Sonic Prime, Episode 1.02: The Yoke’s on You

Sonic Prime, Episode 1.02: The Yoke’s on You

Original Release Date: December 15th, 2022

The second episode of “Sonic Prime” has a title that I’m really surprised a previous “Sonic” cartoon hasn’t used already. You’d think “Adventures of Sonic the Hedgehog,” with its love of egg puns, would’ve gotten to this one. Anyway, “The Yoke’s on You” begins with another flashback to Green Hill Zone. Shadow is becomes aware of the dimensional shatter somehow and tries to stop it before it happens. Back in New Yoke City, the Chaos Council attempt to extract the Paradox Prism energy from Sonic. That’s when Rebel Rouge and Renegade Knucks – this universe’s version of Rouge and Knuckles and leaders of an underground resistance – decide to sneak in and rescue Sonic. Robot smashing ensues. 

I’m happy to say this episode is an improvement over the first. Now that the general premise is established, “Prime” can work a little more on its cast… Sort of. See, the opening scene with Shadow is an interesting choice. It’s already clear that Shadow exists outside the shattered universe set-up. He’s probably going to be weaving in and out of the episodes, trying to unravel what has happened overall. Its a little odd to put that front-and-center, when there’s still so much other stuff that needs to be established… 

But I get it. Shadow is popular! The Arrogant Kung-Fu Guy rival thing is an evergreen dynamic in action cartoons for a reason. I like Ian Hanlin’s vocal performance, as he sounds suitably broody and gruff but not in an exaggerated, silly way. He still has that unsteady relationship with Sonic and little patience for the other hedgehog’s jokes and japes. Watching these two bounce off each other, literally and figuratively, is amusing. The side-to-side motions his legs make when using his “air shoes” looks goofy though. Not the best decision in a show that is otherwise well animated. 

More compelling to me are the other introductions in this episode. After their brief appearances last time, “Rebel” Rouge and “Renegade Knocks” get more screen time here. What makes these scenes really delightful is that Rouge and Knuckles’ flirtatious relationship is maintained. Even though “Prime’s” Rouge is clearly not the morally gray character she’s been portrayed as in the past, I like that she still teases Knuckles. The scene of them talking on a rooftop or sneaking through the interior of Eggman’s base are adorable. For whatever reason, Renegade Knocks has a different voice actor from Prime Knuckles. Vincent Tong gives him a slight Brooklyn accent, which matches his tough guy exterior. Gives me Raphael vibes, which I dig.

I didn’t really get into my thoughts on the Chaos Council last time, because the review was already running long. The exact motivation and machinations behind there being a cadre of Eggmen have yet to be explained. On paper, the idea of an evil council made of Eggman from different stages in his life is amusing. This means we have Baby Eggman, Teenage Gamer Eggman with colored tips, Twenty-Something Hipster Eggman with tattoos and a goatee, Middle-Aged Eggman who seems most similar to the classic variety but wears an ugly toupee, and Old Eggman who has a white beard and hobbles around with a cane. Whether or not these variations emerge as notable characters in their own right, or even intimidating villains, remains to be seen. I already get the impression that this show finds the idea of a blabbering Babby Eggman and a doddering Elderly Eggman much funnier than I do. 

And that last point is what's sticking in my teeth the most about this show, so far: The comic relief is distracting. During Sonic's fight with Shadow, the blue hedgehog is cracking jokes and doing goofy faces. There's even a Deadpoolian fourth wall break. Sure, that's in-character for Sonic. These characters directly addressing the audience is nothing new. but it also deflates any tension in the scene. Later, while bound and about to be de-energized, Sonic acts slightly drunk and makes a lot of goofy quips. Far too much winking ensues. This especially makes it hard to take a rather grim moment seriously. Not to mention it makes Sonic – very passive in this episode – kind of annoying. The wise cracks only make him cool and fun if they are actually amusing and paired with a can-do, superpowered hero. 

Maybe the writers felt the need to include some much intrusive comedy because the setting of New Yoke City is actually effectively grim. We get a better grip on what an Orwellian hellscape this is in "The Yoke's On You." Citizens are constantly observed by robotic drones, who also pump digitally manipulated propaganda into the air. A brief glimpse at an apartment complex suggests the city’s residents are brainwashed by a deluge of Eggman-centric signals. That makes this one of the darker versions of the Eggman Empire and I hope future episodes lean into that more. A citywide blackout Sonic causes seems to wake up a lot of people, so hopefully rebellion and resistance continue to be a big theme going forward. 

By the way, Chaos Emeralds do exist in this show. Shadow finds one inside a rock and uses it to Chaos Control. What purpose – if any – they have in the show beyond that remains to be seen. And though this show skips an opening, owing to Netflix’s format making such things obsolete, the music is decent. The end credits theme has an exciting, pop-punk feel to it that suits Sonic. Needs some lyrics about gotta-going-fast or Blue Streaks speeding by to really sell it though… “Sonic Prime” still hasn’t found its footing, to me. Yet episode two is definitely an improvement over the premiere, if only because the characters and their conflicts are a little more fleshed out now. [6.5/10]

Sonic Prime, Episode 1.01: Shattered

Sonic Prime, Episode 1.01: Shattered

Original Release Date: December 15th, 2022

I’ve been actively updating Hedgehogs Can’t Swim for about seven years now. In that time, I’ve never been there to talk about a brand new “Sonic” cartoon as it premiered. Honestly, after “Sonic Boom’s” uneven commercial performance, I wasn’t too sure there would ever be another “Sonic” cartoon. As someone whose head is so buried in the franchise’s comic book and animated past, I didn’t even want to speculate on what the possibility of Sonic’s future as a TV series might include. I’m not here to predict what might be, I’m here to nerdily and endlessly rehash the past. I always call my reviews “retrospectives” and you can’t be retrospective about something that just came out. 

