Sonic the Hedgehog: Issue 41

Sonic the Hedgehog: Issue 41
Publication Date: September 1996

Back in issue 36, Ken Penders expanded the Archie Sonic universe into previously unseen, surreal territory. Turns out, Sally’s dad survived in an alternate universe called the Zone of Silence. There, he had been driven mad, with no memories of his life on Mobius, and rode around in a totally metal suit of armor. Though rescuing her father has been Sally’s primary motivation since day one, this plotline has taken a back seat for a while. With issue 41’s “…and One Shall Save Him,” Penders gets back to this story line.

Sonic does a dramatic dive into Robotnik’s fortress, which is still rebuilding from the earthquake and nuclear detonation that have affected it recently. Sonic easily snatches a device from the fat man and gets out of there. Turns out, what Sonic pilfered was the missing piece Rotor needs to make the portal neutralizer work properly. Sonic, Sally, and Geoffrey St. John return to the Zone of Silence to rescue King Acorn. This is easier said then done as the Zone has strange rules and properties of its own that make it difficult to navigate.

If Pender’s goal was to make the Zone of Silence seem confusing, he succeeded. “…and One Shall Save Him” is one of most incoherent story that has ever appeared in the Sonic comic. Shit just doesn’t make any sense in the Zone of Silence. King Acorn spends time chatting with his toady, who is a literal toad, before he sees his daughter before him. Sonic, Sally, and Geoffrey then float through the void. They see the events of Issue 36 unfold before them again. They then see how Acorn arrived in the Zone and how the weird, grey creatures that serve him found him. This is a very clumsy way for Penders to deliver some exposition. I guess having the characters see the events unfold before them, because of some weird time wedgie thing, is more elegant then just having someone say it. Yet “showing” has never felt more cumbersome then “telling” before.

This is before the story just totally looses its shit in the second half. Sonic attempts to confront the mad king but that doesn’t go well for him. Sally and St. John are nearly sucked into a vortex, along with a bunch of the king’s grey minions. (This is the closest the book comes to replicating Spaz’ eye-catching cover art.) Because of the unstable time zones at work, the Sonic from earlier in the book also attacks King Acorn. This allows Geoffrey to activate the neutralizer, which shoots a huge fireball and dumps everyone, the King included, back into Mobius.

Confused? I don’t normally spend that much time recapping the comic’s events but Issue 41 really calls for it. It’s a totally incoherent mismash of ideas. A place where time is unstable, and past and present events cross over on each other, is an interesting idea. However, it’s executed with no grace. Furthermore, the properties of the Zone are all over the place. Sally and Geoffrey spend most of the issue floating around aimlessly. King Acorn, meanwhile, can fly through the air on his black horse. Ladle on a thick layer of technobabble courtesy of Nicole and you have a story that’s nearly impossible to follow.

 
As if the script itself wasn’t confusing enough, Archie also handed this issue’s artwork over to an experienced illustrator named Kyle Hunter. Hunter clearly has some skill. His opening page, showing Sonic bungie-jumping into Robotnik’s lair, is moody and interesting. Yet most of his work here is just awful. It’s clear that Hunter has no experience drawing these characters. Not a page passes without one of the main characters going off-model. Hunter doesn’t seem to understand that Sonic has a neck, as his head frequently appears to float on his shoulders. In one panel, Rotor’s head turns around completely on his shoulders. Once we make it to the Zone of Silence, things become even more incoherent. It’s frequently difficult to figure out what’s happening. He often draws King Acorn with a human physique, which is weird. As for Acorn’s alien henchmen, most often they resembles indistinct grey blobs. When the heroes find themselves watching the events from Issue 36, the book just reuses Art Mawhinney’s artwork. The contrast between the two artists is whiplash inducing.

Issue 41 also lacks an emotional heart. Sally finally retrieves her father, which has been her goal forever. Yet she shows no sign of relief or hope. About the only emotional element we get here is a brief squabble between Sonic and St. John. This is not the last time the hedgehog and the skunk would come to blows over Sally’s hand. As a kid, I remember loving Spaz’ cover art for this issue and being so disappointing that the interior art didn’t live up to that. As an adult, I’m blown away by how poorly assembled this one is. [4/10]

Sonic the Hedgehog: Issue 40

 
Sonic the Hedgehog: Issue 40
Publication Date: August 1996

I’m a fan of the two-part “Mecha Madness” story arc. It pushed the book in a new direction, creating a story with high stakes, where characters actually seemed in danger. For a book like “Sonic” though, the status quo can only be denied for so long. Sonic might have been turned into a soulless robot, who wrecked his own home and tried to kill his friends, but soon things will be back to normal. Issue 40’s “Court Martial” is devoted to reestablishing that normalcy. It also, unfortunately, features a really dumb plot revolving around Sonic proving his innocence.

At the end of “Mecha Madness,” Sonic had a pair of handcuffs slap on his wrists. Antoine leads with the theory that Sonic intentionally disobeyed Sally’s orders and allowed himself to be robotocized. Despite insisting that this theory is a bunch of baloney, the hedgehog is still tossed into the slammer and accused of high treason. After being convicted by a literal kangaroo court, Sonic talks Sally into giving him twenty-four hours to clear his name. With that time limit in place, Sonic races off to find Nack the Weasel and clue everybody into the real story.

If you’re just judging a story but how it flows and how much action there is, “Court Martial” actually isn’t bad. Yet the entire comic hangs upon an incredibly dumb concept. Why does everyone immediately assume that Sonic willingly allowed himself to be robotocized? Shouldn’t they have at least, you know, asked him first? Sonic may be brash but he’s never disobeyed a direct order before. The real reason Sonic is being railroaded is because of an overzealous Antoine. Look, Antoine may be a weenie and a coward (though he would develop out of both aspects soon) but him intentionally throwing Sonic in jail is just senselessly evil. This is most apparent in the sequence where he needlessly badgers witnesses on the stand. The Freedom Fighters are fighting Robotnik so it doesn’t make much sense for them to be fighting among themselves.

