Sonic the Hedgehog: Issue 58

Sonic the Hedgehog: Issue 58
Publication Date: February 1998

As previously mentioned, I did not read the “Knuckles the Echidna” solo series very often when it was being published. Like I said, this was not out of any ill-will towards the echidna but simply because money was tight at the time. Unfortunately, Archie was determined to have the two series frequently cross over. Issue 58 of “Sonic the Hedgehog” occurs right in the middle of Knuckles’ “The Forgotten Tribe” story arc, essentially expanding that story line from three issues to four. This really does a disservice to both series. First off, Sonic is cheated out of the starring role in his own book. Secondly, “Friendly Rogues & Foul Villains” has a totally different tone than “The Forgotten Tribe.” Inserting a Robin Hood pastiche into the middle of an Exodus pastiche robs both stories of their deeper meaning and fun factor.

Picking up where we left off, Sonic and Tails are chained up in the dungeon of a castle. As they explain to Yanar, a random-ass echidna who plays a small part in the book, Sonic and Tails’ journey around Mobius was interrupted by a freak storm. The two where downed in the strange territory of Deerwood Forest and quickly captured by Robians, loyal to the deceased Robotnik. Meanwhile, Knuckles befriends local hero Rob O’ the Hedge. Soon, the two teams cross paths, Sonic and Tails discovering the territory’s villainous leader has a personal connection to a friend of their’s.

“Friendly Rogues & Foul Villains” feels a bit like a throwback to an earlier time in the book’s history. The area is referred to as Snottingham. Dropping Sonic and friends into a Robin Hood-style setting really does feel like something Mike Gallagher would’ve done back in the day. Tails is strapped to a table and tortured with… Tickling. Contrasted against the mystical, mythology-heavy events of the “Knuckles” book, the story comes off as even sillier.

Yet that’s not totally a bad thing. The entire point of the “Back to Basics” story arc was to send Sonic and Tails on carefree adventures around the world. Seeing the hedgehog spin-dashing robots, escaping a dungeon, exploring a castle, discovering secret passage ways, and getting into a sword fight with a bad guy is fun. The dialogue is pretty goofy at times, which may be the fault of Penders’ uncredited co-writer Clayton Emery, but that only goes so far to drain the fun from “Friendly Rogues & Foul Villains.”

Even in a light-hearted story like this, Penders didn’t miss a chance to expand Sonic and Knuckles’ world. The story introduces Rob O’ the Hedge. Yep, it’s basically Sonic as Robin Hood, including strangled faux Olde English dialogue. Rob is a shade lighter than Sonic and wears a hood. Otherwise, the characters are identical. This is even a plot point. While this does nothing to dissuade Ken’s tendency for recolors, Rob is kind of a fun character. Like Sonic, he showboats and brags, despite being slightly clumsy. Yet this is an older archetype, dating back to at least Errol Flynn. Like Flynn’s Robin Hood, Rob O’ the Hedge makes rebelling against a villainous monarch look an awful lot like fun, not letting the situation get him down. Rob is definitely more endearing than his echidna love interest, Mari-An. Inserting Knuckles and the Forgotten Tribe into this story truly feels out of place.

Still, the only genuinely disappointing aspect of the story is its villain. Not too long ago, Antoine referenced his father being a proud member of King Acorn’s royal court and how he vanished during the Great War. Here, we discover his fate. Armand D’Coolette was captured by Robotnik and robotocized, becoming the wicked High Sheriff. It’s an interesting idea, showing that Robotnik’s death did not mean his empire crumbled overnight. There are still pockets out there, continuing to fight their dead boss’ fight. However, if the book was going to re-introduce Antoine’s dad as a Robian, I really wish Antoine had been along for the adventure. Imagine how much more heartbreaking that would be. That Antoine would be reunited with his father, only to discover that he’s a brainwashed robot, who has totally forgotten about his boy. Instead, Sonic has to feel angsty on his friend’s behalf.

Manny Galan gets credited at the front of the book but the pencils were actually by Art Mawhinney. And, goddamn, they are good. This is an action-heavy story and Mawhinney excels at action. The brief scuffle between Knuckles and Rob is fantastic, as is Sonic’s escape from the dungeon. It’s also great to see Mawhinney drawing a forested area again. Deerwood Forest looks beautiful. Yet Mawhinney’s cartooning roots truly make the goofier moments, such as Tails’ tickle torture or Rob’s strutting, look great as well.

Issue 58 would be a fun if uneven book if it wasn’t for the back-up story. “The Living Crown” is presented as part of a new series, “Tales of the Freedom Fighters.” Basically, these back-up stories would focus on what’s going on at Knothole while Sonic and Tails travel the world.

“The Living Crown” is devoted to exposition. While Dr. Quack studies the recently recovered King Acorn, he explains why Mobotropolis is still a monarchy. Turns out, the Kings are chosen by the Source of All, a pool of golden liquid in the castle’s basement. The Source of All is the building block of the universe, an apparent direct route of communication with God. Anyway, as a boy, Max bathed in the Source and the drippings were molded into the Sword and Crown of Acorn. The rest of the back-up essentially explains the business about how the Crown could reside in the King’s mind and why he has a mystic connection with the Sword.

