Sonic the Hedgehog: Issue 87

Sonic the Hedgehog: Issue 87
Publication Date: August 2000

For issue 87, Danny Fingeroth and Sam Maxwell return to finish the story arc they started last time. Sonic quickly recovers from the sucker punch Metal Sonic delivered. As he races towards Mt. Mobius, to rescue the bound Tails, his robotic counterpart continues to attack him. Despite the villain throwing his best at him, Sonic continues to fight. He successfully rescues Tails but this fight isn’t over just yet. The hero has to face down the villain over the boiling caldera of an active volcano, ready to erupt.

“Heart of the Hedgehog” shows what really defines Sonic as a hero. Even with all the heroics the hedgehog gets up to, the book rarely tried to explore what really makes him tick. Fingeroth writes Sonic as willing to risk everything for his friend’s sake. He doesn’t just pay lip service to this idea.

Instead, the writer emphasizes the hero’s skills by contrasting him with the villain’s personality. The two have their snarky wit and super speed in common. Metal Sonic, however, is sadistic and selfish. He outright admits that watching Sonic suffer pleases him. Metal Sonic considers friendship and personal connections to be a weakness, something to exploit. Sonic, by the end, proves to him that this isn’t true. A “Power of Friendship” Aesop sounds corny but Fingeroth pulls it off, strengthening Sonic and Metal Sonic’s personality at the same time.

Issue 87 also functions nicely as an action story. Metal Sonic deploys more traps. Sonic gets trapped in a metal net. The two hedgehogs race each other, zooming around the forest. Sonic laps around the buzz saw blades his robotic nemesis fires. There are laser beams aplenty. The action is fast paced but that’s not the only reason I like it. This iteration of Metal Sonic actually is faster and stronger then the real deal. Compared to how easily Sonic stomped Silver Sonic two issues ago, it’s nice to see the hero actually be challenged by a physically superior enemy. This means the hedgehog can’t just rely on his speed. He has to use his fast wit too.

I guess if “Heart of the Hedgehog” has a major weakness, it’s how Fingeroth sidelines Tails. The flying fox spends nearly all of issue 87 pinned to a mountain side, a sidekick in distress. Yet the writer largely overcomes this problem by refocusing on the two’s friendship at the end. Sonic risks his life to rescue Tails. As the duo is encircled by the lava, and pinned down by Metal Sonic, Tails stays by his friend’s side. He’s willing to fight beside him until the end, showing that the team’s devotion is mutual. Considering “Heart of the Hedgehog” started with Tails doubting his own abilities, it’s great that Fingeroth returned to the fox’s heroic development at the end.

This version of Metal Sonic is a pretty great villain, a nearly unstoppable smart-ass with a psychotic drive to destroy Sonic. After building up the robot as a great baddie, Fingeroth pulls an unexpected twist: He redeems him. Metal Sonic is so moved by Tails’ willingness to die for his friend, that his robotic heart grows three sizes that day. He questions why he wants to kill Sonic so much, realizing he’s a slave to his programming. He learns the value of organic life. So much that, instead of letting Sonic and Tails die, he sacrifices himself to make sure they get to safety. It’s a potentially cheesy twist – sadistic bad guy turned good by the power of friendship – but Fingeroth pulls it off, ending “Heart of the Hedgehog” on both a cool action beat and a nice emotional moment.

Artwork wise, Sam Maxwell contributes some of his most disciplined work yet. He leaves a lot of his abstract style behind, the characters having clear designs that stay within. Instead, he adds more details to the characters and backgrounds. The shots of Sonic leaping around the flowing lava are especially memorable. The action scenes have an awesome speed and energy to them. His facial expressions are pretty great too, especially Metal Sonic’s visible aggravation as he pushes back the walls of lava.

The back-up story, meanwhile, continues to function under the mistaken belief that people give a shit about Monkey Khan. After being locked up by Robotnik, the mechanical tyrant attempts to regain control of Khan. He easily escapes, wrecks Eggman’s forces, and destroys his factory. That’s because Frank Strom refuses to actually challenge his pet character. Khan escapes because of a shitty deus ex machina, his power ring headband protecting him. He mocks and destroys Robotnik’s Shadow-Bots with ease, before tricking them into blowing up the base. In other words, a stupid side character easily defeats the main villain, mostly because of how innately awesome he is. That’s not how you build dramatic tension, Frank.

In addition to the ridiculously thin and shitty script, there’s a pretty huge continuity error at the center of “Against the Haunted Past.” Robotnik keeps going on about how he made Monkey Khan, how angry he is that he escaped… Except this Robotnik - Robo-Robotnik or Eggman or whatever you prefer to call him - didn’t make or imprison Monkey Khan. That’s just another example of Strom’s shoddy writing.

His script is full of corny clichés and ridiculous dialogue. The following lines of dialogue are deployed: “Good Gravy!” “I eat guys like this for breakfast!” “That’s my cue to vamoose!” In-between the unstoppable hero humiliating the main villain and Strom’s utterly inane dialogue, his Monkey Khan stories continue to play like amateur fan fiction.

“Heart of the Hedgehog” is only a brief two-parter near the beginning of a long, not-great period in the comic’s history. Yet fans remember this one well. Metal Sonic v2.5 would prove to be such a fan hit, that the character would return as a hero. Granted, it would be 151 issues and a major writer change before that happened but still. Even when paired with some typically shitty Monkey Khan stories, “Heart of the Hedgehog” is a damn good story arc, combining character, action, and heart to great effect. [8/10]

Sonic the Hedgehog: Issue 86

Sonic the Hedgehog: Issue 86
Publication Date: July 2000

At first, it seems like an editorial oversight. Two months in a row, Sonic would fight a robotic double of himself. You’d think Archie must have planned things out badly but it seems like this was a very deliberate move. The cover for issue 86 even comments on the similarities between the two stories. Maybe it was the new guy’s fault. A two-parter would begin in issue 86, written by Danny Fingeroth, who never penned a story arc for the book before or after. Fingeroth ends up making the established guys look bad. The concept between 85 and 86 might be similar but this one tells the same story much better.

