Sonic the Hedgehog (IDW): Issue 59

Sonic the Hedgehog (IDW): Issue 59

Publication Date: April 19th, 2023

Looking at the number in this issue of IDW's "Sonic the Hedgehog" comic is filling me with some thoughts. Maybe it's just because I was truly obsessed with Archie's "Sonic the Hedgehog" comic as a kid but I can't help and compare where the two series where at these same points in time. By issue 60, Archie "Sonic" had already killed off its main antagonist, during its first status quo shattering event story arc. Hundreds of characters already filled its world, multiple different Freedom Fighter teams being introduced all over the globe. Back story, magical MacGuffins, and romantic melodrama had already occupied the series' pages multiple times by this point. 

In comparison, as IDW nears its sixtieth issue, the cast numbers a little over fifty by my off-the-top-of-my-head count. The world is desperately lacking in detail right now, with the name of Sonic's home country or even the general geographical layout remaining a mystery. The backstories of the characters and world remain frustratingly vague, with most of the main characters essentially having none at all. Romance exists only in subtext. 

I'm not saying these differences make Archie "Sonic" better than IDW "Sonic." In fact, I'd say that IDW "Sonic" is, by most measures, a better comic than its predecessor. (In terms of art and writing, it's certainly a more consistent comic.) Yet the differences can't help but stick out to me. Especially when discussing the thus far subpar "Urban Warfare" story arc, continuing in issue 59, which might've easily been improved by a more detailed world with more readily defined stakes. 

Maybe the staff were aware of the lack of stakes up to this point, as part three of "Urban Warfare" — which has Evan Stanley taking over for Ian Flynn — is devoted to ramping them way the fuck up. Team Dark arriving does not makes things any easier for Sonic and his pals, as they are there on a totally unrelated mission. That is when Eggman makes himself known and drops a horde of super-powerful Shadow Androids over the city. This forces a temporary truce between the teams but even that is a prelude to a hasty retreat. Meanwhile, the still invisible and intangible Diamond Cutters investigate Eggman's control center... And return back to the main field of existence at the most inconvenient time. 

Like I said, the Ian Flynn penned half of "Urban Warfare" seem to focused on various characters using their superpowers to rip through a horde of unchallenging enemies in a largely empty city. It felt like a video game in the worst way. One assumes it was always plotted like this but Evan Stanley coming aboard immediately solves that problem. Eggman shows up pages in, giving a story previously without a concrete antagonist an obvious bad guy to cheer against. The army of Shadow Androids falling from the sky add an active threat to the heroes that they can't spindash through without breaking a sweat. In fact, the Shadow Androids are so powerful that it forces the good guys to fall back within minutes. 

Obviously, in this "Sonic the Hedgehog" comic, Sonic the Hedgehog and his friends are never going to actually die. Yet the Shadow Androids prove such an overwhelming adversary that I actually found myself thinking "How are they going to make it out of this one?" Tails panics. Amy begs for an escape. Blaze is shocked that a wall of fire does little to slow down the goons. See, that's how you get your reader invested in an action story! Even when the heroes are superpowered demigods that have fought off far worst villains before, you still have to make it seem like this latest problem might be the one time they don't all make it back. 

In fact, Stanley is so determined to make the scenario seem dire that she makes sure even the victories the heroes get here are short-lived. As the Shadow Android close in, the actual Shadow is asked to utilize his Chaos Control powers to even the odds. He's told that the artificial Chaos Emeralds powering the city should provide just as much juice as the real deal. It works, in the sense that the so-called Ultimate Lifeform beats back the synthetic imitators. Yet, immediately afterwards, Shadow's powers have some crazy interaction with the fake emeralds. The crystals' growth goes into overdrive and Shadow is overwhelmed by a surge of energy. Constantly upping the stakes like this are a good way to keep the suspense elevating. 

