THE 2014 SONIC THE HEDGEHOG COMICS BEST/WORST LIST!

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.