Sonic the Hedgehog (IDW): Issue 68

Sonic the Hedgehog (IDW): Issue 68

Publication Date: January 3rd, 2024

Welcome to a new year of IDW “Sonic” coverage here at Hedgehogs Can't Swim! As we head into 2024, what can we expect from the four-color adventures of everyone's favorite speedy, spiny hero? Not a whole lot, at this moment! Issue 68 of “Sonic the Hedgehog” was intended for publication last month, before getting pushed back to January. The series will then, seemingly, be taking four months off while IDW puts out a mini-series about Fang. (That's Nack, if you're nasty.) I can only speculate on why this is the case. Considering his prominent appearance in their last game and that he was the focus of his own online comic, it really seems like Sega is pushing Fang a lot lately. I wonder if this is, perhaps, a very late response to the popularity of “Sonic-Mania” and a pivot towards the Classic setting in general? Whatever the reason, this is the last regular issue of “Sonic” we'll have to cover for at least a little bit.

So what is the first issue of 2024/technically the last issue of 2023 about? It begins with Sonic and Tails having a little contest of speed, as an excuse for the fox to show off the new souped-up hoverboard he created. They are also ostensibly tracking a Chaos Emerald signal. This adventure is soon sidetracked when Sonic goes stumbling through a big ass hole in the ground. The two fall into an unexpected mine shaft and discover the Chaos Emerald readings are stronger. They soon wander into an idyllic underground oasis, where everything glows with bioluminescent light. Yet this strange new location has dangers all its own, though perhaps not without good reason, as our heroes soon learn.

One assumes that “Sonic's” writers, artists, and editorial staff were well aware that the main book would be taking a few months off, to make room for a new mini-series. With this knowledge now in mind, it might explain why the comic has felt like it was in stasis for the last few months. Simply from a pacing perspective, it's probably not the best idea to begin ramping up to the next big event story line when you know a four month hiatus is forthcoming. Issue 67 does nothing to beat the allegations of “filler” I've been throwing at the book for a few months now. Does this story follow-up on last issue's cliffhanger, of Surge and Kit seemingly successfully infiltrating the Restoration? Does it advance the plot of Clutch's plan to undermine the heroes from the inside? Not at all! In fact, this story feels fairly disconnected with everything else happening in the comic book right now, in such as way as it's the kind of thing I'd expect to see published in a Free Comic Book Day issues or something like that.

Despite what it may seem like, this is not exactly a complaint. In fact, I quite enjoy “The Protector,” which is what I am told this tale is entitled. Setting goes a long way here. The good guys stumbling upon a mysterious, underground location has been a classic set-up for adventure stories for a very long time. The “Sonic” franchise has touched upon this premise before, in an old Archie one-shot and a pretty good episode of “Sonic X.” A creepy, isolated mine shaft is also a totally solid place to start. The panels of Sonic and Tails exploring the dark pathways, lit only by Tails' handheld computer, provoke a suitably spooky atmosphere. I wonder if Stanley was taking some cues from the first issue of “Scrapnik Island,” which captured a similarly mysterious vibe by sticking the duo into a dark, creepy place.

Stanley's script doesn't set up a monster movie premise without delivering on it. When Tails and Sonic come across an abandoned pickaxe and hammer, the little fox wonders what scared the miners off so abruptly. Soon enough, we meet the responsible party: A salamander the size of a salt water crocodile, covered in organic lights and extremely unhappy to have strange visitors in his lair. The pissed-off amphibian gets a surprise entrance, catching Sonic off-guard and pining him several times. The cramped interior of the cave leaves Sonic at a disadvantage too, the enormous salamander cornering him before he knows it. It's a mildly suspenseful sequence, the reader as surprised by the monster's sudden appearance as Sonic is. Even if we obviously all know that our hedgehog hero isn't in any real danger. 

Yet what makes “The Protector” a little more than a decently executed genre exercise, a little monster movie starring Sonic the Hedgehog, is the truth behind this scenario. See, the enormous salamander is the Protector that the title hints at. All he wants to do is keep his little underground ecosystem safe from intruders that mean to compromise its natural beauty. As soon as Sonic and Tails realize this, they work out a little deal with the guy. He agrees to take the Chaos Emerald away, to keep any further busy-bodies from seeking it out. Sonic makes the selfless decision to then leave the cave totally as is, so that it and its protector can continue to live in peace, uninterrupted by surface dwellers. The message is clear and it ties in with the environmental subtext that has been a part of the “Sonic” franchise from the beginning. We need to protect the environment from those who seek to exploit it. The natural, untouched world is precious and must not be compromised, even by the good guys. 

In the past, I've observed that I like it when Sonic and Tails use more than brute force to defeat an enemy. This is especially true with a story like this, where the antagonist isn't motivated by any malevolent intent. Instead, Tails quickly observes that the salamander seems to hunt via vibrations felt through the ground. Once Sonic gets up in the air, he's undetected. Sonic is a bit too panicked, on account of nearly getting eaten by a giant slimy critter, so having Tails out-think the enemy makes the most sense. In a comic book that is still mostly dominated by punching and fighting, Sonic and Tails talking things out with whoever they are fighting provides some nice novelty. 

If I have any criticism for “The Protector” at all, it's that the story didn't really have to go anywhere else after that first scene. In fact, a story simply devoted to Sonic and Tails having a race would've been pretty cool. Tails can seemingly match his average speed with his new Extreme Gear hoverboard and that throws Sonic for a loop. For a hero that is so egotistically proud of his superspeed, having his little body unexpectedly out-race him would've been a good opportunity for some character development. Instead, he literally drops into a totally unrelated plot. That's not a complaint, so much. Simply that the story this first scene sets up is an idea Stanley or Ian Flynn should maybe return to some day. Could be fun!

In addition to writing this story, Evan Stanley also drew and inked it. Matt Froese helped out with the inking while Josh Burcham did the colors. It is, as you'd expect by this point, a solid looking issue. There's some really good shading in the panels where Sonic and Tails fall into the mine shaft, as the shadows slowly come over their bodies. Once in the cave, the lighting from Tails' lantern and the glowing formations in the cave make for a nicely moody environment. The comic quickly sells how cozy this location is, for its natural inhabitants anyway. The salamander is mostly kept in the shadows, its eyes and scales glowing in such a way as to make it a properly intimidating adversary. Overall, a very nice looking issue.

Ultimately, this is a nice little issue containing a solid story. Will I remember much about it, a year from now? That depends a lot on what lese IDW has planned for 2024. There is certainly something to be said for stand-alone one-offs like this, even if they sometimes feel like unnecessary stop-offs on the way to bigger, flashier events. I'm not going to complain about a fairly taunt 12-pager wherein Sonic kicks a giant salamander in the face. That should be enough for anyone! Once IDW is done fanging and sniping, we'll presumably get back to the on-going plot of Clutch's moles inside the Restoration. Until that point, this proves an appealing enough little snack to hold us over. [7/10]