Sonic X: Issue 32

Sonic X: Issue 32
Publication Date: April 2008

Holy shit, “Sonic X” is still doing the pro-wrestler thing. Listen, I don't dislike El Gran Gordo, Eggman's pro-wrestler alter ego. I mean, I did give it the Best New Character award last year. Yet that's the kind of joke character you feature once, maybe twice. This is his fourth or fifth appearance. It's seems to me that the persona was popular with readers and, grasping at anything to keep the kids coming back, the “Sonic X” crew continued to feature him. Or maybe, I don't know, Ian Flynn and his gang just liked writing about him. Either way, Eggman's adventures in the ring are starting to ware out their welcome.

“Title Mismatch” picks up where last month left off, with Eggman dressed up as a luchador on the Thorndyke's doorstep. After talking with Chris and Ella a little, Sonic and El Gran Gordo level with each other. The doctor reveals that, upon returning to his base after the previous night's wrestling match, he was attacked by his own robots. He can only assume Bokkun has taken his duty as Eggman's stand-in too far. Thus, hero and villain must temporarily team up. Sonic agrees to help Eggman... On the condition he drops this ridiculous wrestling business.

Okay, okay, I understand what kind of comic book “Sonic X” is. It's a goofy, light-hearted book for kids full of silly, visual sight gags. But, Jesus and the Jets, how stupid are Chris Thorndyke and his family? El Gran Gordo is standing in their kitchen. He's right in front of them. And they still don't realize that Eggman and the luchador are the same guy? If this blatant stupidity isn't enough for you, Ian Flynn also throws in some casual racism. Ella, Chris Thorndyke's maid, was already a slightly sketchy Spanish stereotype. In this issue, she's convinced she went to high school with El Gran Gordo. Because all Latino people know each other, right, Flynn? Sweet sweet Satan, man, you're better than this.

Of course, Chris and Ella aren't the only character to display random acts of dumbness in this story. Flynn has to cross some especially long narrative bridges to justify this team-up between good guy and bad guy. We have to assume that Eggman didn't build some sort of vocal recognition into his own robots. We have to assume Eggman didn't also build some sort of facial recognition into his own robots, since he never tries to remove his mask before him. We also have to assume that these same guard robots would be deactivated, for no reason, when Sonic and Eggman return to the base later in the story. It's a lot of stuff for the reader to swallow, just to make room for a goofy team-up.

If the gag of Sonic dressed as El Gran Gordo's sidekick was good enough, I would be willing to forgive all these trespasses. Sadly, seeing Sonic made-up like a luchador is not inherently amusing to me. It doesn't help that the costume Eggman sticks him in looks terrible. The leotard, cape, and mask combo looks more like pajamas than a wrestler costumes. About the only funny really bit that arises from this set-up is Sonic's frustration with the limitations of the costume. Especially the cape. Which is a joke Flynn stole from “The Incredibles.” Don't think I didn't notice, Ian.

Also, dear readers, can we all agree that Bokken is kind of a terrible character? I maintain he's like a less entertaining version of GIR from “Invader ZIM.” He's small and robotic and obsessed with a  specific foodstuff. Just candy instead of tacos. This is the third or fourth time that Eggman's totally useless sidekick has attacked and betrayed him. Seriously, just scrap the fucking robot, man. This time, Bokken doesn't have the excuse of a raging sugar high. He's just following his orders, of impersonating Eggman, a little too literally.

So is there anything I enjoyed about “Title Mismatch?” Well, the gag about Decoe and Bocoe lounging around the house and playing video games – because Bokken-as-Eggman doesn't expect them to do any work – is amusing. Secondly, the hedgehog-smashing robot Eggman had prepared, and Bokken utilizes, is directly based off one of the bosses from “Sonic and Knuckles.” Specifically, the Act 1 boss from the Death Egg Zone, which I always called the Killer Eye. It's sort of fun seeing that in a comic book, even if Eggman's incompetence allows Sonic to easily defeat it.

Maybe I'm not drunk enough. Maybe I'm too much of a cynical grouch. It's been proven in the past that “Sonic X's” mixture of goofy characters and screwball comedy can work. This isn't it, as the dumbness of the scenarios overwhelm any amusement the reader might've gotten out of this. Thankfully, the ending promises that El Gran Gordo will be retired for the foreseeable future, which is probably a good idea. Eggman's heroic persona was funny once, maybe twice, but wouldn't have held up as a reoccurring character for much longer. Anyway, that's another “Sonic X” comic off the checklist. Only eight more to go! [5/10]