Sonic the Hedgehog: Issue 119

Sonic the Hedgehog: Issue 119
Publication Date: January 2003

Issue 119 is an issue of “Sonic the Hedgehog” I remember mostly for how mediocre it is. Revisiting the story, that perception is not changed. Let’s get right to it. “Cater-Killer is Coming” begins with Sonic racing into the ridiculously named Furville, a previously unmentioned village. Robotnik has unleashed his latest weapon of mass destruction, a new version of Cater-Killer. Unlike the previous version, which was a small Badnik, this Cater-Killer is a giant, indestructible train that barrels through everything in its path. Sonic and Tails have to stop this thing before it reaches Knothole.

In “Cater-Killer is Coming,” Benny Lee shows off a previously undisplayed talent for bizarre dialogue. Naming the village “Furville” is a really weird decision. The residents of the village seemingly have no idea who Sonic is and ask him “what’s the hubbub, bub?” Later, Sonic calls Tails “bud.” Other corny lines like “Aw, for cryin’ out loud…” and “I can hack it!” are displayed throughout. The only time Lee’s off-beat dialogue is amusing is at the very end, where Tails doesn’t understand a pun Sonic makes about Cater-Killer going off a cliff.

Plot-wise, “Cater-Killer’s Coming” is a super lame story. I have no idea why Lee re-invented Cater-Killer – a purple, cartoon robot – as an unstoppable juggernaut, bullet train. The action escalates so quickly. Sonic is warning people about Cater-Killer and then, in the next scene, he’s working with Tails to stop the machine. How does Sonic penetrate Cater-Killer’s impenetrable armor? He pulls a Flash by vibrating his molecules through the armor. When a super-human like Barry Allen pulls that off, it’s one thing. I don’t think Sonic is quite fast enough to casually fuck with the laws of physics like that. It’s such an easy way to defeat the main threat, a lame ending to a lame stories. (Robotnik also casually drops the tidbit that he knows the location of Knothole. I don’t what’s keeping him from just firebombing the kingdom to the ground.)

That action heavy focus continues in the second story. “Dust Bunnie” stars, naturally, Bunnie. She receives a distress signal in the desert. Upon arriving at the location, she’s shot down and captured. Turns out, the Sand Blasters are out for revenge, hoping to lure Sonic to their base. They captured Bunnie instead, who they figure is just as good. They plan to feed the Rabbot to the crowd of crazed Robians. It doesn’t work out too well for them.

“Dust Bunnie” tries to pick up a plot point abandoned a while ago. Sonic didn’t face the consequences of letting the dangerous Robians invade Sand Blast City. In fact, Bunnie scolds Jack Rabbit for treating Sonic badly! But resolving the Sand Blast City plot line isn’t the main point of “Dust Bunnie.” Instead, the story is mostly devoted to Bunnie wrecking everybody’s shit. An amazing one page spread is devoted to Bunnie wrecking the Robians attacking him. Too rarely did we get to see Bunnie kick massive amounts of ass like this and there’s something deeply satisfying about it. Even if her super-strength allows her to easily escape the situation, draining any tension from it.

It’s appropriate that Steven Butler would draw “Dust Bunnie,” as he handled the first appearance of the Sand Blasters, way back in issue 62. Detailed action and sexy women are Butler’s specialties, making him a great choice for this story. Bunnie has rarely looked better, especially a panel that lingers lasciviously on her legs and ass. The action, meanwhile, is amazing. The panels devoted to Bunnie dismantling the attacking robots, or escaping the prison, show an impressive force and power. “Dust Bunnie” is kind of a nothing story but admittedly made an impression on me.

The last story turns attention towards Rotor and Nicole, two often neglected characters. “Time Code” has Rotor attempting to crack Nicole’s interior code, in hopes of learning her secret origins. He’s not able to get pass the computer’s protective protocols. A flash forward to the future, reminding us that a future version of Rotor built Nicole and sent her back in time, points out that Nicole’s firewall is apparently impenetrable. The brainy walrus then utilizes a similar defense to protect Knothole’s computers from Robotnik.

There's not much to “Time Code” but it does, admittedly, have one or two things I like. There’s some amusing interaction between Rotor and NICOLE. Up until this point, NICOLE hasn’t really been treated like a character. She occasionally fires off a sassy one-liner but mostly exists to explain science-y stuff. So this story, where she trades banter and pithy remarks with Rotor, marks one of the first times she truly started to develop a personality. We also get some cute insight into Rotor’s personality. A panel is devoted to the walrus detailing the role curiosity has played in life, how it’s his main driving force.

Otherwise, there’s not much to this one. The flash-forward to the future, showing off NICOLE’s time travel laden origin, is mostly unnecessary. I’ve never found this explanation for the computer to be very satisfying, since it mostly existed as a way for Ken to revisit that future Mobius he loves so much for some reason. The conclusion raises some questions. If Rotor can’t hack Nicole’s firewall, how can he create a similar defense for Knothole’s computer? Either way, Art Mawhinney’s artwork is pretty good.

None of the stories in issue 119 really rise to above mediocre. The cover story is probably Benny Lee’s weakness attempt so far. The third story has a few interesting elements but doesn’t add much. The middle story is mostly pointless but certainly provides some amusing scenes. Over all, you won’t miss too much if you skip this one. [6/10]

THE 2002 SONIC THE HEDGEHOG COMIC BEST/WORST LIST!

