Sonic the Hedgehog: Endless Summer

Sonic the Hedgehog: Endless Summer

Publication Date: August 30th, 2023

For the last four years, IDW have given “Sonic the Hedgehog” fans a nice bonus in the form of a four-issue mini-series running late in the year and into the next. At least two of these, “Tangle and Whisper” and “Scrapnik Island,” have easily become highlights of the entire series and immediate fan favorites. This year, however, the comic company is doing something a little differently. Instead of a mini-series, we are getting several one-shots in a row. Four exactly, proving that this deluge of one-shots is obviously meant to take the place of the traditional mini-series. Look forward to me rambling about the Amy Rose anniversary special, Sonic's 900th Adventure, and – OMG!!! – a Halloween special within the coming weeks and months.

The first of these endless special is “Endless Summer.” This is actually part of a cross-promotion IDW is doing among its licensed books this year. Alongside “Sonic,” IDW's continuation of the eighties “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles” cartoon, their tie-in series with the “Dungeons and Dragons” cartoon of a similar vintage, and the latest iteration of “My Little Pony” are also getting “Endless Summer” one-shots this month. The alternate covers for all four comics even link up, to form a neat connected image. Which is probably the closest we're ever going to get to Sonic having an adventure with Leonardo and Rainbow Dash. 

We don't know what Sonic's opinions on Abercrombie & Fitch and Chinese food is but he does spend this summer hanging with some girls. Tails is too busy tinkering with the Tornado to chill with his hedgehog bro. After racing into Restoration HQ to grab a tool for him, Sonic runs through Jewel's office. This is when he discovers that Jewel is feeling left out, as Tangle and Whisper have seemingly forgotten her after rekindling their partnership. To occupy herself, she's focused on her work. That's when Sonic decides that a beach day is in order. He drags Jewel to the beach with Tangle and Whisper. The pleasant vacation is interrupted when it's discovered that the Babylon Rogues are also on this beach. A not-so-friendly wager is started between the two groups to determine who gets the beach to themselves. 

This is Gale Galligan's third contribution to IDW's “Sonic” books, after a story in the 30th anniversary special and the 2021 FCBD edition. If those previous stories are anything to go by, Galligan's style is marked by chill, hang-out stories that luxuriate in the characters just enjoying each other's company. “Endless Summer” may, in fact, be the most chill single “Sonic the Hedgehog” comic book I've ever read. There's no mention of the world of being imperiled or a mission needing to be completed. I'm not sure Eggman's name even comes up once. Nobody attempts to murder anyone. Our heroes never fight any mechanic organisms designed only for killing. It really is all about hanging out on the beach with some fuzzy, cartoon animal people we've all grown somewhat attached to over the years. 

While there's plenty of valid criticisms to be brought against the current trend in “cozy fiction,” it's notable that Galligan doesn't let the laid-back tone of this story effect whether it has any stakes or not. Sonic and the gang competing with the Babylon Rogues for fun-time rights to the beach is, it turns out, enough conflict to drive this issue. Honestly, the way it's set up, with the different games and competitions happening right next to each other, the personal score appearing at the bottom of each page, you even feel a molecule of suspense here. As absurd as it sounds, I actually found myself excited to find out who would win this petty contest of beach ownership. That's when you know the writing is good, when a totally inconsequential contest still gets you turning the pages. I've never even played volleyball and barely understand the rules around it either, so it's another point for Galligan that they managed to make me care so much.

Naturally, the silly beach games is not the primary reason this particular story lured me in. Nervous, shy, workaholic Jewel once again proves a fruitful emotional center to based an issue on. Jewel, introduced as Tangle's BFF, hasn't had much to do in the comic recently. Making that canon, that the other characters overlooked her a bit too, is a smart decision. Moreover, you care about Jewel and her friendship with Tangle. You want to see the little misunderstanding worked out. Importantly, Jewel never gets jealous of Lanolin becoming the third member of Tangle and Whisper's throuple. She's way too soft-spoken for anything like that. It's a quiet, understandable kind of conflict and you're interested in seeing how it'll be resolved. Simple, laid-back character work like this is no less compelling than battles for the world's fate. 

And about Whisper and Tangle... It's been long established that these two are lovers, even if their romance is confined solely to subtext and insinuation due to Sega's reluctance to include explicit LGBT+ themes in their flagship series. In “Endless Summer,” IDW's creative crew take this suggestion about as far as they can without outright admitting it. Jewel says Tangle and Whisper spend all their time together. They play in the surf, the usually reserved Whisper happy to cling to Tangle's tail and laughing as she gets splashed. It's a rare panel here where they aren't next to each other. In one particularly suggestive dialogue exchange, Jewel even mentions that Tangle and Whisper know how to “have a good time together.” Like, you'd have to be blind and severely concussed not to get it at this point. I don't think it could be anymore obvious if IDW actually had Sonic say “My god, these bitches gay.” 

