Sonic Universe: Issue 39

Sonic Universe: Issue 39
Publication Date: April 2012

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Sonic the Hedgehog: Issue 235

Sonic the Hedgehog: Issue 235
Publication Date: April 2012

The transformation Ian Flynn pulled off with Silver the Hedgehog is pretty impressive. At least for me personally, I was initially dismissive of Silver. He struck me as a desperate attempt to copy the fan popularity Sega had achieved with Shadow. You know, basically a recolor of Sonic with a flashy gimmick. This time, psychic powers instead of the stoic bad-ass routine. However, by playing up both his earnestness and his inexperience, Flynn managed to humanize Silver and make him far more likable. Yet, despite his prominent presence on the cover of issue 235, Silver's appearance is not the most important thing going on here.

“Remember the Fallen” begins in the distant future, with Silver uncovering a previously hidden library. After uncovering Antoine's journal, he comes to the conclusion that the coyote was the traitor to the Freedom Fighters that he's been looking forward. As he goes back in time, stranding himself in the past by using up his last Chaos Emerald, Silver discovers the truth. Antoine is still in a coma. And the Freedom Fighters are still mourning his sacrifice, each in their own way.

“Remember the Fallen” has Ian Flynn forcing the Freedom Fighters to deal with something they don't normally endure: Failure. The loss of Antoine, even if he's only comatose and not dead, is weighing heavily on all of them. Each one is dealing with this trauma in their own way. Tails has locked himself up in his work shop, devoting himself to rebuilding the Tornado. Amy Rose is focusing on her work in the city, in hopes of distracting herself. Sonic has holed up in his bedroom, playing his guitar. Even Geoffrey St. John, who was pretty pissed at Antoine just a day before, pays his respects to the fallen soldier. It's interesting to see these cartoon characters dealing with the quasi-death of a friend.

Flynn does not retreat from the emotion of the situation. There's a lot of crying and hugging in this issue. Tails' dad snaps him out of his exhaustive working state, leading to tears and hugs. Sonic's parents ask Amy about her obviously fractured mood, causing her to break down and cry. Most controversially, Bunnie runs away from Mobotropolis after having a talk with her husband's comatose body. Would Bunnie, someone who has never backed down from a challenge before, run away like this? It's hard to say, seeing how she's never dealt with the potential death of her husband before. Sadly, this is a story arc that would be left largely unresolved because of the impending reboot. Meaning Flynn would never really get to justify this possibly out-of-character moment.

The hugging and crying is not limited to the corporeal characters. The distrust against Nicole rising in the city reaches its crescendo. Naugus convinces the Council of Acorn to exile Nicole. How do you exile a computer program that lives in every corner of the city? Well, it has something to do with limiting her personality strictly to the computer monitors in HQ. It's a shaky plot turn. Personally, it bugs me that the Council of Acorn, including Uncle Chuck, would allow this to happen. Only Rotor is so disgusted that he retires. Pushing the Freedom Fighters into such a desperate situation is one thing but most of the stuff dealing with the politics in Knothole continue to bugs me.

The emotional core of the story is so clear and strong that it's not immediately apparent why Silver is in this comic book. The flash-forwards to him in the ruined, post-apocalyptic city are literally hundreds of years apart from the story's current events. Silver walking around Knothole, looking for Antoine, doesn't even provide much of a framing device to seeing the Freedom Fighters in their mourning state. However, Silver's role in the story becomes evident soon. Believing Antoine is the traitor provides shaky reasoning for Silver to get stranded in the past, taking a one-way trip to the book's present. In the final few pages, a despondent Silver is recruited by Harvey Who, further setting up the Secret Freedom Fighter story arc Flynn will be debuting soon.

Oh yeah, Silver's also in this issue to provide the seven-to-twelve-year-old boy crowd with a required action beat. When Sonic hears that Silver believes Antoine is the traitor, he looses his temper. The blue hedgehog spin-dashes at Silver through the wall of his hut, grabs Silver by the quills, and drags him into Antoine's hospital room. It's mostly an unneeded action beat in an otherwise emotionally driven issue. However, it does lead to one fantastic moment. Enraged by the loss of his friend, Sonic ends up snarling at Silver, dismissing him as a fool who dishonors the loyalty of his friends.