Following the plane crash at the end of last month’s issue, Sonic and Tails head out into the near-by forest, looking for supplies. The two banter playfully, Sonic using this time as a training opportunity for Tails. While looking for firewood, the fox disappears. Afterwards, the original Metal Sonic, who has rebuilt his body into a more fearsome form, shows up. The robot has captured Tails, placing him in a death trap. If Sonic wants to see his sidekick alive again, he’ll have to play Metal Sonic’s twisted game, battling his metallic double once more.

Issue 85’s fight between Sonic and Silver Sonic II made some facile attempts to add emotional footing to the story. Ultimately though, it didn’t work and we didn’t care. Fingeroth’s “Heart of the Hedgehog” immediately adds some grounding to the plot. He begins the issue by focusing on Sonic and Tails’ friendship. We return to the fact that, even though they’re brothers in arms by this point, Tails still looks up to Sonic. The fox is still younger, uncertain of his abilities. After a strong wind blows him to the ground, Sonic reassures the kid, saying that he’s still learning but has long since proven himself. It shows that Sonic and Tails are good people but slightly flawed. There’s been so much shifting and changing in the series’ universe lately. It’s very refreshing to pause and get a genuine interaction between two main characters.

Fingeroth just doesn’t do the emotional stuff better. He does the goofy, comic book stuff better too. Last month’s Silver Sonic II, for some reason, had an irritating surfer dude personality. Metal Sonic’s revised form is also a campy comic book villain. He taunts Sonic, making grand proclamations about his fleshy counterpart’s inferiority. He brings us their prior fights, making it clear that this is a quest of revenge for him. Considering Metal Sonic’s previous appearances had him as a mindless droid, designed only to destroy Sonic, giving him an actual personality makes him a better villain. (His updated form, with comes with a boatload of new accessories and weapons, is also pretty cool.)

Issue 86 tops the previous one in another way too. Last month’s fight between Sonic and Silver Sonic was deeply underwhelming, the hedgehog never appearing to be in real danger and easily defeating his opponent. Metal Sonic v2.5, meanwhile, keeps the hero on the ropes the entire time. He outruns him, nearly zaps him several times, snares him with a grappling hook, tosses him around, and pins him to a cliff side with a giant clamp. At that point, he easily could’ve killed the flesh and blood Sonic. Being a comic book supervillain, he decides to toy with him instead. This is how you raise dramatic tension, you guys.

Metal Sonic doesn't just want to destroy Sonic, you see. He wants to break his heart. So “Heart of the Hedgehog” ends on a hell of a cliffhanger. Tails is tethered to the caldera of a ready-to-erupt volcano. The bad guy gives the hedgehog a chance to rescue his friend, allowing him to run to the mountain top. Of course, it’s all just a ploy, Metal Sonic whacking the hedgehog into unconsciousness the first chance he gets. At that point, the issue ends, the reader wanting more.

The artwork is pretty good too, especially compared to Ron Lim’s hatchet work last time. Sam Maxwell returns to penciling duties. I’m not sure if Maxwell’s abilities are growing or if he got a different colorist. His style is a little less abstract, Sonic and Tails gaining more details. However, Maxwell hasn’t loss the kinetic energy that previously characterized his work. The action scenes between Sonic and Metal Sonic play out from unexpected angles, with a clearly defined motion. I also really like Metal Sonic v2.5’s design, which is both streamlined and bulky, while being different from previous version of the characters.

The back-up story, meanwhile, is steep drop in quality from the cover version. “Against the Haunted Past” begins ten years ago, with a terribly drawn Robotnik and Snively plotting behind King Acorn’s back. We then cut to… Oh no. Monkey Khan is back! That’s right, “Against the Haunted Past” is Monkey Khan’s origin story. Frank Strom explains how the simian blowhard, and his entire race, was captured by Robotnik. He attempted to transform all of the apes into super cyborg warriors but only Khan was strong enough to survive. He also proved too strong to control. The final page reveals the story as an extended flashback. While Monkey Khan is pined to a slab, starred down by the new Eggman, I guess he got a little nostalgic.

Jesus Christ, it’s bad. Let’s get the obvious out of the way. Frank Strom’s artwork is fucking hideous. His drawing abilities have actually gotten worst, somehow. Monkey Khan and his family look nearly identical. Robotnik and Snively are deeply off-model. Everyone’s proportions shift from panel to panel. The action is stiff and uninspired.

The story is no better. Khan’s dad dryly delivers exposition while talking to his boy. The dialogue between Khan and his brothers is painful, circular, and borderline incoherent. Strom writes his pet character as even more of an unstoppable bad ass. Khan is the only person strong enough to survive the cyborg-ing process. He gets his upgrade, takes out a fleet of Overlander tanks, and then turns on Robotnik. Because he’s super tough and principled. I’m surprised Strom allows Khan to be captured by Robotnik at the end. Why doesn’t Strom’s precious baby kill the bad guy, fuck the princess, and take over the world? It’s clearly what the author wants. (Oh, and it’s a two-parter too so expect more of this shit next time.)

