TailsTube #10 – HAPPY NEW YEAR!

TailsTube #10 – HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Original Release Date: December 31st, 2024

Since the promotional machine for "Sonic the Hedgehog 3" already produced a Christmas special starring the blue dude with 'tude and his pals, I suppose the team behind "TailsTube" decided to dedicate the last episode of 2024 to that other December tradition: New Year's Eve. Now, normally, this is the part of the review where I would meander off-topic to discuss the history of New Year's traditions or try and figure out why Sonic and his weird mutant animal friends celebrate this holiday, in order to pad out the review add depth to my writing and enlighten the minds of the world. But I don't want to do that this time. Mainly, because New Years celebrations are the most basic of all calendar events and present in almost every culture throughout history. It seems to be a natural part of conscious existence to mark the end of one year and the start of the next, as both a time of reflection on what happened in the last spin around the sun and to hope for renewal and good luck on our next rotation. The only question that is truly raised by Tails ringing in the New Year is... I guess Sonic's version of Earth must use the same twelve month, January-to-December calendar we do over here in reality. This is slightly improbable, considering different human cultures can't agree on when the New Year starts and ends. The Archie comics provided Mobius with their own calendar, a common sense but of world-building. However, that's a small nit to pick, even by my fastidious standards. Though this episode does reference the Big Ball dropping in Times Square, begging the question of who the "Sonic" version of Dick Clark is and what his fursona might be.

This episode of "TailsTube" plays out in real time, a clock counting down to midnight as Tails talks directly to his streaming audience. This made me realize that every episode of "TailsTube" proceeds in this fashion, as a natural side-effect of mimicking the V-Tuber live-streaming format. I guess I simply never noticed before. As the New Year creeps closer, Tails decides to call up some of his friends. He asks them about their Resolutions for the new year, another human ritual I guess we just have to swallow exists in this world too. Amy, Rouge the Bat, Knuckles, and Shadow pop up on the mic for a few seconds before Sonic speeds into Tails' workshop to celebrate the calendar flipping over. A good time is had by all, except for Orbot, who momentarily pops up on camera before Tails hangs up on him. Because fuck that guy, amirite? 

From the beginning of writing about "TailsTube," I have felt the need to point out that most episodes are essentially advertisements for some new piece of "Sonic" media that Sega has coming out. Very hypocritically, that always makes me feel a little cheated. As if I signed up to be told a story and was getting a sales-pitch instead. This is despite the fact that I was raised on a drip-feed of commercials-posing-as-cartoons, continuing to have nostalgia and a built-in fondness for such programs. Including, obviously, the "Sonic the Hedgehog" series. What is every "Sonic" comic and cartoon if not an advertisement reminding you to run out and buy the "Sonic" video games? I suppose there is a balance to be had. Either way, I'll give Tyson Hesse and everyone else behind "TailsTube" lately: The more recent episodes have not felt so blatantly commercial in their goals. Episode 10 is mostly devoted to simply spending some time with this cast of cartoon characters that we've all grown too attached to. While you can debate the merits of feeling like, ya know, fictional characters and internet personalities are your friends – or, more accurately, the merits of content creators and companies deliberately chasing that reaction – but I'm not gonna lie to you guys. I like it. It's a fun way to waste four minutes. 

Within that four minutes, “TailsTubes” manages to squeeze in a surprising number of phone calls with his various pals and buddies. I've got to give some serious props to Cindy Robinson, for making Amy Rose actually sound like she's been caught off-guard at a party here. The patient little pause she does when Tails asks what her resolution is. Her short segment does a good job of showing the two sides of the character, as Amy very sweetly dedicates herself to helping people and friends more in the new year... While also grumbling at Sonic. Awww, she really is like the Team Mom, isn't she? Meanwhile, Karen Strassman as Rouge starts her conversation by calling Tails a “little man,” a choice of words that would definitely cause a certain reaction to some corners of the fandom. Strassman also shows some range, playing Rouge as her usual flirty, purring, constantly teasing self before Tails reprimands her for planning on stealing more jewels in the new year. Rouge gruffly tells him to “go to bed,” which is both funny and also one of the rare times we've seen Rouge get grumpy. Oh no, I like grumpy Rouge too! 

