Sonic the Hedgehog: Issue 90

Sonic the Hedgehog: Issue 90
Publication Date: November 2000

While issue 89 did a good job of balancing action and character development, issue 90 is less well balanced. In truth, I think this issue may begin a long downward spiral that the comic would take years to recover from. At least, that’s how I remember it. The comic’s forthcoming issues are the ones I have the least fond memories of: Melodrama, love triangles, and plot twists that drag on forever: That’s what Archie Sonic fans had to look forward to at the start of the new millennium.

The issue picks up where the last one left off. Sonic races through the Great Forest, the Sword of Acorn in hand. He’s headed for Mobotropolis, hoping to restore his beloved Uncle Chuck’s free will. Instead, he runs into Mina, who is preparing her own journey to the tyrant’s city. However, both of their trips are cut short when a new squad of Com-Bots, with advanced cloaking abilities, ambushes them. Meanwhile, Sally and Elias’ reunion with their mother is upset by some startling news and Robotnik discovers that his city is in peril.

“Sword of Omens” – which is, I’m sad to say, not a Sonic/ThunderCats crossover – front-loads with action. I have mixed thoughts about Sonic and Mina’s confrontation with the Com-Bots. The robots’ new ability to cloak themselves, being rendered more-or-less invisible, makes them a somewhat cheap threat. They can spring around, getting the drop on their opponents. It also doesn’t make much sense, as they frequently uncloak. Wouldn’t staying invisible and sniping their opponent from a safe distance have been a better strategy? Instead of allowing Sonic to rise to this new challenge, using his wits instead of his speed, the hedgehog hero gets knocked unconscious very quickly. The robots quickly snatching the Sword of Acorns and flying away is also a bummer, sticking both the hero and the villain with a lame fetch quest.

The story also moves Mina the Mongoose, a character that’s been on the back burner for a while, to the forefront. Mina gets some good moments, like when she expresses her hatred over Robotnik. The tyrant did take all her loved ones’ away. She has a good reason to be angry. I also like Sonic needing a minute to recognize her. He's probably rescued a lot of teenage girls. However, after solid character beats like this, Mina hits a bit of a snag. First off, it’s her fault that the bad guys get away with the sword, which doesn’t endear her to the readers. Secondly, Karl gifts her with a Sonic-like super speed. This dumb gimmick, along with her crush on Sonic, would define Mina as a character for far too long. There’s also no damn reason for her to have super speed either. It’s as if Bollers was struggling with what to do with her.

The writer also doesn’t do the best job juggling the other subplots. Since before the end of the Naugus story, Bollers has hinted at something coming from outer space for Robotnik. Looks like he’ll finally get around to resolving that soon. The doctor’s villainous gloating is interrupted by asteroids falling from the sky. Considering the narrative stakes are already pretty high, it’s an odd decision to shove this in here too. However, our still new Robotnik gets one amusing moment: When he begins dancing and singing, secure in his victory over Sonic.

A strong point of the last issue was Sally and Elias’ concern for their parents. Issue 90 continues to handle this in a mixed way. The sequences devoted to the King and the siblings being reunited with their mother are sweet. However, emotion-based character moments are cut short by incoming narrative contrivances. King Acorn discovers he can’t feel his legs, paralyzed following the robotic blow to the head. Yes, the moment is delivered with as much melodramatic emphasis as you’re imagining. This sequence also introduces Elias reluctantly taking the crown, a plot tumor that would be passed around for a while longer.

What about the artwork? At least it’s good, right? Well, half of it is. James Fry draws the first chapter of the story. His action scenes aren’t as dynamic as his character work, save for a cool panel of Sonic wrecking a Com-Bot. However, his grasp of composition and emotion work well during the slower moments. There’s only one problem. The dreaded and dreadful Ron Lim takes over for the second half. There’s a terrible panel where Queen Alicia is double Sally’s size and looks like she’s about to swallow her whole. Lim can barely draw Elias and Mina, both characters being deeply off-model in his style. Robotnik, meanwhile, looks ridiculous, like a goofball cartoon. Get use to Lim’s bullshit cause he’s not going away for a while.

In the back pages, Ken Penders’ latest underwhelming Knuckles epic moves forward. Last time, Knuckles and Antoine’s robotic dad were trapped in a sudden explosion. “Between a Rock and a Hard Place” picks up with Gala-La and some Albion echidnas retrieving Yanar and the High Sheriff from the wreckage. Bunnie, Antoine, Amy, and Rob o’ Hedge quickly arrive at the blast site, following an unnecessary costume change. What they both discover is that Knuckles is now radioactive green, glowing like a shard of Kryptonite.

If you’re still wondering when we’ll be getting back to the Floating Island, and actually resolving the question of where everyone fucking went, you’ll have to wait longer. We’re still stuck on Albion. Ken shifts the focus to the supporting cast here. Despite Antoine and Rob taking up most of the pages, somehow, the quartet still feels sidelined. Instead of getting meaningful interactions, the characters waste time. A whole panel is devoted to the gang angrily waiting on an elevator. For no particular reason, they steal some firefighter uniforms to sneak closer to the blast site. Was that step necessary? What should’ve been the emotional center of the story – Antoine facing his father – is instead reduced to a curt series of panels. Penders is also in an annoying, with his tendency to emphasize both Rob and Bunnie’s obnoxious speech patterns.

