Sonic Universe: Issue 54

Sonic Universe: Issue 54
Publication Date: July 2013

Here we are at the penultimate part of “Worlds Collide.” I know it feels like we’ve been stuck in the Egg Skull Zone for a long time but I guess it’s only been a month. Compared to the year-long arcs Flynn usually employs, this was truthfully one of the shorter events. While the quality of Flynn’s endings waver, you can tell he enjoyed writing the last third of this story more than the preceding parts, which felt pretty routine in comparison.

Chapter 11 has the subtitle of “Worst of the Worst,” because Flynn was completely out of ideas for titles by now. Deep inside the Skull Egg, Sonic and Mega Man fight Metal Sonic and Bass. (Oh, and Bass’ cool robot wolf, Treble.) They prove to be formidable adversaries. Just beyond the blast-door, Eggman and Wily prepare the Egg-Wily Machine X. The final boss weapon is enough to blast an exhausted Sonic and Mega Man into unconsciousness, allowing the devious duo to prepare their complete rewrite of all universes.

Unsurprisingly, “Worlds Collide” has been pretty heavy on the fight scene. This is, after all, a crossover partially built on the old “who would win in a fight” debate. Having previously devoted whole issues to Sonic and Mega Man’s fight and Sonic’s friends fighting the Robot Masters, Flynn centers nearly this entire issue around the four way fight between Sonic/Mega Man and Metal Sonic/Bass. It’s definitely one of the harder fights in the story, as both robots are just as powerful as their matching heroes. The usual strategy of switching dance partners is not enough to slow them down.  So I’m not entirely opposed to Flynn having the fight take up most of this issue.

Yeah, it’s pretty cool. Moreover, it looks pretty cool. Ben Bates continues to be the stand-out artist in this story. He manages to keep the fight fast-paced and furious without slipping into incoherence, like he did last time. As Mega Man cycles through the various abilities he’s gained over this story, Bates illustrates Sonic’s friends floating over his shoulders. That’s a nice touch. He even incorporates some humor, like the ridiculous face Sonic makes when he receives one of Bass’ giant boots to the gut.

It’s tempting to say Metal Sonic and Bass are just pawns in the plot. Metal Sonic, by design, has no personality beyond wanting to eviscerate his organic counterpart. Bass, however, shows a little more gumption. When Treble gets clipped by Mega Man’s lemon shooter, Bass flights into a rage, yelling “Don’t touch my dog!” It seems his rivalry with Mega Man is, like Ash Ketchum, driven by a desire to be the very best. So he has more in common with Shadow than Metal Sonic. I also think Bass switches sides at some point in the games, another thing he has in common with Sonic’s darker furred rival. See, a villain with some humanity is more interesting, even if they’re a robot.

On the Eggman/Wily front, there’s not too much to report. The two continue to work together while secretly plotting against each other. However, Flynn incorporates some little interactions that are cute. Such as the two sniping at each other, like an old married couple, as they put the purely aesthetic finishing touches on their latest death machine. My favorite bit comes when they’re explaining their evil plan to the captured Sonic and Mega Man. The two are so wrapped in their evil glee that they go to high five one another, forgetting they hate each other now.

And that brings us almost to the end. Flynn has finished putting all his pieces in their places. Robotnik and Wily are on the verge of winning, their plan to cosmic-reset-button Sonic and Mega Man out of existence nearly completed. Of course, in their arrogance, the bad guys have stuck the heroes right there in the final chamber with them. I have mixed feelings about this. It’s a cliche we’ve all seen many times before and there is something satisfying about the familiarity. At the same time, it’s hard to take the bad guys seriously when they set themselves up for defeat like that.

It’s true that this event is picking up speed as it nears its end. I have my qualms. Bass is interesting enough here that I wish Flynn had given him a bigger role throughout the crossover. He would’ve been preferable over the various faceless Robot Masters we encountered. Still, this is a pretty good comic book. I had fun reading it. [7/10]