Moving on quickly, Tails' conversation with Knuckles reveals that the echidna is eager to explore the world beyond his island. After Sonic races back to Tails' workshop, the fox also expresses a desire to see more of his world. Now that is interesting. Knuckles' sense of duty forces him to maintain his vigil at the Master Emerald. Tails, meanwhile, has always lived in Sonic's shadow. (Not to be confused with Shadow, who has an amusingly curt appearance here.) I'm sure this is all merely a set-up for the theme of TailsTube's third “season,” which promises to be “On the Road.” However, I do like the idea of Tails and Knuckles being united in their desire to get out of their comfort zone a little. Might this be a chance for some world-building as well? I don't know, let's not get our hopes up. 

A reoccurring gag throughout this episode – maybe you would call it a “running” gag – is Sonic racing around the world to interrupt every phone call Tails makes, giving the hedgehog a steady presence throughout these four minutes despite technically only being in the room with Tails at the very end. As far as jokes go, it's a decent one. I like how he shows up on Angel Island, gasping for breath. While it would've been funnier if it simply went unexplained how Sonic managed to reached the floating island, Tails clarifies that he must've taken the Tornado. Him startling Knuckles is also a decent joke. But, hey, how does Sonic know where Rouge lives? I don't think the bat's place of permanent residence has ever come up before but Sonic is familiar enough with it that he can just zoom right on in. Not that I'm implying anything! 

The main element of “TailsTube” that draws the fans in, I believe, is the tendency for little in-jokes and references to be hidden in the background. Episode ten was a big one for this. While Tails is talking to Amy at her party, we see some familiar silhouettes behind her. Big and Cream both got invites. As did the Wolf Avatar from “Sonic Forces,” marking the first time Amy has answered his phone calls in a couple of years. Most excitedly, a very recognizable fluffy tail is seen walking behind our host here. Yes, this minor YouTube episode represents the first time Tangle the Lemur has appeared in a piece of moving visual Sega media. Discounting “Sonic: Speed Battle” anyway, which exists in mobile game limbo as far as canon goes. Might this mean that Tangle could appear on a future episode of “TailsTube?” I would safely say the odds of that are low. However, this episode finally revealed the name of the Purple-Haired Lady long speculated about as “Professor Victoria,” before she graduated to actually being interviewed in the next installment. So maybe Tangle's chances are better than I assume. 

Also, if you squint a little harder, you can see where something about the “Year of Shadow” has been written on Tails blackboard, hastily marked out, and replaced with the “Year of Sonic.” Awww, is somebody a bit jealous? Dude, the franchise is named after you, so maybe reel it in! Also also, the animation they cooked up of a Sonic sprite slowly lowering towards an Egg-Prison as a stand-in for the Big Ball was clever. Anyway, episode ten of “TailsTube” is probably not the most important or groundbreaking installment in a series that is already inessential even during its best moments. (I mean, I guess from technically giving Tangle her first animated appearance.) But I did find it to be awfully enjoyable. And isn't that what matters the most? My personal enjoyment being fulfilled? [7/10]

A Very Sonic Christmas

A Very Sonic Christmas

Original Release Date: December 11th, 2024

The last time I was reviewing some animated "Sonic the Hedgehog" media, the speedy hero and his friends were celebrating Halloween, the only good holiday. And every American boy and girl knows what season comes after the ghosts and ghouls are put away for another year. If you said Thanksgiving, you fell into my trap. As far as retail stores and marketing companies are concerned, Thanksgiving and all of November are mere blips on the radar on the way to consumerism's high holy day. Yeah, we are talking about the Christ Mass, the two thousand year old project to absorb various pagan winter festivals under the banner of "civilized" religion. Symbols like trees that remain green throughout the coldest and most frigid months, horned deities rising from the woods to reward the faithful and punish the wicked, worship of celestial bodies, and celebrating those we love and hold dear because we might freeze to death by next year have now lost their meaning even further. Instead of being about some guy from the Middle East that asked us to consider loving each other and redistributing wealth to the poor, these potent icons have now been thoroughly secularized in pursuit of the only true religion humanity has left: The hoarding of goods and resources, consumerism's hollow but relentless demand to always buy more, have more, need more. Ya see why I'd rather hang out with the skeletons and black cats?

