Sonic the Hedgehog: Issue 72

Sonic the Hedgehog: Issue 72
Publication Date: April 1999

For some time now, the comic has been prepping the return of Dr. Robontik. Truthfully, he hadn’t even been gone that long before the hints started to drop. Even as a kid, back in 1999, it was easy to assume that the pilot of the mysterious satellites causing troubles around Mobius was the fat man himself. Issue 72 stops dropping vague clues about Robotnik’s resurrection and outright proclaims his inevitable return. You know that interesting post-war period we’ve been in for a while? Yeah, get ready to kiss that goodbye. Meet the new boss, same as the old boss.

“I, Robotnik” begins with an unlikely proposition. Using old Robotnik technology, King Acorn has ordered “teleboxes” – TVs, essentially – manufactured and distributed to everyone in the Kingdom. This is ostensibly so the populace can see kingly proclamations. Minutes into King Max’s first big speech, a pirate signal hi-jacks the fledgling television network. Instead of broadcasting footage of Max Headroom getting spanked, all of the Kingdom of Acorn are greeted to a Biography episode devoted to Dr. Ivo Robotnik. Afterwards, Sonic and friends immediately dismiss this sinister development as a glitch.

So this story has got some problems. The entire television thing doesn’t make much sense. First off, I’m not sure how the people of Knothole Village – who still live in thatch huts last I looked – get electricity. Nate Morgan, Uncle Chuck, and Rotor cooking a project this big up in a matter of weeks also strikes me as unlikely. Moreover, how the hell did they distribute these things? In a panel likely meant as a joke, we see Kodos somewhere also watching the broadcast. This raises some questions of its own. None of this is including the random-as-fuck appearance of Chester Cheetah...

The majority of “I, Robotnik” is devoted to explaining Robotnik’s back story. There’s both upsides and downsides to this. First off, a proper origin for ol’ Ivo is probably overdue. We see his mother, father, and brother. (That’s Snively’s dad to most of you.) We learn the official reason he was exiled from the Overlands. In brief, Robotnik’s weapons of mass destruction were too dangerous to be tolerated even in a time of war. He was also willing to use his own people as test subjects. This further emphasizes what an evil bastard he was/is. That’s how I like my Robotnik: A totally ruthless mad scientist. The narration also shows an occasionally dry wit which is appreciated.

While this stuff is interesting, I take umbrage with the presentation. Against a puke green background, we see small clips from the broadcast, each covered with TV static. This is not an especially appealing visual choice. In the second half of “I, Robotnik,” the story essentially falls back on telling us stuff we already know. While the style strangles Steven Butler’s artwork – and he’s clearly still learning how to draw Sonic’s new design – the reaction shots of people watching the broadcast is pretty funny.

Disappointingly, “I, Robotnik” has some issues. However, you can still see Karl Bollers trying. He somewhat awkwardly attempts to insert some emotional beats into the story. Near the beginning, Rotor reminds everyone that his family is still out there in the wilderness. Remember them? Rotor left them adrift on an iceberg way back in issue 32. For those keeping track, that was back in January of 1996. In other words, Rotor’s mom and little brother have been floating through the Arctic for two years. Pretty sure they’re dead now, Rotor. Nevertheless, he heads on a solo adventure to rescue them. Sadly, this is less a natural story development and more because the comic currently has a surplus of Smart Guy characters. (And Tails isn’t even a genius yet…)

Secondly, Sonic has some alone time with his mom and dad. Essentially, he apologizes for disappearing. He admits post-Robotnik life hasn’t suited him too much but now he’s settling into having a family now. It’s potentially sweet. Unfortunately, this scene is shoved into the back of a mediocre story. It also features some seriously silly dialogue. “What’s foggin’ up the ol’ noggin’?” “That is like, way past over.” “Way past, son… Way past.” Yeah, kind of undermines the seriousness of the situation. Still, Bollers gets points for trying especially since this story is mostly another piece in the inevitable roll out towards “Sonic Adventure.”

How about a back-up story? After last month’s prelude, the first proper chapter of “Tales of the Great War” is presented. We join the young Prince of Acorn, Alexander, as he explores the Great Forest. He comes upon a similarly aged Overlander named Paladin. The two immediately begin to play with Paladin’s gun. (Uh, that’s not a euphemism.) Naturally, things immediately go wrong and Alexander is fatally shot. Afterwards, his dad wonders by. Despite mourning for his son, he doesn’t instantaneously declare war against the Overlanders. Back in the modern day, Tails and Amy get really bummed out by the story.

Say what you will about Ken Penders. Really, say it. The guy’s writing had a metric fuck ton of problems. Yet he was never afraid to handle serious issues. Yes, his handling was frequently heavy-handed. Apparently all Mobians have a stigma against guns – which is odd, considering Rotor has been seen wielding a BFG from time to time – because of this past event.

Having said that, this is a children’s comic where a kid is fucking shot and left to die. I’m not going to bitch too much. That shit is ballsy. Moreover, I continue to like the mythic, epic tone the “Tales of the Great War” story arc has carried thus far. Art Mawhinney’s excellent artwork constructs the grim story with his cute character work which actually works really well, since this is a story about bad things happening to kids.

The pretty solid back-up story brings up what is otherwise an underwhelming issue. You wouldn’t expect Penders to boost Bollers but, well, sometimes shit happens. [6/10]