Sonic Universe: Issue 15

Sonic Universe: Issue 15
Publication Date: April 2010

The Iron Dominion has fallen in the main “Sonic” book but “Sonic Universe” is still covering the events leading up to that victory. In my last review of “Sonic Universe,” I complained that the “Journey to the East” story arc has been overly sluggish for my taste. I mentioned that bringing in the Destructix was a desperate attempt by Ian Flynn to pick up the story's pace. This may be true but it actually worked. Issue 15's sole story, with the mixed metaphor subtitle “No Love in a Conquering Storm,” is by far the best entry in this arc.

 
The last issue ended with a cliffhanger, with the Destructix seemingly ambushing Sonic's crew. That fight is short lived though. Fiona, now leading the group, offers a truce. They want to re-recruit Lightning Lynx, who is still faithful to the Raiju Clan. Sonic and Monkey Khan, meanwhile, want the Raiju Clan to cut ties with the Iron Dominion. So their goals lie up. The two team work together to break into the lynx ninja's base, where Sonic and Lightning duel to determine the outcome of this adventure.

Forcing Sonic, Sally, Khan, and Tails to work with the Destructix is a good idea. Heroes and bad guys forced to work together by circumstances is usually a good story move, as it creates some natural tension in the narrative. “No Love in a Conquering Storm” also adds another unexpected but welcomed aspects. The Destructix may be heartless mercenaries but there's a certain amount of honor among thieves. Sgt. Simian, Predator Hawk, and Flying Frog miss Lightning Lynx. He's their pal, their buddy, and they've seen a lot of shit together. Having these usually mercantile characters show some genuine affection for a comrade is a surprising but effective move.

Flynn uses this opportunity to do two other things. First off, he reshuffles the team's line-up a little. Drago has gone back to the Eggman Empire, for some reason. (Presumably so Flynn can humiliate him some more further down the road.) Sleuth Dawg is retiring, leaving the team and walking out of the book forever. Fiona is probably a better leader anyway.

The other thing Flynn does is develop a few members of the Destructix. Despite kicking around the book for over a decade, most of these guys are still thin sketches. Some of his choices here are more interesting than others. We discover that Lightning Lynx isn't just loyal to the Bride of Conquering Storm because of ninja honor bullshit. He's literally in love with her. That's pretty interesting. As is the absolute rage and heartbreak he feels after getting kicked out of the clan by her at the end of this comic. Least interesting to me is what Flynn does to Flying Frog. Previously a totally non-descript character, Flynn writes Flying as an unhinged goofball prone to spouting off random phrases, usually in a cutesy manner. In other words, he write him entirely like Bean the Dynamite. Not sure we needed another Totz Cray-Cray Random Comic Relief character in this book.

Lightning Lynx isn't the only character showing some surprising emotion in this issue. The fight scene at the start of the issue is a totally superficial bit of action, obviously thrown in to placate the action-hungry seven-to-twelve-boys demographic. Yet it does lead to one fantastic moment. While Fiona is trying to convince the Freedom Fighters to pal around with her, she starts to tease Tails about his still unrequited crush on her. In response, Princess Sally walks up to the fox and punches her hard in the gut. Hard enough for Fiona to nearly collapses. It's a satisfying sight. It's also nice to see Sally cut loose and be a hard, bad bitch every once in a while.

Like I said, there's plenty of action in this issue. The opening fight scene is pretty minor but does feature the amusing sight of Sonic giving Flying Frog a noogie. When the gang invade the fortress, that leads to a cool moment of Monkey Khan hitting a curled-up Sonic with his bat, turning the hedgehog into an electrified bowling ball. The finale also presents a refreshing change of pace. Instead of ending this issue with characters just talking shit out, we get a fight. A dual, in fact, where Sonic and Lightning Lynx battle. If the hedgehog looses, the heroes will become the prisoners of the Raiju Clan. If Lynx looses, he'll leave the Clan and the lynxes will reject the Iron Dominion. Talking it out is nice and all but sometimes you need to punch people.

