Sonic the Hedgehog: Issue 75

Sonic the Hedgehog: Issue 75
Publication Date: July 1999

When it came to the anniversary issues of Archie’s “Sonic the Hedgehog” series, I didn’t have the best luck. I missed issue 25 on newsstand, not reading it until just earlier this year. The same can be said of issue 75. I vaguely recall flipping through the issue at one point – reading enough to see the big reveal – but have never owned a copy before. Once again, I sit down to read and review an issue I’ve missed before. Moreover, it’s an important story, as it ushers us from the post-Robotnik world into the Age of Eggman.

After dousing the seemingly resurrected Robontik with a corrosive liquid, Sonic and friends are faced with… Robo-Robotnik, the far more vicious and mechanical version of Sonic’s adversary from an alternate universe, seen introduced all the way back in issue 19. While the Freedom Fighters battle the robotic dictator aboard his satellite, hoping to free the re-enslaved Robians, a newly deployed army of Shadowbots attack Mobotropolis. Sonic and friends make an escape with the help of an unexpected ally: Snively, who is just as terrified of this new Robontik as the Freedom Fighters. Despite destroying the satellite, the new menace is far from gone.

I wish issue 75 was a satisfying conclusion to some of the plot threads Karl Bollers has been building up for two years now. Instead, “I Am the Eggman” is a story that collapses under the weight of its narrative obligations. The issue opens with a heaping helping of exposition. Presumably for the benefit of readers who haven’t been around since issue 19, Robo-Robotnik explains his origins, detailing the dimension he comes from. It’s definitely freezes the pace of a story just as it was hitting its most exciting point. (Bollers also creates a continuity error, by assuming that the Robo-Robotnik that appeared in issue 19 is also the self-robotocized Robotnik that appeared in the alternate future of issue 22. Honestly, this is the kind of minor, nitpicking flaw that I can’t be bothered with.)

The villain going on a long-winded monologue isn’t the only pacing flaw in issue 75. Sonic and the Freedom Fighers spends half of the story encased in an energy field. Their inability to escape is why the bad guy can ramble on for so long. At this point, the stakes of the story are very personal for Sonic. His entire family has been enslaved and his arch-enemy is back from the grave. Yet, instead of getting a chance to launch into action and kick ass, Sonic is imprisoned.

At least a few of the dangling plot threads are handled decently. As Sonic and friends are making their escape from the satellite, Jules and Bernie reveal that they aren’t mindless slaves. They were just pretending. The power rings they used to renew their vowels back in issue 73 protected their souls. That’s a bit of a cheat but there’s a precedence in the book for that kind of thing. Snively helping Sonic escape is also a slight cheat. You’d be forgiven for forgetting that he was aboard the ship, considering he hasn’t been referenced for an issue. However, I do like the twist of Snively betraying Robo-Robotnik, as he doesn’t recognize this psychotic robot as his uncle. It’s not smooth but at least it builds upon elements previously introduced.

If you’re expecting big action from this anniversary issue, you might be disappointed. Sonic and Robo-Robotnik briefly tussle, for all of a few panels. Embarrassingly, the hedgehog bounces right off the mechanical madman’s belly. How the Freedom Fighters escape Robotnik’s satellite isn’t one of the story elements set up by previous events. Sally, thinking ahead, packed some high explosives in her space suit. Off screen, she summons their shuttle to the port, making for a big escape and a big explosion. That’s about it as far as action goes.

If I don’t sound enthusiastic about this story, it’s because I’m not a fan of the direction it would take the series. While Sonic and the Freedom Fighters are talked to death in space, Robo-Robotnik sends a fleet of Shadowbots to take over Mobotropolis. Amy, Nate Morgan, and Geoffrey St. John’s Secret Service fight off the machines while the King, Prince Elias, and Sally’s ill mom barely escape. By the final pages of the story, Robotnik has taken the city back.

In other words, two years of work – of exploring and developing the political and social ramifications of Robotnik’s defeat – are right down the crapper. Sega’s status quo would not be denied. Sonic and the Freedom Fighters are exiled once again, while their greatest enemy waltz right back into the position of power he left a while ago. Same as it ever was.

Of course, there’s one big difference. Sally exploding the Satellite doesn’t kill Robo-Robotnik. He simply downloads his consciousness into a new mechanical body, stored away at a previous point. Back in issue 71, comic Sonic gained a redesign matching his appearance in the upcoming “Sonic Adventure” game. The entire story line involving Robotnik’s space probes was essentially a long build-up to the villain gaining his appearance from the same game. Robotnik is gone, giving way to Eggman. Meet the new boss. Same as the old boss.

The post-“Endgame” period was far from perfect. In truth, it was rift with flaws. However, I always applauded Bollers and Penders attempting to move the book in a new, more interesting direction. With the reappearance of Robotnik, and Sega’s insistence of bringing the comics in line with “Sonic Adventure,” the comic was forced to back-tracked. The resulting reworking would put the series in a rut that it wouldn’t escape for years. So begins the Dork Age. Oh boy. [5/10]