What makes this even dumber is that all of the Freedom Fighters turn on Sonic. Naturally, he did just spend the last two issues wrecking everyone’s shit. However, that wasn’t his fault! He had no control over his actions! I’d understand if Bunnie resented him a little, for beating the crap out of her. She directly threatens him a few time in this story. Still, I’d think Bunnie would have enough empathy to realize Sonic didn’t intentionally smack her around. Why does Sally treat Sonic so roughly? Considering she obviously loves him, you’d think she be more willing to accept his side of the story. Basically, the plot forces Sonic into an unlikely situation and has all his friends act like assholes to him for no reason.

Of course, all of this is in favor of a standard comic book storyline: The hero forced to clear his own name. This results in the action segment of the book. Determined to hunt down Nack the Weasel, Sonic heads to “the Robo Hobo Jungle,” a place where all of Robotnik’s decommissioned badniks hang out. This leads to a pretty fun sequence of the badniks ganging up on Sonic and him successfully thrashing all of them. Considering Caterkiller, Motobug, and the rest haven’t appeared in a while, it’s fun to see them again. This leads Sonic to the Bottom of the Barrel Bar ‘n’ Grill. The book becomes less fun at this point, as Sonic easily bests the gorilla bouncer. The resulting scuffle between Sonic and Nack isn’t worth too much, as the weaselly bounty hunter is easily out-smarted.

“Mecha Madness” was written by Mike Gallagher, a writer who usually wrote goofy, pun-filled comedy stories. “Mecha Madness” was surprisingly serious and grim. “Court Martial” returns Gallagher to his jokey roots. Antoine reads a book by “Martha Shreward.” Amy Rose, apparently Sonic’s sole defender, shouts “Shawshank!” outside his jail cell, which is probably a more relevant pop culture reference then “Attica!” Hip and Hop, the kangaroos from “Sonic Spinball,” become Sonic’s literal kangaroo court. When badgering people on the stand, Antoine removes a literal badger. The badniks deliver some seriously strangled dialogue as they introduce themselves. Sonic decrees the “monkeying around” is over while wailing on the gorilla. It’s all extremely goofy stuff, removing any sense of seriousness the story might have had. Dave Manak contributes artwork which is typically loose, angular, and overly comical.

Of course, Sonic successfully clears his name. He captures Nack, gets the weasel to confess, and all is right in Knothole again. (Well, except for all the destruction still left over from Mecha-Sonic’s rampage.) “Court Martial” could’ve been saved with some honest emotion. Sonic could’ve grappled with his friend’s treating him so callously. The Freedom Fighters could’ve dealt with their guilt from falsely accusing their hero. Instead, we get three panels devoted to Sonic and Sally making up, with some more flirting. What a wasted opportunity.

Or maybe not. Maybe “Court Martial” was kind of doomed with such a dumb concept. If the writers wanted to do the “falsely accused” plotline with Sonic, maybe they should’ve cooked up a more sensible reason why. An overly jokey script and goofy artwork doesn’t help matters either. Mostly, issue 40 is a weak coda to the fairly strong “Mecha Madness” two-parter. [5/10]

Sonic & Knuckles: Mecha Madness

 
Sonic & Knuckles: Mecha Madness
Publication Date: July 1996

When you’re a kid, you’re pretty easy to please. As a child, about the only thing I demanded from my comic books where bad ass dudes being bad asses. By the same accord, kids can also be very discerning. Even as a child, the superhero anti-heroes of Todd McFarlane and Rob Liefeld struck me as trying-too-hard. When I first entered the on-line world of Archic Sonic fandom, I was very surprised to see some people dismissed “Sonic & Knuckles: Mecha Madness” as an “all-action, no heart” spectacle. I fucking loved this comic book as a kid. Re-reading it as an adult, I still think it’s a pretty good book. Yeah, the emphasis is on action but sometimes, there’s nothing wrong with that, maaaaan!

“Mecha Madness” picks up right where Issue 39 left off. Mecha Sonic continues his rampage through Knothole, leveling the tiny village. As a last-ditch effort to save their community, Sally feeds the still dazed Knuckles through the portable Robotocizers the Freedom Fighters confiscated all the way back in issue 2. With some help from one of Rotor’s neuro-overriders, emerges Mecha Knuckles! He proves an even match for Mecha Sonic. Even after Robotnik threatens the Freedom Fighters with nuclear weapons, the echidna emerges victorious. Afterwards though, their remains a question: Can Sonic still be saved?

In retrospect, it’s impressive that Archie kept thinking up ways to keep the Sonic/Knuckles rivalry going strong. Knux was fully established as a hero at this point, after starring in his own mini-series. Even as of “Super Sonic vs. Hyper Knuckles,” their rivalry was becoming more playful then anything else. So you couldn’t have the two just get into a misunderstanding. The “Mecha Madness” story arc successfully uped the fucking ante: Turn ‘em both into goddamn robots. Unlike those previous scuffles, the fight here between Sonic and Knuckles is serious business. Mecha Sonic is attempting to destroy the heroes. Mecha Knuckles is all that stands in the way. The actual fight only lasts about eight pages. Yet it’s still so satisfying to see these two, in super powerful robotic forms, wail on each other. After seeing Sonic going over to the dark side in a big way last issue, it’s also satisfying to watch him taken down a notch.

