Sonic the Hedgehog: Scrapnik Island: Issue 1

Sonic the Hedgehog: Scrapnik Island: Issue 1

Publication Date: October 19th, 2022

Owing to my status as both a horror buff and a lifelong "Sonic" nerd, I've bemoaned the lack of official creepy "Sonic" content a lot in the past. I think I've probably written about the limited crossover between "Sonic" and horror more than anyone, at least outside the realm of creepypasta authors. Specifically, there aren't many "Sonic" Halloween specials. The comics and various Sonic Channel artists have nodded towards the holiday's existence a handful of times but that's about it. If you want something to satisfy both your spooky, autumnal needs and your "Sonic" fandom, your options are limited. (Again, outside the realm of crappy creepypastas. Tails Doll isn't scary, you guys.)

At least in the realm of comics, IDW has been working hard to rectify this problem. During the Zombot arc, the on-going book essentially became a horror comic for more than a year. There was also a recent issue with some distinctively creepy vibes. And now, the company is publishing a new mini-series with a spooky bent, kicking off just in time for Halloween. "Scrapnik Island" is a new four-parter and, everything we've seen of the mini up to this point, has made it look like a full-on "Sonic" horror comic. Bitchin'. Let's get into it. 

To further confirm the announcement that this is a spooky-scary Sonic story, issue one of "Scrapnik Island" even starts with "It was a dark and stormy night." Sonic and Tails are flying the Tornado to one location or another when it's caught in a bad storm. They happen to fly over the remnants of the first Death Egg before a lightning bolt takes out the plane's wing. Awakening from the crash, Sonic finds himself inside the desolate remains of the space station, with a metal brace on his foot and a sore ankle. Soon, he's pursued by old Badniks that have been hastily patched together. Frightened, the hedgehog runs for his life. But is everything as it seems? 

I am pleased-as-punch to confirm that, yes, the first issue of "Scrapnik Island" is a "Sonic" horror story. The plot here builds upon well-known horror tropes. Essentially, this is a haunted house story presented within the "Sonic" framework. Instead of a creaky old building, it's a derelict battle station from Eggman's past. Instead of moaning sheet ghosts and spectres banging chains around, it's cobbled together Badniks chasing after Sonic. The seemingly mindless way the incredibly strange, mixed-up machines pursue Sonic also brings a zombie movie to mind. In fact, the mix-and-match approach to the beings – who we learn call themselves "Scrapniks" before the end – even bring Frankenstein's monster to mind. 

The issue doesn't just use horror trappings for flavor. I think part one of "Scrapnik Island" is actually trying to make a shiver run up your spine. A surprisingly large amount of this issue is devoted to Sonic wandering around the dark, dusty Death Egg. His only illumination is a small light from Tails' tablet computer, furthering the feeling that he's out-of-his-depth here. The hero is as clueless as the audience is, creating a sense of isolation and disorientation. There's even a pretty cool series of panels where the Red Eye from "Sonic and Knuckles'" Death Egg Stage spies on Sonic and cast the area in ominous red light. Establishing a sense of shadowy atmosphere makes the appearance of the Scrapniks, and the subsequent chase scene, more intense than it otherwise would've been. You just know, if this was a cartoon and not a comic book, it would be heavy on discordant musical cords and loud banging noises coming from off-screen. Writer Daniel Barnes clearly knows the basic elements of telling a suspenseful camp fire story. 

Barnes, who previously wrote the "Weapons" story in this year's annual, seems like a smart guy. To further up the tension, he gives Sonic a fucked-up ankle with a big metal brace on it. This is a great way to put Sonic at a disadvantage, unable to run or spin-dash with his usual efficiency, so it's a shame that a regular issue of the main series did something similarly not that long ago. I'm still giving Barnes points for being so willing to write Sonic as vulnerable though. The hedgehog actually gets scared in this issue. He's caught off-guard, outnumbered, confused and a little freaked out. It's a testament to Barnes' grasp of the character that Sonic is convincingly frightened without undermining his status as a snarky superhero. One word balloon about how he's happy Knuckles isn't here to see this goes a long way. 

Even though Sonic fans clearly like to see their hedgehog hero mashed up with horror tropes – see, once again, the proliferation of creepypastas based on the franchise – there's an obvious reason why official content rarely goes in this direction. "Sonic the Hedgehog" is for the children. It's generally frowned upon to scare kids, even though they love it. After a pretty fun spook house approach through most of this, the conclusion makes it clear, once again, that "Sonic" is a kid-friendly series. Sonic runs into Tails, who explains that the Scrapniks are not violent. In fact, their leader – an E100 unit with a monocle – is friendly and soft-spoken. The storm lifts, the sun comes out, Tails smiles like a dork. Everyone is happy by the end. I definitely would've liked to have seen the horror vibes stretched out longer but I get it. 

This issue doesn't just appeal to me because it's dropping Sonic into a Halloween-worthy setting. It's also full of shout-outs to the series' golden age. The appearance of the original Death Egg is the first sign that this story was crafted with a love towards the Genesis era. The Scrapniks are assembled from classic Badniks. Just based on a cursory glance back through these pages, I spot parts of: Cocoanuts, Caterkiller, Buzz Bomber, Newtron, MotoBug, Chopper, Crabmeat, Ball Hog, Bat Brain, Grabber, Octus, Clucker, Chop Chop, Buzzer, Kama-Kama, Noro-Noro, Dragonfly, and Madmole. I think there's bits of Jaws, Turtloid, Grounder, and Toxomister in there too. I’m sure there’s some ones I missed too. I eagerly await seeing the trivia section on this issue’s Wiki page filled out. 

Obviously, the star of the show is the “Sonic & Knuckles” version of Metal Sonic. (Which this comic calls “Mecha Sonic,” in what I guess is accordance with the modern fandom consensus.) He gets an anime antihero poncho, a cool rusty red coloration, and a buzz saw for his one leg. There’s other callbacks to series lore too, like a fun bit where Sonic hides inside an old Egg Prison. Considering the sheer number of references here, I'm not surprised the reader, decided to create a new E-100 unit, in the form of Sigma. What fan could resist, ya know? 

Overall, this is a very fun first issue. Jack Lawrence's art is a bit looser than I prefer but still excellent. Nathalie Fourdraine's colors really fucking pop, making all those shadowy scenes look amazing. There's enough plot points raised here to provide meat for the rest of the mini: a mysterious sunflower in a pod, an appearance from the Egg Carrier, some tension between Sonic and this Mecha Sonic, and a before-the-end tease of what's presumably the series' real villain. I'm ready to say that Daniel Barnes knows what he's doing. (I mean, he's doing the "Adventure" pose in the photo in the back of the book, so clearly he does.) I think we could've stayed in Spooksville a little longer but I can't complain. This is a properly Halloween-y installment and a fine "Sonic" story on its own merits. [7/10]