Yet in 2022, the “Sonic” franchise is healthier than maybe it’s ever been. The movies are big hits. The new game is selling well and has received pretty good reviews. Now is the perfect time to release a new animated series… Because we are living in the future, the series debuted on Netflix, instead of on Saturday mornings. Because this year is obsessed with multiversal stories, that’s the general premise of “Sonic Prime.” And even though WildBrain, the modern incarnation of DiC, is behind this show, it’s a totally new take on Sonic and the gang that leaves all prior versions behind. We are in a bold new “Sonic” frontier and I’m honestly not sure how to feel about it. 

Not that being unsure how to feel has ever stopped me from rambling in the past. So let’s jump right in and begin discussing “Shattered,” the first episode of “Sonic Prime.” We begin in Green Hill Zone, where Sonic and his friends – Tails, Knuckles, Amy, and Rouge – are ready to stop Dr. Eggman’s latest evil scheme. He is digging up something called the Paradox Prism. In the middle of the fight, the crystal is shattered and Sonic is tossed through dimensions. He lands in New Yolk City, an industrial, dystopian version of Green Hill ruled over by a group of five Eggmen, called the Chaos Council. After running from some evil robots, Sonic encounters a grouchy, cybernetic version of Tails called “Nine.” It’s not long before they are captured and placed before the Council, Sonic’s search for answers only beginning. 

Staring down a new “Sonic” cartoon, with no conception of what its reputation is or even where it might be going... What did I think of “Prime’s” first episode? It’s okay. It’s fitting that the first batch of installments dropped shortly before Christmas because, it seems to me, this is almost the “Sonic” version of “It’s a Wonderful Life.” His conversation with Nine makes it clear that this is a reality where Sonic was never born. Our hedgehog hero gets to see the impact he’s had on the world and on his friends’ lives. The lush, green world he calls home is now a grim cityscape. Tails, with no one to defend him from childhood bullies, has become an angsty, misanthropic mad scientist. Amy is a cyborg. And the freedom, which defines Sonic’s life, is nowhere to be seen. The residents of New Yolk City all walk around with their heads down, never acknowledging each other, living in quiet misery. 

Despite this potent idea, “Shattered” is 90% set-up. I guess kids, who might not be as genre savvy as a wizen old nerd like me, will be the primary viewers of this show. That audience perhaps isn't familiar with alternate universe stories like this. Sonic doesn’t immediately figure out what has happened and is still in search of answers, which this episode is slow to revealed. The meat of this episode is devoted to him realizing he’s in a corrupted version of his home world, after bumbling through several encounters. The alternate versions of Rouge and Knuckles briefly appear, their roles not clear yet. How or why “Rusty” Rose is a cyborg in service to a group of five Eggmen – seemingly made up of the doctor from five periods in his life – is yet to be revealed. The episode concludes with Shadow appearing to Sonic as some sort of trans-dimensional vision and I don’t know what that means just yet. This forty minute long premiere is all about laying down plot points that the rest of the show can build on. 

When an episode is as premise-driven as this one is, it can be hard to leave any room for the stuff that typically sucks me into a show: The characters and their inner lives. Fans of the games are clearly the target audience here and that’s why the gang seems pretty simplified so far. Sonic is speedy, curious, snarky, loves his friends and loves his freedom. Tails is his brainy pal who maybe gets a little too invested in his gadgets, without Sonic there to pull him back down to earth. Eggman is an egomaniacal villain with a desire to rule the world and crush Sonic. Basic stuff. We barely meet Knuckles and Amy here, with Rouge barely getting more screen time. Obviously, more fleshing out remains to be done with these guys. Because we clearly don’t get much of it here. 

About the only moment here that rises above the rest is Sonic’s meeting with “Nine.” We might not be familiar with the “Prime” version of Tails but anyone watching this show knows what Tails’ deal is. To see a version of the little fox that is antisocial and aggressive, not to mention cybernetically enhanced, is a decent shock. The flashback to the different ways Sonic and Nine recall their first meeting, provides the real emotional meat here. That’s the moment when Sonic, and the viewer, really gets a feel for the impact he has had on the world. To see his friend in such a state, to know he suffered without him, has an effect on Sonic. We needed more of that kind of stuff. 

That flashback, by the way, it’s animated in a pixel art style clearly meant to invoke the Genesis era of “Sonic.” That’s probably my favorite visual moment in a show that is, thus far, well animated. My opinion on CGI animation on a TV budget is usually low. Yet “Prime” looks nice. The characters are lively and expressive. The action scenes are very fast paced. Honestly, so much stuff is happening during the various action scenes that a re-watch might be necessary for me to catch everything. The scuffle between Sonic and Nine atop two subway trains or the opening fight with a horde of Badniks are especially noteworthy. I’m not entirely sold on all the character designs just yet. Big’s pudgy face still looks weird and I’m undecided on the Chaos Council’s appearances. Yet “Prime” already looks a lot better than pretty much every episode of “Sonic Boom.” 

Yet my general feeling about "Shattered" is that it puts the cart before the horse a bit. This is a season premiere so devoted to setting up its premise, that it doesn't find much time to make the audience care. We are just meeting this version of Sonic and his friends before the hedgehog gets tossed between worlds. A lengthy sequence, where Sonic is floating through a starry void and sees images of his friends, seems to exist to establish these characters more. Wouldn't just a little more of a prologue done that better? This is also reflected in the kind of weird structure this debut has. After several minutes of Sonic being confused and pursued through New Yolk City, the episode flashes back to the lead-up to that opening battle. There's a couple more leaps around the timeline here too, the episode seemingly ending in the middle of one. I get the appeal of opening in media ras but it left me a little mixed up here. Maybe let the audience get to know your principal players before introducing us to alternate versions of them? 

Only one episode in and this already feels like the “Sonic” cartoon most influenced by the video games. Aside from the prominent role Green Hill Zone plays here, Sonic also collects Power Rings and looses them when he's hurt. How that works outside of the context of a game play mechanic, I don't know. And I have no idea if the show will really explain that. (Where do the rings come from in this setting?) There's also a somewhat unnecessary sequence in the second half, where Sonic has to navigate springs, spikes, and traps, another indicator that the showrunners are very aware of the game roots here. What this means for the other characters yet, I don't know. Does this Knuckles have a Master Emerald or an Angel Island to protect? I guess we'll find out.