A crappy back-up story isn’t enough to ruin a pretty great cover story. I wish Archie’s creative team could balance heart, action, and suspense like this more often. [8/10]

Sonic the Hedgehog: Issue 85

Sonic the Hedgehog: Issue 85
Publication Date: June 2000

Archie’s “Sonic Adventure” adaptation finally came to an end in April of 2000. However, for some reason, Karl Bollers didn’t immediately get the Freedom Fighters back to Knothole. Instead, it would be another three issues before the heroes return to their home base. Why Bollers made this decision, I can’t say. However, the cynic in me suggests that this was a further symptom of the creative team behind the comic having no idea what to do with the series following Sega’s revamp of Sonic’s world.

After successfully defeating Perfect Chaos and saving Station Square, the Freedom Fighters are ready to go home. At the last minutes, the citizens of the city decide to throw a party in honor of the heroes. This celebration is interrupted when Robotnik sends a new robot to attack. Silver Sonic Mk. II has a real attitude and is specifically designed to destroy Sonic. The two hedgehogs, one fleshy, one mechanical, are soon fighting all throughout the city.

Introducing a new version of Silver Sonic, whose original incarnation debuted back in the “Sonic Quest’ mini-series, struck me as an odd decision. There’s nothing Silver Sonic II does that Mecha Sonic or any number of Badniks couldn’t have accomplished. Robotnik makes a big deal out of the new creation, hyping him up as some ultimate weapon. Yet he has no special abilities, armor, weapons, or attributes that make him more intimidating then the doctor’s previous faux-Sonics.

The only thing new about Silver Sonic II is the robot’s bizarre personality. For some reason, the machine mimics Sonic’s speech patterns. Which means he mostly talks in dated surfer slang. The robot drops lines like “Way past,” “Hasta la vista, meestah,” “As if!,”  “Bring it on!,” “Bogus!,” and various puns. It’s a really weird choice but does distinguish Silver Sonic from the previous robotic copies.

As for the actual fight, it’s not much to write about. Silver Sonic deploys Sonic-seeking missiles, drops a building on Sonic, and throws a shoe at Tails’ head. That’s about it. Sonic swiftly avoids or survives each technique, the robot showing no real threat to the hedgehog. The fight concludes in an anti-climatic fashion, with Sonic simply cutting off his double’s head with a simple buzz saw dash. If Robotnik intended Silver Sonic to just be a distraction, that might explain the mediocre fight. However, the dictator clearly hoped his latest machine would successfully destroy his opponent. This was either poor planning on the behalf of the villain or the writer.

As generally useless as issue 85’s cover story is, Karl Bollers does attempt to insert some emotional stakes into this pointless tale. Silver Sonic does occasionally target Sonic’s friend. Big the Cat – who Sonic really has no reason to care about but let’s go with it – gets tossed by the mechanical adversary. Most prominently, Tails gets conked on the head. This enrages Sonic enough that he takes out the baddie with one hit. The Freedom Fighters float around the edge of the story, mostly here to deliver exposition. On one hand, this doesn’t live up to the character’s potential. On the other hand, at least they’re still in the book.

Another attribute makes me dislike issue 85 even more. Ron Lim, my archenemy, returns from the “Sonic Adventure” special. His artwork is hugely unappealing. The character’s heads are way too angular. Lim’s proportions are all wrong, drawing everyone with huge heads and limbs. (The hugeness of which, by the way, varies from panel to panel.) His expressions are laughably bad and his action is fairly stiff. However, I’ll give the guy this much. The first two panels on the second page, devoting to showing the devastation Station Square has suffered, are striking. Seems like Lim does okay when there are no characters to draw.

Continuing my theory that issue 83 was quickly thrown together to fulfill a deadline, the story ends at a really random point. Flying towards Knothole, the Freedom Fighter Special falls out of the sky. After the plane crashes, Nate Morgan deduces that the mechanical failure was the result of sabotage. If this plot point goes anywhere, I can’t remember. Either way, it’s a real weird place to end the story at. There’s also a dumb sequence, that shows Silver Sonic has been reprogrammed to protect Station Square. Which basically says that this entire story was put together so Bollers would never have to visit Station Square again. That I understand but surely there was a better to do it.

The back-up story focuses on Rotor the Walrus, a character that has been neglected for a while. “Home & Back” picks up a plot point that’s been dangling for a while… Sort of. Rotor heads back to the Arctic to check on his family, who were last seen drifting on an iceberg, brainwashed and helpless. Rotor is happy to discover they’re okay, broken of their mind control at some point. That is until he wakes up one morning, to see them under Robotnik’s control again. Rotor barely escapes in his bathysphere, the Arctic Freedom Fighters helping him out before its too late.

“Home & Back” is a step forward and a step back. On one hand, Rotor’s imperiled family is a story line the book abandoned some time ago. So it’s nice that it finally got back to it. On the other hand, “Home & Back” revisits these characters just to put them back in stasis. After seeing their personalities briefly restore, Rotor’s family go back to being mindless zombies. The back-up story is told incredibly awkwardly, playing out entirely in flashbacks. The Arctic Freedom Fighters essentially appear as a deus ex machine, showing up just to rescue Rotor at the end. An entity calling itself Diamond Rose Studios handles the artwork. The pencils are actually okay, giving the walrus a nice pudgy appearance and bringing a lot of emotion to the faces. The colors, however, are hideously garish.

So issue 85 continues to have the book struggling to find its new identity. The cover story doesn’t contribute very much to the comic’s world, mostly focused on an underwhelming fight between our hero and a lame new enemy. The back-up story exist to remind us that, yep, this wandering plot point is still out there somewhere. Odd or off-putting artwork characterizes the entire issue. In other words, this one isn’t satisfying or that interesting. Alas. [5/10]

Sonic the Hedgehog: Issue 84

Sonic the Hedgehog: Issue 84
Publication Date: May 2000

Issue 84 of Archie’s “Sonic the Hedgehog” series picks up right where the last one left. Sonic and Perfect Chaos continue to battle their way across Station Square. While the super-charged hedgehog continues to counter the physical god, Knuckles and the Freedom Fighters think of a way to stop the unstoppable liquid creature. Will he succeed? Did you play the video game? Meanwhile, Locke finally gets around to rescuing the Chaotix from the Mysterious Cat Country.

