Sonic the Hedgehog (IDW): Issue 75

Sonic the Hedgehog (IDW): Issue 75

Publication Date: December 18th, 2024

As 2024 comes to a close, and the “Sonic” franchise hits another big milestone with the release of its third theatrical big budget movie, a much smaller part of the multi-media franchise has another reason to celebrate. The IDW “Sonic the Hedgehog” comic has reached 75 issues, being in publication for over six years. Once you factor in the various mini-series and one-shots, IDW has definitely published over a hundred “Sonic” related comic books. That’s no small feat for a licensed comic book in this day and age, when the non-DC/Marvel publishers can easily go under and books can get unceremoniously canned for whatever reason. In other words: Assuming there are no massive fuck-ups on IDW’s behalf, or the entire American comic industry goes kaput, the “new” “Sonic” comic is well on its way to being as much of a long-runner as the old “Sonic” comic. I can certainly complain about how IDW’s comic still doesn’t seem as fleshed-out or expansive as Archie’s universe did by this point… By now, however, I’m willing to chalk this opinion up to me being old. The kids who are growing up with IDW “Sonic” probably consider this series as beloved and compelling as I did with the nineties comics at that age. 

Issue 75 is also the much long await – by me anyway – conclusion to the Clean Sweepstakes story arc, playing out over a double-length issue. Deep within the heart of Clutch’s air ship, Tails, Amy, Belle, the Chaotix and a few other people attempt to escape the engine room as the entire vessel is on the verge of exploding. Sonic races to the deck of the ship to face Clutch one on one, soon being joined by Surge, Kit, and another unexpected ally. The Babylon Rogues lead an impromptu rescue mission to prevent the massive ship from crashing right into Central City and killing untold numbers of people. The Diamond Cutters, meanwhile, realize that “Duo the Cat” is actually the shapeshifter Mimic, Lanolin finally putting aside her differences with Tangle and Whisper. It all wraps up in a giant fireball at Restoration HQ. 

Issue 75 starts with a decent idea. The self destruct sequence on the air ship has been started. This means all of the heroes aboard the boat have an ever-shrinking window to escape before it explodes. That’s a good way to keep the suspense high in the final leg of a storyline. Unfortunately, Evan Stanley does not stop there. This is a flying ship after all, meaning it’s plummeting towards the city. Before the issue is over, the flying race-track also begins to fall out of the sky. In the last third, the focus turns towards Sonic and Jet racing to get as many people out of Restoration HQ as they can before it also blows up. In other words, issue 75 begins with the characters on one deadline before continuously adding several more. It plays like a desperate attempt to keep the intensity rising. 

What it mostly ends up doing is making this comic book feel like it’ll never end. Typically speaking, a dramatic countdown to a big-ass explosion marks the story heading towards its most exciting moment. That’s what it meant in “Alien,” for one prominent example. However, this comic book repeatedly trying to outdo itself mostly means the story feels like it has about three different climaxes. Sonic, Surge, and Kit have a big fight with Clutch aboard the deck of the ship. Would that be where you’d expect this story to end? Instead, the threat of the air ship crashing and exploding takes precedence. Surely, that would represent the end of this particular plot? What’s more exciting than a big-ass thing going up in a big-ass explosion? Instead, the focus then shifts towards the rescue mission of all the Restoration staff, which hits a few snags of its own. 

Maybe Stanley giving this issue multiple logical end points before moving on to another is because issue 75 isn’t only the conclusion to the Clean Sweepstakes arc. In a lot of ways, this installment feels like the writer trying to put as many plot points to rest as possible. After what feels like far too long, “Duo the Cat” is finally discovered to be Mimic. Before we’re done, Evan also has Belle repair her little MotoBug friend. I have the creeping feeling that editorial demands this storyline get stretched out to conclude in the anniversary issue. At the same time, I feel the same force demanding this one feature some big reveals, hence the above events. Obviously, in order to cram all this shit into one comic book, it means Stanley resorts to her worst habit as a writer: Having far too many characters involved in far too many situations, constantly cutting back and forth between them as much as possible. It does not make for the most organized feeling read. 

What further causes issue 75 to feel double-stuffed is that the comic isn’t only resolving multiple plot points across a story that keeps barreling towards bigger pyrotechnics. It also shoves in a few twists and teasers. Eggman inserts himself into this story, after being absent since the first part, in an extremely gimmicky fashion. Yeah, turns out the hovercraft he built Sonic is a fucking Transformer and this was all part of a long con to get back at Clutch. Meanwhile, Surge and Jet both separately promise to Sonic that they’ll resolve their rivalry at some unspoken future date. This occurs after Surge deploys a big special move of her own. Because that’s exactly what this storyline needed: More characters and more superpowers. It’s almost impressive that this particular arc has managed to feel both far too long and not nearly long enough. It’s dragged on for multiple issues while also shoving in one event and reveal after another, none of them feeling properly fleshed out.

At least it has an ending though. As much as the structure and pacing of this issue bugs me, at least we won’t have to deal with a few stupid plot points anymore. First off, all that convoluted Phantom Rider business and the corresponding race is finally, thankfully done for. This issue also puts the extremely dumb Duo the Cat storyline to bed. Not that the Diamond Cutters finally figure out the very obvious deception at play here. “Duo” forgot to turn off his cell phone and Clutch refers to him as “Mimic” in front of everyone, blowing his cover. This sequence also involves Lanolin realizing that she’s been acting like a bitch and apologizing. Whisper apologizes too, though I’m not really sure why she felt the need to. In fact, this comic has Surge and Jet both coming to agreements of sorts with Sonic. Somehow, time is also found her to have the Hippy Orangutan Mechanic be nice to Belle and presumably settle any tension between them. As if Stanley is desperate to have the fandom stop hating these characters that they’ve been trashing lately. (Okay, I don’t know if anyone else but me dislikes “Chief Mechanic” that much but, still, the point stands.) 

The end of the issue also seems to see Rough and Tumble joining the Restoration, or at least promising to be less evil in the future. If Stanley was going out of her way to provide some sort of redemptive moments for characters that have behaved badly, she does not extend that gesture to two other characters. No, Mimic remains as incapable of redemption as possible. Clutch, meanwhile, is painted as more of a bastard than before. He somehow proves to be a physical threat to Sonic and Surge, at least via implementing firearms of varying size. He also references having killed other heroes in the past. IDW has constantly emphasized the idea that nobody is beyond rehabilitation in Sonic’s eyes, to the point that he’s allowed Eggman to escape capture in the past. Surge and Kit are clearly working their way towards heel-face turns too, though they aren’t quite there yet. However, it seems that Stanley considers professional assassins and businessmen/mob bosses particularly beyond redemption. She wants you to know that these two son of bitches are too ruthless to ever change their ways.  