Issue 15 of “Sonic Universe” naturally ends by setting up future storylines. The Destructix have some devious plans for the future, Lightning eager to get revenge on both Sonic and Conquering Storm. Espio shows up on the final page, offering the heroes a chance to talk to his ninja clan, ending both this story arc and that dumb-ass “Espio is a traitor!” subplot. Who knows how that'll turn out but the third part of “Journey to the East” is the first installment of this arc that actually entertained me. So that's good. [7/10]

Sonic the Hedgehog: Issue 211

Sonic the Hedgehog: Issue 211
Publication Date: April 2010

Issue 211 contains the second half of the “Home Invasion” story. This is, essentially, the climax of the year long Iron Dominion event. That's a tricky place for a writer to be. This issue has to wrap up twelve months of build-up. It also has to leave enough crumbs for wherever the book is headed next. I know other readers, obviously those that hated the whole thing, were eager for the story to be over. So here we go.

The second part of “Home Invasion” is given the lofty subtitle of “Security Measures” for some reason. We pick up with Sonic, Monkey Khan, Sally and Tails smashing through the dome of Mobotropolis. An enormous battle with the Iron Queen and the Dark Egg Legion ensues. Double crosses and dramatic reveals follow. The Yagyu Clan abandons the Iron Queen. Snively hightails it out of there. Lien-Da attempts a betrayal and is brutally rebuffed. At the end of the fight, the Iron Queen has fallen and New Mobotropolis has been reclaimed.

As I said, “Home Invasion Part Two” has the heavy goal of providing a satisfying conclusion to the last eleven-plus comic books. Over all, Ian Flynn mostly succeeds. This issue is packed with action. Both of the fisticuffs variety but also in the sense of plot movement. About half a dozen different plot points are resolved here. Most everyone gets something to do. Only Bunnie and Geoffrey St. John are left out the fray, as Bunnie is totally off the battlefield and St. John just leaps around in the background. Even Nicole gets a couple of juicy moments.

Probably my favorite moment in issue 211 revolves around Lien-Da. After Monkey Khan announces that the Yagyu Clan has severed ties with the Bride of the Four Houses – a reference to the boring shit happening in “Sonic Universe” – the bat ninjas vamoose. Lien-Da decides to take this moment to seize power. Because, of course, she does. Lien-Da is always power hungry, always looking for a chance to consolidate her power. And that's what we love about her. Honestly, the scene where she yells to the heavens on the battlefield, attempting to rally her own people to rebel, is oddly powerful. Lien-Da may be a shifty bitch but she's such an awesome shifty bitch.

I'm not too sure Ian Flynn agrees with that. He certainly seems to enjoy humiliating Lien-Da. Previously, he wrote the villainess throwing herself on Eggman's mercy, getting killed off by King Shadow in the 30 Years Later future, and seeing a betrayal by her brother in the “Birthright” back story. In “Home Invasion,” her attempt to seize power from the Iron Queen is interrupted when Regina activates the explosive implant that was hidden inside Lien-Da a while ago. (If there's any problem with this issue, it's that there's a few too many previous plot points resurfacing.) The explosion happens off-panel and Lien-Da's exact fate is left ambiguous, making you wonder if Flynn was flirting with killing her off. She would come back eventually though.

Over the last two issues, Robotnik's shattered psyche has started to reassemble. In this issue, the villain reverts back to his previously sinister personality. This revolts in an amusing scene, where Snively throws himself on Robotnik's mercy. Naturally, Colin's uncle takes him back... But not without humiliating him a little first. Man, these two have a pretty fucked-up relationship, don't they? Of course, the chaos of the battle allows the bad guys to escape the city, leaving both of them around for whatever the comic's next story will be.

Ian Flynn has done this before. The previous big story line, where the Freedom Fighters took the fight to Robotnik, concluded with the heroes resoundingly crushing their enemy. “Home Invasion” features a very similar beat. The Iron Dominion's defeat is sound and all consuming. Monkey Khan grabs the magical deus ex machina fan needed to stop the Iron King. I guess they grab that at some point in the on-going “Sonic Universe” arc. The Iron Queen uses her powers to create a fucked-up spider looking monster and, eventually, a giant robotic dragon. Yet Sonic and the gang take these efforts apart with ease. Dramatically, this shouldn't be very sound. And yet, somehow, it works. Again, Flynn employs a clever strategy. After a number of hard losses for the heroes, seeing them kick some serious ass makes for a gratifying read.