Out of all the mystic juju that would be introduced in the book during this time, the Source of All is probably the most confounding. While the echidnas have always been very mystical, the Kingdom of Acorn struck me as areligious. Explaining the Kings take advice from a pool of molten gold in their basement, aside from being really weird, totally changes the context of what the Kingdom means. The royalty is no longer just a collection of reasonable leaders. Now, they’re divinely ordained. Mostly, the explanation for why King Max has a magical connection with his sword and crown is strangled exposition.

Also weird: No artists or writers are credited with this story, then or now. I’m fairly certain the first half is drawn by Sam Maxwell, as his big colorful eyes are hard to miss, while the latter half looks like Galan. As for the writing, who knows. It would be nice to blame this mystical la-la on Penders but it also reads a lot like Scott Fulop, who introduced the Sword of Acorn after all.

The cover story for Issue 58 sticks out among the stories it’s running against and has some problems but still manages to be fun. The back-up story raises more questions than it answers. Does that even out to a [7/10?] I suppose it does.

Knuckles the Echidna: Issue 11

Knuckles the Echidna: Issue 11
Publication Date: February 1998

Remember how I said the first issue of “The Forgotten Tribe” arc sacrificed a rich emotional heart in the name of building up the mythology yet more? Yeah, well, get used to that. Issue 11 carries on in much the same direction. Knuckles’ relationship with his mom was a highlight of the first part. Lara-Le is nowhere to be seen this time. The Chaotix and Julie-Su drop in for all of one page. Nope, this time “Knuckles the Echidna” is the Mystic Athair Hour.

Last time, Knuckles, Athair, and the wandering tribe of echidnas were left floating above a lava-filled chasm in the ground, caused by an earthquake. Using some mystical juju, Athair levitates the entire gang into the air, saving them from immolation. After setting up camp for the night, Athair explains to his great-grandson how he ended up on the mystical path. In the morning, Knuckles is left to lead the Forgotten Tribe to their destination. Instead, they encounter trouble and two familiar faces. Meanwhile, in Echidnopolis, Remington deputizes the Chaotix in Knuckles’ absence, Julie-Su suddenly appearing among them.

Listen, I don’t dislike the crazy mythology Ken built up around Knuckles’ grim destiny. My biggest problem with the Brotherhood is that they stand around like a bunch of assholes, observing without acting. When they do take action, it’s always in the form of a cheap deus ex machina. Luckily, the Brotherhood continues to be absent from this storyline.

Instead, the second part of “The Forgotten Tribe” is mostly dedicated to explaining what the hell Athair’s deal is. We learn that he went through the same childhood rituals that Knuckles did. Since Athair’s father died young, his mother assumed the role of Guardian. As Locke would later do, she disappeared behind a wall of fire, leaving little Athair to fend for himself. Unlike Knuckles, the Ancient Walkers appeared to Athair, told him about Haven and the Brotherhood, and informed him that he had a greater destiny. In a weird parallel to Moses and Israel, Athair’s destiny was to lead the Forgotten Tribe to a promise land called Albion. Later, Athair would conceive a child with a woman from the Tribe. His son, Sabre, resented Athair for abandoning his post as Guardian of the Floating Island. Well, that explains why everyone in the Brotherhood hates Athair.

This information is not presented in the most elegant of ways. Athair explains in an extended flashback, dumping this info on Knuckles around the camp fire. It awkwardly ties Robotnik and Athair’s original role in the “Tails” mini-series together. The trip to Albion was interrupted by some SWATBots, Athair’s wife got robotocized and he just decided to hang out in Downunda for a while afterwards.

Like I said, throwing it out in this manner isn’t especially elegant but at least it finally provides some damn answers. On the other hand, I’m not a fan of the woo-woo nonsense that comes with Athair. The levitating, the communication with the Ancient Walkers, the constant talk of destiny and fate… It’s all pretty tiring. Once again, the book leans on Knuckles’ life being directed by powers beyond his control.

The biggest problem with issue 11 is that Penders has, once again, lost sight of the heart of the matter. As a fan, I’m really curious what’s going on with Julie-Su. Her character arc has been floundering for the last two issues. Even longer if you include Knuckles’ incoherent adventure in issue 56 of “Sonic!” The Chaotix, meanwhile, ask Remington what the hell Knuckles is up to. He basically tells them that’s beyond their pay grade and that’s it. It’s been said that Penders was more interested in his mythology then developing SEGA-licensed characters. Boy, is that apparent here.

