Sonic Universe: Issue 84

Sonic Universe: Issue 84
Publication Date: April 2016

With the first part of “Eggman’s Dozen” having established the conflict, the next part can leap ahead to assembling the team and sending them on their mission. “Power Meeting” is smartly split into two parts. The first has Eggman gather his Egg Bosses around a table, telling them what they need to do and why. Flynn wastes no time after that. The second half has the Dozen split into eleven teams, each with specific objectives. Instead of showing the characters being deployed, each leaps right into action while Eggman explains what they should do in narration boxes. That keeps things very speedy, pulling the readers right into the action.

And by “action,” I don’t necessarily mean monster bashing and robot smashing. The main attraction of “Power Meeting,” for me anyway, is the orderly way Flynn organizes these duos for maximum conflict. The hyper loyal Thunderbolt teams up with Clove, immediately noticing that the deer does not share her intense love of the Eggman. Flynn quickly establishes that Tundra and Ahklut are tribal rivals, as orcas and walruses apparently have a bloody history of fighting over the frozen wasteland. While Tundra is content to do his job, Ahklut just has to keep pushing his buttons until a fight explodes. Conquering Storm believes in survival of the fittest, while Lord Hood believes in a sneaky, opportunistic seizing of power. It certainly makes these characters going about their business fun to watch.

Such character based writing allows Flynn to develop his cast, many of which are still new additions. Maw and Abyss are completely new characters. Maw is apparently an Eggman true believer, thinking the doctor will save the world by subjugating it to his rule. Teaming him with Nephthys, whom we already know works for the doctor to decrease the bloodshed, is a smart decision. Abyss is a pirate, in it solely for the thrill of the catch. She’s teamed with the Battle Kukku, a parrot driven by a belief in his own royal legacy. Reboot Ahklut already shows more personality than the original orca, who was largely defined by his anger. His baiting let’s us know that Tundra takes his wife’s death and son’s betrayal very personally. In other words, none of these guys are cackling villains. They each have their own motivations and personalities.

In fact, I’m beginning to wonder if his Egg Bosses don’t have more complexity than Eggman. Beyond his megalomaniacal thirst for power and years of resentment towards Sonic over thwarting his plans, what exactly drives Eggman? It’s another example of how Sega insisting everyone’s pasts stay vague weakens them as characters. But “SatAM’s” Robotnik, and his early Archie counterpart, often showed a sadistic side. Flynn reminds readers of that in this issue. In order to convince the Egg Bosses to obey him, Eggman trots out the Foreman from issue 255, whom he derisively names “Tassel Boy.” As punishment, he’s locked up all the guy’s cybernetics, trapping him in his own body. Eggman seems to especially relish this torment. I guess that’s the rest of Eggman’s personality: He sees everyone as machines he can control, take apart, or break.

Another reason I like “Eggman’s Dozen” is that it’s basically a heist story. It gets together a bunch of people, each with their own skills, sneaking into an isolated location. In his narration, Eggman describes the details of his plan. But, if you know the heist genre, you know that the best laid plans will inevitably go awry. That occurs here, as Eggman and Axel are riding into the base. The doctor predicted that Dark Gaia Monsters wouldn’t be a problem. Instead, they are a big problem, as the beasties swarm the villain and his toady. This leads us to our cliffhanger, which is among the issue’s least interesting aspects. But you gotta draw in those seven year olds, I guess.

The Naugus siblings, weirdly, have a very small role here. In fact, they only appear in the opening flashback. But I like that sequence a lot. It shows Naugus having captured both Eggman and Sonic, encasing them in crystal. He rants at Robotnik, showing Naugus’ rebooted past is not that different from SatAM origin. Eggman promised him the throne during his coup and instead tossed into the Special Zone. The wizard is pretty pissed about it. This flashback takes place during the events of “Tails’ Skypatrol,” showing Flynn’s smart decision to stick pivotal background information into the largely forgotten Game Gear titles.

There’s another reason to like that opening flashback. It’s beautifully drawn by Adam Bryce Thomas, who seems to especially love trying his hand at the SatAM style. Thomas handles the book’s first ten pages and they look fucking great. He even makes me like Thunderbolt, during the scene where she comically tries to sneak her giant battle armor through the confines of the refinery. Or her pure fan girl glee at Eggman acknowledging her. His takes on Tundra and Clove are similarly detailed and expressive. Thomas’ illustrations are so strong that you really notice when Yardley, whose work is way looser, takes over halfway through.

I have something of a weakness for “men on a mission” stories which, as the title’s riffing on “The Dirty Dozen” makes clear, this is obviously an example of. That might another reason I like this one so much. However, I think Flynn tends to do his best work when building up previously underwritten elements. And sometimes that means fleshing out and defining his own creations. While we are obviously headed for some mindless action, part two of “Eggman’s Dozen” gets joy out of simply letting its cast members interact. [8/10]