As I mentioned above, issue 211 is jam packed full of stuff. There's lots of action and plot points coming out. To the point that some story reveals get shuffled to the side. In the heat of battle, Espio shows up literally out of nowhere. This bluntly resolves the subplot about Espio's betrayal of the Freedom Fighters, which has been seriously sidelined recently. That only occupies a few panels. Would've liked to have seen more of that one. But maybe this overstuffed approach isn't too bad. Sally gives Monkey Khan a big hug at the end. The moment comes and goes without lingering on that odious ship any further though, thankfully.

Steven Butler is once again drawing the issue. It's clear that the artist realizes this is a key issue. He brings his A-game. There are a couple of key panels here that are just gorgeous. Such as the aforementioned spider monsters or giant dragons the Iron Queen assembles out of nowhere. (You can also tell Butler enjoys drawing the Iron Queen, a shapely human female, instead of the usual shapely furry females he draws for this book. He also adds some effective villainous touches to Regina, such as her glowing eyes or spittle-lined teeth.) The action scenes are, of course, top of the line. There's this panel where the Iron King is fighting off Antoine, Amy, Sonic and Monkey Khan at the same time that just looks great. Butler's work is always good so, when he really puts in the extra effort, that makes things even better.

Though it has some flaws, issue 211 works more often than it doesn't. A few minor details could've used some more exploring but, as the wrap-up to a long story line, it does most of the things you'd expect. And, if nothing else, it does provide us for that great moment of Lien-Da being an awesome bad guy. Best yet, the conclusion of the Iron Dominion mega-arc means we won't have Monkey Khan to kick around much longer. And thank goodness for that! [7/10]

Sonic Universe: Issue 14

Sonic Universe: Issue 14
Publication Date: March 2010

In the main “Sonic” book, the hedgehog and his closest friends (and Monkey Khan) have already returned to Mobotropolis. Obviously, this entire “Sonic Universe” arc is set in-between 209 and 210 of “Sonic the Hedgehog.” It's a bit of an awkward fit. We know Sonic makes it back to Mobotroplis with no problem. Kind of removes most of the tension from this particular story line, doesn't? Considering the book is already striving to make the reader give a shit about the ninja clans, it's a blow the “Journey to the East” storyline really didn't need.

Anyway, part two is subtitled “High Price for Rich Nights” – what the fuck does that mean? Sounds like A-ha lyrics – and picks up with Sonic and the others attempting to meet with the Yagyu Clan. Because ninjas are bad at communicating, this results in yet another fight scene, the Yaygu not realizing that this blue hedgehog is the blue hedgehog their boss is meeting. The leader of the Yagyu is interested in talking to Sonic and Tails, so they get kicked out of the meeting. While Monkey Khan and Sally attempt to reason with the bat, Sonic and Tails run into some unexpected faces from their past.

Let me repeat myself: I do not care about the mythology surrounding Monkey Khan. The Yagyu Lord previously appeared in Super Sonic Special #8. Which I hardly remember because it was a shitty Monkey Khan story from Frank Strom. As random mooks for the Freedom Fighters to beat up, the bat ninjas worked fine. But I have zero interest in learning about their history. Whole panels are devoted to explaining their history. Terse conversations detail the conflicts the Yaygu have with the other ninja clans in the Dragon Valley. I just don't care, guys. I just don't care.

Last time, Ian Flynn has Monkey Khan talk out a conflict with the spider ninja lady. Conceptually, a comic book hero talking to his enemies, instead of punching them, is an interesting ideas. In practice – or at least in practice here – it's super boring. Khan comes to some sort of agreement with the Yaygu Lord and that's the end of it. I don't demand fight scenes in every issue. But when you already barely care about a story's events, pulling back on the punching isn't a great strategy. It's almost as if Flynn took the wrong lesson from people complaining about his focus on fight scenes in his first two years.

Worst yet, the writer is still trying to make the Princess Sally/Monkey Khan ship a thing. After successfully conversing with the bat guy or something, the two exit the temple. As they walk away, we are treated to yet more quasi-romantic dialogue between the two. Ken talks about how Sally has made him smarter. Sally says they're too devious to be together, a tactile admission that this romance won't work out. Yet the scene ends with the monkey giving the Princess a kiss on her hand. It's a moment that might be charming if the very fabric of the universe wasn't resistant to this romance working or even making any sense.