Archie decided to devote two whole issues to the battle with Perfect Chaos. So what does that decision result in? Well, a couple of cool panels of Sonic and the monster grappling. He flies around the water serpent, bursting out of his mouth. The two slam each other into buildings, acting a bit like a kaiju and his undersized opponent. If nothing else, these sequences are a showcase for Steven Butler’s awesome artwork. His strength for both action and detail make him an awesome choice for the big fight.

As much press as the big fight gets, the conclusion is underwhelming. After knocking each other around for a while, Sonic leads Perfect Chaos into some power lines. A jolt of electricity is enough to defeat Perfect Chaos, transforming the monster into a peaceful water being once again. Tikal, that living exposition mouth piece, then swoops in and transports Chaos away. In other words, it’s the perfectly disappointing conclusion to Archie’s half-assed adaptation of the “Sonic Adventure” story.

So what’s Knuckles up to during all of this? While Sonic and Chaos are battling it up, Knuckles is responsible for reactivating the Station Square power plant. This results in two things. First off, there’s one of those blatant Marvel references that Ken Penders love so much, this one to "Amazing Spider-Man" Issue 33. Secondly, Knuckles has to access his super secret Guardian powers in order to save the day. Christ, I thought we were done with that stupid shit? Isn’t Knuckles’ great abilities and grand destiny resolved by this point? Yeesh.

All of that lameness aside, there are one or two cute moments here revolving around the Freedom Fighters. After Antoine gets injured by falling rubble, he tries to convince Bunnie to leave without him. The cyborg rabbot is, typically, not having it. She’s insistent on staying by her lover’s side. Sally, sadly, doesn’t even get that much of a moment. She barks some orders and is flown around by Tails. That’s another reason I dislike the entire “Sonic Adventure” ordeal. It really sidelined the Freedom Fighters.

You’ll notice that Knuckles wasn’t a big part of the Perfect Chaos boss battle in the video game. Knuckles being forced into the fray – another example of Ken Penders pushing his own mythology into the story – hasn’t gone unnoticed by Penders haters.

But that didn’t bother me anywhere near as much as Locke’s subplot. The book finally follows up on Locke rescuing the Chaotix from those crazy cat people. How does Locke save the day? He takes his shirt off and wrestles a big bad cat warrior to the ground in seconds using his superior martial skills. I’ve always suspected that Locke was Ken’s idealized self-insert character and this confirms it. Having him be a wise sage who is never wrong isn’t enough for Penders. Locke has to be a bad-ass warrior too. Geez.

Despite Knuckles and Locke playing a major role in the cover story, they still get their own back-up feature. “Bridge Over Troubled Water” – which was published uncredited but was obviously written and drawn by Ken – features Knuckles gliding back to the Floating Island. He restores the Master Emerald, allowing the island to rise back into the sky. Afterwards, he reconnects with the Chaotix. While on the mainland, Knuckles gets a history lesson from his dad. Turns out the Guardian had some fucked-up ancestors.

“Bridge Over Troubled Water” has several potential emotional moments. Such as Knuckles being reunited with Julie-Su, the Chaotix finally being rescued, and the Floating Island rising back into the sky, signaling the end of Knuckles’ latest quest. Instead of focusing on these character moments, Ken uses the back-up story for stupider shit. First off, the Brotherhood places the newly reunited Master Emerald into a new Shrine, which brings the comic more in-line with game continuity. The latter half is entirely devoted to Locke explaining the Brotherhood’s connection with Sega’s Knuckles Clan. (Which inadvertently reveals that Locke named his son after a genocidal warlord.) Honestly, with everything else that’s been going on, this is the last thing I care about.

Well, at least it’s finally over. The entire “Sonic Adventure” story arc has been ill-conceived from the beginning, mostly devoted to awkwardly inserting video game exclusive concepts into the comic book world. The writers couldn’t even re-tell the video game story line in an interesting or compelling way. Honestly, I just wish Archie had ignored the entire tie-in, instead of interrupting the main story line for so many months. Maybe things can get back to normal now? Yeah, probably not. [5/10]

Sonic the Hedgehog: Issue 83

Sonic the Hedgehog: Issue 83
Publication Date: April 2000

As previously established, Archie handled the “Sonic Adventure” adaptation in a very strange manner. When adapting the long-ish story of a video game, it would make sense to cover “Sonic Adventure” over six or seven issues. Instead, Archie spent three or four issues setting up the adaptation and shoved the actual game plot into a single double-issue. Afterwards, it spent two issues on the story line’s bonus conclusion. This makes no sense to me. Yet here we are, reading about Sonic’s battle royal with Perfect Chaos after barely getting to know regular Chaos.

Sonic, Tails, and Knuckes believe themselves to be successful. They’ve vanquished Chaos and sunk Robotnik’s Egg Carrier warship. Station Square is, seemingly, safe. When exploring the Ancient Ruins, Knuckles stumbles upon a barely conscious Eggman. Sonic and Tails, meanwhile, search for the downed tornado. Chaos, who survived the previous battle, finds it first. Feeding on the Super Emerald power source, Chaos storms towards Station Square. After gulping down the Super Emeralds that power the city’s grid, Perfect Chaos is born. Everyone seems screwed until the ancient spirit of Tikal appears and zaps Sonic into Super Sonic.

