Sonic the Hedgehog (IDW): Issue 2

Sonic the Hedgehog (IDW): Issue 2
Publication Date: April 11, 2018

Welcome back to my weekend coverage of IDW's new “Sonic the Hedgehog” book. As is pretty common among niche publishers in 2018, each issue of the new series is coming with roughly ten thousand variant covers. The standard covers of the first four issues of “Sonic” will form one continuous image when put together, a neat trick that Archie employed occasionally back in the day. However, I can't help but think the alternate covers look a lot cooler than the standard covers, which seem very bland in comparison. I know fan-artist-turned-legit Tyson Hesse is capable of a lot more than this. Anyway, one with the review.

“Fallout Part 2” begins much the same way as the first part. Sonic rushes into another village and begins smashing robots. Soon, he's greeted by Amy Rose, who has become a leader of the Resistance against Eggman's latest global take-over plan. Amy continually tries to talk Sonic into joining the Resistance but he is disinterested. However, the robot invasion of the village continues, forcing the two to work together again.

With issue 2, Ian Flynn's plan with the first four issues of the new series begins to crystallize. Each of these issues will be devoted to re-introducing Sonic's core supporting cast to new readers. The first issue had him interacting with Tails. The second is primarily devoted to Amy Rose. This one ends by having Sonic running off to meet Knuckles. Given her presence on the covers of issue 4, I'm betting that issue will revolve around introducing newbie Tangle the Lemur. It's an interesting approach, I guess, though I imagine most hardcore “Sonic” fans – in other words, the people reading this book – are already very familiar with Tails, Amy, and Knuckles. However, I guess there's something to be said for giving everyone a stand-alone issue to set up how this version of Tails or Amy interact with Sonic.

You know what really surprised me about “Fallout Part 2?” I actually liked Amy Rose in it! While I wouldn't say I've ever disliked Amy, I've always found her to be a somewhat flat, uninteresting character. This version of Amy is shockingly capable. She's apparently become a high-ranking leader in the Resistance, a plot thread left over from “Sonic Forces.” She's commanding people and directing objectives. Moreover, she's also pretty bad-ass here, smashing robot with ease with that giant hammer of her's.

Amy's status as Sonic's number one fangirl is rolled back slightly but her romantic infatuation with Sonic remains a part of her personality. There's at least two panels where she's awestruck by the hedgehog hero, overcome by his dreaminess in a cute, funny way. I'm not trading my Sonic/Sally shipper badge out for a Sonamy one or anything. But it's pretty well handled here.

A problem I had with issue one is that Sonic and Tails' fight against the robots seemed a little too easy, a little too light-hearted. Well, the individual interaction between the characters remain light. Sonic and Amy are trading quibs while smashing robots. They never seem especially challenged by the machines they face here. The villagers, in at least one panel, are still squee-ing over Sonic. However, the stakes at least seem a little higher this time. Flynn's script draws more attention to the villagers being imperiled by Eggman's forces. There's a moment where Amy commands fighters to defend and civilians to get to safety, implying that there's people in actual peril here. So that's good. If Sega won't allow Flynn to actually threaten Sonic, at least they'll let him threaten the helpless people around Sonic.

I may like issue 2 more than issue 1 because it's slightly better written. Or maybe I like it better because the artwork is fucking gorgeous. Adam Bryce Thomas was a regular artist on Archie's “Sonic” book, where his work was reliably strong. However, I guess Thomas has been honing his craft in the time between the two series. Because the illustrations are on a whole different level here. This is an amazing looking book. First off, there's an incredible sense of motion to the action scenes. There's a clear dynamism to the panels, Sonic and Amy leaping off the page. The characters have a lot of humor and expression in their faces and body language. The lighting is dramatic, especially in the panel where Sonic explains his position to Amy. It's just so friggin' pretty. (Thomas apparently inked and colored his own work this time, which might explain the clear step up in quality.)

As with the last issue, Flynn ends this one by showing a sinister, off-screen character watching Sonic leave the village he just protected. This unseen villain is sitting in a chair with the Eggman symbol on his chair. Cubot and Orbot – who, sigh, I guess are in this comic book – are responding to this person's orders. I suspect a rather obvious switch-a-roo is forthcoming. It looks like Eggman is behind these going-ons so it must be a twist. Is it Metal Sonic, “Sonic Forces'” fan favorite villain Infinite, or some other character operating behind the scenes? Hopefully this is resolved by the end of the month and not some mystery Flynn stretches out for a year.

Issue 2 of IDW's “Sonic” series has about the same outline as the first one. However, there's a little more personality to this one, which goes a long way of improving over the slightly meh first issue. However, I can't help but think Adam Bryce Thomas is the auteur behind this issue, the driving creative force that elevates the material. Hopefully, IDW has plans to bring Thomas back soon enough. [7/10]