So issue 14 of “Sonic Universe” is a bit of a dud... Except for one scene. The Yagyu Lord insists Tails leave the meeting with Khan and Sally, because he doesn't want children present. This, of course, infuriates Tails. It leads to a mildly touching moment outside the temple where Tails talks about how hard he's work to establish himself as a serious Freedom Fighter. (Amusingly, he shouts that he “fought Mammoth Mogul!”) Sonic reassures his friend. It's a super cute moment, based on our characters' shared history. 

That sequence crashes right into a sudden reappearance of Fiona Fox. On one hand, Flynn tries to make this count. It's clear the vixen still exerts some influence over Tails, as she clearly makes him nervous. That would be a nice contrast to the young fox's diatribe about how mature and grown-up he actually is. Flynn doesn't use that so much. Instead, it leads to a fight scene with the Destrutix, which Fiona is working with now. The action would be a nice compliment to the dialogue heavy negotiations between Monkey Khan and the Yagyu... Except bringing Fiona and the Destructix into this story is a clearly desperate move to add some conflict, to stretch out a tale that could be resolved in three issues to four.

Tracy Yardley's artwork features some great use of shadow, especially in the panel where Sally and Monkey Khan march into the Yagyu lair. However, the Strom-designed Yagyu Lord looks a little weird in Yardley's style. Probably because he looked a little weird in Strom's style. So it's another very mixed issue from “Sonic Universe,” a series that is still stumbling through some awkward early years. Gee, it's almost as if devoting an entire story arc to fucking ninjas wasn't a great idea. [5/10]

Sonic the Hedgehog: Issue 210

Sonic the Hedgehog: Issue 210
Publication Date: March 2010

As I've said before, back when the story arc was new, some fans complained that the Iron Dominion event went on too long. The story did go on for exactly a year and the pacing clearly flagged a little in the middle. Over a year, I can see how that would get old. As I've said before, it's hard to get a sense of that arc fatigue when you've read the whole thing in a little over a week, as I have here. Either way, the Iron Dominion was heading towards its end by March of 2010. The “Home Invasion” two-parter, which would depict the Iron Queen's defeat, would begin in this issue.

The occupation of New Mobotropolis by the Iron Dominion continues. Amy Rose and Antoine attempt to hold up a rebellion. Nicole has carved out a hiding place for them, where Bunnie is also being kept hidden. With Sonic, Sally, Tails, and Monkey Khan in the Dragon Kingdom, the Freedom Fighters are barely holding on. Even with the arrival of Geoffrey St. John, the tides don't exactly turn. The Queen leads the heroes into an obvious trap after proclaiming they'll be legionizing – brainwashing and implanting robotic parts – in the city's coliseum.

The first part of “Home Invasion,” subtitled “Breaking and Entering,” features very little of this comic book's titular character. This is an experimental decision that easily could've gone wrong. The book has attempted to sideline Sonic before to mediocre results. Flynn, however, pulls it off. Instead of switching the focus to some shitty new character, Flynn shines the spotlight on Sonic's established supporting cast. We've followed Amy, Antoine, and the others for years. We really care about them and their personalities are more than strong enough to support a single issue. I honestly wish this had gone on a little longer, as Sonic is sometimes a drag on his own book.

However, I do have one slight problem with the way this story is presented. Flynn makes it seem like the rebellion at home has been fighting off the Iron Dominion for quite some time. Which is a little hard to believe. First off, in the beginning of the issue, it's only Amy Rose and Antoine leading the resistance. I know they're both good fighters but it strains believably that two people have been holding off an army for a while. Also slightly implausible is how Nicole has been hiding Bunnie for all this time. You think the Iron Queen would've noticed something, considering her primary A.I. has been hiding her greatest enemies right under her nose for at least a couple of days.

They eventually get help though. Geoffrey St. John gets a flashy reintroduction, in his first major appearance since issue 188. St. John mostly just stood around, accompanying Rouge on a mission in that one. The skunk secret agent gets a lot more action-y stuff to. Like leaping through the air on a rope, shooting bolts all over the place. Flynn even exploits the character's general seriousness for some comic relief. When Iron Nicole first shows herself to St. John, he attempts to shoot here, still believing she's under the Queen's control.

