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 241

Sonic the Hedgehog: Issue 241
Publication Date: October 2012

Don't you just love a misleading cover? Issue 241's cover makes it look like the big conclusion to the comic's recent events, when it only sort of wraps some things up. It also features several characters on the cover who do not appear in the book. The Secret Freedom Fighters, while Robotnik's role is pretty minimal. However, there's something bittersweet but this usual comic book shenanigans. This comic marks the final appearance of several of those characters before the reboot. Many more minor Archie exclusive cast members take their final, unknowing curtain bow in this issue.

“Unraveling” follows two story lines. Somewhere across the continent, Team Fighter follows the Death Egg. Eggman is on the run until he cooks up a last minute scheme that distracts Sonic and friends for a while. Meanwhile, in Mobotropolis, more stuff is going down. Naugus continues to loose control of his body. Mina puts on a benefit concert to un-exile Nicole. Mina's mom takes over Rotor's seat on the Council of Acorn. This news upsets Naugus and further exacerbates his condition.

Yes, the villain's scheme might be “Unraveling” but Flynn is undoing many of the dumb-ass plot points he's introduced over the last year. This issue sees Geoffrey St. John finally betray Naugus, rejecting the evil wizard and the stupid decision to turn him into a traitor in the first place. Mina uses her music to encourage the community to welcome Nicole back, doing away with the stupid decision to write her out of the book for a few issues. (Mobotropolis' populace still remains far too easy to manipulate, via the power of song.) This all prefaces the city as a whole turning on King Naugus. Say what you will about Mecha-Sally but that was a plot mix-up that created new story opportunities. Making St. John Naugus' apprentice, Naugus becoming king, and having the city turn on Nicole were unnatural story decisions that existed more to push through ideas than to naturally move the story forward. I'm glad we're done with them.

Flynn doesn't seem to admit that he's unfucking his own mistakes here. Instead, these story turns fit into the issue's theme of forgiveness. Mina admits to her mistakes and apologizes to them. This allows the city's citizens to do the same. Nicole, in turn, forgives the Council for exiling her. One of the aspects that marks Naugus as a villain is his inability to change and move on from past transgressions... Which makes his constantly transforming physical state a rather ironic twist. I don't know if Flynn did that on purpose.

Naugus cracking up does give Steven Butler an excuse to draw some fucked-up monsters. And it's clearly something he enjoys. The wizard spends most of the issue in a state of high stress, his body mutating. His metal claw repeatedly morphs into a lobster claw. Smaller crustacean claws sprout from his torso. A big, red, bumpy tail falls out of his ass. Naugus is constantly drooling and sweaty. In a book whose cast is primarily made up of cute animals, you can tell Butler is really relishing the chance to draw a hideous mutant. As you'd expect, Butler's artwork is extremely strong in general.

There's a fair bit of humor to Naugus' breakdown. The wizard touches upon the idea of possessing someone else's body, in order to get his consciousness out of a physical form that is going beserk. First, he attempts to talk King Acorn into entering into a magic pact with him. Despite Max being almost entirely senile by this point, he still has the strength of will to reject the King's plan. Next, Naugus attempts to trick Jules into giving up his body. Sonic's parents bring up everything bad Naugus has ever done to them and their son before telling him to get the fuck out. The way Butler draws Jules and Bernie's annoyed faces, even including Muttski growling at the wizard, makes this scene even funnier. Naugus' skills are degenerating to such a degree that he can't even get old men to fall for his bullshit.

Continuing the trend that started with issue 240, Sonic barely appears in issue 241. Sonic, Amy, and Tails are many miles away from Mobotropolis. The action beat feels perfunctory.  Eggman discovers a sprig of the Krudzu Hybrid Hydra on the Death Egg. Running low on options, he combines the plant-machine with the busted-out shell of a Titan Metal Sonic. Yet it only takes Team Fighter a few pages to take down this kaiju-sized threat. It's pretty evident that Flynn is more invested in what's happening in Mobotropolis and only includes these scenes to give the hedgehog hero and his Sega-approved co-stars an obligatory appearance. It's a decent fight scene but has little reason to be in this comic book.

Geoffrey St. John is among the characters to make his last appearance in this issue. That's a shame, since the comic wraps up on an tantalizing plot point with him: Naugus possessing the body of his apprentice. The ending also teases the start of the “Endangered Species” storyline, which would write out most of Ken Penders' echidna characters even before the reboot would come along and blank-slate nearly the entire universe. So I guess it's a good thing that this is a pretty strong issue, since this era of Archie “Sonic” is coming to an abrupt close very soon. [7/10]

Sonic the Hedgehog: Issue 240

Sonic the Hedgehog: Issue 240
Publication Date: August 2012

Look, there's another Greg Horn cover and it's exactly as boring as his last cover! Granted, at least the image of Amy making a little heart with her hand tells us something about her personality, as opposed to the utterly generic image of Sonic he created last time. And I'm thankful Horn didn't resort to his usual techniques when portraying female characters and make Amy into an impossibly posed, half-naked, pouting porn starlet. I guess Archie just couldn't resist getting a big name like Horn involved in their silly, funny animal book. Could've been worse, I guess. Could've been that other Greg.

