Sonic Free Comic Book Day 2012

Sonic Free Comic Book Day 2012
Publication Date: May 2012

It's Free Comic Book Day time again, readers. At least, it's time for us to, once again, flash back to that specific day in 2012. For the past two years, Archie gave away genuinely new comic books to celebrate this day. That was pretty cool as, the two years before that, they were content to simply throw some reprints at us. Well, the company was in a lazy mood again in 2012. 2012's FCBD edition of “Sonic” simply reprints issue #230. I'm not sure why Archie felt the need to reprint a story that was still so recent, other than 230 more-or-less setting up most of the current conflict in the book's then-on-going story line.

Turns out, though, I won't have to review a comic book I reviewed not that long ago with this one. Because Archie does include some extras here. In the back of the comic, after “Two Steps Back...” concludes, are a series of brief text stories detailing a different Freedom Fighters' reaction to the artificial Genesis world breaking down and everyone being zapped back to the Prime Zone. It isn't much, as each story is only a single page long, but at least it gives us something to talk about. Tales about Tails, Knuckles, Amy Rose, Bunnie, and Rotor are included within. This collection is given the rather awkward title of “Sonic: Genesis Awakenings”

Tails' story details him aboard the Tornado, watching Sonic sneak onto the Death Egg, before being attacked by the Flying Fortress. The Genesis Wave is then reversed, zapping him back to reality. Of all the stories in this collection, it seems the most superfluous. Tails' was actually involved in “Genesis,” so there's not too much new information here. The opening paragraphs gives us a peak inside the fox's mind during the infamous moment in “Sonic 2,” at the beginning of the Wing Fortress Zone, when the Tornado is shot down and Sonic bails out, leaving his friend behind. The conclusion mostly exist to describe the brief moment of confusion everyone on Mobius felt as reality is restored back to normal.

The rest of the “Awakenings” stories are focused on characters that weren't directly involved in “Genesis,” given us a peek at other corners of Robotnik's Sega-ified artificial world. Knuckles' story has him patrolling Angel Island, reflecting on his mission and his loneliness, before he's reunited in the Prime Zone with Julie-Su and Charmy. There's some nice juxtaposition between Sega Knux's solitary life and Archie Knux's companionship. But otherwise there's not much purpose to this one. Though Charmy mentions being detectives with Vector and Espio in the Genesis World, so I guess that's the official Sega bylaw concerning that trio now, as dumb as that idea is. (There's also something a little poignant about this, as it's also Julie-Su's last appearance in the book before the Frightful Pendersing removed her from the universe. Her lines about feeling like she was back inside the Twilight Cage may be foreshadowing of the “Endangered Species” arc.)

Amy's story drums up often forgotten bits of her personal history. In the Genesis world, Sega Amy plays with Tarot cards, decides her and Sonic are destined to be together, and briefly mentions Metal Sonic and Little Planet. This image of classic Amy as a flightly, love-struck little girl is then immediately contrasted with Archie Amy, a hammer-swinging hard-ass designated with keeping an eye on Geoffrey St. John. It's another example of how far the character has come... And a good example of why I prefer Archie's modern take on Amy versus the very boring version Sega first created for “Sonic CD.”

The last two stories are potentially more interesting as they concern characters that don't really have counterparts in Sega's classic games. Apparently, Bunnie spent Genesis inside a Prison Egg, trying to encourage the more animal-like mobinis around her that everything would be okay. What makes this little one-page tale interesting is Bunnie's reaction upon returning to the Prime Zone. She is startled for a second by her now-robotic limbs. While foreshadowing what happened to her in issue 232, it also gives us a peek at the mental compromises Bunnie faces everyday as a cyborg. (Flynn also points out that, in the Genesis world, Bunnie and Cream are cousins. Because all rabbits have to be related, I guess? That seems a little racist, bro.)

Rotor's story is the one that acts the most like a proper epilogue to “Genesis.” It begins with 'Boomer' back in the Oil Ocean Zone, watching the sky fill with white light, and having a conversation with Sally that he finds odd. Awakening back in Mobotropolis, Rotor debates putting on his nanite battle suit before deciding his friends have the situation handled. There's a definite ironic edge to Rotor trusting in Sonic's ability to get things done, considering all the bad luck that will befall the Freedom Fighters. However, Rotor's story here is probably the one with the least meat on its bones. It seems to mostly exist as a primer on what happened right at the end of “Genesis” and right at the beginning of “Two Steps Back...”

The “Genesis Awakenings” stories are an interesting experiment. Flynn actually shows himself to be a decent writer of prose. The wording can occasionally be a bit childish but it draws you in. His focus on character work remains strong. I could see him transitioning into a career as a decent YA writer if the comic book thing ever dries up. I honestly wish Archie had done this sort of thing more often. As a Free Comic Book Day special, this is still mostly a bit of a cheat. But at least it's better than just a full-on reprint. I'll give it a [7/10] mostly for the novelty factor.