THE 2013 SONIC THE HEDGEHOGE COMIC BEST/WORST LIST

Comic books like to trumpet that, after this particular event or what have you, “things will never be the same.” Usually, whatever changes happen are undone eventually, more often than not very quickly. However, following a major event, Archie's “Sonic the Hedgehog” book really was never the same again. 2013 is the year I've been dreading the most throughout this retrospective. It's the year the comic was rebooted and twenty years of history was completely wiped out.

Sonic fans being the contentious lot they are, fandom opinion is utterly divided on the reboot. Some love it, some hate it. While “hate” is a strong word, I'd agree that the reboot really yanked the heart out of the comic. Moreover, the way it happened and was presented especially rubbed me the wrong way.

But I'm not here to bitch about the reboot yet again. Not yet anyway. I'm here to consider the best and worst stories, art, characters, and idea Archie's “Sonic” books presented in 2013. The material covered in this retrospective includes:

Sonic the Hedgehog: Issue 244-255
Sonic Universe: Issue 48-59
Mega Man: Issue 24-27
Sonic: Lost World (Halloween Comic Fest)
Sonic Super Digest: Issue 5

BEST COVER STORY:
Ian Flynn, "All For One - Part Four: Friends, Foes & Family" (Sonic Universe: Issue 49)

Here's a really weird thing: The first half of “All for One” are among the worst stories to ever be published in “Sonic Universe.” The second half of “All for One” are among the best stories to ever be published in “Sonic Universe.” It's amazing what a change of location and cast can do for a book.

Mostly, what makes “All for One: Part Four” is the emotion it summons up. The story arc of Mighty searching for his lost sister Mathilda is finally brought to a conclusion, the two being reunited, broken up, and then reunited again. We really feel Mighty's pain and relief here in this story, which also gives Ray the first meaty role he's ever had in the comic's entire history. There's also some awesome action scenes in this story, even if its emotional weight is what really makes it so good.

WORST COVER STORY:
Ian Flynn, "At All Costs: Part 2 - A New Lease on Life" (Sonic the Hedgehog: Issue 252)

My problems with issue 252 begins with the title on down. This is not a conclusion to issue 247's story, “At All Costs: Part 1.” Instead, it's the introduction to the Post-Genesis Wave continuity, the realm we'll be spending the rest of this retrospective in. Really, no story would be able to shoulder the weight of the entire comic being rebooted. However, Flynn handled the switch-off in the most awkward fashion possible. Sonic and Tails are dropped down into a world that looks like their old world but isn't, living lives that are similar to but aren't their old lives, defending people who look like their friends but really aren't. I can't give a shit about a routine story arc based around fighting a giant, mutated Tails Doll with all the other concerns buzzing around in my head.

BEST BACK STORY and WORST BACK STORY:
N/A

Here's a first: There were no back stories published in 2013. The back-up features would return in 2014 but, in-between “Worlds Collide” and the reboot, Archie just couldn't find any room for five-pagers this year.

BEST STORY ARC:
Tracy Yardley, "Pitrate Panic Plunder" (Sonic Universe: Issue 55-58)

Tracy Yardley showed a lot of improvement from his first story arc as writer to his second. Here's the facts: “Pirate Panic Plunder!” is fun. Blaze is grown to a fully fleshed out character. Marine's wackiness plays well against the other cast members. Bean the Duck is not too wacky and Cream the Rabbit is not too sickeningly sweet. The villain is awesome. The story hits most of the dramatic beats at the right time and ends in a satisfying way. Part two of this story was really weak, relying on some truly awful humor, but otherwise I really enjoyed this one.

WORST STORY ARC:
Ian Flynn, "When Worlds Collide" (Mega Man: Issue 24-27, Sonic Universe: Issue 51-54 , Sonic the Hedgehog: Issue 248-251)

I have a lingering dislike of the “Worlds Collide” crossover with Mega Man because it birthed the reboot. However, even taken on its own merits, the crossover event is seriously uneven. Having the story take place in some weird zero continuity zone was a cheap way to bring in casual readers that also robbed the story of any deeper meaning. Moreover, the set-up was strangled, occupying far too many issues. Flynn also awkwardly justified a lot of fight scenes strictly to include them.

BEST COVER ART:
Sonic Universe: Issue 51 - Patrick Spaziante

However, some bad ass artwork did emerge from “Worlds Collide.” My favorite of which is the cover to issue 51 of “Sonic Universe.” A homage to the character select screen from the original “Marvel vs. Capcom,” that's exactly the right level of fanboy excitement this crossover should have been operating on the entire time. Beyond the awesome homage, it's just an exciting and beautifully put-together piece of work on its own.