But if Christmas is going to be meaningless and commercial, it should at least be weird and stupid too. The hybridizing of arcane symbols and corporate advertising has riddled the modern winter landscape with all sorts of oddities. The Yule Goat and Krampus have been replaced with far stranger modern figures. A green-furred thief, a dancing beagle, and diabetic polar bears are the friendly beasts of our modern yuletide. If there's any tradition of modern Christmas that I adore, it's weird seasonal specials and commercials that filter whatever iconography of the holiday they can exploit through their own temporary goals. This is how the Wacky Wall Crawlers and a home-intruding Michaelangelo have become reoccurring visitors during my personal winter celebrations. There's a tacky, surreal quality to these bygone bits of festive pop culture debris that I find endearing.

Because video games have been hot holiday gift items for many years now, we've had quite a few cross-breedings of wintery frivolity and various  interactive computer entertainment characters. Christmas came to Pac-Land in 1982 and Mario has been wearing a Santa Beard since at least 1989. All of which is to say that Sonic the Hedgehog is no stranger to the Christmas holiday. As I have chronicled multiple times in the past, there have been repeated attempts to associate Sega's fast blue hedgehog with the yearly December event. Robotnik has dressed up like Santa Claus and been visited by three ghosts on Christmas Eve, while it has long been accepted that Sonic and friends look a-friggin'-dorable dressed up in wintery gear and dashing through the snow. We don't yet know what the hedgehog and his pals think of the Christ Child but the strictly secular version of the holiday seems to be a big favorite with them. 

At least in North America, the third "Sonic the Hedgehog" motion picture came out in theaters five days before December 25th. The movie itself had nothing to do with Christmas but "Sonic the Hedgehog 3's" proximity to the day led someone to a clever idea for an advertising tie-in. On the eleventh of the same month, Paramount Pictures uploaded a two minute long animated short to their various social media pages entitled "A Very Sonic Christmas." (There's at least four official uploads to YouTube and I'm sure it's also available on Instareel, FaceBake, TikCok, and X the Everything Website.) Some real money was out into this glorified commercial too. The "Sonic" screenwriter duo of Pat Casey and Josh Miller wrote it. All the big name celebrity voice actors reprised their roles and a spiffy, stop motion presentation brought the entire project to life. 

The story invokes "Sonic's Christmas Blast" a little too, though I don't know if that was deliberate so much as a parody of the exact same type of formulaic holiday special writing. In the bleak midwinter, Sonic is introducing Tails and Knuckles to all the earthly holiday traditions of Christmas. They put up a colorfully festooned tree, don their gay apparel, and leave out a treat for Jolly Ol' Saint Nicholas. Knuckles and Tails ask how the fat old elf can make his global trip in a single night. Presumably confirming the existence of Santa Claus as a factual canon in the movie-verse, Sonic uses a Warp Ring to pull the mythical figure right into the Wachowski's living room. This injures the jolly old elf's ankle, threatening the Christmas gift-giving spree. Luckily, a super-fast hero is right here, ready and willing to fill Santa's galoshes. One colorful montage later and Sonic has saved Christmas. 