Once again, Patrick Spazanate’s artwork is on a whole other level. Even from the title page, which shows Mecha-Sonic casting a shadow of an agonized organic Sonic, the book is packed full of detail, dynamic action, and emotional expression. Just the characters standing around and talking is gifted with a sense of motion and movement. Look at when Sally chastises Antoine for being a dick. Or when she makes a big speech, detailing her plan. Of course, Spaz’ action sequences are beyond compare. The page when Knuckles freaks out, punches Rotor, and then receives a spinning back kick from Sally is something I want framed on my damn wall. I adore the design for Mecha-Knuckles, the way his knuckle-spikes can retract, the block rocket jets in his feet. It’s such a flowing, natural design. It looks exactly like what you’d expect a robotic version of Knuckles to look like.

The battle between the two is best displayed in a two page splash page, where Knuckles deflects Sonic’s lasers with his claws. There’s spinning, throwing, punching. When Knuckles is tossed through the air by a powerful uppercut from Mecha-Sonic, the sense of movement is overwhelming. This is a really good looking story, is the point I’m making.

Interestingly, the last third of “Mecha Madness” isn’t devoted to action at all. Despite what grumpy gus Dan Drazen might say, this story is full of emotions. When Robotnik demands Mecha-Sonic just send him the coordinates for Knothole Village – something he probably should’ve done immediately – Sonic pauses. Some humanity is starting to leak through his robotic exterior. I was never a huge fan of Sally and Knuckles’ flirting. But it really flows naturally and nicely here. That Knuckles and Sally are always so happy to see each other is actually kind of cute. After Mecha-Sonic is defeated, our hero is actually on death’s door. When Sally and Tails think Sonic may be a goner, both choke back tears. This is a book that grapples with the possibility that its hero may die and how his friends loved ones response. Not exactly light material.

Of course, “Mecha Madness” does have a pretty big flaw. In order to get the series back on track, Sonic and Knuckles have to be returned to normal by the book’s end. The answer to this question that Mike Gallagher cooked up is slightly inelegant. Knuckles can just be passed through the mobile roboticzer in reverse. Since this is the same device that transform Bunnie, how come they never tried that on her? For Sonic, the writer cooked up some real mystical mumbo jumbo. See, when Sonic gathered his one billionth Power Ring, he was surrounded with a “Protective Mystical Aura.” That’s how his soul was kept intact, if buried, while he was transformed. Nicole essentially plugs into Mecha-Sonic, interacts with this weird power ring aura thing, and zaps him back to being organic. It’s awkward and not well explained, to say the least.

I’ll address this more when I get to Issue #40 but I’m also not a big fan of the cliffhanger, where Sonic is arrested for treason for his action. Actions, you’ll notice, he had no control over. But we’ll talk about that more later…

Since “Mecha Madness” is a double-sized special, there are two back stories. The first of which is the verbosely entitled “Don’t Let the Island Hit You on the Way Down.” Since Knuckles is off fighting Mecha-Sonic, the Chaotix are left alone on the Floating Island. A group of villains called the Fearsome Foursome appear and whoop their asses. They're led by a mysterious, powerful villain called Mammoth Mogul. Despite his declaration of power, and an earlier defeat, the Chaotix still scare this new gang of bad guys off.

Listen, kids: I like Mammoth Mogul. I’m always for expanding on the Sonic universe’s rogue galleries. Mogul is essentially Archie’s version of Vandal Savage, an immortal wizard who has lived for centuries. Disappointingly, Mogul was rarely used well. In his debut story, he shows up, announces his back story, and declares himself all-power. The Chaotix then beat him back in one panel, after which he flees in a rocket car. Really makes him sound like all bark, no bite, doesn’t it? I like the Fearsome Foursome too, if only because it’s neat to see an essentially evil version of the Chaotix. However, Sergent Simian, Predator Hawk, Lightening Lynx, and Flying Frog are barely developed in this story. “Don’t Let the Island Hit You on the Way Down” is a fairly thin story. It’s at least better then the last story Scott Fulop wrote. Likewise, Harvey Mercadoocasio’s artwork shows some major improvement as well. It’s still pretty stiff at times but he’s obviously been practicing. There’s a newly emerged anime-esque edge to his work that makes it move a whole lot better.

Perhaps sensing this was a comparatively heavy book, “Mecha Madness” ends on a joke story. “Eel of Fortune” stars the Forty Fathoms Freedom Fighters, the aquatic heroes last seen in the “Tails” mini-series. The local reef is being terrorized by a new villain calling himself Eel Capone. He has his army of hired mussels beat up P.B. Jellyfish. In response, Bottlenose the Dolphin dresses up as a ninja and beats the crap out of him. End of story.

As previously mentioned, I like the Forty Fathoms Freedom Fighters too. However, “Eel of Fortune” is basically five pages of the goofiest aquatic puns you can think of. How many puns are there? By my count, sixteen. Some of the biggest groaners include: “hired mussels,” “current events,” “finja,” “Aquatraz,” “Choral Reef.” Oh brother. There’s no conflict to the story, as Eel Capone is a total joke once he’s introduced. Bottlenose dispatches him with such ease and speed that it’s clear he was never a threat. Basically, it’s a dumb collection of aquatic puns. Dave Manak’s artwork is typically goofy and blocky. The story’s biggest value is that it shows the range Mike Gallagher had. “Mecha Madness” was a relatively serious story with high stakes. “Eel of Fortune” is total goofiness from beginning to end.