One of the biggest plot holes with issue 83 was, admittedly, inherited from the source material. Super Sonic’s battle with Perfect Chaos was essentially a bonus round, an extra mode of the game unlocked after completing the others. This meant, after the fight on the Egg Carrier, the story ends… And then picks up again. Which requires a super sloppy retcon of the previous issue’s event. Eggman appears randomly to Knuckles. Next, he pulls a second Egg Carrier out of his ass. Chaos, meanwhile, zips into the story and quickly acquires the MacGuffins necessary to reach his final form. Karl Bollers does what he can to fix this, such as making the Tornado’s power source a major plot point, but it’s still shoddily executed.

Once you get through the awkward set-up, issue 83 does feature an impressive sequence. Chaos seeps into Station Square’s power grid, getting an upgrade. We’re treated to several memorable panels devoted to the water beast taking over the city. He explodes through Station Square’s  sewer system, flooding the city in the course of minutes. This is, admittedly, an awesome way to up the stakes for the big show down. Bollers also sneaks in a nice sequence of the Freedom Fighters rescuing people during the disaster. (The writer kind of skips over how many people would die during such a sudden flooding.)

Disappointingly, just when issue 83 looks like it might be going somewhere, it hits another road block. Tikal, misspelled in the original printing as Tical, pops out of thin air. She stops the story dead in its track to drop a heaping load of exposition on us. We get the basic summary, about Chaos being peaceful before the ancient echidnas pissed him off. There’s also some hippy-dippy bullshit about how Chaos can’t be defeated with anger. Tikal then yanks some Chaos Emerald out of Chaos’ ass and hands them to Sonic. Tikal displays no personality on these pages, making her a thin sketch of a character. She exists entirely to awkwardly force the story towards its final act.

So is there any reason to read issue 83? Well, Steven Butler’s artwork is pretty nice, as usual. His pages devoted to Chaos attacking Sonic, Tails and Knuckles in the form of a water spout are dramatically illustrated. The Egg Carrier’s reappearance or Super Sonic charging at Perfect Chaos may be senseless moments but Butler makes them look good. Beyond the pretty pictures, I do like the pages devoted to Sonic, Tails, and Knuckles having adventures together. Seeing the central trio play off each other and face down an enemy is a fun sight. I wish the book had a little more of that stuff.

As a kid, after being so disappointed in the proper “Sonic Adventure” adaptation, I found the Perfect Chaos two-parter to be a little more enjoyable. I wish I still held that opinion as an adult. Whenever this issue starts to work, something comes along to derail it. As would often be the case, Sega was more a hindrance then a help to Archie. When are we finally getting back to Knothole? [5/10]

Sonic Super Special: Issue 13 – Sonic Adventure

(Yes, I have heard the rumors concerning the possible cancellation of Archie's "Sonic" series. I intend to write about this eventually. But until we get more information - or, god forbid, an official confirmation - business will continue here as usual.)

Sonic Super Special: Issue 13 – Sonic Adventure
Publication Date: March 2000

After what seemed like months of build-up, Archie’s proper adaptation of “Sonic Adventure” finally hit newsstand in March of 2000. That’s a full six months after the game was released in America. Like many young Sonic fans, I received a Dreamcast and “Sonic Adventure” as a Christmas present. I’m pretty shitty at video games but even I managed to complete the game by March of 2000. During the seemingly endless build-up to Archie’s adaptation, I became really curious about how Archie would integrate the game’s story into the comic’s world. Even back then, I was disappointed with what we got.

“Sonic Super Special: Issue 13” shoves all of “Sonic Adventure’s” story lines into sixth brief chapters. After Sonic’s encounter with Chaos in issue 82, and Amy’s subsequent disappearance, the Freedom Fighters break into three teams. Sonic and Tails fly across the forest around Station Square, quickly encountering Knuckles, Robotnik, and the evolving Chaos. After a brief fight, the various story threads – including Big the Cat and Amy Rose – converge on Robotnik’s Egg Carrier warship. There, the heroes come together to defeat the villain’s latest scheme… Or, at least, it seems that way.

How many times have I emphasized this? Archie did a pretty shitty job of incorporating the Sega elements into its comic book. After practically, literally shoving Station Square under a rock, the “Sonic Adventure” special barely makes an effort to make the comic’s cast work in the video game plot. See how I mention the Freedom Fighters splitting into three teams above? Yeah, that doesn’t matter. Antoine and Bunnie take a pointless trip around the city, trying to spot any sign of Robotnik. Sally and Nate Morgan shack up in the library, researching information on Chaos. After the first chapter, we never see these characters again. The story turns its focus entirely to Sonic, Tails, and Knuckles. So why bother with this introductory chapter at all?

If we’re being brutally honest, it’s not like “Sonic Adventure” had an especially great story to begin with. The much hyped Chaos isn’t anything more then a series of boss battles, without a lick of personality on his own. The game didn’t even play up the irony of Sonic fighting an enemy made of water, a substance he notoriously has trouble navigating. (See also: The title of this blog.) The video game had to go to lengths to justify the role established characters like Tails and Amy Rose could play in this story. New characters, like Big the Cat and E-102 Gamma, were even more unnecessary additions to the plot. The entire multiple characters aspect of the game was, in truth, nothing but a lame gimmick, an excuse to shove a number of different game styles into one package.

As mediocre as “Sonic Adventure’s” plot was, Archie completely butchers the story to make it fit into a 48-page comic book. Listen, I understand that a video game provides far more time and space to explore things. Yet maybe Archie shouldn’t have tried to shove the meat of the game’s story into one special? Maybe they should have, I don’t know, tried serializing it over several comics? You know, instead of wasting three whole issues on just setting up the damn adaptation? While the game seems to take place over the course of a week, letting its concept breathe a little, Archie makes all the events feel like a few hours. Sonic and Knuckles have one fight with Chaos, blast off for the Egg Carrier, and have their final showdown with the enemy. No time at all passes between these events.