A new “Sonic” cartoon means a new cast of voices for these well-known characters. It's an interesting mixture. Deven Mack's Sonic recalls a lot of things about Roger Craig Smith's Sonic but includes some of Ben Schwartz' quirky humor and neediness. Ashleigh Ball has a nice gravelly quality to her voice, making her Tails sound more like a temperamental little boy than he usually does. From what we hear of them here, Shannn Chan-Kent and Kazumi Evans have their own takes on Amy and Rouge, that are distinct from previous versions. Unlike Brian Drummond as Eggman, who is pretty clearly attempting to sound like Mike Pollock... Though Drummond also voices a few of the other doctor characters, which is presumably why he was hired instead of Pollock just coming back. I really don't like Adam Nurada as Knuckles though. He puts on such a fake sounding “gruff” voice that it's practically an Arnold Schwarzenegger impression.

I guess it's clear that my initial reaction to “Sonic Prime” is a bit mixed. It looks good and there's certainly plenty of potential here. Obviously, there's a larger story to told and you can't judge it all just based on the first episode. Maybe once I watch it all – or at least watch the eight episodes currently available on Netflix – I can return to this one with more open eyes. As it stands right now, “Prime” is getting off on some slightly shaky ground that maybe needed to prioritize setting up its characters before setting up its premise. [6/10]

TOP 10 OFFICIAL SONIC CHRISTMAS IMAGES

For whatever reason, "Sonic" fans love Christmas. Maybe it's because we all just connect the series to childhood nostalgia around receiving the games and merchandise at the holidays. Maybe Sonic and his friends being fuzzy and huggable makes pairing them up with the coziest holiday of them all is inevitable. Whatever the reason, if you Google "Sonic Christmas art," you get roughly a hundred pieces of festive fan art in the results. Some of these pieces are by artists that have worked on the series in an official capacity, making them practically canon bits of hedgehog-y Christmas cheer.

Probably owing to his status as a corporate mascot, and Sega's desire to sell lots of games or consoles or other miscellaneous crap during the most capitalistic of seasons, Sonic Christmas art is not just a phenomenon among fans. In fact, there's been quite a lot of official "Sonic" art that puts the characters among various holly jolly trappings. And because I want to celebrate the holidays and have absolutely nothing else to write about, I've decided to arbitrarily rank my favorite official Christmas Sonic art this year, with my absolute favorites at the bottom here. 

I am tempted to kick things off with one of those trivia-filled, rambling dissertations that I love so much. Though a character born of a myriad of European folkloric traditions, and thoroughly mutated by American sensibilities, Japan has eagerly adopted Santa Claus. Perhaps it's because the Christian roots of Christmas are largely ignored in an Eastern culture like Japan, allowing secular traditions like Ol' Saint Nick to dominate the holiday's pop culture headspace. Japan has certainly put its own wacky spin the Jolly Old Elf over the decades.

Among these far-flung riffs on the holiday's ultimate symbol has been lots of images of Sonic in the famous red suit and hat. Maybe putting Sonic in a Santa suit is just too irresistible an image. Perhaps it's the hedgehog's speedy status that makes him a good match for Santa garb. Of these many pieces of art, my favorite is probably this one, originally published in Harmony, the  newsletter published strictly for Sega's employees in the nineties. (And later, more famously, collected in 1996 as part of a screensaver program.) I like the image of Sonic leaping over a snowy city with a big sack full of gifts on his back. He looks so happy to be delivering gifts!

Since 2005, Sega of Japan has run Sonic Channel, a website devoted entirely to providing updates on everyone's favorite blue hedgehog related franchise. Lots of neat bits of promotional tie-ins have filtered out from this site. Here in the English language Sonic-sphere, Sonic Channel is best known for the monthly art uploaded to the site, much of it provided by Yui Karasuno. Due to these pieces being updated monthly, they frequently tie-in with the holidays and events that occur at the time. Which means quite a lot of super cute Christmas art comes from this avenue. 

The first of this illustration I want to highlight is from Christmas 2020 and was actually created originally for the Life in Sonic's World art book. It depicts an utterly adorable seasonal scene: Silver, while dressed as Santa, uses his telekinesis to fill a set of stockings presumably belonging to the napping Chao on the floor in front of the fireplace. Their toys and coloring pages are strewn on the floor before them, while little references to the rest of the franchise are on the tree, via Christmas ornaments featuring Big the Cat and a Chaos Emerald. It's a moment of pure domesticity, exuding warmth and nostalgia. Which is perfectly suitable for Christmas and maybe for the Sonic series too, even if I don't have much nostalgia for these particular characters. 

Other examples of Sonic Channel art you see circulating on social media all the time are the little monthly character portraits. These are still coming out every month and here's proof of that. This particular image here literally just came out this month. But how fucking cute is this, right? Metal Sonic is, by design, not the cuddliest cast member of this particular series. One imagines he wouldn't react with much appreciation – or at all – to a Christmas gift. To actually see that scenario play out is highly amusing though. Especially when the gift is a little plush doll of Sonic, the robot's often sought enemy. It's funny that a machine that is, by design, emotionless can express so much with just the angle of his face. In this case: Bemusement.

One of the joys of the Sonic Channel art is getting to see the “Sonic” cast members in different clothes and situations than you'd see in the video games or comics. It's clear that the artists behind these images really enjoys dressing the different characters in various cute little outfits. So, yes, of course, that means putting Rouge in a sexy Santa skirt for a Christmas image. That would probably be enough to make this memorable. The bat's body language is full of poise and attitude, as always. Yet what really seals this one for me is that the tree is decorated extensively with Rouge's favorite thing: Shiny jewels. If we are to assume that Christmas exist in Sonic's world, Rogue decorating her tree in such a manner is canon in my eyes. 