The ending comes off as a real ass pull. Knuckles wanders out of a vaguely middle-eastern area into a green, forested area. He meets some people, there are robots and a castle. Boom, here’s a cameo from Sonic and Tails. See you in “Sonic the Hedgehog: Issue 58!” Manny Galan’s artwork makes great use of silhouette and profiles, though those robots at the end look pretty janky. If things don’t soon get better with this arc, I may find myself asking the question “When are they getting back to the Floating Island?” [6/10]

Knuckles the Echidna: Issue 10

Knuckles the Echidna: Issue 10
Publication Date: January 1998

As I’ve mentioned before, I didn’t read much of “Knuckles the Echidna” when the comic was on newsstands. I eventually caught up with the first two story arcs after ordering the back issues through Archie. For whatever reason, I only sporadically bought the book after that. One story arc I missed entirely was the one that ran in issues 10 through 12, “The Forgotten Tribe.” This is one of the reasons I wanted to review all of Archie’s Sonic-verse books, as an excuse to finally read these stories. This is the first time I’ve ever read this comic.

Echidnaopolis is still reeling from the Dark Legion’s latest attack on the city. Knuckles, meanwhile, is more concerned with matters closer to home. He attempts to re-connect with his mother. This reconciliation is immediately interrupted when great-grandfather Athair appears in Lara-Le’s apartment. He teleports Knuckles to an obscure corner of Mobius. There, the mystic introduces Knuckles to the Forgotten Tribe, a group of echidnas who fled the Floating Island before it started floating. Athair begins discussing the Days of Fury, a prophesied cataclysm, just as strange weather and earthquakes grip the globe. Meanwhile, Julie-Su remains in the custody of Constable Remington.

“The Other Road Taken” continues a problem that has plagued the “Knuckles” book from its inception. The series has a great cast of characters – I suppose I’m including Vector and the Brotherhood in that – but frequently sidelines them in favor of continuing to build up its convoluted mythology. “The Forgotten Tribe” begins with its story rooted in emotions. Just as Sonic awkwardly attempted to reconnect with his parents in issue 57 of that series, issue 10 of “Knuckles” begins with the young guardian meeting with his mom. The book introduces the concept of religion in echidna society. Lara-Le is introduced sitting in an Aurorium, a church dedicated to the goddess Aurora. Knuckles waits outside for her, not feeling comfortable inside the house of worship.

There are several cute moments here. Knuckles becomes frustrated when discussing his father, clearly starting to resent the man. When Knuckles lashes out at Athair, Lara-Le insists her son respect his great-grandfather. Considering Knuckles has already had all sorts of wacky adventures, seeing him brought down to Earth by his mom is a really cute, grounding moment.

Issue 10 gladly makes room for Knuckles and Lara-Le’s relationship. Another important female in his life, unfortunately, gets a shorter stick. Issue 9 ended on something of a cliffhanger, Julie-Su arrested with the rest of the Dark Legion, assumed to be a collaborator. Julie-Su appears in one scene, interrogated by Remington, and is treated like a criminal. It would’ve been nice if the book shed a little more light on Julie-Su’s reasoning for hanging out with the Dark Legion. She herself seems uncertain of the motivation behind her actions. There’s two beautiful panels where she sadly lowers her head, wondering why Knuckles isn’t coming to her defense. (The Chaotix similarly get a single page appearance, where Vector continues to bitch about Julie-Su’s allegiance.)

That’s a good question too. Instead of Knuckles coming to the aide of his potential girlfriend, he’s swept up in another crazy adventure. Ken Penders continues to delight in expanding the series mythology. Maybe religion will be the primary theme in “The Forgotten Tribe.” We discover that, before the Floating Island rose into the sky, the leader of the echidna’s state religion requested to leave the city. He took a group of followers with him, who traveled all over Mobius, never finding a place where they could be accepted. They’ve continue to walk the globe ever since. I actually think this stuff is pretty interesting. The flashbacks, where the echidnas’ machinery fail and they have peaceful but tense encounters with other species, are interesting. I just wish this stuff didn’t take us away from the story’s more pressing emotional concerns.

As for the Days of Fury… Yeah, that really plays like a lame way to force some conflict into this story. Just as Athair starts talking about this prophesied catastrophe, it begins to happen. This series didn’t need another ancient prophecy or in-coming disaster. The doomsday events – out of control weather and a giant chasm opening in the ground – aren’t the most original idea either. At least Athair reveals a little more humor and humanity here then in any previous appearance. The Brotherhood doesn’t put in an appearance either, thankfully.

Manny Galan’s artwork is pretty great, aside from a handful of off-model moments. I like “The Other Road Taken” but I wish it focused a little more on the cute, character moments then on setting up yet another world shaking event. Maybe it’ll get better. [6/10]

Sonic the Hedgehog: Issue 57

Sonic the Hedgehog: Issue 57
Publication Date: January 1998

For Archie fans old enough to remember, January of 1998 was an uncertain year for the comic series. Head-writers Ken Penders and Karl Bollers, post-“Endgame,” promised that the series focus would be changing a bit. He wanted to refocus on Sonic and Tails. Fans, such as Dan Drazen, worried this meant Princess Sally and the rest of the SatAM crew would be written out of the book. That didn’t happen, of course. Instead, Sonic and Tails went on an adventure around Mobius, expanding the series’ scope and showing what Sonic the Hedgehog could get up to in a world without Robotnik. This time of upheaval and change began in issue 57. It’s announced right in the cover story’s title, “Back to Basics.”