An alternative method to making the story work in so few pages would’ve been to cut the more unnecessary characters all together. Let’s be honest: What did Big the Cat and Amy Rose really add to “Sonic Adventure’s” plot anyway? Instead, Karl Bollers awkwardly inserts the characters into a handful of scenes. As in the game, Big’s plot is entirely superfluous. He never directly interacts with the other heroes and his mission has no affect on the overall plot. Amy, meanwhile, spends nearly the entire issue captured by Robotnik. She appears in a handful of panels and that’s the extent of her involvement.

When it’s not juggling the useless characters or abbreviating the story considerably, Archie’s “Sonic Adventure” adaptation is awkwardly juggling the actual video game mechanics. When Sonic and Tails are flying towards Eggman’s war ship, the Tornado transforms for absolutely no reason. Once aboard the ship, Sonic has to step on a series of buttons on the floor to transform the vessel. During the final fight with Chaos, Robotnik deploys a series of freezing machines to attack Sonic. This is a very poor idea, seeing as how Knuckles and Sonic immediately use the machines to freeze Chaos. Damn, Eggman, you didn’t think that one through, did you? All of these scenes just go to show how very different a media comic books are from video games.

Then again, maybe we can’t blame Karl Bollers too much for the comic’s scattered nature. Reportedly, Sega refused to provide Archie with an actual translation of the game’s script. Instead, Karl and Ken Penders had to play a Japanese version of the game and adapt their notes from that. So it’s no wonder the script is full of gaffs. Multiple references are made to Robotnik destroying the Ancient Ruins. As in, the unoccupied buildings outside the city limits. Wouldn’t you think Station Square, full of people and the current residence of the Freedom Fighters, would be a more dramatically sound place to threaten? What about the way the issue interchangeably uses the phrases Chaos Emeralds, Master Emerald shards, and Super Emeralds? Or that one time Knuckles is literately teleported onto the Egg Carrier’s deck, for seemingly no reason?

The script is a mess, perhaps inevitably so. Somehow, the artwork is even worst. “Sonic Super Special: Issue 13” represents the beginning of my least favorite period in Archie Sonic history. Rom Lim, a Marvel artist apparently of some acclaim, draws the issue. Soon enough, he would become the regular artist for the series. This is despite Lim’s complete inability to draw Sonic and friends. The Sega characters frequently have overly spindly bodies, with noodle limbs and insanely huge hands and feet. Lim’s facial expressions are hideous. His mouths are always angular, his faces blank, and his eyes perpetually stuck in stink mode. Often, his characters are making expressions totally at odds with the script, such as when Knuckles smirks evilly when encountering Sonic. A few times, Lim draws Robotnik as just a floating head.

As bad as the Sega crew looks, the Freedom Fighters somehow look shittier. Lim’s Sally is composed of jagged, furry edges. Her face bends into deeply unflattering shapes. Antione also has noodle legs but a weirdly weaselly face. Bunnie gains a strangely shapely, human-like body but has a face that wouldn’t pass muster among Bugs Bunny fan artist. A flashback to echidna history has Lim drawing the Knuckles Clan as indistinct blobs. Maybe Lim hadn’t adapted yet to drawing furries. Then why do his humans look equally generic and off-model? It’s absolute shit and, for some reason, Archie would invite Lim back to draw roughly a hundred other issues.

If it isn’t readily apparent, I’m not a huge fan of the “Sonic Adventure” adaptation. The story is a hack job. The pacing is abhorrent. The comic does a terrible job of balancing the different plot threads. The artwork is garbage. (Spaz contributes two whole panels and they're better then everything Lim would draw during his entire tenure on “Sonic.”) Archie has bungled some big events, before and after, but few were as poorly handled as “Sonic Adventure.” And get used to it, because things are going to stay this way for a while. [4/10]

Sonic the Hedgehog: Issue 82

Sonic the Hedgehog: Issue 82
Publication Date: February 2000

For quite some time now, I’ve been talking about Archie and their “Sonic Adventure” adaptation. The truth is, the last several issues haven’t truly been a part of that adaptation. Instead, the comic book has been setting up the various narrative changes necessary to fit the new video game components into the comic’s world. With issue 82, the “Sonic Adventure” adaptation begins in earnest.

“Night of Chaos” starts with Sonic enjoying his stay in Station Square. He goes for a late night run across the rooftops of the city, pretending to be his favorite superheroes. Instead, he comes upon a collection of cop cars heading in one direction. He follows them, discovering a strange creature fighting the police. A being made of liquid, Sonic has a brief battle with the creature. From a distance, Dr. Eggman observes.

“Night of Chaos” is a direct adaptation of the opening boss battle of “Sonic Adventure.” The cover story even features some direct quotes from the video game. When the Station Square police officers attempt to shoot Chaos, their bullets harmlessly lodge in the creature’s watery body, falling to the ground. The fight, we discover, has been a way for Robotnik to test his newest weapon against Sonic. What Karl Bollers adds to this pre-existing plot line is some goofy opening narration, where Sonic talks about superheroes with names like the Rush, the Dark Bat, and the Super Surfer.

In other words, “Night of Chaos” is basically an action story. It’s a short one too, only running seven whole pages out of the book. An interesting hodgepodge of artist worked on the story. James Fry and Patrick Spazinate did the outlines. Nelson Ribeiro finished the pencils. This means there are individual panels that are clearly Fry or Spaz’s work. Such as anime-esque eyes and mouths on Sonic and the Station Squarers. Or nicely detailed panels of Sonic fighting off Chaos. The most distinctly Ribeiro touch is Chaos himself, who looks somewhat odd. His surface isn’t smooth but choppy, looking like a raging oatmeal monster instead of a being of animated water. Still, “Night of Chaos” is mildly entertaining for what it is.