Sega once made an entire Christmas-themed sequel to “NiGHTS Into Dreams.” There have been at least one Halloween themed level in a “Sonic” game, alongside numerous snow and ice themed levels. All of this makes it surprising that there's never be a straight-up Christmas themed stage in any of the Sonic games. Yet, if one where to exist, it would probably look a lot like what we see in this image. Sonic grinding down candy cane patterned rails around festively festooned Christmas trees while snow falls overhead would surely be features in such a level. This painting shoves in as much holiday iconography as possible. Bells, ribbons, stockings, bulbs, lights, candy canes, Santa hats, gifts, holly sprig. As well as a lot of Sonic imagery, like Omochao, Sonic's shoes, a Chaos Emerald. I don't know about the giant billiard balls but otherwise this looks like a lot of fun. 

If you thought that Silver image was adorable, get a load of this shit. Ya know, we don't imagine gruff, cynical Shadow getting much into Christmas. He's pretty much the opposite of a sentimental guy and that means he would probably reject the most sentimental holiday. What this image suggests is a scenario where Shadow sits down to take a little nap, after a hard day of fighting robots or Chaos-Controlling or whatever it is he does. It seems his little Chao friend took it upon himself to decorate Shadow with seasonal accessories while he sleeps, including about to pin a Santa-like mustache on his snoozing face. It's cute as fuck and, when you think about how Shadow will react once he wakes up, it becomes pretty funny too. 

Last December, Sega sold a “Sonic”-themed Ugly Christmas sweater and mug – perfect for hot cocoa! – through their website. The sweater and mug where pretty fucking adorable and I wish I could've bought one or the other. Yet this quick little image assembled to promote the duo is even more delightful. Sonic is holding what I'm assuming is a carol book and wearing a sweater with Eggman's face on it. That raises some interesting questions. But what's really delightful about this one is how happy Sonic looks. Look at that smile! Pleased as punch to sell schlock with his face on it. What a consummate pitchman. I want to buy six now.

We are not done talking about napping yet. As cute as the previous images focused on curling up and passing out around the tree were, this one takes the cake. Sonic sleeps in a comfy chair, in the glow of the Christmas tree, with a Chao and a warm blanket on his chest. There's some plates and forks near-by, suggesting they probably just filled up with Christmas cake and passed right out. The little drawings on the frost on the windows makes this all the more precious. God, it looks so fucking cozy! If Christmas is fundamentally a holiday rooted in warm memories of home and childhood, this particular image really captured that.

My number two pick here, which is a much older image, invokes a lot of the same feelings. It has that warm glow to it, of gathering around the Christmas tree for a totally relaxed evening at home... Except there's a weird twist to this one that makes it all the more intriguing. First off, Sonic is alone inside his home(?), with his modest little tree. There's what appears to be a bottle of wine and a champagne glass on the table before him. If sipping on an adult beverage seems like an uncharacteristic behavior for Sonic, he's also sitting on a coach and reading a book, another very laidback activity for someone associated with speed. 

But that's just the most front-forward sign that something isn't off with this image. Beneath a massive, ominously yellow moon, Tails peers in through the window at his mentor. What exactly is going on here? The Christmas tree and the barren mountain tops in the distance implies the chilling cold of December outside this cozy home. Why is Tails outside looking in? Did he track Sonic down, in some sort of obsessive stalker scenario? The big, slightly unnerving smile on the little fox's face seems to imply that. The inverted smirk on Sonic's face, which suggest he's kind of grouchy in this moment, implies that maybe he was annoyed by Tails and threw him out.

They say a picture is worth a million words and, I guess, this is an image that really makes you wonder. Obviously, the weird or slightly unsettling undertones to this one is why I love it. Or maybe it's just a random hodgepodge of elements, thrown together to be marketable, that we weren't supposed to think about too hard. 

This image went low-key viral when it was new and, holy shit, how could it not? A Christmas card circulated among Sega staff in 2009, it's a deeply baffling and powerful image. Sonic, Bayonetta, and a xenomorph from the “Alien” series – three characters with wildly contrasting styles that appeal to totally different audiences – sitting in front of a festive fireplace, wearing Christmas sweaters would be enough for most artists. Yet this postcard goes even further. Bayonetta's hair is done up like a Christmas tree, topped with a star. She holds one of the “Super Monkey Ball' primates, bundled up like the Christ child, in what appears to be a wrapping paper/stocking combo. 

Sonic and Bayonetta smile with absolute glee while the xenomorph – who wears a Santa cap on the end of its phallic head, naturally – snarls. Is the alien monster smiling too? Or is he greatly annoyed to be here? Is the monster a minute away from attacking the other characters? Or is this as tranquil a gathering as can be expected between a seven foot tall dominatrix witch, two wacky cartoon animals, and a rape demon from outer space? I like to think it's the latter, truthfully. Because that's funnier to me. I think the xenomorph is wearing jeans too? And the angle suggests that the stool Sonic is sitting on is like five feet tall. The more I stare at this postcard, the more secrets it reveals. 

And with that, I'll sign off for tonight. Thank you for everyone who read Hedgehogs Can't Swim in the last year. Sorry I missed so many updates. I'll try and do better next year. I'm going to go ahead and start my coverage of “Sonic Prime” on Monday, hopefully. If you're celebrating this weekend, I hope everything goes swimmingly and you have a wonderful holiday. And if you're not celebrating, have a good one anyway because, if you're reading my words, obviously you're a way past cool dude. 

Sonic the Hedgehog: Scrapnik Island: Issue 3

Sonic the Hedgehog: Scrapnik Island: Issue 3

Publication Date: December 21st, 2022

Man, the release schedule for IDW's "Sonic the Hedgehog: Scrapnik Island" really has me conflicted. Releasing the first issue of this horror adjacent story in October was the most natural move the company could have made. I heartily approve of that. Yet the monthly release schedule means the mini won't conclude until January, really fucking with my OCD. (And the yearly retrospective I do.) The series launching in October might just be a coincidence, as the fall is when the last two IDW “Sonic” mini-series also began. I don’t know the nuances of comic book scheduling and I assume there’s a reason it’s like this. The last issue if this story coming out next month either gives you something to look forward to in the new year or mildly irks you, depending on how anal retentive you are. 