Over the last few issues, Sonic had been bemoaning his role in Mobotropolis without a mad dictator to fight. He decides to set out on an adventure, following Ixis Naugus’ trail and helping whoever he encounters along the way. Before leaving Knothole, Rotor finds a device among Robotnik’s lab that can reportedly predict the future. When Sonic places it on his head, it instead shows him the past. After a lengthy recap of the comic’s history, Sonic bids farewell to his parents, to Sally, and to the city he now calls home.

If you measure quality by how much a story advances the plot, issue 57 would rate very lowly. If this was a television show, this issue would be referred to as a “clip show.” Usually, when a comic resorts to an antic such as this, it simply reprints those old stories. For whatever reason, Archie didn’t want to just reprint moments from the comic’s first 56 issues. Instead, Art Mawhinney sat down to redraw many of these events. Quickly, “Back to Basics” devolves into Art drawing small version of Patrick Spazinate’s covers while Sonic, in a narration box, provides a capsule summery of the issue’s events. Mawhinney’s work is great, typically. However, Karl Bollers’ decision to have Sonic narrate everything shoves an awful lot of dialogue in the hedgehog’s mouth. It’s very unlike the character to expound at such length about things.

Putting out a glorified clip book had two purposes, I imagine. Considering “Endgame” concluded just seven issues ago and the book was heading in a new direction, Archie was probably expecting new readers to pick up the series. Who knows if it worked that way but, nevertheless, Issue 57 existed to catch everyone up. On the other hand, in this Brave New World, the extensive recap serves to show what still is and isn’t canon. This is likely because, way back in issue 2 of the original “Sonic” mini-series, there was a story about King Acorn’s Crown. Just recently, a totally different version of the Crown appeared. You’d think the writers would use to this oppretunity to declare many of the series’ earliest, goofiest stories as non-canon.

 
Instead, issue 57 maintains almost everything. The UniverSalamander, Verti-Cal and Horizon-Al, Thorny the Needle Bird, Spawnmower, the Nerbs, Sonic’s caveman ancestors, the Termite-Nator, RoboStorm, Car-Heem of Weeet, and plenty of other goofy shit is clarified as still existing. (Even though I only read these stories a few months ago, I’ve already forgotten half of this shit.) For that matter, “Back to Basics” recounts Sonic’s adventures on a nearly issue-by-issue basis. It doesn’t stop when it comes to the present either. It recounts shit that happened just a few issues ago. The book goes right up to Endgame, Monkey Khan, and “Return of the King.” I’m not exactly sure what the point of all that was.

In its last few pages, “Back to Basics” somehow provides a reason for why it exists. After the memory projector explodes, Sonic gets ready to leave. In two pages, he has heart-to-heart conversations with both his parents and Sally. His interaction with his parents is brief but gets to the point. Sonic admits that he’s intentionally been avoiding them, because he still doesn’t know how to react to their existence. However, he clarifies that he still needs them in his life. It’s a little too brief an interaction and undermined by Sonic leaving in just a few pages.

The conversation with Sally is a lot better. Sonic sheepishly admits how he feels about the Princess, in so many words. It’s fun that the book remembers that these are still teenagers, prone to shyness when frankly discussing romance. Mawhinney’s pencils go a long way towards selling that emotion, both of them walking with their hands behind their backs, reserved and uncertain. It’s pretty sweet stuff and continues to show that Bollers’ strength still lie in honest emotion.

Despite being a mostly useless book, as a kid I was still a fan of issue 57. As I previously mentioned, I hadn’t yet read many of those early issues at that time. Getting to see what happened in those stories was a nice treat for me. It reminds me of a time when not everything was available at our fingertips. Those final moments of emotion go a long way towards justifying the issue’s existence. Mawhinney’s artwork helps a lot too. Issue 57 is still mostly useless though. [5/10]

Sonic Super Special: Issue 4 - Return of the King

Sonic Super Special: Issue 4 – Return of the King
Publication Date: January 1998

In Sonic Super Special Issue 2, Archie stole their title from Aldous Huxley. With Sonic Super Special Issue 4, Archie stole their title from J.R.R. Tolkien! Well, if you’re going to steal, steal from the best. Anyway, I have a specific memory attached to “Return of the King.” At some point, I left the comic in the bathroom as commode reading. Afterwards, my mom actually picked up the comic and read it. She really liked this story, which surprised me. I didn’t bond with my parents over Sonic the Hedgehog that often, I can tell you that.

Picking up after that ridiculous Mammoth Mogul business was resolved in issue 56 of “Sonic,” the Freedom Fighters arrive in Mobotropolis. King Acorn greets them and claims to be of sound mind. This is in contrast to the last time they saw him, when he was yelling about dismantling all the Robians. The Freedom Fighters act unusually antagonistic towards the Robians and re-convince the King to commit genocide against the robotic citizens. Later, the Freedom Fighters seemingly re-arrive in the city, which is gripped by civil war. Their plane is shot down and they find themselves targeted by soldiers of the king and Robian rebels. After Uncle Chuck is nearly killed, Sonic realizes something is up.