Yardley's pencils are pretty good too. I especially like the little touch that the windows of Sonic's hut are shaped like the logo he popped out of in the very first Sega game. It's a really strong issue, dealing with serious themes, that is downgraded from a really high score do to Silver's odd role in the story or the unconvincing subplot involving Nicole. Otherwise, I admire Flynn for going deep with the emotions. In 2012, I found this issue the latest in a long line of bummers for the book. Separated by a few years, I can see the honesty and rawness of the emotions he's employing. [7/10]

Sonic Universe: Issue 38

Sonic Universe: Issue 38
Publication Date: March 2012

Look at that cover. If you're a fan of nineties sci-fi/comedy television or cult cinema, you probably recognize it as an obvious reference to “Mystery Science Theater 3000.” This is not the first time Archie's “Sonic” comics have referenced the much loved movie-mocking TV show. Robots based on Crow and Tom Servo briefly appeared in issue 52 of the main “Sonic” book. Aside from the presence of robots, neither series has much in common but I know I'm not the only person who's a fan of both. Both being franchises that originated in nineties, maybe it's likely that nerds that grew up with Sonic also grew up with MST3k. Anyway, that's not really related to the comic book I'm reviewing here.

“Scrambled Part 2: Family” begins with Robotnik leading an attack on Central City, the capital formerly known as Station Square. He's after Snively, who he's tracked to the city. The reason Snively has come to the home of G.U.N. Is to reconnect with Hope, his half-sister. He hopes to convince Hope to come with him to the Dragon Kingdom, so he can hook back up with Regnia. Meanwhile, Robotnik's forces – including Mecha Sally and Metal Sonic – quickly get into a fight with E-123 Omega and G.U.N.'s other robots.

In an interesting change of the norm, with “Family,” Flynn reverses his usual focus. The action scenes happen pretty much in the background while the emotions and the characters are front-and-center. So what about that action? Among Robotnik's troops in Station Square we see these new vehicles that look an awful lot like AT-ATs but with Robotnik's face on them, a really odd and kind of funny inclusion. Eventually, Mecha Sally and Metal Sonic end up attacking Omega from both sides, which is a decent action beat. They then proceed to rip through some jet fighters.

It's all pretty neat stuff but not what elevates this issue. Instead, it's the confrontation between Snively and Hope that makes the aptly named “Family” special. At first, Hope is frightened when Snively sneaks up on her like the creeper he is. However, he quickly calms her down by explaining that she's family, that he cares about her and wants to include her on his latest quest. And Hope almost accepts when Snively starts gloating villainously about his plans to take down both Robotnik and the Freedom Fighters. At that point, Hope violently backhands Snively, slips onto a Fire Shield – yes, Flynn just casually reintroduced a power-up that has been around since “Sonic 3” – and tell hims to get out of her life.

What makes this confrontation effective is that Snively isn't lying when he says he cares about Hope. He happily confirms to her that they share a father, that they're full-blooded siblings. He references the time he warned her about Robotnik flattening Knothole to the ground. Snively may be a miserable, pathetic bastard but he genuinely loves Hope. And her rejection really stings. That's the tragedy of Snively. He's not just a scheming baddie. He's capable of real human feelings and affection. But he's so obsessed with revenge, with taking the power he feels he's owed, that he alienates the last person in the world that might actually loved him in return. At the same time, Hope is totally justified in telling Snively to fuck off. It's sad, affecting stuff.  

“Scrambled Part 2” also creates a prime supporting role for the always delightful Omega. He's introduced marching into battle, relishing another opportunity to blast enemy robots and blow shit up. Seeing Omega wax romantically about the glory of violence is always entertaining. However, Omega even gets a touching emotional beat! After Snively runs off and Robotnik retreats, Omega sneaks down to find Hope in her lab, moping in her Fire Shield. He attempts to comfort the girl, asking her not to “leak” anymore before admitting he was not “built to comfort.” It's a moment that's both funny and surprisingly poignant for the same reason. Forcing Omega into an emotional, reassuring mode takes the death-bot out of his comfort zone.

