Sonic Boom: Issue 3 Publication Date: January 2015
Archie opened January with issue three of “Sonic Boom.” The book entering its first full year should’ve been the start of a lengthy run. I mean, if “Sonic X” could make it to forty issues, surely an actually entertaining book like this could run just as long. Instead, Archie’s “Sonic Boom” wouldn’t live beyond 2015. But let’s not bury the book just as it’s beginning. The series would continue to develop its absurdist voice in its third issue.
“Hammer Spaced” picks up where we left off last time, this goofy comedy book seeding the tiniest specks of continuity. Amy is still distraught over loosing her hammer. Like seriously distraught. Sonic and friends go about solving this problem in their own ways. Sonic, Knuckles, and Tails search the island while Sticks tries to introduce Amy to other weapons. Her hammer, meanwhile, is discovered by Cubot inside Eggman’s base, which quickly leads to some jealousy on Orbot’s behalf.
“Sonic Boom’s” humor continues to lean pretty hard on the self-aware and referential side of things. There’s still jokes about logos appearing in dialogue balloons, a running gag I’m a little tired of. Every sound effect is still proceeded by “ker,” though the book is drawing a lot less attention to it. There are some solid gags of this type though. The montage of the gang looking for Amy’s hammer is presented as a two-page spread, with a musical note informing us that this is a montage. The book also ends with Sticks addressing the book’s editor, telling them to cut it out with the overly long list of other Sonic titles Archie was publishing at that time. (Three monthlies, a magazine, a digest, and several trade paperback lines.) That made me chuckle.
There’s also some surprising references made throughout this issue. One that delighted me occurs early on. While Amy is freaking out, she tells Sonic that she was given a gift. She hammers. She hammers very well. For those unaware, that’s a callback to 1999 superhero comedy “Mystery Men.” It’s one of my favorite movies and among the most quotable films of all time but I didn’t expect a “Sonic” comic to reference a fifteen year old flop. While bemoaning his lot in life, Cubot also mentions Robotnik’s various other lackies. He obliquely refers to Scratch and Grounder, Snively, Bocoe and Decoe, and even “Sonic Underground’s” Sleet and Dingo. Some of the kids reading this book definitely did not know who all those characters were.
Issue three pairs this stuff with some solid physical comedy. Pratfalls usually don’t work very well in the comic medium. Without the motion of live action or animation, it’s hard to make that stuff pop. However, “Hammer Spaced” manages to pull gags with some goofy artwork and good timing. Amy’s attempt to master Sticks’ boomerang leads to her whacking herself. When the badger hands her a staff, the comic employs that classic gag of someone accidentally whacking people. It’s an old gag but, I don’t know, I laughed.
The subplot about Cubot and Orbot bickering over Amy’s hammer is more varied. Cubot going all Gollem over the hammer did nothing for me. Orbot tells Cubot that he must turn the hammer into Eggman but, the minute he’s pressed on it, he admits he just wants the cool thing because it’s cool. I liked that. I also like Eggman’s pre-villainy warm-up, which includes doing squats, posting to Twitter, and shoving an animesque slice of toast in his mouth.
The artwork in issue three is technically provided by two people. Ryan Jampole is credited with breakdowns while Jennifer Hernandez handled finishes. The result is an odd fusion of their two styles. Some panels, especially those dedicated to the robots, look like Jampole’s blocky and static work. Others feature Hernandez’ bright, crisp, and cheerfully cartoony lines.
What I’m finding myself liking the most about the “Sonic Boom” comic is how comfy it is. Compared to the usual drama and strife of the main book, this is a comic with decidedly low stakes. While the comedy is extra zany, the characters seem to mostly spend their time just hanging out with each other. It really captures what’s nice about sitcoms: The characters are fun to be around, the comedy is light and amusing, and everyone leaves in a good mood. I never thought that would be a good fit for the “Sonic” franchise but it’s already working pretty well. [7/10]
As 2014 began, the Archie “Sonic” comics had just gone through the most titanic changes the book ever experienced. We were now in reboot country, as the next twelve months represented the first year spent entirely in the new continuity. This was really were opinion started to splintered on the reboot. Some grew to love these new characters and adventures immediately. (Which probably speaks to a big problem the “Sonic” fandom has, where they glomped onto new cast members without learning a single thing about them.) Some people continued to bitch and moan about how everything was different and less-better now. Naturally, the two corners of the fandom immediately began to argue about which continuity sucked, because that's just how this fandom fucking talks about everything.
The truth, of course, was much more gray. The rebooted comic still had some huge problems, namely with pacing and filling the hole left by the ruins of the Penders lawsuit. The result was a year largely defined by mediocre and forgettable stories. Much of 2014's story didn't make me feel much, which might be more because I was still stinging from the reboot. Having said that, the reboot had its upsides. However, there were a few really lovable new additions to the cast and one or two decent stories.
The issues covered in this retrospective are: Sonic the Hedgehog: Issues 256-267 Sonic Universe: Issues 60-71 Sonic Boom: Issues 1-2 Sonic Super Digest: Issues 8-9 Sonic Super Special Magazine: Issue 10 Sonic Free Comic Book Day 2014
BEST COVER STORY:
Ian Flynn, "Sonic Comic Origins: Sally - The Exiled Leader" (Sonic FCBD 2014)
The Free Comic Book Day issues rarely contain any essential stories. However, Archie began to roll out the Sonic Comic Origins – the new fangled back stories for the established cast – in 2014's FCBD issue. “Sally – The Exiled Leader” is easily the best of the Comic Origins Archie would publish in 2014. The new origin story smartly keeps Sally's background more-or-less the same but makes one important change: Her dad is no longer an asshole. You feel her love for her dad, and how it's informed her mission, in this short little tale. In a year of divisive stories that didn't excite me much, this is easily one of the most pleasant reads of 2014.
WORST COVER STORY:
Ian Flynn, "Shadow Fall - Part Two: A Shadow in the Dark" (Sonic Universe: Issue 60)
I wasn't a big fan of the “Shadow Fall” story arc as a whole. However, it's second part is by far the weakest of the four parts. It's the proper introduction of Eclipse the Darkling, a character I go back and forth on, who does not get the best first appearance. Shadow is rendered an inactive protagonist in his own story, spending most of the issue at the bad guys' mercies. When he ends up under the villains' control, there's little suspense. Moreover, too much page space is given over to those fucking lame space marines.
