Sonic the Hedgehog: Issue 259

Sonic the Hedgehog: Issue 259
Publication Date: April 2014

“After the Credits” month continued with issue 258 of “Sonic the Hedgehog.” After explaining last time how dumb the gimmick is, let’s talk about how it actually contributed to the story. Presumably in a ruse to get people to buy more comics, different people got different endings. In my copy, “Shadow Fall” concluded with Knuckles spying Eclipse’s escape pod falling near-by. Which was okay, as far as teasers go. It let us know that the next arc would star Knuckles and that Eclipse would be reappearing. Both of these tidbits could be assumed but it wasn’t bad. The version of issue 258’s “After the Credits” scene I got is a lot less impactful, showing that Robotnik already has one of the plot-important MacGuffins in his possession in as shrug-worthy a fashion as possible. In short, it continues to be a dumb gimmick. (Though Archie at least moved the traditional comic credits to the back of the book, making “After the Credits” at least an accurate statement.)

But I’m getting ahead of myself. “The Chase: Part Two” continues, with Sonic fighting E-106 Eta. The Freedom Fighters continue to search the bullet train for Sir Charles and Professor Pickle. They manage to locate the docs and Sonic, with Amy’s help, disables Eta. However, the danger is far from over. Prof. Pickle then explains his research, about what is happening to the planet, the dangers that entail, and possibly how to stop it.

Part two of “The Chase” is split into two parts itself. The first half resolves last month’s action sequence. As far as these things go, it’s fairly well done. Eta is an intimidating enemy and his hydraulic stabbing hands are a visually interesting weapon. After another sharp turn from the speeding train, Uncle Chuck is knocked unconscious. This distracts Sonic long enough that the bot pins him, a decent moment. When Amy arrives, the two team up to take the robot down. It’s moderately entertaining.

There’s something else I’ve noticed though. Since the reboot, it seems the book has been teasing a romantic connection between Sonic and Amy more. They have a cute little moment here, where she leaps into his arms. Previously, after she returned from Blaze’s dimension, she gave him a big hug. I guess this is a side-effect of the comic hewing closer to the video games now, where Sonic and Amy are the closest thing the series has to an official couple. But, to this old Sonic/Sally fan, it does sting a little. Sigh.

After the action is over, the second half of this comic book is devoted to dropping a heaping load of exposition on us. Professor Pickle explains his research, the reason Eggman captured him. He proceeds to tell us all about his findings, about the ancient belief that the world is held together by a Gaia life force. That this is a cycle occurring every millennium or something. Also, there’s something called the Dark Gaia which is evil or whatever. The importance of this is emphasized by the pseudo-Aztec hieroglyphics we see as the hairy old man rambles.

All of this could have been interesting. Pickle – Christ, I can’t believe he’s actually named that –  references that this occurs as part of a cycle of rebirth. The book resists the natural inclination to connect this information to the recent reboot, because I guess the comic is just pretending it’s always been like this now. Anyway, all of Pickle’s exposition is meant to set up the next quest. That Sonic and friends must locate seven Gaia Temples around the world and place the seven Chaos Emeralds inside them if they hope to undo the Shattered World. It’s more video game style bullshit, another repetitive fetch quest based around quasi-mystical nonsense. And, by the way, the reminder of the book’s run will be about this garbage.

Amazingly, during the set-up of this boring bullshit, there’s actually a moment of meaningful emotion. And, even more amazingly, it involves that stupid fucking werehog. See, Uncle Chuck explains that all sorts of weird Dark Energy is seeping out of the Earth now. And Chuck is concerned about Sonic, since he got a face full of the stuff a few issues back. Sonic, who has come close to getting all fangy and furry a few times recently, is concerned too. But he doesn’t show that fear, either because he’s afraid to admit there’s something wrong with him or he doesn’t want to upset his friends when they’re already dealing with so much. It’s a moment that shows these characters actually do care about each other, that there’s something going on here beyond an ill-conceived adaptation of one of Sega’s mediocre video games.

It comes a little too late though. The action scenes are decent, Evan Stanley’s artwork is very good, and there’s even a scene with a foosball table that made me laugh. However, all the belabored set-up for the “Sonic Unleashed” adaptation just makes me sigh. The reboot, and all the foolish decisions made during its conception, continues to roll on. [5/10]

Sonic Universe: Issue 62

Sonic Universe: Issue 62
Publication Date: March 2014

Archie’s “Sonic the Hedgehog” comics have always wanted to be movies. Over the years, the writers and artists have used film terminology when talking about the book. The extended re-release of issue 50 was called a “director’s cut,” even though comics really aren’t directed the same way movies are. The farcical Off-Panel stripes, which are almost as old as the comic itself, treat the characters as if they’re actors in-between scenes. The misbegotten longer Off-Panel stories have even made jokes about make-up departments, award shows, and editing physical reels of film. (Not to mention Ken Penders’ actual efforts to get the comic made into a movie.)

This obvious jealousy the comic creators felt for filmmakers continued with 2014’s “After the Credits” months. This name makes no sense, as the credits - which are very different from cinematic credits - usually appear at the start of a comic book. So there’s always stuff after the credits! Obviously, the book was attempting to replicate the tactic used by Marvel Studios, where short little teasers appear at the very end of the movie. This forces people to sit through the credits, seeing the names of everyone who worked on the movie, and also provides a neat preview of the next adventure or a cute little joke. In a comic book, it just means an extra page in the very back of the book. Which you can flip to with minimal effort. So, for many reasons, “After the Credits” month was definitely one of the dumber gimmicks Archie would employ.

Issue 62 is the final part of “Shadow Fall.” Shadow confronts Black Death, hoping to defeat the leader of the Black Arms hive mind. Deeper within the comet, Rouge and Omega search for the nuclear bomb meant to destroy it. Eclipse the Darkling appears before them, determined to stop them from destroying the last remnants of his species. Even after the villains are defeated, there’s the issue of getting off the massive comet before it explodes.