In the past, I've made it known that I'm not exactly a fan of the Babylon Rogues. I find them to be bland characters, the best of times. The one time they worked alright in this comic book, any character development they received was quickly undone. However, the trio is at least used well enough in this particular story. They remain in-character throughout. Jet is an egomaniac eager to prove his own superiority. Wave is technically inclined. Storm is the big dumb guy, I guess. (He doesn't do much here.) It's another testament to Galligan's skill that these three are recognizable without being annoying. By the end, they've even become something like friendly rivals with Sonic and the others. For a low-key story like this, a trio of mild adversaries – whose personalities can be established within a few words – work well enough.

It took two artists to bring this particular story to life. Tracy Yardley handles the first half, while Thomas Rothlisberger takes over in the second half. Since he's step down as a regular “Sonic” illustrator, to only occasionally contribute art, I have to say that Yardley's work has improved a lot. For a character centric story like this, his talent for memorable and expressive faces really come in handy. Sonic's smirks, Tangle's glares, everyone's goofy smiles, truly come to life here. Rothliserger's character work isn't quite as consistent as Yardley's but his action scenes are energetic and lively. It must also be said that everyone looks absolutely adorable in their beach fits. Jewel's little sundress is adorable, as are Tangle and Whisper's very practical swimsuits. 

In short: “Endless Summer” hardly reinvents the wheel and isn't a great example of grand dramatic themes or narrative opulence. Instead, it's just... Nice. It's an extremely pleasant comic book and I'm glad I got to read. Sometimes you just want to hang out with people you like, even if those people are blue hedgehogs and hyperactive lemurs! I read this on my deck, while a nice summer breeze made the August heat manageable. I was so relaxed afterwards, I took a nap. I think that's just about the ideal conditions to consume this bit of sun-baked levity. Highly recommended! [8/10]

Sonic Prime, Episode 2.07: Cracking Down

Sonic Prime, Episode 2.07: Cracking Down

Original Release Date: July 13th, 2023

The seventh episode of “Sonic Prime's” second season begins by immediately dismissing the cliffhanger from the previous episode. It turns out Sonic and Nine were never in any danger from the Chaos Council barging in. The fox and hedgehog throw the Paradox Prism shards into super special garbage bins before running out of the building. Being heavily pursued, Sonic isn't able to use his special shoes to open a portal himself. Instead, he leaps through the portals the Chaos Council have already opened, landing in No Place. He does this again, running through Boscage Maze. Both worlds are under attack. There, Sonic is finally able to get up enough speed to take Nine to the Void, meet up with Shadow, and arrive in Ghost Hill – the strangely empty recreation of Green Hills. There, Nine goes about reassembling the Paradox Prism... But the danger isn't over yet.

The structure of “Sonic Prime” over the course of its two seasons – which has really been one season split in two, no matter what anyone says – has been clear for quite a while. The first eight episodes were devoted to setting up the multi-verse premise and showing us the different worlds we'd be jumping between. The second season has been devoted to actually playing off all that set-up, having Sonic jump between the worlds while looking for a while to fix up the ShatterVerse. And now that Sonic and Nine have all the shards back in their position, the story is clearly moving towards a climax of sorts. Getting to this point has sometimes – frequently – been tedious. Seeing the story start to actually move in a big way towards a destination does feel nice.

Sadly, “Prime” is not the kind of show that differs from expectations. Even this close to the finish line, when the show is clearly preparing to wrap up its first big arc, it can't help but be limply repetitive. Most of “Cracking Down” is devoted to Sonic taking Nine on a little tour of the ShatterVerse. At this point in the series, what is the purpose of a scene like that? The audience already knows all of these places by now. Nine has never been to these alternate universes. Yet he's very familiar with the multi-verse idea. The very first scene of this episode shows him landing in the Grim for the first time. It feels a little bit like “Prime” spinning its wheels, revisiting these locations just to check in on everybody and what's happening there. It's not necessary. 

Even though “Prime” has had plenty of time to resolve all its lingering plot points, “Cracking Down” still has to nervously rush through a few unresolved story elements. While racing through New Yolk City to a portal, Sonic and Nine run into Dread. As I predicted last time, the pirate echidna has moved into an antagonistic role. He wants his treasure above everything else, obviously putting him into conflict with Sonic and Nine. If you're hoping that particular plot point is going to be resolved here, don't get your hopes up. Our heroes have to rush off to other parts before that can happen, leaving Knocks to deal with his double. Meanwhile, the Chaos Council's invasions of different realms go on, though not in any particularly active way. 

There's one element to the multi-verse premise that isn't addressed too often. As Nine is whisked between worlds, he catches a peek at other versions of himself. He stops and stares in confused awe at Sails, who returns a similar dumbstruck glare. In Boscage Maze, he has a similar interaction with Mangey. Once he lands in Ghost Hill, he takes a long look at the ghostly image of Tails. Here's the thing: In every alternate universe, there are many different aspects between all the versions of Tails... But there are many similarities too. This suggest that certain things about our personalities are preordained. That we have no control over some elements of our lives. That's, ya know, kind of terrifying. Knowing that free will is an illusion, up to a certain point, would send anyone into an existential freefall.