BEST BACK STORY:
Aleah Baker, "A Light in the Dark: Part Three" (Sonic the Hedgehog: Issue 262)
“A Light in the Dark” was basically a practice run for Aleah Baker's “Spark of Life” story arc, which would begin in 2014 and conclude over the next year. I liked the story a lot over all but the final chapter is by far the best. The epilogue – where Bunnie and Antoine flirt, Sally and Nicole overcome their differences – shows Baker's immense strength for character interaction. This ability to balance plot and character would really come to forefront in Baker's future work.
WORST BACK STORY:
Benjamin Bailey and Joey Esposito, "A Nice Day to Start Again" (Sonic the Hedgehog: Issue 264)
Among the back stories published this year, none of them were truly that bad. However, “A Nice Day to Start Again” was probably the most underwhelming. The sole contribution from Benjamin Bailey and Joey Esposito, the story favored action scenes over what it probably should've been about. Namely, further developing Bunnie and Antoine's relationship as it exist in the rebooted world.
BEST STORY ARC:
Ian Flynn, "Ambushed" (Sonic the Hedgehog: Issue 266-267)
At the end of the year, 2014 finally seem to come to life some. “Ambushed” was a pretty solid two-parter. In the first half, Flynn leaves room for some touching character moments. Sally and the Freedom Fighters try to figure out what to do while Sonic's Werehog form keeps him indisposed. Similarly, that condition is keeping Sonic from enjoying his time with Mighty and Ray too much. This builds towards an action beat in the second half, where the Freedom Fighters are totally overwhelmed by a trio of new robots from Eggman, an effectively tense moment. While the plotting is as well handled as usual, Flynn taking some time for those little interactions is what really makes this one stand out.
WORST STORY ARC:
Ian Flynn, "The Great Chaos Caper" (Sonic Universe: Issues 63-66)
The sudden turn from the convoluted mythology Knuckles had in this comic to the Sega-provided vague one he has now could not cause more whiplash. The Chaotix are changed for the worst too. Especially poor Charmy, who is reduced to an obnoxious child. This points to the story's over-reliance on broad comic relief, with goofy slapstick and overly shout-y supporting wackos, that drains any tension out of the scenario. The aggressively zany tone makes “The Great Chaos Caper” almost unreadable. A directionless first part led to a dragging and halting second half, overdone with exposition. The end throws in too many half-assed resolutions to plot points and previews for future story lines.
The introduction of the immediately lovable Relic is the sole bright spot of this extremely weak arc. This issue also introduces Chip, who functions as nothing but a plot device. It should be evident that I wasn’t much of a fan of this one.
BEST COVER ART:
Sonic Universe: Issue 68 – Tracy Yardley
We had a good selection of covers this year. Issues 264 and 265, with their images of the Werehog tearing through the cover or Sonic hulking out for the first time, were both very striking. Tyson Heese provided a colorful and energetic cover with issue 258, showing Sonic's friends and family appearing in the trail of his footsteps.
My fave, however, was Yardley's eye-catching homage to the “Sonic & Knuckles” box art that graced “Sonic Universe: Issue 68.” I've already written about the iconic power of that image and drawing Knuckles, Shadow, and Eclipse in the same style is equally effective. Moreover, the cover draws the eye and creates a sense of mystery.
WORST COVER ART:
Sonic the Hedgehog: Issue 263 (Chao Variant) – Evan Stanley
Most of the weaker covers were just bland. Rafa Knight's digital composition of Sonic and the Freedom Fighters, that graces the cover of issue 257, is totally fine but rather boring. Both issues 66 and 70 of “Sonic Universe” featured some odd positions. Knuckles' limbs are swinging out at odd angles on 66 while 70 draws way too much attention to his big angry face.
None of those prominently featured nightmarish deformations of flesh masquerading as “cute” though. I like Evan Stanley's work but her Chao variant cover for issue 263 of “Sonic” could not be a grosser miscalculation of what's “cute.” Reshaping the Sonic characters into the Chao body types produced simply terrifying amalgamations of those weird Pokemon looking things and our beloved heroes. Top it off with an ugly off-pink colored background to get a seriously unpleasant cover.
BEST STORY ART:
“Control: Part Two – Unleashed” - Tyson Hesse (Sonic the Hedgehog: Issue 265)
Tyson Hesse, long time fan artist turned pro, made his interior art debut in 2014. The second part of “Control” really allowed Hesse to cut loose. His action scenes are hugely energetic, Tyson especially having fun with Sonic's stretchy WereHog form. In the future, Hesse sometimes would lean on goofy faces too much but here he keeps that habit leashed, so the story never becomes too farcical. In fact, the facial expressions here are also excellent. I especially like the little panel devoted to a demonic version of Mighty. That's awesome. It's a fantastic looking issue, even if the person who drew it is a real son of a bitch.
WORST STORY ART:
“Waves of Change: Part Four – Divine Waters” - Ryan Jampole (Sonic the Hedgehog: Issue 263)
As I've said many times before, there's very little truly bad art in the book these days. However, Ryan Jampole continues to be the most stiff artist who was working on the book at the time. A big problem with Jampole's art is characters generally appearing stiff. His action scenes look very lifeless here, as characters extend their arms out like action figures and float across panels. Everyone's limbs seem a little too long in general. His facial expressions also veer towards the flat and uninvolved. His background work is sometimes bland. None of its terrible but it's generally not very involving. Compare it to this category's runner-up, James Fry's work on “A Nice Day to Start Again.” Fry's stuff is a little too loose and slightly off-model but at least there's an energy there. Jampole just can't capture that.
BEST NEW CHARACTER:
Relic the Pika
I'll say one thing about the reboot: It introduced a shit ton of new characters. While a few of them were lame, most of them were varying degrees of good. So we have an embarrassment of riches in this category. Clove and Cassea would emerge as the fan favorites, their loving sisterly relationship and morally gray backstory making them among the reboot's most complex characters. Razor being torn between the love for his city and his affection for Coral gave him an interesting dynamic. Over in “Sonic Boom,” we met Sticks the Badger, an absolutely delightful conspiracy theorist and local eccentric whose endearing goofiness even managed to win over “Boom” skeptics.