That these two villains are utterly unforgivable does feed into what is, I think, the moral of this particular issue. Jet and the Babylon Rogues don’t move the falling air ship single-handedly. They direct a bunch of citizens to pitch in, using their own flying vehicles to pull the ship out of the path of the city. There is an extremely awkward line of dialogue, where Nite declares “Power to the people!” This goes hand-in-hand with the final sequence, of Jet rushing into the burning base to rescue whoever he can. The obvious idea is, anyone that is willing to help other people can be a force for good. That means the average person can be “powerful” and a former scoundrel can turn over a new leaf. It’s a nice idea and all but feels somewhat shoved into an already overstuffed issue.

Let’s go back to Surge for a minute. Her progression, from villain with a grudge who wants to see the whole world burn to someone realizing it’s possible for them to be loved, has been the brightest spot among all the racing and double-crossing. The payoff to that particular arc ostensibly occurs when Surge helps beat the shit out of Clutch, after announcing that she’s quitting. She’s no longer going to let assholes talk her into doing stuff that’s against her heart, the same conclusion she came to after Starline bit the dust. However, Surge awkwardly exits the story after that incident and she’s not even the one who takes Clutch out. Instead, it seems as if Jet gets the moment that logically should be her’s. He puts aside his own petty goals – of beating Sonic in a race – for the greater good. He leads the charge to redirect the falling, about-to-explode cruiser from above the city. Sonic appeals to his ego and goads him into helping save everyone in the Restoration. In other words: Jet stops acting selfishly and starts doing the right thing because it’s the right thing to do. It feels like that’s the direction Surge should have been going in, instead of limping away half-way through the issue. 

With all the talk of explosions, murder, and possible death, issue 75 strikes me as mostly a fairly grim one. Perhaps Stanley was aware of this too. To counter that, several scenes of wacky comedy is inserted throughout. Rough and Tumble realize they’ve been staying inside a cage that was already unlocked. Sonic splays against the windshield of the air ship. Clutch’s security team insists they are on their break when called to action before abruptly quitting. None of these moments made me chuckle. In fact, they struck me as feeling extremely out-of-place. When things are as intense as they are in this issue, wacky slapstick and jokes about the big dumb guys being dumb do not feel especially needed.  

It’s a frustrating end to what has been a frustrating storyline. Min Ko Him’s art is good, with lots of flowing action scenes and expressive faces. You can tell he really loved to draw that giant robot that randomly appears for a few pages. He also includes what I assume are more fan-made O.C.s in various crowd shots, including one that looks an awful lot like Old Man Owl from the OVA. The final page sets up events for the next issue to follow, presumably setting up the next storyline. Hopefully that one won’t stretch on for six issues nor be bogged down by the need to both include as many characters as possible and have them all contribute to the story somehow. We know “Sonic” has a hundred characters. We don’t need to see them all! Frankly, I’m glad to be done with the Clean Sweepstakes. Let us put away our Extreme Gear for a while, please. [5/10]

Sonic the Hedgehog (IDW): Issue 73

Sonic the Hedgehog (IDW): Issue 73

Original Publication Date: September 18th, 2024

Am I the impatient one here? As I crack open the brand new issue of IDW's "Sonic the Hedgehog" comic, all I can think is "Are we still doing this racing thing?" This is the fifth issue devoted to this particular storyline. And we've got two more installments of this shit left to go, as IDW editorial is truly determined to drag this out until the next anniversary issue. That means, by the time this plot finally concludes, exactly two story arcs will be resolved by the end of 2024! I thought races were supposed to be over quickly? This is why I'm of the opinion that comic storylines should never extend past four issues. A racing arc is a lot like a fighting tournament arc: It's fun for two, maybe three months. After that, we are ready for an installment not concerned with an unimportant competition and instead with some real stakes. 

Of course, Evan Stanley and her team certainly want the Clean Sweepstakes tournament to have some real stakes. As with the last two issues, #73 is simply jammed packed full of incidents. The racers prepare for the final leg, a leap off a floating platform into a free fall towards Central City. Like clockwork, the Phantom Rider shows up to cause trouble. The security team is ready for him, this time. Surge grabs the Rider's transformation gizmo, revealing to the public that this criminal is – sacre bleu! – Sonic the Hedgehog! Of course, Tangle and Whisper knew this already but didn't see fit to tell Lanolin, leading to some trouble of their own. Meanwhile, Amy, Tails, and Belle are still running around that fucking ship. They somehow run into Don the Rooster who then leads them to the imprisoned Chaotix. Sure, why not? Even more meanwhile, Jewel finally realized that Clutch is making off with the Restoration right under her cute little olive nose, causing the supervillain to stop fuckin' around and finally going on the offensive. 

Yes, if the above plot synopsis didn't make it clear, this is another issue that doesn't have much in the way of pacing on its own. Instead, once again, Stanley wastes another month by having a collection of subplots spin their wheels for several pages. Surge trying to get back at her shitty boss and prove her heroics moves forward a little bit. Amy, Tails, and Belle screwing around on Clutch's battleship inches ahead. There's a brief acknowledgement of Jet's ongoing rivalry with the Phantom Rider, without that storyline actually advancing any. If Stanley had decided to focus on one of this plot points, we might have had a compelling ongoing story that actually feels like it's moving. Instead, this shotgun blast approach to writing means so much is happening in this comic book without bringing us significantly closer to any sort of proper conclusion. Does Evan know that story arcs have, ya know... Parts? It's not one long narrative broken up into random intervals and spaced out over seven fucking months! 

Sorry if I'm coming off as cranky here. I'm having a hard time looking past how disorganized and sluggish this storyline devoted to, ironically enough, a high-speed race has been. The sole plot thread keeping me invested in this rambling mess of a soap opera has been Surge coming into her own as a hero and an independent thinker. After Clutch tried to put the tenrec in her place during the last issue, she takes the fight right to the Phantom Rider. She reveals his secret identity to everyone on national television. The issue tries and plays this as a big triumphant moment, of Surge getting one over on a rival, proving her strength while also somehow sticking it to Clutch. And how exactly is that the case? If Surge's character development over this storyline has seen the once villain realizing that being beloved, instead of hated, has benefits of its own... How do these events follow that progression? I mean, it's certainly in keeping for Surge's personality to act impulsively and start wildly attacking people when she doesn't know what else to do... But she wrestles with and shocks Tangle, a beloved member of the Restoration, during this moment. This will presumably not make her more popular with people! However, Stanley is working so hard to get that epic anime moment of Surge snatching Sonic's Power Morpher away from him that any sort of logic or reason goes out the window. It's never a good thing when you have to put the comic book down for a second and think out loud to yourself "Why is this character doing this?"