Archie’s “Sonic the Hedgehog” series hit a record low point in 2001. There was a drought of good stories, decent writing, and even the artwork took a turn for the worst. The next year, the series bounced back a little bit. Karl Bollers cleaned up some of the mess he himself had made. The characters came back into focus and the plotting became a little more concise. It still wasn’t a great year for the book but it was a marked improvement over its previous year.

This is also the second year in a row that only thirteen “Sonic” comics were published, all contained within the main series. It would be another two years before a new secondary Sonic title was launched. So I guess I should get use to the meager reading list? Anyway, this best/worst list covers the following issues:

Sonic the Hedgehog: Issue 106-118

BEST COVER STORY:
Benny Lee, “Mistaken Identity Crisis!” (Sonic the Hedgehog: Issue 112)

Benny Lee’s “Mistaken Identity Crisis” relies on some sitcom stereotypes. A ploy by Antoine to prove his bravery to his father actually shows how strong the coyote is. Lee’s characterization is a bit simplistic too. Yet he summons up enough honest emotion to put the story over the top. The panel devoted to Antoine sadly fessing up to his own cowardice is touching. The direction the story goes in is hackneyed but done so with some genuine emotion. After all, a father’s love doesn’t need to be earned.

WORST COVER STORY:
Jay Oliveras and Pat Allee, “Cry of the Wolf” (Sonic the Hedgehog: Issue 113)

Issue 113 has no reason to exist. Instead of telling a proper story, it lazily adapts an old episode of “SatAM.” The changes are limited, making this a direct adaptation with little purpose and no attempt to blend the two universes’ tones. The action is frequently pitiful, escalating in a futile effort to stretch the story out. What could’ve been a chance to give Lupe and the Wolf Pack a proper introduction is undermined by loose characterization and a railroaded plot. It’s shoddy work and never should’ve gotten the greenlight.

BEST BACK STORY:
Karl Bollers, “Forgiven” (Sonic the Hedgehog: Issue 112)

“Forgiven” not only brings Lupe back into the book but, more importantly, focuses on the weight of guilt. Uncle Chuck regrets actions he was forced to perform while under Robotnik’s control. Everyone else forgives him. But he has to forgive himself first. Seeing Chuck, usually a stable mentor, in such a vulnerable place makes this story extra powerful. Acceptance and love wins out at the end, making for a touching conclusion.

(Is this the first time the best cover story and back story were from the same issue? I think it is.)

WORST BACK STORY:
Ken Penders, “Ultimate Power: Mid-Louge – The Lesson” (Sonic the Hedgehog: Issue 116)

The “Ultimate Power” story arc was a middling affair, focused far too much on Mammoth Mogul’s latest plans while pushing the characters aside. But this “mid-louge” – a word Ken Penders just fucking made up – was especially pointless. Knuckles has an uncontrollable flash back for no reason. He witnesses an incident from his childhood, where he got smacked around and his Dad murdered three brain-washed Robians. How this reflects on the current story, I still can’t say. All it accomplishes is breaking up the narrative flow of a mediocre story arc.

BEST STORY ARC:
Karl Bollers, Death of the Source of All (Sonic the Hedgehog: Issue 110-111)

2002 wasn’t a great year for story arcs, most of them being on the mediocre side. So to find the best arc, I had to get creative. In issue 110’s back-up story, Karl Bollers presented the idea that the Source of All – the Acorn monarchy’s magical connection with the creator of the universe – had died. The Sword of Acorn, the last remaining part of the Source, then became super clingy. Sally essentially rejects the Sword’s bossy offers and then, in the next issue, flat-out gives it away to some spider ninjas. It’s not super elegant or anything but it got rid of a dumb story element and gave Sally some strong moments.

WORST STORY ARC:
Karl Bollers, “Crouching Hedgehog, Hidden Dragon” (Sonic the Hedgehog: Issue 106-107)

The infamous “Abusive Dragon Boyfriend” two parter. While the story started with a potentially interesting idea – the Freedom Fighters traveling to Station Square on a diplomatic mission – the first half quickly degraded into sub-par action theatrics. The second half re-introduced an annoying group of characters – the pretty boy commandos – but did little with them. Most notoriously, it handled a serious real world issue in a deeply awkward manner. Worst yet, it dragged a lovable character like Dulcy into this mess. The whole thing wrapped up on an emotional shrug, solidifying it as the worst arc of the year.

BEST COVER ART:
Sonic the Hedgehog: Issue 109 – Patrick Spaziante

It doesn’t represent the story very well and some tacky taglines get in the way. Once you ignore that, Spaz’ cover for issue 109 is a nicely moody affair. Sonic stands atop an iceberg, adrift in the ocean. His isolation is emphasized by how small he seems and how ambivalent the seagulls over head are to his plight. It certainly makes our hero seem vulnerable. It’s an eye-catching cover that really piques the reader’s curiosity.

WORST COVER ART:
Sonic the Hedgehog: Issue 118 – Patrick Spaziante

I can hardly blame Spaz for this one. For reasons I do not understand, Archie would employ a brain dead “magazine cover” gimmick for the book, starting in December of 2002 and running until issue 125. As a gimmick, it seems to alienate the reader base. The 7-12 year old boys probably aren’t interesting in magazine industry puns, especially those seemingly fashioned after glamour or gossip mags. This cover features a ridiculous drawing of Robotnik, his face locked in an awful grimace while shouting cartoonishly. Sonic, meanwhile, poses blanky. It’s all against a flat white background, the different elements refusing to blend together.