Yet I gotta go with my heart in this category. I think the only character to come out of the reboot that I really loved was Relic the Pika. She was truly something new in the Archie “Sonic”-verse: A brainy academic but not an all-purpose genius, like Tails or Rotor. She's got an adventurous spirit but zero skills as an action hero. She was a bit clumsy but in a way that made her more realistic and lovable. I also adored her chemistry with Knuckles, the two doing a bad job of masking their obvious attraction to one another. Of the reboot cast, Relic is the one I'd most like to see again some day.
WORST NEW CHARACTER:
Thunderbolt the Chinchilla
As I said, most of the new characters were at least inoffensive. There were a few bad apples though. Axel the Water Buffalo was utterly bland. Dr. Julian Snively certainly looses some points for giving a beloved character such a hideous redesign. I simply can't decide if I love or hate Eclipse the Darkling, a sometimes interesting character that comes with a considerable amount of baggage. And then there's Chip, who was annoying more often than not.
But, no, Thunderbolt is definitely my least favorite new introduction in 2014. Making an Egg Boss who loves their job, and is obsessively loyal to Robotnik, was an idea that had merit. If history has taught us anything, it's that every evil regime has its true believers. She screams every line of dialogue. She has an uninspired electricity superpowers, a lame gimmick. Her love for Eggman might've been interesting if she didn't feel the need to mention it at every possible moment. Thunderbolt represents Ian Flynn's worst tendencies as a comedy writer, maybe even worst than lulz randum characters like Bean or post-reboot Charmy. She's an awkward, annoying, comedic device that is solely defined by that status.
BEST IDEA:
More Female Characters
You'll notice most of the fan favorites introduced in 2014 – Relic, Sticks, the Deer Sisters – are women. That was no accident on Flynn's behalf. Aside from introducing weirder animal species into Sonic's world, including deep cuts like pikas and mantis shrimp, he also made an effort to build up the not-inconsiderable female cast. It was a good choice, not just for diversity's sake. (Though that's nice, considering there's really only four notable female characters among the Sega-originated cast.) Most of these new additions turned out to be pretty damn lovable, complex, and welcomed in their own right. Flynn would continue to build up the female cast as the reboot continued.
WORST IDEA:
It's the End of the World and I Feel Fine
This is something I complained about all through my reviews of 2014 issues. At the start of the Shattered World Crisis, the planet formerly known as Mobius was viscerally split apart. Continents are floating around, molten lava is creeping up to the surface, the world is constantly shaken by earthquakes. It's about as apocalyptic as a situation can get. If this was to happen on modern day Earth, civilization as we know it would immediately crumble.
In the “Sonic” comics, however, people don't seem that worried about it. While the heroes are ostensibly on a quest to restore things, they still have time to go on little side missions, like Shadow and Knuckles fighting among themselves or Sonic hanging out in the jungle for a few days. Life more-or-less continues, uninterrupted. Even though the planet is literally in pieces. There's a definite lack of urgency concerning an event that should absolutely upturn everything and everyone in the world.
Sonic Universe: Issue 71 Publication Date: December 2014
For the first twelve years of her existence, Nicole was just Sally’s handheld computer. Though useful on missions, and occasionally showing some sass, she was mostly just a fancy Tricorder. That all changed in 2005, with the publication of “Stargazing” and the first appearance of Nicole’s holo-lynx form. After Ian Flynn took over writing duties, a hologram lynx would become Nicole’s standard appearance. Her evolution from plot device to actual character complete, she became an essential member of the “Sonic” cast. With the “Spark of Life” story arc, beginning in issue 71 of “Sonic Universe,” Nicole’s post-reboot origins would be established.
After a long night of defending the Sky Patrol from Dark Gaia Creatures, Sally and Tails are hoping to get some sleep. Instead, Nicole is drawn into the Digital World by an emergency signal from Dr. Ellidy. Ellidy created Nicole but the Freedom Fighters haven’t heard from him in years. Inside the Digital World, Nicole rescues the doctor from a mysterious threat. Sally, Tails, and Big head to Ellidy’s island. He’s safe but something unusual is definitely going on.
The plot of “Spark of Life” is credited to Flynn but the script is from Aleah Baker. And my theory that Flynn’s wife is a better writer than him continues to be barred out. The first part of “Spark of Life” successfully teases out some new history. Nicole’s pre-reboot origin was far from concise, as she was sent into the past from that idyllic possible future Ken Penders loved to write about. That time travel business didn’t amount to anything and never made much sense. For her new back story, Baker simply has Nicole be created by a kindly scientist who worked for the Acorns before Robotnik’s coup.
As Baker answers some questions, she also provides some new mysteries. Simply from a narrative perspective, we have the question of who this villain is and what their objectives are. More pressingly, there’s some unspoken tension between Nicole and Ellidy. See, Ellidy is also a lynx and seems somewhat unnerved by Nicole choosing that form for herself. During the otherwise adorable flashback that shows little Sally receiving Nicole for the first time, we see that even the name makes Ellidy uncomfortable. That he’s leaving his position due to an unnamed personal tragedy. These little mysteries are presented in a natural way that doesn’t seem intrusive while also drawing the reader in.
Part one of “Spark of Life” features a few action scenes. There’s a neat opening, devoted to Sally and the others fighting the Dark Gaia Monsters outside the Sky Patrol. When Nicole rescues Ellidy, she shows off the defensive abilities she has in the digital world. (Which apparently includes summoning the Lance of Longinus.) Yet this is primarily a character-based story. Sally risks her life to rescue Tails early on. Despite being exhausted afterwards, she still immediately launches off to locate Nicole. There’s lots of cute little interactions between Sally, Nicole, and Dr. Ellidy. These moments are small but they establish how much everyone cares about each other.