Another high-light of issue 210 is a brief scene between Snively and Dr. Robotnik. During the occupation of Mobotropolis, it seems like Snively has made a regular habit of visiting his uncle in jail and mocking his disheveled state. Only this time, we see that the Eggman's mental state is starting to reform. He's come to an interesting conclusion about Sonic: That his archenemy represents the variable of chaos present in any scientific experiment. That's a good moment and segues into an even better one. Snively tells his uncle that he and Regina love each other, which causes Robotnik to laugh like crazy. Like the audience, the villain can see right through the Iron Queen's manipulations. It's a good moment because it further shows Snively's weird vulnerability. He's so desperate for love, for power, for understanding, that he's willing to accept Regina's feelings, even if they're obviously fake. It's also a great way to show that Robotnik's scheming, brilliant, evil self is back.

The other villains get a chance to shine too. First off, public Legionizing having in the coliseum, for everyone to see, is a pretty fucked-up thing for a bad guy to do. Especially since Rotor, another established character we already care about, is chosen as the first person to undergo this procedure. (Rotor initially resists too, giving a somewhat underserved character a rare chance to shine, however briefly.) I also like a brief dialogue exchange between Regina and the Iron King. We're she explains to the King that this is entire idea is a trap, meant to lure the heroes out. Which will give him an opportunity to smash shit. Which he'll enjoy. Little moments like that make the villains a little more personable.

Steven Butler returns to penciling duties. Butler grants the story a sleek, powerful energy that helps sell the zippy pacing. Butler's strength for character work really comes through in this one. His rendition of the Iron Queen looks especially powerful, rising her staff and surrounded by sparkling energy. His action scenes, like St. John leaping around flying ninja stars or Amy Rose meeting the Iron King's hammer swing-for-swing, are fantastic. Butler also makes Robotnik look especially sinister and unhinged, adding further intimidation to his scenes with Snively. I also like the little details Butler adds to Snively, such as his eyes bulging out when Rotor takes a swing at him. It's a really strong looking issue.

Issue 210 concludes with Sonic and the others returning to Mobotropolis, crashing the Tornado through the city's dome. It's actually a moment that works really well, making the entire comic seem like a nice build-up to that arrival. Over all, the first part of “Home Invasion” is a solid story, full of action and likable character moments, even with a few minor plot holes. Will the Iron Dominion end on a up note? Maybe! If nothing else, the first part is pretty good. [7/10]

Sonic the Hedgehog (IDW): Issue 4

Sonic the Hedgehog (IDW): Issue 4
Publication Date: April, 25, 2018

Well, here we are, running into week four of IDW's new “Sonic the Hedgehog” comic book. From this point on – or at least until IDW starts adding more books or reboots it or something – the comic will be coming out on a monthly basis. Which means these weekend updates will also go down to once a month, whenever the book comes out. Hope you've enjoy extra Hedgehogs Can't Swim content because you'll be getting slightly less, if no less than you normally get, from now on.

“Fallout: Part Four” begins exactly the way the first three parts of “Fallout” have. As the sun sets on Mobius Sonic's world, the hedgehog hero runs into another town in peril from the Badnik horde. Inside, he discovers a local, a lemur named Tangle, defending the city. Soon, the duo becomes a trio when Blaze the Cat literally drops out of the sky. The three work together to save the day but they all suspect that their fight is far from over.

Issue 4 does not break from the formula I was complaining about last time. The outline is exactly the same as the first three issues, with the minor variation of two friends helping Sonic save the day this time. However, the crumbs of an on-going mythology are starting to form here. Blaze has arrived in Sonic's zone because the Sol Emeralds told her a great disaster was forthcoming. Sonic assumes this to be a reference to “Sonic Forces” (the events of the game, not the game's reception) but, by the issue's end, none of them are so sure. This is both a good thing and a bad thing. Good because it gives us more grist, more lore, and more of a reason to latch onto the new book. Bad because I fear Flynn is going to drag this shit out for as long as possible, a very bad habit he displayed at Archie that probably isn't going away.