Too often in recent memories, the “Sonic” series has fallen back on magic and omniscient higher powers manipulating events. That doesn’t change any in “Return of the King.” Readers will immediately notice how out-of-characters the Freedom Fighters are acting. Considering Sonic and Uncle Chuck’s reconciliation in issue 54, the hedgehog continuing to blame his uncle is definitely an uncharacteristic moment. King Acorn continues to act like a huge cock, a brief talk with his daughter being all the convincing he needs to massacre the Robians.

The Mobian soldiers and Robian rebels taking shots at everyone is also explained as an act of magical manipulation. That’s right, guys. Ixis Naugus is back in town and fucking with everybody’s shit. On one hand, this nicely explains where the evil sorcerer has been since the end of issue 53. He’s been hiding inside King Acorn, possessing his body. However, as an explanation for the King’s extreme actions and a motivator for the plot, it’s undeniably lazy.

Also lazy: The role the Sword of Acorn plays. Three times, the Sword is used to heal someone in this story. After a soldier with an itchy trigger finger blows Uncle Chuck away, Sonic grabs the sword, ready to murder the guy. Luckily, the blade repairs Chuck and frees everyone from Naugus’ manipulation. After realizing Naugus has possessed the King, Sonic flashes the sword to exorcise Max’s body. The magic also saves both from falling to their deaths. On the story’s final page, the Sword reverses King Acorn’s crystallization. Gee, is there anything the Sword of Acorn can’t do? Apparently an alternate spelling for “sword” is “deus ex machine.”

For one last ass-pull, Karl Bollers remembers that the King’s magical crown was lost in the Halls of Limbo. After being de-crystalized, the Crown reappears on Acorn’s head. Get this!: the Halls of Limbo where located within his own mind.

Despite these narrative problems, “Return of the King” is still a solid page-turner. Though he has some annoying tendency, I admire Bollers’ willingness to take these characters and their world seriously. After Uncle Chuck is shot, his body has a huge hole blown through his chest. Smoke billows from his vacant eyes and opened mouth. Sonic is outright ready to kill the shooter after that, pointing the sword at his chest. Holy cow, is this still a kids’ book? What resolves this moment marks the first time Sonic’s parents have done anything since they’ve been introduced. Jules and Bernie appear and talk Sonic back from committing homicide.

Sonic isn’t the only character who re-connects with a parent. After his mind is freed from the wizard, Sally gives the King a deep hug, father and daughter truly reunited for the first time. During the fall, the Sword landed upright in a stone. In a nice mythic touch, King Max pulls the sword from the stone, the action that restores him fully.

Sam Maxwell pencils the story. While I was impressed with his debut in “Battle Royal,” Maxwell’s subsequent work has underwhelmed me. The artist is back in form with “Return of the King.” I continue to love the way he draws Princess Sally, which filters her original design through an anime lens. That style, which includes big heads and spindly bodies, takes some getting use to. I like it though, as it recalls the original game artwork. Maxwell is also really good at action, bringing a dynamic energy to the sequences, framing the panels like cinematic story boards.

The second story in “Return of the King” takes us back to “Endgame.” In “Down and Out in Downunda,” Antoine and Bunnie recount how they escaped Crocbot’s prison camp in the spaces between issues 49 and 50. Basically, Bunnie outsmarts her captive. She slips her organic hand out of her shackles, blows the explosive collar, and knocks down the cell door. The Downunda Freedom Fighters prepare to make scrap metal out of Crocbot’s robotic soldiers. While they whoop ass, Bunnie and Antoine sneak aboard Crocbot’s cargo ship. There, they defuse a plan by the reptilian mechanoid to nuke Robotnik’s city.

“Down and Out in Downunda” continues the gritty tone established by the title story. Barby and Walt Wallabe worry that Crocbot has murdered their team meets. Later, their captor out-right proclaims his desire to kill his captives. When Bunnie frees their cellmates, they are so pissed off. The Downunda Freedom Fighters may not have the most defined personality but there’s one thing they do well: Kick ass! Watching them tear apart the bad guys is so satisfying.

The business on the ship is a lot less interesting. An entire panel is devoted to a recording of Robotnik explaining what the Ultimate Annihilator is. Though Crocbot planning to betray Robotnik is definitely in character for the robotic minion, I’m not exactly sure why Bunnie and Antoine defuse this plot. You’d think they see it as a chance to take out their greatest enemy. Or did they figure that Sonic would be in town by that point?

Parts of “Down and Out in Downunda” where originally intended to appear in issue 50. Most of the story would be reprinted when the extended cut of the issue was presented as the sixth Sonic Super Special. Nelson Ortega does the artwork and it’s swell. His image of an angry Barby, showing her claws, is probably my favorite drawing of that character. His action is brutal and direct. His facial expressions are serious. His artwork both pairs well with Sam Maxwell’s work on the main story and has a gritty energy and gravitas all its own.