As for what happens to Knuckles… It makes me sigh. Thus begins the Chaos Knuckles saga. I seem to remember Knuckles being lime flavored for-fucking-ever. It’s definitely a plot line I tired of as a kid. Lastly, Knuckles going Eco Mode is supposed to be the accumulation of all that build-up about his grand, terrible destiny. Mostly, it makes his budding Guardian powers even more of a lazy plot device. In the story’s final pages, he magically zaps everyone away from Ablion. Amy and Rob are back in Mercia. Antoine and Bunnie, along with Antoine’s dad, are on a plane headed towards Knothole. Apparently, the ability to quickly wrap up plot points is one of Knuckles’ awakened powers. It does not bode well for what awaits us.

Is the Dork Age upon us? I guess we’ll find out soon enough. Both the cover story and the back-up introduce some less then welcomed story turns. Both writers have some trouble juggling the stories they’re given. Bollers loose sight of the emotional center with all the upheaval. Penders, meanwhile, once again gets distracted by his own bullshit mythology. Among solid work from James Fry and Steven Butler, we get some shitty-ass Ron Lim pencils. Maybe the forthcoming stretch of comics are going to hurt less then I remember? Yeah, right. [5/10]

Sonic the Hedgehog: Issue 89

Sonic the Hedgehog: Issue 89
Publication Date: September 2000

Oh man, Karl Bollers is getting all low-key and dramatic and shit. I love it when that happens! Yes, after an action heavy issue, the writer dials it back with another character based story all about consequences and repercussions. Real problems that human beings and cartoon hedgehogs have to deal with. You know, why can’t we just have this all the time? Instead of lame ass video game adaptations? Issue 89 proves again that Archie’s “Sonic” series was at its best when ignoring the whims of their Sega corporate pay-masters.

King Acorn is rushed to the emergency room, following the blow he received in the last issue. While the king is on the operating table, Sally and Prince Elias have a heart-to-heart. The princess feels like Sonic has let her down, by letting her father get hurt. The hedgehog, meanwhile, has his own familial problems to deal with. He’s still thinking about how Uncle Chuck and Muttski reacted to the Sword of Acorn, how they seemingly regained their humanity. Sonic takes drastic measures to bring them back. Meanwhile, Robotnik returns to Robotropolis, discovering the aftermath of last issue’s attack.

Sally isn’t having a great time. Both of her parents are in the hospital. The princess is close to loosing her father, after fighting so hard and for so long to get him back. She’s upset with her boyfriend but, luckily, Karl doesn’t overdo that point. There’s no melodrama, no crying, no slapping. Sally is just too overwhelm to deal with Sonic right now. Luckily, she forgives him by the end. This builds to a touching scene where Sally and Elias have a discussion by the river. She points out how things have been harder for her, ever since the King came back and started acting like an asshole all the time. Bollers doesn’t seek to revolve these issues but it’s nice that he pauses to recognize them.

Far rarer were glances into Sonic’s inner life. Usually, the cool dude with ‘tude was too busy being a speedy bad-ass to open up. Here, we see him having private moments with his parents and Tails. Mom makes him a plate of bubbling chili dogs. While he appreciates the effort, it just makes him miss Chuck more. His uncle, after all, was the one who actually raised him. By the end, Sonic has decided to break the rules in order to save his uncle. The scenes with Tails – aside from providing us with another sighting of the infamous race car bed – are a little heavy on the expositionary side. But it’s still awfully nice to let Sonic slow down.

With these high personal stakes, Karl barely has time to include some obligatory nods to various subplots. Robotnik returns to Robotropolis, the first time he’s been back since the “Sonic Adventure” arc ended. By the end, he’s decided to go after the Sword of Acorn, a plot point that I’m sure will become important soon. Mina also shows up for a few panels, once again establishing her crush on Sonic. Looks like the book is still struggling with what to do with her.

“Thicker Then Water” isn’t as good as 54’s “Running to Stand Still” or 69’s “Day in the Life,” Boller’s previous high water marks for character based stories, but it does feature one major plot reveal. Queen Alicia finally awakens from her coma. Considering the character has been nothing but a plot device, handed back and forth for issues now, it’s nice to finally see that resolved. Can we hope that she’ll actually become a real character, unlike every other mom in this book? Time will tell. Until then, it’s nice things are finally moving forward with her.

Knuckles’ side story continues in “A Matter of Self Interest.” The young Guardian and his friends arrive at Albion, where Gala-La and the others seemingly greet him with open arms. Secretly, the leaders of Albion are suspicious of the other Freedom Fighters. Especially Antoine, as they notice his resemblance to the High Sheriff. Knuckles, meanwhile, gets pissed that the Albion echidnas are withholding information from him. You’d think he’d be used to that by now.

This clinches it. Every single echidna on Mobius is an evasive asshole. On the Floating Island, Knuckles has to deal with his dad creepily obsessing over his life from afar. He has to deal with the Brotherhood giving him vague hints about his destiny, instead of providing actual answers. And now, on Albion, he has to deal with Gala-La and the others manipulating him. The Albion elders know Knuckles has come seeking answers about what happened on the Floating Island. They don’t tell him this, because they distrust Antoine. Instead of directly confronting these issues, they keep secrets and trade whispers in hidden rooms. When Knuckles finds out, he’s pissed. Sadly, he also doesn’t do anything about it, which is in keeping with the character’s actions.