“Sonic & Knuckles: Mecha Madness” isn’t a perfect book. Yet it’s one I like a lot. If nothing else, it’s worth picking up for Spaz’ incredible artwork. I’ll always consider it an important, landmark book in the Archie “Sonic” line and I imagine many would agree with me. [8/10]

Sonic the Hedgehog: Issue 39

 
Sonic the Hedgehog: Issue 39
Publication Date: July 1996

As I’ve mentioned before, as a kid I was totally susceptible to Archie’s hype machine. Even though they published 48-page one-shots on a regular basis, they were always a big deal. Whenever they devoted a comic to Sonic and Knuckles beating the shit out of each other – even though they’ve done that plenty of times before – I always had to scoop it up. As the comic dawned on its 40th issue, Archie cooked up another special event: Sonic the Hedgehog was going to be Robotocized. The unthinkable had happened. The good guys lost, the bad guys won. You can bet your ass that Issue 39’s “Rage Against the Machine” and the corresponding special, “Mecha Madness,” were events for me. As a kid, I re-read both endlessly. But how do they stand up years later?

As “Rage Against the Machine” – the sole story in Issue 39 – starts, Sonic is trying to convince the Freedom Fighters that he should allow himself to get robotocized. His plan is that Rotor’s neuro-overrider will maintain his free will, allowing him to wreck Robotnik’s base from the inside. Remembering how wrong a similar plan went in Issue 29, Sally vetoes this. Annoyed, Sonic zooms off to the previously unmentioned gym in Knothole Village. Nack the Weasel, recently escaped from the also unmentioned prison in Knothole Village, gets the drop on the hedgehog. He takes his unconscious body back to Robotnik. Just killing his most hated enemy doesn’t satisfy Robotnik. Instead, he robotocizes him, turning Sonic against his friends and making him a mindless slave. The new Mecha-Sonic, more powerful then any other Robian before, flies back to Knothole and begins leveling it. Sally has two contingency plans in order: Calling in a newly upgraded Bunnie. When that doesn’t work, Knuckles the Echidna is recruited. Even that fails. Mecha-Sonic is seemingly unstoppable.

These stakes are high as fuck, you guys. A couple of stories have made light of it but the comic has made recent moves to try and reestablish robotocization as Robotnik’s greatest evil. Never has that threat been clearer then here. Sonic, the titular hero of the series, has his free will wrestles around from him and zapped into a mechanical body. And Mecha Sonic doesn’t fuck around. He’s faster and more powerful then any of Robotnik’s previous creations. He immediately begins to destroy Knothole Village. He sets his sights on killing the people who are his best friends.

 
It’s a pretty serious story but, unfortunately, it was also written by Mike Gallagher. Gallagher has done some good work in the past but goofy puns and sight-gags still tend to characterize his work. Despite being a fairly grim story, at least as far as “Sonic” comics are concerned, Gallagher still packs in some goofiness. Robotnik breaks the fourth wall by reading the issue’s script. He has Crabmeat grow to giant size, for some unexplained reason, and threaten Nack the Weasel. In the heat of combat, Bunnie cracks a few too many Civil War themed puns. Tails, during his brief role in this story, is still getting treated like an adorable little kid. Despite Mecha Sonic trashing Knothole, Sally, Antoine, and Rotor just stand around, instead of running for cover. Gallagher’s script has a few holes like: Why does Sonic think being robotocized is a good idea in the first place? Where did the gym and the prison come from? Why doesn’t Robotnik scan Mecha Sonic’s brain for the location of Knothole? Why is Sally acting like such a bitch in the beginning? All questions without answer.

Still, as an action story, “Rage Against the Machine” is top-notch. This is mostly thanks to the artwork. Patrick Spazinate had gotten into the habit of contributing fantastic covers to this series. Whenever he did interior pencils, it was always an event. The artwork in Issue 39 is top-of-the-line. After some shaky art in the last two issues, Spaz’ work is truly a breath of fresh air. Spaz brings a dynamism to everything he draws. Even the early scenes of the Freedom Fighters merely sitting and talking are full of dynamic, energetic poses. The amount of detail Spaz brings makes every panel pop. For a series that sometimes has flat or empty backgrounds, Spaz makes the world of Sonic truly come to life. (I even like his tendency to sneak in Sega in-jokes. Watch for background cameos from Visual On, Bug, and one of the Virtua Fighter guys.) Even when drawing jokey panels – like a moment where Sonic and Bunnie are given cartoonish shocks – Spaz’ work impresses. This is best emphasized in Spaz’ design for Mecha Sonic. While still recognizable Sonic, the design is stream-lined and threatening. Half of the reason this story works is because Mecha Sonic is just damn scary looking.

The action scenes are the obvious attraction here and they’re excellent. The battle between Sonic and Bunnie really shows everything the rabbit is capable of. Rotor apparently gave her some upgrades off-page. Now, Bunnie has rocket-propelled flight, a shield in her wrist, and a blaster in her arm. She enters the battle scene by back-handing Sonic away, a truly impressive panel. Her telescoping legs have him smashing into a tree. When she turns that plasma cannon on the robotic hedgehog, it results in a gorgeous one-page spread. Truthfully, this is the best kind of story Spaz could have drawn, as it makes great use of his incredible skill for action and detail. I also like that Gallagher gives Bunnie, a frequently overlooked member of the team, so much to do. She really is the most powerful Freedom Fighter.

And even that isn’t enough to stop Mecha Sonic, which brings us back to the original point. Issue 39 ends on one hell of a cliffhanger. Knuckles, who apparently teleported from the Floating Island, zips in to save the day. Though, considering normal Sonic and Knuckles always fight to a stand-still, I’m not sure why Sally thought Knuckles could defeat a ruthless, robotic Sonic. By the end of the story, all of their emergency plans have failed. Mecha Sonic is rolling in to destroy Knothole and everyone in it. On the last page, Sally announces one last, crazy plan. In TV Troupes parlance, we’ve crossed the Godzilla Threshold. Of course, what that plan is remains unseen. Basically, if Archie wanted to make sure people bought the “Mecha Madness” one shot, they did a hell of a good job convincing us all.