There's one downside to “Scrambled Part 2.” The issue prominently features the G.U.N. crowd, most of whom are not especially compelling.  Out of all the Grandmasters, Hugo Brass seems to have the least amount of personality, his Legionizing turning him into a mindless automaton. Flynn even has Eggman asking Hugo why he's so fucking boring. Throughout the issue, it's also revealed that Robotnik has legionized the boy band commandos, those lame anime-haired soldiers Steven Butler introduced along with the rest of the Station Square crew. This stuff just makes me yawn. This is one of the few corners of the “Sonic” universe that I have zero investment in.

Jamal Peppers' artwork improves a little from the last issue, a little more of his own style sneaking into things. His rendition of Hope is certainly stronger than the overly round little girl Yardley draws. While the rocketing pace of the previous issue made me like it a little more, this is still a really strong issue. The interaction between Snively and Hope really pushes this one to another level. All things considered, “Scrambled” continues to be a really strong story arc. [8/10]

Sonic Universe: Issue 37

Sonic Universe: Issue 37
Publication Date: February 2012

The rivalry between Robotnik and Snively has been going on for years. It's built into the DNA of the series, inherited from SatAM, where Snively openly despised his uncle and would eventually attempt to usurp him. In the comics, I can't even recall all the different times Robotnik's nephew has betrayed him, attempted to kill him, and overtake his empire. It's fertile ground for a story and Ian Flynn would bring that relationship to the front with the “Scrambled” story arc, beginning issue 37 of “Sonic Universe.”

A normal day aboard the Death Egg is interrupted when Eggman gets locked out of his own computer system. The Death Egg is completely locked out and Snively makes a daring escape. Soon, the mad doctor discovers that Snively has broadcast a message to the Dark Egg Legion that the Death Egg is destroyed and Robotnik is dead. Furious, Eggman sets out to capture Snively but he's already escaped. He moves on to his next plan: Assembling the Grandmasters of the Legion and sending them on a quest, to find a missing Chaos Emerald. Meanwhile, the former Ivo Kintobor sets out to get some payback at his nephew.

It's sort of surprising that “Sonic Universe” has been running as long as it has without attempting an Eggman-centric arc before. Out of all the bad guys it could've focused on, it's odd that Scourge and the Babylon Rogues got that honor before Sonic's oldest enemy and supporting cast member. Flynn paints Eggman as an especially ruthless villain protagonist. After pulling all the Grandmasters together, he reiterates his complete control over them, reminding them of their explosive implants. Moreover, he emphasizes that they are enslaved to him, even beyond the circumstances of his death, even though he doesn't care about their individual lives at all. Pretty fucked up, dude. It's a stark reminder that the Eggman is not to be trifled with.

“Scrambled” also seems to be setting up a “men on a mission”-style story. You know what I'm talking about. Movies like “Ingloruious Basterds” or “Kelly's Heroes.” “The Dirty Dozen” and “Suicide Squad” – two movies this set-up vaguely resembles – have built stories around a band of unlikely guys, tossed together, usually against their wills, in order to achieve some sort of goal. What's especially neat about this is how we know some of the Grandmasters already while others are new characters. Lien-Da, Duck Bill, Conquering Storm, Uncle Beauregard, and Drago – who, in a very morbid touch, is zapped away by Eggman while seemingly sexually harnessing a female Legionnaire – are all familiar faces. (Then there's Hugo Brass, Ripklaw, and Akhlut, undefined characters who might as well be new additions.) New characters include a leather-bound snake named Mordred Hood and two riffs on especially obscure Archie “Sonic” lore. There's a nerb grandmaster, the Foreman, because Ian seems determined not to forget about those guys. There's also Diesel, a bear biker seemingly inspired by the bear biker gang Knuckles fought way back in the “Chaotix Caper” story arc.

