Sonic the Hedgehog (IDW): Issue 71

Sonic the Hedgehog (IDW): Issue 71

Publication Date: July 31st, 2024

The internet moves so fast these days. The biggest movie of the summer comes out and, two days later, clips of it from shaky cellphone bootlegs are all over social media. A new installment of a comic book drops and the fandom is already overturning all its events within a few hours. All the surprises get spoiled immediately. If you don't read the book the minute it comes out or see the movie the day of its release, all the cool shit is going to be ruined for you. People used to care about spoilers around here! This is a long winded way of me saying that I didn't get a chance to read issue #71 of IDW's "Sonic the Hedgehog" comic until today, two days after it was released, and I already felt like I was massively behind. I don't know what this says about fandoms in the year 2024, that nobody can wait to discuss things politely, all of us operating under the assumption that everyone has immediate access to everything. Perhaps it speaks to the unrelenting speed with which all aspects of our culture move in a world where the internet rules our lives...

And you know what else is fast? Sonic the Hedgehog! Let's talk about his comic book! The Clean Sweepstakes race continues, the participants moving through a misty valley full of dangerously steep mountaintops. To add to the danger, participants can now sling dodgeballs at each other. Naturally, the Phantom Rider makes an appearance, acting even more antagonistic than usual. This is a surprise for Sonic, who is in disguise and lurking on the sidelines. Yes, Mimic is trying to add to the confusion and chaos. The shifty octopus ends up revealing Sonic's identity to Tangle, Whisper, and the Babylon Rogues. The groups consider what to do with this information. Meanwhile, Surge and Kit continue to ponder their newfound popularity while Tails and Amy come uncover the truth. 

Issue 71 is one full of action and incident. The meat of the comic is occupied with all the contest, the Phantom Rider's appearance once again immediately causing chaos and violence on the track. This guy is so distracting that his appearance instantly draws attention away from the race itself. Who cares about that when we have a masked villain creating mischief? The high stakes lead to a number of dramatic reveals, Sonic's cover being blown. Meanwhile, Amy and Tails rescue Belle, who accidentally reveals that Clutch orchestrated this entire event for shady reasons. What I'm saying is there's a lot of stuff happening in this issue. 

You would think the suspenseful action/adventure antics would be what is driving fandom discussion around this issue. That is not the case. Instead, it is some quiet character interactions that prove to be the most compelling aspect of this comic. When Tangle sees Sonic's face behind the Phantom Rider's mask, she's stunned. How can the Restoration's greatest hero be secretly operating as such a public nuisance? That's when Whisper shows her some video she recorded with her mask – a very convenient development, I'll add – that reveals there are two Phantom Riders. Tangle is overjoyed, since this suggests Sonic might not be a crook after all. Even though this conversation is largely plot focused and centered around another character, Tangle and Whisper's closeness makes this moment so much more interesting. It feels like Whisper is, once again, showing her vulnerability and Tangle, like always, embraces her. That gesture makes it clear that Tangle accepts her, no matter what, and that is fucking adorable. I love these lesbians. 

As utterly endearing as that moment is, another scene is even better. After the action is over for the day, Surge and Kit are approached by an adorable moppet. The kid fangirls all over Surge in that adorably kid-like way. Once again, it gives Surge pause. This is what Evan Stanley is good at as a writer: Showing the little ways characters can evolve and grow. Surge has built her whole life around this image of herself as a ruthless bad-ass with no use for society's rules. She's the definition of "acting out for attention" taken to supervillain extremes. Now she's getting praised for being a good guy. She's learning she doesn't have to settle for "If you don't love me, you'll hate me instead." Quietly, she's starting to question her whole personality. Character development happening, right before our very eyes! That this is spurned in by a child – who is as friggin' cute as they could possibly get them – makes the interaction more precious. Acts of unprompted kindness mean a lot to someone bred for cruelty.  