Antoine, Rob, Bunnie, and Amy are basically just props in the story. Amy contributes almost nothing to the plot, just getting shuffled around the scenes. Antoine and Rob have some dialogue about his dad but it doesn’t amount to much. Bunnie yawns, says goodnight, and goes to bed, despite it seemingly being day light outside. The story ends on a big cliffhanger, the High Sheriff being revived. And that’s fine, I guess. But, Jesus Ken, can you please get back to what happen to the Floating Island? Why are you jerking us around?

At least the artwork is fine all around. James Fry contributes some really striking artwork to the main story, dialing back his angular anime style to focus more on emotion. Steven Butler’s work on the back-up, meanwhile, is as gritty and detail orientated as we’ve come to expect from him. The cover story is pretty good while the back-up is frustrating but I’m still happy to be back in Knothole. [7/10]

Sonic the Hedgehog: Issue 88

Sonic the Hedgehog: Issue 88
Publication Date: August 2000

Now that the video game adaptation mandated by the corporate overlords is finally over, Archie’s “Sonic the Hedgehog” comic can get back to business as usual. Karl Bollers basically picks up right where he left off too. He gets the Freedom Fighters back to Knothole immediately. Sally’s mom is still sick. Uncle Chuck is still an evil robot. There’s still plenty of royal intrigue. If Amy Rose wasn’t suddenly a teenager, it would be like that “Sonic Adventure” business never happened.

I guess Nate Morgan and Tails fixed the Freedom Fighter Special while nobody was looking. The plane touches down in Knothole Village. The gang barely has time to unwind from their trip though. Prince Elias has been imprisoned by Robotnik, after fleeing the village back in issue 80. King Acorn and Geoffrey St. John immediately recruit Sonic and Tails on the rescue mission. While storming Robotropolis, Sonic encounters something far more disturbing: His Uncle Chuck and beloved dog Muttski, still under the influence of Robotnik’s diabolical control.

“Family Matters” – Steve Urkel reference presumably unintentional – is primarily a straight-ahead action story. King Acorn spends the entire issue decked out in some genuinely bad-ass looking armor. He leads an army right to Robotnik’s door. Once there, the King even slashes through some robots! Meanwhile, Sonic is tearing ShadowBot’s to pieces. Tails tosses Bomb like a valley ball, making short work of the machines. Geoffrey St. John even gets in on the action, deploying some of those bolts of his. James Fry’s artwork is a little overly angular but he’s the right guy for this story, lending an energetic, high velocity feeling to the plot.

Even in a story this action-packed, Karl still makes time for some character moments. While Sonic and her dad are off fighting the war, Sally is concerned with her mother. An amusing moment early on has her raking the King over the coals for not telling her about Elias’ capture sooner. Before exiting, there’s a really sweet moment of Sonic comforting Sally in her time of need. After he goes, there’s a fantastic panel of her covering her mouth, concerned and anxious. A similar moment has her collapsing onto Rosie, crying, the stress bubbling. Sally’s not the only one who gets these small, personal moments. It only occupies one panel but Sonic still gets a sweet moment with his parents, welcoming him home from his long journey.

Yet the meatiest emotional arc pertains to Sonic and his Uncle Chuck. In the middle of Elias’ rescue mission, Sonic comes face-to-face with his brainwashed uncle. Chuck, naturally, doesn’t recognize him at all. He attacks his nephew. Even Muttski gets in on the violence, dog piling on Sonic. It’s distressing for Sonic. What’s more distressing is when a wave of King Acorn’s magical sword briefly restores Uncle Chuck’s personality. Before he can re-connect, a trap door swings Chuck and Muttski out of the room. Sonic comes this close to saving his role model and gets that chance dragged away from him. Yeah, it’s probably just a stopgap until Karl can give this subplot a proper resolution. But it’s also good drama.

Of course, Karl isn’t just including these scenes for the sake building up the characters. He’s also setting up some new subplots. Following the plane crash a few issues back, Antoine’s foot is in a cast. While recuperating, he decides to look for his dad – the still robotocized General D’Coolette – in Mercia. Bunnie and Amy Rose, eager to reconnect with her uncle Rob O’ the Hedge, also tag along. Karl also makes sure to get Mina in a few panels, during a mostly unnecessary flashback that opens the issue. He also ends on a cliffhanger, leaving the fate of both of Sally’s parents up in the air, making sure the reader comes back next month.

For the back-up story, Ken Penders and Steven Butler continue the Knuckles story that began in the “Sonic Stew” special. After seeing the population of the entire Floating Island get zapped into an alternate zone, Knuckles is raging in the ocean when Athair’s floating ghost head appears to him, telling him that Albion will provide the answers he craves and that his magical Guiding Star Gem will get him there. Meanwhile, in Mercia, Rob o’ the Hedge runs into Antoine, Bunnie, and Amy.