Truthfully, I like a lot about “Return of the King.” The artwork is good throughout, the script wraps up several story arcs, the book has a serious tone and an emotional heart. I just wish the plotting was a little less contrived. Oh well, that’s comic books, I suppose. [7/10]

Sonic the Hedgehog: Issue 56

Sonic the Hedgehog: Issue 56
Publication Date: January 1998

I was nine years old in January of 1998, around abouts when issue 56 of “Sonic the Hedgehog” was published. When it started, I wasn’t reading the “Knuckles the Echidna” series. This wasn’t because I disliked the character or wasn’t interested in his adventures. The truth is I bought the comics with my own allowance money. I didn’t have much expendable income and, since there were other toys and books I was interested in, I couldn’t justify subscribing to a second series. At the time, I naively assumed there was no reason for me to read both. Soon enough, I discovered that Archie planned for multiple crossovers between the “Sonic” and “Knuckles” book. Issue 56 followed up directly on a cliffhanger introduced in issue 9 of “Knuckles.” This left me extremely confused about the comic’s contents. Back then, I just assumed I missed something important in “Knuckles.” Re-reading this one as an adult, it’s readily apparent that the issue itself is just extremely incoherent.

After the events of “Dark Vengeance,” Mammoth Mogul has teleported Sonic, Knuckles, and Tails off to some sort of cosmic plain. Atop a floating chunk of space debris, they’re attacked by rock monsters. After a brief scuffle, Athair appears in the sky and a portal opens behind him. Meanwhile, Mogul has become supercharged by Enerjak’s power, transforming into Master Mogul. While destroying an indistinct rocky part of the Floating Island, Sonic and Knuckles somehow reappear, lugging behind fifty power rings. After being zapped by Mogul’s chaos energy, they transform into Super Sonic and Hyper Knuckles. Soon enough, Tails appears in his own super form, Turbo Tails, carrying a Chaos Syphon with him. The battle concludes in the Chaos Chamber where the Brotherhood of Guardians intervene, combining the Floating Island’s two Chaos Emeralds into one and trapping Mogul inside. Now defeated, Knuckles is free to return the Sword of Acorn to Sally.

I don’t even know where to start with this one. “Immortality is forever… Life is Finite,” from the title on down, is a smoldering heap of (hedge)hogwash. The story lurches around in awkward, confusing ways. First, Sonic, Knuckles, and Tails are on a rock floating through space. Two pages later, Sonic’s figure 8 maneuver somehow sends them floating up into a portal that appears out of nowhere. Instead of attacking Echidnaopolis, Mogul attacks a castle on a rocky outcropping, apparently somewhere on the Floating Island. Inside, supporting characters randomly appear and disappear. Archimedes, a dingo, Hershey the Cat, Sally, Rotor, Athair, and Vector all zip in and out of panels, senselessly. Sonic and Knuckles reappear out of nowhere, continuing to fight Mogul in this ill-defined setting. Then the Floating Island is in space. Then Tails shows back up, without explanation, holding a Chaos Syphon. Where did the Chaos Syphon come from? I don’t know!

More characters reappear, Mogul somehow ends up in the Chaos Chamber, and Locke somehow traps Mogul by creating the Master Emeralds. It’s all so horribly incoherent that I frequently have no clear idea what’s going on. In previous issues, writer Scott Fulop fell back on explaining events with magic, the Ancient Walkers, or Mogul’s spells. Tails being the Chosen One, a plot point not referenced since his three-page mini-series, is also trotted out for no reason. That tendency is in overdrive here, half of the book’s events occurring due to some powerful being making an off-screen decision. About the only meaningful thing we learn in this issue is that Mogul has a Chaos Emerald embedded in his chest. Holy fuck, it’s bad.

Part of the reason issue 56 is so difficult to follow is because of John Herbert’s artwork. Herbert previously illustrated Snively’s sequences in issue 54 of “Sonic.” Those scenes where atmospheric and moody. Unfortunately, Herbert’s work here is a complete mess. The artwork is overly dark and difficult to follow. The characters frequently seem to be floating in an empty panel, without context of their location or place within it. Herbert’s action is awful, as Sonic and Knuckles rarely seem to be interacting with Mogul. For some god forsaken reason, an entire page shows the action as reflected in Locke’s computer screens.  That means the images are without color and are slightly warped. As if the action wasn’t warped enough already. The combination of a script that can’t keep still and disjointed artwork results in a books that’s impossible to follow.

In its last third, this mess of an issue finally comes back down to Earth. The pencils switch over to Manny Galan. For all his flaws – such as giant teeth or off-model Freedom Fighters – at least you can tell what’s actually happening on Galan’s pages. Knuckles bequeaths the Sword of Acorn to Sally, finally resolving that long dangling plot point. In its final pages, Sonic and Knuckles have a talk outside the city. Both are having a hard time relating to a world without Robotnik. While Sonic tries to convince Knuckles to run away with him – emphasis on the gay subtext there’s, not mine – Knuckles decides the newly changed Floating Island needs him more. The book concludes with Sonic conferring with his other male life partner, Tails. Scott Fulops’ dialogue continues to be awful but at least there’s some sort of bearing to these scenes.