Of course, “Sonic Prime” is a children's cartoon. It doesn't touch on that. When even multi-verse stories for adults, like “Everything Everywhere All at Once,” can barely be asked to commit on this issue, I wouldn't expect a kid's show to do it. Yet that meaningful look between Nine and all his counterparts suggests something of this nature. When he comes face-to-face with the repeating spectre of Sonic's best pal, he comments how they don't look that similar. The very first scene of this episode shows Nine arriving in the Grim and planning something. In the final scene, Shadow asks Sonic how he knows he can trust this guy. That's an interesting idea. That the little guy Sonic thought he could trust turns out to be one of the bad guys. Because he assumed every version of Tails was just like his Tails. He even introduces Nine to Thorn Rose as “Tails Nine,” only for the fox to correct him. I have no idea if this is going anywhere. I doubt it is. Yet this is probably the closest “Prime” is going to get to any of the points I raised above.

Now, we already know that Nine and Sonic don't exactly have the same goals in mind. Nine wants to create a perfect world, start over from scratch. Sonic wants to restore what once was lost. If this becomes an actual plot point, it could speak to the different ways people deal with grief. Are these opposing objectives going to run into each other? Or is this going to become another one of “Prime's” dangling plot points that will be pushed further down the line? I guess we'll see in the last episode of “Prime's” first or second season. Assuming “Prime” isn't going to once again completely waste all the potential it seems to have.

Taken on its own, I guess “Cracking Down” is an okay episode. It moves at a fast clip, the action is strong and constant. Interesting ideas are presented. Yet I can't escape this feeling that the show is going to drop all the balls it is juggling. Because it hasn't caught a one yet. I know there are people out there who have enjoyed “Sonic Prime.” As the show moves towards the climax of its first proper story arc, I don't have much hope that'll reach any sort of satisfying ending. Excuse my pessimism. Maybe I'll be wrong and it'll stick the landing. Sure. [6/10]

Sonic Prime, Episode 2.06: Double Trouble

Sonic Prime, Episode 2.06: Double Trouble

Original Release Date: July 13th, 2023

I'm fourteen episodes into “Sonic Prime” and I just now realized something: A lot of these episodes, maybe all of them, end on a cliffhanger. It only takes a minute of thought to reason how why this is the case. “Prime” is a Netflix show. Most of the streaming service's success is based around how long people's eyeballs are glued to their app. Having every episode end in a perilous place insures that viewers don't press a damn thing when the “Play Next Episode” button comes up. It's writing designed, first and foremost, in order to service Netflix's binge format of episode releasing. Creativity servicing technology and not the other way around. Welcome to life in the 21st century, fuckers.

Anyway, the point of this rambling introduction is the previous episode ended on probably “Prime's” biggest cliffhanger yet: Seemingly the introduction of this show's version of Metal Sonic. Quickly revealing himself to be named Chaos Sonic, the hedgehog and his robotic double battle all throughout New Yolk City. While the heroes are distracted, the Chaos Council uses their newly minted shard technology to begin conquering other universes. The mutiversal implications of the situation really dawn on the characters when Dread finally makes himself known, Renegade Knocks meeting another version of himself. It all comes to a head, kind of, when Sonic rushes into the center of the fray to rescue Nine.

In his previous appearances in “Sonic the Hedgehog” cartoons, Metal Sonic has not exactly been a very talkative character. He has exactly one line of dialogue in the OVA and I'm not sure he said anything during his brief appearances in “Boom.” Even in the video games and comics, where Metal Sonic is a featured character far more often, he's still a robot of few words. It seems almost everyone agrees that Sonic's robotic doppelganger is more effective when he keeps his mouth shut. After all, he's Metal Sonic, a material not exactly known for being expressive and yielding. The machine's personality doesn't often extend much further beyond “Priority One: Hedgehog” anyway, so there's no need for him to be all that talkative. 

“Sonic Prime” goes in a radically different direction with their version. We know Chaos Sonic is called Chaos Sonic because he calls himself that. In fact, the evil robot rarely stops talking whenever he's on-screen. He chatters at his fleshy counterpart non-stop, constantly belittling him and espousing his own superiority. A talkative Metal Sonic is not a totally unprecedented choice. Archie Comics managed to do something similar with Shard and turned him into a fan favorite. However, in the case of Chaos Sonic, it is fucking annoying. Probably because the quips are so completely non-stop. Even Sonic himself comments on how irritating the non-stop yaking and joking is. I guess the idea of Sonic's evil double exaggerating his traits to more irritating levels has some validity... But did “Prime's” writers have to go quite this far in making him annoying?

Chaos Sonic's characterization speaks to a problem I've referenced before with this show. Are the villains suppose to be intimidating or goofy? The constantly gabbing robot hedgehog – his eyes are emojis too, in case you thought he wasn't irritating enough – isn't the only example of this here. At one point, the Chaos Council get to bickering about how to divide up their empire. Their argument gets petty extremely quickly. On one hand, I don't entirely hate this. It gives the bad guys some personality and, after all, it would make sense that a whole league of Eggmen would let their egos get in the way. Yet it doesn't go far to make them creditable threats. Especially when the baby has the idea to just split their spoils up. 