This is so typical of Ken. “Best of Time, Worst of Times” set up so many tantalizing plot details. Julie-Su, the Chaotix, Knuckles’ mom and everyone in Echidnaopolis got zapped into another zone. Gee whiz, what’s going to happen to these guys? I can’t wait to see Knuckles resolve this plot point! Well, they're going to have to wait. Instead of following up on this, Knuckles spends this entire story chatting with Athair, getting vague answers and mystical mumbo-jumbo shoveled his way. Booo. (Also, Athair appears as a fucking Force Ghost, implying that Ken killed him off at some point. I managed to have missed this plot point.)

In truth, Knuckles barely appears in his own back-up story. Most of “Best of Times, Worst of Times” is devoted to Antoine and his party running into Rob o’ the Hedge. The two trade a lot of dialogue, all of it very technical. Rob is quickly caught up on Amy’s growth spurt. He somewhat belligerently introduces himself to Antoine and Bunnie. Right before things get violent, Knuckles swoops in. The Guardian must really want to rescue his loved ones but he has to resolve Athair’s mystic fetch-quest first. Jesus, reel it in, Penders. At least Steven Butler’s artwork is nice.

The cover story is a solid yarn and a mediocre back-up story can’t take that away from us. If nothing else, issue 88 is a good looking book too, all the artists providing quality work. I have no idea if Bollers can catch all the balls he’s tossed up in the air. (I know Penders can’t.) This comic is still worth reading, for the set-up and emotional bricks being laid. [7/10]

Sonic Super Special: Issue 14 - Sonic Stew

Sonic Super Special: Issue 14 - Sonic Stew
Publication Date: June 2000

When conceived, the Sonic Super Special quarterly was for stories too big, too important for the regular book. We’re talking the grand fight between the Freedom Fighters and the Chaotix, the first major story of the post-Robotnik era, a major battle with Ixis Naugus, the uncut version of Endgame, so on and so forth. However, the book quickly degraded towards another purpose: Stories that Archie felt like telling that don’t fit into the current plot arc. So scripts about Sally Moon, giant robots, and nonsensical crossovers got booted over to the side book. This practice reaches its nadir with issue 14, subtitled “Sonic Stew.” It’s basically Ken Penders’ next big Knuckles adventure and a totally disposable Sonic farce shoved into a book together, no theme or fiber connecting them.

Why do so many Archie issues begin with Sonic and Sally wandering through the woods? Is that where they go when they need some alone time? Anyway, one such walk is interrupted when a portal opens before the two lovebirds. A pair of uniformed echidnas emerge, whack Sally into unconsciousness, and then drag Sonic through the portal. He arrives in Litigopolis, a version of Mobotropolis ruled by a mad supercomputer insisting on super restrictive laws. The citizens live in fear of frivolous lawsuits. Sonic, teaming up with a lawyer version of Sally, discovers that Anti-Sonic framed him and has to clear his name and free the city.

“Law of the Land” is brought to us by Jim Spivey, a writer who did so little work on the book that he doesn’t even have a Mobius Encyclopaedia page. It’s a dire story. An alternate universe of Mobius built around lawyers is a fairly nonsensical idea, seemingly done to spring board off the then popularity of “Ally McBeal.” (I’d ask why Archie would spoof an adult-centric TV series in a kid’s book but they’ve done it before.) Spivey doesn’t present this world in a very interesting manner. Most of the backstory is dropped on us during a multi-page spread, Sally McAcorn – yes, they really call her that – explaining the history of the place.

There aren’t very many jokes. Spivey seems to think the mere idea of contrasting Sonic and lawyers is enough. This results in barely-there gags like Robotnik becoming a computer named J.U.D.G.E. and Knuckles becoming the leader of a fascist police force. The reveal that Anti-Sonic has framed the real deal is presented in a totally off-hand manner, barely influencing the overall plot.

However, there is one mildly funny gag in the book. After a more direct attempt to defeat J.U.D.G.E. goes wrong, Sonic thinks of a better idea. Using his super speed, he performs a series of minor crimes in a short span of time. Such as super-speed jaywalking and the repeated invasion of citizen’s personal space. The overload causes J.U.D.G.E. to explode. It’s not the idea that’s funny. Instead, the glee with which Sonic performs the petty infractions is what makes me laugh. There’s a pretty funny panel of Sonic making goofy faces at an incredulous rabbit, for one example.

Another factor holding “Law of the Land” back is its weak artwork. Suzanne Paddock – also her only Archie Sonic credit – draws this one. She adapts an exaggerated, pseudo-anime style that rarely works. Sonic and Sally have massive heads and needle thin limbs. Their proportions shift from page to page. One panel shows them with giant hands that could easily contain their spindly bodies. The characters’ faces often shifted in hideous, unpleasant ways. There’s seemingly no predetermined layout for everyone’s bodies, as Sonic repeatedly changes shape. Even during the era of Ron Lim, Archie knew not to invite Miss Paddock back.

The Sonic-centric cover story is a complete trifle, especially when compared to the Knuckles back story. We open in media ras, with Knuckles fleeing from a giant fireball consuming the Floating Island. As he lands in the ocean below, he reflects on the events that brought him here. After witnessing Lara-Li’s wedding to Wynmacher, Knuckles and the Chaotix decide to investigate the wrecked Dark Legion base. Inside, the Legion grabs Julie-Su and flies above the Island. The Brotherhood knows Dimitri is up to something and attempt to stop him. Meanwhile, Remington has to prevent another dingo protest from growing violent. All of these stories are interrupted when Dimitri and the Legion opens a massive portal that sucks the entire city into an alternate universe.

