Sonic the Hedgehog: Issue 282

Sonic the Hedgehog: Issue 282
Publication Date: June 2016

In summer of 2016, did Archie just decide to burn through all their holiday-related variant covers? The delays had fucked things up so badly that the Valentine’s Day cover came out in May. The June issue, meanwhile, features a spooky horror movie variant that would’ve been ideal for October. Realizing how much things were in disarray, maybe there was an executive decision to just stick this one randomly on issue 282.

Naturally, I approve of this variant. It actually embraces the whole point of the werewolf concept, showing Tails and Amy cowering from a rampaging Werehog that clearly means them harm. Gee, wouldn’t that have made an interesting story! Instead, Tyson Hesse’s (pretty good) main cover is the one that actually reflects the comic’s content. Even if the Werehog using his stretchy arms to fight some random phoenix thing isn’t anywhere near as interesting.

So, anyway, “Wings Of Fire: Part Two - Fighting Fire with Fire” – you think you could’ve squeezed the word “fire” in there a few more times, Ian? – begins with Sonic wolfing out and the combined Freedom Fighters/Shijin Warriors heading off to the local temple. They know the Phoenix Guardian has been corrupted into a dark spirit and that Conquering Storm has set up an ambush. But, because the local Gaia Key scholar is pinned down there, they head out anyway. Everything goes surprisingly well.

What I most liked about the previous part of “Wings of Fire” was the little tidbits of character interaction we got. Instead of building on this stuff for a more emotionally satisfying story, Flynn more or less disregards this stuff in part. And in favor of what? Action scenes, of course, that old standby of Ian's. So the Werehog tangles with the Dark Phoenix Spirit, tossing some pottery at him. Conquering Storm and her band of ninjas drop in on the Freedom Fighters, feuding with them inside the temple. And it's... Fine. I don't know, Cinders can throws sparkles at people.

Listen, I like fight scenes as much as any comic nerd but it's not like we haven't seen this kind of stuff before. So, once again, the passing interactions between the cast members prove more compelling. When Conquering Storm gets the jump on Dulcy, the script hints at some long-standing rivalry between the two. Dulcy even has a humiliating nickname – Connie! – for her opponent. The lynx being a ninja and all that, one can't help but assume that some betrayal of honor or some shit happened in their past. That would've been something the book could've built on in the future if, you know, it hadn't gotten canceled.

Beyond that, what else does this issue offer us? Well, the plot continues to move to forward. After the Freedom Fighters rescues the Gaia temple expert – with his hideously bean-shaped head – they leave the Orient with the final Gaia Key. Meaning this exhausting Shattered World Crisis is nearly over. Naturally, this reveal brings with it some mystic mumbo-jumbo. Apparently among Chip's newly rediscovered Light Gaia abilities is the power to resolve plot points with just a paragraph and a flash of light. He says a speech and the Dark Phoenix – not that one – is cured. Ho-hum.

Anyway, there's a back-story too. “Shards and Sparks” returns us to Soumerica, where Knuckles and Amy Rose have been chilling with Mighty and Ray. The quartet decides to infiltrate Thunderbolt's Egg Base. The chinchilla has recently come into possession of a few more Master Emerald shards, which is exactly what Knuckles is looking for. Once again, Thunderbolt is humiliated when the heroes break in, smash their defenses, steal the plot devices, and head home.

This comic book has always had a bad habit of leaning on MacGuffin Quests too hard. Here of late, it has been especially bad. Both of issue 282's stories are about the good guys retrieving some magical something-or-other from the bad guys. So, once again, it's the banter between the characters that make this interesting at all. So Knuckles and Mighty try to outdo each other's feats of strength, chatting (flirting?) all the while. Amusingly, Amy Rose uses her girly side as a cover for being a hammer swinging bad-ass. And even Thunderbolt seems to be growing on me, as her hopeless need to impress Eggman is growing more desperate.

But I liked the artwork! Jamal Peppers is still doing that thing where he copies Tracy Yardley's style. Some of the characters look a little bland and squished. Still, Peppers knows his shit and the action scenes are well drawn. Jennifer Hernandez actually outdoes Peppers in the back pages. Her facial expressions look fantastic here. Knux and Mighty's cocksure smiles are effective, Thunderbolt's looks are fittingly crazed, and Amy's various expressions – including shock and put-on glee – all look pretty damn good.

So I wasn't really feeling this one much, guys. Once again, I feel like the personality of the book is being crushed by the need of the story. This remains the fault of Flynn trying to build a long-running plot around a video game's structure, that is heavy on shit for the player to retrieve. But at least it'll be over with soon. Let's look at that bitchin' variant cover one more time and imagine the cooler story that could've accompanied it. [5/10]