Despite a script with some holes in it, a story with high stakes and some phenomenal artwork makes Issue 39 a classic. [8/10]

Sonic the Hedgehog: Issue 38

 
Sonic the Hedgehog: Issue 38
Publication Date: June 1996

Over the book’s still brief history, a regular collection of writers and artist have come to work on Archie’s “Sonic the Hedgehog.” Usually, the writers circle includes Mike Gallagher, Angelo DeCesare, Ken Penders and his frequent collaborator Mike Kanterovich. Artist wise, Art Mawhinney or Dave Manak contribute most commonly. However, it seems in 1996, Archie was trying to introduce some new talent. Issue 38 was written by “Kent Taylor,” a pseudonym for editor Scott Fulop. Artist wise, the issue introduced Manny Galan, who would soon become the regular artist for the “Knuckles” series.

38’s cover story is the rather verbosely entitled “The Rise of Robotropolis… The Fall of Sonic!” Following the earthquake in the last issue, Robotropolis is still recovering. A routine mission goes wrong for Sonic, Antoine, and Tails. The three are ambushed by a squadron of Combots. One of the machines is struck by lightning and Sonic is blown back by a strange ray. Afterwards, he discovers he’s lost his super-speed. Afterwards, the rest of the Freedom Fighters are captured by further Combots, forcing Sonic to team up with Sally’s trainees and sneak into the city.

This story isn’t very good. Scott Fulop, despite being the series editor, doesn’t seem to have the best grasp on the series’ mythology. Sonic loosing his speed is a story that was going to inevitably happen. Why it happens is never actually explained. The Combot exploding simply has that effect on him. How he regains his speed is equally senseless. He grabs three power rings and suddenly, it’s back. This goes against how Sonic’s speed has been portrayed throughout the entire series up to this point. He also stumbles upon the Pool of Rings like it’s a new discovery, even though the pool was previously discovered back in the “Super Sonic vs. Hyper Knuckles” one-shot. Further proof of the story’s sloppiness comes at the end. After defeating the Combots, Sonic and the Freedom Fighters skidaddle and Robotnik blows up the building. Kind of an anticlimactic ending, isn’t it? (Further proof of Fulop’s lack of knowledge about the series comes when Sonic calls Antoine – a coyote – a fox.)

The second half of the story is just as unfocused. Sally and the rest of the Freedom Fighters are captured, which should be a pretty big fucking deal. These are all of the principal heroes and now they’re in the villain’s hands! Instead of focusing on his friends being endangered, the story barrels ahead. Sonic teams up with the team which would soon be the Substitute Freedom Fighters. With some help from Fly Fly Freddy – a new character that looks like a reject from a superhero comic – they sneak into the city. The only time the issue focuses on the peril Sonic’s friends are in is when we briefly see them captured. (Naturally, instead of killing the good guys when he can, Robotnik waits for Sonic to show up.) The emotional core of the story is Sonic’s doubting his own abilities, how his lack of speed will affect his hero-ing. This mostly manifests in him acting like an asshole to his temporary teammates.

Doing the artwork for this issue is Manny Galan. In time, Galan would develop into one of my favorite artist working for Archie. His artwork on the Knuckles series was consistently good. However, that’s a while off. In his debut issue, Galan still has a lot of growing left to do. He doesn’t totally grasp the character’s designs yet. Sonic frequently goes off-model. When drawn by Galan, Sally always seems a little longer or taller then she should be. Robotnik, meanwhile, looks like an indistinct blob. Galan’s facial expressions are… Odd. When knocked unconscious, characters have big “X”s in their eyes. When Sonic trips and falls, his jaws and teeth become more cartoony then usual. All the artwork is pretty off.

The back-up story is one of those totally useless joke strips the book fosters on us occasionally. Sonic is sick in bed. In order to pass the time, Tails reads him the comic book he’s written. This, it turns out, is a loose parody of the “Fantastic Four.” Loose is the key phrase there, as the story only references the most superficial elements of its target. Sonic, Tails, Sally, and Rotor are on a rocket and pass through some cosmic waves. Yet they don’t seem to gain any abilities, much less the abilities we associate with the Fantastic Four. Truthfully, only two things truly connect this parody to the Fantastic Four. First is the blue uniforms the heroes wear. Secondly, a spoof of Galactus called Robotnicus shows up and is then defeated with some Twinkies. It’s dumb. It’s extremely dumb. (Amazingly, Robotnicus is one of two Robotnik-themed Galactus spoofs that would appear in this book. What are the odds?)

So Issue 38 is pretty lame. Fulop’s script for the first story definitely lacks something. Galan’s artwork still needs a lot of work. The second story adds nothing to this universe and doesn’t give any of these characters anything to do. It’s not even a good parody of the Fantastic Four. Ken Penders’ artwork is typically flat and unappealing. About the only thing I like about this issue is Spaz’ cover art. It’s pretty cool. Otherwise, you can safely skip Issue 38. [4/10]

Sonic the Hedgehog: Issue 37

 
Sonic the Hedgehog: Issue 37
Publication Date: May 1996

Throughout my reviews, I’ve mentioned the odd push-and-pull Archie’s “Sonic the Hedgehog” series has, between its inspiration and the weird world the writers had created themselves. Some stories published in the book feel like they could only be published here. Others, meanwhile, feel like left-over SatAM scripts retrofitted for the comic book. Don’t take that last point as an insult, as SatAM was awesome. Issue 37, both its cover story and its back-up, feel like storyboards for an episode of the cartoon that never reached production.

