Sonic X: Issue 23

Sonic X: Issue 23
Publication Date: August 2007

Whenever Ian Flynn has stepped over to the “Sonic X” title, I've always treated it like a big deal. Truthfully, Flynn's work on this particular comic has been unwilling to push outside the boundaries of a licensed, kid friendly title. Flynn's previous “Sonic X” stories have been goofy, comedic bits, usually based around a holiday of some sort. Issue 23's story, “Hedgehogging Their Bets,” isn't too big an improvement over the usual “Sonic X” standards but it is a mild move in the right direction.

We begin with Sonic being chased by a race car and a pair of attacking robots. After a gas filled capsule is clamped down over his head, he passes out. When the hedgehog awakens, he's chained to the floor and faced with a council of mysterious people. Each one has been wronged by Sonic in some way, some more imagined than others, and want revenge on the blue hero. Of course, Sonic is harder to get rid of then that and he's quickly throwing monkey wrenches into their plans.

There's an interesting idea behind “Hedgehogging Their Bets.” The organization seeking revenge on Sonic call themselves S.O.N.I.C.X., one of those ridiculous acronyms comic book super villains are fans of. Yet they might as well be the Sonic Revenge Society. What's interesting about this set-up is how the negative effect Sonic has had on these people's lives was mostly unintended. This is the common side effects of superhero-ing. Sonic and his friends coming onto the Earth scene changed the world... And now all those changes are good. Sadly, instead of bringing some ambiguity to this scenario, showing Sonic as conflicted by this information, Flynn plays the members of S.O.N.I.C.X. as bad guys and Sonic as his usually quibby, heroic self.

At least some of the people in SO.N.I.C.X are clearly original creations for Archie's comic book. Yet some of these characters reference events from the TV show. The number ones in the organization are a military leader and presidential adviser who got thrown in jail after the President forced G.U.N to form a truce with Eggman. I would hope this is expounded on more in the “Sonic X” show, as it barely makes any sense on the printed page. Another one of the guys is a prison guard at a facility where Sonic escaped, who lost his job because of the hedgehog. I don't recognized the island so, again, I assume it's from the cartoon. Yet another member is a treasure hunter who lost multiple valuable relics to Knuckles and... Hawk? Who the fuck is Hawk? I guess questions like that are what I get for reading a tie-in comic without watching the program it ties in with.

I do appreciate how Flynn is sneaking in an element of serialized to a book that has predominantly been episodic, up to this point. Disappointing, his method could've been more elegant. Far too much of “Hedgehogging Their Bets” is based around awkward exposition. Flynn has each member of the Sonic Revenge Society explain their backstory, directly to the reader. This takes up seven pages, about a third of a book. By the time we get to the biologist, explaining about how the mere existence of humanoid animals like Sonic and friends ruined his credentials, the reader really begins to wonder if all this information was truly necessary.

As is common in story's about omniscient councils of ominous intent, some shadowed individual is revealed as being behind it all. The issue concludes by showing the seven members of S.O.N.I.C.X. reporting back to a mysterious commander. Sadly, it's super obvious who this mysterious boss is. Unless Flynn is planning some sort of audience blind-siding twist, Captain Westwood is the one pulling S.O.N.I.C.X.'s strings. Which certainly makes sense, considering the degree of antagonism he holds towards the hedgehog. Maybe this'll even signal Westwood's transformation from incompetent joke baddie to real threat. But it doesn't do much to build suspense.

“Sonic X” being what it is, the comic still finds time to include a few action beats. They are competently put together, as always. Sonic quickly speeds through a group of martial artists, taking them down with ease. An especially cute moment has the hedgehog landing atop one of the standard G.U.N. droids – regular enemies in “Sonic Adventure 2” – and using it to surf out of the secret compound. My problem with these scenes is how this escape is for Sonic. S.O.N.I.C.X. had the competence to capture him in the first few pages but not the competence to actually put up a fight?

I like some of the ideas on display in this issue of “Sonic X” but it doesn't function well as a whole. Once again, I come away from an issue of this book with general feelings of mediocrity. “Hedgehogging Your Bets” appears to be the start of a story arc. Maybe Flynn will stick the landing in part two. If not, I'm not sure “Sonic X” will ever rise above its roots as a cutesy kids' book. [5/10]