BEST STORY ART:
“One for All” – Jay Axer (Sonic the Hedgehog: Issue 110)

Honestly, I could’ve picked any of Jay Axer’s artwork from 2002. The man regularly turned in amazing work, even if Archie frequently stuck him on back-up duty. His attention to detail is amazing. His characters are distinctive and emotive. His action is coherent and kinetic. I single out “One for All” because it also features some crazy, psychedelic images. Portraying the Sword of Acorn as a floating slice of cosmic space, while Sally explores a similarly far out area, makes for a really visually interesting story.

WORST STORY ART:
“Cry of the Wolf” – Many Hands (Sonic the Hedgehog: Issue 113)

In a year heavy on Ron Lim’s awful scribbles, what event could possibly yank the Worst Art award away from him? How about the reawakening of “Many Hands” from whatever hell hole it dwells in? Hideously garish but sloppy colors, absolutely no respect for the character’s intended models, disturbing faces, lifeless action, and more horrors rape the reader’s eyes when they open this comic book. Thankfully, after this second shot, Archie would never let Many Hands out of its cage ever again. But twice was already too much.

BEST NEW CHARACTER:
Lara-Su

In the Best Character categories, I usually take a long term view. Which means the next two decisions weren’t made based on what was available in 2002. Going by this year’s appearance, Lara-Su is an underdeveloped character. Knuckles and Julie-Su’s daughter, she’s been sent from the future to prevent a tragedy from happening. What she actually ends up doing is standing around and watching other characters do stuff. She didn’t make the most compelling addition to the book, even if her design was awesome.

In the future, however, Lara-Su would develop into a lovable character. She has her father’s brashness, her mother’s toughness, but a sure-footedness and innate intelligence they both lack, wrapped up in a teenage insecurity that makes her extra likable. In other words, she’s what Knuckles would’ve been like if his father wasn’t such a scrub. Though she didn't put in too many appearances over the book's pre-reboot life, Lara-Su remains a fan favorite.

WORST NEW CHARACTERS:
Tommy the Turtle

Once again, in his initial appearance, Tommy the Turtle was inoffensive. He showed up, served his purpose to the plot, and died heroically to teach Sonic a moral about friendship. Sadly, Archie would take the wrong lesson from this story’s popularity. In the near future, they bring Tommy back. And they refuse to let him go, continually shoving the character down the reader’s throat, making repeated failed attempts to make him interesting. When so many intriguing characters disappeared after a few appearance, I have no idea why the writers were so determined to make Tommy work, despite all evidence to the contrary. There’s a reason I consider Ian Flynn killing this living tumor off a major accomplishment. Tommy didn’t always suck but his refusal to go away made him a cancer on the book.

BEST IDEA:
Wrapping up loose ends

If 2001 was the year the book introduced plot points for seemingly no reason, 2002 was the year it resolved them. That bullshit about Tails not being the real Tails was quickly cleaned up in one story. Rotor finally rescued his herd, after them being in one imperiled state or another for years. The Source of All thankfully dried up and died. The Sally/Mina/Sonic love triangle was put on hold. Geoffrey St. John realized he had been a prick and sought to correct that. Snively went back to being a human being. Even the Chaos Knuckles saga was sort-of, kind of resolved before the year ended. If only the book was this concise more often.

WORST IDEA:
Changes for changes’ sake

A lot of the changes that happened in 2002 were overdue. Others, however, struck me as deeply unnecessary. Was there any reason for Robotnik to become a human being again? What was the point of nuking Robotropolis? Similarly, why did Robotnik go through two different bodies? Why did the Freedom Fighters spend so much time in Station Square? Why bring back Dulcy just to write her out again? The same could be said of the Fearsome Foursome. Why bother killing Knuckles off? Why redesign the covers to resemble magazines? Many of these changes would eventually be undone, such as Knuckles’ death and the cover gimmick. Others would just be forgotten. While cleaning up 2001’s mess was a good idea, the book still added new layers of bullshit in ’02.

Sonic the Hedgehog: Issue 118

Sonic the Hedgehog: Issue 118
Publication Date: December 2002

In the last month of 2002, Archie would introduce an obnoxious cover gimmick for their “Sonic the Hedgehog” series. For the next few months, the book’s covers would imitate magazines. And not just in design, what with headshots bordering the main image in a uniform way. For some stupid reason, headlines patterned after things you’d see in “People” or “Cosmo” are printed around on the cover. Why? I don’t know why. It certainly chains Spaz’ hands, preventing him from creating eye-catching images. Thankfully, this would be a short-lived gimmick. But we still have to look at it for a while.

But what of the stories inside? “Robotnik’s Return” delivers on just that, though in a round about way. Robotnik and Snively finally get their minds back in robotic bodies resembling their standard appearances. The Freedom Fighters corner the villain before he can do any more damage. The big fight is interrupted when motherfucking aliens intervene. They abduct Sonic, Tails, Robotnik and Snively before plopping them down in an alien coliseum. Then, for some reason, they turn Robotnik and Snively into humans and Sonic and Tails into robots. The winner gets returned to normal. The loser stays this way.