Sonic having his cover blown on what is, presumably, the Mobian equivalent of the Super Bowl would be, from any traditional perspective, the big moment in this issue. That would be a dramatic panel to leave us readers on, don't you think? Oh no, this new supervillain that has become the biggest menace to, uh, hoverboard racing has been revealed to be, in fact, the planet's greatest hero! Instead, Stanley sticks this moment in the middle of the book in-between a number of other plot developments, where it quickly gets lost in the shuffle. We only get the briefest glimpse at the viewers at home reacting to this shocking event before the book shifts focus again to something else, meaning the impact is not felt at all. 

Instead, the big cliffhanger this issue is devoted to Clutch personally sending his goons after Amy, Tails, and Belle As deep within the bowels of his ship. Another goal of this particular story arc has been, I think, to make Clutch into a major villain in the "Sonic"-verse. However, I can't say my opinion of Clutch has changed any over the last few issues. Instead, what this particular event has convinced me of is that Jewel the Beetle should not be leading the Restoration. Issue 73 kicks off with Jewel confronting the possum, having finally figured out that he's up to no good Maybe it's because I, as a reader looking down on this events from beyond the fourth wall, already know that Clutch is a bad guy. However, that it took Jewel this long to stand up to the obviously evil guy dressed like a cartoon gangster only makes her seem lacking in perceptive. As the leader of the Restoration, shouldn't Jewel have intel all over the world? Shouldn't she have known from the beginning that Clutch was anything but a moral businessman? The fact that the villain was allowed to get this deep into his scheme without being called on it doesn't make him seem powerful and intelligent. It only makes the good guys look easily fooled. Considering this is the third time in recent memory that a clear enemy has walked into the Restoration and said "It's okay, you can trust me," maybe they are, in fact, idiots. 

Sometimes, it feels like the only way Evan Stanley knows how to make a story feel big and important is by including as many characters as possible. "Urban Warfare" was held back by the sheer number of characters, of perspectives, it had to include. As the Clean Sweepstakes plot has gone on, Stanley shows she hasn't learned from that mistake any. This arc has actually introduced more characters as it's gone along. Last issue brought Nite and Don into it. Don – who, I feel compelled to point out, is a janitor – gets directly involved in the action here, helping Amy, Tails, and Belle out. When Belle asks him "Who are you again?," that feels like a reasonable question. Amy almost smashes him with a hammer at first, because she doesn't truly know him or have any reason to trust him. However, Stanley has decided Don is important to this story so now he's a part of it, another cog introduced in the vast, disorganized machine that has become this story arc. 

Oh yeah, Don knows the Chaotix too, did I mention that? Yeah, the detective trio are now involved in this storyline too. It would seem that Clutch has had the three of them locked up in a cage inside the Krugerian boiler room deep within his flying battleship. Did we know this information? I can't remember at this point. Last time we saw the Chaotix, weren't they playing with some flowers? Somehow, I don't think it's a good thing when a comic book requires you to have a mental flowchart of where all the characters are at all times. Anyway, Vector has a thumb drive full of all of Clutch's dirty laundry, something the villain didn't think to take away from him the entire he's had him imprisoned. Yes, five issues deep into this plot, we're finding out that the Chaotix have been important characters to this story the whole time. If only comics were a visual medium and there had been some way to convey this information to the reader before now... 

Sorry if this issue put me in a crabby mood. The truth is I didn't totally dislike this one. The saving grace for the last few issues has been the little character moments Stanley has sneaked in between all the stuff happening. There isn't much of that here. However, when Jewel comes to Tangle and Whisper to talk to them early in the issue and the lemur gives her old friend a great big hug? Yeah, that was adorable. There is plenty of good artwork on display too. I ultimately didn't find Sonic and Surge's rumble here all that rewarding but Min Ho Kim assures that it looks cool. If the big fight between Surge and "The Phantom Rider" is the main reason this issue exists, at least there's plenty of exciting visuals. Though it probably says a lot about how meandering this plot has gotten that the thing I've seen people discussing the most about this issue is all the O.C.s Kim hid among the various crowd scenes. I like the bluish fox thing with the fancy anime gloves we see hanging out at the starting line or the girl with white and blue bangs and a black Chao sign seemingly trying to avoid a bad date in the bleachers. 

The longer this race stretches on, the more convinced I am that this entire story should've been about Surge grappling with becoming a beloved hero. I don't care about Clutch's criminal empire being exposed. I don't care about Sonic's identity as the Phantom Rider being revealed. I really don't care about whatever the hell Amy or Jet or Lanolin or Don and Nite or "Duo" have been doing during all of this. And I absolutely do not care who wins the race! Wasn't that what this storyline was supposed to be about to begin with? It's hard to remember now. People seem to be enjoying the high-speed action scenes and large cast in this arc, showing me once again that "Sonic" fans are not concerned with things like narrative structure or pacing or whether you care about the plot. Am I a bitchy old man or does this fandom deserve less? No, it's the children that are wrong. [5/10]

Sonic the Hedgehog (IDW): Issue 71

Sonic the Hedgehog (IDW): Issue 71

Publication Date: July 31st, 2024

The internet moves so fast these days. The biggest movie of the summer comes out and, two days later, clips of it from shaky cellphone bootlegs are all over social media. A new installment of a comic book drops and the fandom is already overturning all its events within a few hours. All the surprises get spoiled immediately. If you don't read the book the minute it comes out or see the movie the day of its release, all the cool shit is going to be ruined for you. People used to care about spoilers around here! This is a long winded way of me saying that I didn't get a chance to read issue #71 of IDW's "Sonic the Hedgehog" comic until today, two days after it was released, and I already felt like I was massively behind. I don't know what this says about fandoms in the year 2024, that nobody can wait to discuss things politely, all of us operating under the assumption that everyone has immediate access to everything. Perhaps it speaks to the unrelenting speed with which all aspects of our culture move in a world where the internet rules our lives...

And you know what else is fast? Sonic the Hedgehog! Let's talk about his comic book! The Clean Sweepstakes race continues, the participants moving through a misty valley full of dangerously steep mountaintops. To add to the danger, participants can now sling dodgeballs at each other. Naturally, the Phantom Rider makes an appearance, acting even more antagonistic than usual. This is a surprise for Sonic, who is in disguise and lurking on the sidelines. Yes, Mimic is trying to add to the confusion and chaos. The shifty octopus ends up revealing Sonic's identity to Tangle, Whisper, and the Babylon Rogues. The groups consider what to do with this information. Meanwhile, Surge and Kit continue to ponder their newfound popularity while Tails and Amy come uncover the truth. 

