Sonic the Hedgehog: Issue 244

Sonic the Hedgehog: Issue 244
Publication Date: January 2013

Archie’s “Sonic” books began 2013 in a very troubled place. We didn’t know it at the time - I’m not sure even the people working on the book knew it - but this would be the final year the original Archie “Sonic”-verse existed. Instead of using the last few months of the original continuity wrapping up unresolved plot points and bidding this beloved universe farewell, Ian Flynn was stuck in story traps he created himself and forced to write around characters the book couldn’t legally acknowledge anymore. This conflict couldn’t be more obvious in the second part of the “Endangered Species” story arc.

Rather grimly subtitled “Extinction Event,” part two begins with Knuckles exploring the blasted out, and oddly empty, remains of Albion. Eventually, he comes upon T-Pup, who leads him to an unconscious Sonic, Tails, and Amy. They explain how they were all knocked out while fighting with Metal Knuckles and the Dark Legion. Soon, they encounter a wrap ring wielding Thrash the Tasmanian Devil. The Devil explains how he’s responsible for the disappearance of all the echidnas. Knuckles, needless to say, is pretty upset with him

It’s clear that, in-between the end of 2012 and the start of 2013, an edict came down from Ian’s corporate pay-masters. They had lost the lawsuit. All Ken Penders created characters and concepts could no longer appear in the book. This presented a rather big problem for the “Endangered Species” storyline, considering it was knee deep in the echidna-centric mythology Ken conceived. There was no smooth way for Ian to deal with this. So Lien-Da, Remington, and the Dark Legion vanished before this issue’s events. The flashbacks to the last issue’s fight are awkwardly cut so that all the legal non-entities are just off-panel. Julie-Su is never referred to by name, Knuckles calling her “hon,” and only appears as a faceless voice on a computer screen. It is undeniably noticeable.

Flynn tries to incorporate this loss into the story. The issue is primarily devoted to resolving the mystery of what happened to everyone. When Knuckles discovers that Thrash is responsible, he’s enraged. One panel even has the Guardian holding the Devil down and demanding he immediately returns his friends and loved ones, a moment that can’t help but feel personally directed at Penders. Yet this is too great an emotional loss to spring so suddenly on the cast and the readers. Almost the entirety of Knuckles’ supporting cast, including his girlfriend and all of his family, have been instantly wiped out. It’s unsatisfying, it’s cruel, and it pisses me off. And there’s pretty much no other way Flynn could have handled it.

Forced to write around suddenly imposed copyright restrictions, Flynn has to cook up an odd solution. Issue 244’s narrative flow is often interrupted by flashbacks. We’ll get a few panels of Knuckles searching around the island and then a seemingly unrelated panel showing past events. All on the same page too. It’s slightly difficult to follow. Everyone just falling asleep and vanishing also completely neuters the last issue’s conflict. It feels like last issue’s big fight scene just abruptly came to a stop. Because it more-or-less did. I know, given the circumstances, it’s probably the best Flynn could do. But, fuck, it’s awkward.

The issue also has the duty of re-introducing Thrash the Devil. Briefly seen as a new member of the Downunda Freedom Fighters over three years before, there was very little indication then that this guy was going to be important at all. Now, it turns out, he has such a grudge against the echidnas, that he’s been developing a way to commit genocide against them his whole life. If you read the Complete Sonic Comic Encyclopadia, you’ll at least understand why. If you didn’t, I guess you’re just shit outta luck. There was certainly no previous clues that Thrash was capable of that. Or that he was even particularly devious. (And there's no explanation for how he pulled this off, at least not yet.) Previously, Thrash just seemed like another big, cocky, tough guy. He went from a random nobody to a major villain over the course of a few pages. Yeah, it comes out nowhere. No, Flynn doesn’t managed to make him more compelling or interesting while doing this.

If nothing else, the book features some suitably atmospheric artwork. Since the story is now mostly about a few people on a practically empty island, Steven Butler really sells the isolation of the location. As Knuckles comes closer to learning what has happened to his family, it starts to rain. That further adds to the book’s dreary, downbeat feeling. Of course,  Butler is really good at detail and expressions. Knuckles is grieved and then furious, Thrash is evil, and Team Fighter is baffled. His artwork does more for Thrash, at least when it comes to selling him as a creditable villain, than Flynn’s script does. He also makes Metal Knuckles look really cool in the few appearances he has here.

Issue 244 is a frustrating read and it’s only partially the fault of the people who created it. Given the circumstances, there was no way this comic wasn’t going to come off awkward as hell. However, that doesn’t mean I’m going to forgive the people responsible. The second part of “Endangered Species” is an extremely frustrating comic book and that even extends to its structure. Good-bye Lien-Da, Julie-Su, and every other remotely interesting character from Knuckles’ solo book. I really wish it didn’t have to end this way. [5/10]