Despite many of them being upwards of fifty years old at this point, the Rankin/Bass television specials like "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer" and "A Year Without a Santa Claus" continue to run on TV every December. That means many people instantly associate the stodgy but charming stop-motion animation of these programs with the warm and fuzzy, nostalgic feelings they have for the holiday. Being such old, established parts of the December season with such a distinctive visual style also makes the Rankin/Bass specials an endless source of parody. Animator and filmmaker David H. Hess has come to specialize in riffing on this time-honored tradition. In 2005, he created an animated short in this style for "Saturday Night Live" entitled "Christmas Time for the Jews." Since then, he's directed a snarky hour long Christmas special starring Fred Savage, predictably grisly spoof "A Predator Holiday Special," and a stop-motion segment in a Captain Underpants Christmas installment. On the less ironic end of the spectrum, Hess has also made some similarly old-fashioned holiday fair starring Mickey Mouse. This extremely specific niche is one Hess seems happy to fill and he would do it again with "A Very Sonic Christmas." (He also worked on early YouTube hit "Dinosaur Office" and, uh, those annoying animations I used to see at Denny's at four o'clock in the morning, proving he doesn't only do Christmas stuff.) 

I don't think Hess' style looks that much like the old Rankin/Bass cartoons. The models are lankier with way bigger eyes and toothier months than the characters in "Jack Frost" or "The Leprechaun's Christmas Gold" or whatever. They represent a compromise between that style and the traditional live action "Sonic" movie designs. Quirks like giving Sonic a little strip of blue fur between his weird cyclops eye look good on the CGI models and a little awkward here. The result are models that mildly ugly, perhaps. Nevertheless, "A Very Sonic Christmas" does look cute and charming. It maintains the tactile quality that is, to me, the main ability of stop-motion animation. Santa – voiced by Adam Pally, so they didn't have to rope a new actor in or anything – looks cute, as goes the snow-covered back drop of a traditional “Sonic” level, with its loops and such. 

For something that runs exactly two minutes and seven seconds, “A Very Sonic Christmas” is entertaining. The ugly sweaters the trio wear are personalized to each of the characters: Sonic's has a chili dog on it, Knuckles has grapes, and Tails has a bi-plane. That was cute. Idris Elba's delivery of lines about Santana and Christmas being canceled made me chuckle. Ben Schwartz' take on Sonic are enthusiastic as ever. Shadow's cameo in the final minutes functions as a decent punchline, while reminding us that Shadow and Keanu Reeves are in this movie. Packed into a little over two minutes, when paired with the distinctive visual style, it makes for a clever and pleasant extended commercial. 

But “A Very Sonic Christmas” isn't only a two minute spot and quasi-short film. It's also a self-contained Christmas carol! Released concurrently with the little short was a song with the very similar title, “It's a Sonic Christmas,” credited to Ruwanga Samath. I don't know who that is by glancing at his Wikipedia page informs me he is a Sri Lanka-born music producer who seems to have mostly worked in making songs and incidental music for motion pictures. He worked on a Busta Rhymes' song for “Fast Five” and a bunch of songs for some Netflix things before this. As a holiday single, “It's a Sonic Christmas” is cute enough. It's catchy and jangly. I like the chant of “Go Sonic!/Go Tails!/Go Knuckles!” that makes up the chorus. Reminds me of a Shuki Levi theme song. We hear a bit of the song in the short but the entire version – which recaps the plot of the entire thing – is easily found. Will it find its way onto my Christmas playlist? Probably not, because I'm extremely picky about what Christmas music I deem tolerable. It will, however, find its way into my collection of songs with some connection to the “Sonic” franchise! 

As far as “Sonic” related Christmas specials go, I suppose “A Very Sonic Christmas” is the best. It's shorter and less embarrassing than “Sonic's Christmas Blast” and has more to do with the holiday than “Chao in Space,” which would otherwise win. I don't know if I liked it better than the holiday episode of “Sonic Mania Adventure” though. But it's cute. The amount of work put into essentially a longer commercial represents the kind of commitment to the bit that I can respect. I'm glad this thing and the corresponding song exists, even if I'm ultimately not sure it's worth the amount of words I've typed to talk about it. But that's true of everything! Merry Christmas to all – including those who celebrate Hanukkah and Kwanzaa, as a menorah and kinara are present in the background of this short – and to all a good night. [7/10]

