Sonic Quest: Issue 3

 
Sonic Quest: Issue 3
Publication Date: November 1996

As in the first issue, the second issue of “Sonic Quest” ended on a big ol’ cliffhanger. The Death Egg had squatted itself on the Floating Island and, using its powerful engine, was determined to sink the entire landmass into the sea. And just as it did last time, the book quickly resolves that cliffhanger. Sonic and Tails fight with Robotnik, eventually wrecking the Death Egg’s control panel, sending the war ship higher into the sky. Determined to salvage his evil plan, Robotnik takes the fight straight to Sonic.

Issue 3 is probably the best chapter of the “Death Egg Saga” if only because it’s the one that screws around the least. For one, it’s set mostly within the titular warship. Primarily, the story is focused on heroes wrecking the bad guy’s shit. Sonic and Tails team up to dislodge Robotnik’s scheme, truly working together in what feels like the first time in a while. The mad man and the hero have a one-on-one fight. The bad guy’s evil plot is defeated, his war machine squashed, and the book even remembers to throw some lip service towards the King Acorn subplot. This is easily the smoothest script to emerge from this mini-series.

 
It still has some pretty serious flaws though. Once again, I don’t know what the hell was going on with Mike Gallagher’s dialogue. His work in the other books wasn’t like this. “Sonic Quest” once again features some painfully heavy-handed, bloated dialogue. Robotnik explains what the Death Egg is doing as it does it. Sonic narrates his combat with the SWATBot and later spells out his fight with Silver Sonic in equal detail. Tails recaps the villain’s plot. Robotnik details every step of his scheme, whether it involves Sonic being smothered with poison gas, the Death Egg’s direction shifting, or the introduction of the book’s big robotic enemy. Every single page in this book is filled with overstuffed word bubbles. Was this an editorial decision? Or was Mike really making sure newcomers understood what was going on?

“Sonic Quest” also has the same problem that all of Archie’s three-part mini-series face. Three issues really isn’t enough space to develop this storyline. After only one issue of actually doing anything, the Death Egg is unceremoniously destroyed. Robotnik’s scheme is deflated before it even really begins. Considering how big a deal the Death Egg is supposed to be, Tails has a surprisingly easy time blowing it up. A few stray shots to the control panel send it soaring into space. A few easy steps, done off-panel, begins the ship’s self-destruct sequence. Despite his prominent placement on the cover, Knuckles plays a small role in the book. (The cover lies. He never teams up with Sonic.) The Floating Island business is quickly resolved. If “Sonic Quest” had just one more issue, it probably could have spread its story around in a more satisfying manner.

As was the case last time, action is where this book truly excels. Throughout the book’s history, it has portrayed Sonic and friends escaping Robotnik’s wrath too easily. This time, the mad doctor traps Sonic in a glass trap and pumps in some poison gas. If Tails hadn’t intervened, our hedgehog hero would be dead as dog shit. I also like that “Sonic Quest” gave Tails so much to do. He successfully infiltrates Robotnik’s warship, rescues his idol, and destroys the Death Egg. That’s a far cry from the incompetent kid he was in his own mini-series. Lastly, the book ends on some pretty big rumbles. Sonic battles Silver Sonic, a giant mechanical version of himself. The Archie version of Silver Sonic is far more intimidating then the goofy looking version from “Sonic the Hedgehog 2.”

Afterwards, Sonic crawls inside the mecha-hedgehog and uses it like armor. This is well-timed, since Robotnik had just slipped into his own battle suit, given the punful name of “The Eggs-o-Skeleton.” The battle between hero and villain is too brief but it’s pretty satisfying to see Sonic and Robotnik battle one-on-one. For arch-enemies, they rarely fight head on. This is usually fine, as Sonic is physically gifted and Robotnik is mentally gifted. However, there’s something to be said for the good guy and the bad guy wailing on each other.

The plot has still got some issues and Gallagher’s dialogue is astonishingly bad. However, part three of the “Death Egg Saga” satisfies in a way the previous two issues didn’t. An additional plus is Manny Galan’s artwork, which has gotten more competent with every issue. He’s finally got a solid grasp on Sonic and friend’s anatomy. (He’s also the only person to draw Tails with a neck, I think.) He’s good at action and movement too, which works with this script. I can’t really recommend the “Sonic Quest” series, as its troubled production is all too obvious. Still, it is slightly better then its reputation suggests and wraps up on an okay note. [7/10]