Issue 71 is one full of action and incident. The meat of the comic is occupied with all the contest, the Phantom Rider's appearance once again immediately causing chaos and violence on the track. This guy is so distracting that his appearance instantly draws attention away from the race itself. Who cares about that when we have a masked villain creating mischief? The high stakes lead to a number of dramatic reveals, Sonic's cover being blown. Meanwhile, Amy and Tails rescue Belle, who accidentally reveals that Clutch orchestrated this entire event for shady reasons. What I'm saying is there's a lot of stuff happening in this issue. 

You would think the suspenseful action/adventure antics would be what is driving fandom discussion around this issue. That is not the case. Instead, it is some quiet character interactions that prove to be the most compelling aspect of this comic. When Tangle sees Sonic's face behind the Phantom Rider's mask, she's stunned. How can the Restoration's greatest hero be secretly operating as such a public nuisance? That's when Whisper shows her some video she recorded with her mask – a very convenient development, I'll add – that reveals there are two Phantom Riders. Tangle is overjoyed, since this suggests Sonic might not be a crook after all. Even though this conversation is largely plot focused and centered around another character, Tangle and Whisper's closeness makes this moment so much more interesting. It feels like Whisper is, once again, showing her vulnerability and Tangle, like always, embraces her. That gesture makes it clear that Tangle accepts her, no matter what, and that is fucking adorable. I love these lesbians. 

As utterly endearing as that moment is, another scene is even better. After the action is over for the day, Surge and Kit are approached by an adorable moppet. The kid fangirls all over Surge in that adorably kid-like way. Once again, it gives Surge pause. This is what Evan Stanley is good at as a writer: Showing the little ways characters can evolve and grow. Surge has built her whole life around this image of herself as a ruthless bad-ass with no use for society's rules. She's the definition of "acting out for attention" taken to supervillain extremes. Now she's getting praised for being a good guy. She's learning she doesn't have to settle for "If you don't love me, you'll hate me instead." Quietly, she's starting to question her whole personality. Character development happening, right before our very eyes! That this is spurned in by a child – who is as friggin' cute as they could possibly get them – makes the interaction more precious. Acts of unprompted kindness mean a lot to someone bred for cruelty.  

If Stanley has a real talent for characters interacting, her plotting still feels a little obvious and slapdash at times. From the moment "Duo the Cat" showed up at Restoration HQ, I've been waiting for someone to point out how suspicious he is. This has been followed by Jewel letting barely reformed criminals Surge and Kit into the club, before participating in a public event orchestrated by obvious criminal Clutch. At the very least, our heroes seem to be catching on to what is happening. Belle helps confirm Amy's suspicion that Clutch – who looks and acts like a child's cartoon imagining of what a crime boss looks like – might actually be a crime boss. Mimic mucking about with the Phantom Rider is a plot point I don't feel entirely satisfied about. However, it does feel like a step towards that particular storyline reaching a head. Hopefully we are getting there soon. 

The strengths of this issue cover up its biggest flaw, which is that this arc hasn't been much more than a chaotic jumble of subplots. Stanley is doing a much better job at juggling the large cast amid elaborate action scenes here than she did in "Urban Warfare." If only because the rest periods between races allow for a natural breathing room. However, we are still being asked to follow, by my count, between four and six different storylines at this moment. All of these divergent plot points are obviously being set up for a bigger resolution, within the next issue or so. Yes, this is another comic book primarily about setting up future comic books. It's not bad, necessarily, but sometimes you can feel the gears moving a little more than perhaps you should. 

With so much going on, some storylines will clearly be focused on over others. Sonic got some juicy emotional scenes last issue. In #71, he doesn't do much of anything because get punked by Mimic while buzzing around on his floating cheese wheel. Though there is a neat panel, where we see half of his face through the Phantom Rider helmet, that reminds me of a trick they would pull in old Spider-Man comics any time Peter Parker felt his secret identity was in trouble. 

I also question the timeline here a bit. Issue 71 picks up immediately on the cliffhanger issue 70 ended on, with Tails and Amy discovering Belle bound and gagged in a locker. After that initial moment, the other tendrils of the story continue. Which makes me wonder how long Any and Tails have been on the supply ship? It sort of seems like two days have passed in-between scenes there. Further more, how much longer are they going to be stuck up there? All the other plot threads are advancing at a normal rate while Tails and Amy are moving in snail time. 

Temporal paradoxes aside, Stanley continues to successfully chip away at my indifference towards Jet and the Babylon Rogues. I still don't think I'm particularly invested in this trio. However, playing up the burning jealousy Jet feels towards Sonic is a compelling angle to explore. When he discovers that the person he considers his greatest rival is behind the mask of this wanted menace, Jet goes into a more scheming mode. He clearly has his eye not just on defeating Sonic on the racetrack but also torpedoing his public reputation. If the focus continues to be on Jet's obsessive desire to be better than Sonic, he might become a genuinely interesting villain yet. Anybody else imagining some Robert DeNiro-esque backstory for Jet now, where he is a former Sonic fanboy whose admiration turned to a dangerous fixation? Just me? Alright, good to know. 

It's a good looking issue too! Min Ho Kim on pencils and Reggie Graham on colors are becoming a very reliable team. Belle's flashback have a cool, gritty filter over them. The use of mist and shadows during the mountain chase sequence are especially nice. Adds a fittingly spooky vibe to that sequence. Kim's facial expressions are very strong too. The little look Surge gives Kit after the kid talks to her conveys a lot of conflicted emotions. (Though the Babylon Rogues going full Big Mouth Billy Bass every time they are shocked is perhaps a bit much.) The issue also ends with a surprisingly creepy close-up on Clutch's face. I do wish the fight scene between Tangle and Whisper and Surge and Kit – oh yeah, that's a thing that happens too – was a little clear. There's a few too many blue, translucent superpowers in that scene. Gets a tad confusing. 

While I don't think this issue is as strong as the proceeding one, the parts are greater than the whole here. The page devoted to Surge and the kid, or Tangle and Whisper's cuddle time, are absolutely precious. They are so good that they elevate the rest of the book around them. Whether Stanley can carol this collection of subplots towards a satisfying ending remains to be seen. Honestly, I'm skeptical if she'll be able to. However, this particular arc has been worth it solely because of smaller, touching moments like those. [7/10]

Sonic the Hedgehog (IDW): Issue 69

Sonic the Hedgehog (IDW): Issue 69

Original Publication Date: May 29th, 2024

Before taking four months off to give "Fang the Hunter" time to shine, IDW "Sonic" was clearly in a transitional period. Some characters had been written out of the book. Others had reappeared. A bigger narrative was brewing but things hadn't really escalated yet. #68 genuinely felt like the first real filler issue that IDW has ever put out over its "Sonic" run. But, hey, we're back now! And what's the big event storyline that's going to get fans excited for the ongoing series again? 