TailsTube #9 – Scary Story Spooktacular

TailsTube #9 – Scary Story Spooktacular 

Original Air Date: October 31st, 2024

Years ago, but not so many years ago that I wasn't already updating this fucking blog, I had an idea for a "Sonic the Hedgehog" fanfiction. I've mentioned before how I dabbled in fanfic way back in the day and have, simply for the fun of it, considered dipping my toes back in from time to time. Probably during one of my many ruminations over the lack of properly scary "Sonic" content, a glorious pun emerged in my brain: Tails from the Crypt. The idea of mashing up the "Sonic" cast and universe with the E.C. Comics approach of grisly horror and pun-cracking hosts seemed irresistible to me. I'm a long time fan of HBO's salacious television adaptation of those old comics, which became a minor pop culture fad in the nineties thanks to its lovably goofy animatronic Crypt Keeper. I love the horror anthology format, of getting a different and self-contained story every week. This has nothing to do with Sonic the Hedgehog, much less Miles "Tails" Prower... But it could. 

Though "Tales from the Crypt," "Vault of Horror," "The Haunt of Fear," and all of Entertaining Comics' other ghoulish titles were a scapegoat for juvenile delinquency back in the fifties, the formula for those comics actually upheld a stable moral viewpoint. The stories almost always involved someone committing a crime, a murder, a burglary, a betrayal, an infidelity. Through the course of the vividly illustrated tale, they would be gorily punished for their misdeeds, often via ghostly vengeance, ironic comeuppance, or zombies. The Crypt Keeper would take us to the back cover with some goofy puns, the impressionable reader getting their beastly thrills while also learning an evergreen message: Crime does not pay. What's done in the dark will come to the light. He who smelt it, dealt it. You get the idea. 

What if we applied this same approach to a collection of short "Sonic" ElseWorld tales? What if Rouge compromised whatever moral integrity she has left to grab an especially shiny jewel, only to fall victim to the horrible curse that comes with it? What if Eggman finally captured Sonic the Hedgehog and executed him, only to find life empty and meaningless without his archenemy to challenge him? Prompting the doctor to go full-Frankenstein, resurrecting the hedgehog as a grotesque combination of stitched-together flesh and robotics that ends up sealing the Eggman's doom? What if Shadow sought more power and awoke his inner Black Hands to a degree he couldn't control, turning into a hideous half-alien monstrosity? What if the Werehog or Lah the Ghost were actually scary? Shit like that. I'll probably never actually write this but it's a fun idea. 

I bring all of this up because, improbable as it seems, it would appear that someone at Sega also touched upon the catchiness of "Tails from the Crypt" as a pun. The ninth episode of "TailsTube" went up on October 31st of last year. Yes, this is another example of a "Sonic" Halloween special that I've long since sought. Subtitled "Scary Story Spooktactular," the episode sees Tails gathering his friends together for a seasonally appropriate ritual: Trying to scare each other with some ghostly stories around a camp fire. Rouge tells a creepified take on Shadow's origins, Knuckles gets existentially spooky in here, and the broadcast concludes with Tails delivering a ghost story relevant to the franchise's history. Tyson Hesse did the script for this one and he has Tails truly relishing his role as creepy M.C. of the evening, filling his dialogue with spoopy puns, which truly removes any doubt in my mind about whether "Tales from the Crypt" was on the writer's mind here. 

Unlike the episodes of "TailsTube" immediately before it, I don't get the impression that the "Scary Story Spooktactular" is meant to promote a new game or set of fortune telling cards. I suppose Rouge regaling us with a retelling of Shadow's creation is another reminder that "Sonic X Shadow Generations" was available by this point and you, the viewer, should go out and buy it. However, the main attraction of this episode returns "TailsTube" to its original purpose and lore-dumping about some aspect of this fictional universe. The second half of the episode is devoted to Tails telling a ghost story about a greedy king and his men pursuing a magical necklace inside a creepy temple. The king is so consumed by his greed that he doesn't noticed that his men are falling around him. Upon finally grabbing the object of his avarice, he is cursed to spend eternity as a spectre with a weirdly colorful tongue. Yes, boils and ghouls, you got it: This is the secret origin of King Boom Boo. 