First is “The Day Robotropolis Fell.” Sonic and Sally are in Robotropolis to meet with Uncle Chuck. From his underground lair, he informs them that a major earthquake is about to hit the city. Robotnik, Snively, and his army of SWATBots have left the area in a flying craft, in order to avoid the damage. Robotnik, meanwhile, has left the robotocized Mobians in the city, not concerned for their well being. While the dictator is out of the city, Uncle Chuck has a crazy plan to de-robotocize a number of the mechanical citizens. They have to accomplish all of this before the earthquake strikes, which happens sooner then anyone expected.

“The Day Robotropolis Fell” is a straight-forward, concisely constructed story. The in-coming earthquake provides a time limit on the story, ratcheting up the suspense. The natural disaster isn’t the only visceral threat the story provides. Uncle Chuck is trying to restore free will to a crowd of people under Robotnik’s control. This the kind of noble cause the Freedom Fighters should be working on all the time. When the earthquake strikes early in the middle of the story, it puts more pressure on our heroes. So now they have to survive the city crumbling around them, successfully de-robotocize a group of innocents, get them on a plane, and then Sonic and Sally have to get out of the city themselves. Yet the story progresses through these points in a clear way, never making the script seem over-stuffed or sloppy. This might honestly be one of the best constructed stories ever presented in the comic.

All of this is before the major events that happens mid-way through the story, which lends this issue its undeniably eye-catching cover. While Sonic and Sally make their escape, a structure falls on Sally, injuring her and knocking her unconscious. (Though, given the size of the rock and the distance it fell, it really should have killed her.) Now, the problem is personal for Sonic. His best friend and love interest is harmed, which just exacerbates the issue. He has to protect Sally and escape a crumbling city. The race through the earthquake affected Robotropolis leads to another dramatic decision, the hedgehog forced to think fast on his feet. Luckily, everyone makes it out okay. Yet the tension, stakes, and pressure in this story are excellent.

There aren’t too many problems with “The Day Robotropolis Fell.” Chuck’s plan to restore the Mobians – which involves a big ass explosion – doesn’t make much sense. There’s a totally unnecessary epilogue where Robotnik and Snively crash their ship on the way back into the city. It’s the only time this felt like an Angelo DeCesare story, whose work is normally much goofier. This is the best work DeCesare has done in a while and further evidence that, when he was really trying, he could produce some great stuff.

Well, there’s the issue of the artwork. Brian Thomas’ pencils were last seen in Issue 34, which was a fairly weak story not helped but Thomas’ off-model artwork. His work here is no better. It’s clear Thomas doesn’t have much aptitude for drawing these characters. He has a bad habit of drawing Sally’s arms way too long. He also makes her eyes huge and anime-esque, which is a style the book wouldn’t adopt fully for a few more years. His faces are okay and he has a decent sense of motion. Mostly though, Sonic and the rest seem somewhat undefined here. The artwork is a bit squishy and off-model. I really wish Art Mawhinney could’ve handled the pencils on this one. He would’ve killed it.

The back-up story turns the spotlight on Bunnie, who the comic too often overlooked. When I mentioned that Issue 37 feels like a SatAM episode, I was serious. I could’ve sworn that this story, “Bunnie’s Worst Nightmare,” appeared as a segment on the show. I can’t find any proof of this though, so I guess I'm remembering shit wrong? Anyway, the back-up story concerns Bunnie developing an odd rash on her organic skin. Soon, her mechanical components begin to spread throughout her body. Seemingly, the robotocization process has resumed, slowly turning her completely into a robot.

It’s a potentially powerful story. As the title indicates, Bunnie’s worst fear is loosing her humanity. She’s come awfully close to it happening before. The story is both written and drawn by Rich Koslowski, who hasn’t done much work on the book before or after this. His pencils are a bit awkward. His facial expression are overly broad and truthfully weird-looking. His backgrounds are too often just bright colors. He does seem to have a general better grasp on the character designs then Brian Thomas.

As for the story, it has Bunnie confronting her worst fear and choosing to sacrifice herself rather then endanger her friends. A little too much of the comic focuses on Rotor trying to reverse the condition, instead of focusing on Bunnie’s emotions. The appearance of Robotnik, via ghost-like hologram, is an odd moment. As the title foreshadows, the last page reveals the story to be a nightmare. On one level, the events are way too clear and sensical to be a dream. On the other hand, Bunnie’s predicament is definitely nightmarish. The story could’ve been a deep exploration of the character’s fears and insecurities. And it does do that, a little bit, but eight pages isn’t quite enough space to exploit the story to its full potential. Still, “Bunnie’s Worst Nightmare” isn’t bad.

It all equals out to a very good story, far more concerned with clear plotting and the character’s emotional states then this comic usually is. Truthfully, only the shaky artwork is what keeps this from being a truly stand-out issue. [8/10]

Knuckles the Echidna (Original Mini-Series): Issue 3

 
Knuckles (Original Mini-Series): Issue 3
Publication Date: July 1996

At the beginning of “Rites of Passage: Part Three,” Knuckles the Echidna has his spiked-hands full. Enerjak has turned his friends, the Chaotix, against him. Only with the help of Archimedes can he best them. Soon, the overpowered madman takes the fight directly to the young guardian. Knuckles has to face down his ancestor, even though he knows he isn’t powerful enough to defeat the mighty Enerjak.

A problem all throughout the “Knuckles” mini-series is that it’s main protagonist hasn’t been the one directing the plot. Even in the final issue, other people are pulling Knuckles’ fat out of the fire. Knuckles makes pretty short work of the Chaotix but he probably couldn’t have stopped them without Archimedes’ help. Later, the fire ant helps out again, calling on his insect brothers to sabotage Enerjak’s tower. (That makes this the second time Enerjak has falling for the same trick. So much for all-mighty, huh?) Later, Enerjak is defeated when rocket jets are attached to his tower, launching the madman into outer space. At the end of the comic, we find out that Locke, Knuckles’ dad, arrange this last course of action. The constant attempts to build Knuckles’ dad up as some sort of wise sage just makes his son look incompetent. There’s lots of talk of Knuckles coming into his own as a hero here. Yet, if it wasn’t for other people helping, he would’ve been dead about four times over.