If you haven’t figured it out already, this story is an awkward attempt by Benny Lee to undo some of the comic's recent mistakes. By the story’s end, Robotnik and Snively are human. So the writer’s bizarre decision to robotocize Snively is reversed. Eggman, meanwhile, becomes a flesh and blood being for the first time. This was presumably done in order to raise the stakes. Now, Robotnik can’t just download his mind into a new body when he’s blown up. These were smart decisions. But was it necessary to bring in aliens to resolve this? It’s a totally random writing choice.

As an action story, “Robotnik’s Return” is underwhelming. You’d expect the big fight between Robotnik and Sonic to be the centerpiece. And it is but not a very effective one. Robotnik and Snively face down Mecha-Sonic and Mecha-Tails in a two-legged battle machine… Which is destroyed in one panel. Turns out, regular human beings aren’t much of a match for super-charged robots. I’m not sure why these aliens had to go through all this just to figure that out. At least Steven Butler’s artwork is nice.

The second story isn’t so nice looking, since Ron Lim draws it. But the script is better! In “Heart to Heart,” Karl Bollers finally picks up a plot point he abandoned a while ago. The combined efforts of Dr. Quack and Rotor have healed Geoffrey St. John and his Secret Service from the Nanobot infection Robotnik gave them. Back to normal, Geoffrey and Hershey have a – go figure – heart to heart conversation. The story concludes with the two deciding to search for Prince Elias, another plot thread left dangling last year.

What’s most surprising about “Heart to Heart” is that Geoffrey St. John actually admits that he was wrong. He admits he was a shitty leader of the Secret Service, getting them captured and harmed. He reflects on how his pursuit of Sonic was based out of jealousy and ego. He even fesses up to being a shitty adviser to Elias Acorn, driving the prince away. Considering the character is such a hard-headed jerk, it’s very unusual for him to realize so bluntly how wrong he was. (And it’s a move that was unlikely to happen under Penders’ pen, I think.)

The story also expounds on St. John’s origin and his future a little bit. We learn more about his life before the fall of Mobotropolis, about his father’s death and his reaction to Robotnik’s rise. As for the future, St. John and Hershey’s relationship is confirmed with an on-panel kiss. The two running off together on an adventure at the end seems to be a symbolic marriage of sorts. It seems unlikely to me that a committed patriot like Geoffrey would fall in love with a confirmed traitor like Hershey. Then again, the heart wants what it wants. And this finally buries the Sally/St. John ship.

The last story concludes Ken Penders’ “Ultimate Power” story arc. Knuckles confronts Mammoth Mogul before the villain reveals that the entire room is a Chaos Syphon. Before the echidna gets his god-like powers sucked away, he goes into overdrive. A massive explosion of chaos energy follows. When Constable Remington and the Dark Legion investigate, they discover three things. Mogul has vanished. Dimitri is unharmed. And Knuckles is dead.

As always, Ken buries the emotion under a lot of bullshit. Before we get to the important stuff, we’re treated to three whole pages of Knuckles and Mogul yelling at each other. Their dialogue is way too damn technical, focusing on the minutia the reader doesn’t care about. After the dramatic event happens, Ken cuts away from the important people. We don’t see Julie-Su and the Chaotix’s reaction to Knuckles’ demise. Instead, Lien-Da and Remington, two characters with no emotion connection to the Guardian, discover his corpse. We only see Lara-Le’s reaction in one small panel, during a scene otherwise devoted to renaming the Floating Island to Angel Island. (This was presumably done to bring the comics more in line with Sega cannon, though this story was a weird place to do it.)

So what do I think of Knuckles’ death? Well, even in 2002, I knew this was temporary. There’s no way Sega was going to let Ken Penders kill off one of their flagship characters. Even as a fourteen year old, I assumed a spiritual journey through the afterlife was coming next. It’s also a bummer that Knuckles died defending Dimitri – his former arch-enemy – instead of his girlfriend, mother, or best friends. For that matter, making Mammoth Mogul a component in the death is another odd decision. Wouldn’t it have made stronger dramatic sense to have Lien-Da betray Knuckles or something? The death scene just isn’t handled in the best way, is my point. (Dawn Best’s artwork is a little off too, making once again wonder if Ken drew part of this one.)

So 2002 ends on a weird note. Issue 118 is full of big changes. Robotnik and Snively are human again. Knuckles is dead. Geoffrey St. John and Hershey are going to be out of the picture for a while. Yet only that middle story comes anywhere close to hitting the emotion it’s reaches for. The other stories seem built around changes that are either unimportant or temporary. But at least the book is slightly better then that godawful cover suggests. [6/10]

Sonic the Hedgehog: Issue 117

Sonic the Hedgehog: Issue 117
Publication Date: November 2002

As 2002 drew to a close, Archie continue to pack three stories into each issue of “Sonic the Hedgehog.” I don’t know what editorial decisions were made in deciding which story got the cover spot. Last issue, the second story got the cover treatment, relegating the first story to back-up status. Issue 117 similarly sticks an unimportant story in the front, giving the cover story second place. Maybe Spaziante just picked whichever plot would make for the most eye-catching cover? I have no idea. (Though issue 117 certainly features one of Spaz’s most disproportionately creepy covers.) Jay Axer’s frontispace, meanwhile, concerns the book’s final story. Weird, right?

So issue 117 opens with “Cyber Chase,” a brief story starting Robotnik and Snively. Following the destruction of the doctor’s base last time, both villains had their consciousness downloaded onto the internet. They rush to make it back to another one of Eggman’s bases, downloading their minds into new robotic bodies. Some shenanigans ensue before the story ends.