But let's talk about the actual comic book. “Heroes Part Two: For the People” has Team Fighter rushing to inform Mobotropolis of the Death Egg's approach. Their communique only partially gets through by the time Robotnik is directly over the city. It's up to Rotor and his team of misfits to save the day. Despite Eggman's sabotage and army of robot weapons, the team manages to fight off the invasion. They do, however, get some help from Harvey Who's now fully formed Secret Freedom Fighters. Also, Naugus continues to loose control of his own body to the voices in his head.

Issue 240 is an issue of “Sonic the Hedgehog” that barely has Sonic in it. And, honestly, it might be all the better for it. Though I have nothing against Sonic and friends running around the world, my heart is in Mobotropolis with the Knothole crew. Team Fighters' adventures have been so transient that I've felt a little adrift with this book recently. Returning home and focusing on the fate of the Acorn crown – even if Sally, Bunnie, and Antoine are out of the picture at the moment – is refreshing. By going back home, it reminds us what's at stake and why we care in the first place.

Part two of “Heroes” is mostly devoted to giving Team Freedom a chance to shine. Though I was initially very underwhelmed by the line-up of Rotor's team, their adventure here is pretty effective. Everyone's personality is given a chance to shine. Rotor accommodates himself to the role of leader fairly well. Cream is eager to help but still childish enough that she gets frightened. Heavy is overly analytically, even in the heat of combat. (And he still sounds like Baymax in my head.) Flynn mostly writes Big the Cat as a big dumb pet, staring dumbly and speaking simply while also smashing robots with his super-strength. It's not an all-star line-up or anything but the characters seem to work together well.

Of course, the only reason Robotnik's army can get into the city in the first place is because of Operation: Deadly Cuddles. Let's talk about that. During the assault on Mobotropolis during issue 231, Eggman dropped a Tails Doll out of the sky. Cream, assuming it was a simple toy, adopted it. Of course, the Tails Doll is actually an Eggman drone that can disrupt nanites and spy on the Freedom Fighters.

For those not in the know, Tails Doll is a very obscure Sega character that is something like Tails' counterpart to Metal Sonic. It was introduced in “Sonic R,” the glitchy racing game that came out on the Saturn in 1997. There's an obvious reason Flynn introduced this forgettable character into the comic fifteen years after his first appearance. Due to his creepy doll face and uncanny ability to float, somebody wrote a lame creepypasta about the character. And, because Sonic fans love stupid bullshit, this led to Tails Doll actually becoming kind of popular. Flynn hints at Tails Doll's internet fandom by making him a figure of suspicion, and eventually weirdly vivid body horror, in the book. As an in-joke unlikely to be caught by those unaware of the online fandom, I guess that was an okay decision.

The fine print at the start of the book says “Heroes” is the prelude to the Secret Freedom Fighter arc, currently playing out in “Sonic Universe.” Never mind that we were two issues into that story by the time this book came out. In their first in-continuity appearance, the Secret Freedom Fighters accomplish more than they have thus far in their own story. They make short work of the new Metal series robots Robotnik deploys. Larry's bad luck generation actually comes in handy, destroying two EggSWATS. Moreover, they actually act in a stealthy manner, helping out Team Freedom without alerting them to their presence. You'd think Flynn would've led with this, instead of having this issue come out after the “Universe” arc started.

After taking a one issue break and letting Jamal Peppers draw things, Steven Butler is back on penciling duties. Once again, I'm partial to Butler's work. His action is great. His character work is expressive and detailed. It's all good stuff. The second half of “Heroes” is much stronger than the first, managing to balance character development and action better. It also includes the Secret Freedom Fighters in a way that's far less distracting. Good on you, Flynn. [7/10]

Sonic the Hedgehog: Issue 239

Sonic the Hedgehog: Issue 239
Publication Date: July 2012

Starting with issue 239, Archie invited a big comic artist to provide the cover art for a few issues. Unfortunately, that artist was Greg Horn. Horn somehow became a superstar artist in the late 2000s despite his work frequently being gross and always being really off-putting. He usually draws super unappealing pin-up artwork, his female characters bending in all sorts of anatomically impossible poses. Horn also abuses the use of photographs as source material and digital painting techniques to the point that most of his work occupies the uncanny valley. To look at Horn's artwork is to see a thousand dead-eyed but weirdly detailed faces floating above generic porno-bot bodies.

Knowing all this, I'm not sure why Archie hired the guy. But I guess a big name artist is still a big name artist, regardless of their reputation or how at odds their usual work is with this book's style. So, for the first cover he provided, Horn contributed an excessively generic image of Sonic posing on an empty blue background. It looks like a piece of Sega stock art and is as weirdly shiny as everything else Horn creates. No sir, I do not like it.

Anywho, the plot: Issue 239 begins a two-parter entitled “Heroes” which does not, disappointingly, feature an unkillable cheerleader or Zachary Quinto eating people's brains. So Team Fighter has been pursuing the Death Egg across the globe. They see the air-ship stop above the Feral Forest and quickly deduce that Robotnik is looking to murder Prince Elias. As the heroes arrive, the town is beset by various killer robots, including Mecha-Sally. They attempt to fight them off and save Elias’ life but someone else interferes.