“Best of Times, Worst of Times” is the kind of story Ken frequently writes. It’s got a crap load of story lines, each one competing for page space. Not all of these plots, like Remington dealing with the dingos, seem especially pertinent at first. However, by ending the story on a huge cliffhanger, it also gives these other scenes more meaning. It’s just an ordinary day on the Floating Island before tragedy interrupts it. More then that, the writer also doesn’t doodle too long on any one set of characters, keeping the issue moving quickly.

Which isn’t to say there aren’t some disappointments. Seeing Knuckles and the gang banter, leap on those weird horse things, and ride across the Island is fun. Oddly, that moment segues into the heroes exploring the abandoned enemy base. After the dimensional portal starts to consume the island, the Chaotix disappear from the story, leaving Knuckles to save the day solo. Yet considering Penders’ bad habit of forgetting the Chaotix exist all together, it’s nice to see them included.

Disappointingly, Ken also benches Julie-Su in a very cheap manner. She’s immediately captured by the Legion, barely fighting back at all. They take her aboard their Romulan Warbird, Julie-Su just allowing it to happen. Really? My Julie-Su, the same girl who swung into a crime lord’s base and started kicking ass? Seems unlikely. Even then, the panels devoted to Julie-Su and Lien-Da trading bitchy barbs is funny. (Moritori Rex is also in this story, aboard the ship with Dimitri. I had completely forgot this guy was still floating around.)

As always, the Brotherhood’s segments are the least compelling. Mathias, another one of Knuckles’ ancient ancestors, floats in and informs the other Guardians that Dimitri is up to some bad shit. How does he know this? He foresaw it in a vision. Man, as if this book didn’t have enough wise, old mystic characters already. Despite the Brotherhood teleporting in and using their psychic powers to toss some Legionnaires around, they can’t stop Dimitri’s plan.

Stuck in the middle of this, Ken finally reveals the fate of Grandpa Hawking. You know, that old guy that fell into a coma when Knuckles’ book was just beginning? He’s dead now. Please tell me this event actually has some effect on the story. Please tell me Ken just didn't forgot about this plot point and randomly decided to resolve it here. But who am I kidding?

The subplot about Remington trying to quell more dingo unrest probably should be tedious. Weirdly, it proves surprisingly compelling. Once again, Ken unintentionally points out how unfair echidna society treats the dingoes. They still haven’t been set up in the temporary housing the government promised them 73 issues ago! I don’t know how that breaks down in comic book time but it suggests some major mishandling on the Echidnan government’s behalf. Yes, the protestors have their Power Gloves and guns out, threatening violence, but they have good reason to be displeased. Remington, notably, doesn’t immediately start busting heads either, willing to give Stryker and his men a chance to speak their minds. 

Yeah, it’s a lot to juggle and not all of it works. However, I suspect the reason “Best of Times, Worst of Times” works for me is because of the small personal moments Ken sneaks in. Lara-Le and Wynmacher’s wedding is sweet, especially the way Knuckles wishes the couple well, despite his ambivalence towards the union. Knuckles and Julie-Su get some cute moments of their own, holding hands and making googly eyes at each other. Even Remington gets a girlfriend. True, the goofily named Komi-Ko isn’t much of a character. Yet seeing the officer outside of a professional context is a nice change of pace. Once again, small character moments like this give the mayhem that comes later greater impact.

So “Sonic Stew” is not an especially tasty stew, few of the ingredients blending in a pleasing manner. That first course definitely leaves a bad taste in your mouth. The second course could have a more even flavor pallet, certain ingredients begging to be more evenly seasoned or more thoroughly cooked. Compared to the first bowl of stew, it’s still a big improvement but the diner is left wanting more. I think I’ve exhausted all my soup puns. Let’s give this a [5/10] and head home.

Sonic the Hedgehog: Issue 87

Sonic the Hedgehog: Issue 87
Publication Date: August 2000

For issue 87, Danny Fingeroth and Sam Maxwell return to finish the story arc they started last time. Sonic quickly recovers from the sucker punch Metal Sonic delivered. As he races towards Mt. Mobius, to rescue the bound Tails, his robotic counterpart continues to attack him. Despite the villain throwing his best at him, Sonic continues to fight. He successfully rescues Tails but this fight isn’t over just yet. The hero has to face down the villain over the boiling caldera of an active volcano, ready to erupt.

“Heart of the Hedgehog” shows what really defines Sonic as a hero. Even with all the heroics the hedgehog gets up to, the book rarely tried to explore what really makes him tick. Fingeroth writes Sonic as willing to risk everything for his friend’s sake. He doesn’t just pay lip service to this idea.

Instead, the writer emphasizes the hero’s skills by contrasting him with the villain’s personality. The two have their snarky wit and super speed in common. Metal Sonic, however, is sadistic and selfish. He outright admits that watching Sonic suffer pleases him. Metal Sonic considers friendship and personal connections to be a weakness, something to exploit. Sonic, by the end, proves to him that this isn’t true. A “Power of Friendship” Aesop sounds corny but Fingeroth pulls it off, strengthening Sonic and Metal Sonic’s personality at the same time.