Anyway! Part three of “Scrapnik Island” begins with Sonic strapped to a table deep within the Death Egg. It seems the events in the last issue have awoken something in the rebuilt Mecha Sonic, who is now planning vengeance on his former enemies and his creator. A little Scrapnik spies on this conversation and gets the information to Tails. The fox immediately assembled a rescue team and goes into the Death Egg to save his friend. Yet Mecha Sonic is more dangerous than he appears. 

As the main cover for this one makes clear, Sonic actually doesn’t have a lot to do in this issue. He’s only on a few pages and spends all of them strapped down to an examination table in a make-shift laboratory. Instead, Tails gets all the heroic moments. He slaps a bunch of cool looking gear on and leads a team of Egg Robos into the Death Egg. They are all wielding big guns too, which they fire quite a bit as well. That makes this feel slightly like a throwback to the edgy “Shadow the Hedgehog” era of this franchise. Ya know, Tails packing heat brings certain connotations to mind.

Now, I’ve been critical of depictions of Tails as some sort of hyper-confident bad-ass before. The “Sonic” comics definitely have shown a tendency to overcompensate for Tails’ cutesy, kid sidekick demeanor in the past. Here, Tails does dress up like a commando and blast a killer robot with a giant gun. Even after being disarmed, he rolls into a spin dash and takes on Mecha Sonic directly. Yet his legit action hero credentials – he's been studying Sonic's special moves since the Genesis era, after all – are balanced nicely here with his innate vulnerability. Tails is obviously nervous while tracking Mecha Sonic, sweating in one panel. The villain catches him off-guard and leaves him panting on the floor quickly. The little fox stutters while delivering boastful battle banter to Mecha. It's a small detail that makes all the difference. Tails is capable of kicking ass but he's also still just a kid, who isn't always very confident in himself and makes mistakes.

This scenario also brings something else to mind. Tails and a gang of disposable robots head into a dark, industrial series of tunnels where they are pursued and eliminated by a red-eyed villain. Yep, "Scrapnik Island" recommits to the horror vibes prevalent in the first issue. Tails even has a beeping radar, that adds to the tension in these scenes. That seems like a deliberate homage to "Aliens" to me. In fact, I'd wager this entire issue was inspired by James Cameron's seminal sci-fi/horror sequel. I also love it when the "Sonic" comics dip outside of the reference pool you'd expect. 

As in the previous two issues of this mini-series, the spooky atmosphere is helped along by some truly spectacular artwork. Jack Lawrence's pencils are great, his characters expressive and his action animated. But Nathalie Fourdraine's colors once again really makes this one shine. The interior of the Death Egg are depicted in shades of blues, blacks, and greens. The glow from Tails' tablet adds an especially eerie feeling to these panels. Panels devoted to Mecha grabbing an Egg Robo, looming over Tails while his red eyes glows, or the fox's descent down a trash chute all emphasize a dreary, claustrophobic horror movie ambiance that elevates an already good comic. 

In my review of the previous "Scrapnik Island" issue, I said that this version of Mecha Sonic had the potential to be a very complex villain. Part three supports this while also backtracking in some slightly disappointing ways. Last time, it seemed like Mecha Sonic's villainy during this mini-series would almost be unintentional. That he would be driven to act violently simply because his brain was so scrambled, he wasn't even aware of his actions. Instead, this issue clarifies that he has a deliberate evil agenda. He steals Tails' handheld computer, having specific plans for it, and seems to have something nefarious in mind for Sonic. 

We know this because the issue gives Mecha Sonic the ability to speak. His words are a bit jumbled at times but he can still express himself clearly. He expresses a desire to get revenge on Eggman. He feels like he's been discarded by his creator, betrayed by the world, and that pisses him off. Not only is this motivation kind of similar to what Surge is going through in the main book right now, it's also a little less compelling to me than someone merely acting erratic because their mind has betrayed them. We'll see if that anxiety about being treated like trash goes anywhere interesting, I guess. 

It's possible this mini-series will nail the landing in regards to that particular plot thread. If only because "Scrapnik Island" continues to show an excellent handle on memory and visuals. A flashback, which occurs while E-117 Sigma's systems are rebooting, shows Mecha Sonic came to be on Scrapnik Island. A number of panels are without dialogue balloons, such as when Tails goes digging through a pile of junk to find the parts he needs. This series has done such a good job of showing why comics are a visual medium, how a focus on those visuals can express a feeling of melancholy or urgency all on their own.

While I have some misgivings about where this issue takes Mecha Sonic, and how that might play out, I still really liked this one. "Scrapnik Island" continues to be really strong in general. I might be partial here because I just love the horror movie vibes. But the characterization is strong, the art is fantastic, the story is moving along at a compelling pace. Gotta say, I'm really enjoying it. Also, some extremely talented "Sonic" fans made plushies of Scrapnik Mecha Sonic and Mecha Knuckles, on display in the letters section at the back of the book. And that's the kind of fanatical resourcefulness that I love about this fandom. [7/10]

Sonic Boom, Episode 1.37: Next Top Villain

Sonic Boom, Episode 1.37: Next Top Villain

Original Air Date: August 1st, 2015 

With fifteen episodes left in "Sonic Boom's" first season, it's apparent the writers and showrunners had their favorite minor supporting characters. The lady walrus with the constantly endangered baby was a  gag they could return to reliably. Comedy Chimp shows up any time they want to make a gag about the media. Fastidious Beaver is there whenever they want to tell a joke about grammar policing fuddy-duddies. Yet it's been fun to watch Dave the Intern, the most one-note of minor joke characters, evolve in weird ways. Probably created just because the show needed an underachieving teen to work the local burger joint, Dave has become the second most reoccurring adversary in "Boom," albeit an incompetent one. That position was solidified with "Next Top Villain," an episode where Dave is unambiguously the main character. 

