Sonic Universe: Issue 63

Sonic Universe: Issue 63
Publication Date: April 2014

As I’ve mentioned before, the rebooted Archie “Sonic” comic verse was not really about the same characters as the preboot book. It was about characters that happened to look like the preboot cast but had totally different histories and personalities. (Some of them didn’t even look the same.) The comic now usually defaulted to the Sega versions of the characters. Which were frequently very different. Take, for example, Knuckles the Echidna. The difference between Sega Knuckles and Archie Knuckles couldn’t be more vast.

Archie Knuckles started out as the same gullible brawler as his video game counterpart. Quickly, however, he developed an introspective and even melancholic side. He was among the comic’s most complex characters. He also had a huge supporting cast: friends, a lover, a family, a secret society composed of his nosy grandfathers, and an entire city populated by his race. A fair criticism of the old comic was that it actually made Knuckles too significant to the book’s world. The echidna often threatened to eclipse the blue hedgehog the book was actually named after.

In contrast, Sega Knuckles never grew much beyond that gullible brawler. The games would shrug off the thing many fans were most intrigued by: The mysterious past of Knuckles and the Floating Island. He was tricked by Robotnik so many times that the games eventually began to treat him like a big strong dumb-dumb. Sonic would refer to him as “Knucklehead,” which was increasingly accurate. This continuing Flanderization of Knuckles would peak with the “Sonic Boom” spin-off series, another 2014 debut. That series would turn Knuckles into an utterly moronic buffoon gifted with Hulk-like strength. Meanwhile, Shadow would take over the role of a fan-favorite tough guy with a mysterious past.

Switching to a totally different version of Knuckles so suddenly is awkward to say the least. The introductory text page refers to Knuckles as “the last echidna.” This is a firm refutation of Ken Penders’ mythology, which has been soundly ejected from the comic forever. Angel Island’s Master Emerald shrine is now tethered to the countryside, as in “Sonic Adventure.” Within the opening pages of this comic, as Knuckles watches the world shatter, we see a watery Chaos bail out of the island and Knuckles communicating with the invisible spirit of Tikal. No explanation is provided for either of these events, if you happen to be unfamiliar with game lore. Once again, Ian Flynn’s insistence on jumping right into things gives the reader some serious whiplash. Things aren’t just different. They’re really different. And the book just expects us to roll with it.

I guess I should actually talk about this comic’s plot. This story is entitled “The Great Chaos Caper - Part One: On the Hunt.” What a mouthful. After seeing the globe shatter, Knuckles decides he should investigate. He tells his archeologist friend Relic to watch the Master Emerald. Knuckles’ investigation soon brings him to the Pumpkin Hill Zone. There, he runs into the Chaotix. Princess Sally has hired the detectives to find the seven Chaos Emeralds. Knuckles can sense another Chaos Emerald nearby, which quickly leads him and the Chaotix into trouble.

Issue 63 of “Sonic Universe” also introduces us to the rebooted Chaotix. The book centers in on the goofy Sega plot point of the trio being detectives. However, Vector and Espio aren’t too different. Vector is still a money grubbing, big ol’ idiot. Espio is still mysterious and sardonic. Charmy Bee, however, has definitely been changed for the worst. The bee is now obviously childish. He sings and brags in an overly enthusiastic manner. When Knuckles mentions ghosts, which inhabits the Pumpkin Hill Zone, Charmy freaks out. He nearly kills Espio and Vector, practically dropping them into a canyon. The whimpering bee then has to be coaxed out of a pumpkin patch. Flynn even introduces Charmy by having him quote Scrappy-Doo, which seems to confirm that the bee has been transformed into an obnoxious kid appeal character. Another shout-y character is definitely not something the book needed.

Apparently the only person living on Angel Island with Knuckles is Relic the Pika. (A pika is a short-earred rabbit-like creature that, yes, inspired Pikachu. No, I had never heard of them before either.) An archeologist that’s studying the Island’s mysteries, Relic is one of the few reboot characters I immediately liked. First off, she’s got a really cute design. Secondly, a super nerdy academic like her is something the book didn’t have before. Relic tends to get so excited by her passions that she sometimes rambles, a tendency she’s insecure about. I even like her inexplicable British accent, which Flynn has admitted was inspired by Minne Driver’s portrayal of Jane in Disney’s “Tarzan.” I’m fairly ambivalent to her robot sidekick Fixit though.

Relic also obviously has some romantic tension with Knuckles. When Knuckles asks her to watch the Master Emerald while he’s away, she gets so excited that she basically hugs him. The pika obviously makes Knuckles a little nervous, in a cute and precocious way. When Vector suggests there might be some attraction between Knuckles and Relic, the echidna becomes defensive. Just like a little boy that doesn’t want to admit he likes a girl. It’s cute and represents the kind of personal connection that sometimes felt like it was missing from the rebooted book. She’s might not be Julie-Su but I like her just the same.

Aside from Relic, there’s not too much else I like about this issue. The jokey business with Charmy seems to be here just to pad out the issue’s length. The last minute re-appearance of the Hooligans, and everyone being after a Chaos Emerald, is giving me unfortunate flashbacks to “Treasure Team Tango.” The issue also introduces the Dark Gaia monsters, misty creatures that arise from the shattered earth when the sun goes down and whenever Flynn needs to inject a random action scene. I’m deeply unmoved by this development. Tracy Yardley’s artwork is even a little off. Charmy is introduced diving into a monster, ass first, which looks really goofy. Knuckles and Vector are both kind of shaky in a few panels.

In short, it’s another issue right after the reboot that I don’t like very much. Aside from the introduction of Relic – who, by the way, wouldn’t put in that many appearances before the book’s death – there’s very little that doesn’t annoy me. [5/10]