If Stanley has a real talent for characters interacting, her plotting still feels a little obvious and slapdash at times. From the moment "Duo the Cat" showed up at Restoration HQ, I've been waiting for someone to point out how suspicious he is. This has been followed by Jewel letting barely reformed criminals Surge and Kit into the club, before participating in a public event orchestrated by obvious criminal Clutch. At the very least, our heroes seem to be catching on to what is happening. Belle helps confirm Amy's suspicion that Clutch – who looks and acts like a child's cartoon imagining of what a crime boss looks like – might actually be a crime boss. Mimic mucking about with the Phantom Rider is a plot point I don't feel entirely satisfied about. However, it does feel like a step towards that particular storyline reaching a head. Hopefully we are getting there soon. 

The strengths of this issue cover up its biggest flaw, which is that this arc hasn't been much more than a chaotic jumble of subplots. Stanley is doing a much better job at juggling the large cast amid elaborate action scenes here than she did in "Urban Warfare." If only because the rest periods between races allow for a natural breathing room. However, we are still being asked to follow, by my count, between four and six different storylines at this moment. All of these divergent plot points are obviously being set up for a bigger resolution, within the next issue or so. Yes, this is another comic book primarily about setting up future comic books. It's not bad, necessarily, but sometimes you can feel the gears moving a little more than perhaps you should. 

With so much going on, some storylines will clearly be focused on over others. Sonic got some juicy emotional scenes last issue. In #71, he doesn't do much of anything because get punked by Mimic while buzzing around on his floating cheese wheel. Though there is a neat panel, where we see half of his face through the Phantom Rider helmet, that reminds me of a trick they would pull in old Spider-Man comics any time Peter Parker felt his secret identity was in trouble. 

I also question the timeline here a bit. Issue 71 picks up immediately on the cliffhanger issue 70 ended on, with Tails and Amy discovering Belle bound and gagged in a locker. After that initial moment, the other tendrils of the story continue. Which makes me wonder how long Any and Tails have been on the supply ship? It sort of seems like two days have passed in-between scenes there. Further more, how much longer are they going to be stuck up there? All the other plot threads are advancing at a normal rate while Tails and Amy are moving in snail time. 

Temporal paradoxes aside, Stanley continues to successfully chip away at my indifference towards Jet and the Babylon Rogues. I still don't think I'm particularly invested in this trio. However, playing up the burning jealousy Jet feels towards Sonic is a compelling angle to explore. When he discovers that the person he considers his greatest rival is behind the mask of this wanted menace, Jet goes into a more scheming mode. He clearly has his eye not just on defeating Sonic on the racetrack but also torpedoing his public reputation. If the focus continues to be on Jet's obsessive desire to be better than Sonic, he might become a genuinely interesting villain yet. Anybody else imagining some Robert DeNiro-esque backstory for Jet now, where he is a former Sonic fanboy whose admiration turned to a dangerous fixation? Just me? Alright, good to know. 

It's a good looking issue too! Min Ho Kim on pencils and Reggie Graham on colors are becoming a very reliable team. Belle's flashback have a cool, gritty filter over them. The use of mist and shadows during the mountain chase sequence are especially nice. Adds a fittingly spooky vibe to that sequence. Kim's facial expressions are very strong too. The little look Surge gives Kit after the kid talks to her conveys a lot of conflicted emotions. (Though the Babylon Rogues going full Big Mouth Billy Bass every time they are shocked is perhaps a bit much.) The issue also ends with a surprisingly creepy close-up on Clutch's face. I do wish the fight scene between Tangle and Whisper and Surge and Kit – oh yeah, that's a thing that happens too – was a little clear. There's a few too many blue, translucent superpowers in that scene. Gets a tad confusing. 

While I don't think this issue is as strong as the proceeding one, the parts are greater than the whole here. The page devoted to Surge and the kid, or Tangle and Whisper's cuddle time, are absolutely precious. They are so good that they elevate the rest of the book around them. Whether Stanley can carol this collection of subplots towards a satisfying ending remains to be seen. Honestly, I'm skeptical if she'll be able to. However, this particular arc has been worth it solely because of smaller, touching moments like those. [7/10]