Previously, I had complained that, when granted a MacGuffin of immeasurable power with the potential to conquer a multi-verse, the Chaos Council instead used the Paradox Prism shards to make slightly tougher robots than usual. At least this episode sees the villains use the power source they've been chasing all series to actually do some malicious shit. They open portals to the other worlds and begin to establish cities there. If New Yolk City is a dystopian city, the Council trying to spreads that same crushing conformity to every other dimension out there is a pretty evil scheme. (And it's pointed out that more worlds are out there in the ShatterVerse, so every member of the Chaos Council get a world to themselves. And “Prime” gets further places to explore next season.) 

If that moment represents “Prime” finally utilizing its multi-verse set-up for more than just a gimmick, the episode goes a little further too. Knuckles the Dread, having been in New Yolk for a few episodes, finally runs into his counterpart. While the series certainly made it seem like, up to this point, that Dread would be an antagonist, he instead immediately begins helping the New Yolk rebels in fighting their enemies. That seems like a bit of a waste, considering what has been set up. Yet the scenes of the two Knuckles being confused and surprised by each other, and finding they have some things in common, are amusing. I don't know if Dread will come into conflict with the rebels eventually but that moment manages to justify its own existence. 

If “Prime” has been a show frustratingly short on character development up to this point, I will give “Double Trouble” credit for trying a little harder in that regard. Nine Tails escapes his bounds – way too easily, I might add – and goes about assisting Sonic and the gang. After the hedgehog hero catches up with the alternate version of his sidekick, Nine expresses some guilt over his role in the Council's plot. Sonic immediately resolves him of this shame, telling him that he's still his buddy and it's okay. It's a moment that has a nice parallel with Sonic's own arc. During one of his many, many mocking asides, Chaos Sonic reminds his heroic double that all of this shit is technically his fault. It's interesting that Sonic can forgive his friends for their mistakes but has so much trouble forgiving his own. 

Of course, that moment of Chaos Sonic pointing out Regular Sonic's role in this catastrophe is abruptly cut short by Dread sailing in and picking a fight. Similarly, Sonic and Nine's dialogue immediately rams into the needs of the plot. The duo get right to grabbing the Shards before the bad guys rush in to provide this episode's obligatory “Keep watching, you fuckers!” non-ending. Yet I'm willing to give “Double Trouble” a little more points than usual, if only because “Prime” has been so anemic on the character development side. A little goes a long way in a drought, ya know? 

Action, as always, is the focus here. As obnoxious as Chaos Sonic is, his robotic body does lend itself to some cool fight scenes. He can twirl around and bend his limbs in all sorts of non-biological ways. The way Sonic momentarily defeats his robotic copy is mildly clever, as is the one-liner Sonic delivers afterwards. There's also a cool shot from Chaos Sonic's P.O.V. as he's wailing on Sonic. “Prime” is a good looking show, there's no denying that. Yet I have found myself continuously wishing the writers worked as hard as the animators. “Double Trouble” represents some possible positive moments forward, even if it introduces an antagonist that is surely irksome. Will the show start to improve from here? It's hard to get my hopes up too much but I guess we'll see. [6/10]

Sonic Prime, Episode 2.05: A Madness to Their Methods

Sonic Prime, Episode 2.05: A Madness to Their Methods

Original Release Date: July 13th, 2023

With the fifth episode of the second season, "Sonic Prime" returns to its first alternate universe of New Yolk City. Without the Chaos Council to rule the city, Rebel Rouge and her resistance fighter have largely liberated the city. As the Council returns with three Prism shards, they build powerful new weapons and attempt to refasten their iron grip on the city. With Sonic arriving alongside the Eggmen, he helps the rebels defend their newly liberated home and fight his way back to the shards. 

The "Sonic Prime" creative staff can't seem to decide how creditable a threat the Chaos Council is. They are the primary antagonists of the series after all, ostensibly the biggest danger to the ShatterVerse. Yet, on a personal level, these guys aren't much more than technically proficient buffoons. I'm not just talking about how they spend so much time bickering amongst themselves nor how they seem to loose every one-on-one fight they have with the good guys. I mean, they just aren't very observant or clever villains. This episode marks seemingly the first time the Council is aware of Nine secretly communicating with Sonic. I think the show is trying to play it as the bad guys knowing about his deception and just waiting for the right time to capitalize on it. But the actual evidence doesn't seem to back that up. You can see their lack of cunning in what the gang does once they've got all the Prism Shards together. They... Build bigger, tougher Eggforcers. This massive lack of creativity is even called out by Nine. These are the guys who are threatening the multiverse?!

The Council quarrel among themselves constantly. They talk about conquering multiverse and yet, when gifted a reality-altering power source, all they can think to do is build a bigger gun to point at the rebels in their own city. Despite their displayed incompetence, the show is still treating these guys like serious villains. They have basically come out on-top every episode this season, including this one. Without little actual skill being shown, it just seems like these five are dangerous purely through luck and contrivance. I don't mind Sonic's archenemy being goofy – I like Long John Baldry's Robotnik – but I'm just consistently underwhelmed by these guys. They aren't serious enough to be threatening villains and they aren't absurd enough to be likable nut jobs. 