Though there’s still a lot of shit to shift through, “Immortality is Forever… Life is Finite” is definitely one of the most haphazard story Archie ever (barely) assembled. Despite this issue being awful, it would contribute two lasting aspects to the Archie Sonic-verse. Tails’ super form of Turbo Tails would reappear a few times. Mammoth Mogul would remain trapped inside the Master Emerald for a while. As a villain that was potentially interesting but rarely well used, I can’t say I’ll miss him. As for this story, I have to give it the dreaded [3/10.]

THE 1997 SONIC THE HEDGEHOG COMIC BEST/WORST LIST!

  
1997 has got to be one of the biggest years for Sonic the Hedgehog, at least in the comic books. The series celebrated its five year anniversary, publishing over fifty issues. With “Endgame,” the first major chapter in Archie Sonic history wrapped up, as Robotnik was defeated and the Freedom Fighters reclaimed Mobotropolis. Archie, meanwhile, launched two separate new series. The first of which was Sonic Super Special, a quarterly publication of double-length issues which replaced the regularly published one-shots. The second was the long demanded “Knuckles the Echidna” on-going series, which also provided some major shake-up to the series’ world. It was a big year with a lot things happening so let’s get to it.

The following “Sonic” material was released in 1997:

Sonic the Hedgehog: #45 -55
Knuckles the Echidna: #1-9
Sonic Super Special: #1-3
Sonic Blast

BEST COVER STORY:
Karl Bollers, “Running to Stand Still” (Sonic the Hedgehog: Issue 54)

The best Sonic stories of 1997 seemed to be slower paced and more character orientated. This is most obvious with issue 54’s “Running to Stand Still,” one of Karl Bollers’ best stories for the series. There’s no action, as the issue is instead focused on Sonic feeling out of place in this brave new world and the sudden complications in his relationship with his uncle. Bollers manages to pay off on these ideas in a satisfying manner too. It was rare but the book would, from time to time, slow down to focus on weightier, more serious themes such as these.

WORST COVER STORY:
Angelo DeCesare, “Guerrilla Thriller” (Sonic the Hedgehog: Issue 45)

Right before the start of the deadly serious “Endgame” arc, Archie invited back one of the writers from the goofier, earlier days. The result is “Guerrilla Thriller,” a useless story. The new additions to the world – the gorilla army fighting against Robotnik – are not well developed. Sonic and Rotor are imprisoned for most of the story, removing the heroes from the plot. Mobie the Cave Bear is brought back and contributes next to nothing to the story. It all wraps with a rushed wet fart of a climax. “Guerrilla Thriller” does not represent DeCesare’s best work.

BEST BACK STORY:
Ken Penders, “Unfinished Business” (Sonic the Hedgehog: Issue 53)

Though not technically a “back” story, as it appeared in the front of the book, “Unfinished Business” is another action free story devoted to relationships. Sonic continues to feel uncertain about his parents. Knuckles expresses anxieties about the many changes to his life. Sally continues to struggle to rebuild a city destroyed by a madman. Yet within an otherwise grim setting, Penders manages to find cute moments of banter and sweetness between the cast. It’s a touching little tale.

WORST BACK STORY:
Karl Bollers, “First Contact” (Sonic the Hedgehog: Issue 52)

The problem with “First Contact” is it’s not much of a story. Most of its pages are devoted to recapping the events of “Endgame.” When not discussing the details of that recent story, “First Contact” devotes itself to figuring out some of the more bizarre recent shake-ups. Such as Knothole being stuck in a time warp, three hours in the future for some reason. It’s an awkward attempt to establish the changes to the comic’s world, mostly telling the reader things they already know.

 
BEST STORY ARC:
Ken Penders, “The Dark Legion” (Knuckles the Echidna 1-3)

“The Dark Legion” suffers from a lot of the same problems Penders’ other story arcs faced: A rushed and muddled ending, mythological set-up that isn’t paid off on, characters acting oddly. Despite these issues, it’s still a compelling action yarn. There’s a cool new villain, in the form the titular legion and its ruthless leader Kragok. The Chaotix and Knuckles actually work together to take down the bad guys. The expansion of the back story is mostly well done. The pacing moves quickly enough that the bumps go unnoticed. It’s one of the most consistent arcs to feature thus far in “Knuckles’” book.

WORST STORY ARC:
Scott Fulop and Ken Penders, the latter half of “Knuckles’ Quest” (Sonic the Hedgehog 45-46)

This is, admittedly, a bit of a cheat, since “Knuckles’ Quest” began in 1996. But there’s no doubt that this was one of the lamest story arcs to appear in the book. Knuckles is sent on a generic fetch quest for a forgettable MacGuffin. He encounters a bunch of immediately forgettable fantasy heroes and villains that do not feel like they belong in this book. For at least one of these stories, Knuckles is completely helpless, at the will of the bad guys. Too often, he bumbles into things. It’s definitely one of the story lines I give the fewest shits about. In fact, it’s fair to say I gave no shits about it.