It's a fairly dark story, as far as “Sonic” comics go, so I guess Flynn felt it necessary to throw in some comic relief. And I'm not sure how I feel about this. After getting locked out of his computer system, Robotnik calls on Orbot and Cubot, two Sega-approved robotic lackeys that only previously appeared in game tie-ins. When I was first reading these comics, I hated these guys, finding their shtick annoying and thinking they don't contribute anything to this book's universe that it didn't already have. Must Eggman have comic relief sidekicks? Did Sega demand these two appear, instead of, I don't know, Crabmeat or Scratch and Grounder or something? With age, I've softened a little on these two – their shenanigans, like making tea and cookies for the assembled Grandmasters, are mildly amusing – while still finding them a mostly unnecessary addition to the world.

And let's not forget Snively, Eggman's original comic relief lackey. What I've always found most endearing about Snively are his dueling qualities of ambition and incompetence. He's desperate to have power, having spent his entire life without any. Yet he lacks the cunning necessary to become a major leader like his uncle, which is why all his previous takeovers were doomed to fail. At the beginning of “Scrambled,” Snively shows off one of his best schemes yet. He fills the Death Egg with explosive robotic doubles of himself, cast-offs from the old Infiltrator/Auto-Automatons line-up, allowing himself to escape in the space capsule from “Sonic 2.” It certainly sets up the possibility that Snively might actually have a chance of success this time, even though we know he doesn't, opening this story with some nice dramatic tension.

Jamal Peppers is back on pencil duty. It's pretty good, in many ways. Peppers' attention to facial expressions are especially nice. Matilda's lack of a reaction to Beauregard vanishing into thin air, along with the somewhat disturbing blank stares of the Snively infiltrators, make both of those moments really pop. However, I'm a little disappointed to see that Peppers seems content to ape Yardley here. In truth, if the opening page didn't tell me as much, I would've assumed Yardley drew this one. This is why I've expressed misgivings about Yardley's style becoming the default look for the book, as it shackles artists like Peppers, who are talented in their own right.

It's a really fun issue that I only have one problem with. Eggman assembling the Grandmasters, just to send them on a mission to grab some random Chaos Emerald, seems like a misstep. They should all be pursuing Snively, since he's the adversary driving the plot. Flynn probably ties those two threads together, I'm thinking, along with the last page reveal that Mecha Sally is now leading a whole squad of Metal-series robots. I can't remember if he does or not. Beyond that, this is a really fantastic first issue, setting up an exciting scenario with big stakes and an interesting ensemble cast. [8/10]

Sonic the Hedgehog: Issue 234

Sonic the Hedgehog: Issue 234
Publication Date: February 2012

Antoine is prominently placed on the cover of issue 234 and there's good reason for that. “Unthinkable,” 234's cover story, begins with Elias and his family preparing to be escorted out of Mobotropolis. Following Naugus' rise to the family, the royal family no longer feels welcomed. As they pile into the Mobo-Cruiser – first time in a while we've seen that – the Freedom Fighters gather around as their personal bodyguards. But Eggman is ready, his Death Egg looming in the sky above. He sends a small army of Egg-Swats, led by Mecha Sally and a Metal Sonic, to ambush the motorcade. Elias and his family get to safety but the Freedom Fighters pay a horrible cost.

As far as “Sonic the Hedgehog” comics go, “Unthinkable” is a very tense action story. The stakes seem higher than ever, with the future of the monarchy and our four-color friends hanging in the balance. There's actually something ominous about the way the Death Egg appears in the sky, dropping enemy shoulders. Maybe things feel so serious because the Freedom Fighters get their asses kick. The newly weaponized and even more powerful Mecha Sally completely catches them off-guard. The Tornado is destroyed, yet again. Bunnie is still adapting to her newly wholly organic state, which means the Freedom Fighter is down one of their strongest members. Things escalate as more and more enemy robots converge on the location, the hero's feeling genuinely overwhelmed.

Another reason this conflict feels more weighty than usual might be due to the extra emotional weight. The Freedom Fighters are still not use to their beloved Princess being a killer robot enslaved by their greatest enemy. Mecha Sally is cruel and efficient, slicing through enemies with wrist-mounted laser swords. (An addition Flynn would keep after the reboot undid everything else.) As Mecha Sonic did, she also retains just enough of her normal personality to make her robotic state even more shocking. Such as when, in a nice touch, Flynn has her quote SatAM classic “Sonic's Nightmare,” by asking Sonic where he was when the brain's where passed out. At this point, Mecha Sally is still a shocking development and the book is using her excellently.