“Cyber Chase” is basically a joke story, which continues the comic’s bad habit of making its primary villain a goofy non-threat. Robotnik and Snively race around the “information superhighway,” leading to the kind of lame visual gag I thought we had outgrown by 2002. Yes, we see zeroes and ones literally racing over highway overpasses. This goofy tone continues after Snively places his mind into a handsome body, a bizarre gag that is quickly undone by Robotnik. In other words, this back-up exists just to prove that Robotnik and Snively are still alive, still out there. What an odd way to get that information across.

Which brings us to the cover story. We follow a rabbit named Juice as he enters the Forbidden Zone, that inhospitable land between the Great Forest and Robotropolis. He enters an abandoned base occupied by Drago, Sleuth Dawg, and the other members of the Fearsome Foursome. Juice is actually Sonic in disguise. He’s there at the request of Tommy Turtle, a previously unmentioned childhood friend. Robotnik appears in the base, answering a bargain presented by Drago. This goes horribly wrong, forcing Sonic and Tommy to make a hasty return. Until that, too, goes awry.

“The Tortoise and the Hedgehog” is a pretty good story… That has the indignity of introducing maybe the Archie Sonic character I hate the most. In his first appearance, Tommy Turtle serves his purpose. He exists to sacrifice himself, giving Sonic an important moral lesson. His death adds some emotion to what would’ve otherwise been a standard action story. But Tommy was doomed to rise again, the character being awkwardly forced into a number of future story, distracting, annoying, and exhausting the reader. So it’s not Tommy’s fault that he sucks. Instead, writers insistent on pushing the character are responsible. Yet his introduction still fills me with worry.

Truthfully, “The Tortoise and the Hedgehog” works pretty well. Yes, forcing Sonic into a Tortoise and the Hare story is a bit cheesy. Introducing a character just to kill him of is an odd decision. However, Romy Chacon’s script still gets at the heart of Sonic’s personality. He still feels guilt over bullying Tommy as a kid. This pushes him to rescue the turtle when he calls for help. His interior monologue makes these motivations clear. To have Tommy sacrifice himself to save Sonic further enforces the power of friendship, empathy, and charity on our hero. The conclusion, with Sonic standing outside the burning factory, is effectively emotional. Even if it’s a character we just met, Tommy’s choice still resonates.

Plot-wise, “The Tortoise and the Hedgehog” features some decent action beats. Sonic racing around Robotnik’s factory on Tommy’s shell is a nice moment. Robotnik’s ruthlessly robotocizes the Fearsome Foursome once it becomes apparent they are no use to him. (Which is another example of the book’s schizophrenia concerning that character.) This continues the book’s main trend in 2002, of resolving dangling plot points. Drago and the gang are dead, for now, leaving one less errand plot line roaming Mobius.

The third story continues Ken Penders’ “Ultimate Power” story arc. Constable Remington informs Knuckles and the Chaotix that cab driver Harry has recently ended up in the hospital. Mammoth Mogul zapped the guy after hitching a ride with him. Knuckles uses his Messiah powers to heal the dingo’s wounds. Enraged, the echidna then teleports to Mogul’s location. Which plays right into the villain’s plan. Mogul used Dimitri as leverage to capture Knuckles and intends on draining his Chaos energy.

The plot mechanics of “Ultimate Power’s” third part isn’t very notable. Knuckles is tricked by yet another villain. Mogul’s master plan – draining Knuckles’ power – is easy to predict. Julie-Su, Harry, and the Chaotix are stuck in forgettable supporting roles. What’s most interesting about this story is how Dimitri has continued to evolve as a character. Mammoth Mogul confronts the ill Dimitri, insisting that life is only about survival. Dimitri counters him, showing that he has developed a conscious. I wish Ken had hinted at this sooner. Just recently, the former Enerjak was still being his supervillain self. But it’s still an interesting development.

“Ultimate Power: Part 3” also features some typically awkward Penders-esque dialogue. The exchange between Lien-Da and a fellow Dark Legionnaire is especially clumsy. Words like “Whereof,” “Indeed,” and “Pachyderm” are tossed around casually. Mammoth Mogul also gets some overly arch, unbelievable dialogue, though we’re used to that from him. As always, Ken’s shitty dialogue derails much of the dramatic tension the story could’ve created.

Both the back-up stories are a bit weak but the cover story isn’t bad. Issue 117 was also one of the few consistently good looking issues in 2002. Steven Butler draws the first story, making Robotnik and Snively’s ridiculous adventure look great. Art Mawhineny draws the cover story. His cute style is well suited to Tommy Turtle’s adventure, while his strength for emotion is also well utilized. Dawn Best draws the final story, bringing some color and style to Ken’s weak story. When an issue is this divided, I’m not sure what to rate it. How does [6.5/10] sound to you guys?

Sonic the Hedgehog: Issue 116

 
Sonic the Hedgehog: Issue 116
Publication Date: October 2002

Rouge the Bat is nowhere as controversial a character as Shadow the Hedgehog but her introduction still generated some debate. Some questioned why a kid-centric franchise like “Sonic the Hedgehog” would introduce a blatantly fan service character like Rouge the Bat. Was her cleavage too generous for a children’s series? Was Sega blatantly targeting furries? Of course, Archie had been introducing potentially inappropriate sexy female characters in their comic book for years. So Rouge’s curvy proportions were less controversial on these pages. With issue 116, Rouge the Bat would graduate from cameo to full-blown character, a fact trumpeted on the cover.