Most of “Shadow Fall” has been devoted to fight scenes of varying types. Its final part is no different. Shadow fights Black Death. The alien psychically opens small portals, tossing meteorites at Shadow. Shadow responds by taking off his inhibitor rings, unleashing the full wrath of his powers. Meanwhile, Omega pelts Eclipse with heavy fire. This enrages the alien to the point that he transforms into a giant super-form. As much pomp and circumstance as these fights have, both conclude in underwhelming fashion. Shadow does some sort of super attack, bathing the whole room in fire. This incinerates Black Death so quickly you wonder why he just didn’t do that in the first place. Eclipse, meanwhile, can only maintain his pumped-up form for a few minutes. So Omega just has to survive a few rounds of punching and Eclipse deals with himself.

The fight scenes end weakly but this issue has other things worth recommending. For the first time, Flynn makes us care about Eclipse. First, he confronts Omega with one of those giant Black Arm soldiers. The robot kills the brute in seconds. Seeing this, his brother killed so cruelly and quickly, brings him to tears. This establishes the new villain as someone with feelings, personal connections. He doesn’t see the Black Arms as just his race but his family. So his struggle is made a little more personal, making him a deeper character. He’s not just trying to conquer Earth because that’s what evil aliens do. He’s protecting what he loves. It’s a little moment but it makes all the difference. You really should have led with that, Flynn.

That’s not the only time this issue reminds us that these cartoon rats running around are actual characters, with histories and personalities. During his battle with Black Death, Shadow takes a minute to have a psychic phone call with Rouge. The bat informs him that they’re about to activate the nuke, that he has a limited amount of time to kill the bad guy and get out of there. Not only does Rouge care about Shadow but the little smile he makes proves he cares about her. She cares if he lives or dies and that makes Shadow more invested in his own life. The cast actually having meaningful connections makes us way more invested in their fates. Go figure!

Flynn even manages to engineer a mildly suspenseful ending. Black Death is dead. Eclipse is defeated. But the entire comet is about to about to explode. Shadow has to run through the entire comet, in hopes of reaching Rouge’s shuttle in time. The comic even has the time counting down on panel, which is a good way to build suspense. Naturally, Shadow makes it out. But the way it’s portrayed - he Chaos Controls onto the shuttle minutes after the comet is nuked - is a nice touch.

Despite the clear improvements this issue makes over the previous three, it’s still stymied by some contrived, video game bullshit. The boring-ass space marines are still floating around. The issue only devotes a few panels to them, seemingly aware of how little they brought to the story. (And making you wonder why they were included in the first place.) Eclipse’s super form is ridiculous looking, the little guy expanding to Schwarzeneggerian proportions in seconds. Once Black Death is killed, all the other Black Arms soldiers fall over dead. He’s a classical load-bearing villain, the kind of logic that works fine in a video game but just seems like poor planning in an actual narrative. He couldn’t have psychically transferred those duties to Eclipse at the last minute or something? At least make sure the rest of the Black Arms go down fighting.

The last part of “Shadow Fall” injects a little feeling into what’s otherwise been an exercise in expanding Sega’s lame-ass lore. That help takes what’s been a painfully dull story arc out on a slightly higher note. Still, the issue is hampered by many of the same problems that have faced the rebooted “Sonic Universe” thus far. I remember it being quite a while before this spin-off finally gets back on its feet again. [6/10]

Sonic the Hedgehog: Issue 258

Sonic the Hedgehog: Issue 258
Publication Date: March 2014

The time has finally come to talk about Tyson Hesse. Hesse would make his Archie Sonic debut with the (really cool) cover art to issue 258. Since then, he’s done interior art for the book and worked with Sega, directing the animated opening to “Sonic Mania” and the “Sonic Mania Adventures” web series. Long before any of that, Hesse was a humble fan artist. So humble, in fact, he got his start with a fucking sprite comic. I was an avid reader of “Sonic ARGH,” which is, yeah, really crude by modern standards. He would reach a far wider audience with his hilarious hand-drawn comics. Which means I’ve been following Hesse his entire career, watching as he achieved the ultimate fan dream of actually working on the “Sonic” franchise in an official capacity. (And having some success with his own IPs, “Boxer Hockey” and “Diesel.”) He’s a beloved pillar of the Sonic fan community, as his artwork is rightly regarded as excellent. Naturally, I greatly resent him. If you’re reading this, Ritz, I fucking hate you.

Anyway, issue 258 contains part one of “The Chase.” Picking up where the last issue left off, the Freedom Fighters have located the kidnapped Sir Charles and his colleague, Prof. Pickle. They are currently speeding through Eggman country on a bullet train. The heroes locate the train and attempt to get inside. This is not easy, as the train is heavily armored and filled with killer robots. Even after Sonic gets inside and locates Chuck, he’s pursued by E-106 Eta.

“The Chase,” presumably not named after the 1994 Charlie Sheen/Kristy Swanson vehicle, is another attempt by Ian Flynn to forge a fast paced action story. And it certainly succeeds in some regards. Much like the bullet train it features, the pacing never slows down. The story barrels ahead, throwing more obstacles at the heroes as they charge towards their simple goal. The action scenes, involving fights with the dragonfly and scorpion Badniks from “Sonic and Knuckles,” are decent. However, the story feels a little too much like the video games that inspired it. Flynn’s script is really focused on the Freedom Fighters completing specific tasks. They have to search all the train cars, breaking through the little doors without letting them fly loose and hurt anyone further down the line. This goal oriented structure- “We’ve gotta do this before we can do this before we can do THIS” - feels like we’re walking through a checklist, not reading a compelling story.

