provides an off-panel promise that these changes will be explained… Eventually.

Ultimately, the big sweeping changes are way less meaningful to the reader than Sonic reuniting with his friends and family. Mobius’ greatest hero has been gone for a year. People miss him. Hell, even Geoffrey St. John is excited to see him! The Chaotix rush to him, in excitement. Knuckles gives him a high five and bond over their mutual status as resurrectees. Uncle Chuck and Bernie give him big hugs. Tails and Amy Rose tackle him. Most amusingly is Robotnik’s reaction. Believing his arch-enemy is dead, the villain responses to Sonic’s return by screaming in agony towards the heavens. There’s even a meta angle to this, as the reader is equally happy to see these characters. Four months isn’t as long as a year but we’ve still missed these guys.

The most important of all these reunions is Sonic’s meeting with Sally. Even twelve months later, it’s evident the Princess is still mourning for her hedgehog hero. He finds her kneeling at the memorial statue. The scene is impressively orchestrated. It’s presented as a first person perspective of Sonic approaching Sally. He reaches out for her. Her tear soaked eyes look back to him in shock. Finally, the two lock in a powerful kiss, without saying a word. Later, as the two walk hand in hand, Sonic asks if Sally was shocked by his return from the dead. She says she wasn’t. She always knew he’d return to her. Um, sorry you guys, there’s some dust in my eyes. (There’s even some humor in this scene, when a group of paparazzi interrupt the couple’s tender moment.)

In truth, the issue’s emotional stakes are effective enough that they completely overshadow the actual plot mechanics. The issue shoves the events that will drive the next few issues into the back of the book. Something about Robotnik threatening to unleash radiation on the world. Or nuke Knothole and Station Square. Or maybe Station Square is going to nuke Robotropolis? Whole lot of potential nuking going on. That’s a threat the book has returned to far too often and I really don’t care about it.

For an emotional issue like this, Archie brought back two of their best artists. J. Axer pencils the first three pages. This, disappointingly, does not stick Axer with the best moments. He draws Sonic’s ship crash-landing, the hedgehog reacquainting himself with Mobian dirt, and then Robotnik’s ShadowBots encircling St. John and Hershey. Still, Axer makes the most of what he’s given. Steven Butler draws the rest of the issue. He also does some good work, really milking Sonic and Sally’s reunion for as much pathos as possible.

There’s some great emotional moments in issue 130 of “Sonic the Hedgehog.” Honestly, I wish the book could inject this level of emotion into the book more often, without doing a silly time jump like this. Because the character interaction is way more compelling than the plot Karl is trying to push in this one. I remember the “Home” arc starting strong and fizzling out quickly. Let’s see if that recollection holds true as I re-read these comics. [8/10]