While I’m fairly ambivalent to Ellidy, I do really like his island home. He’s set up a home on Isolated Island, a Zone which apparently originates in the “Knuckles’ Chaotix” game. He’s retrofitted old Badniks into his personal squad of helpers and servants. It’s a surprisingly comfy location. I mean, who wouldn’t want to retire to a personal island staffed with robots that wait on your every want and whim? It’s also a colorful location, as the book maintains the 32X game’s searing neon color scheme.
This issue also introduces the concept of the Digital World, which is a name that surely wasn’t just swiped from a popular anime/multi-media franchise. While the preboot world featured a neutral online location where digital avatars could interact, this issue makes the Digital World way more significant. Apparently, it’s a mysterious location that has possibly existed before computers where even able to tap into it. I’m not sure why Baker just couldn’t make the Digital World a physical representation of the planet’s various internets. This works too, I guess.
Though I have some questions, the first part of “Spark of Life” is strong. I love the little interactions between the characters and the elegant way Baker reimagines Nicole’s past. Not too much happens in this issue but we’re still given enough that we want to know more. [7/10]
Sonic the Hedgehog: Issue 267 Publication Date: December 2014
A couple of reviews ago, I was talking about how unusual it was for Archie to commiserate the Halloween season with their October cover. I guess the company was feeling especially festive in 2014. While the standard cover for December’s issue focuses on the story’s images, such as the Werehog fighting the Flying Dynamo and Sally looking imperiled, the alternate cover imagines the Sonic cast at an especially awkward Christmas party. It was probably an unwise decision to invite a werewolf and your archenemy to your Christmas dinner, Rotor! Anyway, on with the review.
“Ambushed, Part 2” begins with our heroes, uh, getting ambushed. As Werehog Sonic and Master Moss swing through the Rocky Jungle Zone, they are attacked by Thunderbolt’s latest plot: The Flying Dynamo, an electrified super Badnik that heavily resembles the Zone 1, Act 1 boss from “Sonic 3.” Meanwhile, the Freedom Fighters’ attempt to retrieve a Chaos Emerald has gone horribly wrong, as Sally, Antoine, and Bunnie are hammered by Eggman’s new trio of E-series robots.
During the comic’s early days, when the book would zag from an extremely goofy cover story to a deathly serious back-up feature, it sometimes felt like you were reading two separate series. I got a minor flashback to those days with part 2 of “Ambushed.” The Sonic half of the story is light-hearted. It begins with Sonic and Moss going on a race together and that sense of fast-paced fun never fades. The Flying Dynamo is not much of a threat to Sonic’s Werehog form. All it does is singe his fur. It seemingly only takes Sonic and Mighty a few minutes to devise a successful scheme to take the machine down. This half of the story also depicts Sonic gaining complete control over his Werehog form.
While things go pretty easily for Sonic, the Freedom Fighters are getting their asses kicked. Maybe Flynn was just towing the Sega-mandated company line of “Sonic can never loose.” Or maybe he, like me, secretly finds the SatAM cast way more compelling than the video game one. Either way, watching our heroes struggle and lose is far more interesting than watching them succeed with minimal effort. Sally and the gang are battered, bruised, and barely make it away with their lives. If Rotor, Cream, Big and his weird floating mini bike hadn’t intervene, they probably would’ve been killed.
Sally leading her friends into such an obvious trap throws some serious doubt upon her skills as a tactician. However, this was one of Eggman’s more clever plots recently. Putting a Chaos Emerald out in the open and having it guarded by three new bots – the flying E-108 Iota, the drilling E-109 Kappa, and the scorpion-tailed E-110 Lambda – is standard villainy. The Freedom Fighters probably could’ve overwhelmed them with more firepower. But having the Emerald-containing Egg Prison sprout razor-tipped tentacles? And then it flies away?! And throws a giant, electrified tuna net behind it?!! I was genuinely surprised by the way this plan kept escalating in more unpredictable ways.
For the record, I am ambivalent about the new E-robots. Kappa is pretty cool. His Jeep green coloration and tank treads bring a militaristic angle to mind. (And the drill hands remind me of Grounder.) But the other two are a little goofy looking. An E-robot specifically designed for flight makes sense but giving it bird-like wings and claws seems totally unnecessary. Lambda, meanwhile, bounces around on his claws and tails. While his weapons are clearly fearsome, he strikes me as an otherwise impractical design. While I certainly understand the irresistible desire to assign each letter of the Latin alphabet to an E-robot, the line’s specialization is already getting overly specific. By the time Eggman gets to E-122 Psi, he will surely have run out of assignable features, gimmicks, and terrains.
While it probably would have been an alright issue if it had just focused on the action, do to the actual stakes at hand, Flynn still leaves room for some character interaction. There’s some cute scenes of Werehog Sonic bantering with Mighty, Ray, and Moss. Once Sonic is retrieved by the Sky Patrol, he sees his friends in pretty poor condition. Sonic partially blames himself, knowing things would’ve gone differently if he had been there, if he had taken his Dark Gaia energy infection seriously sooner. This short-lived moment of vulnerability quickly shifts towards Sonic flirting with Sally, which is a scene I also enjoy.
Flynn, always planning for the future, sets up a few plot points to exploit in the future. While Sally and the others are out getting their asses kicked, spoopy ol’ Tails Doll sneaks aboard the Sky Patrol. While I don’t think he’ll be murdering anyone at midnight any time soon, Flynn would continue to portray the plushy as creepy. This issue also reintroduces Breezy, a new/old character we’ll be talking about more soon enough.
It’s a pretty cool issue, all things considered. Jamal Peppers’ artwork is smooth and expressive. It balances action and emotion fairly well. While not an all-timer or anything, considering the uneven quality of the reboot thus far, it’s a solid issue that I enjoyed quite a bit. [7/10]
Sonic Boom: Issue 2 Publication Date: December 2014
The “Sonic Boom” series does not take itself seriously and this is apparent from the minute you open the comic book. I don’t remember when Archie’s “Sonic” books began opening with recaps of the previous issues but it’s definitely been an established part of the series’ style for quite a while. The “Boom” comic skewers this by having Sticks narrating the “previously-on” box, bringing her rambling voice to the recap. This irrelevant style appears early on in another way. Each of the credits are written in some silly way. “Sonic Boom” wants you to know that it’s a goofy comedy book.