In fact, Dave's underwhelming attempts at being a super villain is what motivates the entire episode. His mom, disappointed with his criminal antics thus far, tells the capybara to go out and start associating with a higher class of evildoers. After Eggman mocks him, a wacky series of events leads to Dave holding the barrel-chested doctor captive in his basement. He attempts to use Eggman's machines to begin a new reign of terror. Instead, his own ineptitude makes him as much of a danger to himself as anyone else. Sonic is forced to rescue Eggman, much to his annoyance, if he hopes to stop Dave's maladroit rampage. 

Dave has always been a stock-parts dork. He was designed to fit the universally recognized visual shorthand of a teenage poindexter. You see this in his braces, his gangly appearance and acne, his breathy voice, and his lackluster performance at a demeaning fast food job. "Next Top Villain" decides to double-down even further on these Milhouseian signifiers. Dave lives in his mom's basement. (Which really isn't a big deal for a teenager, so I'm surprised it wasn't paired with the reveal that Dave is actually in his thirties.) She is overbearing and undermines his attempts at being mature by treating him like a child. Maybe that's because he's still fixated on childish things, as he still plays with dolls which he insists on calling action figures. He even uses an inhaler in one scene, further cementing Dave as a massive fucking dweeb. The only thing that's missing are the traditional Coke bottle glasses and impassionate opinions about "Star Trek," comic books, anime, tabletop gaming, or some other marginalized passion. 

Obviously being one myself, I chafe against such cliched depictions of geekdom. Making Dave a standard nebbish feels like "Sonic Boom" bullying a large portion of its main audience. And not in a knowing, self-effacing, "Weird" Al kind of way. Gags like this "punch down" by relying on antiquated stereotypes. Lots of people live with their parents these days, for many complicated reasons! Everyone loves superheroes now! You can still collect toys and live a fulfilling, well-rounded life! What does braces and asthma have to do with social awkwardness and weird behavior? "Next Top Villain" even seems to curb a joke from nerd culture minstrel show "The Big Bang Theory," by keeping Dave's mom as a shrieking off-screen presence with an ambiguously Jewish-Brooklyn accent. I would think, even by 2015, the widespread understanding of what makes someone in an Urkel – usually neurodivergent brain patterns, let's face it – would be more nuanced. 

As much as I want to deride the entire episode as a lazy indulgence of freeter character tropes, it's arguable that Reid Harrison's script gets at the darker side of nerdiness. It's not Dave's mannerisms, his clumsiness and niche passions, that make him a mockable loser. It's his seething rage at a world that refuses to recognize his self-appointed brilliance. Like many "Sonic Boom" episodes, this one vividly depicts a character's wild fantasy. In the opening scene, Dave appears as a Magneto-looking supervillain. He uses his massive powers to destroy Sonic and his friends in a variety of elaborate ways. He reduces Sonic to a pair of charred sneakers with a laser blat. He turns Amy and Tails into an ice cube with his freeze breath. He commands demonic-looking bears to attack Knuckles and Sticks, who are presumably then torn to shreds off-screen. 

All of this is a little south of your usual childish power fantasies. Dave does not put any effort into learning skills that will make him a more efficient supervillain. He wants all the power without any of the work to get there. This kind of grandiose entitlement, when paired with furious daydreams of violent revenge on the people around him, feels all too familiar in 2022. It's the same attitude that drives so-called fans to harass and threaten actresses, causes the terminally online to engineer wide-spread cyberbullying campaigns, and what makes incels do everything incels do.

Of course, Dave is ultimately harmless. He's too big of a jabroni to ever make his aspirations of destruction and domination anything but delusions. He spends the whole episode wearing a cardboard helmet and a table cloth cape, a crude facsimile of a proper bad guy get-up. Writer Reid Harrison is interested in goofy side-gags, not in deep explorations of the toxicity inherent in the nerd archetype. Dave's subpar attempts at villainy usually have the opposite effect he intended. His "freeze ray" just provides Sonic and friends with a pleasantly cool breeze. His heat ray inadvertently creates a disco light-show. HIs horde of deadly animals are adorable bunny rabbits to cuddle. Even after he jacks Eggman's Octobot, his ineptitude prevents him from damaging anyone but his own home and his pride. These are all solid gags that got pretty good laughs out of me, especially once they come back around at the end with Dave's mom's reaction to his day spree of chaos.

Clever visual jokes or circular writing like that is what saves an episode otherwise preoccupied with pandering to outdated cultural misconceptions. Reid Harrison's best episodes usually pile in the jokes but, unfortunately, that tendency backfires some here. "Next Top Villain" has many funny lines. A gag about quarters comes back brilliantly at the final moment. Sonic seemingly abandoning his friends in the midst of the action got me to chuckle. As did his melodramatic regret about mocking Dave, a call-back to that opening fantasy. What Cubot and Orbot get up to while Eggman is imprisoned is an amusing scene. 

Yet this episode is ultimately bogged down in pithy, sitcom one-liners. Sonic and Eggman bickering about him being rescued or whether or not he should help them defeat the Octobot quickly lose their comedic spark. When Amy is cracking jokes about ink cartilages or Soar the Eagle interjects with a line about tainted beef, it's too much. Not every single line of dialogue needs to be a zinger. Overloading on snark quickly poisons the timing and element of the unexpected that makes things actually funny. 