I can't say I've personally ever wondered about where the altogether ooky "Sonic Adventure 2" boss came from. There have been a lot of "Sonic the Hedgehog" stages with a lot of boss battles, not all of which are that memorable. King Boom Boo could've been easily forgotten but the novelty of Knuckles doing some ghostbusting – and a memorable episode of "Sonic X," probably more importantly – has made this blue-lipped spectre with a Pride flag for a tongue an unfrequently reoccurring element of the series. King Boom Boo's previously unexplored origin was a bit of "Sonic" lore no one had elaborated upon previously. It also revolves around a minor enough character that I doubt Sega cared if Hesse gave him a proper backstory. In other words, this episode of "TalesTube" actually found a corner of the hedgehog-verse that some light could be shined on, fleshing out the world a tiny bit more. 

I'm not going to go so far as to say that the presentation of this ghost story, nor Rouge's reinvention of Shadow's birth, are scary. However, they are properly paced like a horror story, or perhaps a classic folktale, with a repetitive structure that builds towards a ghastly reveal. Moreover, the episode busts out some extremely fun artwork to accompany these segments. We actually see King Boom Boo's squat, already rather ghost-like human form as Tails explains the story. The Shadow segment has some eye-catching black-on-red visuals that are striking. Compared to the last few "TailsTubes" that felt truly tossed together and lazy, some identifiable work actually went into this episode. In fact, there's a new backdrop behind the gang too, featuring skeletons and Jack-o'-lanterns and creepy trees and strings of obscuring mist. The Halloween ambiance practically seeps out of the screen while watching this one. 

Y'all should know by now that nothing else is required for a program to win me over other than some October seasoning. However, I've noted in the past that "TailsTube" feels the most like an actual TV show when it focuses on the wacky banter and interplay between its cast members. This episode has a lot of that. Rouge's flirts with everyone, Knuckles' sheepishness about the supernatural comes up, Shadow grouses, Tails hams it up. Knuckles' attempt at a ghost story is a riff on the "Baby shoes: Never worn" bit that regularly goes viral on the Twittergrams, before the echidna makes the morbid one-liners into an example of his childish, idiotic logic. Ya know what all this shit reminds me of? The "Sonic Boom" vibes are heavy, baby, and I think I really missed them. Seeing these characters bounce off each other in an otherwise mundane setting with a fun gimmick is such a pleasant way to spend time with the "Sonic" gang. If this had been an episode of "Boom," we would've gotten some deranged ranting from Sticks but also this five minutes bit of YouTube animation probably looks as good as any episodes of that show, so let's call it even. 

How exactly Halloween exists in the "Sonic" world is up for debate. While the holiday is never mentioned by name, "trick or treat" is dropped alongside all the seasonal decorations, more than confirming its existence. This "TailsTube" also features a running gag of sorts about "jump scares." Those are low effort attempts to get a physical reaction out of a viewer by a mediocre horror movie or game, involving a quiet build-up and then a sudden and loud shock. In moderation, the jump scare is as valuable as any other tool in the storyteller's box but it tends to be abused by the hackiest of talents. The loudness of the jump scare sacrifices any mounting sense of dread or creepiness, those elements that make a horror movie a true classic. This has made the jump scare loathed by hardcore horror nerds, considered the lowest form of spookery by most. It would seem Shadow agrees, as he decisively refers to the term throughout this installment... Which raises the question of how the hell Shadow knows what a jump scare is. Are there middling horror flicks on Sonic's world? Who is the furry equivalent to Michael Chaves and, more over, what kind of cartoon animal would he be? 

