Sonic the Hedgehog: Issue 46

Sonic the Hedgehog: Issue 46
Publication Date: February 1997

As I said last time, with the resolution of the King Acorn story arc behind them and “Endgame” looming ahead, Archie’s “Sonic the Hedgehog” series was mostly just spinning its wheels for a few issues. Issue 46 gives a long overdue introduction to some important supporting cast members, stirs the dramatic pot a bit, and resolves the “Knuckles’ Quest” back-up storyline. On the other hand, it still ends up being a disappointing issue.

Uncle Chuck doesn’t feel too hot. He reflects on his past, how Robotnik turned his Robotocizer – intended as a tool to help the injured – into an object of slavery. More recently, he’s feels like he’s failed the rebellion, not spotting Sleuth Dawg’s treachery or Robotnik’s plans for the Death Egg. In hopes of cheering Chuck up, Sally and the Freedom Fighters invite him to a midnight camp fire retreat. The retreat is interrupted twice. First by Lupe and the Wolf Pack, allies of Mobius. Secondly, by Geoffrey St. John, who begins throwing around some wild accusations.

The inevitable fist fight between Sonic and Geoffrey St. John got the cover but “Countdown to Armageddon” is more about character development. We learn about Uncle Chuck’s past, how he invented the Robotocizer. He details how he went from being a knight of the King to being a lowly chili dog stand purveyor. The book at least acknowledges the weight of his failures and the guilt he feels. Meanwhile, Antoine gets some serious character development too. We learn that his father was a general in the King’s army and trained Antoine to be a cadet. We discover that Ant’s cowardice has been born out of his frustration over failing to rescue his dad from Robotnik and his heart being broken by Sally. Antoine started out as comic relief on “SatAM” but would eventually develop into a brave warrior in the comic. This is the issue where that transition begins.

I wish it was handled better. Instead of letting this information grow organically out of the story, it’s dumped on us over the course of several heavily narrated pages. We get a little bit of Uncle Chuck feeling bad for himself. Antoine, on the other hand, suddenly leaps into action in the second half. After so many issues of being a joke and a fool, it’s a sudden change to see him throwing punches and drawling his sword. Also popping out of nowhere: Bunnie’s romantic feelings for Antoine. Though hinted at before, it springs up suddenly here. With little build-up, she plants a big kiss on him. Even ‘Twain seems surprised. (I guess it’s okay though, seeing as how Antoine and Bunnie would eventually develop into the comic’s most stable romantic couple.)

People who probably have never even read the “Sonic” comic like to refer to it as furry melodrama. The book’s reputation for this stuff is over-exaggerated but issue 46 does, indeed, feature a little too much romantic hand wringing for my taste. Geoffrey St. John drops into the story half-way through. He immediately plants a big, sloppy kiss on Sally’s face, not asking permission first. He then accuses Uncle Chuck of being a double agent. Not shockingly, this royally pisses Sonic off and the two get into a fist fight. In the course of the fight, he points an arrow at the hedgehog and threatens to kill him. Afterwards, he trades fisticuffs with Antoine. Amazingly, after this, Sally is still willing to defend St. John. It’s surprising that Ken Penders, who wrote St. John as a relatively compelling character in the “Sally” mini-series, would write him as such an abrasive dick here.

With everything else going on, the story barely has room to introduce the Wolf Pack. Indeed, Lupe and her clan show up suddenly, making their first appearance in the book. They chat around the camp fire a little. Out of all the wolves, only Drago gets any personal page time. He’s introduced being kind of a jerk, blatantly foreshadowing his eventual betrayal. Lupe doesn’t get to do much and the other members of the pack aren’t developed at all. Considering Lupe is an important member of the Sonic universe, it’s kind of a bummer to see her introduction being slightly half-assed.

Archie continues to bring new artists into the fold. Issue 46 introduces Nelson Ortega. Ortega is capable of some moody artwork. The first page, which shows Uncle Chuck testing his Robotocizer and a character that will soon be revealed to be Sonic’s father, is dramatic enough. However, it’s clear he doesn’t entirely grasp the cast’s designs. Sonic’s hands seem freakishly small in one panel while his head will be hilariously huge in another. The contours of Sally’s face shift throughout. There’s a weird focus on Geoffrey St. John’s teeth, giving him a permanent shit-eating grin. In a few panels, the perspective is seriously off and St. John looks like he has only one eye. Ortega’s stuff is generally a bit flat, lacking flair and emotion. Despite this lackluster debut, he would become a regular artist for at time. Spaz did some clean up in a few panels, which is fairly clear.

Issue 46 also features the conclusion to the “Knuckles Quest” sub-arc. Exploring the secret inner caverns of the Floating Island, Knuckles discovers Mathias Poe and Damocles the Elder, the last figures he was foretold he’d encounter on his quest. The sorcerer doesn’t take kindly to his intrusion and sics a robot on Knuckles. Luckily, Archimedes shows up and helps him out.

“Knuckles Quest” has generally been a disappointing story but it at least ends on a focused note. Mathias Poe is the first villain Knuckles has encounter during this story that isn’t a complete joke. He actually does something threatening, attacking the echidna with a robotic golem. Even then, he’s easily defeated. Knuckles at least uses his wits here, realizing the machine is controlled by magic. The reveal of the Sword of Acorn is mildly clever, though anyone familiar with the origins of the name Damocles could probably guess it. Manny Galan provides the pencils and it’s the first time his artwork actually works. It’s clear he’s taken some lessons from Art Mawhinney, as he begins to bring the same cartoony but appealing element to his work. Everyone is on-model the entire time, if nothing else. Mostly, I’m just glad this story is over.

Issue 46 juggles a lot of stuff and doesn’t really handle it all successfully. It has to develop Uncle Chuck and Antoine, introduce the Wolf Pack, suggest that there’s a traitor on the hero’s side, and bring the Sonic/St. John rivalry to blows. Though it’s a commendable effort, it does not truly work. [6/10]