Still, the writer does include some cute character moments. After Bunnie makes a small opening in the lead train car’s hatch, Sally drops Nicole’s handheld inside. We see a little upset emoji on her screen as she falls. After her hologram - which can apparently interact with the physical world now - is confronted by Eta, she cutely asks the robot if he’s friendly. Later, Amy hammers open another hatch. Looking inside, she sees that the car is full of explosives. And the door she slammed off flew into some missiles. The pink hedgehog nervously chatters to herself about nearly exploding the entire train. Which is funny.

There’s also some neat new tech on display. The Freedom Fighters get a second airplane, piloted by Antoine, as the Freedom Fighter Special was apparently lost in the reboot. To compliment Tails’ Tornado, it’s called the Twister. It looks a lot like the purple second version of the Tornado from “Sonic Adventure,” which is neat. I also like the design of E-106 Eta, who looks like a rougher, more industrial Omega. His pneumatic stabbing arms don’t seem very practical but they make for a cool weapon. Throughout the reboot, Flynn would answer the irresistible siren call of creating E-series robots to go with every other letter of the Greek alphabet. And who can blame him for that?

Another problem with this issue is Prof. Pickle. Originating in “Sonic Unleashed,” Pickle is just the worst. He’s got a hideous design, with massive white eyebrows that obscure his eyes like two white, fuzzy slugs. He’s supposedly a brilliant academic, a narration box informs us. In the actual story, he acts like an imbecile. He doesn’t seem to understand he’s a prisoner, treating the train like it’s a hotel. He also has a childish obsession with cucumber sandwiches. Surely, this book has enough eccentric geniuses already? Also, his first name is Dillon, as in Dill, as in Jesus Christ puns.

Lastly, seeing Mobians and regular humans interact so casually continues to bug the shit out of me. There’s another reason for this, beyond it just not making any fucking sense. It’s a violation of the comic’s rules. In the past, humans represented the exploitation of the planet while the Mobians represented living in harmony with nature. Seeing the two co-existing breaks this unstated rule. I hate this but it’s not really Flynn’s fault. He’s just following Sega’s corporately mandated lead. The games disregarded their own subtext years before. There were lots of awful looking, previously unseen human characters inhabiting Sonic’s world in “Sonic Unleashed.” But Prof. Pickle still fucking sucks.

Another thing the book has going for it is the artwork. Evan Stanley’s artwork is very strong on this outing. The action scenes have motion to them, the characters are expressive, and Stanley generates some humor with the various reactions to the insides of the train. (Sally shivering while inside a refrigerated food car is a nice touch.) Still, issue 258 is yet another reboot issue that I very mixed feelings about. [6/10]

Sonic Universe: Issue 61

Sonic Universe: Issue 61
Publication Date: February 2014

It could not be more obvious that Ian Flynn had high hopes for Eclispe the Darkling. He has a prominent placement in issue 61’s cover, doing a weird lunge thing over Team Dark’s shoulder. The next issue would devote its variant cover entirely to Eclispe, giving him one of those cool Rafa Knight digital renders. And I can certainly understand the desire to give Shadow the Hedgehog, one of this franchise’s star characters no matter how I feel about it, his own archenemy. Yet I wish he had come up with something more inspired than what looks like an alien-ized pallet swipe of Shadow, who has yet to display much in the way of personality. But I guessed it worked because Eclipse seems to be fairly popular among the “preboot Archie Sonic was never good” crowd.

Part three of “Shadow Fall” is subtitled “A Matter of Trust,” because an arc full of machine guns and man-eating aliens was just crying out for a Billy Joel reference. The issue begins with the still brainwashed Shadow fighting with the other team members of Team Dark. They quickly undo his mind-control and revert him to normal. Meanwhile, Eclispe successfully subdues and captures the remaining members of Spider Troupe. Team Dark heads deeper into the Comet to rescue the soldiers and stop the Black Arms once and for all.

The main thrust of “A Matter Of Trust” involves Shadow overcoming his brainwashing with the help of his friends. This plays out in an underwhelming fashion. After rumbling with him for a while, Omega and Rouge pin Shadow down. The bat essentially nags at him until he gets better, just the suggestion of mentioning Maria apparently being enough to knock Shadow out of his evil-influenced stupor. This not only suggests that Black Death’s mind control is ludicrously weak, it also draws attention to how artificial the entire plot point of Shadow being forced to fight his teammates was.

However, I’ll give issue 61 this much: After wrapping that sequence up, Team Dark gets down to the business of taking out the Black Comet. Shadow’s renewed connection with the aliens allows him to navigate the comet more effectively. With all the inter-team bickering and evil manipulation out of the way, the comic’s plot can finally start actually moving. While I know some people are invested in this aliens bullshit, I imagine most readers were drawn to this arc because they want to see Team Dark working together and kicking ass. Issue 61 finally delivers on that.

Of course, the alien stuff still takes up a large portion of this comic book. Part three of “Shadow Fall” really draws attention to how much the Black Arms kind of suck at their job. Eclipse uses his teleportation to easily disarm the reminder of the space marines. He’s going to kill them but Black Death instructs him not too. He tells them to save the humans as food for the next generation of aliens, who are hanging out in knock-off xenomorph eggs. It seems to me that eliminating the threat to the eggs is more pertinent than feeding them, especially since they haven’t even hatched yet. Why not let Eclipse kill the intruders and throw the nuke out the nearest air lock? Once they land on Earth, the Black Arms will have plenty of food anyway.

Of course, we all know the real reason the space marines are left alive. This is still a kids book, no matter how faux-tough and gritty it wants to appear. Showing the bad guy just killing everybody, even if that makes the most sense, would be beyond the pale. Flynn’s methods just draws attention to how contrived Black Death’s reasoning is. The story has to continue towards its inevitable showdown, even if there are half-a-dozen points before then where things could have been resolved. This whole story arc has been hampered by clumsy plotting like that.

Also clumsy: A flashback where Abraham Tower tells Rouge and Omega to take Shadow out, that his connection to the Black Arms is too great, that he’s too dangerous to have around. That’s another obviously artificially engineered bit of tension, since we know Shadow’s friends aren’t going to kill him. At least that leads to plenty of scenes of Rogue and Omega interacting. As always, the giant robot’s often stated desire to blow everything up is frequently amusing. He’s also given some more frankly hilarious sound effects, though I’m not sure if those were suppose to make me laugh.