Entitled “Knuckledusted,” the story follows up on last issue’s ending. While fighting the same robot Eggman appeared in last time, which is apparently named the Big Boy but never attempts to sell me a burger or sing a Sparks song, Sonic and the gang are blindsided by Knuckles. He helps Robotnik capture all four of the good guys. Supposedly, Knuckles has switched sides because Amy and the others were so mean to him last time. However, Knux soon reveals that this was a wacky double agent ploy of his. Being an echidna of little brain, he didn’t really think it all through. Don’t worry, it all ends up okay.
Last time, Ian Flynn hadn’t quite managed to capture the specific absurdist humor of “Sonic Boom.” He does a lot better in this second issue. In fact, there’s a lot of funny gags in “Knuckledusted.” I like the detail of Eggman just patching up the same robot from last time with band-aids. There’s also a funny page devoted to him balancing his desire to conquer/destroy the village with his desire to have pork chops for dinner. Sticks continues to be a comedic highlight. During the fight with the Big Boy, Amy spots the badger gnawing in the robot’s foot. While Knuckles is capturing everyone, Sticks helpfully provides her own cage. That even turns into a plot point!
Though, admittedly, the meta stuff is starting to wear a little thin. The running gag of every onomatopoeia being prefaced with “Ker” is already being overdone. There’s more jokes about character names appearing in fancy fonts in the word bubble. That is kind of salvaged at the end, with a sassy comment from Cubot and Orbot. But It’s already becoming clear to me that this book is funnier when exploiting the goofiness if its cast than when leaning in the fourth wall.
Another thing to like about “Sonic Boom,” which distinguishes it from the main book’s farcical early days, is that it actually cares about these characters. Knuckles’ feelings really were hurt. The book continues to goof on his lack of intelligence – in solid gags about grammar and bananas – but also points out that he brings other factors to the team: His super strength and his sincerity. Amy and Knux learn a lesson about valuing your friends. But it’s not some forced-in moral for the benefit of the reader, which we often saw in the “Sonic X” book. This is strictly something the characters need to figure out. I like it when even the goofy comedy book has a clear affection for its cast.
The book also further shows how different these versions of the “Sonic” cast are from their main iterations. Mostly, they’re all a lot more compulsive than they usually are. After being caged for a few hours, Sonic has been reduced to blabbering about “going fast.” After being released, he bursts out in an orgasmic exclamation of speed. Knuckles’ dumbassery is shown as something he truly has no control over. After a whole issue spent chastising everyone, Amy completely looses her shit after misplacing her hammer. I guess that’s one way of ramping up the comedy, by reducing the characters to only their foremost obsessions or attributes.
Evan Stanley’s artwork on the first issue was already pretty good but it also shows some obvious improvement in this second issue. Stanley’s action isn’t just flashy and lively, it’s also funny. The artist nicely exaggerates situations and scenarios to emphasizes the nutty tone. You can see this in the energetic scenes where Knuckles captures his friends. Stanley, just in general, contributes some nice art here. Such as the panels devoted to Eggman’s internal debate over those pork chops. Or Knuckles realization that his plan has a few holes in it.
So issue two of “Sonic Boom” is a big improvement over the somewhat awkward issue in almost every way. Considering the post-reboot could frequently feel like a tedious slog, the light-hearted absurdity of this spin-off series was especially appreciated at this point. After a bumpy start, the book already seems to have found its groove. [7/10]
Sonic Universe: Issue 70 Publication Date: November 2014
Do you think Ian Flynn planned this whole “Dark Trilogy” thing out? I mean, I know he says he plans shit out a year or so in advance. But, it seems to me, the “Shadow Fall,” “Great Chaos Caper,” and “Total Eclipse” arcs linking together was probably a happy accident. After all, the middle chapter doesn’t really connect that much with the other two. Either way, “Sonic Universe” would never do anything this ambitious again. Which is for the best, as this title always thrived on variety.
You know this is the story where Knuckles cuts his Emerald into pieces cause it’s subtitled “Last Resort.” The echidna and Shadow resume their brawl after crawling out of a river. Once the island starts quaking, Knuckles realizes Eclipse has absconded with the Master Emerald. After getting yelled at by Rouge, both boys put their differences aside to pursue the Darkling. As the alien comes close to leaving the island, and Shadow and Knuckles get more exhausted, the Guardian realizes he only has one option left.
The last part of “Total Eclipse” is, first and foremost, devoted to action. Shadow and Knuckles continue their fight in the opening pages, yelling and screaming at each other when they aren’t trading punches and blows. The back half of the book is devoted to a three way fight with Eclipse. Eclipse shows off his wisp power-ups, including some sort of sound cannon, but it doesn’t add much variety to the conflict. All three combatants are completely worn out and so is the reader. You can only look at cartoon characters punch each other so long before getting bored.
The things that are unrelated to the title brawl prove more entertaining. Eclipse’s journey to the Launch Pad Zone is delayed by the various booby traps hidden in the island, which Rouge and Relic activate from a secret location. This is a fun call back to the “Sonic 3” instructional manual, which referenced traps being hidden all over the island. It allows Flynn to tease out the mysterious past of Angel Island, as Relic notes the technology is clearly older than even the echidna civilization. (Not that Ian would ever get around to expounding on this, assuming Sega would have even allowed it.) Mostly, this subplot is amusing because of Eclipse’s increasingly exasperated reaction to these inconveniences.
It’s all leading up to the big, climatic moment. Knuckles realizes that to protect the Master Emerald, he must destroy it. He shatters the Emerald with some sort of super punch, the shards immediately teleporting around the globe. This might have been a shocking moment if the cover didn’t spoil it. Oh, also, if the Master Emerald being shattered and splattered all over the planet wasn’t Knuckles’ plot line in three separate video games. The Island is kept floating due to the world being broken up, meaning there’s little urgency to Knux retrieving the shards. So his big sacrifice is more for show than anything else. If he had just done this in the first issue, the entire arc would’ve been resolved then and there.