The second story, “Door to the Past,” is this month’s Knuckles adventure. The writer and artist go uncredited but it’s clearly the work of Ken Penders and Steven Butler. Anyway, the plot: Knuckles’ exploration of the Ancient Ruins comes to a pause when he’s possessed by an ancient spirit. Calling herself Tikal, the entity explains the history of the area, its connection with the echidna race, and what happened to destroy that civilization. Meanwhile, the Chaotix continue to negotiate with the cat people on the near-by mainland.

If “Night of Chaos” was mostly a single action set-piece, “Door to the Past” is basically an exposition-fest. Once Tikal gets in contact with Knuckles, the story becomes devoted to parsing out the Ruins’ history. It turns out the area was colonized by some echidnas. The scientists left after fighting the felines while the warrior class stayed. In hopes of defeating this enemy, the warriors attempted to steal some Chaos Emeralds from a local shrine. This enraged Chaos, the protective spirit of the shrine and the peaceful Chao that lived there, who destroyed the echidnas. If you played “Sonic Adventure” back in 1999, you knew this already. Once again, the video game mythology fits roughly with Penders’ established Knuckles mythology. It would be years before Ian Flynn tied these two sources together in a more logical manner.

Knuckles is given nothing to do but respond to this information, making “Door to the Past” a fairly passive story. What about the Chaotix? It seems like Knuckles’ buddies have been in the same situation for months now. They remain captured by the residents of the Mysterious Cat Country. There’s some loose attempts at negotiation but it doesn’t amount to much. Just when things are threatening to get interesting, Penders has Locke wonder in. Because that always works out so well. In other words, “Door to the Past” feels mostly like narrative wheel spinning then actual story telling.

Issue 82 continues Archie’s recent habit of stuffing three stories into one comic book. “Double-Crossed Circuits” follows E-102 Gamma. We see his “Sonic Adventure” back story play out. Robotnik sends Gamma and his brothers to collect Froggy. Only Gamma succeeds, causing Robotnik to scrap the other robots. Afterwards, Gamma is sent to interrogate Amy Rose. Instead, the frightened girl moves something in the machine. He rescues her and now must face the consequences of his sudden sentience.

I have a soft spot for E-102 Gamma. Out of all the additions that “Sonic Adventure” made to the hedgehog’s universe, he’s my favorite. A robot learning to love is a standard tale but the game imbued it with a surprisingly amount of grace. Archie more-or-less follows the same outline as the game. What it adds is an interior monologue for Gamma, which is the primary dialogue in the story. The narration boxes are overdone but it still provides some insight into Gamma’s sudden change. Unlike the other two stories in the issue, at least this adds something to the video game’s story. “Double-Crossed Circuits” isn’t a lot but it’s still probably my favorite story in this issue. (By the way, this one is also uncredited. Since Bollers and Chris Allan handled the last Amy Rose-centric back story, I’m assuming they did this one as well.)

You can’t fight progress. Sega would not be denied their “Sonic Adventure” tie in, no matter how poorly it fit Archie’s already established world. With Issue 82, the comic hews more closely to the game, making this probably the most direct adaptation in the series’ history. It’s hard to judge, since it’s more-or-less just a transfer from one media to the other. I suppose this is an okay issue, as the first story is a swift action piece and the last is a mildly interesting character study. Only that exposition-laden middle story is a problem. [6/10]

Sonic Super Special: Issue 12 – Turnabout Heroes

Sonic Super Special: Issue 12 – Turnabout Heroes
Publication Date: Janaury 2000

We interrupt you’re regularly scheduled Sega Dreamcast adaptation for something completely different! While Archie’s main “Sonic the Hedgehog” comic was knee-deep in the “Sonic Adventure” adaptation, a new Sonic Super Special quarterly dropped with no connection to anything happening in the main book. This suggests one of two things. Either Archie’s interior scheduling is horribly haphazard or Sega demanded the “Adventure” adaptation to roll out at a certain date. Probably both, if we’re being honest. So let’s just forget about Station Square and Chaos for a little while and focus on something else entirely.

The majority of the Sonic Super Specials had some sort of gimmick that separated them from the standard book. Such as the all female led stories in issue 11 or the ill-fated crossovers in issue 10 and 7. What number twelve offers us is a cover story that turns the page sideways, the panels being read from the bottom to the top. “Turnabout Heroes” matches this visual gimmick by turning its heroes around too. Dimitri has seemingly teamed up with Dr. Robotnik, despite the former character being dead. Their fiendish plot involves swiping Sonic and Knuckles’ minds and bodies, leaving the hedgehog in the echidna’s body and vice versa. They attempt to blackmail the heroes into stealing the Master Emerald, in order to power a new super weapon. It doesn’t work.

“Turnabout Heroes” is said to take place between issues 71 and 72 of “Sonic” and issues 28 and 29 of “Knuckles.” However, as the Mobius Enclopedia is all too eager to point out, this doesn’t make a lot of sense. There’s a reason for “Turnabout Heroes” seemingly existing outside canon. The story line was originally published as a reoccurring comic stripe in Comic Shop News, a multi-page newsletter and sales flyer sent out to comic shops. This is also the reason for the vertical page construction. The change of format also explains some other things about the story. “Turnabout Heroes” opens with Sonic and Knuckles flatly discussing their recent history. Each of the characters are simplified and there are few references to either Sonic or Knuckles’ convoluted series. Presumably, this was done so as not to loose new and inexperienced readers.