So part three of “Shadow Fall” is slightly better than the two parts before it. But only slightly. The plot is still full of contrivances and other bullshit like that. At least the story actually feels like it’s starting to go somewhere now, one whole issue away from the end. Mostly, I’m still just waiting for this thing to end. (Which it won’t actually do for another nine issues, since this arc was merely the first half of the “Dark Trilogy.” Ugggggh.) [5/10]

Sonic the Hedgehog: Issue 257

Sonic the Hedgehog: Issue 257
Publication Date: February 2014

Can we talk about Rafa Knight’s cover art? Knight was another fan artist who got recruited to work on “Sonic” in an official capacity. Knight’s digital renders of the Sonic cast was popular and he would bring this approach to several covers in Archie’s post-reboot line-up. I have no problem with Knight’s artwork in theory. Taken on its own, it’s perfectly acceptable. It’s even sort of cool seeing the comic’s cast done in the Dreamcast style. But, I don’t know, isn’t that digital style a little jarring when put alongside the usual pencil-and-ink look of the covers? Just me? Okay, moving on.

The Shattered Earth Crisis begins in earnest with “Damage Control.” The Sky Patrol happens to be near Station Square. The city has the misfortune of being on a fault line. The Freedom Fighters rush into action, working to save as many people as possible as the city is ravaged by flooding and earthquakes. Meanwhile, Eggman watches the planet break apart and realizes a dead world is not worth ruling over. He makes moves to control the crisis.

“Damage Control” is satisfying on one level. It’s nice to see the Freedom Fighters working together to help people and stop a problem. Everyone’s unique abilities are put to use. Bunnie lifts wreckage with her super-limbs. Rotor swims underwater, doing what he can to redirect the flooding. Big pulls people to safety with his fishing rod. Sonic rushes into buildings, grabs people, and leaps to a dryer location. Sally oversees the operation from above and Tails does machines. Antoine, uh, cuts a rope with his sword. Considering the Freedom Fighters are still being reestablished following the reboot, it’s nice to see everyone get a moment in the spotlight.

“Damage Control” also makes it clear that even a book as frivolous as “Sonic the Hedgehog” isn’t unaffected by post-9/11 anxieties, by the millennial feeling the world is tearing itself apart. Compare this issue to number 83, the last time we saw Station Square flooded. That issue devoted one page to the flooding and one panel to rescuing people, two events this entire comic book focuses on. The cause of the difference is clear. That book came out in the more naive time of 2000. This one came out after September 11th, Hurricane Katrina, the 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami, the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake, and a dozen other major disasters. Thanks to the internet and international news coverage, by 2014, we were all far too familiar with how a major city looks when devastated by disaster. So even a goofy kids book has to consider the loss of life and massive destructive seriously. (This is further emphasized by the issue’s variant cover, which shows the Freedom Fighters pulling ash-covered people from the rubble.)

This issue depicts Station Square as a city inhabited by both humans and Mobians, or whatever we’re calling the anthromorphized cartoon animals now. The day is partially saved when G.U.N. flies in on its bootleg Hellicarrier, giving the refugees shelter. (Considering Flynn’s tendency to rip off the Marvel Cinematic Universe, it looks like he predicted a similar event in “Avengers: Age of Ultron,” over a year before that movie came out.) Seeing Sonic and the other Mobians interact with regular humans so casually irritates the shit out of me. With the preboot history of Overlanders and Station Square ripped away, we just have to assume humanity has always co-existed with Mobians in this timeline. Which raises way more questions than I have time to get into now. This is just another example of how sloppy the reboot was, how it could totally changed the balance of the world and never explained to us how the hell that was supposed to work.

But let’s zoom in on more personal matters. One thing I do really like about this issue is Sally struggling with her personal responsibilities as leader. She feels overwhelmed by the death and destruction laid out before her. She’s directing the Freedom Fighters as they try to solve a problem way bigger than they are. She’s also still haunted by her memories of what she did as Mecha-Sally, which she feels she has to make up for by being really good. It’s a lot for one chipmunk to handle. So it’s no wonder she’s cracking up a little and needs two separate pep talks from Nicole and Cream. I’m glad some of old Sally’s complexity is still present in new Sally.

Even this character beat is tinged by annoyance. During the aforementioned pep talk, Cream instructs Sally to just forget about her old traumas. Later, Tails and Sonic discuss how their old memories are fading. How they’ll be completely forgotten soon. And maybe it’s better that they’re forgetting. This pisses me off for two reasons. First off, Flynn just wrapped up a story line about returning those old memories, seemingly invalidating his own work. Secondly, these lines really feel like mean-spirited jabs at longtime readers. It’s like the comic is saying: “Listen, nerds, the old continuity is gone forever and it’s never coming back. Get over it because the new ‘verse will probably be much better.” Mocking your most faithful readers, saying the thing they were invested in for twenty years was bad and we’re all better off that it’s gone now, is not a good way to endear us to the new continuity.

One more thing: Evan Stanley draws this one. Stanley’s pencils are occasionally rather sharp. Her use of motion and action is captivating. Individual panels, devoted to the Freedom Fighters’ heroic efforts are eye-catching. However, her character work is a little off. Antoine looks seriously off-model a few times. Her human characters are kind of ugly, especially new G.U.N. leader Amanda Tower and her weird pug nose. Eggman looks a little loose too. Even Sonic seems slightly more angular than usual. Stanley is a talented artist but I guess she had gotten a little rusty since her last time drawing the book.

So I have a lot of mixed feelings about issue 257. The heroic sequences are well done and it feels like we’re getting some of the character development that’s been sorely lacking around here lately. The issue’s serious, real world context is interesting too. At the same time, Flynn continues to handle the facts of the reboot in a sloppy and irritating fashion. That’s another [6/10] for you.