It's, uh, a homage to the "Sonic Rider" series. I know, for some fans, the hoverboard racing spin-off games are a beloved part of the franchise. Elements like the Extreme Gear boards and the Babylon Rogues have basically become fixtures of the series. But I've never actually played any of the "Riders" games. I basically checked out of "Sonic" games after "Heroes" and didn't start to creep back until "Generations." (And, if I'm being totally honest, I didn't really come back until "Mania.") Honestly, it's always been kind of confused and annoyed me that Sega has kept making "Sonic" that focus on vehicles, instead of Sonic's actual speed. Seems counterintuitive to me! Once again, I just have to admit that the "Riders" sub-series is another one of those "Sonic" things a lot of fans cherish that, simply, aren't for me. 

Honestly, considering the intrinsic role speed plays in the series – and how easy it is to build long story arcs around a competition format – I'm surprised IDW "Sonic" hasn't done a "Riders" inspired arc before! And so, this issue kicks off with the Restoration and Clean Sweep Inc – otherwise known as Clutch's shady as fuck company – teaming up on a big public race. Sonic, Tails and Amy shit talk with the Babylon Rogues before their hoverboards all malfunction, leading to the central trio being disqualified from the race. They quickly suspect some funny business is afoot. They're right, as Duo has recruited Surge and Kit to intentionally sabotage their boards. The heroic trio find an unlikely alley in the form of... Eggman?! Say it ain't so. 

If I'm being cynical, I don't think the gameplay is the main reason the "Sonic Riders" series has remained a fan favorite over the years. Most reviews suggest the games are fine, not bad but not spectacular. Instead, I honestly suspect a big reason fans keep going back to that setting is the cute racing outfits the established cast wear in them. Until the rise of mobile games that constantly sell players new skins, there weren't that many official alternate looks for Sonic and friends. There's no doubt that some fans really do love to dress up their favorite characters like little dolls, especially on a fandom like this obsessed with surface-level aesthetics. "Riders'" racing gear allowed for the first real such opportunity in the games. And, yeah, Rouge's sports bra and Amy's bell bottoms are pretty slick designs. I can see why the style stuck with people. 

Unsurprisingly, it's been a common trend in fan art to design "Riders" outfits for characters that never appeared in the games and OCs. Issue 69 feels like an attempt by Evan Stanley to canonize this practice. The very first page features a set of panels displaying all the story's principle players in their racing suits and accompanying modes of transportation. Lanolin gets a yellow and green jumpsuit. Whisper has an adorable, high-collared parka. Surge wears a super cute puffy jacket and some bitchin' sunglasses, while riding what looks like a green version of Kaneda's bike. Considering a few of the IDW cast members are playable in the aforementioned mobile game designed primarily to sell players new skins, it wouldn't surprise me if some of these threads are incorporated there some down the line. Perhaps Stanley's Corporate Overlords even demand these outfits be put into the comic.

All of that aside... What do I think of the actual writing in this issue? It's okay. Kind of says a lot about how memorable this issue that the main conversation it's prompted in the fandom is whether Lanolin is too bitchy. She's essentially operating as the race's referee, stepping in to report technical infractions. This matches the strict, rule-obsessed personality the lamb has developed recently. Some people seem to think this makes Lanolin an obnoxious fuddy-duddy, existing to tell the other characters to stop having fun, going a long ways towards making the sheep unpopular. I think Lanolin is still a new enough character that the book hasn't quite figured out a role for her yet. Hopefully she finds a purpose beyond being the official team buzzkill in the future. An anal retentive field leader has more potential than that.  

Maybe fans are picking up on this interaction because... There's not a lot of actual racing here. Sonic and the gang zip around on their boards some but there's a shocking lack of tension in these moments. Instead, these panels seem to mostly be focused on the hedgehog trash talking with Jet. I've said before that I find Jet to be the most boring of Sonic's speedy rivals. Unlike Shadow or Scourge, who have compelling back stories and motivations of their own, Jet really is strictly defined by just wanting to be faster than Sonic. IDW has frequently characterized him as a spoiled brat with an annoyingly fragile ego. Beyond that, the trash talk here just isn't good. "Hope you all enjoy headlines on papers!" What a weird way to say you'll be reading about us tomorrow. Amy's snippy comeback to Storm is actually better than any of Jet and Sonic's banter. 

The truth is, I found this scene so lacking in tension that I actually considered something that has never crossed my mind before. If Sonic and Jet are racing around each other at high speeds... How can they even hear each other? The roar of the engines and the wind racing around them would probably make it really hard to have a conversation. It's not quite as egregious as folks having conversations while free falling from an airplane. Yet, if you tried to talk to someone while racing them in a motorcycle, it would probably result in a lot of "Huh? What? Wha'd'ya say?" Now, I'm wondering how Sonic can talk to anyone while running around at high speeds. Does he have super-fast hearing too? This is absolutely nitpicking and, if this scene was good, I probably wouldn't have had this thought at all. Yet here we are. 

Truthfully, if issue 69 feels a little tedious, it's not hard to figure out why. This comic isn't really about the race. It's actually one of those issues that exist largely to set up the plot for the rest of the arc. And so you have Clutch floating around the race, trying to ingratiate himself with Jewel as part of his on-going attempt to undermine them. Though the scene where he uncomfortably puts his hand on her shoulder and she immediately, awkwardly leaves afterwards makes him seem more like a touchy sleaze ball than a criminal mastermind. I doubt that was Stanley's intention but it does end up raising the tension in the scene. I'm still not sure how everyone can obviously tell Clutch is plotting something shady. Motherfucker carries a pimp stick and wears a fedora. He might as well have "I'M A BAD GUY" written on his forehead. Yet the plot dictates that he be taken seriously as a businessmen for now...

That's just one of several plot points introduced here. Duo, Surge, and Kit – other examples of obviously villainous characters being allowed to run around the Restoration, unobserved – are part of this wicked plan. It all comes to a head in the final scene, where Eggman plops himself down next to Sonic in what appears to be the Mobian version of a Denny's. The two form a truce of some sort in order to facilitate a daring break-in into the floating raceway, in order to see if the Extreme Gear had been tampered with. Plots with a lot of moving parts like this are not Stanley's strong suit. It was part of why the "Urban Warfare" arc collapsed into incompetent action sequences by the end. I'm already not entirely following what Tails and Eggman's scheme is here. 