“Heroes” is an action oriented story with branching plotlines. This is a nice way to say that “Heroes” is another Ian Flynn joint that prioritizes combat over character. This is twenty-one pages composed almost completely of action. Sonic fights Silver Sonic.  Col. Sommersby fights Mecha-Sally. Amy Rose fights Mecha-Sally. Tails then leaps in for an assist. We even see T-Pup briefly fight Silver Sonic. All these fisticuffs are happening concurrently, so Flynn is constantly cutting between these various conflicts. It's entertaining but, once you get over the initial fun factor of good ol' violence, you realize this is a pretty thin story.

It's also, I'm afraid to say, another excuse for Flynn to set up the Secret Freedom Fighters. Yeah, I thought he was done too. It's another example of Archie's bad planning and shaky release schedule. This issue was obviously meant to premiere after issue 41 of “Sonic Universe.” During the invasion of the Feral Forest, Leeta and Lyco appear. They escort the former king to safety. Not only is this yet more exhausting set-up for Flynn's other story line, it also removes quite a bit of tension from the story. If Team Fighter had never showed up in the village, it turns out Elias probably still would've been fine.

If “Heroes” has anything going for it, is the small kernels of emotion and character development we get. Elias forbids Tails from telling Sonic the exact details of how he was rescued. When Sonic receives Tails' vague answer, there's a ambiguous panel devoted to the hedgehog and fox glaring at each other. Not only does this bring “House of Cards” to mind again, it also shows that coming so close to rescuing Sally just to fail yet again is beginning to weigh on Sonic. He actively wants to pursue her at one point but realizes he needs to stay and protect the village instead. I like the idea that the stress of the situation is starting to make our hero crack up and wish Flynn explored that more.

The fight between Amy Rose and Mecha-Sally also leads to a few good moments. Allowing Mecha-Sally to retain some of her personality, while still being primarily a murder machine, was a wise decision. During the fight, Mecha-Sally presents the possibility that Amy wants to destroy her, as a way to wipe out her primary romantic rival. She then follows this up by saying she was never Amy's friend. Amy rebukes both comments but the remarks clearly get under her skin. Mecha-Sally isn't just a physical threat. The Freedom Fighters aren't just concerned about her because she was once their friend. Sally has also known these characters for years, giving her plenty of information to manipulate her now enemies with.

Despite these handful of good moments, part one of “Heroes” is clearly just a minor issue on the way to another story. The issue concludes with the Death Egg arriving above Mobotropolis, clearly preparing for another strike at the city. Once again, Mecha-Sally gets away, allowing this story line to continue on even longer. There's very little pay-off or satisfaction here. Issue 239 mostly comes off as a stop-gap on the way to a more important and eventful comic book.

At least the artwork is good. Jamal Peppers' action scenes are incredibly dynamic. Amy and Sally's fight stretches across two pages, in one good example of the action leaping out at you. I even like the page where the damnable T-Pup uses an electric current to freeze Silver Sonic in its place. Scripting wise, this is a mediocre comic book, more of a tease for future events then a satisfying book on its own. [6/10]

Sonic the Hedgehog: Issue 238

Sonic the Hedgehog: Issue 238
Publication Date: June 2012

Despite the cover focusing on Sonic and Mecha-Sally fighting, the two don't even meet in issue 238. Instead, part two of “Loyalty” continues the mission to rescue Lupe and Queen Hathor. Sonic and the others rush up on Eggman so quickly that he doesn't have time to finish Legionizing Lupe. Instead, he has to hightail it out of there with only a fraction of the repairs needed to the Death Egg completed. Tails tangos with Mecha-Sally on the way out. Hathor and Lupe are rushed back just to discover that no sudden war is brewing between the two faction. Instead, the Wolf Pack and the Felidae decide to work together to beat back Robotnik's remaining forces.

“Loyalty Part Two: Dire Choices” is a fleet-footed action story that rarely stops trucking. An element of speed is crucial here. Team Fighters' attack is so sudden that Robotnik is forced to retreat just as suddenly. It feels like a timer is running, as Sonic and friends are in a rush to free Lupe and get both leaders back home. At one point, a timer is literally running. Tails' fight with Mecha-Sally is cut short due to the Death Egg's forthcoming take-off. There's an impressive sense of speed and energy to this story, one that grabs the reader and pulls them along without stopping until the very end.

So it's an issue mostly composed of action. At least one of those action scenes is primarily focused on Leeta. Again, I don't know why Flynn chose two very obscure members of the Wolf Pack for his Secret Freedom Fighters. Either way, Leeta certainly makes an impression on the reader in this one, if only for her actions. She gets nearly a whole page devoted to kicking the shit out of Drago. (This is after Lupe rightly points out the flaws in his latest master plan, showing once again that Drago is the book's favorite punching bag.) Leeta and Lyco are primarily defined by their desire to leave home and help people around the world. Which is certainly more personality and development then they ever had before.