Issue 87 also functions nicely as an action story. Metal Sonic deploys more traps. Sonic gets trapped in a metal net. The two hedgehogs race each other, zooming around the forest. Sonic laps around the buzz saw blades his robotic nemesis fires. There are laser beams aplenty. The action is fast paced but that’s not the only reason I like it. This iteration of Metal Sonic actually is faster and stronger then the real deal. Compared to how easily Sonic stomped Silver Sonic two issues ago, it’s nice to see the hero actually be challenged by a physically superior enemy. This means the hedgehog can’t just rely on his speed. He has to use his fast wit too.

I guess if “Heart of the Hedgehog” has a major weakness, it’s how Fingeroth sidelines Tails. The flying fox spends nearly all of issue 87 pinned to a mountain side, a sidekick in distress. Yet the writer largely overcomes this problem by refocusing on the two’s friendship at the end. Sonic risks his life to rescue Tails. As the duo is encircled by the lava, and pinned down by Metal Sonic, Tails stays by his friend’s side. He’s willing to fight beside him until the end, showing that the team’s devotion is mutual. Considering “Heart of the Hedgehog” started with Tails doubting his own abilities, it’s great that Fingeroth returned to the fox’s heroic development at the end.

This version of Metal Sonic is a pretty great villain, a nearly unstoppable smart-ass with a psychotic drive to destroy Sonic. After building up the robot as a great baddie, Fingeroth pulls an unexpected twist: He redeems him. Metal Sonic is so moved by Tails’ willingness to die for his friend, that his robotic heart grows three sizes that day. He questions why he wants to kill Sonic so much, realizing he’s a slave to his programming. He learns the value of organic life. So much that, instead of letting Sonic and Tails die, he sacrifices himself to make sure they get to safety. It’s a potentially cheesy twist – sadistic bad guy turned good by the power of friendship – but Fingeroth pulls it off, ending “Heart of the Hedgehog” on both a cool action beat and a nice emotional moment.

Artwork wise, Sam Maxwell contributes some of his most disciplined work yet. He leaves a lot of his abstract style behind, the characters having clear designs that stay within. Instead, he adds more details to the characters and backgrounds. The shots of Sonic leaping around the flowing lava are especially memorable. The action scenes have an awesome speed and energy to them. His facial expressions are pretty great too, especially Metal Sonic’s visible aggravation as he pushes back the walls of lava.

The back-up story, meanwhile, continues to function under the mistaken belief that people give a shit about Monkey Khan. After being locked up by Robotnik, the mechanical tyrant attempts to regain control of Khan. He easily escapes, wrecks Eggman’s forces, and destroys his factory. That’s because Frank Strom refuses to actually challenge his pet character. Khan escapes because of a shitty deus ex machina, his power ring headband protecting him. He mocks and destroys Robotnik’s Shadow-Bots with ease, before tricking them into blowing up the base. In other words, a stupid side character easily defeats the main villain, mostly because of how innately awesome he is. That’s not how you build dramatic tension, Frank.

In addition to the ridiculously thin and shitty script, there’s a pretty huge continuity error at the center of “Against the Haunted Past.” Robotnik keeps going on about how he made Monkey Khan, how angry he is that he escaped… Except this Robotnik - Robo-Robotnik or Eggman or whatever you prefer to call him - didn’t make or imprison Monkey Khan. That’s just another example of Strom’s shoddy writing.

His script is full of corny clichés and ridiculous dialogue. The following lines of dialogue are deployed: “Good Gravy!” “I eat guys like this for breakfast!” “That’s my cue to vamoose!” In-between the unstoppable hero humiliating the main villain and Strom’s utterly inane dialogue, his Monkey Khan stories continue to play like amateur fan fiction.

“Heart of the Hedgehog” is only a brief two-parter near the beginning of a long, not-great period in the comic’s history. Yet fans remember this one well. Metal Sonic v2.5 would prove to be such a fan hit, that the character would return as a hero. Granted, it would be 151 issues and a major writer change before that happened but still. Even when paired with some typically shitty Monkey Khan stories, “Heart of the Hedgehog” is a damn good story arc, combining character, action, and heart to great effect. [8/10]

Sonic the Hedgehog: Issue 86

Sonic the Hedgehog: Issue 86
Publication Date: July 2000

At first, it seems like an editorial oversight. Two months in a row, Sonic would fight a robotic double of himself. You’d think Archie must have planned things out badly but it seems like this was a very deliberate move. The cover for issue 86 even comments on the similarities between the two stories. Maybe it was the new guy’s fault. A two-parter would begin in issue 86, written by Danny Fingeroth, who never penned a story arc for the book before or after. Fingeroth ends up making the established guys look bad. The concept between 85 and 86 might be similar but this one tells the same story much better.

Following the plane crash at the end of last month’s issue, Sonic and Tails head out into the near-by forest, looking for supplies. The two banter playfully, Sonic using this time as a training opportunity for Tails. While looking for firewood, the fox disappears. Afterwards, the original Metal Sonic, who has rebuilt his body into a more fearsome form, shows up. The robot has captured Tails, placing him in a death trap. If Sonic wants to see his sidekick alive again, he’ll have to play Metal Sonic’s twisted game, battling his metallic double once more.