The comic considered Rouge’s re-introduciton such a big deal that they gave her the cover over the issue’s first story. “Operation: Off-Switch,” instead, finds Sonic and Bunnie in the employ of Station Square again. The president has spotted Robotnik operating out of a near-by abandoned city, following the recent destruction of Robotropolis. Rouge was sent to investigate but vanished. The two Freedom Fighters swoop in, ostensibly to find the bat and stop Robotnik’s latest plan.

The official reveal that Mobius is a post-apocalyptic Earth wouldn’t come for a while longer. However, the book had been hinting at this truth for some time. Another big clue comes in “Operation: Off-Switch.” The abandoned city Robotnik has taken up residence in is obviously New York City. Among the skyline, one can spot a dismembered Statue of Liberty and a damaged Empire State Building. This raises some pretty big questions. Why is New York abandoned, if many of the buildings are still standing? How are the buildings standing, when we would later learn that the Xorda would devastate the entire planet? How come the Freedom Fighters have never noticed this place before? Benny Lee’s script provides no answers to these queries.

Maybe I’m a nerd who over-analyzes shit. (That’s fair.) Maybe we aren’t suppose to think this much about it. So how does “Operation: Off-Switch” function as a regular story? Weakly. I’m not sure why the writers brought in the Station Square president, when King Acorn could’ve just as easily filled this role. Pairing Sonic and Bunnie is an interesting idea but the story quickly separates them. The action is underwhelming, with Sonic quickly dodging some missiles. He’s quibbing even more than usual, draining any tension the story might have had.

His confrontation with Robotnik – who has taken up residence in a new, ridiculous body – is very short lived. He bounces around the villain’s robot arms, shoves a stick of dynamite into his mouth, and flees before the disproportionately huge explosion follows. It certainly makes Eggman – who, we must remember, is suppose to be more ruthless than the original Robotnik – seem like a total joke. That the fight is over so quickly, and so underwhelmingly, makes this whole story seem like a pointless stop gap on the way to Sonic’s next, more serious struggle with his arch-enemy.

Story number two covers the Bunnie/Rouge fight portrayed on the cover. After parting ways from Sonic, Bunnie searches for Rouge. The bat has already escaped Robotnik’s prison, the power failing following the explosion. The femme fatale mistakes Bunnie for one of the doctor’s robotic minions. Apparently Bunnie is in a grouchy mood. Instead of explaining the misunderstanding, she strikes back. The bat and the rabbit wail on each other for a few pages before Sonic arrives, telling them to break it up.

“Bat Fight” – yes, the story is really called that – exists mostly because its premise is too salacious to resist. No, there’s no real reason for the secret agent bat and super-strong cyborg to fight each other. As Sonic points out at the end, the two are on the same team. The mix-up that results in the fight should’ve been explained away quickly. There’s no plot reason for the two to scuffle. Instead, the sexy bat girl battling the sexy bunny girl is an amusing idea, playing with the “who would win in a fight?” fan boy discussion. I’m certainly not above such things. Occasionally, that kind of nerdery is fun to indulge. Devoting all five pages to the fight certainly leaves plenty of room for combat.

If the inherit appeal of the idea wasn’t the reason this story got the greenlight, Jay Axer’s artwork justifies its existence. Rouge and Bunnie certainly look irresistible in his style. (Rouge’s bustline was diminished in her first appearance but Axer brings the boobies back.) His command of action is perfectly suited to this one. Bunnie gets tossed through a window, delivering a clenched fist to Rouge’s face in retaliation. Kicks and punches are traded in vivid ways. When Rouge is kicked into a stone pillar, which seems to win Bunnie the fight, you can feel the impact. Karl Bollers’ dialogue is utterly inane but Axer’s awesome artwork makes the whole thing worth it.

The last story in the issue continues Ken Penders’ Green Knuckles saga. With “Ultimate Power – Mid-Logue: The Lesson,” he tries to trick us into thinking “mid-logue” is a word. Also, while watching Mammoth Mogul’s broadcast, Knuckles has a spontaneous flashback. He reflects on a time his dad spotted a team of Robians, sent by Robotnik, to abduct the Master Emerald. And what did Knuckles do during this adventure? Repeatedly get beaten up by different things, including a tree branch and one of the robots.

I’m not sure what the point of this “mid-logue” was. It breaks up the flow of the on-going plot, the resolution to last month’s cliffhanger being interrupted by a random flashback. Usually, you’d expect the flashback to reflect on the current story in some way. But this one doesn’t seem to. If anything, it emphasizes how Knuckles has always been at the whims of greater powers around him. As a kid, his dad bossed him around. As a teenager, his life is directed by his strange chaos powers and Dimitri’s interests.

I can only speculate why Ken wrote this “mid-logue.” I suspect he did it as another excuse to boost Locke, his favorite character. While Knuckles stumbles into things like a drunken ox, Locke uses his chaos powers to completely destroy the robots attempting to steal the Master Emerald. Keep in mind, these aren’t SWATBots or any of Robotnik’s other mindless drones. Instead, these are Robians. The comic has established repeatedly that Robians are normal Mobians, robotocized and enslaved by the mad doctor’s machines. So, in other words, Locke just murdered three innocent people who had no control over their actions. Because, once again, Penders’ heroes act more like villains.