However, part four of “Fallout” does address a minor complaint I had with the previous issues. I get the impression that Sonic and friends are actually taking this fight somewhat seriously. Yes, there are still some quibs being traded in-between fucking up robots. However, that reads a little more like the characters trying to relieve tension in-between the violence. There are more Badniks, including a pretty cool giant Motobug, and it appears our heroes are being a little more challenged than usual. (Even if they still completely decimate a robot army in the span of twenty pages.) Sonic even loses his perpetual smirk for a few panels! Or maybe its just the dusk setting that makes things seem slightly more serious. Baby steps but I'll take it.

Before the IDW comics began running, the company made a big deal about Tangle the Lemur. (Their mystery tactics mostly ended up giving us Sally fans false hope. There's no way they didn't know that was going to happen.) I'm happy to say that Tangle is delightful. She's has a stretchy, prehensile tail that leads to some interesting action beats. Moreover, she has a slightly anxious and shy personality that I can relate to. There's a really funny panel where, like a new girlfriend unable to grasp the in-jokes between old friends, she watches in confusion as Sonic and Blaze chat. Later, she's baffled when Sonic explains Blaze's origins. I already like Tangle a lot and I hope Flynn gets back to her soon, instead of leaving her undeveloped in favor of widening the cast more, like he did in the post-reboot Archie comics.

Issue 4 also brings Blaze into the fold. I neither like nor dislike Blaze. I've always felt she had potential but we rarely get a peak at her actual personality. Her status as a time/dimensional traveler and a firebending pyrokinetic tends to take precedence. Well, due to how action-heavy this issue is, Blaze continues to be defined mostly by her superpowers. However, there's the thinnest wisp of romantic chemistry between her and Sonic that at least makes their interaction a little more meaningful. (Or maybe I'm just desperate to ship Sonic with a princess, any princess.)

With issue four, IDW assembles a collection of familiar Sonic artist. Evan Stanley, another regular illustrator from the Archie days, comes aboard. In the hierarchy of art we've seen in this book so far, I'd put Stanley's work above Tracy Yardley and Jen Hernedez but below Adam Bryce Thomas. There's a little of the same atmospheric lighting Thomas brought, with the setting being a burning city during twilight. Stanley's action is energetic and creative, especially that fight with the Motobug. His facial expressions are funny and vivid. Tangle, in particular, really gets a lot of her personality from Stanley's artwork. All the qualms I have with the plotting thus far aside, IDW's “Sonic” book has looked pretty damn good thus far.

The ending of this issue sets up Eggman's inevitable return while also confirming that he's not the one behind the Badnik invasions that have been going on. In-between the teases concerning the Master Emerald last time and this issue's lack of closure, I suspect Flynn is going to drag that plot point out for a while. Hopefully, now that he's done establishing the comic's central conflict and introducing the supporting cast, he can get down to the business of making us actually care about this world and these characters.

So, now that IDW's month long experiment is done, how do I feel about the new comic series thus far? I have very mixed feelings. It really feels like that arena of Sonic fans that never want Sonic to have friends or supporting cast members, that just want stories devoted to the hedgehog running around and bashing robots, have gotten their wish. If the book continues to be this formulaic and light-hearted, my interest is going to fade very quickly. My hope is that Flynn is playing the long game and will, hopefully sooner rather than later, start to delve into the heart of these characters.

As of now, the new series is a pretty and mildly entertaining concoction that simply means nothing to me. I'm giving this one a [6/10] and most of that is for Tangle.

Sonic Universe: Issue 13

Sonic Universe: Issue 13
Publication Date: February 2010

The “Iron Dominion” two-parter in the main Archie “Sonic” book ended on kind of a weird note. Instead of the central quartet of heroes – Sonic, Tails, Sally, Monkey Khan – heading into Mobotropolis to save the day, the four decided to head back to Khan's Dragon Kingdom. For some reason. Flynn would devote the fourth “Sonic Universe” arc to this adventure, cheekily entitling the story “Journey to the East.” Back in 2010, this bugged me. “Sonic Universe” was supposed to be about Sonic's supporting characters. Featuring a plot in this book that starred Sonic seemed to defeat the purpose. It was another example of the growing pains “Sonic Universe,” still a fairly new book, was struggling with at this time.