And, once again, the most frustrating part of this is that it doesn't have to be this way. There's a scene in this episode that is quite good. The toupeed Mr. Dr. Eggman confronts Nine, suspecting his treachery. He uses the boy's own cockiness against him to not only reveal his secret but also to provide the Council with a better idea. At least one of the Eggmen is capable of being a threat that can observe his opponents and plan accordingly. This shows that "Prime's" writers and directors could have given us a halfway decent villain. Instead, they decided to just latch lame gimmicks to the character and have them stumble their way towards ShatterVerse-wide domination.

Even if that individual moment is good, what is the brilliant idea that Nine unknowingly gives the doctors? As the final minute of the episode reveals, it's to build their own version of Metal Sonic. The episode treats this like a big reveal. And I guess it is. Yet it really is just another example of the Council's total lack of ingenuity. When pushed to use their massive new power source to create a tide-turning weapon, they simply create a robot double of Sonic. Sure, Metal Sonic and all his variants are a proud, reoccurring part of the blue hedgehog's rogue gallery. Yet it doesn't seem like that big of a deal, on a practical level. There's still three episodes in season two to go, so presumably the Council will eventually cook up a proper doomsday device to put all of these different realities in peril. I don't foresee one (1) robot hedgehog accomplishing that. This makes the final scene of "A Madness to Their Method" seem more like a nod to long-time "Sonic" fans, instead of a proper cliffhanger in its own right. 

That's exactly what it is, isn't it? Because, once again, I have to remember that "Prime" has never been meant to stand alone as its own narrative. This show is simply all about getting mildly altered versions of Sonic's friends and enemies on-screen and having them doing stuff. This episode certainly provides that. By returning to New Yolk City, we get to see a lot more of Rebel Rouge and her resistance fighters. Yes, once again, there are quite a few action scenes. Though none of them are as elaborate at the tracking shots and helicopter kicks we saw in the last few episodes. Seems to mostly boil down to Eggforcers exploding in a handful of ways. Via spin-dashes, punches, and bazookas. Once again, "Prime" seems to indecisively place these new, heavily armored Eggforcers as both a perilous new threat to our heroes and robot goons that can easily be clipped through.

This is a me problem. I'm one of those people who demand character depth and consistent narratives from TV shows. "Prime" isn't that kind of rodeo. Yet I have to bring up the nagging fact that this program is giving me a suggestion that it could be more than just Sonic's friends in different hats, smashing robots. Before the Council arrives back in New Yolk, there's a scene of Rebel and Knocks watching kids play with the remains of Eggforcers. They talk about how the city is peaceful now, how there might be hope for the future. I guess this is ultimately exposition. To establish that the Resistance have dismantled the Council's defenses while they are gone. Yet it gives us a peek at the interior lives of these two, what they believe in and fight for. Similarly, there are occasional interactions between the heroes that suggest they do have more going on behind their eyes, that they are more than just action figures to smash together. Rebel is a passionate and compassionate person. Knocks' rough-and-tumble exterior hides a goofier inside. They all care about their teammates. It's something.

You see this in regards to Sonic too. I return to the initial synopsis that was released for "Prime," this vague promise that Sonic would have to deal with the consequences of his own actions. A few things the blue hedgehog says suggest he is feeling guilty for causing this whole mess. He feels bad that Nine is endangered and that the Council has gotten this close to greater power. Every time it feels like "Prime" is starting to zoom in on Sonic's actual personality, it pulls back. He goes right back to quibbing during the fights and joking around with his pals. Yes, yes, I know, that's what Sonic does. He doesn't angst about his problems. He runs fast and slings one-liners. Those are his attributes, not his personality. This seems to be the biggest problem "Prime" has, mistaking the stuff a character does with the complicated thoughts that push them into action.

One of Knocks' attributes, we learn, is a hatred of pirates. Considering the last episode made a big deal about Dread stowing away on the Council's space craft, and we see him arrive in New Yolk here, you'd expect there to be some kind of conflict between these different versions of everyone's favorite red echidna. Not yet. Presumably this is something "Prime" intends to get to soon enough. Dread's one line of dialogue here is him obsessing over his "treasure" again – that seems to be his sole attribute – and that makes me suspect the pirate will inadvertently help the Resistance get the shards away from the Council. (His one scene also has him falling helplessly through the air, as if he forgot he can glide.) Still, with "Prime" being such a massively underwhelming program up to this point, that minor plot point can't help but seem like more wasted potential to me. It will be important later, it's not important now. Don't worry about it and enjoy the pyrotechnics. 