On top of these issues, “Turnabout Heroes” is also Ken Penders’ take on the well worn body swap story line. Sonic and Knuckles do not reach a “Freaky Friday”-esque new appreciation for each other after their experience. Instead, “Turnabout Heroes” mostly plays the body switch up for humor. Knuckles, in Sonic’s body, does a belly flop while attempting to glide. Both the hedgehog and the guardian’s supporting cast seem very confused by the switch-a-roo. More definitely could’ve been done with the premise. Because this is a Penders, the story also a hell of a cheat for an ending. After touching the Master Emerald, Sonic and Knuckles’ minds are restored. The con they pull on the villains at the end is also barely coherent.

Despite these many setbacks, “Turnabout Heroes” works okay as an action story. Both Dimitri and Robotnik are on the offensive, sending heavy SWATBot and Dark Legion forces after the heroes. The Freedom Fighter Special crashes on the Floating Island, a decent action beat. The high-light of the story is the Freedom Fighters teaming up with Knuckles and Julie-Su to wreck the shit of their mutual villains. (The Chaotix, presumably, were on vacation during all this. Or Ken just forgot about them.) Amusingly, Nate Morgan is seemingly involved in the combat, which is likely a result of Penders not caring what Bollers was up to at the time.

Simplifying the personalities of the cast for an audience outside the usual book doesn’t mess with things too much. Sonic and Knuckles pepper their speech with more catch phrases then usual but everyone is more-or-less in character. Except for the villains. In the story, Dimitri threatens to use a Master Emerald-powered cannon to robotocize the Great Forest. This is unusual for a villain who has mostly been concerned with conquering the Floating Island and inflicting revenge on his enemies. And what is the original Robotnik doing in this story, considering he died in issue 50? Turns out this Dr. Robotnik is a robotic double. Where did it come from? You probably already guessed that no answer is provided, either in these pages or outside the comic.

Sonic Super Special #12 has two stories, both loosely linked by the concept of different personalities inhabiting our established cast. In “Zone Wars: Giant Robotno,” Sonic gets another visit from Zonic the Zone-Cop. Initially apathetic, the Zone Cop talks the hedgehog into tagging along on another adventure. He’s taken to an alternate Mobius were giant, monstrous versions of the Freedom Fighters attack a peaceful Overlander city. Sonic leaps into a giant robot designed by a benevolent version of Robotnik, searching for a fuel source for Kintobor’s robotic protectors. This puts Sonic in the path of grotesque versions of his friends, forcing him to fight.

If you hadn’t guessed already, “Giant Robotno” is another Dan Slott joint, the sometimes writer returning to his beloved “Zone Wars” concept. (Slott plotted out the story with Karl Bollers doing the actual writing.) Like Slott’s previous stories, this one is full of weeaboo pop culture references. The story begins with Sonic encountering versions of Sally and his friends from a universe patterned after anime series “Gatchaman.” Amusingly, Sonic is totally disinterested in this event, the action playing out in the background while he talks with Zonic in the foreground.

Once Sonic is guilted into leaping dimensions, “Giant Robotno” reveals itself as a pastiche of kaiju movies and giant robot animes. We get to see a mash-up of Bunnie and Godzilla. The Tails kaiju, meanwhile, features Devilman’s bat-wing ears. The plot also resembles (and obviously predates) “Pacific Rim” and any number of Japanese shows about giant robots fighting giant monsters.

A combination of Sonic and a kaiju movie probably sounds like a terrible idea but “Giant Robotno” is surprisingly willing to play the premise for horror. The giant, mutated versions of the Mobians are visually unnerving. The Bunnie/Godzilla combo has a disturbingly scaly tail and scutes growing from her back. A giant monster version of Uncle Chuck, frozen in place, looms over the city, his face locked in a scream. We see, in flashback, versions of the Chaotix mutated into deformed monstrosity by Chaos Emerald radiation, their bodies twisting against their wills. Seeing our beloved Freedom Fighters transformed into ugly giants is an unexpected sight, at the very least. Knuckles’ dreadlocks have become tentacles. Amy gets hideous vampire fangs. Rotor and Sally are freakishly buff. It’s not exactly Junji Ito but is still surprisingly twisted stuff for a “Sonic” comic book.

The anime references and zone hopping are obviously the work of Slott. However, “Giant Robotno” also has an interesting emotional component, which I’m willing to credit Bollers for. While piloting the Eggman resembling machine, Sonic lands down on the island populated by the kaijuized Freedom Fighters. Sonic finds the sight of his friends, mutated not-quite-beyond recognition, very disturbing. Moreover, he’s forced to beat them into submission, which also upsets him. The emotional turmoil reaches its peak when Sonic is forced to fight a giant, monstrous version of his father, a Chaos Emerald embedded in its chest. During the fight, he accidentally yanks the emerald from Monster Jules’ chest, killing him. This, understandably, upsets the hedgehog. He exits the alternate dimensions not feeling like a hero but greatly unnerved by the experience. Bollers stays on just the right side of emotionally overwrought, managing to find some actual heart in an outwardly ridiculous story.

James Fry provides the pencils for “Turnabout Heroes.” Fry’s work is solid, with Sonic and friends looking on-model, bright and colorful. Robotnik and Dimitri, meanwhile, look slightly off. Nelson Ribeiro does the artwork for “Giant Robotno.” It takes some time to adapt to Ribeiro’s work, which is a little more exaggerated then regular Archie artwork. However, once it wins you over, Ribeiro’s pencils prove effective for this story.

Sonic Super Special issue 12 is an odd collection of stories. “Turnabout Hereos” is a decently entertaining if unremarkable tale. “Giant Robotno” is a very odd scenario but the creative crew manages to make it work, somehow. I’d like to say that the two stories combine to make this one of the weirdest Sonic books but this comic got fucking weird at times, so who knows. We now return to your corporate mandated video game adaptation, already in progress…[7/10]