Sonic Universe: Issue 60

Sonic Universe: Issue 60
Publication Date: January 2014

Is there a comic book story tactic more common than making it look like a hero has gone evil? Okay, yes, probably. But the temporary heel-face turn is pretty common in comics. Especially in Archie’s “Sonic” books. Over their long run, they made it looked like Bunnie, Sally, Monkey Khan, Knuckles, Uncle Chuck, and Sonic himself (at least twice) has switched sides. This technique is so common that the few times a morality shift has actually stuck - Fiona, Geoffrey St. John I guess - it’s been a genuine surprise. With issue 60 of “Sonic Universe,” Shadow joins that list of characters. Has “Shadow Gone Evil?!” the cover asks. What do you think?

Part two of “Shadow Fall” is subtitled “A Shadow in the Dark,” which has got to be one of Flynn’s dumbest titles. A shadow in the dark would pretty much just be more dark, don’t you think? Anyway, the big cliffhanger last time - Team Dark and the space marines paralyzed by the Dark Arms’ nerve agent - is quickly undone. Turns out they have gas masks. The team journeys deeper into the comet, looking for the perfect place to plant their bomb. Meanwhile, Eclipse the Darkling and Black Death attempt to corrupt and control Shadow’s mind,

Ian Flynn would introduce roughly a hundred new characters during the reboot. One that certainly seemed well received by certain corners of the fandom was Eclipse the Darkling. I, personally, can’t agree with this enthusiasm. Eclipse is the Black Arms’ attempt to replicate Shadow... who was already a darker, edgier version of Sonic. That makes Eclipse a counterfeit of a counterfeit. His personality is stock-parts evil invader. He longs to convert Shadow over to the Black Arms’ side, a typical “we could rule together” motivation. That entitlement also gives Eclipse a petulant brattiness, not the most endearing attribute. So the character doesn’t do much for me.

If Eclipse tried to get Shadow to switch sides with his words, perhaps by appealing to the alienation the black hedgehog feels among the G.U.N. soldiers, maybe that would’ve been interesting. Instead, he simply attempts to psychically brainwash Shadow. This makes Shadow an inactive protagonist in his own story, as he spends almost the whole issue at the bad guy’s mercy. It’s also not a very interesting plot development. Obviously, Shadow will not stay brainwashed forever. This is a temporary status, likely thrown in so the so-called ultimate life form can wail on his friends for a while. There’s no suspense to this development.

At least it does lead to some kind of cool artwork. Eclipse’s attempt to overtake Shadow’s self-control leads to a battle in the center of the mind. Jamal Peppers clearly enjoyed drawing this. He depicts events from Eclipse’s and Shadow’s video game as floating between massive red blood cells. It concludes with Shadow attempting to fly out of a giant Eclipse’s hand, before being blocked by Black Death’s mad, staring eye. The visuals are kind of trippy and fun to look at.

The space marines continue to be a big problem with this story arc. They continue to be lame, one-note characters. Here, they crack wise a few times but display no real personality. I’m actively rooting for them to get eaten. The weird, first-person-shooter antics they bring with them continue to appear grossly out-of-place in this comic book. At one point, they’re fighting giant worms with spider faces and weird butthole mouths. (Apparently, these critters are from the “Shadow” game so blame those unfortunate designs on Sonic Team.) Get this macho bullshit out of my “Sonic” comic.

At least Rouge and Omega get more to do in this issue. Not a lot, mind you, but it’s something. Rouge yells out the lead space marine for his refusal to help Shadow. Omega gets a couple of quips about his lack of lungs and his love of explosions. Hilariously, his machine guns make the goofy onomatopoeia of “budda budda” when firing. That may not be much but at least it gives the reader some grounding in this far out story.

So the “Shadow Fall” continues to suck pretty hard. Part two is slightly better than the first, if only for some neat artwork and focusing less on tedious alien fighting. This story is still primarily showing why the comic book’s decision to not bother with Sega’s increasingly convoluted lore was a good idea. [4/10]

Sonic Super Special Magazine: Issue 10

Sonic Super Special Magazine: Issue 10
Publication Date: January 2014

At the start of this year, I talked about what exactly the “Sonic Super Digest” and “Sonic Super Special Magazine” were. Out of the two reprints-filled publications, the digests always made more sense to me. Those were easily found in department stores and supermarkets, where the comic could potentially reach an audience that might otherwise be unaware of its existence. But the magazine? It was mostly found in book stores, most of which probably already had the actual “Sonic” comics in stock. This redundancy might be one more reason why the magazine would be canceled after three more issues, while the Digest would run until August of 2016.

Like the Digest, the magazine occasionally hosted brand new stories. Which is why I’m talking about issue 10. In fact, this wasn't even the first time time the magazine featured an original comic. Apparently, issue 3 included a prequel/advertisement for “Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Chapter Two.” I was completely unaware of this factoid until I was doing research for this review. That one came out a while ago and the story is out-of-continuity anyway, so I’m not going to bother with it right now. I will review it eventually, I assure you. My obsessive need to cover every Archie Sonic comic story means I’ll have to.

But, for now, let’s talk about “Sonic Dash,” the five page story exclusive to issue 10 of “Super Special Magazine.” It begins with Sonic running through the Seaside Hill Zone - which looks a lot like the Green Hill Zone - in search of some magic MacGuffin called the Red Star Ring. Though he hopes to achieve this goal alone, he’s soon joined by Tails, Knuckles, and Amy. Quickly, his day out becomes a race to see who can reach the Red Rings first. And that’s it.