I'm tempted to give this episode a slightly higher grade than the last few, simply because I really did enjoy those very brief scenes between Rebel and Knocks, was well as Mr. Dr. Eggman's interrogation of Nine. Yet my main complaint with this show, its staggering refusal to try a little harder and include a little more depth in its wildly inconsistent and deeply underwritten plot, remains. Am I being too hard on "Prime?" Is it really this mediocre? Have I become too much of a nagging old man to enjoy a light-weight action cartoon for what it is? Or does Netflix intentionally sabotage its original programming so that they aren't too compelling and threaten the weird algorithm metrics that control our modern age of streaming? I don't know the answer to any of these questions, for sure, but I do know I've got three more installments of this season to gripe about. [5/10]

Sonic the Hedgehog (IDW): Issue 63

Sonic the Hedgehog (IDW): Issue 63 

Publication Date: August 16th, 2023

There was a time in my life when looking forward to the newest “Sonic the Hedgehog” comic book took up a lot of my time. I would re-read the issues I already had endlessly, pondering about the backstories of these characters and the world they live in. Wondering what might happen next. When a new issue arrived in the mail, I would jump up and down with glee, ready to see where the story went next. That time has long since past. That specific “Sonic” comic book isn't even being published anymore. More pressingly, I have a lot more bullshit in my life to deal with now than back then. I don't want to suggest that I plan to stop writing about the adventures of Sega's blue hedgehog. Perhaps my passions has cooled a little but I intend to keep Hedgehogs Can't Swim going for as long as possible. Instead, I'm merely trying to explain my most recent absence. Life got in the way. I forgot a new issue of IDW “Sonic” even came out. But I'm back, back again, now that the latest crisis is resolved. Hopefully you'll be seeing more of me around here soon enough, to the half-dozen or so people who still read my deranged rambling. 

Anywho! Hey, you know something those old “Sonic the Hedgehog” comics had the new ones have been lacking? Back-up stories! Archie was famous for packing as many fucking stories as possible into their pages. While IDW has mostly ignored this tradition, issue 63 represents a bold return to this oft-overlooked format. The first 11 pages is devoted to a cover story from Evan Stanley, centered on the Diamond Cutters, while Ian Flynn provides an 8-page back-up story about Sonic and Blaze. This strikes me as a good way to let both writers play to their strengths, allowing the comic to grow its unique cast while also making sure Sonic still gets something to do in his own book. It's a good strategy so now let's see how it played out.

Stanley's “Misadventures, Part 1” picks up where we left off last time. Mimic, in the guise of Duo the Cat, has successfully integrated himself into the new, improved Diamond Cutters. A chance encounter Whisper and Tangle have with Silver encourages the future-flung hedgehog – who is still struggling with what to do in the present day – to also become an in-training Diamond Cutter. While exploring a robot-infested part of Green Hills, Silver and Duo are attacked by an enormous Badnik... And the undercover villain makes a duplicitous move. Meanwhile, in Flynn's “Speed Sightseeing,” Sonic and Blaze race through Spagonia. The high-speed race and subsequent hang-out allows the Sol Dimension princess to talk out some of the things she's been feeling here of late.  

Literally a year ago, in 2022's annual, Evan Stanley introduced the idea that Silver is feeling adrift in the current timeline. With no impending apocalypse to overturn, he doesn't know what to do with himself. The book had to table that particular plot point as it spent a year with Scourge's quest for power and the overly long “Urban Warfare” arc. With that out of the way, Stanley can pick up essentially where she had left off. This story doesn't really dig any deeper into what or why Silver is feeling. It more-or-less reiterates what that Annual story did. But if the book is going to continue to utilize Silver in the cast, I'm glad that the story reasons for this time traveler to be around are being integrated with his personal character growth. Silver is always best utilized when he's an awkward nerd anyway, so having him be looking for his place in the world is as good of a use as any for him.

While Silver's uncertainty about his purpose is the definite heart of this story, it does not occupy the plot very much. Instead, this cover story is really focused on Mimic's on-going betrayal. As soon as Silver shows up at the training grounds, “Duo” is on-guard. Instead of observing the situation and plotting what to do next, Mimic/Duo takes the first chance he can to murder Silver. After a giant robot fish randomly attacks – not the smoothest of plot points, by the way – “Duo” immediately attempts to leave Silver in the machine's jaws, effectively murdering him. Or at least manslaughtering him. This comes after he trips the hedgehog while he's showing off his telekinesis by lifting some big-ass rocks. 

All of this raises an obvious question: Is Mimic a good assassin? One assumes that a proper death merchant would wait until he was alone with his intended target before attempting to kill them. Mimic just goes for it, the first chance he gets. He trips Silver out in the open and then leaves him to be crushed by the robot well within shouting distance of the other Diamond Cutters. I guess any professional killer worth their salt would leap at an opportunity when they see one but these moments suggest that Mimic might be a little too eager to knock someone off. If his job is to infiltrate the Restoration and steal some weapons for Clutch, maybe he shouldn't be so trigger-happy with the murderous impulses? 