Issue 85’s fight between Sonic and Silver Sonic II made some facile attempts to add emotional footing to the story. Ultimately though, it didn’t work and we didn’t care. Fingeroth’s “Heart of the Hedgehog” immediately adds some grounding to the plot. He begins the issue by focusing on Sonic and Tails’ friendship. We return to the fact that, even though they’re brothers in arms by this point, Tails still looks up to Sonic. The fox is still younger, uncertain of his abilities. After a strong wind blows him to the ground, Sonic reassures the kid, saying that he’s still learning but has long since proven himself. It shows that Sonic and Tails are good people but slightly flawed. There’s been so much shifting and changing in the series’ universe lately. It’s very refreshing to pause and get a genuine interaction between two main characters.

Fingeroth just doesn’t do the emotional stuff better. He does the goofy, comic book stuff better too. Last month’s Silver Sonic II, for some reason, had an irritating surfer dude personality. Metal Sonic’s revised form is also a campy comic book villain. He taunts Sonic, making grand proclamations about his fleshy counterpart’s inferiority. He brings us their prior fights, making it clear that this is a quest of revenge for him. Considering Metal Sonic’s previous appearances had him as a mindless droid, designed only to destroy Sonic, giving him an actual personality makes him a better villain. (His updated form, with comes with a boatload of new accessories and weapons, is also pretty cool.)

Issue 86 tops the previous one in another way too. Last month’s fight between Sonic and Silver Sonic was deeply underwhelming, the hedgehog never appearing to be in real danger and easily defeating his opponent. Metal Sonic v2.5, meanwhile, keeps the hero on the ropes the entire time. He outruns him, nearly zaps him several times, snares him with a grappling hook, tosses him around, and pins him to a cliff side with a giant clamp. At that point, he easily could’ve killed the flesh and blood Sonic. Being a comic book supervillain, he decides to toy with him instead. This is how you raise dramatic tension, you guys.

Metal Sonic doesn't just want to destroy Sonic, you see. He wants to break his heart. So “Heart of the Hedgehog” ends on a hell of a cliffhanger. Tails is tethered to the caldera of a ready-to-erupt volcano. The bad guy gives the hedgehog a chance to rescue his friend, allowing him to run to the mountain top. Of course, it’s all just a ploy, Metal Sonic whacking the hedgehog into unconsciousness the first chance he gets. At that point, the issue ends, the reader wanting more.

The artwork is pretty good too, especially compared to Ron Lim’s hatchet work last time. Sam Maxwell returns to penciling duties. I’m not sure if Maxwell’s abilities are growing or if he got a different colorist. His style is a little less abstract, Sonic and Tails gaining more details. However, Maxwell hasn’t loss the kinetic energy that previously characterized his work. The action scenes between Sonic and Metal Sonic play out from unexpected angles, with a clearly defined motion. I also really like Metal Sonic v2.5’s design, which is both streamlined and bulky, while being different from previous version of the characters.

The back-up story, meanwhile, is steep drop in quality from the cover version. “Against the Haunted Past” begins ten years ago, with a terribly drawn Robotnik and Snively plotting behind King Acorn’s back. We then cut to… Oh no. Monkey Khan is back! That’s right, “Against the Haunted Past” is Monkey Khan’s origin story. Frank Strom explains how the simian blowhard, and his entire race, was captured by Robotnik. He attempted to transform all of the apes into super cyborg warriors but only Khan was strong enough to survive. He also proved too strong to control. The final page reveals the story as an extended flashback. While Monkey Khan is pined to a slab, starred down by the new Eggman, I guess he got a little nostalgic.

Jesus Christ, it’s bad. Let’s get the obvious out of the way. Frank Strom’s artwork is fucking hideous. His drawing abilities have actually gotten worst, somehow. Monkey Khan and his family look nearly identical. Robotnik and Snively are deeply off-model. Everyone’s proportions shift from panel to panel. The action is stiff and uninspired.

The story is no better. Khan’s dad dryly delivers exposition while talking to his boy. The dialogue between Khan and his brothers is painful, circular, and borderline incoherent. Strom writes his pet character as even more of an unstoppable bad ass. Khan is the only person strong enough to survive the cyborg-ing process. He gets his upgrade, takes out a fleet of Overlander tanks, and then turns on Robotnik. Because he’s super tough and principled. I’m surprised Strom allows Khan to be captured by Robotnik at the end. Why doesn’t Strom’s precious baby kill the bad guy, fuck the princess, and take over the world? It’s clearly what the author wants. (Oh, and it’s a two-parter too so expect more of this shit next time.)

A crappy back-up story isn’t enough to ruin a pretty great cover story. I wish Archie’s creative team could balance heart, action, and suspense like this more often. [8/10]

Sonic the Hedgehog: Issue 85

Sonic the Hedgehog: Issue 85
Publication Date: June 2000

Archie’s “Sonic Adventure” adaptation finally came to an end in April of 2000. However, for some reason, Karl Bollers didn’t immediately get the Freedom Fighters back to Knothole. Instead, it would be another three issues before the heroes return to their home base. Why Bollers made this decision, I can’t say. However, the cynic in me suggests that this was a further symptom of the creative team behind the comic having no idea what to do with the series following Sega’s revamp of Sonic’s world.

