Sonic the Hedgehog: Issue 173

 
Sonic the Hedgehog: Issue 173
Publication Date: March 2007

Ian Flynn has mostly been allowing Archie's “Sonic the Hedgehog” comic some breathing room since 2007 started. With issue 173, the march towards the next big event begins, the story line obviously beginning in the up-coming issue 175. Before we get to that though, the author continues fixing the characterization of the cast. If the stated goal of his first year on the book was the untangle the narrative mess the previous authors left, it seems the goal for 2007 was to give undeveloped characters a purpose and recenter the motivation of others characters that went astray.

“Round-Up” begins with Antoine making the bold decision he promised last time: He proposes to Bunnie. Naturally, the rabbot immediately says yes, the long-time lovers officially becoming engaged. After informing Princess Sally, the Freedom Fighters are sent on a new mission. The Chaotix, currently protecting Mina on her world tour, heard a rumor that Rouge is selling the Master Emerald. The Freedom Fighters take out the given location, running into Bark, Bean, and Nack and then Mammoth Mogul and Ixis Naugus. Shenanigans ensue.

Ever since Sonic and Sally split up in 2004, Antoine and Bunnie have become the book's most consistent romantic couple. They've had their ups and downs, mostly thanks to Antoine's evil double and a ill-conceived fling between Sonic and Bunnie. Other then that, they've basically been an item since issue 48, with plenty of foreshadowing coming earlier. Something about the Southern belle cyborg and the formerly cowardly coyote just compliment each other. She gives him courage and he gives her comfort. So seeing the two become engaged is a natural conclusion. Devoting the first few pages to the couple's newly found pre-marital bliss was a good decision on Flynn's behalf.

Antoine and Bunnie getting engaged isn't the only long overdue character beat in “Round-Up.” For the first time in far too long, Princess Sally accompanies the Freedom Fighters on a mission. While staking-out on the stake-out, Sally confesses to Bunnie that she's been far too distant here of late, avoiding her friends and ex-boyfriend. Bunnie forgives her. The reader forgives her too. This scene is actually a beautiful promise from Ian Flynn, that the rail-roading Sally's personality suffered during the latter half of Karl Bollers' run is being overturned. The People's Princess is now no longer a bitch to her friends for no reason. She is flirting with Sonic and kicking ass among the Freedom Fighters. Just as God intended. It feels so good.

With the focus being on joyous character interaction, the action in “Round-Up” is of a lower stakes variety. Sonic and Antoine end up tussling with Bark and Bean, both of whom are riding around on those hover board things. The scene quickly veers towards humor, when Sonic's pummeling causes Bean to utter a bunch of nonsense phrases. A little later, Bunnie cold cocks Ixis Naugus, now grossly depowered, with a single sucker-punch. Probably my favorite action bit has Sally stealing Nack's hover-bike and landing it on Mogul's head. You never feel like the character's are endangered but it's still a good time.

If “Round-Up” has any serious flaw, it's the handling of Mogul and Naugus. The villains appear midway through the story. Mogul explains the changes he's undergone recently. How he was rescued from Robotnik's Egg-Grapes and Finitevus. How A.D.A.M stole his Chaos Emerald, draining his power. How these events caused Naugus to loose his mind and most of his powers. Even as someone a little more invested in these guys than most Archie “Sonic” readers, this stuff is way too dry and boring. It's a lot of exposition to wade through just to get to the point: Mogul and Naugus are back but at a significantly decreased threat level.

What this subplot does have going for it is giving Rouge some much needed character development. It's easy to guess that Rouge's offer to sell the Master Emerald is a hoax. That seems like an important plot point that would've gotten more attention, if true. Instead, Rouge cooked up the scheme to attract the villains' attention. And to what purpose? To show Knuckles that she isn't such a bad girl after all. This solidify Rouge's personality, something the book has been building towards for a while. She's not certainly not evil but not exactly good either. In RPG terms, she's Chaotic Neutral. She does what she wants for her own purposes, with a moral code that changes as often as the sun comes up.

The back-up story is the beginning of a two-parter that was apparently originally planned by the previous writer for issue 152. “See You Later Chao” – that's actually kind of clever – begins with Sonic showing his parents a Chao, those blue digital pets thing that were introduced in “Sonic Adventure.” He recounts how he discovered the critter. How Sonic, Tails, and Knuckles went on a  mission to investigate some strange signals from the location that was previously the sight of the Power Ring Grotto. Instead of a magic lake, they discovered a small community of chao. One that Robotnik has his eyes on.

The Chao have been floating around the Archie Sonic-verse for a few years, since a passing introduction during the “Sonic Adventure” adaptation. Why the Pokemon-like creatures have been regular characters in the “Sonic X” book, they've been rarely spotted in this one. “See You Later Chao” exist to give the critters a proper introduction. The whole story is devoted to explaining their bizarre evolutionary habits, how they absorb the characteristics of the people they spend time with. There's not much to it and it's pretty disposable. But I guess the blue little puffballs have their place in the “Sonic” canon, so I suppose this story is overdue.

The back-up is a big bowl of “meh” but the cover story is pretty damn good. Sally finally being given back her soul is what makes this issue so important. However, Antoine and Bunnie's engagement and some fun action also raises its quality. Yardley's artwork is solid, the night time setting being used nicely, even if Tracy's pencils on the back-up are a little too loose. It's another really good issue, showing that Flynn's run wouldn't be running out any time soon. [8/10]