Considering this is part three of five, things going from bad to worst serve another purpose too: They insure that this issue has a hell of a cliffhanger. Following the explosion, Shadow is missing. Now the Restoration and Team Dark have to work together to find their mutual friend. Meanwhile, the temporary blip in power brings Tangle, Whisper, and Lanolin back to standard reality... And right into Eggman's lap. Since we are super invested in their fate as well, this provides another exciting note to pause the story on. I was going to be back next month anyway but a strong cliffhanger like this makes sure I'll want to be back next month. 

A much stronger structure insures issue 59 is much more compelling than the narratively inert last two issues. Yet Stanley still makes time for glimpses at the characters' personalities, making them more than just action heroes running through a standard plot. Sonic and Shadow snipe at each in their rival-tastic way. Rouge is flirty as ever, especially when Amy questions her on her real motivations for coming here. Omega gets lots of amusingly dry and snide comments in at the expense of the various fleshipoids around him. Shadow is personally insulted by the robotic copies of him. Eggman's villainous monologue is delightfully hammy. 

Even a single panel, showing Metal Sonic's unyielding glare while Eggman talks about his other inventions feels like insight into that particular cast member. (Especially since Metal Sonic seemingly feeling underappreciated feels like a developing plot point lately.) These are actually living, breathing people in this story, with personalities and quirks. We can never forget that, no matter how action packed the events around them might be. 

This is especially true of the Diamond Cutters. They aren't in physical danger for most of this story but they remain the most emotionally vulnerable of the cast members. When Whisper sees the Shadow Androids, she has a flashback to watching her friends die. This is beautifully illustrated by a panel of darkness closing in around her... That is until Tangle reaches out from beyond the veil and pulls her back. She gives her a big hug which I mistook for a kiss on the cheek at first. The three silently walk off together, Tangle and Lanolin supporting their friend. It's just a few series of panels on a story that is otherwise preoccupied by other stuff. Yet it counts for a lot, for Stanley to pause long enough to acknowledge that Whisper is on a serious emotional journey here. (Tangle and Lanolin's interaction remains as adorable as ever too, such as when the lemur interacts with her surroundings while still intangible.)

This issue doesn't just benefit greatly for swapping out writers. Thomas Rothlishberg did great last time but Adam Bryce Thomas pencilling this issue really gives it the epic scope it needed. As I've noted in the past, ABT's artwork sometimes gets ahead of itself during the action scenes. A series of panels devoted to Blaze grabbing Sonic and Amy and tossing them into the fray takes a minute or two to scan. The artist is determined to squeeze in so much detail that sometimes the panels get awfully small and cramped. Yet, when he brings it, he fucking brings it. An entire page is devoted to Shadow unleashing his Chaos Control on the Androids and it has the impact of a old-school Spaziante cover. Nearly a whole page is devoted to the Androids falling out of the sky or Eggman making his grandiose announcements, while Badniks circle around the structure. It adds a grand feeling to these events, making sure the scale of what is happening is really felt. 

And Thomas is just as good at the smaller gestures too. Sonic's unimpressed blank stare in response to Eggman's villainous monologue or Blaze going wide-eyed at Shadow's display of power are easily missed moments that made me chuckle at inappropriate volumes. While the writing does the heavy lifting in the emotional scene with Whisper, Thomas' pencils further help sell what is definitely the highlight of the issue. In other words, Adam Bryce Thomas continues to show that he's probably the best artist regularly working on this book despite the fierce competition all around him. 

And while I'm praising the artwork, let me give a shoutout to Natalie Haine's work on Cover B. It's a hand-painted image of Shadow confronting the Shadow Androids as they crowd around him. The brush scrolls are detailed and bring an otherwise still image to life. Haine was apparently influenced by Renaissance painters like Alexandre Cabanel, whose painting of Lucifer called "The Fallen Angel" specifically inspired the look of consternation in Shadow's eyes. That's, uh, not a sentence I ever expected to type. Anyway, issue 59 is a leaps-and-bounds improvement over the last two issues. I don't want to say that you can tell when Ian Flynn is phoning it in and when Evan Stanley is putting her heart and soul into something... But, well, I just wrote it so I guess I do want to say it. [8/10]