However, the set-up at least has potential. First off, it sounds like we might be moving towards a heist plot. Those are always fun! Secondly, Sonic and Eggman being forced to work together is usually a compelling premise. There's always a decent degree of tension to be mined from lifelong enemies being forced into a situation where they have to team up. I prefer this to happen when they must unite against a greater threat. Instead, Eggman offers Sonic some assistance because a Clean Sweeps commercial mocked him and he took that personally. Still, there's some interesting directions this could go in, other than just more tedious racing and trash talking. We shall see.

The credits page of the issue doesn't actually list anyone under pencils, just crediting Min Ho Kim with "Inks." But it would appear that the linework is his. Maybe Kim just does everything in ink? Whatever the format, it is naturally a very smooth looking issue. The action feels fairly inert, such as in a very posed panel where a wall explodes before Sonic and Jet. Yet the characters still look cool as fuck. You can tell Kim had a good time drawing the various alt outfits on display here. Meanwhile, comedic details – like the libelous commercial or Cubot hugging a pillow with his waifu on it – are well done. By the way, fellow ASO Discord member Jonathan Dobbs did some colors work on this issue. Always beat when a "Sonic" fan artist upgrades to official artists, especially when it's someone you got to see coming up. Don't forget us when you're huge, J-Dobbs!

Ultimately, I feel compelled to give this issue a negative rating. Which may not be fair. Installments that this, that function primarily as the set-up heavy first acts of longer stories, really aren't meant to stand on their own. I guess this is one of the big weakness for Writing for the Trade, individual issues rarely being allowed to stand on their own as satisfying works of art. I'm really feeling a [5/10] on this one but, if what happens next makes this issue better in retrospect, I might bump it up a score. Until then, the rating stands. Look at that, I got through this whole review without cracking a single "Nice" joke... 

Sonic the Hedgehog: Winter Jam

Sonic the Hedgehog: Winter Jam

Publication Date: December 13th, 2023

Now that 2023 is in the rear view window, we can reflect on IDW's decision to trade out the usual "Sonic" comic mini-series with several seasonal one-shots. The "Endless Summer" special was delightful while everything else, the Halloween special and the various anniversary issues, proved far less memorable. The year ended with, naturally, a winter themed one-shot that tied in with the holidays in its own way. Did "Sonic the Hedgehog: Winter Jam" live up to the weird standard of "Sonic"-themed Christmas entertainment? Now is the time to determine just that...

"Winter Jam" begins with Eggman obsessively watching reality TV on a Thomas Newton Jerome-style wall of monitors. This points the villain towards his newest evil scheme. While Sonic and his friends are chilling on the beach during what must be an unseasonably warm December, Eggman drops a giant robot fish on them. The group wakes up inside a studio, where Cubot and Orbot force them to participate in a series of wintery, holiday-themed competitions. Sonic is teamed up with Tails, Amy partners with Cream and Cheese, Rouge is in cahoots with Omega, and Big trails along with Froggy. The prize is a single Chaos Emerald, causing everyone to take this silliness a lot more seriously. 

"Winter Jam" is the IDW "Sonic" debut for a writer named Iasmin Omar Ata, whose graphic novel work I am completely unfamiliar with. Our blue hedgehog franchise has supported a wide variety of tones over the years, from the fairly serious to the totally farcical. Which means different people can have totally different impressions of what "Sonic" is, based on which game, cartoon show, or comic was their first exposure to the series. If I had to guess, I would wager Ata is most fond of the goofier "Sonic" installments. "Winter Jam" most resembles the sitcom-like writing of the "Sonic Boom" TV show. In fact, it's extremely easy to imagine a "Boom" episode with the premise of "Eggman sticks Sonic and friends inside a competitive reality show." Which is not something you can picture so much in the mainline Sega games, the later Archie comics, or even IDW's on-going book. I'm pretty sure "SatAM" Robotnik would just roboticize the Freedom Fighters if he had them under his thumb like this. 

This "Boom" connection is most evident in the way the characters are written. First off, Cubot and Orbot get flashy roles as the presenters of the show, something much more akin to "Boom" than the main IDW book, where they are usually as merely incompetent lackies when they are remembered at all. Secondly, Ata's script really cooks all of the heroes down to their most essential characteristics. Sonic is defined by his fastness, even if that means he leaps into situations without thinking them through. Tails is brainy to the point of being eggheaded. Amy is the girly straight woman, Cream is an enthusiastic but inexperienced kid, Rouge is all about those gems, and Omega just wants to blow shit up. Big is a weirdo comical anomaly, described in-universe as "inscrutable." I'm sure if Shadow and Knuckles were in this issue, they'd be a gruff loner and a super-strong nincompoop. 

You'd probably expect me to be critical of these characters being written in such one-note fashion, especially since the IDW comics works best the more complex everyone's interactions are. Yet, in this case, it works. "Boom," when it was at its funniest, used its sitcom structure and Flanderized characters to subvert the typical expectations of the "Sonic" universe and push the absurdity of its scenarios as far as possible. Unlike the "Halloween Special," where the simplified characterization felt like the material was being dumbed down, everyone here is still very much on-note. They are just a little goofier than usual, which fits a light-hearted holiday special anyway.

This is most apparent in "Winter Jam's" best reoccurring joke. Sonic's super-fast abilities and personality proves to be an ill-fit for these contests. He tangles himself and Tails in Christmas lights. He tears an Eggman doll to pieces with speed friction when he's supposed to be protecting it during a snowball fight. By the time the super cute ice sculpture he made collapses for no reason, this has become a hilariously cruel running gag. During the "Survivor"-style between-games interviews, Sonic grows increasingly neurotic about his failures. Seeing hyper-confident hero Sonic repeatedly humbled, largely through his own quickness, is a good joke. It's subverting what we know about these guys for comedic effect and Ata's dialogue plays it dry enough to make these reactions even funnier. Good job!

"Winter Jam" gets wackier as it goes along, in accordance with typical rules of cartoon escalation. There's unexpected laser beams, a gelatin monstrosity, and an implausible plot twist. The whole thing ends in a massive explosion, which sounds about right. Ata's script has cultivate a goof-ball tone quickly, allowing the comic to get away with increasingly broad sight-gags like this. Any pretensions of seriousness have long since passed by the time the ostensibly plot motivating Chaos Emerald – reality-altering power sources that usually are no laughing matter within this universe – is causally thrown in at the very end. The Emerald is a MacGuffin in the purest sense here. It exists to push the story forward but otherwise has no deeper significance, everything about it being completely unimportant. 