Truthfully, I’m left feeling like this entire arc has been a waste of time. What are the lasting ramifications of “Total Eclipse?” Mostly, Knuckles is sent on another fucking fetch quest, one he’s gone on several times before in the games. Other than that, what has been resolved? Eclipse escapes at the end, foiled but alive, so he’s still out there plotting nefarious deeds. (Though what deeds exactly, we’ll never know. Flynn never got back around to the character before the comic’s cancellation.) G.U.N. has not gained anything. Snively’s obviously evil schemes go undiscovered. Knux has learned nothing new about himself or his duty. I guess Shadow and Knux have a little more respect for each other now but that’s about it. Aside from creating another plot point the comic can stretch out for two more years, “Total Eclipse” added little to the world.
Once again, the only thing I really like are the cute shenanigans of Relic and Team Dark. When Omega snaps Rouge’s shoulders back in place, Relic just about faints. Later, her enthusiasm at the ancient tech gets a snippy response from Rouge, a funny moment. At the end, once the action is over, Relic tells Knuckles she’s staying on the Island. Further proof these two dorks are an adorable couple. Oh, there’s also a funny moment when Knuckles recognizes Snively as a former Eggman lackey, chasing the cowardly henchman away. That made me chuckle.
Honestly, I wish Flynn had just written a Knuckles/Relic storyline, as that’s clearly where his interest lies. I would’ve happily read four issues of these two nerds flirting and getting into some adventure together. Instead, Flynn had to get in his own way again by piling on pointless fight scenes, more teases for plot points that will never be resolved, and an insistence on tying everything back to this dumb-ass “Sonic Unleashed” overarching plot. What a waste. At least “Sonic Universe” will be focusing its attention elsewhere for a while. [5/10]
Sonic the Hedgehog (IDW): Issue 14 Publication Date: February 27, 2019
Well, guys, it looks like I’m finally caught up with IDW’s “Sonic” comic. Even if this comic ends up running for thirty years, I’ll always think of it as the “new” Sonic book. I’ll admit, I’m still finding myself a little resentful about how things ended up with the Archie series and I’m unfairly holding that against the latest on-going. I suspect, no matter how good or bad IDW’s book ends up being in the long run, I’ll always be holding a torch for the “Sonic” comic of my childhood. I’m a capricious nerd driven primarily by nostalgia, you’ll have to forgive me. Anyway, here’s my review of issue 14 of our modern day “Sonic” comic.
“Misdirection” sees Sonic still on the trail of the re-emerging Eggman. An informant has led Silver and Sonic to a frosty mountain base. There, they are attacked by Metal Sonic. Dr. Starline soon reveals himself as Silver’s informant, that the whole thing was a trap. While the two villains test themselves against our spiny heroes, Eggman continues to test his new biological weapon.
Instead of learning from 2018’s mistakes, Flynn is once again taking too goddamn long to get to the fireworks factory. “Misdirection” is another intermediate issue, filling time before the real story can actually begin. Most of the issue is devoted to a fight between Sonic and Metal Sonic. This is hard to get excited about, considering Sonic spent most of last year fighting a more powerful version of this same character. The issue ends with no new information being gained, the story moving in no way at all. Sonic begins and ends the issue aware that Eggman is slowly coming back but uncertain of his plan. It’s “Fallout” all over again, Flynn favoring mindless and repetitive action scenes over actually progressing the story.
This is very frustrating but at least the issue ends on an interesting note. Starline comes very close to knocking off the hedgehogs, as he detonates the base just after Sonic and Silver rush inside. They survive, of course, but Silver is injured. The next scene that follows has the time-traveler awakening in a hospital bed, Sonic and Amy near-by. It’s a nice little empathetic moment, showing that us that these characters care about each other. The issue then ends with some cute flirtatious banter between Sonic and Amy, as the two head off on the next adventure together. (It seems this story arc will also follow “Fallout’s” tendency to pair Sonic up with another cast member in each issue.) I wish the rest of the issue balanced character development and plot like this.
Seemingly the only reason “Misdirection” actually exists is to show off Dr. Starline’s superpowers. And I’m left fairly underwhelmed. The duck chimera’s ability to open portals certainly has interesting combat application. Just look at the previous comic’s Dr. Finnitevus and his warp rings for an example of that. Instead, Starline mostly uses his powers to open portals under his enemies or to zap them somewhere else after they lunge at him. Aside from giving the title a double meaning, Starline’s portal powers underwhelmed the readers.
The duck-beast’s devotion to Eggman, and how the real thing contrasts with his actual impression of his hero, proves way more interesting. After Starline seemingly explodes Sonic and Silver, Eggman yanks him through the portal. While Starline was expecting Eggman to be happy that his mortal enemy is apparently dead, instead he’s enraged. Flynn leans on that old standby of “Only I’m allowed to defeat you” to explain why Eggman didn’t kill Sonic years ago. Which is pretty lame and undermines the ruthlessness Flynn has Eggman portray later in the book. Hopefully, Flynn is building towards a conflict between Eggman and Starline, with never meet your heroes emerging as the moral, as that’s way more interesting to me than Eggman’s willingness to actually defeat his foe.
While a number of other artists have worked in IDW’s “Sonic” already, Tracy Yardley continues to be the busiest hedgehog doodler in town. He does a fine job here. The action scenes, rout as they may be, are at least excitingly portrayed. The flying, splashing snow is a really dynamic addition to Sonic and Metal’s brawl, as they naturally kick up a lot of the stuff. His facial expressions remain as strong as ever too. I like the absolute glee on Eggman’s face as he cruelly taunts his latest test subjects or the awe Starline shows as he rants about his hero.
So, it’s another mixed bag. While there’s one or two moments here that I like, it’s difficult for me to recommend this comic book. Why is Flynn stretching things out so laboriously? The world is established and so are the characters, even the newer ones. There’s no reason to spin your wheels for another month, before actually starting the next story. My patience is starting to run out. [5/10]
Recently, the internet has been all abuzz about the upcoming live-action “Sonic the Hedgehog” movie. And, as is all too typical of this franchise, the buzz has been largely negative. When a pair of teaser posters were revealed in December of 2018, showing little of this version of Sonic aside from his disturbingly muscular thighs, fans were horrified. Memes were quickly spawned and everyone had a good time dunking on this movie that won’t even be out for another eight months. More recently, clearly lit, full-body shots of Sonic’s movie redesign leaked. These too were greeted with jeers and disgusted scowls from many corners of the internet. The film’s production company quickly clarified that this is not the final design that will appear in the movie, which screams of damage control to me. Regardless of the exact details, we have a pretty good idea of what Sonic will look like in this movie. And most people hate it.
