Sonic the Hedgehog: Issue 223

Sonic the Hedgehog: Issue 223
Publication Date: March 2011

You see that spiffy graphic on the cover of Archie's 223rd issue of “Sonic the Hedgehog?” “Countdown to Genesis?” That was the big “Sonic” event of 2011 and, obviously, it was coming up in a few months at this point. Though Ian Flynn has handled quite a few huge story arcs during his tenure on “Sonic,” “Genesis” received a level of hype that was bigger than any previous one. But I'm not here to really talk about that. Instead, this issue finally brings a plot point that Flynn has been building towards for a while now.

Part one of “Chaos and the Crown” begins with a peaceful day in New Mobotropolis. Mina and the Forget-Me-Knots are prepared to perform a free concert. Instead, a cloaked figure approaches the stage and grabs the microphone. He reveals himself as Geoffrey St. John and welcomes Ixis Naugus back into the city. A huge fight begins, the hedgehog and the wizard fighting their way towards the royal palace. However, Naugus' plans are not as straight-ahead as they appear.

Last time, I bitched that Flynn was taking too long to follow through on this new Ixis Naugus plot line. Well, I guess my concerns traveled backwards in time to 2011 because he finally got to the point in the next issue. This issue concerns Ixis Naugus making his grand return as a serious threat. Fan reaction to Naugus as a character has always been mixed. Even though that was the original plan with SatAM, Naugus' introduction in issue 53 as the heir to Robotnik's title as Sonic's archenemy was mixed. I, however, always thought Naugus had a lot of potential. Especially his use of magic, which made a nice contrast with the technologically inclined Robotnik. The wizard has been floating around the comic, back and forth, since then. But Flynn has the villain really being reestablished as a serious threat for the first time in a long time.

Maybe I only like Naugus because his elemental powers are cool for fight scenes. This fact is proudly displayed in “Chaos and the Crown: Part One.” As Sonic spin-dashes towards the sorcerer, he changes into vapor, the hedgehog passing right through him. He turns his body to flames or causes huge rocks to burst from the ground. He blocks doorways with his crystalline magic. This is certainly a very different type of challenge than what Sonic faced with Robotnik and that's why it's cool.

Of course, Naugus isn't just in New Mobotropolis to wreck shit and vex Sonic. And that's another problem I have with this entire premise. Naugus marches into the castle, before the council, and explains that he is technically the Acorn Kingdom's ruler. See, while they were trapped in the Zone of Silence, King Acorn pledged loyalty to Naugus, making him is superior. This is shaky logic but I guess not totally inexcusable. The problem is what this sets up. From here until the reboot derails absolutely everything, Naugus will pretend that he likes ruling Mobotropolis for reasons that aren't sinister, even though he's obviously, blatantly evil. There's really no reason for the heroes to put up with it. But they will and so will we.

Even that's not my big issue with this story turn. Once again, I wonder why Flynn has done this to poor Geoffrey St. John. He attempts to address some concerns. Via Sally, he attempts to address the problem of St. John never utilizing or showing any interest in magic ever before. (His response, “that I was busy being in a war,” hardly satisfies.) Sally inquires why a loyal soldier like St. John would turn traitor, only for him to claim that he's not a traitor, since Naugus is the true king. It's all a bunch of weak excuses to justify a lame plot twist. There's a pretty cool fight scene, of Geoffrey whipping most of the Freedom Fighters' asses, but that hardly warrants the weak writing.

The worst part comes when we discover that Hershey is dead. Geoffrey admits this bluntly in dialogue. We don't even see a body or a flashback. She's just dead. Yes, I know Hershey the Cat was hardly a beloved character. She was another Ken Penders cast-off, given little characterization and rarely contributing anything to a story. But murdering her off-screen and with zero explanation was a little mean, don't you think? Knowing the “Sonic” fandom like I do, I'm sure she was probably somebody's favorite character. I expect better from Flynn, who usually took a previous writer's ideas and explored them in a new way, instead of just lazily tossing them in the garbage bin.

One page in the cover story is devoted to Robotnik, who is still hiding in the Egg-Dome and plotting something villainous. The back-up story, “Special Zone House Call,” shines a little more light on that. Robotnik needs a Chaos Emerald for his next evil scheme and he comes to the same conclusion Sonic and St. John did a few issues back: Just go into the Special Zone and grab one. He hulls Snively along, both in Egg-Mobiles, play one of Feist's games, and grab an emerald. But not before Robotnik humiliates Snively a little.

Two characters competing for a Chaos Emerald in Feist's Zone is a story device Flynn has returned to a lot recently. Considering Feist never actually gets to keep any of his emeralds, you'd think he'd stop allowing people to compete. However, I can see why Flynn keeps returning to this one. It's a fun premise! Moreover, pitting Robotnik and Snively together allows their frequently one-sided rivalry to play out in a different way. Instead of simply scheming against his uncle behind his back, we actually get to see Snively actively fight against him. Of course, the Eggman comes out on top every time. He really makes it apparent here, when he nearly leaves Snively in Feist's zone after he looses the contest. There's not too much to this one but it's a fun read.

I have my problems with issue 223 but at least it looks fantastic. Ben Bates pens the cover story while Jamal Peppers handles the back-up. They both do a great job, full of energy and dynamic action as well as crisply drawn and expressive characters. It's a good thing, since I have some serious concerns about the cover story. While there's plenty of stuff here I like to, the flaws manage to eclipse most of the pros. [6/10]