“Journey to the East” has the lofty subtitle of “Endless Reach of Fate.” In the installment, Sonic and Tails are exploring a golden temple devoted to Monkey Khan. This visit is interrupted by a group of spider ninjas. They inform the hedgehog that the bride of their clan wants to speak with Sonic. And, in order to make sure Sonic shows up, they've kidnapped Sally, Tails, and Monkey Khan. Sonic quickly convinces the ninjas to let his friends go, leading into a talk with the Bride of the Endless Reach. Khan manages to resolve any conflict with the spider bride with his words, not his fists.

When “Journey to the East” was new, I remember finding the arc to be a huge drag. This was a story line devoted entirely to expanding on the mythology surrounding Monkey Khan and his home land. At the time, I could resoundingly say I did not care about this stuff. In 2018, my opinion has not changed very much. No, I still don't care about Monkey Khan very much, despite Ian's mostly successful attempts to humanize him. Somehow, I care even less about the ninjas surrounding him. I really could care less about Ian pointing out that Li Moon and Li Yuen, two minor characters Frank Strom introduced years ago, survived Khan's Iron Queen motivated rampage.

Still, there's one or two interesting tidbit exposed here. First off, we learn that the Dragon Kingdom was literally occupied by dragons at one point. In fact, the valley is apparently the birth place of Mobius' dragon populace, who abandoned the area after a devastating war millennia ago. (How dragons fit into Mobius' status as a post-apocalyptic Earth mutated by the Xorda's gene bomb still hasn't been explained.) The spider ninjas aren't horribly interesting except for one aspects. Apparently, the ninja's leader take advice from a giant silk web. Yes, a giant web spun thousands of years ago by the clan's founder is said to foretell the future. The ninjas take this entirely seriously. Aside from reminding me of that goofy Loom of Fate from “Wanted,” I'm also reminded of the Source of All the Kings of Acorn used to take advice from. Flynn acknowledges how silly this is slightly but mostly takes this at face value. Interesting but weird!

Penders and Scott Fulop never apologized for how fucking stupid the Source of All was. Flynn is a little different. After being rescued from her kidnappers, Sally breaks down in tears. Sally feels like she's screwed up too often here of late, in between not arresting Robotnik immediately, loosing New Mobotropolis to the Iron Queen, and now getting captured here. Sally, in tears, reflects on how she used to take down SWATBots with her bare hands. Ian Flynn spent so much time fixing Sally's personality after how badly Karl Bollers fucked it up. After a few minor mistakes with the character, Flynn devotes a whole page to how he feels Sally's characterization has slipped a little. Of course, that's because Flynn is a fan that really cares about these characters.

It's a decent moment. Any time Sally gets emotional in a way that doesn't screwed up her core components as a person gets to me. During that initial monologue from Sally, about how she feels she's screwed up, there's a panel of the Princess crying and Monkey Khan stepping back, helpless to do anything. This would be another good chance to display how badly a match these two are. Instead, Flynn tries to spin it into a moment for Khan/Sally shippers. Khan tells Sally that, nah, you are strong, gurl. Sally even admits this is a shitty pep talk but the book goes on from there. Far more entertaining are the two panels devoted to Sonic reacting in disgust to the obvious romantic overtures between Sally and Khan. (Such as the two feeding each other, Jesus Christ.) The fans know how you feel, Sonic.

One of the reasons why I found “Journey to the East” to be such a snore in 2010 was, perhaps, the lack of actual action in the story. Issue 13 of “Sonic Universe” opens with a fight scene, Sonic trading karate blows with a ninja spider. Later, after another ninja breaks into the temple, Sonic briefly pins the guy. That's about it. Otherwise, “Endless Reach of Fate” is devoted to conversation. Lots of talking. We get recaps about Uma Arachnis, dead since “Sonic's” 100th issue, and find out where her and her off-springs fit into the spider ninja clans. We get terse dialogue exchanges about how Monkey Khan's status as the King of the Free People will affect the spider clan doing their spider ninja thing. It's... Fine. But feels a bit like watching C-SPAN. Not exactly what you expect to see in a “Sonic the Hedgehog” comic book.

