Sonic the Hedgehog: Issue 220

Sonic the Hedgehog: Issue 220
Publication Date: December 2010

Ian Flynn would wrap up 2010 by finishing up his latest two-parter. “In the Service of the King: Part Two” begins with Sonic still adrift in the Special Zone, after Geoffrey St. John left him there to rot. Sonic manages to appease Feist and escape. Meanwhile, St. John brings a Chaos Emerald to Ixis Naugus, restoring his sanity. The sorcerer then reveals that the skunk is his apprentice and the two have plans for New Mobotrobolis. Inside the city, Mina presents her band with some politically motivated music.

Last time, I said I wasn't a fan of the reveal of St. John being a traitor. It never made much sense to me for multiple reasons. St. John was introduced as a man deeply loyal to the crown. His entire personality has always hinged on his servitude to the Acorn crown. Revealing that this was an act the entire time – literally his entire life in the book – is the cheapest of plot twist. Secondly, St. John has never shown any interest in magic before, usually sticking to more practical choices. Suddenly learning that he's been trained as a wizard his entire life just comes out of nowhere. Over all, the only reason I can think why Flynn would do this is because St. John was a divisive character in the Archie “Sonic” fandom, disliked by many fans. I guess Flynn was among that number too. That such a dumb reveal would set up the next year's story would be even more exhausting.

Aside from the dumbness of this plot turn, “In the Service of the King: Part Two” is a decently paced story. The sequence of Sonic escaping Feist's magical realm is amusing. The hedgehog wisely goes against his own instincts by not moving. This bores the panda thing, so the god-like entity allows Sonic to play a game for his escape. The segment that follows, of Sonic bouncing along balls of astral energy, is entertaining. As always, the Special Zone is such an imaginative setting. Visiting it is always fun.

While I dislike the St. John turn, I enjoy another simmering storyline a little more. Mina is still pissed off about Nicole's defenses being compromised during the “Iron Dominion” arc. This causes her to change her musical styling from mindless pop to serious music with a decidedly anti-Nicole act. Even her band is against this at first. Ash admits that he had to tone her lyrics down a little. This provides some of Mina's strongest character development in a while. Have we ever even seen this character get really angry before? Has she ever used her music to express emotions beyond her infatuation with Sonic? That's growth I approve of.

So how about a back-up story? “From the Inside Out” is told from an initially unknown person's perspective. Robotnik rants and raves about replacing the Dark Legionnaire's cybernetics. It quickly becomes apparent that he's talking to Lien-Da. The mad doctor healed all her injuries with brand new, organic-looking mechanics. This leads to the two making a new deal.

Back in issue 211, Flynn clearly flirted with the possibility of killing off Lien-Da. She got blown the fuck up. But, this being comic books, we know a death isn't certain unless a body is on the page. With this story, Flynn finally reveals that Lien-Da did survive, being healed by the man that played a role in her near-death. It's nice to see her again, even if I really wonder why Lien-Da would team with Robotnik again, considering how many times he's tried to kill her. Moreover, “From the Inside Out” is told in a really clever way. Presenting most of the story from Lien-Da's perspective not only generates some mystery – it takes you a page or two to figure out whose eyes we're seeing through – but it also further puts you in her shoes. It's a decent little five-pager.

Jamal Peppers has contributed some fantastic artwork to the book throughout 2010. He draws all of issue 220. The cover story' s middle section is mostly composed of St. John, Mogul and Naugus talking. Even though this is just people making terse faces at each other in a small room, Peppers makes it as dynamic as anything else in the book. The series of panels devoted to Naugus regaining his intelligence are especially eye-catching. The back-up story also looks fantastic, helped along by some really sharp shading. My only complaint is that I wish he had gone a little trippier with the Special Zone. Otherwise, it's an excellent looking book.

I have some serious qualms about the changes the book will undergo over the next year. However, I can't hold that against issue 220 too much. The game Flynn is playing with St. John is frustrating and so I have to knock a point off the book's score. Otherwise, this is a pretty solid comic book, with some fun sequences, good character development, and a fine back-up story. [6/10]