But perhaps I’m getting ahead of myself. Let’s go back, way back, back before this iteration of Sonic was even a gleaming in some producer’s eye. See, I think most “Sonic” fans, especially in the modern era, come to the character through the video games. They would probably define themselves as “gamers” or what-have-you. I, on the other hand, have never been that plugged into the gaming world, save for my occasional love affair with a Dreamcast or Genesis. My primary fandom is film and has been most of my life. I’ve seen way too many movies. Most of my writing revolves around it.
So, I’m being one-hundred percent serious when I say I have been dreaming of a “Sonic the Hedgehog” movie most of my life. As a kid, I hoped for an animated feature adapted from Archie’s comic books, of course. In my twenties, I even kicked around the idea of writing my perfect “Sonic” movie. It would’ve fused early game lore with SatAM, naturally. Sonic and Tails’ quest to rescue their purloined “uncle” would bring them into an alliance with Princess Sally and the Freedom Fighters, defending the world against Robotnik’s Eggman Empire.
I envisioned a sinister Robotnik, obsessed with bringing order to a chaotic world. (Brian Cox in full-on Hannibal mode was my dream casting.) The last act would’ve featured Sonic battling his archenemy on the Death Egg. A half-roboticized Bunnie was among the Mobians the Freedom Fighters rescue before Robotnik’s warship takes to the skies. In my brain, the film would’ve had cartoony characters in photorealistic settings. Amy Rose, Bean the Duck, and the Tornado had small roles to play. I wanted a “hard PG” rating, if that makes any sense. An even more imaginary sequel would’ve loosely adapted “Sonic 3,” introducing Knuckles, Angel Island and Metal Sonic. Anyway, I never wrote it.
Little did I know, at the time, that several attempts had already been made to bring “Sonic” to the big screen. Among Ben Hurst’s varied attempts to revive “SatAM” was a proposed movie idea. Most infamously, at some point in the late 2000s, Ken Penders pitched a bonkers-looking movie called “Sonic Armageddon” to Sega. While I love the idea of an Archie-verse movie, Ken Penders writing a big-budget “Sonic” film – especially when the comic was going through one of its worst periods – makes me very nervous. Ken’s artwork suggests a dark movie steeped in Archie lore that Sega and the public likely would’ve rejected. The pitch video he put together inspired little confidence.
Neither of those ideas got very far but, in the mid-nineties, MGM came much closer to making a “Sonic” movie. Sega of America hired horror screenwriter Richard Jeffries, who produced a treatment entitled “Sonic the Hedgehog: Wonders of the World.” You can read all about this project and how it fell apart here but the short version is: The script had a young kid, struggling with bullies and his parents’ divorce, bringing Sonic and Robotnik out of “the game world” and into the “real” world. Sonic would’ve been a CGI character. Keep in mind, this was around 1995. So imagine how shitty that would’ve looked.
The film’s release was planned to coincide with the doomed “Sonic X-Treme,” meaning the entire project probably would’ve only hastened Sonic’s mid-nineties fall from the A-list. In the article, the producer mentions not wanting to make the missteps of the eighties "Masters of the Universe” movie. Yet it sounds like this proposed Sonic film had a nearly identical premise. Both make the fatal mistake of taking the characters fans are invested in out of their own world, dropping them into our boring world, and making some random asshole kid with random asshole kid problems the protagonist. Truly, is "Sonic the Hedgehog" not the story of a lonely boy learning to cope with his parents' divorce?
This new “Sonic” movie, that’s in active post-production and almost definitely will be released in the near future, sounds like it might make a similar mistake. In 2013, rumblings first began that Sony had acquired the rights to make a “Sonic” movie. Shortly afterwards in 2014, “Fist Fight” writing team Evan Susser and Van Robichaux were hired to do the script. (If that doesn’t excite you, it looks like their script has been rewritten by thescribes behind “Transylmania” and “The Cloverfield Paradox!”) In 2016, “Deadpool” director Tim Miller soon came on as a producer with his buddy Jeff Fowler – an animator whose only previous credit was Loony Tunes-esque short “Gopher Broke” – signed on as director. It seems like the movie didn’t move into active production until 2017, when Paramount acquired the rights. Now, filming has wrapped and the November 8th release date is speeding towards us like some sort of fast animal. I don't know, a cheetah or something.
All that time, we knew very little about what form this “Sonic” would take, other than it would be a combination of CGI and live action. As someone who is very used to the “Sonic” franchise disappointing me, I immediately imagined the worst. A film starring a small, CGI, talking animal amid human environments? That sounds like an obnoxious, lazy kids movie along the lines of “Alvin and the Chipmunks” or “The Smurfs.” This fear was not exactly calmed when James Marsden, star of “Hop,” signed on to be Sonic’s human companion. Is Sonic going to tell fart jokes in this movie? Will there be a dance party ending set to a top forty pop hit? Will this be like “Transformers,” where the non-human characters fans actually care about play second fiddle to some boring meatbags? Of course, there’s also the video game movie curse, which Hollywood still struggles to overcome.
As we learn more about the “Sonic” movie's premise, the story is sounding increasingly divorced from the source material. Apparently, in this film, Sonic is on the run from the U.S. government, takes shelter in a small town called Green Hills – an admittedly cute reference – and then teams up with the town’s sheriff to defeat Robotnik. The setting shifts to San Francisco sometime after that, it seems. So, what, is Sonic going to be some sort of top secret experiment? A genetically engineered superfast hedgehog soldier? Or will the movie go the “Sonic X” route and make him a transported alien? If the former is true, is Robotnik now his creator? I know modern Hollywood loves to tie together the origins of the hero and villain. There’s been rumors Robotnik will be a rogue CIA agent in the film, seemingly supporting this theory. At least they’re not calling him Eggman...