This comic reminds me of an episode of "Sonic Boom" in another way too. It's so quickly paced that there's really not time for anything but the comedic highlights. In fact, the rest of the winter games are relegated to a single panel, which one imagines would have been a speedy montage in a TV show. This "get to the jokes as quickly as possible" structure means the issue misses out on any depth. You'd think Eggman hyper-fixating on reality shows and creating one of his own would provide some sort of commentary on the shallowest of television genres. Nope! Beyond dismissing it all as trash TV – fair – this comic has nothing to say about reality shows. In fact, the contests resemble standard competition programs like "Holiday Baking Wars" or "The Great Christmas Light Fight" than far more tawdry series like "Big Brother" or "The Bachelor" that I tend to think of as archetypal "reality shows." Eggman could have just as easily been stuck on regular old game shows. 

With "Winter Jam" coming out so close to Christmas, this obviously fills the role of a "Sonic" holiday special. Which brings up another criteria to consider: How does this function as a celebration of end-of-the-year festivities? Loosely, to say the least. The first contest involves making a home look festive. Sonic and Tails string red and green lights, Omega blows up some wreaths, and Amy and Cream prepare a feast that prominently features a yule log desert. Eggman's wall of TVs include some easily missed candy canes and reindeer antlers, while a later collection of panels briefly features baubles hung on an evergreen. The end has everyone luxuriating in the magic of snow falling on the beach. Yet this being entitled "Winter Jam," instead of a more specific reference to any particular holiday, is fitting. Things are kept secular, in a way that reminded me of the first "Community" Christmas episode. Merry jolly, indeed. 

In fact, there's barely any reference to even the secular version of Christmas as we know it. There's no Santa, no exchanging of gifts, no decorating of a tree. Sonic doesn't ask Tails the true meaning of anything, prompting a speech about harking angels or being-not-afraid. Considering we open on our heroes unwinding on a snowy beach, outside of the title, there's no way to know if this issue is even supposed to be set during the winter. Maybe global warming has hit Sonic's world too. Or maybe they just live in their equivalent of California, where it's always sunny and breezy. 

This absence of explicit Christmas references makes sense, because why would Sonic and his friends know anything about an Earthly holiday anyway? (This is a question writers of previous "Sonic" holiday specials never felt the need to consider. Or even Sega for that matter, who have produced many images of Sonic doing explicitly Christmas-y stuff.) Yet compare this to the Halloween special, which actually named the October holiday and prominently featured traditions like trick-or-treating, dressing up in scary costumes, and displaying carved-up gourds on your front porch. Sonic and the gang celebrating Halloween as we know it but only participating in generic, winter-themed traditions forces me to come to one conclusion: Sonic the Hedgehog and all his friends are Godless pagans who have never heard of the story of Christ Child nor accepted Jesus of Nazareth as their personal Lord and Savior. My Southern Baptist grandmother would say they were all going to burn in Hell. But I bet Amy throws a bitchin' Beltane bonfire. 

Anyway, enough of my mostly-sarcastic analysis of this children's comic's setting that was clearly in no way intended by the artist. "Winter Jam" is fun! It made me laugh multiple times while maintaining a good grip on these characters and their world. It cooked up some clever and amusing scenarios I hadn't thought of. The art is from Min Ho Kim, who previously did the character designs for "The Murder of Sonic the Hedgehog" and a few IDW covers. The line work is clean and crisp. The characters are expressive and bright. There's even some clever page layouts , such as the dissolve that reveals our heroes on are on the beach or the page where everyone is grabbed by the robot fish. It's not deep but I enjoyed. That's good enough to earn a [7/10] from me. So merry jolly to all you heathens out there. I hope you had a festive and bright December and I'm sorry I'm only publishing this review in January. 

Sonic the Hedgehog's 900th Adventure

Sonic the Hedgehog's 900th Adventure

Publication Date: September 13th, 2023

How many adventures has Sonic the Hedgehog had? It's the question perhaps worth asking. In the 32 years Sega's super-fast mascot has existed, he's lint his spiny likeness to almost every piece of media imaginable. He's appeared in dozens of video games. Sonic has had long runs at three different comic book publishers and even a short-lived comic strip. Six television programs, two live action movies, one Japanese OVA, and several bits of short animation have bore his name. Hell, there's even been actual books published about the blue hedgehog! And that's only limiting our query to media published in English-speaking countries. In addition to all that, there's a handful of “Sonic” manga, a short-lived French comic book, a Russian game show featuring the hedgehog, and a Portuguese text book for some reason.

That's a lot of adventures! I'm not going to hazard a guess of how many exactly that is but IDW apparently did. The second one-shot they've published this year is called “Sonic's 900th Adventure.” They claim, in the introduction, that this comic book is in fact the 900th release centering around the hedgehog. Honestly, I'm skeptical. Just the bullshit I mentioned above makes me wager it's a lot higher than that. And how exactly is IDW defining “adventure” here? Did they count every video game he's shown up in or just starring roles, disqualifying guest appearances and cameos?  Did “Sonic's Schoolhouse” grace the IDW editor's eyes? How about the SegaLand Sydney puppet musical? Is a commercials for Korean sneakers or Australian ice cream worthy enough to be included in this total? What about a parade balloon? An amusement park ride? Is a can of Spaghetti-Os an adventure? 

Putting my needless nerdy pedantry aside, Sonic has had a metric shit-ton of adventures. However many it's actually been, IDW is seeking to celebrate them all with this one-shot. The “900th Adventure” begins with Sonic and Tails chilling around his workshop, feeling nostalgic. That's when the Warp Topaz, the teleporting bric-a-brac that Dr. Starline utilized, manifests itself on Tails' couch. Fearful of its supercharged readings, Sonic endeavors to put that thing back where it came from before it causes anymore problems. The Topaz zaps Sonic all over the world and to different locations. This brings him into contact with his various friends, enemies, and rivals, often passing the plot device off to them like a hot potato. Will the super-fast blue dude with 'tude safely return the Warp Topaz to its point of origin and survive to see his 901th adventure? What do you think?