I also really like that twist ending of sorts. Part of the story's tension is driven by the idea that the peace between the Felidae and the Wolf Pack is a powder keg, about to explode apart at any point. Discovering the two are cooperating at the end could've deflated that tension and led to a weak ending. However, it's a pleasant enough surprise that the reader isn't disappointed. In a wonderful panel, where Lupe and Queen Hathor's peaceful handshake gets very tense, Flynn also acknowledges that this truce is still very unstable.

If there's any flaw with the second half of “Loyalty,” it's the role Mecha-Sally plays. Tails' fight with her here is very similar to the confrontation she just had with Monkey Khan in “Sonic Universe.” Though slightly reluctant, Tails faces Mecha-Sally directly and talks about wanting to bring her back home, to save her. The fights ends in a stalemate and Sally remains Robotnik's mechanized slave. It's increasingly seeming like Flynn is stalling time, trying to stretch out the tension of the one of the greatest Freedom Fighters being a robot for as long as possible. How many times is a former friend of Sally going to face her, just for the battle to be preemptively delayed?

The back-up story is entitled “Foundation Work.” Which is fitting, as its yet another story meant to set up the Secret Freedom Fighters. Shit, Flynn, how many of these are you going to do? You're making me miss the days when Penders would just toss a bunch of random characters together and call it a team! Anyway, the story shows Harvey Who settling into the secret base Nicole has picked out for him: The safe room that was built during the Iron Dominion. Uncle Chuck is building the team's latest addition when Larry the Jinx – remember him? Yeah, I didn't either – stumbles into the place. Who immediately decides the lynx is exactly what the covert espionage team needs.

Flynn has been building up and hyping the Secret Freedom Fighters for half a dozen issues now, making me sick of this story arc before it even begins. “Foundation Work” is yet another story devoted to moving the needed pieces into place. Leeto and Lyco's membership is confirmed. For the newbies, we learn that Harvey Who personally oversaw Uncle Chuck's old job as a spy, back when he was still a robian. Larry the Lynx literally falling into his position really doesn't make Who seem like the best spymaster though.

However, “Foundation Work” also introduces fan-favorite character Shard. Remember when the updated version of the original Metal Sonic had a change of heart? Well, at some point, his robotic body was recovered. Uncle Chuck has rebuilt him, using left over pieces form Metal scourge and Robotnik's other Metal Sonics. (A bit of lore, that Shard's pieces were also used to help build the Metal Sonic Troopers, is also drop.) Even in this brief appearance, the as-yet-unnamed Shard's sarcastic humor and up-beat personality adds a lot of life to a fairly perfunctory story.

The artwork here is also really strong. Steven Butler's work on the cover story continues to be excellent. His mastery of action makes the fight scenes really pop, especially the page devoted to Lyco kicking the shit out of Drago. Evan Stanley draws the back-up and brings a lot of grit and personality to this brief story. Though the back-up story could've been stronger, this is still a really solid issue. [7/10]

Sonic Free Comic Book Day 2012

Sonic Free Comic Book Day 2012
Publication Date: May 2012

It's Free Comic Book Day time again, readers. At least, it's time for us to, once again, flash back to that specific day in 2012. For the past two years, Archie gave away genuinely new comic books to celebrate this day. That was pretty cool as, the two years before that, they were content to simply throw some reprints at us. Well, the company was in a lazy mood again in 2012. 2012's FCBD edition of “Sonic” simply reprints issue #230. I'm not sure why Archie felt the need to reprint a story that was still so recent, other than 230 more-or-less setting up most of the current conflict in the book's then-on-going story line.

Turns out, though, I won't have to review a comic book I reviewed not that long ago with this one. Because Archie does include some extras here. In the back of the comic, after “Two Steps Back...” concludes, are a series of brief text stories detailing a different Freedom Fighters' reaction to the artificial Genesis world breaking down and everyone being zapped back to the Prime Zone. It isn't much, as each story is only a single page long, but at least it gives us something to talk about. Tales about Tails, Knuckles, Amy Rose, Bunnie, and Rotor are included within. This collection is given the rather awkward title of “Sonic: Genesis Awakenings”

Tails' story details him aboard the Tornado, watching Sonic sneak onto the Death Egg, before being attacked by the Flying Fortress. The Genesis Wave is then reversed, zapping him back to reality. Of all the stories in this collection, it seems the most superfluous. Tails' was actually involved in “Genesis,” so there's not too much new information here. The opening paragraphs gives us a peak inside the fox's mind during the infamous moment in “Sonic 2,” at the beginning of the Wing Fortress Zone, when the Tornado is shot down and Sonic bails out, leaving his friend behind. The conclusion mostly exist to describe the brief moment of confusion everyone on Mobius felt as reality is restored back to normal.

The rest of the “Awakenings” stories are focused on characters that weren't directly involved in “Genesis,” given us a peek at other corners of Robotnik's Sega-ified artificial world. Knuckles' story has him patrolling Angel Island, reflecting on his mission and his loneliness, before he's reunited in the Prime Zone with Julie-Su and Charmy. There's some nice juxtaposition between Sega Knux's solitary life and Archie Knux's companionship. But otherwise there's not much purpose to this one. Though Charmy mentions being detectives with Vector and Espio in the Genesis World, so I guess that's the official Sega bylaw concerning that trio now, as dumb as that idea is. (There's also something a little poignant about this, as it's also Julie-Su's last appearance in the book before the Frightful Pendersing removed her from the universe. Her lines about feeling like she was back inside the Twilight Cage may be foreshadowing of the “Endangered Species” arc.)

