THE 1998 SONIC THE HEDGEHOG COMIC BEST/WORST LIST!

If I could choose one word to describe what 1998 was like for Archie’s “Sonic the Hedgehog” comic, it would be “experimental.” This was the comic’s first full year without Robotnik, allowing Karl Bollers to re-establish the world of Mobius and wrap up the Ixis Naugus story line. Ken Penders’ “Knuckles the Echidna” series continued to defiantly be its own thing. The Sonic Super Special series devoted a whole issue to Sonic and friends being kids and - proving that “experimental” doesn’t always mean “good” - a baffling crossover with another company’s characters. If you pick up a Sonic comic 18 years ago, odds you didn’t get stories about a fast hedgehog grabbing rings and jumping on robots’ heads. The comic was, gloriously, it’s own weird thing.

Archie Comics released the following “Sonic” titles in 1998:

Sonic the Hedgehog: #56-68
Knuckles the Echidna: #10-21
Sonic Super Special: #4-7

BEST COVER STORY:
Ken Penders, "The Chaotix Caper: Part One - The Unsuspecting" - (Knuckles the Echidna: Issue 13)

No story ever published by Archie owns as much ass as issue 13 of “Knuckles the Echidna” did. A kid fucking dies of a drug overdose, in direct view of the reader. Charmy and his friends are given proper time to mourn. Julie-Su is a bad ass bitch who doesn’t take shit off no one and does some detective-ing. The Chaotix actually work as a team unit, for once. The cherry on the top is a gritty, film noir style narration from Harry the cab driver. The rest of the “The Chaotix Caper” story arc didn’t live up to its awesome first chapter, but I’ll never forget how excited I became when first reading this issue back in the day. It rocks then and it rocks now.

WORST COVER STORY:
Scott Fulop, "Immortality is forever... Life is Finite" (Sonic the Hedgehog: Issue 56)

What the fuck is this? Easily one of the hardest to follow story Archie would ever publish, the ungainly entitled “Immortality is forever… Life is Finite” was Scott Fulop’s inglamorous swan song. The cast members leap around bizarre, surreal locations with little reasoning. Characters appear randomly. The story bends in odd directions, never bothering to inform the reader why. I had no idea what the hell was going on half the time. Some of this can be blamed on the smudged artwork. But it’s mostly Fulop’s fault, for writing a script that is so impossibly put together.

BEST BACK STORY:
Karl Bollers, "And Then There Was One" (Sonic the Hedgehog: Issue 66)

In my reviews, “backstory” has too often been a dirty word. Usually, it means the book coming to a pause so someone can tediously expound on their history. There’s one exception to this rule, though. Bollers’ “And Then There Was One” provides an appropriately mythic, compelling origin for Ixis Naugus. The three wizards trying to gain the power of sun plays out like a fairy tale. As does the ironic end, where one of them betrays the other. This sets up Naugus’ treacherous personality and also explains his elemental powers. It’s a fun, satisfying read.

WORST BACK STORY:
Uncredited, "The Living Crown" (Sonic the Hedgehog: Issue 58)

To this day, we don’t know if Ken Penders or Scott Fulop is responsible for introducing the concept of the Source of All. “The Living Crown” is an exposition heavy story that reveals the truth behind the Acorn monarchy: The kings are ordained by God, who speaks to them through a pool of molten gold. Which seems like an awkward justification for why an advanced civilization like Mobius would still have a king. It’s also really fucking weird. Out of all the pseudo-mythical bullshit the comic would throw at us over the years, the bossy, drippy Source of All is probably my least favorite.

BEST STORY ARC:
Karl Bollers, "In Search Of..." / "The Fellowship of the Rings" / "A Friend in Deed" – (Sonic the Hedgehog: Issues 64-66)

There were a lot of singular good issues in 1998 but few satisfying story arcs. The three-parter that wrapped up the Ixis Naugus story line ended up being the most consistent. The first issue, an action packed story that also saved time for Sonic and Tails’ friendship, was quite good. The conclusion similarly balanced punches, with a three-way fight between super forms, and emotion, with Eddy the Yeti’s sacrifice. That balance is, more or less, exactly what I ask of this book. The middle chapter, however, was a snore, primarily devoted to Nate Morgan drolly explaining his history. Two out of three ain’t bad.

WORST STORY ARC:
Ken Penders, "On His Majesty's Secret Service" (Sonic the Hedgehog: Issues 61-64)

“On His Majesty’s Secret Service” re-organized five existing characters and a new one into a team. Sadly, it never gave us any insight into why Geoffrey St. John chose this people, which included Hershey, a traitor to the crown. The cast members are shoved about by the plot, the reader never relating to any of them. We only see the team interact during two underwhelming training missions. The most interesting element, about Sally’s continued frustration with her father, is brushed aside. In the end, it was all mindless set-up for a story line in Penders’ beloved “Knuckles” series, wrapped in a truly lame James Bond pastiche. Booo.