BEST COVER ART:
Sonic the Hedgehog: Issue 48 – Patrick Spazinate

Issue 48 features some of Sonic’s darkest moments, as he’s framed for the murder of his girlfriend and pursued by former allies. Spaz’ cover art follows suit. It’s grimy, as Sonic flees through a dirty, black cave, stepping in a sickly green puddle of liquid. Sonic himself is smudged with dirt, his shoes and gloves torn. Shackles still dangle from his wrists and ankles. In the background, the silhouetted guards chase after him, shining a single flashlight on the fleeing hero. “Fugitive” is spray-painted over “Hedgehog” in the title, the red paint looking a lot like blood. It’s a moody, impressive piece of work.

WORST COVER ART:
Sonic Super Special: Issue 2 – Patrick Spazinate and Ken Penders

“Brave New World” contained a solid story but its cover is deeply unremarkable. Sonic, Tails, and Sally stand around, looking at something just to the left. None of their facial expressions seem to line-up. The background is an unappealing grey/brown cloud. We see some of the wreckage of Mobotropolis in the background but, otherwise, there’s no indication of what the story will be about. Even the title logo – “Brave New World” written in a generic font and a generic yellow banner – is unimpressive.

 
BEST STORY ART:
“Taking the Fall” – Art Mawhinney (Sonic the Hedgehog: Issue 47)

To illustrate the death of Princess Sally, Archie smartly brought back one of its best artist. Art Mawhinney draws Sally’s plunge from the side of a building with weight and impact, her collision with the ground hitting the reader in the heart. Later, he focuses attention on the faces of her shocked and grieving friends. His clean and crisp lines and soft, cute approach to the characters somehow make the violence even more upsetting and visceral. Say what you will about “Endgames’” back half but that first issue still hits like a bomb. Mawhineny’s art is a big reason why.

WORST STORY ART:
“Guerrilla Thriller” – Dave Manak (Sonic the Hedgehog: Issue 45)

Dave Manak, at one point the regular artist for the series, would start contributing less and less to the book from this point on. “Guerilla Thriller” is not a proud swan song. Manak’s lines are even more jagged and sloppy then usual. His facial expressions are ugly and exaggerated. His take on the characters are extra angular and stiff. Even for an uneven artist, this represents some of his most visually unappealing work.

BEST NEW CHARACTER:
Julie-Su

From the moment Julie-Su exploded into the comic, I was enamored. It’s not just because she has one of the best designs to ever appear in the comic. (Or because many of her personality traits – tough, determined, screwed up family, kind of gothy – remind me of every girl I dated in high school.) Julie-Su is action orientated in a markedly different way then many of the comics’ other tough guys. She’s focused on her goals and determined to achieve them, in addition to wielding a fucking gun.

Yet Julie-Su isn’t just an indistinct tough girl. She also has vulnerable moments, feeling rejected by her new home and tossed from a childhood without a real family. Like many of Ken Penders’ creations, she will often be side-lined and tossed about by the whims of the plot. But I still love her.

WORST NEW CHARACTER:
Monkey Khan

Truthfully, this slot should have gone to Drago the Wolf. An avaricious traitor and woman beater, Drago is probably the most despicable character ever to appear in a “Sonic” comic. However, Drago was supposed to be a hateful scumbag, meaning the writers succeeded when writing him. There were other candidates. Lara-Le, Knuckles’ mom, has spent all of her page time whining and angsting about her failed marriage. Guardian Hawking was little more then exposition given form. Sir Connery was hideous and lame while all the villains Knuckles faced in “Knuckles’ Quest” were hopelessly generic.

They’re all bad. Yet at least they all served some purpose, contributing to the book’s greater mythology. What does Monkey Khan add to “Sonic the Hedgehog?” A pet character of occasional writer and artist Frank Strom, Khan doesn’t even look like he belongs in this book. His personality is generic, his appearance is awkward, and he zips out of the book following his introduction, rarely referenced ever since. For being so totally useless, Monkey Khan is the worst new character of 1997.


BEST IDEA:
These times, they are a-changin’.

“Change” was the word of the year for Sonic in 1997. Dr. Robotnik would be killed off, Sonic and his friends to winning the war they had been fighting for the last five years. However, the victory came with a new host of responsibilities and anxieties. Now, the heroes have to re-build a world that has been practically destroyed by their deceased enemy, a change that presents far more complex, difficult challenges then toppling the bad guy.

Knuckles, meanwhile, discovered an entire city of his own species, gained a mother, a love interest, and a host of new enemies. His outlook on life totally shifted, the lone guardian suddenly feeling a lot more like a conflicted, anxiety-ridden teenager.

In other words, Sonic and Knuckles’ world isn’t stagnant. Both will face new challenges totally unlike what they’re used to. Which is always a good move for story telling.


WORST IDEA:
Sacrificing individual characterization in the name of an ever-expanding mythology.

This is a problem Ken and Scott Fulop really have. It’s most obvious in the “Knuckles” solo series, where the hero’s supporting characters was often sidelined in favor of building up the painfully dull Brotherhood of Guardians, a cabal of old assholes that want to manipulate everyone’s lives. While expanding on the history of the Floating Island is interesting, too often it sacrificed time better spent on developing the established cast and their feelings. Sonic got some of this too, as mystic doo-dads and baffling plot devices would rear their ugly heads throughout 1997. Sadly, this isn’t a problem that’s going anywhere any time soon.