Sonic the Hedgehog: Issue 205

Sonic the Hedgehog: Issue 205
Publication Date: October 2009

Just recently, I was yelling about misleading comic book covers. It's a proud tradition of the art form. In the days before comic shops ruled the industry, when most people bought comics at new stands, outrageous covers that frequently did not reflect the books' actual content were done to draw in youthful eyes. Even in 2009, Archie was keeping this tradition alive. No, Sonic and Robotnik do not team up in issue 205. That doesn't even come close to happening. But, you know, I bet it probably sold a few more issues.

“On the Run Part One: Put All Your Eggs in One Basket” – Do you like egg puns? You better like some fucking egg puns – begins where the last issue left off. While still ranting and raving, Robotnik escapes his padded cell. Despite being a rambling lunatic, he manages to escape the Egg-Dome in a giant robotic tortoise. Sonic encounters the mad doctor while exploring the woods and is quickly disturbed by his scrambled actions. After Sonic and Tails apprehend the nutty doctor, they consider returning him to Mobotropolis and putting him in jail. That's when the Iron Queen catches up with them.

Ian is running with the idea that his most recent defeat has completely shattered the Eggman's sanity. But don't expect this mental breakdown to make the villain more dangerous. The book mostly plays Robotnik's lapse into total madness for comedy. He shouts references to the “Pingas!” internet meme, as well as the music video remix relating to said meme. His behavior is unhinged but child-like, delusional. He allows Sonic to circle his vehicle for several minutes. I'm not sure about the goofy comedic moments but making Robotnik pathetic, even sympathetic, is an interesting move.

Even more interesting is Sonic's reaction to his greatest enemy being reduced to a gibbering lunatic. As previously references in issue 200, Sonic actually feels bad for the guy. This leads to an interesting conversation between Sonic and Tails. Tails believes Eggman is beyond forgiveness. Sonic isn't so sure. Either way, they both agree that leaving him to the mercy of the Iron Dominion is cruel and decide to incarcerate him in Mobotropolis instead. It's an interesting moral dilemma to put our hero in. Usually, Sonic just runs fast, smashes robots, and makes quibs. Actually discussing the nature of justice is an unexpected but appreciated shift.

But this is still a comic book for the seven-to-twelve crowd. We've got to have our action scenes. Due to Robotnik being nuttier than squirrel shit, the fight scene is rather one-sided. The initial sight of his Egg-Tortoise tearing up the forest is actually rather startling. So is a panel afterwards, of Sonic being tossed aside by an explosion. Though the best action beat in the story is one of the more low-key ones. After Tails effortlessly disables Robotnik's robo-turtle, Sonic offers the scientist a hand... And he gets a straight-up punch in the face for his troubles. It made me laugh anyway.

In some ways, this feels like a transitional issue. The opening scenes are devoted to Sonic checking in on Bunnie in the hospital. There, he runs into Monkey Khan, who is still feeling sorry for himself about what happened recently. What's especially amusing about these scenes is Dr. Quack grumbling at both of his patients, for not staying in bed. Quack has been part of the comic for over a decade but has never been developed much. Flynn does more for the waterfowl in a handful of pages than past writers have done in years. This moment also shows Khan's continuing development, that he's starting to get over his guilt a little.

Steven Butler is still penciling the book and doing a great job. He gets several opportunities to draw Robotnik's grotesque face, which he seems to relish. As always, Butler's attention to detail is especially valuable. A nice, small touch has Robotnik continuing to wear his straitjacket, as a stylish cape, throughout most of the issue. He also gets a bunch of leathery electronic wrapped around one arm. I'm not sure when that happened but it does look cool. Butler even manages to make the Egg-Tortoise, a very goofy concept, look threatening. His character work is also fantastic.

During the cover story, Lien-Da walks away to sulk in her bunk. The back-up story, “Birthright: Part One,” picks up with Lien-Da laying in her bed, thinking about her past. She reflects on her time in the Twilight Cage, when she conspired with Kragok to murder their father. Lien-Da successfully pulls off the assassination but gets herself heavily injured in the process. She lived but Kragok took over the Dark Legion while she was out.

Lien-Da's ruthlessness has always endeared me to her. She's a villain who treats her adversaries with no mercy. Yet “Birthright” gets you to feel a little bad for her. She reflects on her failures. Despite numerous stabs at power, she has never achieved her goal of becoming the Grand Master of the Dark Legion. Moreover, her failures are laced with personal betrayal. Kragok promised her that they would rule the Legion together, after their dad's death. Instead, he intentionally boobie-trapped the blaster she used, knowing it would blow up in her face. While she was rehabilitating in the hospital, he assumed power without her. What a dick! Lien-Da may be an unrepentant villain but she has feelings too.

By the way, Jamal Peppers' pencils on the back-story are also very strong. Overall, issue 205 is a solid one. The cover story introduces a heady conflict for the hero which is compelling. The back story is a decent character piece, devoting to exploring a villain's history. The artwork is good throughout. The humor is a little heavy-handed but I enjoyed this one. Let's see if Flynn can keep it up in part two. [7/10]