Sonic the Hedgehog: Issue 231

Sonic the Hedgehog: Issue 231
Publication Date: November 2011

So now we arrive at the Mecha-Sally saga, the final super-arc Archie's “Sonic the Hedgehog” comic would attempt before the Ken Penders lawsuit forced a complete continuity reboot. Back in 2011, we had no idea that the comic book as we knew it would be ending suddenly in the very near future. We only knew that this storyline was an unusually grim and long one. If Ian Flynn could ever be said to “loose” it, in my opinion, this was that point. We've got a long journey ahead of us, my friends. Let's start.

“Lost in the Moment” begins with Sonic still aboard the ruined Death Egg, in the grasp of Mecha Sally. Eggman quickly learns that the Death Egg's power source is missing and his back-up plan – blasting Mobotropolis with a massive incinerating beam – is no longer possible. Instead, the villain luxuriates in his one victory: Turning Sonic's girlfriend into a totally obedient robot. Sonic is tossed out of the Death Egg, a Titan Mecha Sonic is sent to attack the city, the Tornado and the Freedom Fighter Special are both destroyed. And that's just the beginning of the Freedom Fighters' troubles.

A lot of shit goes down in “Lost in the Moment.” Ian Flynn, however, does not totally loose the emotional thread in all the chaos. The shock of Princess Sally being transformed into a ruthless robot weighs heavily on Sonic. He's crestfallen by this sight. He attempts to reach out to the Princess, hoping she's still somewhere inside the robotic shell. Instead, she throws him out of a space ship. Sonic has to face something he doesn't usually encounter: Loss. And not just any loss but the loss of probably the most important person in his life. He has to admit to Tails that he failed. In the latter half of the book, he shows a somewhat pathetic drive to save Sally, which Amy has to hold him back from. This is how Sonic is processing this loss. He's a runner, a hero, and a problem solver. But this problem can't be solved by running towards the problem. It's a surprisingly powerful moment.

Sally getting turned into a robot is not the only serious hit the Freedom Fighters take in this issue. Yes, the Tornado and the Freedom Fighter Special – longtime stables in the comic – are destroyed. A Titan Mecha Sonic drops out of the Death Egg and marches on Mobotropolis. (This leads up to a moment that does the impossible: Making Big the Cat likable. When he stands in front of Cream and Vanilla, keeping them safe, it's genuinely heroic.) The only thing that prevents the city from being totally destroyed is Naugus flying in quickly and crystallizing the giant robot.  Even this isn't a win though. Bunnie is caught in the blast and partially crystallized. Moreover, this big gesture makes the Mobians praise Naugus as a hero. Issue 231 leaves the heroes in a really bad place. Robotnik truly has the upper hand this time.

Ben Bates is also back at the pencils and his work is excellent here. As previously established, Bates' grasp of the character designs could not be stronger. The character look correct. Yet Bates also brings an incredible kinetic command of action to the book. The big action beats – the Titan Mecha Sonic falling from the Death Egg, Naugus spraying a magic beam at the robot, Bunnie getting caught in the blast – are brought to life fantastically. Even the smaller moments are pretty cool looking too. Every panel has a lot of energy and life-like jive to it. Such as Robotnik steaming in rage after learning he's lost some of his power. It's not just a good looking issue. It's a cool looking one as well.

The back-up story, “Haunted,” actually takes place at an earlier moment in the story. After Naugus lands on the ground outside Mobotropolis, he feels strange. Inside his head, he sees a vision of Agunus the rhino, Nusgau the bat, and Suguna the lobster. In case you've forgotten about these guys, “Haunted” helpfully recounts issue 66's “And Then There Was One,” which showed Naugus' origins. Apparently one of the Genesis Wave's unforeseen side-effects has been to awaken these long-thought vanquished spirits within Naugus' head. Naugus banishes these voices long enough to go about his mission but he is not resting well.

As a story, “Haunted” mostly just exists to let readers know this new information about Naugus. I had always assumed that, when Nusgau won the race to the sun in “And Then There Was One,” he simply took the powers and physical attributes of the other two. Now we discover that a new entity was formed, the three sorcerers existing as watching spectres locked within the mind. Okay, that works, I guess. Mostly, “Haunted” is interesting as an introduction to Evan Stanley's artwork. Though she'd soon become a reliable penciler, Stanley's work here is a bit rough. Naugus looks a little too anime-esque and the motion is a bit stiff. The opening panel – Naugus awakening from a white void – is pretty cool though. Stanley would get better the more she worked on the book.

Issue 231is a bit of a bummer. That's not a problem. Flynn keeps the stakes personal, rooting these events in the characters' emotions. I just wish there was a little more of that stuff here, more of Sonic reacting to Sally's transformation, than the plot rocketing forward at such a speedy rate. Whether or not Flynn ends up justifying all of these cruel plot turns – from what I remember, some of them are and some of them aren't – is yet to be seen. If nothing else, it's an exciting and interesting issue with some top-rate artwork. [7/10]