WORST COVER ART:
Sonic Universe: Issue 55 - Tracy Yardley

There were a lot of jumbled and badly organized covers in 2013. Lamar Wells' cover for issue 247 and Yardley's cover for issue 245 both stuck competing images in too little space. However, I ultimately gave this dishonor to issue 55 of “Sonic Universe.” The majority of the cover is taken up by a goofy looking Pirate Sonic head, a character that doesn't even appear in the story. The actual cast members are shoved to the side, their faces distorted over gold coins. A tacky tagline takes up far too much of the rest of the cover.

BEST STORY ART:
When Worlds Collide: Part Nine - All-Out War - Ben Bates (Sonic the Hedgehog: Issue 250)

The runner-ups in this category includes Steven Butler's work on part three of “Endangered Species,” from issue 245 of “Sonic,” and Yardley's work on “Forged in Fire” from issue 50 of “Sonic Universe.”

Ben Bates, however, really brought his A-game to “Worlds Collide.” In issue 250 of “Sonic,” he gets to draw one epic battle between the Sonic cast members and various evil Robot Masters after another. He piles on the dynamic action and expressive faces, creating a book that is a sugar rush of a read, at least on a visual level.

WORST STORY ART:
Sonic: Lost World - Ryan Jampole (Sonic: Lost World)

Because of the big crossover, we got some artists drawing characters they weren't that familiar with this year. Such as Tracy Yardley's somewhat awkward looking renditions of the Mega Man cast in part five of “When Worlds Collide.” Ryan Jampole previously handle some similarly off-model Sonic artwork earlier in the same crossover. However, he got an entire issue of “Sonic” with the “Lost World” one-shot. Jampole's take on Robotnik and the Zetis are actually fine. It's his illustrations of Sonic and friends that feel lifeless and gawky.

BEST NEW CHARACTER:
Captain Metal

We'd get a wave of new characters next year, as the reboot really rolled into effect, and “Worlds Collide” saw many “Mega Man” characters making their debut in the “Sonic” book this year. However, there were very few meaningful new cast members added to the book this year.

Which is why, for the third time, I'm giving this award to some variation on Metal Sonic. Now, don't get me wrong, Captain Metal is awesome. While a pirate version of Metal Sonic sounds like a corny-as-fuck idea on paper, Captain Metal is actually an intimidating and effective villain. He doesn't mess around, has no problem violating his enemy's safety, and is dangerously focused on completing his goals. Despite the farcical concept, the bad guy is mostly taken entirely serious which is just the way I like it.

WORST NEW CHARACTERS:
Spider Troupe

Oh, fuck these guys. Introduced just at the very beginning of the reboot, Spider Troupe are the generic-ass space marine guys that accompany Shadow and Team Dark onto the Dark Arms' meteor. And they fucking suck. They spend all their page time mocking Shadow and his friends. Yet their bragging is totally unfounded, as they mostly get their asses collectively kicked by the aliens. More important than any of that, these guys just do not feel like they belong in this book. They are a half-hearted attempt to emulate edgier properties. Elements like Spider Troupe is when I feel truly disconnected from the modern iterations of the “Sonic” franchise.


BEST IDEA:
The Freedom Fighters Surviving the Reboot

In a year full of truly bad decisions, I wracked my brain for some deeper meaning or good idea I could draw from the year's worth of comics. Maybe something about the value and meaning of family, reflected in Mighty's reunion with Mathilda, Knuckles' loss of the echidna race, and Sonic reconnecting with friends post-reboot?

I mean, I probably should've gone with that but the idea I'm most thankful for in 2013 was the comic allowing the Freedom Fighters to survive the reboot. If the entire point of the Post-Genesis Wave revamp was to bring the comic more in line with the game, the SatAM cast should have obviously gotten the axe. But Flynn loved these guys enough, and knew fans would riot hard enough, to keep them around. They all got flashy redesigns instead, along with revamped origins, not all of which I liked. But at least they lived. I definitely would have dropped the book in 2013 if they hadn't.


WORST IDEA:
The Reboot

Simply put, Archie rebooted the comic in the most awkward way possible. Ending the old universe without any amount of resolution was bad. Dropping us into the middle of a new universe without any introduction was bad. Giving us the false lead of the Freedom Fighters regaining their old memories, which were quickly discarded anyway, was bad. Replacing twenty years of unique comic lore with Sega's shitty excuse for game-to-game continuity was bad. Basing the entire comic in a half-assed mixture of game lore and the few comic elements left standing after the Penders lawsuit was bad. Archie not paying its old writers' residuals and drawing up sketchy contracts was bad.

And then there was bullshit that just bothers me for the most petty reason, like Sonic and the Freedom Fighters now peacefully cohabiting and casually interacting with humans. Or maybe the Werehog being such a front-and-center part of this new story arc. Which, by the way, goes on for three fucking years.

Need I go on? Your opinion may vary on whether or not the reboot ever found its footing but I think even fans of the second continuity will admit that its beginning was a serious mess.