Is this destined to be my favorite episode of "TailsTube?" Unless Sega celebrates Pride Month next week by having both Tangle and Whisper on the show and then having them French. Actually, if that came to pass, this would still probably be my favorite. Unless they were kissing in a pumpkin patch. Aside from me being an easy mark for this kind of spooky scary ambiance, this is a highly entertaining episode in its own right. Honestly, my only real complaint is that Sonic doesn't wolf-out for the hell of it. I guess that would conflict with "TailsTube's" canon status. (And would also require a new model to be rigged up or whatever.) I don't even like the Werehog that much but seems like a missed opportunity not to at least mention it! Anyway, this one gets my rubber stamp of approval. Happy Halloween, you guys. [7/10]

DC X Sonic the Hedgehog: Issue 3

DC X Sonic the Hedgehog: Issue 3

Publication Date: May 21st, 2025

I've spent a lot of words lately describing why corporate crossovers and collaborations are so common these days. Ya see, kiddies, when two massive international conglomerates love money very very much, they get together and have a Fortnite skin or a SquishMellow or whatever. I suppose this raises a second question, of why they used to be uncommon. "DC vs. Marvel" was considered a seismic, once-in-a-lifetime event in 1996. (Though it wasn't and seems unlikely to be the last...) The string of crossover games Capcom made with various Marvel characters were perceived as a weird fluke, not a blueprint for countless titles to come. I suppose the thought was that these companies were in competition with each other. To shake hands on any sort of temporary team-up would compromise market share dominance. In the 21st century, we are long past the point of companies pretending there is anything fair about capitalism. Most mega-corps are now owned by even more gargantuan networks, monopolies being de-facto. DC Comics and Marvel Comics are merely peripheral organs, clinging appendix-like to the bloated monoliths that are Warner/Discovery and the Walt Disney Company. Tossing out a fun little team-up is a mild discomfort now, one that will sell some t-shirts and push a stock margin a teeny tiny bit higher. 

You have to be cynical about this shit because entities like "DC X Sonic the Hedgehog" are determined to flash-bang blind you with the childish joy of seeing your favorite superheroes and your favorite video game stars appearing in a comic book together. Let me point out the obvious then: When this collaboration was first revealed, we knew it wouldn't merely see the Justice League and Sonic and pals hanging out together. From the get-go, we were presented with slick artwork of Sonic dressing up as the Flash, Shadow cosplaying as Batman, Tails partially roboticized into Cyborg, and so forth. Was this an exciting comic storyline or a launch event for exclusive new "Sonic: Speed Forces" skin? You could buy a T-shirt of Shadow the BatHog two seconds after they announced this thing. It's not as if I'm immune to the blatant manipulation going on here. If they do make action figures or plushies or whatever of Knuckles as Superman, I'm going to buy them. Yet it is hard to shake the feeling that "DC X Sonic" exists less because it's a story that needed to be told and more because it served the corporate interests of the cyberpunk dystopian future we are living in. 

That becomes especially obvious on the third part of the mini-series. Not only because it's the debut of those nifty, extremely marketable mash-ups of Sonic and the gang. This comic book also features a notable appearance from Mr. Terrific, as the guy who watches the Watchtower when the rest of the Justice League is out of town. Despite the not-that-impressive on the surface title of being the Third Smartest Man in the World, DC Comics is pushing Mr. Terrific a lot lately. Not the least bit because he's got a plum supporting role in the new "Superman" movie that comes out in a few weeks. Once you notice that, you also notice that Hawkgirl – who is also in the upcoming big budget reboot – is also in this comic book. She appears alongside Supergirl, subject of another upcoming movie forming the foundation for the retrofitted DC Cinematic Universe. These are all long established heroes in the comics, of course, so it's entirely possible that their appearance here is a mere coincidence and not cross-promotional synergy with a movie WB has a lot riding on. At the same time, it wouldn't shock me if Flynn got a decree from on-high to specifically incorporate these characters somewhere in this crossover. Instead of allowing him to give a spotlight role to Zatanna or Plastic Man or Space Cabbie or whatever weird favorites he might have. 

