Sonic Universe: Issue 3

Sonic Universe: Issue 3
Publication Date: April 2009

Ian Flynn seems to be using the opening story arc of “Sonic Universe” – the Shadow Saga, the cover calls it – to wrap up video game related plot points the comic has left dangling. Issue 1 followed up on the “Sonic Rush” adaptations. Issue 2 actually provided some context for the “Sonic Adventure 2” adaptation. Issue 3, meanwhile, revisits the character of E-102 Gamma. Gamma hasn't appeared in the comics since the “Sonic Adventure” adaptation. While the video game killed the robot off, the comic left his fate ambiguous... Until now!

“Old Soldiers” begins with two separate presentations. Abraham Tower, Shadow's boss, informs the hedgehog that Gamma has been waging a one-man robot war against Robotnik's empire. Tower wants Shadow to recruit the machine. Meanwhile, Robotnik is informing E-123 Omega – the latest in the same line – about Gamma' rebellion. The heavily armed robot is given the mission to track down his older “brother.” The two fighters meet up with Gamma on a snowy, forested hill.

E-102 Gamma has never been very popular with Sonic fans, which is probably why he hasn't made many appearances in the comic. That Sega gave his story a definitive ending probably contributed to that. Yet I've always considered him a underrated character. He's a robot who suddenly develops a soul. He doesn't rebel against his creator out of anger or pain. Instead, he comes to the conclusion that tyranny is wrong, naturally. That a machine seemingly without emotions realizes this nearly on his own is a potentially powerful plot point. That Sega dropped the character after one game probably says a lot about them. Flynn, however, continues that thread, by depicting Gamma as assisting various Freedom Fighter teams around the world from the sidelines. As a former slave, he wants to free other slaves. 

(In fact, I was so fond of Gamma as a kid that I even wrote some fanfiction about him. In these stories, he survived the end of “Sonic Adventure” and fought some more additions to Robotnik's Greek-lettered robots. Eventually, Gamma transferred his consciousness into an organic body. A black furred echidna, if I remember correctly, because I was super creative as a teenager. He then went on to pursues a romance with Amy Rose, which was my not-too-graceful way of settling the Sonic/Amy/Sally love triangle. Thankfully, none of this fan fiction ever made it on-line.)

The Shadow Saga has mostly been composed of stand alone stories, thus far. However, Flynn reveals a through-line with “Old Soldiers.” Shadow is still feeling guilt over failing to connect with Metal Sonic in issue 1. He hopes to rescue Gamma, seeing further kinship with another Robotnik-built living weapon that rebel against his master. It's hard to imagine the Shadow Ken Penders and Karl Bollers wrote ever feeling guilt for anything. Flynn has made some big strides with the character, is I guess what I'm saying. The little jokes Shadow cracks with his helicopter pilot are also fairly amusing.

“Old Soldiers” also introduces E-123 Omega into the comic's world, six years after his video game debut in “Sonic Heroes.” Omega would prove much more popular with “Sonic” fans, making regular appearances in the various games. It's easy to see why he would catch on. Flynn drives Omega as a robotic demolitionist. He's heavily armed, often bragging about his destructive abilities. He's also rather fond of explosions. Hearing such enthusiasm for massive blasts spoken by a deadpan robot is amusing. Omega is driven by this weird mixture of child-like glee and petty emotions. He wuvs blowing shit up the way a six year old boy loves dinosaurs. Yet he joins GUN so he can take revenge on Robotnik... Not because of the doctor's villainous actions but because Eggman kept Omega under wraps for a few years. (This does create a plot hole. If Eggman has been so low on firepower lately, why was he just sitting on Omega? But just go with it, guys.)

As much as I'd like to see more of Gamma, I understand that part of what makes his story powerful is that it ends with his death. Flynn realizes this too. He has Omega blow Gamma away. Yet he finds a solution that keeps the character alive... Sort of. Gamma attempts to rationalize with the machine, talking to him about their differences and similarities. It's just a cover, as Gamma is actually downloading his mind into Omega's body. This is the other reason Omega defects from Robotnik so quickly. (This results in a funny conclusion of Omega building a grave marker for Gamma and then threatening Shadow into never telling anyone about this.) So we get our cake and get to eat it too: Gamma makes a heroic sacrifice and gets to live on, through Omega.

The rest of Team Dark – Rouge and Hope – don't make much of an appearance in this issue. It's mostly about Shadow and his interaction with the two robots. Yet Flynn throws in a really cute moment near the end. Before Hope gives Shadow and Rouge their newest mission – going to the Special Zone and retrieving a Chaso Emerald, ostensibly Shadow's objective in the very first issue – the three are seen sitting on a couch. Rouge even plays with Shadow's hair, which irks him. It's a nice way to endear the entire team to the audience. Yes, even Shadow the Hedgehog has to relax and unwind at some point.

Tracey Yardley's artwork remains strong. There's an especially striking panel where Omega leaps through the trees, attacking both of them. It's something he does in the beginning of the issue that I especially like. Tower's presentation ot Shadow and Robotnik's presentation to Omega are going  on at the same time, seemingly. Yardley contrasts them directly, showing one meeting at the top of the page and the second meeting at the bottom. It continues the playful approach to the page construction that Yardley showed off in the last issue of “Sonic Universe.” I guess he's evolving as an artist.

“Sonic Universe” continues to roll along really well. Flynn is still finding small ways to flesh out Shadow's characters. He also continues to show the ability to successfully roll game and comic elements together in a way that makes sense for both. All along, he brings mixes action and humor well as well. This results in another good comic book. Why can't it always be like this? [8/10]