Sonic the Hedgehog (IDW): Issue 66

Sonic the Hedgehog (IDW): Issue 66

Publication Date: November 8th, 2023

I suppose I should be used to "Sonic the Hedgehog" comics sometimes feeling directionless. Lord knows, Archie's "Sonic" books would meander for months on end, with no clear concept leading events on. Yet when IDW's "Sonic" starts to spin its wheels, the feeling is always more acute to me. Usually because the series will just start doubling down on elements I don't care about. Like the Zetis, magical plot devices, or the Babylon Rogues. The book has been in a little bit of a slump since Surge and Kit exited the scene, not feeling like it's building towards much. That the Rogues are on the cover of issue 66 should clue you in on which type of issue this is. 

Which isn't necessarily a bad thing. A good enough series can even make its filler arcs fun too. "Relic Robbing Rumble, Part 2" picks up where we left off, with Knuckles and the Chaotix bushwhacking the Rogues on a dock. After an extensive action scene, Knuckles manages to get the ancient Echidnan artifacts back, driving the Rogues away. Jet claims they were not employed by anyone to steal the objects, working on their own... Yet this is not the case, as the final page reveals. 

Of all the words in "Relic Robbing Rumble's" title, the most important one is definitely rumble. As this cover story went on, I became very aware of how this is only a ten page story. That's because the fight scene just kept going on and on. Yes, this is one of those issues of "Sonic" devoted almost entirely to characters beating the shit out of each other, without much in the way of forward narrative or personal development. The cover promises Knuckles and the Chaotix fighting with the Babylon Rogues and that's what the story delivers. That is pretty much all the story delivers. 

Ian Flynn's senseless beat-em-up stories always feel somewhat useless. Look back at "Hedgehog Havoc," "Champions," or "Zeti Hunt" for further evidence of that. You can always just feel, somehow, when the guy is inserting an action scene for its own sake. There's never that fun feeling of a kid smashing his action figures together in Flynn's battle royales, like we saw in classic Archie stories like "Super Sonic vs. Hyper Knuckles" or, uh, "Battle Royal." There's just a hint of desperation to them, as if you can sense Flynn inserting extended punching scenes strictly because he knows the young boys this comic is ostensibly targeted at crave sophomoric fight scenes. 

Maybe this is because Flynn isn't good at making these fights feel serious. The good Flynn stories that are heavy on action are usually the culmination of long story arcs, where everything hangs in the balance. When he's screwing around, you can tell because the fights are largely farces. This is what we get here, the combat interrupted with many comedic touches. Charmy realizes stealing is wrong after grabbing the relic away from Jet, graciously giving it back. Espio gets cartoonishly spun through the air and Vector clamps onto Wave's hoverboard, refusing to let go. I don't necessarily dislike these moments. They are actually pretty funny, that bit with Charmy especially. Yet it does nothing to dissuade the feeling that nothing in this issue actually matters. 

This sensation is sadly confirmed in the final pages. The end of the fisticuffs on the pier is incredibly anticlimactic. Even though questions clearly remain unanswered, Knuckles is happy to have his relics back. He outright says he doesn't care about anything else. We then learn that this entire fight was a diversion by Clutch, to distract the Chaotix as he meets with Jewel while wearing a bitchin' pimp coat. If a two-parter feels a bit futile, capping it off with a master planner outright admitting this was all a rude does not help matters. A story about Clutch engineering a diversion, which the heroes then slowly uncover, would have been a lot more interesting than just a big, goofy, fight scene that results in nothing being changed or learned. 

The first half of "Relic Robbing Rumble" was also kind of weak but issue 65 was saved by a strong back-up story. Does the second half of "Dinner with Cream" continue that trend? Rough and Tumble continue to disrupt Cream's attempts to finish the nice dinner her mom started cooking. Yet Gemerl being overwhelmed and the skunks' mischief eventually become too much for the little girl to handle. That's when Vanilla returns home, putting an end to these shenanigans with her motherly ways. 

The first half of "Dinner with Cream" worked because, no matter how silly this conflict was, it still mattered to Cream and Gemerl. The second half focuses much more on comedy and combat, much like the cover story did. This does downplay what made the first part fun. Watching Germerl get pelted with a salad and Cream attempting to fight off some buffoonish bad guys isn't as much fun when the slapstick is for its own purpose. The first couple pages of this back-up can't help but continue the futile atmosphere that weighed down the cover story. Is this entire comic going to be focused on lame, meaningless fight scenes? 

Luckily, Evan Stanley recovers a bit before the end. There are still some cute, touching character interactions in this story. Gemerl's reassuring words to Cream, no matter how upset she gets, are still nice. The way Vanilla is nothing but understanding with her daughter at the end is also adorable. The story ends with some serious ship-bait between Vanilla and Vector, which goes a long way towards making this one worth reading after all. 

Vanilla is, in fact, secretly the MVP of this issue. The fight comes to a halt when Tumble bullies Cream a little too hard, causing her to cry. The villains are made to feel even worse when Vanilla shows up and uses her powers of motherly guilt against them. The ending of "Dinner with Cream" is really no less anticlimactic than "Relic Robbing Rumble." The bad guys essentially go away after someone tells them to, making you wonder why they showed up in the first place. Yet Rough and Tumble are inherently ridiculous characters. Of course Vanilla would be able to correct their behavior with just a few stern words and a contemptuous glare. These guys are overgrown boys, super strong men-children. They are naturally weak to a motherly scolding. So it works, ending a light-hearted story on a goofy and sweet note. (But I fully expect Vanilla being all disciplinary and stern with two remorseful louts to inspire some very specific types of fan art, if it hasn't already.)

The same group of artists are back to work on this issue as the last one. Mauro Fonseca draws the first story, while Adam Bryce Thomas handles the second. Fonseca's exaggerated style really works for a story like this. The action scenes, and the comedic beats in particular, really have a fine sense of movement and timing. His tendency for big goofy faces really makes Knuckles' anger, Jet's frustration, and Vector's sorrow at not being paid sing. Thomas similarly has a talent with faces. Cream's ever escalating disappointment at what is happening adds a lot of humor to this. As does the sheer power that radiates from Vanilla's face as she stares down the skunks. Or the obvious flirtatious quality in the meaningful looks she gives Vector. 

Surge and Kit come back to the comic next month, hopefully bringing with them a renewed sense of focus. There's no doubt in my mind that IDW "Sonic" has floundered a little since they stepped away, the book devoting time to a number of minor subplots that have to justify their own importance. "Relic Robbing Rumble" had its moments, especially of the more humorous variety, yet it just couldn't get out from under the weight of being a lark. At least the back-up two parter was cuter and funnier that that. [6/10]