On the plus side, Tracy Yardley's artwork is pretty good, making good use of silhouette and shadows. The story concludes by setting up a meeting between the heroes and the Yagyu Ninja clan, which is obviously what the next issue will deal with. Thus far, my memories of this arc being slow going have not being challenged. Are we destined to see three more issues devoted to Monkey Khan having polite conversations with ninjas? What does the magical spider web of fate say? “Outlook not so good,” it tells me. [5/10]

Sonic the Hedgehog: Issue 209

Sonic the Hedgehog: Issue 209
Publication Date: February 2010

With issue 208, the Iron Dominion super-arc was heading into its last third. The plot line was always disliked by some Sonic fans and, even the ones who liked the idea, where starting to tire before now. However, as Flynn started to put the pieces together for the conclusion, “Iron Dominion” picked up considerably steam. Issue 209 contains the second half of the two-parter actually called “Iron Dominion.”

After the Iron Queen has seized control of New Mobotropolis, Sonic, Sally, Tails, and Monkey Khan successfully escaped to Freedom HQ. As a last ditch effort to save the city, Sonic and Sally has Tails digitize them, using the same technology previously used to enter Shadow's digital memories. The two's avatars face down the digital firewall of New Mobotorpolis, coming in contact with the retrofitted Iron Nicole and the Iron Queen herself.

The first few pages of “Iron Dominion: Part Two” is devoted to Ian Flynn trying to cover up his own plot hole. Sally freaks out about how she never suspected that the Iron Queen would use New Mobotropolis' nanites or Nicole against them. Which makes Sally look like a fucking moron, as that's probably the first problem I would consider. No matter. “Iron Dominion: Part Two” is about Sally reconnecting with Nicole and bringing her back around to the side of good. This eventually results in a touching sequence where Sally uses just her words to fight back the Iron Queen's evil influence on Nicole. By this point, the friendship between Sally and Nicole is so touching that it's hard to remember that, for years, Nicole was nothing but a handheld computer.

On one hand, the science behind Sonic and Sally being inserted into a digital world is shaky, at best. I have no idea how the hell this is supposed to work. (Flynn actually using the words “Digital World” immediately starts me humming the “Digimon” theme song.) Having said that, Flynn uses this as an opportunity for some cool, mildly surreal action sequences. The Iron Queen inserts herself into the digital world, appearing as a giant version of herself with snarling, white eyes. Sonic has to leap into Regina's giant face. Interestingly, Nicole uses her digital status to match Sonic, spin dash for spin dash. It's a little different from the action beats we usually see in this book.

Before the digital adventure happens, Ian indulges in some romantic tension between Sonic, Sally, and Monkey Khan. Probably inadvertently, Flynn shows perfectly why Sally and Khan's potential romance is so uninteresting and why Sonic and Sally is the superior ship. While Sally is having a pity party about allowing the Iron Queen to take over Knothole, Khan pats her on the back. He gives her some empty platitudes about how it's not her fault, how nobody else saw this obviously predictable scenario coming. Sonic, meanwhile, knocks Sally out of her funk by pointing out that the Freedom Fighters have come back from worst than this. That the fight isn't over as long as they're still alive. See! Khan just says nice shit because he wants to bone Sally. Sonic actually understands her, you guys.

Khan, however, does have some purpose in this story. While Sonic and Sally are paling around in the digital world, Monkey Khan lets his fatalistic side out. He decides he'll fly out to Knothole and destroy Nicole's physical processors. Tails has to talk him down. The fox essentially tells him that Freedom Fighters never surrender and never say die. It continues to establish that the Freedom Fighters never give up on their friends, even if they are computer programs compromised by technomages.

In the middle of these fight scenes and interpersonal conflicts, we get a small update on the book's primary villains. There's a funny interaction between Snively and Lien-Da, where the echidna rolls her eyes at Snively claiming he has authority over her. Meanwhile, Uncle Chuck is pushed into a prison cell next to the still raving mad Robotnik. The conversation between the two seems to jog something in Robotnik's memory, as he begins to remember who he is and where he is. The sequence concludes with him putting his glasses back on, seeming to confirm that his mental breakdown is nearing its end.

“Iron Dominion: Part Two” still has some of the problems the other installments in this arc had. Yet Ian remembers something very important: The action scenes are the best when we care about the characters involved. Giving time to Sally's conversations with Nicole and Sonic strengthens what otherwise would've been an undemanding issue. Decent action, respect for the cast, and my favorite characters getting stuff to do: That's all I really ask for from this comic. [7/10]