Sonic the Hedgehog (IDW): Issue 24

Sonic the Hedgehog (IDW): Issue 24
Publication Date: December 18th, 2019

While there are many differences between Flynn's work on Archie's “Sonic” comic and his subsequent work on IDW's “Sonic” comic, some things never change with this guy. Ian still doesn't know how to pace an event. He's actually gotten worst at this the longer he's done it. The Iron Dominion arc wore out its welcome and sensibly ended shortly afterwards. Readers were sick of the Mecha Sally plot but it was clear that Flynn was planning on concluding it soon. (And then, ya know, the comic was rebooted.) The Shattered World Crisis stretching on for three years seems to have completely sapped Flynn's ability to plot concisely though. 2019 just ended but it's clear that the Metal Virus Saga is not concluding for a while longer. Which is a bummer, because after a year of Zombot shenanigans, what started out as a novel story idea has transformed into a tiresome slog.

When Sonic rolls into Spiral Hill Village, Tangle's home town, it's already been largely ravaged by Zombots. Tails and the rest of the Restoration are working to rescue any non-infected people but they are few and far between. The Restoration is being increasingly spread thin, as Espio, Amy, Tangle and Whisper stand among its few uninfected members. And that number soon grows smaller. While scanning for more survivors, Sonic discovers that Tangle has been already been infected. She performs a crazy stunt that distracts the Zombot horde long enough for the Restoration shuttle and the few still-organic villagers they could find to lift off.

Things are looking increasingly bad for our heroes. It seems each new issue brings another blows to the good guys. There's a moment in this issue where Cream greets Sonic without any of her usual pep or vigor. It seems watching her mom get turned into a Zombot stole away the bunny's last ounce of hope. Sonic then tells Tails that he lost the data recorder he gave him. Tails is nearly brought to tears at that point, realizing he couldn't have create an anecdote without his lab anyway. It seems almost everyone in this comic book has reached a point of total despair. It's a bummer to read and not in a particularly insightful or interesting way. It truly feels like Flynn is just treating his cast badly for funsies at this point. It's exhausting.

And, of course, things are going to get much worse before they get better. The “Next Time” bubble at the end of this issue even says “From Bad to Worst.” How could things possibly get any more bleak? After Gemerl scans Sonic's life signs, he informs Amy that the hedgehog's infection is worst than previously thought. Soon, his speed will no longer be able to fight it back. This is obviously a metaphor for Sonic's emotional, mental endurance breaking down, as the Zombot tragedy just keeps getting more tragic. I might commend Flynn for even hinting that the book's titular character, Sega's mascot, might soon become a robot zombie... But it just feels like another inevitable loss in a book made up of them recently.

The endless bleakness is not the only thing tiring about issue 24. Early on, after fighting off some Zombots, Sonic and Espio revisit the ethical debate the hedgehog had with Shadow a few issues back. Espio blames the Metal Virus outbreak partially on Sonic, for not listening to the Chaotix and locking up Eggman back when he was the harmless Mr. Tinker. This was a worthwhile debate to have the first time. Now it's old news, especially when it happens in the middle of an action scene. That does not seem like an ideal time to argue about this kind of stuff. And, sure, Espio is obviously hurting. He's just recently lost his two best friends. But it also seems incredibly petty for him to lash out at Sonic at this point. It's not like the hedgehog doesn't have enough on his plate already.

About the only moments issue 24 comes to life, rising out of its syrupy blackness, is when Tangle is on the page. Even when revealing that she's infected, the lemur's enthusiasm is boundless. She is so excited to be working with Sonic. When he picks her up and runs across with her, she seems ecstatic. (If this was a different comic from a different era, I'd think Flynn was hinting at a romantic attraction between the two.) Fighting against the Zombots still gives her a thrill. She's all smiles even when in a hopeless situation. So when she finally succumbs to her infection, slumping into a robotic posture, it's effectively sad. So is Whisper's complete breakdown at loosing her best friend, a raw and flinching moment.

Adam Bryce Thomas is back on penciling duties and his work is usually excellent. But there's something off about it here. The action scenes are lively, the angles dynamics, the facial expressions especially vivid. Yet there's a sketchy quality to the art in this issue that honestly makes it look unfinished. The lines look kind of crunchy, sometimes making the artwork hard to follow. I don't know if this is the fault of the inker or the colorist but I suspect one or the other was rushed in order to make a deadline. It's the only downside to an issue that otherwise looks totally fine.

Maybe it's because 2020 just got started and is already looking to be an even bigger geopolitical misery hole than 2019 was. While I normally love grimdark “Sonic” shit, I have officially run out of patience with the Metal Virus arc. Flynn is determined to make things as dark as possible before the inevitable victory, which is just making me wish he'd get on with it now. While it has some emotionally resonant moments, issue 24 is just more of the same at this point. [5/10]