Sonic the Hedgehog: Issue 1

Sonic the Hedgehog: Issue 1
Publication Date: May 1993


Obviously, Archie’s Sonic mini-series was successful. About two months later, the on-going series began. At this point, the tone is nearly identical. At the start of issue 1, the series still resembles the goofy “Adventures of Sonic the Hedgehog” weekly show instead of the objectively superior in every way SatAM series it’s based on. Aside from the silly stories and jokes, there’s other awkwardness. Sally is still a brunette, Rotor is still Boomer, Bunnie is nowhere to be seen, and the Freedom Fighters still hang out underground. But, hey, that cover art is pretty bitchin’.

Anyway, issue begins with Robotnik hanging Sonic with a noose before smashing his body to pieces with a bat. Oh wait, it’s just a dummy. Anyway, his latest scheme is the Krudzu, a mechanical vine with more then a passing resemblance to Audrey II from “Little Shop of Horrors.” Seeding the Great Forest with the plant results in Antoine unknowingly bringing it into Knothole H.Q. Luckily, Tails, a bucket of water, and Mother Nature intervene. Later, Sonic runs into the Casino Nights Zone and is captured by Robotnik, forced to be the ball in a giant pinball machine. Also, there’s some dumb jokes.

The tone of the comic still remains sitcom light. Antoine ventures out of Knothole because he dislikes that Sally is paying more attention to Sonic then him. (What Sonic and Sally are doing at the time is discussing framing a map.) He plans to win her over by grabbing her some flowers, which is how the Krudzu ends up inside the base. The Krudzu is a potentially interesting threat. The sass-talking mechanical plant is shown taking over the entire forest in a day. Despite being a seemingly serious threat, the Krudzu has a disappointing weakness: Water. Tails shorts it out with a bucket. Conveniently, a thunderstorm blows in later that day, destroying Robotnik’s entire plan. You’d think Mobius’ tyrant wouldn’t approve an operative that could be defeated by light drizzle. Or he would at least not launch it on a day calling for rain. Basically, the issue introduces a potentially interesting and threat and resolves it in the lamest way possible. (Nearly two decades later, future writer Ian Flynn would bring the Krudzu back and implement its potential better.)

The second story of the issue is better if only because it has more action. Though “Sonic the Hedgehog 2” was released in November of the previous year, the story seems partially designed to promote the game. It’s set in the Casino Night Zone, one of the most memorable stages from the game. Sonic even out-right instructs the reader to play the game! The plot of Robotnik publicly announcing a speech in the zone, and Sonic easily sneaking in, is awfully goofy. There’s plenty of lame jokes about gambling and the house always winning. When Sonic gets captured, Robotnik shoves him in a pinball and tosses him around a machine. The way Sonic escapes is fairly absurd but shows him using his brains a little. Even before “Sonic Spinball” came around, writers loved putting Sonic in a pinball machine. The story never exactly generates tension but at least there’s some action and fun.

The rest of the Freedom Fighters don’t get much development. Antoine is shown to be a coward. Rotor is a tinkerer with a prankish streak. I think Orbonaut, a minor badnik even by badnik standards, gets more page-time in this issue then Tails does. Beyond that, the hate-on Sonic and Robotnik have for each other is the point of this issue. Sonic fucking blows him up at the end, which leads to the villain sailing through the air while babbling to himself. There’s still a smidgen of world-building here, with the introduction of a new zone and some new enemies.

Dave Manak’s artwork is better here then in the last issue of the mini-series. It’s still very cartoony and loose. Luckily, none of the characters go horribly off-model. Presumably to fill pages, Michael Gallagher’s scripts throws in a bunch of gag strips. You want some horribly impractical Sonic bumper stickers? Three – count ‘em, three! – one-pagers concern the Freedom Fighters awarding Sonic some statues, Sonic answering a question about his legs spinning, and the hedgehog giving us a recipe for chilly dogs. Yes, that was entirely essential, Archie.

Anyway, issue one is a fairly inconsequential way for the proper series to start. It doesn’t seem much different then the goofy mini-series. It would still be some time before the comic found its footing. [5/10]