Sonic the Hedgehog (IDW): Issue 26

Sonic the Hedgehog (IDW): Issue 26
Publication Date: March 4, 2020

Throughout these IDW reviews, over the last year, I’ve done pretty nothing but bitch about when the Metal Virus Crisis will be over. Point of fact, I’m tired of being tired of it. Say what you will about the first year’s Neo Metal Sonic saga but, once it got going, the pacing was extremely strong. This story arc has officially been going for a year now. It’s only been in the last few weeks that an actual end is now in sight. It’ll be over by Issue 30, which should come out in May, assuming there are no further delays. So Flynn looks to be wrapping this shit up in two months, via three issues. Which might explain why the pacing is finally starting to move again...

In fact, you know the end is neigh for this particular plot point because issue 26 is the start of a four-parter. “Sonic” comics love four-parters! “All or Nothing, Part One” has the remnants of the Restoration, now aligned with it’s greatest enemy, thinking of a strategy to take the Chaos Emeralds back from the power mad Deadly Six. Tails and Robotnik successfully reverse-engineer a portal generator from the Warp Topaz. The team splits up in two different sets, each heading off against the different Zetis. Sonic and Knuckles stay behind to keep an eye on Eggman, who is definitely planning something.

On the surface, issue 26 is yet another comic devoted to brass tacks narrative construction. Flynn spends a lot of time on detailing what characters will be headed in which directions. Tails and Amy take on Zomom. Whisper and Silver go after Zor. The Babylon Rogues face off with Master Zik. Espio goes after Zazz, after Knuckles decides to stay on the island. Gemerl is suppose to take on Zeena alone but Cream runs ahead of him. Rouge, meanwhile, is abroad the Faceship and sneaking around behind Zavok’s back, with Orbot and Cubot trying to distract him. In the abstract, that sounds pretty fucking tedious.

Yet, this month, Flynn remembers he has a fairly lovable cast of characters in a dynamic situation here. A lot of issue 26 focuses on character interaction and it ends up saving an otherwise perfunctory plot. During a moment when refugees are setting up camp on Angel Island — reminding us that, yes, everyday folk are still being affected by this — Espio and Knuckles have a brief talk. While still maintaining his stoic exterior, Espio makes it clear that the loss of Vector and Charmy is weighing on him. That he has lost many, and many more are in danger, and everything is riding on this one mission. Knuckles, in turns, tries to build his friend up. It’s one panel but the acknowledgment that these characters have anxieties, fears, and feelings helps a lot.

Also surprising is how, for the first time since introducing them in this comic book, Flynn makes me care about Cream and Gemerl. Despite being written like an emotional machine up to this point, Gemerl shows actual affection to the little bunny. When he says he’s going alone, she demands to come. Which cause him to respond that she has already proven her bravery, that she means too much to him to loose her. That’s... pretty sweet actually. When Cream leaps into the portal first, it’s a ballsy move from a character that has spent way too much time being nothing but a trauma sponge over the last year. Granted, this plan immediately goes wrong, seemingly because the Restoration forgot Gemerl is a robot, but that moment of emotion counts for a lot.

By far the juiciest interaction is the one with the least effect in the plot. Eggman builds Sonic a treadmill, to further stave off the ever-encroaching Metal Virus. This leads to a conversation, possibly hinting at how the characters’ motivations have evolved. The Mr. Tinker persona showed Sonic that there is good in Eggman. So now the hedgehog hopes to redeem, instead of merely defeating, his enemy. (This is very different from Archie Robotnik, who was proven to be irredeemable more than once.) Eggman, meanwhile, turns the table and tries to convince Sonic there’s something bad inside him, as he’s been helping spread the Metal Virus with his endless running. Whether Flynn plans on building on this idea — Eggman isn’t all evil, Sonic isn’t always heroic, and they both know it — remains to be seen.

While I’m obviously bias to character development, that’s not the only thing that improves the pacing this time around. Instead of ending on the obvious cliffhanger of everyone heading off to face their various enemies, Flynn has the issue stick around a little longer. We actually see the good guys scuffle a little with their chosen Zeti. In other words, Flynn isn’t just setting up the plot movement, the plot actually starts to move. Granted, I care about some of these scenarios more than others. Tails and Amy trying to outsmart the very not-smart Zomom provides some comic relief. (There’s actually a bit of much needed humor in this issue, with Knuckles’ confusion and Sonic’s obvious distrust of Eggman.) Espio sneaking around Zazz is mildly tense. On the other hand, the Babylon Rogues taking on Master Zik is so tedious. It’s the least interesting “good” guys, if you can call them that, taking on the most boring Zeti. For whatever reason, Flynn gives that fight the most page time here. Maybe the fans who actually give a shit about the birds would have a different reaction to that scene...

The artwork is also slightly uneven. Evan Stanley draws about half of the issue and does typically good work. Her facial expressions are especially strong, just exaggerated enough to give us a sense of the extreme emotions our characters are feeling. Priscilla Tramontano handles most of the Zeti related strengths. It’s clear Tramontano is still fine tuning her skills here. Her action scenes are somewhat awkward, everyone coming off as a bit stiff. Rouge bends in a weird way in one panel. Silver, Zor, and Zik all look kind of goofy in their fight scenes. It’s clear there are some “Sonic” cast members she draws a little better than others. I think she’ll keep improving as she continues to work on the book though.

Flaws and all, this is one of the better issues of the comic recently. I wish Flynn could balance character development, plot, and action this well more often. I’m actually looking forward to what’s happening next month! Though that may just be because this thing is finally almost over... [7/10]