Ron Lim illustrates both the first and last stories. The action scenes and backgrounds in “Operation: Off-Switch” are totally lifeless. In the back-up story, he draws child Knuckles as being far too small, making the adult Knuckles look like a giant. The Robians, meanwhile, look pretty good, making me wonder if someone else didn’t draw them. The cover story is a fun bit of pointless fluff but the stories bordering it are weak sauce, making for an uneven issue. [5/10]

Sonic the Hedgehog: Issue 115

Sonic the Hedgehog: Issue 115
Publication Date: October 2002

I don’t remember much about this era of Archie’s “Sonic the Hedgehog” comic. I never stopped reading the book but I wasn’t paying very much attention to it at this time. Issue 115, however, is one I definitely recall. It sticks in my memory for being such a blatant throwback to the book’s earlier, goofier days. The cover story revolves around a fantastical plot development that isn’t really in line with anything else happening in the book at this moment. It’s a totally self contained story, that comes and goes without leaving a lasting effect. Not that issue 115 is a bad issue – it’s passable – but it definitely sticks out for tonal reasons.

Unsurprisingly, this is another one from the pen of Benny Lee, perhaps explaining why it’s a stand alone story. In “Meanie in a Bottle,” Sonic is tossing a stick around with his robotic dog, Muttski. After the pet leaps into a lake, Sonic defies the title of his blog and jumps in after him. From the lake bed, he retrieves a mysterious bottle. The bottle contains a genie. And he’s a real asshole too. Instead of granting Sonic three wishes, he zaps both the hedgehog and his pet. As a result, Sonic looses his speed and Muttski gains it.

This is how inconsequential a story “Meanie in a Bottle” is: The genie that drives the plot doesn’t even have a Mobius Encyclopaedia page, an otherwise comprehensive guide to the book’s universe. There are some things I like about the story. Sonic’s concern for his dog, when he dives into the water and won’t surface, is sweet. Focusing on the relationship between Sonic and Muttski is nice, considering the robot dog doesn’t usually get this much attention. The montage of Muttski experiencing super speed – which involves him stopping a burglary, playing with Tails and Sally, and dragging Sonic around – is funny in a dumb way. Sonic’s disappointment when Muttski grabs the stick right out of his hand, before he even throws it, is amusing as well.

I guess my problem is how immature the story feels. The hero plucking a genie out of nowhere seems like an especially random story turn. The genie just being a prick for no reason happens primarily for plot reason. Sonic defeats the pesky djinn by locking him in Muttski’s belly and demanding he obey his wishes. Considering the genie obviously has magical powers, I’m not sure why this is such a problem for him. It’s not that I dislike the story’s total disconnect with the rest of the book. I’ve praised Benny Lee’s episodic writing before. It just seems to me that the story was conceived and written quickly, without too much thought being put into it.

However, there is one thing about “Meanie in a Bottle” I can praise without reservations. Art Mawhinney shows up again. It’s clear Art is still adapting to Sonic’s post-Dreamcast design. He somewhat awkwardly squeezes the green eyes, buckled shoes, and longer spines onto his classical Sonic design. His design for the genie is quite generic. Yet his strength for expressions still benefits the story. Sonic’s concern for Muttski and his eventual exhaustion, after loosing his speed, are clearly and vividly displayed. Even if this isn’t the best story, it’s still nice to see that Art’s art is as top notch as ever.

Ken’s “Ultimate Power” arc continues in the back. Mammoth Mogul insists Harry, apparently the only cab driver on the Floating Island, take him to see Dimitri. The supervillain proceeds to hold the other supervillian hostage, demanding Knuckels puts in an appearance. Meanwhile, the Guardian goofs around with his friends while Lien-Da continues to plot her take-over of the Dark Legion.

How rarely do we get to see Knuckles kick back and relax? It’s nice to know that, occasionally, the young Guardian feels the need to frolic with his friend. Sadly, Ken can’t let this moment breathe. He immediately has Espio ask how Knuckles got green, which segues into a discussion about his abilities. (He then uses those powers to summon a bouquet of flowers for Julie-Su. Which is sweet, even if Julie-Su doesn’t seem like the kind of girl you get flowers for.) That particular sequence concludes with Knuckles running off to his dad to get some answer. Which is weird, considering Locke has never in his entire life given his son a straight answer about anything.

While this is going on, more plot relevant manners are happening. By now, it’s clear that Lien-Da is using Dimitri’s illness as a way to seize power. Meanwhile, it’s also quite obvious that Mammoth Mogul intends on zapping Knuckles’ power next. I’m not especially concerned with this stuff but at least it’s moving at a decent pace. That’s better than how sluggish the Chaos Knuckles saga had been, up to this point. Dawn Best draws again, though I wonder if Ken didn’t do some uncredited pencils on this one. Knuckles and friends looks a little awkward in a few of the panels.