Amy's story drums up often forgotten bits of her personal history. In the Genesis world, Sega Amy plays with Tarot cards, decides her and Sonic are destined to be together, and briefly mentions Metal Sonic and Little Planet. This image of classic Amy as a flightly, love-struck little girl is then immediately contrasted with Archie Amy, a hammer-swinging hard-ass designated with keeping an eye on Geoffrey St. John. It's another example of how far the character has come... And a good example of why I prefer Archie's modern take on Amy versus the very boring version Sega first created for “Sonic CD.”

The last two stories are potentially more interesting as they concern characters that don't really have counterparts in Sega's classic games. Apparently, Bunnie spent Genesis inside a Prison Egg, trying to encourage the more animal-like mobinis around her that everything would be okay. What makes this little one-page tale interesting is Bunnie's reaction upon returning to the Prime Zone. She is startled for a second by her now-robotic limbs. While foreshadowing what happened to her in issue 232, it also gives us a peek at the mental compromises Bunnie faces everyday as a cyborg. (Flynn also points out that, in the Genesis world, Bunnie and Cream are cousins. Because all rabbits have to be related, I guess? That seems a little racist, bro.)

Rotor's story is the one that acts the most like a proper epilogue to “Genesis.” It begins with 'Boomer' back in the Oil Ocean Zone, watching the sky fill with white light, and having a conversation with Sally that he finds odd. Awakening back in Mobotropolis, Rotor debates putting on his nanite battle suit before deciding his friends have the situation handled. There's a definite ironic edge to Rotor trusting in Sonic's ability to get things done, considering all the bad luck that will befall the Freedom Fighters. However, Rotor's story here is probably the one with the least meat on its bones. It seems to mostly exist as a primer on what happened right at the end of “Genesis” and right at the beginning of “Two Steps Back...”

The “Genesis Awakenings” stories are an interesting experiment. Flynn actually shows himself to be a decent writer of prose. The wording can occasionally be a bit childish but it draws you in. His focus on character work remains strong. I could see him transitioning into a career as a decent YA writer if the comic book thing ever dries up. I honestly wish Archie had done this sort of thing more often. As a Free Comic Book Day special, this is still mostly a bit of a cheat. But at least it's better than just a full-on reprint. I'll give it a [7/10] mostly for the novelty factor.

Sonic Universe: Issue 40

Sonic Universe: Issue 40
Publication Date: May 2012

Sonic fans are not ones to let a good in-joke get pass them. The cover of issue 40 of “Sonic Universe” takes on a fighting game motif, the second such time an Archie “Sonic” book has done that. The cover is specifically paying homage to “Sonic the Fighters,” an obscure fighting game that only popped up in arcades. A secret character for the game was Honey the Cat, who was herself a homage to Sega's “Vitura Fighter” character. Part of me suspects that Honey actually becoming a proper character in the post-reboot universe wouldn't have happened with all that blink-and-miss-it throwback on this cover. Anyway, on with the review.

The fourth part of “Scrambled” is given the rather delightfully melodramatic subtitle “In the Name of Love.” Snively and the Iron Queen, him armed with the Iron Oni mech and Regina with her techno-magic, faces down Eggman. The mad scientist quickly calls in a giant robot of his own to do battle with his nephew. And then some other stuff happens.

It seems to me that, in all the years that Robotnik and Snively have secretly plotted against each other, I don't think they've ever actually come to blows before. In the conclusion of “Scrambled,” the two finally fight it out. It's pretty well done too. Amusingly, when Eggman drops a giant robot out of his mustache flier, it's an Egg Beater armor made entirely from plastic, porcelain, and polymers and operated entirely with wires. That makes it entirely unaffected by the Iron Queen's techno-magics. Amusingly, Robotnik doesn't even need the armor to defeat Snively. He undermines Snively's Iron Oni with his tool kit more than anything else. Moreover, finally allowing a fight to take place allows all the resentment that has simmered between them for years to boil over.

All throughout my coverage of the Iron Queen's various appearances, I've widely assumed that the Iron Queen has no actual feelings for Snively. That she's only using him. It's a pretty obvious conclusion. However, Flynn has never outright stated that Regina is just using Snively. In issue 40 of “Sonic Universe,” we finally have this confirmed. During the middle of the fight, Eggman yells at Snively that he's obviously being manipulated. In the last part of the comic, it becomes clear to how little Snively actually means to her.

Oh yeah, Monkey Khan is in this comic book too. His role in the plot is pretty minor. He ends up under the control of both Robotnik and Iron Queen pretty quickly but that ends up not contributing much to the story. Ultimately, his role in the story is to keep Mecha Sally from immediately swooping in and destroying Snively. At the end, Robotnik taunts him some more about Sally's current state. But that's about it. Monkey Khan has very little reason to be here but I guess Flynn makes his inclusion pretty painless.