"Next Top Villain" probably could've been a much funnier episode. If Dave's home life was more fleshed-out, if he was treated in a more sympathetic and less cliched manner, this would've been improved considerably. An episode following his misguided attempts to be a bad guy, that emphasizes the actual flaws in his personality and doesn't just fill the gaps with Robert Carradine reminders, would have led to far fresher jokes. As I've said over and over again, "The Venture Bros." handles very similar set-ups to this in ways that are infinitely funnier and more complex. I guess I shouldn't expect that same level of quality from a fucking "Sonic the Hedgehog" cartoon, especially one that's this short. But this show can, and has, done better. Hopefully Dave the Intern, in all of his pathetic dweebiness, gets a fairer treatment next time. [6/10]

Sonic Boom, Episode 1.36: Beyond the Valley of the Cubots

Sonic Boom, Episode 1.36: Beyond the Valley of the Cubots

Original Air Date: July 24th, 2015

Ya know, at one point in time, I actually hated Cubot and Orbot. My introduction to Eggman’s geometrical robotic lackies was in the Archie Comics. This would’ve been in 2012, about two years after the duo debuted in “Sonic Colors,” a game I still wouldn’t play until much later. From my understanding, the two were pretty popular from the get-go. By the time the comic introduced them, they were considered essential parts of the “Sonic” cast by many. I, having grown up with scheming Snively as Robotnik’s main sidekick, initially resented these two goofy newcomers. They felt like a throwback to the Scratch and Grounder days and I didn’t think goofy comic relief like that added much to the series. To be frank, I found Cubot and Orbot’s odd couple antics annoying and boring. Fussy Orbot and wacky Cubot, both frequently humiliated, didn’t seem like needed additions. 

But it’s been ten years and these two have stuck around. They became regular cast members of the Archie book and reappeared in the IDW continuity. Maybe I’ve just gotten used to their antics or maybe I’ve matured with age. Either way, I've slowly grown fond of Cubot and Orbot. In the right context, their comedic misery and/or idiocy works well. As I've watched my way through "Sonic Boom," I've seen how this show really made these two a valuable part of the cast. I now attribute my initial dislike to me simply missing Snively and feeling like the “Sonic” franchise was no longer recognizable as the series I fell in love with as a kid. (A position I’m a lot more comfortable with these days.) 

These are the thoughts I have as I assemble my review of "Beyond the Valley of the Cubots," the thirty-sixth episode of "Sonic Boom's" first season and another Cubot/Orbot centric story. Tails notices some of his beloved tools are missing. He assumes Eggman must be responsible for the theft and confront the doctor. It turns out, Eggman's tools are being stolen too. He blames a group of rogue robots and assigns Orbot and Cubot to find them. The duo quickly stumble upon the culprits: A group of Cubot prototypes, living in the wilderness and trying to survive their own stupidity. The finished Cubot quickly becomes something of a king to his lookalikes, forcing some dramatic decisions to be made when Eggman arrives to deactivate the prototypes. 

As I've pointed out ad nauseam, "Sonic Boom" reduces the "Sonic" cast members to easily understood, stock sitcom roles. Cubot fills the role of the big dumb idiot companion to the easily flustered straight man, Orbot. He's the Costello, the Laurel. In short, Cubot's defining characteristic is that he's not very smart. His tendency to misunderstand simple phrases is a running gag this show has returned to over and over again, for easy laughs. With this fully understood by this point in the season, "Beyond the Valley of the Cubots" has a pretty funny premise: It puts Cubot in a situation where he's a genius. The Cubot prototypes are even dumber than the production model. He knows how to put out a fire, where these guys only know how to start them. Creating a scenario where the show's other token moron is actually smart is a clever enough set-up for jokes. 

While "Beyond the Valley of the Cubots" gets some decent comedic mileage out of the ironic juxtaposition of Cubot being seen as smart, most of the laughs here come from the other half of the duo. Orbot is used to be being the smart one. To have that flipped, to surround him with such idiots that he becomes the fool, provides some solid comedy. There's a lot of scenes where Orbot, the prototypal Abbott/Hardy, gets flustered with the Cubots' ignorance. There's even a hint of jealousy, once the prototypes start to adore Cubot. Orbot's baseline competence is never appreciated and he's annoyed to see Cubot's not-quite-total idiocy get praised by a group of even bigger idiots. 

Most surprisingly, this storyline eventually bends towards an odd pathos too. After Cubot decides to stay with the prototypes, Orbot returns home to Eggman's base. That's when the robot learns Cubot isn't the perfected final version of this string of prototypes: Orbot is. Now Orbot feels bad for his partner. Cubot isn't an idiot. He's just unfinished. This leads to an interesting idea of the machines wavering from, before returning to, their destinies. Cubot decides to stay, quickly gets annoyed with the other Cubots (putting him in a similar situation to Orbot's usual circumstances), and is then happy to return to Eggman's side. He's not happy being a leader and prefers being a lackey. It's a real character arc and is handled pretty well. 

As you'd expect from a generally clever set-up, this episode has got a good number of amusing gags in it. The Cubot prototypes tell each other apart with the addition of hats or eyepatches. One prominent Cubot wears a wig, goes by female pronouns, and goes by the punny nomenclature "CuteBot." (So there's your first canon trans "Sonic" character.) That stuff is amusing but, honestly, Sonic and Tails get most of the biggest laughs in this episode. Sonic's goofy method for catching Tails' tools thief made me laugh, as did the opening scene where Tails is adjusting his latest invention: A machine that automatically adjust things. The funniest bit here continues to evolve Tails' somewhat disturbing attachment to inanimate objections. He calls his tools "his babies" and is absolutely shaken when they're stolen. When he's reunited with his precious toolbox, he similarly continues to talk to them like they're living beings. Further proof that "Boom" Tails is, at the least, weird about the stuff laying around his workshop or, at the most, a full-blown objectophile. 

The weakest element of "Beyond the Valley of the Cubots" is, typical for "Boom," its action sequence. When Eggman attacks the titular valley, it leads to a largely farcical battle scene. The deciding moment is when Cubot gives Eggman a surprise hug and cause a robot to spin around, entangling itself in its tentacles. Pretty underwhelming stuff. That aside, this is a funny one. It's a further example of how my feelings towards to Cubot and Orbot have changed. I've gone from hating them, to begrudgingly tolerating them, to actually looking forward to the "Boom" episodes focused on them. I guess everyone can change, given enough time. [7/10]

Sonic Boom, Episode 1.35: Two Good to Be True

Sonic Boom, Episode 1.35: Two Good to Be True

Original Air Date: July 23rd, 2015

Here in the year of our lord, 2022, pop culture is currently obsessed with the multiverse: The idea that there are countless alternate universes out there and every decision we make creates another reality where things went slightly different. Our billion-dollar grossing superhero mega-franchises are going all in on the multiverse premise. Even breakout indie hits are rolling with it. Meanwhile, people on the internet frequently blame false memories on what they've dubbed the Mandela Effect: A belief that we've all subconsciously shifted between realities and have lingering memories of these prior worlds.