Issue 115 doesn’t feature three stories, as had become common practice. Instead, more of Spaz’s unused designs are shoved into the middle of the book. It’s mostly character and costume designs, loose doodles hardly worth commenting on. What is tantalizing is a page devoted to an anime-style alternate universe story Spaz apparently pitched. The story would’ve featured a weirdo supervillain Snively and very cute versions of Sonic, Sally and Bunnie. I guess it wasn’t meant to be? This mid-book spread may actually be the most memorable thing about a passable if not especially notable issue of the series. [6/10]

Sonic the Hedgehog: Issue 114

Sonic the Hedgehog: Issue 114
Publication Date: September 2002

I have no idea why Archie took a month off to let Many Hands out of his cage, to present us with the totally worthless “Cry of the Wolf.” Either way, things are back on track with issue 114. As the cover promises, Mammoth Mogul returns to the book. This installment has Benny Lee breaking his habit of stand alone stories. Instead, this one is steeped in the series’ on-going mythology. It also, thankfully, wraps up one of the previous year’s dumbest dangling plot lines.

In “Twice Told Tails,” Sonic’s sidekick is being haunted by nightmares about a spooky cave. Sonic and his parents try to assure the fox that these dreams are nothing to worry about. Instead, Tails flies the Tornado away in the middle of the night. Sonic secretly follows him. The two arrive at the cave Tails has been dreaming about. Inside, they meet Mammoth Mogul and another version of Tails trapped inside a bubble. We quickly discover the truth behind Athair’s startling revelation last year.

Obviously, the main purpose of “Twice Told Tails” is to resolve that stupid “Tails isn’t the real Tails” nugget Ken dropped on us. Benny Lee waste no time in revealing the truth. After being released from the Master Emerald during the “Sonic Adventure” prologue, Mammoth Mogul immediately grabbed the real Tails. He kept the true fox locked up in his cave, slowly draining his special “Chosen One” powers, in order to keep himself alive. To keep his friends off the trail, Mogul created the bogus Tails. It’s succinct and – assuming Benny Lee isn’t really Ken, as I’ve long suspected – probably a much more concise conclusion then Penders would’ve delivered.

It’s nice that this dumb plot thread is finally resolved. Disappointingly, “Twice Told Tails” rushes through the story a bit too quickly. Tails shows up at the cave, inexplicably drawn towards it. Mogul barges in and immediately explains what the hell is going on. Sonic and Tails punch Mogul twice in the face. This is enough to distract the elephant, freeing the real Tails, and forcing the supervillain to skedaddle. Afterwards, the fake Tails dissipates into nothingness. It all happens in the space of a few pages. I’m not complaining about Lee’s eagerness to wrap up this asinine plot twist. However, I wish it was done with a little more elegance.

Granted, there are one or two cute emotional moments. The early scenes of the hedgehogs, including Uncle Chuck and Sonic’s robotic parents, showing concern for Tails is nice. Sonic has some amusing battle banter with Mammoth Mogul, proving that Benny Lee occasionally had an ear for dialogue. I wish Sonic’s reunion with the real Tails at the end was more detailed. It only occupies a few panels but I do like the tears welling up in the hedgehog’s eyes, upon seeing the real Tails gain his freedom.

The back-up story, “Ultimate Power: Part 1,” returns us to the Chaos Knuckles saga, a story line I was personally happy to take a break from. Knuckles sets up Julie-Su and her parents with a swanky apartment in Echidnopolis. When asked how he accomplished this, Knuckles flat-out admits that being the Guardian comes with some perks. Meanwhile, Dimitri reveals to Lien-Da that he’s dying, hoping his protégé will be a worthy heir to the Dark Legion leadership.

The first part of “Ultimate Power” is loaded down with plot mechanics. It sets up Dimitri’s declining health and growing distrust of Lien-Da. The short six-pagers also reveals that Mammoth Mogul is on the Floating Island too, presumably up to nefarious things. If there’s anything interesting about “Ultimate Power,” it’s in the little moments. The way Dawn Best illustrates Lien-Da agreeing to Dimitri’s terms certainly establishes that she’s up to no good. The banter between the Guardian and his girlfriend, as she gushes about her new apartment, is kind of cute. Knuckles is finally reunited with the Chaotix, allowing Vector to get back to harassing Julie-Su. (Considering his secret crush Knuckles is the one openly collaborating with the enemy, Vector’s misogyny is even more misplaced than usual.) Amusingly, Julie-Su tosses Vector to the concrete, clearly sick of his bullshit. Which is, you know, nice. These little moments keep you reading through whatever Ken is planning.

Continuing the three story structure the comic was going with at the time, issue 114 also shoves in a third story. Karl Bollers’ “Young at Heart” has Tails and Amy Rose returning to school, much to their chagrin. Both are annoyed that they have to go to school, while the Freedom Fighters get to do fun stuff. Throughout the day, Amy has to find her own ways to pass the time.

“Young at Heart” is a pretty useless story. Karl resurrects the Knothole High concept but at least realized sticking Sonic in school was a dumb idea. The story doesn’t move the plot forward any or expand on the world. It really just exist to establish that Amy is back in school and to fill out the comic. Yet the antics Amy gets up to – making faces at Tails during history class – are amusing. Both the characters’ frustration with going to school, and the matronly way Sally escorts them to class, is cute. Sonic’s disdain for Geoffrey St. John, and the insistent way Sally clarifies their relationship, are also cute. Jay Axer draws this one and his artwork is as excellent as ever.

None of the stories in issue 114 are entirely satisfying. Yet they all have little moments in them that make me smile. The cover story, most importantly, does do away with a lame plot twist, which is certainly appreciated. Where the comic is headed next, I don’t remember. But at least we’ve got the real Tails back. [7/10]