Sonic X: Issue 12

Sonic X: Issue 12
Publication Date: September 2006

I had to look at that cover a couple of times to figure out what the hell was going on. On first glance, it looked like Sonic and Knuckles were holding up a tipping over claw machine. And there's a laser eye in there or something shooting a heat ray at them? And I guess this is happening in front of a TV shop? It wasn't until I actually read this issue that I realized I was looking at the “War of the Worlds”-style tripod previously seen in Sonic X: Issue 7. That still doesn't explain the TV shop though. It's not the best designed cover is what I'm saying.

Three things are happening at once, around here in the “Sonic X”-verse. With Eggman in jail, Sonic is super bored and beings pestering his friends for something to do. Eventually, he agrees to help Sam Speed track down a pair of crazy street racers. Meanwhile, the government recruits Tails to help study the alien ship that Captain Westwood uncovered in the desert. Even more meanwhile, Dr. Eggman and his hench-bots sit in jail, slowly forming their next evil plan.

I continue to be frustrated with the relationship Archie's “Sonic X” has with the Saturday morning “Sonic X.” After the previous issue's adventure, the comic concluded with a word balloon indicating that Eggman was thrown in prison following some shenanigans on the moon. This was, I assume, all shit that happened on the cartoon show. So if you missed that tidbit, you'd be very confused as to why the bad guy was incarcerated in this issue. On top of this, Joe Edkin's script ominously references the villain planning some evil plot involving appliances while located in prison. This also appears to be a plot point from the TV show. It's obvious that the target readers for this comic book were watchers of the show. It's annoying to read but I bet it was worst to write.

Vague foreshadowing for events that won't actually happen in this comic book are my only real qualm with issue 12 of “Sonic X.” Instead, this one begins with an amusing idea: What happens when Sonic gets really bored? This comic hasn't played up the hedgehog as a source of comedy but this one happily draws attention to his ADHD tendency. He pesters Knuckles to go on an adventure but the echidna refuses to leave his post. He pesters Chris at his soccer game before being told that hedgehogs aren't allowed on the field. It's amusing to see Sonic, usually portrayed as a big hero, succumb to such childish impulses. Yet totally in-character. (Though, I was hoping this would lead into Sonic and Knuckles having an adventure, the echidna acting as the terse, by-the-book Murtaugh to Sonic's impulsive, wacky Martin Riggs.)

Eventually, Sonic's urge for adventure has him teaming up with Sam Speed. Despite all the fan dislike I've seen for Chris Thorndyke, I honestly think Sam Speed is a goofier, more out-of-place character. The wackiness Sonic and the race car driver – who is also a police contractor because, sure, go with it – is middling stuff. Sonic rescues an ugly-ass baby after a speeding car collides with the infant's baby carriage. That stuff is kind of silly in a way that isn't entertaining. The moments that follow, where Sonic tracks down the racing ruffians, is kind of funny though.

It is interesting that Tails gets a story point all to himself in this issue. Thus far, “Sonic X” has mostly played the fox as Sonic's sidekick, there to toss a ring his way when he needs it but not good for much else. So I do approve of Edkin bringing up Miles' intellect. I'm also a fan of the alien stuff that the writer previously introduced. These two plot elements collide in a slightly awkward fashion. Tails is really smart but apparently not smart enough to avoid getting trapped inside an alien tripod, which then goes on a rampage through the city. The action stuff that follows – Sonic defeating the tripod by bouncing its own heat ray inside its force field – is not super coherent. It does leave to the rather juicy reveal of Sonic's best friend popping out of an alien death machine. I wonder if the book will pick that plot point up in an interesting way or just let it dangle?

So now we reach the portion of my “Sonic X” review were I criticize Tim Smith 3's artwork. Listen, I don't dislike Smith's artwork. He grasps totally the designs for each of the characters, making him especially good at mimicking the look of the “Sonic X” cartoon. Yet the lack of detail he puts into his backgrounds and his sometimes odd facial expressions can't be ignored. Sonic and Tails' faces look pretty weird in a couple of panels. The humans get oddball facial expressions too, especially the random crook in the car or Chris' one female friend that keeps showing up.

So it's another middle-of-the-road issue of “Sonic X.” There's some stuff I like about this one – Bored Sonic, Smart Tails – and stuff I'm less crazy about – the Amazing Adventure of Sam Speed, the overly direct relationship with the cartoon. That kind of push and pull has become pretty standard for this series. Hopefully, Edkin and his artists can get their shit together enough to produce some more classics like issue 6 before this series wraps up its forty issue run. [6/10]