BEST COVER ART:
Sonic the Hedgehog: Issue 63 - Patrick Spaziante

It’s a cliché for a reason but the truth is there: Sometimes, less is more. Spaz draws Sonic leaning against a giant statue of himself against a white backdrop. He nicely portrays Sonic’s ambivalence to what this monument means. The statue dwarfs Sonic but his nonchalant posture illustrates his lack of respect. The detailing on the statue is awesome, Sonic is expressive, and the simple colors cause the image to pop. It’s one of my favorite of Spaziante’s many great covers.

WORST COVER ART:
Sonic the Hedgehog: Issue 66 - Patrick Spaziante

This, on the other hand, is not. Spaz draws Naugus with a hideous overbite, the wizard looking like an especially ugly orc. Sonic leans in front, grimacing in a way that suggests he urgently needs a bathroom break. A puke pumpkin orange color fills in the back. It’s a lot of visually unappealing elements that might have been okay isolated but grate when thrown together. The whole does not please the eyes.

BEST STORY ART:
"In Search Of..." - Steven Butler (Sonic the Hedgehog: Issue 64)

Steven Butler became the series’ regular artist in 1998 and routinely delivered great work. His artwork was gritty but not at the expense of humor or personality. It was hugely detailed but never without purpose. Butler also had a strength for action, which is gamely displayed in this story’s struggle between Sonic and Naugus. The panels of Sonic sliding through the snow and leaping around the mountain top hit the reader powerfully. The snowy location and grim castle in the distance also provide a compelling atmosphere. It’s good stuff.

WORST STORY ART:
"Outback Gut Check" - Harvey Mercadoocasio (Sonic the Hedgehog: Issue 61)

Harvey Mercadoocasio was a fine inker, working on many of the series’ specials and mini-series over many years. Whenever he penciled a story, his work was less consistent. Issue 61’s “Outback Gut Check,” sadly, provides a nadir for Mercadoocasio’s drawing ability. The characters bend between pudgy and angular. The faces are uniform and doe-eyed. Heads and limbs frequently change shape. Harvey too frequently reduces crowds or punches to indistinct blob. No wonder Mercadoocasio would usually stick to inking.

BEST NEW CHARACTER:
Eddy the Yeti

Karl Bollers obviously intended Nate Morgan to be the break-out character of the year. His appearance was hyped up, the character even receiving a cover. Morgan, with his tendency to babble on about history and technology, didn’t win too many hearts. His usually silent assistant, however, was crucial to one of the year’s biggest tear-jerkers.

Eddy, the awesome looking cyborg yeti, was a gentle giant, fiercely loyal to his friends. He only spoke when necessary, letting his actions speak for him. He routinely put his life on the line to protect those he cared about. This tendency ultimately cost the character his life, sacrificing himself to save his friends. Though his impact on the book would be limited, Eddy is still remembered all these years later.

WORST NEW CHARACTER:
Moritori Rex

One of the year’s dumbest reveals centered around Moritori Rex. Personality wise, Moritori – or should that be Rex? – wasn’t distinguished from his dad, a former Dark Legion fanatic. The truly dumb part came when Tobor’s own father couldn’t tell his son apart from this guy. You’d think Moritori would use his place inside the Brotherhood as a way to undermine his enemy. Instead, he screws around for hundreds of years, seemingly never acting.

(This was so dumb that, years later, Ian Flynn used an encyclopedia entry to clarify that, yes, the character did perform some sabotage. But we didn’t know that in 1998.)

And the minute his grand scheme is interrupted? He turns tail and flees, going back to the villain’s side where he also accomplished nothing. What a jack ass and what a stupid plot.


BEST IDEA:
Sonic and Tails on the Road

Best idea, maybe not the best execution. Letting Sonic and Tails travel around the world allowed the cover stories to focus on action-heavy tales that would please the young boy readership, while leaving room in the back pages for stories about what was happening at home in Knothole. At least, that was the idea. Too often, this was an excuse for Michael Gallagher and Frank Strom to revisit previous concepts. However, when the time came to put Tails and Sonic in strange new places, that produced some interesting ideas. I wish that was the case more often but I still think this concept was a good beginning point.


WORST IDEA:
The Brotherhood, the Source of All, and the Image Crossover

The book’s world and mythology grew a lot this year. And not always in the best way. In “Knuckles,” the constant melodrama and mishandling of the Brotherhood of the Guardians became an on-going snore. Every time Locke or one of his grandfathers showed up, the readers rolled their eyes. It didn’t help that nearly every one of these guys are massive jerks, controlling, manipulative, and unwilling to come right out and say anything. The Source of All, meanwhile, added a mystical and bossy presence to Sally’s side of the equation, which she definitely did not need.

Lastly, one must give a dishonorable mention to the Image Crossover, one of the most ill-conceived stories to ever appear in “Sonic.” Shoving the hedgehog together with a bunch of grimdark superheroes didn’t gel. The plot was both generic and a mess. Ken’s original creations were unwelcomed. As far as ideas go, this has to be one of the worst to ever cross Archie’s editorial desk.