Usually, the comics open with a brief narration box, introducing readers to the comic's world. This issue is a little different. It opens with an excerpt from Antoine's journal, talking about the days' events. This is a memorable approach, giving us a look into the mind of one of the most complex Freedom Fighters. He continues to express annoyance at the direction the kingdom and his wife's current state has taken but remains optimistic about his friends. About how besides them is always an honor. This is especially poignant considering what happens near the end of the issue.

Because this is the issue where Antoine dies. I mean, sort of. When Robotnik orders an about-to-self-destruct Metal Sonic to attach itself to Elias' Mobo-Cruiser, Antoine races over on a hover board, grabs the robot, pulls him away, and receives the full brunt of the explosion. In a shocking series of panels, he's tossed to the ground in a heap. Bunnie cradles his body and begins screaming wildly. Sonic is stunned and silenced, forced to do a very rare thing: Stand still. It's a shocking, powerful event. As originally planned, it was meant to be Antoine's death. Flynn ultimately just put him in a coma instead, realizing fans would be royally pissed if he killed one of the book's most beloved character. (And the whole ordeal ended up being unresolved because of the reboot.) If Antoine really had died here, it's a heroic and weighty death, one worthy of him.

Helping sell this serious moment is some excellent artwork from Steven Butler. His more humanoid features on the furries look a little odd, especially Mecha Sally's weirdly shapely robo-hips. But when the book needs serious mood and grit, Butler can provide it. Eggman looks especially intimidating aboard the Death Egg. The panels devoted to Antoine's sacrifice are obviously the most important. You feel the impact of the blast leap off the page, before Butler pulls back, showing Antoine's lifeless body bouncing across the battlefield, his sword landing in the ground. Which leads to a panel of Bunnie, watching horrified, the panel around her crumbling as she watches her love be fatally wounded. It's great stuff. Butler even manages to make the somewhat silly Egg-Swat design – a combination of Robotnik's old SWATBots and the sillier Egg Pawns from the Sega games – actually kind of intimidating.

Next up in the back pages is “Dark Hearts.” The story takes place slightly before the cover story. Naugus uses his staff to contact Eggman. He promises to give the doctor some intel in exchange for further information. Naugus realizes that this Robotnik is not technically the same one he knew and asks to hear the former Robo-Robotnik's previous encounters with the presumably identical version of Naugus that existed in his dimension. Eggman happily tells him, describing a brief adventure in the Zone of Silence. Naugus, in return, informs him about Elias' caravan leaving that day.

“Dark Hearts” mostly exists to inform us of two things. First off, no, despite what he's said, Naugus is not putting his villainous past behind him now that he's king. He's colluding with the enemy to help assassinate the former ruler, and apparently doing so behind St. John's back. The story is also here to inform new readers of Eggman's convoluted origins. Beyond that, “Dark Hearts” is devoted to a mildly amusing encounter between the classic SatAM version of Robotnik and all of Naugus' various weirdos. And there is a certain degree of novelty in seeing that Robotnik again after so many years. Mostly, it's worth reading for Ben Bates' artwork. Bates has fun with the Zone's fantastical world and Naugus' bitching crystal throne.

I remember having pretty mixed thoughts about this issue and the surrounding story arcs when it was new. I mostly remember feeling like my heart was being jerked around, watching these characters I love get tortured by fate. In hindsight, and mostly because the reboot I didn't know about then is just around the corner, this issue plays a lot better. Yes, it's an emotional gut punch but it's not done cheaply or simply for shock value. In fact, the emotional weight of this story makes it one of the best in a while and an early contender for best of 2012. [8/10] 

Sonic the Hedgehog: Issue 233

Sonic the Hedgehog: Issue 233
Publication Date: January 2012

2011 ended on something of a cliffhanger, with the announcement that Geoffrey St. John would be going on trial for his obvious treachery. Surprisingly, that reveal got the first cover of the year. I guess that shows you how niche an audience this series always went for. That it could drop a bunch of obscure references and get away with it. While I certainly recognize Hershey, Warlord Kodos, and King Acorn in his Black Rider armor, even I had completely forgotten about Hip and Hop. Those are the kangaroos from “Sonic Spinball” who had a one-panel cameo back in issue 6 before appearing briefly as judges in issue 40. Enjoy this while it lasts, because most of this shit won't be around much longer.

