Sonic Universe: Issue 83

Sonic Universe: Issue 83
Publication Date: March 2016

When I first started reviewing “Sonic Universe,” my memories of the series certainly overvalued its quality. I recalled “Universe” being a light in the Archie Sonic books even when the main line was lacking. The truth is, “Universe” was an incredibly uneven publication. Its highs were very high but its lows were pretty damn low, especially right after the reboot started. “Sonic Universe” would start to find its footing again with “Spark of Life” and the series’ last year featured two story lines I’m especially fond of. In fact, “Eggman’s Dozen” might be my favorite story out of everything in the reboot.

A couple of stories recently have ended with Eggman summoning some of his generals for a previously undisclosed mission. Part one of “Eggman’s Dozen,” “Hostile Takeover,” provides the reason for that. Eggman and Metal Sonic arrive at Eggmanland, his amusement park/power refinery, only to see it encased in magic crystals. He immediately realizes the Naugus siblings – Wally and Wendy – must be responsible. Empowered by some Master Emerald shards, Naugus quickly takes out Metal Sonic. Robotnik realizes he needs a team of organic henchmen if he hopes to retake Eggmanland.

“Hostile Takeover” is basically a comedy issue about Eggman being increasingly flummoxed by the events happening around him. He’s annoyed to see his masterpiece covered in crystals. He bitches under his breath about Snively. When the Witchcarters – Wendy’s trio of enforcers – show up with impressive new abilities, he’s comically baffled. By the time Naugus is ruining his inventions, he’s graduated to a full-blown temper tantrum. Eggman is usually pretty cocksure so there’s definitely value in seeing him undermined and unprepared. If he can be caught off-guard or even slightly childish, it makes for a more rounded, compelling villain.

Though we got a brief look at him at the reboot’s beginning, this issue is truly our reintroduction to Naugus. Since most of his backstory was from previous writers, Flynn had to largely rework the character. Now he’s a rat-tailed troll, instead of a bat/rhino/lobster. He’s been given the humiliating first name of Wally, because Bollers invented the Order of Ixis and to give him alliteration with his new sister, Wendy. She’s based off Witchcart, the villain from obscure handheld title, “Tails’ Skypatrol.” (I guess she was different enough to skirt Sega’s “game characters can’t have blood relatives” policy. Or even Sega forgot she existed.) The video game Witchcart was a stereotypical, cackling witch in a minecart. The only personality Flynn adds to her thus far is mocking her brother and being sexually attracted to Eggman. Eww.

Witchcart brings with her a trio of henches. While the witch herself is loosely defined, Flynn slots her servants into easily understood archetypes. Bearenger is the big aggressive bruiser type, who has to be reigned in by his bosses. Carrotia reclines seductively and fires her magic fireballs as if she’s blowing kisses, putting her in the same area of Rogue as a vampy female. Fuck-Wad Focke-Wulf Falke-Wulf is yet another Flynn villain who is manic, prone to giggling to himself and goofy verbal tics, joining the ranks of Bean and Flying Frog. While their designs are a little less cartoonish than their game versions, and their flying crafts have been traded out for extreme gear hover boards, I do have to commend Flynn for digging into the more obscure corners of the games to fill out the reboot’s cast.

As much fun as this is, the first part of “Eggman's Dozen” is ultimately an act of extended set-up. The comic ends by collecting together what will be the principal players for the rest of the arc. Most of these faces are familiar. Tundra, Axel, Thunderbolt, Lord Hood, Clove, and Nephthys are all summoned. Some of these characters are even lingering cast members from before the reboot, like the Battle Kukku and Conquering Storm. There's also our first glimpse at the rebooted version of Akhlut, now a bipedal Mobian, instead of a proper orca. (A change I have issue with and will talk about more soon enough.) There's also totally new characters here, a plucky squid named Abyss and a mysterious thylacine named Maw. There's even some humor in these moments, as Eggman gets increasingly tired from having to repeat the same information to each new recruit, most of whom respond with bemusement and confusion.

It's an amusing issue overall but Tracy Yardley's artwork is a little off. His character seem just a little too loose at times, everyone's outlines bending in overly cartoonish ways. The Witchcarters seem to get it the worst, somewhat generic designs only looking more unimpressive when paired with Yardley's underwhelming pencils. The actions scenes are a little too rubbery as well. Now, once again, I'm not saying it's a bad looking book. Yardley's work is always solid. But you can tell he was either rushed or phoning it in a little with this one.

Still, “Eggman's Dozen” is off to a fun start. An issue that's fifty percent set-up probably shouldn't be this amusing but Flynn throws in lots of colorful characters and decent comic relief. That gets a plus from me. [7/10]