If you hadn’t guessed by now, “Sonic Dash” is another quickie advertisement for Sega’s then-latest game. Like the “Sonic Jump” tie-in we previously discussed, this one is also meant to promote a mobile game. “Dash” was an “endless runner,” a genre of free-to-play games that was fairly popular at the time. While that style was a natural fit for the “Sonic” brand, it predictably left little room for story. What are the Red Star Rings? Where do they come from? What do they do? Why are Sonic and his friends so eager to collect them? Why are they located on long, boogie-trap filled pathways? Ian Flynn does not see fit to answer any of these questions across the story’s five pages.

Instead, he goes for comedy, which might have been the best approach anyway. Sonic seems to treat his latest quest as a leisurely, relaxing run. When his friends appear, his mood changes from shock to annoyance quickly. He even suffers some pratfalls because of the distraction. Seeing the usually cucumber cool hedgehog so agitated produces a sensible chuckle, which is probably the best a five pager meant to advertise a mobile game could do.

And, hey, the artwork is nice. As with “Sonic Dash,” Jennifer Hernandez provides the pencils. Once again, her work is superior to the script. Her facial expressions are bright and clear, which is especially important for a comedic story like this. Sonic’s reactions to his interloping friends is where most of the humor comes from. There’s also a good sense of speed and motion, which is also vital for a story where everyone is perpetually moving. Letting new artists cut their teeth on magazine quickies like this was a smart move but I don’t know why it took so long for Hernandez to graduate to proper comic artist. She clearly knows her stuff.

Like the digests, the magazines were primarily composed of reprints. This edition reprints both parts of “At All Costs,” showing newbies the last glimpse of the old continuity and the first look at the new one. Also included is “I Am,” from issue 171 of “Sonic,” and “Living Weapons,” from “Sonic Universe: Issue 1.” For some reason, only the first five pages of “Babylon Rising: Part One,” from issue 33 of “Sonic Universe,” are reprinted here. I’m sure you noticed that all of these stories carefully avoid any Ken Penders created cast members.

I’ll give the magazine this much: It does provide a little more bonus content than the digest does. The magazine includes previews of upcoming issues. That also means some behind the scenes tidbits, such as production artwork and raw pencils of new pages. There’s a letters page, publishing fan-mail. There’s also a review of the Wii-U version of “Sonic: Lost Worlds,” which I’m assuming is not an especially deep examination of the game’s flaws and strengths. In the back is an interview with colorist Steve Downer. Underwhelming trivia, pin-up posters, and doodles from Jon Gray are sprinkled throughout. It’s hardly your one stop spot for all “Sonic” news but I can tell Archie expended a little effort into making this more than just a collection of reprints.

Sonic completest will probably want to grab this for “Sonic Dash.” Though better than that “Sonic Jump” adaptation, it’s still pretty lame. The set-up - I hesitate to call it a “plot” - is senseless. The characterization is at its broadest. Amy is, embarrassingly, reduced to a fawning fan girl. Knuckles is a big, strong doofus. Needless to say, the story is not canon. But I laughed once, so I guess it’s okay. Flynn probably dusted the whole thing off in an evening. That’s as much effort as the task deserved, I’d say. I’m glad Archie shoved these things into the side publications, where they didn’t throw off the flow of the main comic’s plot and could be safely ignored. [5/10]

Sonic the Hedgehog: Issue 256

Sonic the Hedgehog: Issue 256
Publication Date: January 2014

I can’t believe I haven’t mentioned this yet! Over the course of this retrospective, I’ve waxed nostalgically about Archie’s old habit of creating a series of covers that, when out side-by-side, make one long image. It’s been a while since the book has done one of these. “The Gathering Storm” was the last one, I believe. The four covers of “Countdown to Chaos” is one such image. While Ben Bates’ art is not quite as graphically intense as Spaz’s, it’s still a pretty cool image.

The final part of “Countdown to Chaos” is subtitled “The Princess and the Hammer,” which sounds like some sort of Communist fairy tale. Anyway, we pick up where “Pirates Plunder Panic” ended, with Amy, Cream, Bean and Bark being teleported back to Mobotropolis. Within in minutes of arriving, Sally crash-lands an escape pod right next to them. Metal Sonic is in pursuit but, luckily, Sonic and Tails arrive in time. After scrapping the robot, the gang gathers on the Sky Patrol. After restoring Sally and Amy’s memories, Nicole is able to generate her hologram form again. She then delivers some very grave news: the world is in peril.

“Countdown to Chaos” was always less of a proper story arc and more of a long prologue to the rebooted ‘verse. Each issue focused on reintroducing one of the main Freedom Fighters. Along the way, it established many of the new changes that have effected the world. Now, all the pieces are in place. Our heroes have gathered on their new airborne base. We can get on with the actual story. I don’t feel cheated exactly by this structure but I have my qualms. I wish Flynn had given us more time to get to know everyone again. A series of slower, character-based stories would have been preferable to an escalating series of action set pieces.

With this issue, we are truly reintroduced to Princess Sally. I’ve already talked about her new appearances - I think it’s pretty meh - but that’s not the only change. To me, post-reboot Sally really feels like an entirely different character. She’s still the field leader and tactician but she’s brainier than before. Such as in the scene where she effortlessly rattled off facts about alternate dimensions. She’s also more of an action hero. I guess because a back-kick wasn’t bad-ass enough anymore, Flynn gave her energy swords that she stores in the cuffs of her gloves. That feels like a somewhat desperate gimmick attached to a character that didn’t need it. This Sally just feels less complicated, less conflicted about her role. The Princess is back but she’s not as alive as before.

Most distressing, due to the new editorial insistence that Sega characters can no longer have romances, Sonic and Sally aren’t dating anymore. They don’t even have much in the way of sexual tension. The entire basis of their relationship has changed. When Sonic picks her up, crying with joy, he immediately puts her back down. Sonic and Sally are just friends now. I’d argue that this changes the entire emotional core of the comic as well. We’ve been rooting for these kids to get together for over twenty years. Now, the possibility of that ever happening is completely gone. If the reboot ever feels somewhat hollow to me, that’s probably why.