In fact, the cover story is even called “The Trial of Geoffrey St. John,” cause Flynn wanted this to feel like an event. Sonic and Tails clean up some of the wreckage from the Battle Bird Armada's recent invasion of Mobotropolis – hope you were reading Sonic Universe to figure what the hell that was all about – and quickly rush over to the courthouse. There, Antoine has Geoffrey on the stand, questioning him about his allegiance to Naugus and his years of deception. Things get pretty heated, especially once the topic of Hershey comes up, but the trial does not go the way the Freedom Fighters were hoping.

“The Trial of Geoffrey St. John” is essentially Flynn attempting to justify his somewhat asinine plot twist about St. John being both a traitor and a wizard. While on the witness stand, St. John reveals some previously undisclosed info. That, following his father's death, he found a magical ring in his belongings and began communicating with Naugus, who was still trapped in the Zone of Silence. That he was working with the Freedom Fighters and the Rebel Underground to stabilize Mobotropolis, preparing for Naugus' eventual return. (And, by night, training to be a wizard.) This also gives him a chance to cover the character's long, convoluted history for those you weren't there at the time. In fact, a lot of “The Trial of Geoffrey St. John” is recap of ten year old comics.

It's pretty sloppy, as far as retcons go. Naugus being able to communicate between dimensions strikes me as unlikely, considering what a pain in the ass it was to get from Mobius to the Zone of Silence. Geoffrey working with the good guys in order to set up a stable kingdom for Naugus is... Convenient. By far the sloppiest retcon is Naugus just going on a rampage when first brought back to Mobius. Flynn has St. John admit his boss acted “rashly” and decided to lay low until he regained his cool. Uh-huh. And St. John suddenly pulling magical abilities out of his ass remains widely out-of-character, no matter how much glue Flynn applies.

There's a couple of things I do like about this story. First off, Antoine points out that everyone who was on St. John's secret squad were former Badniks, outside agents, and someone who attempted to assassinate the Princess. All of whom would've been viable patsies if Geoffrey needed one. That's a pretty elegant solution to Ken Penders' baffling character picks. I also like young St. John's rage at the Overlanders who killed his father, giving some grief and emotion to this story. And, despite most of what we know about the character being a lie, he really did love Hershey. That eases over her blunt, off-screen death a little. (Though Flynn leaves Hershey's fate a bit open-ended – no body was found – suggesting he could've brought the character back if he wanted to.)

And, hey, we've got a back-up story too. “From the Shadows” does not star Shadow. Instead, it's about Prince Elias. Faced with a city turned against him and a usurper to the crown, he turns to his parents and wife, hoping to move back to the safer Feral Forest. King Max is too senile to react while Megan wants him to stay. Frustrated, Elias turns to a shadowed figure on the outskirts of Mobotropolis. It turns out to be old spy master Harvey Who, another very obscure character who had one appearance in the book's early years and has since been forgotten, who is quickly talked into helping dethrone Naugus, suggesting Elias form a team.

What's most entertaining about “From the Shadows” is Harvey Who ripping into King Max. He blames the King for pretty much every misfortune that befell Mobius. Who warned him about Kodos, Naugus and Julian, only to see all three would-be conquerors be promoted. Yes, what we've suspected for years is true: Max was a terrible fucking king. If nothing else, this biting re-introduction makes us like Harvey immediately, which is pretty good for a goofy Dave Manak character that showed up in one panel ten thousand years ago. I also like the first scene, which shows Elias' dismay at his father's degenerating state. That's a nice touch. So it's a solid prequel to the Secret Freedom Fighters story arc Flynn was already cooking.

