Sonic X: Issue 22

Sonic X: Issue 22
Publication Date: July 2007

I don't know what the hell was up with the writer's rotation on Archie's “Sonic X” book. Joe Edkin wrote most of the first fifteen issues, Ian Flynn subbing in for him a few times. With the last two issues, the series has rotated through a couple of new additions. Now, with issue 22, Joe Edkin is back. I don't know why it was like that. Anyway, does this issue of “Sonic X,” which has been in a mediocre groove for far too long, offer any surprises at all?

Proving once again that Edkin likes to make references to eighties movies, issue 22 is devoted to a story entitled “Decoe and Bocoe's Not-So-Excellent Misadventure.” In it, Decoe and Bocoe's utter incompetence finally forces Eggman to let them go. Instead of turning them into scrap metal as you'd expect, the robots are fired. They search around for some new jobs, finding employment in an ice cream shop. Because apparently some places will hire you even if all your references are evil scientists. In their place, Eggman builds a pair of far more competent replacements for the robots. Turns out they are too competent, as they attempt to take over his criminal empire all together.
Despite what the title and above plot description might lead you to believe, this issue isn't really about Decoe and Bocoe so much. Oh yeah, they are in the story. They are given more to do than usual, actually helping direct the plot. Yet the issue is just as devoted to the sexier, sleeker replacements Eggman builds. Or Sonic saving the day, for that matter. I guess the title made me hope for a day in the life story about the bad guy's unappreciated henchmen. Instead, I got a story that only strays slightly outside the “Sonic X” formula I've bitched about roughly 21 times before.

So, when the book is focused on them anyway, what do Decoe and Bocoe's not-so-excellent misadventures include? Mostly some pretty hacky slapstick shenanigans. When they get hired in the ice cream bar, they prove to suck at this job as much as they did at their old one. Within minutes, they somehow reduce the entire building to a chocolate covered mess. Wow, that's actually sort of impressive! But don't worry. The robot's stupidity ends up saving the day, in a round about way. I'm not much of a fan of Decoe and Bocoe. This book already has a surplus of goofy, comic relief villains. But this issue did make me appreciate them a little bit more. Their dumbness is so sincere, it's nearly charming.
Naturally, Sonic has to save the day again, as is his wont. This time, he's forced to team up with Captain Westwood again. The human's distrust of Sonic has, at this point, become a running gag. Which is arguably what it should be, since characters in this comic aren't allowed to grow or develop. The action that is there is pretty standard. With one surprise. The hedgehog actually looses his initial scuffle with Eggman's new hench-bots. It's just a momentary set back but still more then what I'm use to seeing from this version of the character. It's short lived though as, by the end, Sonic is homing attacking a giant robot hard enough it returns to Eggman's base.

From the title on down, there's some cute homages tossed into this issue. No, Decoe and Bocoe never perform air guitar. That would've been too awesome. However, Eggman's latest harmless death machine is a spitting image of the “Lost in Space” robot. Which is pretty cool. Beyond that, the Mobius Encyclopedia informs me that the owner of the ice cream shop looks a lot like some minor character from the “Archie” books. You know, the ones actually featuring America's favorite ginger polygamist. I'll take your word for it, nerd wiki editors.
There's at least one surprising name in this issue's credits. James Fry draws the story. Fry has mostly retired from the main “Sonic” book at this point, so his appearance is a pleasant surprise. I've often wondered if “Sonic X” mandated its artist to copy the art style of the show. Issue 22 more-or-less confirms this. Fry retrains his usual anime-esque artwork and, instead, sticks to the established looks of the characters. Having said that, Fry keeps the energy that defines his works. The action scenes are pretty well done. The facial expressions are vivid. Eggman's robots, for once, don't look utterly goofy. They even look kind of cool.

The standard for Archie's “Sonic X” comic is such that even a slightly above issue like this one really stands out. The jokes are still pretty lame. Nothing too exciting happens. But at least it's something a little different, a little outside the norm. It barely rises above the last few issues but I'll give Edkin some credit for putting in a little more effort than he obviously had to. [6/10]