I don't think this fascination is accidental. There's no doubt that life has gotten stranger in the last ten years. We've all been gripped with this unavoidable feeling that something went wrong at some point. That order has been disrupted and the world is spiraling into chaos. It's gotten so bad that we all seem to agree that the bad decisions that led us here must be, not just undone, but redone. We all want to wash our hands of the last decade and try it all over again, aware of the mistakes that led us here. This is true for one or two reasons: The human populace is grappling with the inevitable fall-out of late-stage capitalism and the apocalyptic connotations it brings with it. Or CERN unraveled the gravity holding the Prime Universe together back in 2012, when they discovered the Higgs-Boson particle, and has sent us spiraling through increasingly cracked mirror dimensions ever since. You get to choose which of those you believe. 

Anyway, the multiverse is not a new idea. Philosophers have been considering it since the third century. Science fiction, and comic books especially, have run with the idea. That's why the Marvel and DC movies have this rich history of multiverse stories to draw from. Marvel calls it "What If?" and DC calls it "Elseworlds." "Sonic" nerds know, of course, that this series has its share of alternate realities and mirror universes too, with the Archie "Sonic" comics especially exploring the idea. That finally brings this rambling introduction to "Sonic Boom," which did their own spin on the idea of alternate universes and interdimensional doubles with its thirty-fifth episode. 

The punningly entitled "Two Good to Be True" actually begins with a really clever fake-out. The opening scene sees Sonic and the gang fighting Eggman's Octobot on the beach. After Sonic slides on an oil slick and Amy gets tossed backwards by a laser blast, Knuckles flies in on twin hoverboards to save the day. Knux is depicted as a verbose, hyper-confident strategist and fighter, while Sonic is a clumsy goofball. I initially assumed this was one of Knuckles' egocentric fantasies. Especially after he punches the ground so hard, red shockwaves send Eggman flying backwards. The series has indulged Knux's anime inspired imagination before. Instead, this is an alternate universe we are seeing, where Knuckles is brilliant and not a buffoon. A rogue laser blast from Eggman sends this alternate Knuckles to the "Boom" prime 'verse. Shenanigans ensue and Alt Knuckles must be sent home before his presence causes interdimensional consequences.

I referenced "Star Trek" above and that's the show that introduced the idea of a Mirror Universe into the sci-fi mainstream. Initially, "Two Good to Be True" just uses the idea of contrasting Knuckles with a brilliant double of himself for comedy. When Tails wants to build a laser capable of sending him home, Alt Knux instead insists on storming Eggman's fortress for a copy of his laser. At this point, I suspected that was the twist of this episode: Alternate universe Knuckles is smarter and stronger than his prime counterpart but he's also a huge asshole, if not a full-blown villain. This would cause our heroes to learn to appreciate their goofball, dumb-ass Knuckles more. That certainly seems to be what the title is hinting at. Yet the show doesn't quite do that either. Alt Knuckles is more head-strong than aggressive. He's the one who ends up learning a lesson, that sometimes you've got to listen to other people and rely on your friend's instincts more than your own. While I'm always up for an evil copy story, this approach is a little more nuanced. People – and echidnas – aren't strictly good or bad, black or white. We're all a little more complicated than that. 

Honestly, I think this episode could have explored the ramifications of having a second, better Knuckles around some more. At one point, I also suspected the story would go in another direction. That Sonic and his friends would vastly prefer this new Knuckles more than the doofier original, causing the prime universe Knuckles to grow insecure. That doesn't happen either. Instead, both Knuckles start to get sick from being around each other. Both glitch out like faulty television signals, with Prime Knuckles growing so weak he can't pick up a postcard. (Alternate Knuckles' strength doesn't seem to be effected any.) I guess that's what makes this a sitcom first and an action/sci-fi show second. It wants to explore gentle character dynamics and wacky comedy over deeper introspection or far-out ideas. Nevertheless, I do wish the script here delved a little more into how everyone – and Knuckles especially – feels about having a superior clone of himself suddenly around.

These criticisms are all kind of beside the point though. Because "Sonic Boom" is primarily designed to make us laugh and that's exactly what this episode does. Writer Charles-Henri Moarbes – who has mostly worked on toyetic French and Italian cartoons – provides an amusingly dry and absurd script. The minute Alternate Knuckles flickers into existence in the prime universe, Sticks shrieks "Kill it with fire!" Sticks has an amusingly goofy reaction later on to Knuckles starting to blip out of reality too. While most of the Eggman lines in this episode are pretty lame, Sticks' silent but meaningful reaction to something the doctor said really made me giggle. As did her own take on the phenomenon of people walking in the same direction. Her paranoia is so adorable. 

There's at least three instances of amusing, drawn-out silence. Such as when Tails fails to think of an immediate solution to the problem. (Tails gets another really funny line too, when he digresses about the McRib.) Or Sonic nonchalantly knocking on Eggman's door. At the end, when Alt Knux being sent home ends up taking slightly longer than usual. There's some good absurdity here too, in the form of the silly hat Alt Knux is told to wear to distinguish him from his counterpart and a random appearance from Fastidious Beaver. Funny shit. I enjoyed it!

The idea of infinite realities, and infinite versions of ourselves living within, is too vast a premise for a single eleven-minute episode of a cartoon show to explore thoroughly anyway. Considering the new "Sonic" cartoon is jumping on the multiverse band wagon, this franchise should be getting into the guts of that set-up soon enough anyway. "Boom" never brought back Mirror Knuckles but "Prime" will probably have us up to our elbows in alternate Knuckleses soon enough. This episode deciding to just focus on laughs was probably for the best. "Two Good to Be True" has enough fun with the concept, and includes enough amusingly unexpected gags and one-liners, to justify its existence. [7/10]