Yes, that does sound similar to the “Wonders of the World” treatment. Sonic will be removed from his traditional setting. Save for his archenemy, it seems none of his supporting cast are in the movie. Instead, it’s looking like he’ll be a co-star in his own movie. Which is actually about some random dude named Tom Wachowski for no apparent reason.
That Tom is being played by James Marsden, hardly anybody’s idea of an A-list movie star, further dampens my expectations. Especially since Paul Rudd, a popular actor people actually like, was supposedly in the running earlier. If a leaked piece of concept art is any indication, Sega initially hoped mega-star Chris Pratt would headline the movie. In fact, a supposed list of bandied-about names includes other Marvel superheroes like Chris Evans, Michael B. Jordan, and Jake Johnson. Nowhere on that list – not even under Justin Timberlake, Baby Driver, or the fucking star of “Heroes” – is James Marsden’s name. Suggesting he wasn’t even the fifth or sixth choice. Further suggesting a lot of people passed on the script. Suggesting further still, that it sucks.
Despite all the evidence giving me no reason at all to be optimistic, my obsessive “Sonic” fandom is forcing me to look on the bright side here. Tim Miller’s involvement does inspire some hope. I know “Deadpool” wasn’t everybody’s cup of tea but the character has certain similarities to Sonic. They are united by the ‘tude. At the very least, the movie’s head producer has made entertaining, popular films in the past. Back in June, Jim Carrey was cast as Robotnik. I know that certainly sounds like a potential disaster. Just based on physical appearance, Jim Carrey is famously scrawny, Robotnik is famously fat. But I am morbidly curious to see how it’ll play out. Carrey can be an excellent dramatic actor when he actually tries. There’s no reason to expect him to do this but, if he does play the part seriously, he may be a good choice. Also, Junkie XL is doing the music, so at least the movie will sound good.
If nothing else, the movie has nailed the casting of Sonic. I didn’t know who Ben Schwartz was when it was announced he was playing the part, even though the guy has been in various critically acclaimed films and TV shows. He also has voice-over experience playing nineties-related characters associated with the color blue, being the voices of Dewey and Leonardo in the latest iterations of “DuckTails” and “Ninja Turtles.” The more I see and hear of the guy, including that delightful Larry King video, the more it seems like he’s the perfect pick.
I’ll admit, though, those teaser posters did little to get my already low hopes up. I didn’t hate that first poster the way most “Sonic” nerds did. I even admire the filmmakers for maintaining Sonic’s iconic silhouette. The muscular runners’ thighs were definitely off-putting though. Now, we’ve gotten a clear look at Sonic’s movie design. While the reception has been vomitus, I gotta tell ya, I don’t hate it. To me, it still looks like Sonic. He’s still a blue hedgehog with gangly limbs, big cartoon eyes, a tan belly, a little black nose, a cocksure smirk, and a large head with a buzzsaw hairdo. I even find some of the changes rather clever. Instead of his eyes being joined in a weird mono-lid, a perfectly acceptable look in animation that would be very strange in real life, he now has separate eyes connected by a bridge of white fur on his nose. I even find Sonic’s red-and-white sneakers becoming Nikes a genuinely funny example of product placement.
I don’t like everything about the design. The legs are still weird. The lack of socks, which only draws further attention to the weirdness of the legs, is inexplicable. The decision to nix the gloves in favor of white fur on the hands is too clever. Just give him gloves, goddamn it. Still, the design is hardly the crime against humanity the internet is making it out to be. It’s certainly nowhere near as hideous as the Platinum Dunes Ninja Turtles or Will Smith’s Genie. A lot of fan reinterpretations I’ve seen of Movie Sonic seem to think you could just stick video game Sonic, with some extra detailed fur, into a live action setting. That wouldn’t work either, as prior fan projects have proven. Over all, I think this big budget take on Sonic is a good compromise.
Too bad my opinion doesn’t matter because the damage is done. Many Sonic fans were going to hate the movie anyway. The past has shown that, for some hardcores, any deviation from what they consider their definitive version of Sonic is heretical. (Never mind that there’s never been a definitive version of Sonic...) Will those bitchy fanboys come to embrace the film the way they eventually did the “Sonic Boom” cartoon? Maybe. Probably.
To the wider audience, the movie already seems like a joke, an unnatural aberration of a mostly forgotten pop culture artifact who is largely remembered as a joke anyway. Especially when compared to the “Detective Pikachu” movie, whose character redesigns have been well received. Whose trailers have converted even skeptical viewers into fans. The victor of the console wars was decided long ago. Once again, Nintendo is beloved and successful. Once again, Sega is the loser desperately clinging to its highly antiquated “cool” past, embraced only by weirdos and perverts. And even the weirdo perverts might hate this movie.
Yes, I am slightly bitter that the “Sonic” franchise seems to have bungled its next chance – maybe its last chance? – to win over a large audience again. As much as I want to blame this one on Sega’s inability to learn from their past successes, even Yuji Naka has distanced himself from this movie. Regardless of the finished product’s actual attributes, the quality of which is far from guaranteed, it already seems this movie will be remembered as a joke. This doesn't bode well for its box office chances either.
From the moment the “Sonic” movie was announced, I was filled with equal amounts of excitement and dread. Excitement because my childhood dream of seeing Sonic on the big screen was actually coming true. Dread because I knew – I fucking knew – they were going to screw it up. There's no way the real deal will live up to a lifetime of expectations. So my biggest hope, the best that I can expect, remains borderline competence. If the movie is anything better than a complete fucking dumpster fire, I will be overjoyed. I already know the best case scenario is me exiting the theater, sighing heavily, and grumbling “It could’ve been worst.” It seems many fans can’t even be that optimistic. Many have already made up their minds that the movie will be an Uwe Boll-level disaster.
The final verdict remains to be seen. Regardless of what happens next, you can rest assured that this won’t be Hedgehogs Can’t Swim’s last rambling dissertation on this topic. I imagine I’ll have many more thoughts to share once the trailer hits. Obviously, I’ll write a (probably very long) review when the movie finally comes out. Until then, it'll be business as usual here. Back to comic write-ups next time, including an IDW review during the weekend, I promise.