And what about Enerjak? He’s obviously capable of amazing things. He raises a city out of the sand. He’s capable of flight, teleportation, and mind control. Yet Knuckles is still able to psych him out. I think the book is going for something here. That, despite his massive power, Enerjak’s arrogance still makes him easy to outsmart. Maybe. In the last third of the book, Knuckles successfully outthinks the villain out, getting him to discard his massive power and fight him mano-a-mano. Still, considering all of his abilities, Enerjak had lots of opportunities to crush his opponent. Shit, instead of stranding him in the desert, why didn’t he just kill him in the first issue? I mean, I know this is a kid’s book. But, geez. Mobius needs a better class of bad guy.

Penders try to spin these events into character development for Knuckles. And I suppose it is. Throughout the course of the story, he learns to trust Archimedes. That’s a fairly big deal, especially since Knuckles was ready to crush the bug in his first appearance. (And also tried to eat him, least we forget.) The events of the story also seems to bound Knuckles and the Chaotix closer together, though I’m not sure why. Mostly, Knuckles’ most heroic actions come at the end, during his first fight with Enerjak. In some of the best dialogue Penders would ever write, Knuckles lays out passionately why he’s less of an asshole then his great uncle. It’s maybe the only time in the entire mini-series that the hero seems triumphant. 

At least issue three delivers on the action. The battle between Knuckles and the Chaotix features the expected amount of fisticuffs. Really, it probably doesn’t make Knuckles’ teammates feel good to know their boss could easily beat the shit out of them. (Is this how the rest of the Justice League feels about Superman?) This issue also finally lets us see Knuckles and Enerjak fighting it out. Once again, I’m very please that Penders didn’t try to draw this book himself. Art Mawhinney’s pencils makes Knuckles’ scuffle with his great uncle a pretty exciting sight. Lots of pounding, swiping, and punching follows. If you’re just in it for the fighting, the last part of the “Knuckles” mini-series should prove satisfying.

Another problem part three shares with the rest of this series: For two pages, Enerjak flashes back to the circumstances of his origin. I think that’s the second time these events have been recapped in this book? Were the constant flashbacks necessary, Ken? Despite some great Mawhinney art throughout these three issue, the “Knuckles” mini-series is slightly disappointing. Truthfully, the mini-series isn’t even as good as some of the back-up stories that build up to it. It seems Penders is better at creating a mythology then utilizing it. Still, the “Knuckles” mini obviously sold well, because Archie would launch a second Knuckles mini-series early in the next year which would then lead into an echidna-centric on-going. That, my dear readers, is something we’ll get to in time. As for the first “Knuckles” mini-series, I sadly have to give it a [6/10.]

Knuckles the Echidna (Original Mini-Series): Issue 2

 
Knuckles (Original Mini-Series): Issue 2
Publication Date: June 1996

Look, I know hating on Ken Penders is what Archie Sonic fans are supposed to do. The law suit pissed me off too. Yet, re-reading these classic stories, it’s become clear that Penders built the mythology of this universe. Sometimes, I feel like he was the only writer who truly took these characters seriously. Still, some of his writing quirks annoy me. His stilted or exposition heavy dialogue, for one example. His frequently stiff artwork, for another. Or how about his reliance on pop culture references, something I never do? Issue 2 of the “Knuckles” mini-series features a few too many of those. A giant killer sandworm is killed when he runs head-first into a rock, like in “Tremors.” The spirit of the hero’s father appears before him, giving him some sage advice, like in “The Lion King.” A group of robotic guards chant the march from “Wizard of Oz.” Later, they yell “Crush! Kill! Destroy!,” like the robot in an old “Lost in Space” episode. We get it, Ken. You like things.

Anyway, the plot. Knuckles and Archimedes are lost in the desert, where Enerjak stuck them at the end of the last issue. It’s a hazardous place, as they face the danger of giant sandworms and heat exhaustion. Meanwhile, Enerjak uses his powers to build a city in his own image, a twisted place known as Nekronopolis. Knuckles arrives at the diabolic city only to discover that the villain has turned his own friends against him.

I’m starting to think that three issues really isn’t enough page space to get a proper story out. The “Tails” mini-series felt rushed and condensed. Now, “Knuckles” is facing the same problem. In the space of a few pages, we go from Knuckles surviving the bad guy’s evil plan to immediately crashing it. Only having three books to get everything out cheats the second act, lending the story an anemic middle section. It doesn’t help that Ken spends three whole pages on summarizing the events covered in the “Knuckles” back-up stories. Really, did he think the people who read this weren’t going to read the “Sonic” comics as well?

So what does part two of “Rites of Passage” have going for it? How about the quasi-comedic antics of Knuckles and Archimedes wandering the desert? The scene with the sandworm is moderately well done, mostly thanks to Art Mawhinney’s action-packed artwork. That Knuckles and Archimedes eat the animal’s remains afterwards is an awfully morbid, amusing gag. Another amusing moments comes when, in hungry desperation, Knuckles attempts to eat Archimedes. This doesn’t work out for him. That he would even consider it shows that this hero still has a lot of growing to do.

