Sonic the Hedgehog (IDW): Issue 37

Sonic the Hedgehog (IDW): Issue 37

Publication Date: February 24th, 2021

Guys, it's taken almost three years but I think I finally am a fan of IDW's "Sonic" comic. Maybe that's just enough time that the wounds from Archie "Sonic's" unceremonious death have healed. Or maybe, after thirty-six issues and two mini-series, IDW "Sonic" finally feels like a world distinct from either the video games or the previous comic. Or, if you'll allow for a third maybe here, perhaps Ian Flynn letting Evan Stanley into the head-writer's chair for a bit has allowed for a much-needed fresh perspective and style. Whatever the answer, the characters I like have evolved into characters I'm invested in and I'm actually curious to see where things will head next. 

Let's kick off a brand new story arc: "Test Run!" Sonic, Tails, and Amy take Belle to the new underground Restoration headquarters. They are determined the little puppet can fit in somewhere but Belle's robotic nature and clumsiness causes her difficulties with finding friends. That is until she meets Tangle, who is immediately smitten with Belle. Meanwhile, strange weather patterns begin to roll over the countryside. They are emanating from an unusual base off the coast of Seaside City. Sonic, Tails, and Amy investigate, discovering Egg Pawns and a shifting sense of reality. Even though they are told to stay out, Tangle and Belle hijack a hover-bike and head off on their own adventure.

I'm really intrigued by Belle. She wants to fit in but finds herself an outcast everywhere she seems to go. People are suspicious of her because she's a little wooden puppet, instead of an organic being. While working in the Restoration garage, she accidentally causes a boat-dropping mishap. This just emphasizes the sense of alienation she already feels, from not knowing who her creator is. I genuinely cannot wait to see what happens when Belle discovers Robotnik is her dad. Whether she's compelled to join his evil empire or remains on the side of good, the poor girl is headed for some serious trauma. And, speaking as a sadist, that is very compelling! 

This issue also proves that Tangle can literally have chemistry with a piece of wood. As she did with Whisper, Tangle's irrepressible energy and sunniness brings another sad girl out of her shell. Tangle longs for adventure and Belle remains determined to find her creator, so the two have compatible goals. More importantly, it's just fun watching the always-enthusiastic Tangle bounce off someone with complimenting energy. This also allow Stanley to write to her strength, as quirky dialogue and "just-hanging-out" moments continue to be her best scenes. (Intentionally or not, Stanley also baits the shippers in the moment where Tangle fixates on Belle's tail. This lemur better not cheat on Whisper!)

Beyond the more character driven moments, Stanley also manages to think up a compelling action/adventure plot this month. After entering the mysterious new Eggman base, Sonic, Tails and Amy accidentally barrel through some sort of portal. They wander seemingly endless hallways for a while before realizing that the interior of the base is constantly expanding. They are trapped in an ever-changing and re-shifting labyrinth. IDW "Sonic" surprised me in 2019 by becoming a zombie comic and it surprises me in 2021 by paying homage to "House of Leaves." The final panel suggests Stanley may take this existential horror premise and go to even more temporal-shattering areas. Interesting!

While I'm doubtful anybody at IDW got the angry memos I've sent, "Test Run: Part 1" also addresses a complaint I've had with the aftermath of the Metal Virus arc. This issue actually shows the Restoration restoring things. Underneath the ruins of one of the devastated towns, a new community had been built. It looks like a cross between a shopping mall and a train station. There's even a grocery store! This isn't just a new home for displaced citizens, it's also a new base of operations. The good guys having a hidden, underground base is giving me happy flashbacks to the Archie-verse's Freedom HQ. But it also just makes sense. A secret, underground city makes everyone safer from Eggman. 

It's a nice bit of world-building and not the only instance in this issue. It seems to me that Flynn and his team have been reluctant to flood the new "Sonic" comic with original characters, perhaps wanting to avoid the cast bloat that afflicted the Archie book so much. Yet you can't just stick Sega characters wherever, so the book has gotten into the habit of introduction new characters without actually naming them. A sheep girl has been seen in the background since issue 2, previously joined the Restoration at some point, and shows up again here. We also meet a hippy orangutan, who turns on Belle way too quickly for my taste, as the Restoration mechanic. I think it's time the book stops fucking around and let's these characters graduate to full-blown cast members. It's not gonna hurt anyone if they have real names. (Twitter informs me that Sheep Girl's real name is Lanolin.) If that sounds like a complaint, it's not. I like that the book is organically growing its cast like this. 

If I had to find something to bitch about, it's that I still prefer Amy as the tough-nosed leader of the Restoration than Sonic's fawning fan girl. It seems there's been a deliberate choice to shift her character away from a tactician to just another of Sonic's sidekicks. (It honestly feels a lot like a Sega mandate but who knows.) Still, this is a pretty good issue. Adam Bryce Thomas' art is great. The shot of the ruined town on the first page is fantastic and his expressive character work remains unmatched. The story arc has me hooked. If Stanley can avoid shoving in too much shit, like she did in her last arc, this is off to a very promising start. [7/10]