The comic relief in the last few issues have been slightly distracting. There's a little bit of that here, with Cubot and Orbot cracking some jokes. Mostly, however, “Scrambled” concludes on a gleefully mean tone. Robotnik completely destroys Snively. His slapdash attempt to overthrow his uncle is undone. He looses his girlfriend. In the end, Robotnik even completely supplants his role in the Eggman Empire. The real Snively is left in a small prison, beaten and bruised, his spirit totally crushed. And Robotnik mocks him all for it. Astutely, he says that Snively “brought his A-game and [Eggman] still won.”

And that's a bit of a tragedy, isn't it? Once again, “Scrambled” brings attention to the strange balance of pity and disgust we feel towards Snively. He desperately wants to be a serious villain but he just doesn't have the skills to hack it, making his attempts likelier to illicit sympathy. Very few plot points of the original Archie Sonic universe were resolved before the upcoming reboot. There's a few lingering plot points here, like the Iron Queen's new role in the Eggman Empire. However, the rivalry between Robotnik and Snively is brought to a very satisfying conclusion. I'm sure Snively would've been given more to do if the original story had continued. But, as far as I'm concerned, him rotting forever in a cell after yet another failed insurrection is the sad fate he deserves.

Jamal Peppers' artwork is quite good too, the artist no longer being content to copy Yardley. Instead, he's doing his own thing here. After the super lame “Babylon Rising” story arc, “Sonic Universe” is back in prime shape with this one. “Scrambled” is probably my favorite story arc from the spin-off book's entire history. Funny how that worked out, isn't it? [8/10]

Sonic the Hedgehog: Issue 237

Sonic the Hedgehog: Issue 237
Publication Date: May 2012

After thinking on it some more, I've realized another problem I have with Ian Flynn's decision to split up the remaining Freedom Fighters into two separate teams last issue: It's something the book has essentially already done. After “Endgame,” when the Knothole crew was in a time of strife, Sonic and Tails packed up, jumped on an airplane, and decided to fly around the world.

While the circumstances are very different, the Team Fighter concept is very similar. Sonic and Tails are uprooting themselves from the area when they're needed the most. While the World Tour story arc had its purpose – showing how Sonic's world has changed post-”Endgame” – as far as I can tell, there's really no reason for the main crew to go around the world now.

The uninspiredly entitled “Loyalty,”  with the egregiously italicized subtitle “The Right to Rule,” has the newly formed Team Fighter heading back to the Mysterious Cat Country. As the Death Egg floats overhead, Eggman sends Mecha-Sally to destabilize the region. The Freedom Fighter-turn-robot snatches both Lupe and Queen Hathor, causing suspicion to sneak into the uneasy peace between the two groups. Sonic, Tails, and Amy arrive at just the right time, in order to prevent war from breaking out again.

While I'm still burned about Flynn sending the characters on this adventure, I will admit that returning to the Mysterious Cat Country isn't a bad idea. First off, it's always nice to see Lupe and the Wolf Pack. As one of the oldest and most iconic supporting characters in the Archie-verse, seeing these cast members is a treat. Moreover, the conflict between the Wolf Pack and the Felidae has been mined to solid results in the past. The root of the conflict, that neither side is exactly wrong and that their peace is always precarious, makes for good drama. By building all of “Loyalty” around that premise, that Sonic and friends are trying to prevent war from unjustifiably breaking out, lends this issue some tension. Even if the issue itself is mostly set-up and a few uninspired action sequences.

Up to this point, Mecha-Sally's threat level has been more symbolic than anything else. Just the sight of  the Freedom Fighters' leader being turned into a weaponized, robot slave was startling enough. Here in issue 237, we see that Mecha-Sally is dangerous not just because she's a really powerful robot. Turns out Mecha-Sally maintains Sally's skills as a strategist. Grabbing Lupe and Hathor separately, knowing both sides will blame the other and war will begin again, is entirely her idea. That's a nice touch, making her an intellectual threat too.

There's also another ulterior motive behind traveling to this corner of Mobius. Sonic, Tails, and Amy arrive at the Wolf Pack's base just as Lobo is deliberating what to do. The trio realize that if they bring Lupe back before Lobo and the other's finish talking out the next course of action, they can prevent further violence. Two of the young Wolf Pack members, Leeta and Lyco, decide to tag along with Team Freedom. Apparently, the twin sisters want to travel anyway. All of this is setting up Leeta and Lyco's inclusion in the upcoming Secret Freedom Fighters “Sonic Universe” arc.

Why Flynn would highlight these two very obscure characters – yes, I had forgotten about them by this point too – is something I still haven't quite figured out. Maybe he just wanted more female representation? Either way, the sisters don't do too much this issue besides walk around with machetes and dodge some laser fire.

In the back pages we get “Heart to Heart.” The story begins with Mina the Mongoose heading into Freedom HQ. She's there to apologize personally to Nicole, who has retreated further following Antoine falling into a coma and Bunnie leaving the city. Mina and the A.I. have a heart to heart – oh yeah, like the title – and eventually put their differences aside. Then Harvey Who busts in and asks Nicole for a favor, because Flynn just wants you guys to get hyped for the Secret Freedom Fighter arc coming soon in “Sonic Universe” so fucking bad.

