Sonic the Hedgehog: Issue 198

Sonic the Hedgehog: Issue 198
Publication Date: March 2009

Ever since Enerjak flew over Megaopolis and royally fucked up Robotnik's shit, Archie's “Sonic the Hedgehog” has been hinting that the Freedom Fighters are closer to victory then ever before. Robotnik's forces are depleted and his sanity is slipping. Honestly, aside from showing the doctor getting a little nutty, Ian Flynn could've maybe done a better job of showing this change. Well, that element becomes the main point of issue 198. As the book neared its 200th issue, the Freedom Fighters neared the chance to defeat the Eggman Empire once and for all.

In “Egg Phoenix Down” – which I assumed to be a rather morbid “Black Hawk Down” reference but is apparently some sort of fucking Final Fantasy thing – the Freedom Fighters have dug out a trench for themselves on the outskirts of New Megaopolis. The group completely take apart the Dark Egg Legion soldiers guarding the city, much to Lien-Da's dismay. As a last ditch measure, Robotnik deploys his latest doomsday weapon: The fire-spewing Egg Phoenix. Yet even this device is defeated by the Freedom Fighters' quick thinking. Afterwards, the team set-up a camp outside the city, readying for a pivotal battle the next day.

By far the dumbest of Sega's dumb mandates on the comic was “Sonic can never loose.” “Egg Phoenix Down,” and the story it's the near climax of, would seem to fit into this. Yet, sometimes, it's just nice to see the hero win. How much Sonic and his supporting cast have actually aged in the book's timeline is ambiguous but they've been fighting this war on and off for over a decade. Their victory is far from easily earned. They've struggled, they've had losses, and they are finally coming out on top. This is well illustrated in the opening scene, when the Fighters' individual skills are employed to take down Lien-Da's Legion. Bunnie busts out a cool force field, the Chaotix bust in and wreck stuff, and Tails deploys some EMP mines. It's probably no coincidence on Flynn's behalf that the Freedom Fighters have been gaining ground since Sally became an active field leader again. Her clear-headed leadership and concise planning was clearly a factor in this victory.

Their victory seems secure until Robotnik busts out the Phoenix. I've always found Sega's habit of adding the “egg” suffix to the doctor's various inventions a good way to drain any threatening power they have. Eggs are not scary and comparing random objects to them does not make them scary. Having said that, the Egg-Phoenix is genuinely intimidating. It helps that its main weapon – shooting fire everywhere – is a very visceral threat. Setting everything on fire isn't just a way to eliminate your enemies, it's also a very frightening sight. Strapping two high-powered flamethrower to an aircraft with jet-like capabilities makes for a vehicle that actually seems like it could hurt Sonic and his friends. The panels of fire raining down on the area are quite effective.

The Egg-Phoenix makes an impressive entrance but its exit could've used some work. Sonic essentially tricks Robotnik into flying the jet up into the upper atmosphere, until the Phoenix stalls out. After the Chaotix slip some of Tails' EMP mines on the Phoenix, it's done for. Sonic even lampshades how the Doc should've seen that coming. Then again, Flynn does have the excuse that Eggman is in the process of cracking up right now – not apologizing for that one – and probably isn't making the best decision. It also helps that the series of panels devoted to Sonic leaping higher and higher into the air are incredibly dynamic. Vector provides the initial throw. Knuckles tosses him higher. Tails and Bunnie give him the final boosts that land him above the cloud line. Okay, you may be asking, “Why doesn't Sonic suffocate when the air is that thin?” But it's a baller comic book action sequence. Go with it, hypothetical person.

Providing the dynamic pencils is Renae de Liz. This story is de Liz' first contribution of “Sonic” and she didn't do much art for the book after this, as far as I remember. It took me a few pages to acclimate to de Liz' style. Snively and the echidnas look a little weird at first. The more of her art I saw, the more I liked it. By the end, I fully loved it. There's an anime-esque proportion to de Liz' work that recalls Spaziante. The way she sacrifices strict character model compliance for an incredible sense of motion also brings Sam Maxwell to mind. Renae is really good at action. The scenes of Lien-Da whipping at Sonic or that flight into the upper atmosphere look amazingly fluid. She also nails Sonic's attitude, Sally's sassiness, and Tails' youthful vulnerability. Her Snively needs a little work but, otherwise, everyone looks awesome. Visually, this is a really strong issue.

This isn't just another one Flynn's weaker fight-fests. After defeating Lien-Da and Robotnik, the Freedom Fighters set up camp for the night. What follows is a really touching scene. Sonic and Sally get some flirting in, which I greatly appreciate. After draping a force field over the camp, Sonic and Tails have a talk. The fox is nervous about tomorrow. Not just because it's a dangerous but because of the prospect that they might actually win. Tails is worried about dying but the thought of “what if we succeed?” is also haunting him. It's only a few panels but it's handled so well, emphasizing once again that these characters have feelings, fears, and thoughts.

Another effective moment has Dimitri confronting Snively. He informs the long-time lackey that he knows about his new relationship and his latest plan to usurp Robotnik. The way Dimitri creeps around Snively's chair, slinking like a spider with his weird dreadlock/tentacle things, makes you feel Snively's discomfort. That he's visibly sweating, and that the echidna is right in his face, also helps sells this aspect. The two making an alliance is strictly plot mechanics but it does draw attention to Dimitri's status as a schemer, also thinking of ways to better his people.

Add up some great artwork, some impressive action, and a script that is both really well paced and leaves room for emotions, and you've got probably my favorite issue in a while. I wish Flynn balanced all the above so fantastically all of the time. Time to bust out the rare [9/10.] This one earned it.