Truthfully, Flynn is so focused on plot in this issue that he barely has time for emotions. Sally being reunited with her dad and the blowback from getting her old (and especially traumatizing) memories back get one panel each. This issue is more about setting up the plot point our heroes will be grappling with for the next three years. The Super Genesis Wave wiped out the entire multi-verse, another confirmation that the old universe is deader than dead. This put so much stress on the planet that it’s tearing itself apart. Thus, the Shattered World Crisis  - and an exceedingly long-winded adaptation of “Sonic Unleashed” - begins. I’ve got a lot of thoughts about this, mostly negative, but I will say that it’s a hell of a cliffhanger to end the issue on.

Flynn probably could’ve taken more time to show the Freedom Fighters reuniting. To let the reader decide how they should feel about the new incarnations of these old characters. But he had to shove an action scene into the issue, least the precious seven year old boy readers get bored and leave. So there’s an utterly unnecessary fight scene between Sonic and Metal Sonic. There’s nothing especially memorable about these fight. Save for one panel were a destroyed Metal Sonic leaps out of an explosion, like a horror movie villain getting in one last scare before the credits. Other than establishing Sally’s new combat abilities, this sequence has no reason to be in the book.

It’s yet another issue weighed down by the baggage of rebooting the entire comic. There’s one moment I really like. When Bean and Bark refuse to help fight Metal Sonic, being money-grubbing mercenaries, Cream’s exasperated yelling at them is pretty funny. By the way, we also see Nicole’s redesign in this issue. She pretty much looks the same except she’s now wearing a spiffy outfit that looks like something out of a sci-fi anime. I hope you don’t mind me bitching so much in this review, because there’s going to be a lot of that going forward. [5/10]

THE 2018 SONIC THE HEDGEHOG COMIC BEST/WORST LIST!

When I started reviewing Archie's “Sonic the Hedgehog” comics back in 2016, I announced then and there that I would be continuing the tradition Dan Drazen started on his website back in 1995. Not only have I since gone past the point Drazen gave up the ghost, my personal Best/Worst List tradition has now continued past Archie's series.

When I started this project, I assumed I would eventually be covering new years in Archie's book, not knowing that the comic would end not long after I started this retrospective. Now that IDW has picked up the “Sonic” comic mantle, and ended up publishing an entire year's worth of books in 2018, it only seems natural I continue the Best/Worst tradition I started with Sonic's other publisher.

So, here we go once again, faithful Hedgehogs Can't Swim readers. It's time to look back at the brand new year of “Sonic” comics we just finished up. In this retrospective, I will cover:

Sonic the Hedgehog (IDW): Issue 1-11
Team Sonic Racing

BEST COVER STORY:
Ian Flynn, “The Battle for Angel Island: Part One” (Sonic the Hedgehog (IDW): Issues 9)

It took a while for Ian Flynn to really get things rolling with the new series. Luckily, while the book still had a lot of problems by the end of the year, Flynn had started to find his footing by the fall. The first part of “The Battle of Angel Island” is not as focused on action as the next two installments. Instead, Flynn slows down a little to focus on the characters. Seeing the members of the Resistance consider their uncertain fate before heading into battle gave us insight into their personalities as well as heightening the tension before the fight began. It's the sort of strong, character-based writing that the new series hasn't had nearly enough of.

WORST COVER STORY:
Caleb Goellener, “Team Sonic Racing” (Team Sonic Racing)

I had really hoped this would be good. Introducing a new writer into the “Sonic” fold, when Ian Flynn has largely dominated things for the last decade or more, should've been a good thing. Sadly, Caleb Goellner's first credit on the “Team Sonic Racing” one-shot was less than inspiring. With writing that felt like Sega ad copy and no attempt to expand the characters beyond their most basic forms, “Team Sonic Racing” is by far the thinnest issue of the year. Even Goellner's comic relief is fairly lame. IDW is inviting some more writers on-board this year and hopefully they do a better job than this guy.

BEST BACK STORY and WORST BACK STORY:
N/A

Thus far, IDW has not included any back stories in their comic book. Including more than one story in a single comic book is pretty rare these days, so this category may have to be phased out in the future. Then again, IDW also has an Annual coming out this year, so maybe 2019 will bring some multi-story issues.

BEST STORY ARC:
Ian Flynn, “The Fate of Doctor Eggman” (Sonic the Hedgehog: Issue 5-6)

“The Fate of Doctor Eggman” is the story arc that really gave me hope that this comic book might actually be worth reading going forward. After the underwhelming “Fallout,” the more character-orientated “The Fate of Doctor Eggman” two-parter perks things up considerably. The amnesic Eggman becoming the kindly Mr. Tinker was a funny, surprising twist. Building a story arc around Sonic being forced to defend his greatest enemy was a smart move, putting our hero in an interesting place. The arc with the lowest stakes of the year actually worked in this one's favor.

WORST STORY ARC:
Ian Flynn, “Fallout” (Sonic the Hedgehog: Issue 1-4)

IDW's “Sonic” monthly sure got off to a slow start. The “Fallout” story arc was highly repetitive. Each issue followed the same formula, with Sonic entering a new town, meeting an old or new alley, and smashing some robots together. The first time, the robot smashing was kind of fun. It got old very quickly. It seems Flynn was using this four-parter to establish the comic's new world and cast. But, Flynn, come on. Anyone reading this book already knows who Tails, Amy, and Knuckles are. This made “Fallout” a belabored first act.

BEST MAIN COVER:
Sonic the Hedgehog: Issue 9 - Lamar Wells

Among the many dynamic main covers this year, this is probably my favorite. It's a very exciting image, showing Sonic and Knuckles locked in combat with Metal Sonic. Showing the heroes' faces reflected in the shiny chrome villain gives us a new perspective on what probably would've been a standard action comic cover otherwise. Also the reflective sheen is a pretty snazzy visual gimmick.

