Sonic the Hedgehog (IDW): Issue 55

Sonic the Hedgehog (IDW): Issue 55

Publication Date: December 7th, 2022

I like to break IDW's "Sonic" comic into "seasons." It seems the writers do this as well. We are currently in, by my measure, the fourth season. The first year was taken up by Neo Metal Sonic's return. After that, the Metal Virus storyline took up the second "season" while, it seems, Dr. Starline's various machinations were the main point of the somewhat directionless third "season." Now, these mega-arcs don't correspond to a year's worth of comics. You know that's the case because what seems to be season four – with Surge and Kit as the primary antagonists – feels like it still has a lot of steam left and it's already December. Obviously, this latest story thread is going to stretch on for a while now. Until issue 75? Until issue 100? Who knows. Either way, it's clear that Surge and Kit aren't going anywhere any time soon, as they are the main threats of issue 55. 

Issue 55 is officially part four of the "Overpowered" arc, even though it feels more like the start of a new "episode" than another installment. Sonic and Tails have tracked Surge and Kit to the old Starline base that they have made their new home. Eggman, with Metal Sonic in tow, quickly arrives as well. He's determined to reclaim the Dynamo Cage. The four march into the base and quickly confront Surge, who is growing more powerful. Kit has also made the base harder to escape than Eggman expected. This forces a temporary truce between Sonic and Tails and Eggman and Metal Sonic, if they have any hope of taking down these dangerous mutual enemies. 

It's a classic action comic trope. The hero and his archenemy have to team-up against a stronger adversary or impending threat that threatens them both. This has happened in just about every long-running superhero comic or fighting anime. In fact, IDW "Sonic" has done this exact same gimmick before, during the latter days of the Metal Virus saga. It's pretty common throughout the "Sonic" franchise in general, now that I think about it, for Sonic and Eggman to put aside their differences long enough to defeat some world-destroying eldritch abomination or whatever. 

Even if it's practically a cliché by this point, there's a reason the "Sonic" franchise returns to this idea so often. It makes for good drama! We know Eggman hates Sonic. He never makes it a secret that he intends on crushing Sonic the minute Surge is defeated. We know that heroes and villains distrust each other. Forcing these two clashing personalities to work together adds a nice layer of tension to any story. This question of "Will Eggman betray Sonic at some point?" hovers over everything that happens in the second half of this issue, even if we can probably guess that won't happen. (Because if Eggman kills Sonic, the series is over.) Yet I still appreciate the attempt. Some fictional tropes are so overused because they work.

Having Sonic and Eggman reluctantly team up has another value too: Watching Eggman bitterly snipe at his archenemy is entertaining. In fact, the egg-obsessed villain emerges as the MVP of this issue. He gets several great moments all to himself. Such as when he detects Surge right over him, zapping her with his wrist-mounted laser. Or his ability to appreciate Starline's mad scientist skills while still making it all about his own genius, as displayed in the issue's second half. Evan Stanley and Adam Bryce Thomas clearly have fun with Eggman in this issue. He gets two amusing moments: When his attempt to sneak away from Surge is stymied by Starline's planning and when he sucks down a bottle of water what Sonic and Tails debate a truce. Good stuff. Always fun to watch Eggman ham it up. 

Eggman steals the show but it's clear that Surge is still the one getting the most character development this issue. The more we see of the electrified tenrec, the more her insecurities become clear. After realizing that Eggman and Sonic are working together, she flees into the shadows. Before slumping to the floor in Kit's command center, she hugs her knees in the darkness. She mumbles about how she's never going to be strong enough – how she's not enough – to keep her and her friend from getting hurt. It's been clear pretty much from the beginning that Surge's bravado has been a defense mechanism to cover up a bruised soul and this 100% confirms it. All of Surge's villainous acts have been motivated by the pain she feels from old wounds, with the fear of not being loved as the biggest one of all. 

I can't wait to see where the comic is going with Surge's psychological trauma. I really look forward to the details of her origins, whenever and however they emerge. But that one little nugget is all we get of angsty woobie Surge this issue. In fact, I'm beginning to wonder if Surge's thirst for power – and further special moves – isn't being played as some sort of addiction. When she digs the Chaos Emerald shard out of Eggman's mech, she desperately mutters "More. Need more." When she absorbs the power from that shard, it seems to give her a drug-like rush. One already suspects that Surge's need to be stronger, to beat back the (rather literal) voice in her head that she's not good enough, will be her downfall. If she starts to develop a dependency on getting charged up, that will add another layer of tragedy to her story. 

I'm glad Stanley sneaks these little moments of pathos into this issue, as it's otherwise focused on action scenes. With Thomas handling pencils, obviously the fight scenes are fun to look at. Sonic and Metal ping pong around the base, ending with a strong panel of the robot smashing the hedgehog into a wall. There's some really dynamic lay-outs on the page where Surge realizes her enemies are working together. Yet I have criticism alongside praise for Thomas' work this time. As noted in the past, whenever Surge's beam-weapon spewing superpowers are engaged, his art borders the incoherent. The panels devoted to Surge blasting a whole horde of Egg Pawns or ripping the legs of Eggman's mech with some eye beams are a little too stylized. There's also a few vivid facial close-ups in this issue that are a little too detailed. I don't know if we needed to see that much of Eggman and Surge's teeth. 

Nevertheless, this is a good issue... Though maybe it could've been a little better paced. After the five-way rumble, things get a little quieter. Sonic and Tails, with Eggman and Metal close behind, explore some of Starline's lab. This feels like it could've led up to some sort of revelation about Surge and Kit's pasts. That would've been a good place to end this issue. Instead, we skirt right past that and head into the second round of the fight between our heroes, their temporary allies, and the Imposters. That's where the issue ends, with a big dramatic splash page that would've made a bitchin' cover. I guess it's a sign that this issue drew me in and compelled me that my reaction was "Oh, it's over already?" at this point. Yet I still feel like kicking #56 off with the start of the fight, instead of pausing here, probably would've been a stronger ending. 

Still, I can't complain too much. Surge's angst continues to really grab my attention. Sonic and Eggman being forced to come together is a strong gimmick to build on. Thomas' artwork is excellent and I was left wanting more. We aren't quite done with IDW this year, as there's another issue of "Scrapnik Island" this month, yet I'm still feeling like 2022 was quite a good year for "Sonic's" four color adventures. [7/10]