My big problem with “Heart to Heart” is that its emotions just aren't earned. There's individual good moments here. Nicole typing out simple text on-screen, talking about the friends she's lost recently, is still effectively stark and sad. However, I just don't buy Mina's apology here. She never really says she's sorry for raging against Nicole in the first place. She says she didn't mean to incite this exact reaction among Mobotropolis population. Which sounds to me like she's trying to shift the blame. Because, as far as I can recall, Mina was pretty specifically calling Nicole out at the start of all this. Then the story segues into Mina giving the depressed Nicole a pep-talk before yet another Harvey Who-related teaser, which further deflates a story lacking heart that desperately needed it.

So I'm not too sure what to think about this one. The cover story has a really good idea but is still more set-up than a fully satisfying story in its own right. The back-up has some fucking problems. At least the artwork is nice. Steven Butler is back for the cover story and does a great friggin' job. Yardley contributes some good work to the back-up. Hopefully all these plot points that Flynn are setting up pay off. [6.5/10]

Sonic the Hedgehog: Issue 236

Sonic the Hedgehog: Issue 236
Publication Date: April 2012

I guess I sometimes give the impression that I'm not the biggest fan of Tracy Yardley. Listen, I like his work. When he's really bringing his A-game, he's among the best “Sonic” artist the book ever saw.  But as his tenure on the book went on, it seemed like his A-game wasn't brought very often. However, one time Yardley was really on the ball was the cover for issue 236. The cover is clearly designed to invoke a wartime poster, encouraging the people to fight and stay strong. Granted, the red, white, and blue color scheme doesn't make much sense on Mobius but those colors work together for a reason. The point is, it's one of my favorite covers.

“Cry Freedom” - oooh, that's a dramatic title – begins with Sonic seriously demoralized. After so many losses, he feels utterly hopeless. Luckily, Tails and Amy are there to snap him out of their funk. With Rotor, they make a bold proposal to the Council of Acorn. Two Freedom Fighters teams will form, one focused on protecting the city, the other focused on disrupting Eggman's empire abroad. This stradegy is put to the test as Robotnik's Death Egg floats over near-by Furville and attempts to take the village over.

“Cry Freedom” starts in a pretty compelling place. Within the span of about a week, Sonic has lost Sally, Antoine, Bunnie, Nicole, and the trust he had in the people of Mobotropolis. That's a pile-up that would bum anybody out, even if they are a speedy, quibbing hedgehog. I wish Flynn had explore the possibility of a hopeless Sonic a little more. It takes all of a page for Tails and Amy to talk him out of his depression. Spending more time would make the emotions Sonic is feeling more meaningful. (He actually says “The Freedom Fighters are done,” a pretty loaded statement for long time fans of this series.) It would also make him overcoming those feeling a bigger deal too. But Sega and certain insufferable Sonic fans get pissed if Sonic is sad for more than two seconds so here we are.

Back in 2012, the introduction of Team Freedom and Team Fighter is around the time my patience in the Mecha-Sally super-arc started to run out. It really felt like a compromise pitched at the “The Only Real Sonic is Sega Sonic” crowd. So now we've got the canon trio of Sonic, Tails, and Amy out there having adventures of their own. Meanwhile, Rotor is stuck at home with a bunch of B-listers, all of which are also drawn from the video games. The traditional team of Sally, Sonic, Rotor, Bunnie, Antoine, and Tails has been dissolved. And, yeah, the franchise's cast had grown much larger than that. The comic's world and the series has arguably grown beyond that core cast. But I can't help but feel like this new status quo, as temporary as it was meant to be, is a violation of what made me love this comic in the first place. I guess this makes me a sound like a bitter SatAM die-hard but SO BE IT.

Putting all of this stuff aside, I guess “Cry Freedom” is a pretty decent action story. The opening sequences devoted to Eggman invading Furville is solid. It also further emphasizes how ruthless Robotnik is getting, as he plans to stomp Furville strictly to crush Mobian morale. In a bit of mildly clever time shuffling, it's reveal that Eggman's invasion of Furville is happening after the events in Knothole. Sonic's Team Fighter leaps into the middle of the fight, quickly turning things around. This is meant to give us an idea of how Team Fighters will work. Sonic is the speedy one, Tails snipes EggSWATs from the Tornado, and Amy smashes shit with her hammer. And if you're into seeing that stuff, I guess it's entertaining.

The back-up story, “Leader of the Band,” attempts to do the same with Team Freedom in much less time. Rotor introduces the city to the line-up, which includes Big the Cat, Cream the Rabbit, and Heavy and Bomb. The introduction is questioned by Naugus, who reassures everyone in Mobotropolis that he alone can safeguard the city. At the point, the Tails Doll Robotnik dropped into Cream's hands back in 231 is a secret weapon. It activates a force field, damaging a building, and forcing Team Freedom into action.

“Leader of the Band” is a story primarily occupied with continuing Flynn's various plot threads. So we see Naugus having more difficulty controlling his schizophrenic inner battle. We see Rotor planning the seeds of mistrust against the new false king in the community. And we have this business with Tails Doll coming into focus. The plot mechanics are so thick, and the page count so short, that we really don't get a good idea of how Team Freedom will work. Rotor is the only one who actually has a personality. Big and Cream are one-note Sega characters that haven't been developed much, if any, past that. Heavy and Bomb, meanwhile, are complete blanks that haven't been seen since issue 154. (And that was a completely different, evil version of Heavy and Bomb.)

