Knuckles the Echidna: Issue 23

Knuckles the Echidna: Issue 23
Publication Date: February 1999

The previous issue of “Knuckles the Echidna” seemed to be resolving a lot of the bullshit that was dragging this series down. Knuckles called the Brotherhood on their bullshit, the Dark Legion utilized a more efficient plan than just storming into Echinaopolis, the honest plight of the dingoes was acknowledged, and the comic admitted that Locke is an asshole. During my review of issue 22, I predicted that the next issue probably wouldn’t build properly on these developments. Either I’m a prophet or Ken Penders’ flaws are easy to predict. Guess which?

At the story’s beginning, Knuckles, the Chaotix, and Remington gather in Echidnaopolis as the town’s mayor makes a special announcement. Throwing democracy to the wind, the councilor has appointed his own replacement. New councilor Benedict immediately announces the decriminalization of high technology and a state wide pardon of the Dark Legion. Knuckles and Remington immediately realize something fishy is up but are slow to investigate. Meanwhile, the Dark Legion barges into Haven and puts the smack down on most of the Brotherhood, save for Lock and Spectre. It isn’t long before the villains come for Knuckles and his friends.

Here’s a ran-down of the Dark Legion’s plan for domination of the Floating Island: Roll over the island with tanks and hovercrafts. Barge into the city with their magical leader in tow. Have a sleeper agent stay inside the Brotherhood for several hundred years and do nothing. None of these plans were especially effective. Replacing the leader of the Island with a puppet candidate, to push their agenda, seems like a comparatively subtle maneuver.

Once again, Ken Penders has his villains immediately lay down their evil plan. Seconds after being appointed to power, Benedict is re-instating Dark Legion rule and hailing Dimitri. (Despite the Dingoes previously being set up as the Nazi stand-ins, Penders has the Legionnaires do a quasi-Nazi salute.) That same night, Legionaries are once again marching on the city in their hover crafts. Jesus, don’t these guys ever get tired of doing that? So much for subtly.

(The dingoes also continue to be an extraneous subplot in this book. General Stryker sneers at the TV on one page, sneers at the current state of Echidnaoplis on another page, and then gets beaten up by the Dark Legion’s latest cyborg soldier. I don’t know what their purpose is at this point.)

After giving his grandfathers a piece of his mind last time, Knuckles is once again reduced to reacting passively to events around him. Knux spends most of this issue standing back and watching stuff happens. He watches Benedict’s rally in the park dispassionately. He walks around and talks about stuff but never actually does anything. When Knuckles leaps into action near the book’s end, he’s defeated off-page by the Legion. Last we see Knuckles, he’s been captured by the bad guys. As for the Chaotix, they do nothing but follow Knuckles around. Even Remington does jack shit. He admits something weird is going on but doesn’t do anything about it. How disappointing.

About the only interesting development in issue 23 has the Dark Legion bursting into Haven and shooting most of the Brotherhood with tranquilizer darts. Boy, is it satisfying to see these honkies get shut down. Despite the Brotherhood knowing Tobor has been Moritori-Rex for some times, they’re still confused about how the Legion found them. I thought these guys were suppose to be omniscient? No, Moritori Rex doesn’t do anything besides lead Lien-Da and some Legionnaire soldiers to Haven. It’s pretty lame but watching such ineffective characters get shot down is at least satisfying, though not in the way Penders intended.

The new characters of Benedict and Xenin – that’s the buff Dark Legion cyborg beating everyone up, by the way – are not compelling. Jim Valentino’s artwork graduates from tolerable to out right hideous. About half of this book is devoted to characters bending and twisting in disturbing ways. When is Manny Galan coming back? Anyway, another promising story arc is sputtering out in its second part. Business as usual. [5/10]