After successfully defeating Perfect Chaos and saving Station Square, the Freedom Fighters are ready to go home. At the last minutes, the citizens of the city decide to throw a party in honor of the heroes. This celebration is interrupted when Robotnik sends a new robot to attack. Silver Sonic Mk. II has a real attitude and is specifically designed to destroy Sonic. The two hedgehogs, one fleshy, one mechanical, are soon fighting all throughout the city.

Introducing a new version of Silver Sonic, whose original incarnation debuted back in the “Sonic Quest’ mini-series, struck me as an odd decision. There’s nothing Silver Sonic II does that Mecha Sonic or any number of Badniks couldn’t have accomplished. Robotnik makes a big deal out of the new creation, hyping him up as some ultimate weapon. Yet he has no special abilities, armor, weapons, or attributes that make him more intimidating then the doctor’s previous faux-Sonics.

The only thing new about Silver Sonic II is the robot’s bizarre personality. For some reason, the machine mimics Sonic’s speech patterns. Which means he mostly talks in dated surfer slang. The robot drops lines like “Way past,” “Hasta la vista, meestah,” “As if!,”  “Bring it on!,” “Bogus!,” and various puns. It’s a really weird choice but does distinguish Silver Sonic from the previous robotic copies.

As for the actual fight, it’s not much to write about. Silver Sonic deploys Sonic-seeking missiles, drops a building on Sonic, and throws a shoe at Tails’ head. That’s about it. Sonic swiftly avoids or survives each technique, the robot showing no real threat to the hedgehog. The fight concludes in an anti-climatic fashion, with Sonic simply cutting off his double’s head with a simple buzz saw dash. If Robotnik intended Silver Sonic to just be a distraction, that might explain the mediocre fight. However, the dictator clearly hoped his latest machine would successfully destroy his opponent. This was either poor planning on the behalf of the villain or the writer.

As generally useless as issue 85’s cover story is, Karl Bollers does attempt to insert some emotional stakes into this pointless tale. Silver Sonic does occasionally target Sonic’s friend. Big the Cat – who Sonic really has no reason to care about but let’s go with it – gets tossed by the mechanical adversary. Most prominently, Tails gets conked on the head. This enrages Sonic enough that he takes out the baddie with one hit. The Freedom Fighters float around the edge of the story, mostly here to deliver exposition. On one hand, this doesn’t live up to the character’s potential. On the other hand, at least they’re still in the book.

Another attribute makes me dislike issue 85 even more. Ron Lim, my archenemy, returns from the “Sonic Adventure” special. His artwork is hugely unappealing. The character’s heads are way too angular. Lim’s proportions are all wrong, drawing everyone with huge heads and limbs. (The hugeness of which, by the way, varies from panel to panel.) His expressions are laughably bad and his action is fairly stiff. However, I’ll give the guy this much. The first two panels on the second page, devoting to showing the devastation Station Square has suffered, are striking. Seems like Lim does okay when there are no characters to draw.

Continuing my theory that issue 83 was quickly thrown together to fulfill a deadline, the story ends at a really random point. Flying towards Knothole, the Freedom Fighter Special falls out of the sky. After the plane crashes, Nate Morgan deduces that the mechanical failure was the result of sabotage. If this plot point goes anywhere, I can’t remember. Either way, it’s a real weird place to end the story at. There’s also a dumb sequence, that shows Silver Sonic has been reprogrammed to protect Station Square. Which basically says that this entire story was put together so Bollers would never have to visit Station Square again. That I understand but surely there was a better to do it.

The back-up story focuses on Rotor the Walrus, a character that has been neglected for a while. “Home & Back” picks up a plot point that’s been dangling for a while… Sort of. Rotor heads back to the Arctic to check on his family, who were last seen drifting on an iceberg, brainwashed and helpless. Rotor is happy to discover they’re okay, broken of their mind control at some point. That is until he wakes up one morning, to see them under Robotnik’s control again. Rotor barely escapes in his bathysphere, the Arctic Freedom Fighters helping him out before its too late.

“Home & Back” is a step forward and a step back. On one hand, Rotor’s imperiled family is a story line the book abandoned some time ago. So it’s nice that it finally got back to it. On the other hand, “Home & Back” revisits these characters just to put them back in stasis. After seeing their personalities briefly restore, Rotor’s family go back to being mindless zombies. The back-up story is told incredibly awkwardly, playing out entirely in flashbacks. The Arctic Freedom Fighters essentially appear as a deus ex machine, showing up just to rescue Rotor at the end. An entity calling itself Diamond Rose Studios handles the artwork. The pencils are actually okay, giving the walrus a nice pudgy appearance and bringing a lot of emotion to the faces. The colors, however, are hideously garish.

So issue 85 continues to have the book struggling to find its new identity. The cover story doesn’t contribute very much to the comic’s world, mostly focused on an underwhelming fight between our hero and a lame new enemy. The back-up story exist to remind us that, yep, this wandering plot point is still out there somewhere. Odd or off-putting artwork characterizes the entire issue. In other words, this one isn’t satisfying or that interesting. Alas. [5/10]