Maybe I'm just in a grouchy mood but it seems to me that issue 236, awesome cover aside, resolves some of the stuff Flynn has been setting up in the least interesting way possible. Instead of bringing the hearts and minds of Knothole together during a difficult time, he splits them up. Instead of reinforcing the core cast, he discards half of it. It was at this point that I really wanted the comic to get back tot eh stuff I love – Sonic and Sally and the Freedom Fighters kicking ass – instead of screwing around with this bold, brand new direction. [5/10]

Sonic Universe: Issue 39

Sonic Universe: Issue 39
Publication Date: April 2012

Do you think the people reading “Sonic Universe” in 2012 were familiar with “Patton?” I mean, I was because I was a good ten years older than the target audience and also a huge dork. But the six-to-ten-year-olds this comic is ostensibly targeted at? Probably not. It's sort of funny how a pop culture reference like that has reverberated through history, to the point that some have probably forgotten, or were never aware of, where it originated from. This is the shit I think about at 12:30 at night when I'm writing these reviews.

Anyway, part three of “Scrambled” is subtitled “Line in the Sand.” It begins with Eggman and his cronies tracking Snively to the Dragon Kingdom. Snively has traveled to the area to free Regina, his Iron Queen./ex-girlfriend. As usually happens when you try a big gesture to impress your ex, she is not happy to see him. Robotnik starts burning buildings and being an asshole, causing Monkey Khan to fly into the fight, where he is shocked to encounter Mecha-Sally. Meanwhile, Snively is not quite done for.

Something that continually disappoints me about a lot of “Sonic” media is the decision to play Robotnik as a comic-relief villain. Even outside of the grimmer-than-most “SatAM,” this is a guy who has turned living things into batteries for his army of deadly robots, in an effort to take over the world. He should be remorseless. Even though Flynn's Eggman still has a comedic touch, he understands that essential ruthlessness. That's once again on display here. Early on, while talking with Conquering Storm, he demands she legionize her ninja soldier. When she explains that the Raiju are a proud clan that doesn't want to be given an unfair advantage, Eggman says he doesn't care and threatens to completely destroy the clan unless she obeys. Later, he casually commands his troops to burn the Dragon Kingdom to the ground without even thinking about it. That off-hand, nonchalance is played for laughs but is pretty damn evil in-universe. As it should be.

This isn't the only example of how damn cold Eggman can be. When Monkey Khan arrives to defend his city, the evil scientist is informed that the simian cyborg has a soft-spot for Princess Sally. So he immediately deploys Mecha-Sally. Ken is shocked but quickly swings back into battle mode, proving once and for all that his love was not true. Granted, he does attempt to reach out to Sally, hoping a shred of her personality still survives inside the machine. This doesn't work and the whole thing ends up being all a ploy to get Khan to give up his powers, which he totally falls for. I understand why Flynn included this stuff but it does distract slightly from the conflict between Robotnik and Snively, the heart of this story.

Perhaps sensing that this story would be slightly grim otherwise, Flynn throws in some comic relief. Some of it works well. Like Eggman expressing to Regina that, out of all his underlings that could've usurp him, she actually would've been his choice as she's not a filthy furry... However, he balks at her use of magic. Another gag I like is easy to miss. That Cubot and Orbot riding around in similarly shaped, tiny Egg-Mobil. However, the robotic sidekicks are otherwise the source of some unsightly comic relief. Having Cubot talk like a pirate for no reason undermines the seriousness of the situation slightly.

After getting shot down by Hope, “Line in the Sand” has Snively reaching out to the only other human being he's ever had a positive emotional connection to. The Iron Queen has been kept at the bottom of a well by the Dragon Kingdom locals, a prison set-up that doesn't seem entirely ethical. (“Where does she poop?” is just the first question that comes to mind.) Despite that, she's still pretty pissed that Snively abandoned her at the end of the Iron Dominion arc. Of course, it's not like Regina ever actually loved Snively anyway. That he still doesn't realize she was just using him as a means to an end – which is re-enforced when her opinion completely turns around once Snively actually does rescue her, via a Daimajin-esque oni battle-mech – further emphasizes how pathetic and tragic Snively's quest to be loved is.

I've had some mixed things to say about Jamal Peppers artwork throughout this run. He's still trying too hard to emulate Yardley. In this issue, his take on the Iron Queen also seems to be slightly off-model, to my eyes. I can't quite place it but she just doesn't seem right. Otherwise, Peppers does a pretty good job. He makes good use of facial expressions, especially in the scenes where Eggman is scowling at the locals or Conquering Storm is lying through her teeth at the arch-villain. His action scenes are solid too.

Though not quite as solid as the previous two issues, “Scrambled” continues to be one of the strongest “Sonic Universe” arcs in a while. Eggman being a heartless villain and Snively's continued pathetic attempts to succeed has endeared this one to me greatly. [7/10]