Perhaps this is nitpicking. If “Duo” didn't try to not-that-subtly sabotage Silver, no one would notice. It's clear that the tension of the “Misadventures” story will revolve around the suspicions Silver has of the new recruit. Whisper does see Duo trip Silver and she immediately joins him in suspecting something is up with the new guy. By the final page of this story, Whisper has already deduced that Duo is probably Mimic, a revelation maybe we should've taken a little longer getting too. What really bugs me here is that Lanolin accuses Silver of being too hard on the newbie, when he points out that Duo left him to die. There's a way to play this where Lanolin and the others don't seem like complete idiots for dismissing Silver's very valid concerns so casually. Unfortunately, for that to happen, Mimic will have to be a much better spy. 

If the goal of this story is to have Silver and Whisper team up on rooting out a mole (or, in this case, an octopus), that's fine! I love to see an unexpected pairing of characters like that, watching the unique ways they play off each other. We already get a little bit of that here, when the naturally sneaky Whisper startles the nervous Silver. If this story is mostly going to be devoted to the other Diamond Cutters constantly giving the obvious murderer-in-their-midst a pass, in order to keep the plot rolling... That is going to get tiresome quickly. I guess it all depends on how long Evan wants things to play out before “Duo” is revealed as a turncoat. 

If Stanley's story smuggles Silver's on-going character development in among action beats, Flynn's story has the action take a backseat to character development. Proving once again that this issue is a sequel to last year's annual, Blaze is still having her own personal crisis. Instead of just framing Blaze's decision to spend more time in Sonic's dimension as a work-life balance issue, like the last story on this subject did, Blaze is clearly wondering if it's her duty to protect both realms. That's a heavy premise with a lot of room to explore, baked into the question of how responsible those with power are in keeping everyone safe. Sadly, Sonic just reduces it again to the fiery princess needing a vacation. A little bit of angst isn't bad sometimes, Ian!

Having said that, I really do appreciate an entirely character-based story like this. There's no fighting at all here. No evil robots appear, no eldritch abominations or contrived MacGuffins of doom threaten the world. It's eight whole pages devoted to Sonic and Blaze running around a scenic location, chilling atop a clock tower, and talking about what's on their minds. Especially in the aftermath of a numbingly action packed arc like “Urban Warfare,” I enjoyed just being able to hang out with these two. It's nice that Sonic's friends are allowed to have doubts and emotional concerns. It's even better when they get to actually talk about them, without being sidetracked by a bad guy barging in.

Which brings me to my last, most trivial point... The way Sonic and Blaze interact in this story seems very familiar. The cat references the two spending a lot of time together lately. We see them eating in a restaurant and going on a shopping excursion. The way they race alongside each other in a way that's clearly more playful than competitive... Is it just me or are these two flirting? We know any sort of explicit romance is off-the-table in this book, on direct orders from Sega. But this also isn't the first time I've picked up on some romantic chemistry between Sonic and Blaze in this book. Am I just an old Sonic/Sally shipper, desperate to see the hedgehog dating a princess? Maybe. If nothing else, the possibly unintentional hinting at romantic feelings does elevate the story more, making it even more pleasant and relaxing. 

Two artists handle both stories, further allowing each tale to have their own personality. Stanley does the pencils herself for “Misadventures,” while Valentina Pento provides the colors. The slightly thicker lines and somewhat more muted color palette allows Stanley's facial expressions more room to breath, while making sure the action sequences are coherent too. Pento's colors are especially nicely used in the final scene, where Silver and Whisper meet up in what looks like a misty graveyard. Aaron Hammerstein does the pencils for “Speed Sightseeing.” His high-energy artwork and crisp lines are well suited to a speed-centric story like this. I also like the goofy faces Blaze and Sonic make when the clock tower dongs late in the story. Rik Mack's inks and Reggie Graham's colors make sure the story feels vibrant. Good looking issue!

Whether the cover plot will play out in a way that amuses me or pisses me off remains to be seen.  However, I really enjoyed this issue balancing personality-expanding dialogue with its more pertinent story decisions. The back-up, in particular, is really good. Moreover, I like splitting the book in two like this, as it seems like it allows a little more room for everyone to focus on the smaller stuff. It seems like anytime I like the beginning of an IDW arc, the positive qualities are fumbled by the end. Yet issue 63 is a good one, so I'm going to try and stay upbeat about the future for once. [7/10]

Sonic Prime, Episode 2.04: No Way Out

Sonic Prime, Episode 2.04: No Way Out

Original Release Date: July 13th, 2023 

Picking up where the previous episode of “Sonic Prime” left off, “No Way Out” begins with Knuckles the Dread and his crew pretty pissed at Sonic. Convinced he's going to steal the Prism shard – that the echidna has very quickly gotten extremely attached to – they begin to pursue the hedgehog. At the same time, Dr. Deep and Dr. Done-It continue to pursue both parties. Only a temporary truce is formed when it becomes apparent that the Eggmen want to destroy both parties. Soon enough, the mother ship arrives in No Place and this becomes even more of a race against time than before.