I have mixed feelings about the cover story. It's actually pretty good but deals with a plot point I still think is really dumb. And it's ending, where St. John is found guilty and then immediately pardoned by Naugus, kind of invalidates the whole thing. Still, it's not a bad issue I guess. The back-up is decent and the artwork, from ever-reliable Steven Butler and a quickly improving Evan Stanley, is solid all around. (Also, the fan art section in the back features a pretty bitchin', custom Mecha Sally action figure. I wish I had one of those...) Hopefully I'm not this conflicted about all the other comics that came out in 2012. [6.5/10]

Sonic Universe: Issue 36

Sonic Universe: Issue 36
Publication Date: January 2012

Some people thought the world was going to end in 2012. Looking back on it now, it seems even sillier than most bits of mass hysteria, as the concerns were based entirely on pseudo-scientific nonsense. What does this have to do with Archie's “Sonic” comic book series? Not too much, other than we're about a year and a few months away from the comic being rebooted. As for “Sonic Universe,” the year started up with the conclusion to the Babylon Rogues' underwhelming story arc.

Part four of “Babylon Rogue” is subtitled “Resurrection” but don't get too excited. Busta Rhymes does not kung-fu fight Michael Myers in this comic book. Instead, it begins the Battle Bird Armada blowing up Castle Acorn. The Babylon Rogues leap down into the crater, looking for the Babylon Gardens. Sonic quickly takes chase. Soon, Speedy gets in there too. All five soon uncover some intergalactic bullshit and then some more stuff happens.

The mystery of the Babylon Gardens is resolved in a fairly un-spectactular way. In fact, Jet and the Rogues do not seem all that impressed by the generic sci-fi fortress they walk into at the end. When they enter, the Tesseract-looking cube flies out of Jet's hand and activates the artificial intelligence aboard the ship. A robot wakes up, dumps a boatload of exposition on a reader, and then threatens to suck the entire world into a black hole.

And it's super fucking boring. The robot that pilots the Babylon Gardens, which is naturally a space ship buried deep in the ground, is not even that interestingly designed. It's a generic looking robot. Moreover, it's revealed that the Babylon Rogues are descended from aliens. Because, the last time this comic book brought aliens into the story, fans fucking loved it. Yardley attempts to tie this into the book's lore. Apparently A.D.A.M., while teleporting Chaos Emeralds from all over the universe, drew from the power of the Babylon Gardens. It does not make the reader anymore interested in this super lame plot twist.

A little more compelling is the rivalry between Sonic and Jet. You see, Sonic just watched his village get a big chunk of it blown up. So he's pretty pissed off at Jet. Seeing Sonic totally loose his cool, drop the quips and the jokes aside, and just focusing on being super angry has a certain novelty. His dismissal at the end of the story, smashing the control key and dropping directly out of the ship's airlock, is easily the best moment in this comic book. Of course, the rivalry is pretty one-sided. Sonic is way more angry at Jet, while Jet has pretty much no reason to have any problems with Sonic.

That's not the only rivalry thrust into the story here. The Battle Bird Armada has uncovered the secret of their subspecies, that they've been trying to find for centuries. Somehow, they do not send a thousand soldiers and ships down into the crater. Instead, Speedy is sent down alone. There's more of a reason for the two green birds to hate each other. Both are eager to claim the Gardens first, eager to impress or shame each other. Speedy needles Jet at one point and he nearly grabs him back. However, this fight fizzles out, as Sonic resolves the plot and the two make a temporary truce in order to safely escape the crumbling ship.

Last time, the drama in Mobotropolis was more compelling than any of the bullshit to do with the Rogues. The birds and their self-contained drama takes center stage again in this issue but there's still a few peaks at Knothole politics. Naugus slinks away from the battle, sinking into a shadow. This suggests that his humiliating loss last issue actually does have to with his mental turmoil right now. The Freedom Fighters remain concerned about Nicole, who remains a no-show following her trauma from Sally's disappearance. Other than that, there's not too many interesting stuff happening here.

Sorry, guys, I really wasn't feeling this one. Yardley brings back more of that awkward comic relief, by giving Storm – by far the least well defined of the Rogues – some really dumb dialogue. The plot reveals, involving aliens and robots, is super lame. (Apparently the alien bullshit came from Sega, which is another reason to fuck those guys.) It's a disappointing pay-off to a story that was not especially compelling to begin. I can't recall the Babylon Rogues doing much in the book after this and I can't say I will miss them. [4/10]