Essentially, “Sonic's 900th Adventure” is a quick tour through Sonic's main supporting cast. Perhaps in hopes of appealing to as wide an audience as possible, this is limited strictly to Sega-created characters. Tangle and Whisper are nowhere to be seen, even though this story explicitly takes place in IDW canon. Instead, the focus remains on the most popular members of the wide “Sonic” cast. Tails, Knuckles, Amy, Shadow, Rouge, Blaze, Cream, Eggman, Metal Sonic, the Babylon Rogues, Cubot and Orbot, and the grouchy orca from “Sonic Adventure” all put in appearances. Sorry to all the fans of Tiara Boobowski and Hip and Hop, they didn't make the cut. I didn't expect any deep cuts though it is a little disappointing that a supposed celebration of Sonic's history limits itself to just the basic bitch cast members. The 30th Anniversary Special did a much better job of acknowledging Sonic's lineage, even within the boundaries of IDW's licensing contract. 

In other words, this comic isn't a whole lot more than “Sonic” characters marching on-screen, doing something vaguely plot relevant, and then the hedgehog is off to see the next guest star. There's only so much wiggle room within these constrains but the script still manages to squeak out some character beats or development. Blaze considers going on without her friends, because she's the self-sacrificing type. Cream has a big rant about how she wants to appear on this adventure, because she's a little kid always trying to prove herself. Amy gets to fawn over Sonic and even gives him a big hug, in a moment sure to be adored by shippers. Probably the best moment has Sonic tricking both Tails and Metal Sonic by pretending the Warp Topaz is draining more of his energy than it actually is. That's the wily hedgehog we know and love.

However, some of the other characters are reduced down to just a couple of quick gags. Eggman gets mocked, while trading some barbs with Sonic and his robot henchmen. Shadow and Rouge appear to belittle the Babylon Rogues, their personalities reduced down to their most simplified versions of themselves. Shadow brags about being the Ultimate Lifeform, Jet is haughty, Rouge likes shiny shit. Wave and Storm are... There, I guess. You can definitely tell which characters the writers felt they could actually do something with and which one they shoved into the issue because they had to. 

Since there's not going t be any actual character development or forward-movement of the overall arc in this one-shot, its story has to be rated on its own goals. The stakes are really high here. Tails is concerned that the Warp Topaz's out-of-control energy levels might even destroy the entire world. Despite that, the issue here is pretty light-hearted. Sonic never seems that worried, cracking jokes like always. The other characters are largely farcical too, Knuckles and Amy getting little funny panels to themselves. Moreover, the script never makes it entirely clear what exactly the Warp Topaz is doing. It's opening portals all over the place but, otherwise, there's a lot of talk about how dangerous the situation is without the reader being given total understand of what that means.

It seems to me that “Sonic's 900th Adventure” was clearly conceived as a way to spotlight as many of Sonic's friends as possible and an actual narrative second. When taken on their own, some of these sequences are fun. The bit where Sonic and Amy fight the whale is entertaining enough. So is Eggman dueling Sonic from within a Mazinger Z homage. Yet I was left wondering what exactly the point of all this is. We discover that the Warp Topaz comes from some weird cave in an obscure corner of the world, which is a contribution of sorts to the overall lore. The final scene takes the Warp Topaz out of the story while also leaving open the possibility that it could return some day. But, over all, this strikes me as an inessential story that doesn't add too much to the comic's world or stand too strongly on its own.

Another way “Sonic's 900th Adventure” was meant to be a celebration of Sonic's history is by featuring multiple different writers. I hope no one was disappointed ot see that this mostly meant established IDW “Sonic” crew members. That means Ian Flynn, Evan Stanley, Daniel Barnes, Aaron Hammerstein, and Caleb Goellner contributed to the script. It's not like any of the Archie writers were going to show up, having either moved on or simply have too much baggage to be hire-able. The one really neat addition here is Nigel Kitching, one of the main writers for Fleetway's “Sonic the Comic.” This is Kitching's first contribution to a “Sonic” project in over twenty years, making his appearance a big deal for fans of that particular branch of the franchise. 

However, six people writing one forty page story is the kind of situation that rarely produces great art. A set-up like that is either going to result in a mess of conflicting tones or everyone's styles being flatten out into a homogeneous, bland whole. The opening credits box lets us known which authors are responsible for which pages. Can you tell who wrote what pages? Flynn's pages are fairly distinctive, with Sonic cracking some one-liners that seem recognizable as his style. Evan Stanley tries to do some similarly snarky humor on her pages but it comes off as more awkward than anything else, while the relationship stuff between Sonic and Amy is more her speed. Daniel Barnes gets to write some jokey dialogue for Cubot and Orbot, including a shout-out to the infamous “Big oof” panel, but otherwise I don't think I noticed that the same guy who wrote “Scrapnik Island” wrote that sequence. 

I'm not super familiar with Kitching's style but his pages are among the least distinctive here, save for an unusually verbose word balloon from Knuckles. I suppose much the same can be applied to Aaron Hammerstrom, who has Cream practically yell a monologue. Though Hammerstrom's pages also have the clearest defined character arc in the issues, so I guess he wins. Caleb Goellner, true to form, contributes the lamest scenes here. As always, his characters speak in either extremely bland exposition or attempts at humor that are so uneven that they feel like someone who only speaks English as a second language wrote them. 

In hopes of making this division among the writers a little less awkward, the book is essentially broken up into six page segments with a different cast on each one. Yet the result is still equal parts clashing in the different approaches to the dialogue without really giving any one author a chance to shine. I think breaking this issue up into different stories would've resolved both of those problems, allowing each writer to make their stories more their own without creating an overall bland narrative that feels like it was probably designed by committee. 

The artwork is similarly split, with eight different people handling pencils and ink duties here. Gigi Butreix's painterly colors realy make Evan Stanley's pages pop in a fascinating way. Mauro Fonseca and Rik Mak's pages are nicely moody, with a very classic Sega-style looking Sonic. Min Ho Kim definitely has fun drawing that Go Nagai style Eggman robot, while also contributing some really eye-catching shading. Abby Bulmer does Goellner's pages and, unfortunately, they look kind of bad. She makes everyone look like chubby comic strip characters, with the proportions definitely seeming off to me in a few panels. Adam Bryce Thomas (who draws the very beginning and ending) and Hammerstrom do strong work in their pages as well. Both throw in lots of dynamic action and expressive faces, which is exactly what they both excel at. 

Ultimately, “Sonic's 900th Adventure” is a neat idea for a comic book that falls short of that potential. If this was going to be a true celebration of Sonic's history, it should've included more throwbacks and a more specific sense of place. By just limiting the cast to Sonic's most profitable friends, it makes the universe actually seem rather small. Splitting this story across six writers and six different supporting players also results in a rather fractured feeling special that can never quite build up tension or proper pacing. But the artwork is (mostly) pretty neat and it is fun to see Sonic interacting with different friends. I know I only ever give out [6/10]s lately but “Sonic's 900th Adventure” definitely feels like it belongs exactly at that level.