A fictional troupe I really can't stand is when characters end up at each other's throats over a misunderstanding that could be totally avoided if everyone just stopped for one minute and explained things to each other. It is the definition of contrived to me. That's exactly what the end of the last episode of “Prime” seemed to be setting up. “No Way Out” remains totally committed to this completely asinine plot turn. Sonic even somewhat explains what he's doing but Dread remains obsessively fixated on regaining the Shard. The script tries to cook up a facile excuse here: It seems Dread has immediately been corrupted by the Shard's energy, the minute he charged it through his sword and shot a lightning bolt out of it. If that's the case, why does the crew totally go along with a clearly unhinged plan? Even the cold and logical Rusty Rose – who just joined up with the pirates and presumably doesn't have the sense of loyalty to the captain that everyone else does – never questions this strategy. 

It is, simply put, writing that lacks much depth. Yet this is not surprising, as the characters in “Sonic Prime” aren't really characters. They are bits, gimmicks designated to a specific cast member with one defining characteristic, never meant to be expanded beyond that. Dread is a pirate, which means he's absolutely fixated on getting his treasure and willing to cross any moral boundaries in pursuit of that goal. You see this commitment to one-note character descriptions in pretty much every cast member here. In this episode, we learn that Dr. Deep does yoga to center and calm himself. Because, of course, he's an exaggerated parody of hipster stereotypes, something you can tell just from looking at him. Similarly, Dr. Done-It is a craggy old man who is utterly dismissive of the younger doctor's new age practices. Dr. Don't is a gamer kid, Dr. Babble is a baby. So on and so forth. Referring to this show's characters as “archetypes” seems insufficient. They are more like thin sketches that the show is stubbornly refusing to expand past.

While I'm here, can I just point out that making fun of hipsters is a horribly passe joke? The type of stereotype Dr. Deep is obviously meant to invoke doesn't even really exist in this form anymore. Yes, people who lord their own esoteric knowledge over everyone else, and are especially proud of their supposed mastery of exotic techniques, will always exist. Yet the specific person this character is making fun – the elaborate facial hair, the man-bun, the quirky tattoos, the vintage style clothing – is at least ten years out-of-date. I don't know what 2023's version of the hipster is – film bros, I guess? – but it's culturally irrelevant. Designing a character around the thesis of “What if Eggman was a hipster?” and then refusing to go any further than that is representative of “Prime's” entire problem: An unwillingness to allow its one-note character to become actual people.

Maybe this is an unfair criticism. After all, Sonic the Hedgehog himself is a fairly simplistic character. He's a quibby, super-fast, mascot with 'tude who is devoted to his friends above all else. Yet even that seems a little too complex for “Prime.” Their Sonic isn't really all that sarcastic or radical. He's kind of depressing, honestly. Throughout this show, he's gotten in over his head, runs fast when all else fails, and repeatedly emphasizes how much he cares about his buddies. There's potential with that. We almost see a brief spark of something deeper, when the Chaos Council threatens Nine unless Sonic gives them the Shard. Sonic instead finds a third option, which is a very Sonic-y thing to do, yet it's basically just set-up for another action scene. 

In a series where the characters are so static, Rusty Rose remains the one cast member seemingly allowed to evolve any. Over the course of the last two episodes, her and Black Rose have gone from resenting and distrusting each other to discovering they have a lot in common. This is the standard buddy cop movie arc, where two mismatched partners go from hating one another to being in love. Since Rusty is also a largely emotionaless cyborg, this also shows the way she's continuing to become a little more human. Once again, this is not incisive and extremely well thought out writing. It's basic stuff. Yet in a show that is this anemic on the heart meter, I'm latching onto what I can. 

It's not just the character work that is leaving something to be desired. Season two of “Sonic Prime” is proving to be even more formulaic than the first. Almost every episode this season has followed the same outline. Sonic and the chosen gang from this dimension go chasing after the Prism shard. They are pursued by members of the Chaos Council. Lots of fighting ensues but, despite the best efforts of the good guys, the Council makes it away with the shard. This has happened twice now. It's clear that this is building towards a dramatic climax, where the villains almost win. Yet, in effect, this isn't just predictable. It also makes Sonic and the gang look wildly unqualified to be saving the multiverse. 

I know I keep returning to this point but there's really only one thing that distinguishes “Prime” in my eyes. Yes, you guessed it: The action sequences. The animators really flex during the scene where Sonic and Dread's crew are fighting off a fleet of Eggforcers, the camera focused on the shard as it bounces from person to person. Yet the best moment doesn't even involve Sonic. Instead, while floating around the Void, Shadow starts to mess with Dr. Don't by throwing big rocks at their ship. It's a funny moment that invokes a different mood than sheer spectacle, invoking humor and just a bit of suspicion. Need more shit like that!

I feel like I'm repeating myself but I guess it's this show that is repeating itself. I don't know, you guys. I swear I'm not trying to shit on “Prime.” I know there are plenty of Sonic fans out there who are enjoying it. Yet, every time it feels like this show might become something I enjoy, it pulls back again and relies on more lazy writing. Most incarnations of “Sonic” have won me over eventually and there's still time for this one to do that. Yet “No Way Out” is not the point where “Prime” has found its voice, if that point is to ever come. [5/10]