WORST MAIN COVER:
Sonic the Hedgehog: Issue 5 - Kieran Gates

While there was a lot of crazy talent on display in the covers from IDW's first year, there were also a bunch of really generic looking covers too. The cover for issue 5 is maybe the most generic. It's a totally competent if largely lifeless image of Sonic leaping to action inside the shadow of Dr. Eggman. The artist behind this is Kieran Gates. Gates, who contributed some artwork to “Sonic Mania,” did a few other covers in 2018. Each of them also look like Sega clip art, suggesting that very standard and boring “Sonic” art is Mr. Gates' specialty.

BEST VARIANT COVER:
Sonic the Hedgehog: Issue 7: SDCC1 - Adam Bryce Thomas

Since IDW creates roughly a hundred variant covers for each issue of this series, I figured I better go ahead and create a separate category for Best Variant Cover, as much as it pains me to fuck with the formula.

Out of the literally dozens of options I had for this honor, I went with the first of two covers exclusive to San Diego Comic Con for issue seven. It comes from the ever-reliable Adam Bryce Thomas and is a very catchy image. It shows Sonic, moving in such a blur that we see several images, rushing towards an enemy that is attempting to put him in its sight. Highlighted in red, as if from a robot's visor, gives this action-packed image an urgent feeling.

WORST VARIANT COVER:
Sonic the Hedgehog: Issue 5: Cover B - Jamal Peppers

Jamal Peppers is obviously a really talented artist and I've complimented his work many times before. But what the fuck was going on with Peppers when he drew the variant cover for IDW's fifth “Sonic” issue? It's an exceedingly awkward image, showing Sonic – who is smirking but seems visibly uncomfortable – balancing uncomfortably atop one of Robotnik's bug-shaped badniks. Obviously, the idea is that he's riding the robo-insect like a motorcycle and the bot is none too happy about it. Yet, in execution, it looks more like Sonic has been hastily pasted over atop a quickly sketched drawing. The color is really flat too.

BEST STORY ART:
Adam Bryce Thomas, “Fallout: Part 2” (Sonic the Hedgehog: Issue 2)

This was an easy choice. While the artwork throughout IDW's first year was consistently good, Adam Bryce Thomas' work on issue two is on entirely different level. There's an incredible sense of motion to the action scenes. There's a clear dynamism to the panels, Sonic and Amy leaping off the page. The characters have a lot of humor and expression in their faces and body language. The lighting is dramatic, especially in the panel where Sonic explains his position to Amy. It's just so friggin' pretty.

WORST STORY ART:
Jennifer Hernandez, “Fallout: Part 3” (Sonic the Hedgehog: Issue 3)

Once again, I must clarify that Jennifer Hernandez' work in issue 3 certainly is not bad. It's just that the standard is so high these days, that picking a weakest artist often means calling out someone who has actually done some decent work. W

While Hernandez' handle on the characters and their models are obviously strong, and I like Knuckles' expressive faces, it seems her grip on the action has slipped a little since her Archie days. The fight scenes are a bit stiff. The colors are also a little flat but I'm not going to blame Hernandez for that one.

BEST NEW CHARACTER:
Tangle the Lemur

Among the few introductions IDW made to the “Sonic” canon in their comic's first year, there's only been one so far I definitively love. Tangle the Lemur is just awesome, you guys. A bit of an adrenaline junkie, Tangle happily joins up the Resistance fight against Eggman. More than any of the other characters, who sometimes seem burdened by their status as heroes, Tangle is really excited by fighting the good fight. Everything she says and does is utterly delightful. While it will be a long time before IDW fills the void left in my heart by the Freedom Fighters – who are probably never coming back – Tangle is a pretty good start.

WORST NEW CHARACTER:
Whisper the Wolf

Since my Archie retrospective are written years after the comics were first published, it's usually easy for me to pick out the characters that became iconic and which ones become thorns in the readers' side. With these new comics, I have no way of knowing what will ultimately become of the newly created cast members.

So, it is with some reluctance I award Whisper the Wolf the Worst New Character of 2018 prize. There's certainly still plenty of time for Whisper to develop into someone interesting. As it currently stands though, Whisper is defined by almost nothing. She's a character that projects mysteriousness yet, from the little glimpses of her personality we've gotten, I'm seriously suspecting that this veil is hiding nothing much at all. Just speaking from a design level, Whisper is also needlessly cluttered. But fans already seem to love her, so what do I know?


BEST IDEA:
Welcome to the Resistance

There is a certainly a contingency of Sonic fans who will only be happy if the hedgehog's entire supporting cast is completely done away with and the stories only focused on Sonic. Naturally, these people hated the Archie comics, with its thousands-strong cast. For a while, I was worried IDW's book would be placating these fans, having Sonic be a wanderer that never develops a steady supporting cast.

These fears were dismissed within a few months though. Flynn soon has Sonic team up with the Resistance, a leftover from “Sonic Forces.” And it's already pretty obvious that Flynn is using this team as a replacement for the much lamented Freedom Fighters. He's even slotted Amy Rose into a Sally-esque role of a female leader and tactician. And if twenty years of Archie books didn't make it apparent, Sonic works best when in a team setting. So hopefully the Resistance remains a consistent part of IDW's book going forward, as a team of misfits fighting a powerful villain is obviously what we need.


WORST IDEA:
A Lack of Identity

We are a year into the new comic and it still feels like the series hasn't found an identity of its own. While Ian Flynn once said the new comic actually had more freedom from Sega than the Archie book did, it's increasingly apparent that the opposite is true. IDW's “Sonic” title consistently feels like its on the edge of becoming a boring extension of the Sega brand, just a lame on-going advertisement for the shitty video games. (This was very apparent in the “Team Sonic Racing” one-shot recently.) And say what you will about the Archie book but it was always defiantly its own thing. Right now, IDW's comic feels like it's trying to become its own thing, and very well might soon, but still feels shackled to the expectations and demands of a feckless corporation that really doesn't understand why people like this character and his world anyway.