Sonic the Hedgehog: Issue 266

Sonic the Hedgehog: Issue 266
Publication Date: November 2014

By November of 2014, we were about a year into The Shattered World Crisis and no end was in sight. I guess what bothers me the most about Flynn stretching this story out for so long is the distinct lack of urgency. If you started reading “Sonic” after issue 256, with no prior knowledge of the franchise, you’d probably think Sonic and friends running around a broken up world was an ongoing concern of the overall story. That it had always been this way, that this was the status quo. (And it basically was, considering the comic would get shitcanned not long after the Crisis was finally resolved.) The world is basically ending but Flynn is taking it slow, making a crisis feel more like relaxed road trip.

With “Ambushed: Part 1,” Flynn splits the plot three ways. Deep in the Rocky Jungle Zone, Sonic continues to train under Master Moss, in hopes of controlling his nightly Werehog transformations. Chastised by Eggman, Thunderbolt plots revenge. Meanwhile, the Doctor himself makes devious plans, discovering the advantages of the planet being broken up and flooded with Dark Gaia energy. Lastly, the Freedom Fighters plan to grab the blue Chaos Emerald from the Doctor but suspect they may be walking into a trap. Surprise: They are.

“Ambushed” is another one of those Ian Flynn two-parters were the first half is all about setting up the second half. A lot of time is spend building towards the issue’s dual cliffhangers. The Freedom Fighters explain why they’re heading into an obvious trap. Thunderbolt’s very personal reasons for wanting revenge on Sonic are established. (She feels awful that Sonic humiliated her in front of her husbando.) The obvious plot mechanics showing are not necessarily a bad thing. The scenes of Sally leading her team into an uncertain area are mildly tense. The big reveal – that three E-series robots have been sent to exterminate Team Fighters – makes for a decent cliffhanger.

Usually, this style of writing just stretches out the tedious set-up, delaying us from getting to the actual interesting parts. However, by taking his time, Flynn leaves room for some touching character moments. The Werehog may be lame but at least it’s weighing on Sonic and his friends. Though their going on a mission, the Freedom Fighters’ thoughts are with Sonic. Sally says Sonic needs to focus on “getting better,” as if he’s going through rehab or therapy. Later, the hedgehog is having a good time, goofing around with Mighty, when he notices the sun is setting. He gravely turns towards his fate, afraid and uncertain of how the transformation will affect him tonight. This is immediately deflated because Sonic has complete control over his Werehog form but, just as stand alone moments, these scenes are effective.

There’s also something to be said for just hanging out with these characters. The scenes of Sonic spending time with Mighty and the others in the jungle are fun. The two old friends shoot the shit. Sonic snipes at Master Moss, a little sick of the sloth's aphorisms. Later, it's suggested in jest that Mighty should lead his own Freedom Fighter team, an idea Ray and Moss support but Mighty dismisses. (Whether Flynn was foreshadowing some future event here, we'll never know.) This kind of lived-in dialogue is naturalistic and likable.

I also enjoy the scene where Eggman discovers just how much power the Dark Gaia Energy puts off. That sequence gives us a brief look into the office politics of the Eggman Empire. The Doctor wants to execute Thunderbolt for her failure but is reminded that he doesn't have as many soldiers as he used to. This causes him to bemoan the days when his whole empire ran on robots, which suggests the SWATBots and Roboticization do exists somewhere in the past of the new timeline. I guess I just like this image of Eggman as an especially ruthless corporate boss, annoyed with his employees and delighted at any unexpected breakthrough.

Once again, I find myself favoring the slower, more character orientated issues over the ones that focus heavily on action. I'm sure we'll get plenty of smashy-smashy in the next issue, as that's clearly where the cliffhanger is headed. Occasionally, however, a more slow paced issue is appreciated, especially when it gives us touching and interesting peeks into the inner lives of these characters. [7/10]