Still, Penders’ script takes it too easy on Knux. Just as he’s on the verge of dying from heat exhausting, a vision of his dad appears to him. The spectre guides Knuckles to an oasis in the middle of the desert. Even at this point, we know that Locke isn’t dead. What do we make of this moment? Like-wise, why does the oasis immediately vanish after Knuckles and Archimedes leave? The ending of the issue has Knuckles coming upon Enerjak’s evil city. He doesn’t intentionally seek it out. He stumbles upon it. If the mini-series had just been one issue longer, the story structure probably would have seemed less messy. As it is, Knuckles survives his enemy’s plot solely because others help him. He then discovers the villain’s lair purely through luck.

The issue is a bit short on action, being mostly devoted to Knuckles in the desert. Where exactly Enerjak got his robot army isn’t explained but Knuckles smashing the bots does lead to some okay action. Still, considering he’s obviously meant to be his arch-enemy, I would’ve liked Enerjak to get some more page-time. He’s the main baddie of the book and Knuckles has only met him once so far. (Also, why does every city on Mobius have to end in “–opolis?” Couldn’t Enerjak have just called his hide-out the Dead City?)

Mawhinney’s artwork remains fine but I’m beginning to suspect that Knuckles’ mini-series will disappoint just like all the others. Maybe we’ll get a bitchin’ final act? I’m not holding my breath. [5/10]

Knuckles the Echidna (Original Mini-Series): Issue 1

Knuckles (Original Mini-Series): Issue 1
Publication Date: May 1996

As I’ve mentioned before, Archie was definitely interested in launching a spin-off series from their successful “Sonic the Hedgehog” comic. The “Princess Sally” and “Tails” mini-series didn’t lead to on-going series about either hero. Suggested mini-series about Bunnie Rabbot or Espio the Chameleon never even saw print. It wasn’t until Archie decided to gift Knuckles the Echidna with a series that this plan met with any success. It’s a conclusion they should’ve touched upon earlier. Until Shadow came along, Knuckles was the only “Sonic” character to rival the blue hedgehog in popularity. In 1996, only a few years apart from his debut appearance, fans were curious about the echidna’s origins and adventures. Writer Ken Penders was all to happy to delve into these issues. He hyped the “Knuckles” mini-series for months before the first issue was actually released.

 
“Rites of Passage” begins with Knuckles finally rescuing his friends from the mysterious Archimedes. After seemingly months of wandering the desert, he makes it inside a pyramid and avoids a number of death traps. Upon reaching the building’s center, he discovers the Chaotix are safe and sound. Archimedes, turns out, is not a great villain. He’s instead a fire-breathing ant that wishes to mentor Knuckles and guild him on his journey. Meanwhile, Knuckles great^X10 grand-uncle Dimitri escapes from his stony tomb. Flying in to meet the young echidna, he introduces himself as Enerjak, an immortal and immensely powerful super-villain.

Knuckles' storyline had been frozen for a while. Via short back-up stories in the “Sonic” series, Penders had been inching the plot forward for months. Some of those back-ups provided valuable information about the history of the echidna race. Too many of them were two-pagers that barely advanced the plot. So finally seeing Knuckles track down Archimedes and rescue the Chaotix is way overdo. The pay-off – that Archimedes isn’t a villain and is also an ant – is slightly disappointing. Turns out, the mystery of Archimedes’ identity was a big false lead. Enerjak is the villain of this mini-series. Penders’ awkward attempt at misdirection didn’t exactly pay off. Truthfully, the most satisfying part of this first issue is Knuckles yelling at Archimedes for being such an evasive jerk. The audience relates.

Plot wise, part one of “Rites of Passage” mostly exists to set-up the rest of the mini-series. Too much page space is devoted to recapping the Knuckles back-stories and showing what happened behind the scenes. The issue ends with Knuckles and Archimedes tossed into the Floating Island’s desert, suggesting the two will put aside their differences and work together. Enerjak’s first appearance – in a rather impressive six page spread – immediately sets him up at the series’ villain and Knuckles’ adversary. One of the first things the bad guy does is put the Chaotix under his will, meaning Knuckles’ primary goal here will be to rescue his friends again. (This, disappointingly, once again sidelines the Chaotix.) After waiting so long to see this mini-series unfolded, it’s a bit of a bummer that the first issue just tosses everyone to the whims of the plot.

This being a comic marketed to young boys, there’s still plenty of action here. Many pages are sacrificed to Knuckles dodging the ancient temples’ death traps. Penders doesn’t even pretend to deny the obvious comparisons to Indiana Jones. Knuckles even out-runs an on-coming boulder. However, a hero exploring a temple full of death traps has a pulpy attraction that’s hard to deny. Knuckles’ also blows a fucking door up with a laser cannon. Like-wise, Enerjak’s first appearance makes an impression. He flies, can shoot laser beams from his hands, teleports people, and seems impervious to regular attacks. That certainly makes him a more intimidating force then Robotnik, at least initially. His design, which decks the echidna out in Egyptian-style gold armor, is also pretty cool.

Thankfully, for the mini-series Ken Penders handed the artist’s pen over to Art Mawhinney. Mawhinney’s skills for clearly illustrated but exciting action is put to good use here. The two-page spread that opens the book, of Knuckles swooping through the traps, is fantastic. On the next page, he leaps from one hazard to the next, Mawhinney nicely capturing a sense of movement. Mawhinney even makes the potentially ridiculous designs of Archimedes and Enerjak look cool. When he first started drawing Knuckles, the artist didn’t have a perfect grasp on the echidna. That’s all changed now. His pencils are smooth, confident, and gorgeous.

Whether or not the “Knuckles” mini-series will ultimately work is still up in the air. The first book is merely the first act, the steps being put in place for the rest of the story. We don’t know if it’ll build towards a satisfying whole yet. Still, it’s not a bad issue either, with some fun action and good artwork. We’ll see where it goes from here. [6/10]