But you are probably sick of hearing me complain about how corporate this whole endeavor is every time I bring it up. Once again, I must ask if "DC X Sonic" can overcome this impossible-to-miss surface level cynicism. Issue three sees Sonic, Tails, Knuckles, Amy, Shadow, and Silver stranded on the JLA Watchtower. Mr. Terrific makes it know that their world seems to have blinked out of existence, taking the Justice League with it. Now that this Earth is without its resident team of protectors and our furry friends don't know the current status of their own home, they decide the best thing they can do is take up the Justice League's mantle for the time being. Silver becomes a Green Lantern, Sonic begins racing through Central City. Knuckles flies around Metropolis in the cape and tights. Shadow assumes the role of the grim guardian of Gotham. Amy dons Diana's tiara and mini-skirt to safeguard Washington DC, because God forbid the woman gets her own cool fantasy city. As they start tangoing with the resident supervillains of this world, they quickly notice that the bad guys have gotten their hands on Chaos Emeralds. They realize this means their world didn't vanish forever, that the Justice League must still be alive... Rescuing them also means bringing Darkseid back, a risk the gang has to take. 

I've been saying the whole time that "DC X Sonic" seems to be getting by on fun factor and novelty alone, not having much room for depth in-between all the crossover crisis confrontations. Issue 3 begins with an extremely depressing bit of news: The world that Sonic and friends have always called home, that they've fought to defend countless times, where everyone they love and care about lives, is seemingly gone. Likewise, Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman and other icons you probably have some attachment to are missing-in-action. Now, Sonic, Tails, and Amy are all too plucky and optimistic to truly believe their world is gone forever. Obviously, we the reader is all too aware that DC Comics didn't kill off their most famous characters in a crossover with "Sonic the Hedgehog." Nor that Sega is giving up their own universe for the sake of this brief mini-series. This lack of stakes and tension is a constant problem in superhero comics, where the status quo is inevitably restored and all drastic losses are merely temporary. Furthermore, despite the "13+" rating on the cover and Mr. Terrific saying "DAMN" in one panel, the target audience for this comic book is most likely within the six-to-ten demographic. Itty bitty little baby children who probably would be overcome with sadness by such irreversible death and destruction. At the same time, it would've been nice if the book could've taken a second to acknowledge what our heroes have lost here. We get one whole panel of Shadow brooding over whether protecting this other world is what Maria would want him to do. Sonic and the others seem to let the news that all their friends are dead slid right off their backs. 

Because that would be sad. And this crossover isn't about being sad, of contemplating loss and the grim inevitability of the end of all things. It's about how marketable cool Sonic and friends look dressed up as the Justice League! Once again, I have to admit to being part of the problem here. Flynn has five brief issues to cram in as many DC Comics cameos as possible. This is presumably how we ended up with Silver talking with Ch'p and Amy doing some mild asphyxiation on Gorilla Grodd. I can't lie and say I don't get a thrill out of this. Of seeing Sonic outsmart Eobard Thawne or Knuckles chit-chat with Lois Lane. It is fun and there is an evident joy in these sequences. 

It's only with a mere minute of reflection that one begins to question why Knuckles had to put on Superman's duds or what benefit Sonic gets by activating the Flash's costume ring. Would the locals be scandalized to see these cartoon animals exposing themselves to the general public? I mean, Mr. Tawky Tawny does wear pants after all. Silver fitting himself into Green Lantern's tights makes sense as those guys Moon Prism Power Make-Up the minute they slip the ring on. What benefit does Shadow get driving around in the Batmobile? Why is Amy's car suddenly able to turn invisible like Wonder Woman's jet? Does Sonic have to wear the Flash's uniform because air friction is suddenly a problem on this world? Professor Zoom wonders if being stuck on this planet somehow gives the hedgehog access to the Speed Force, that plot contrivance that allows DC's speedsters to casually break the laws of physics whenever they want. That remains as a suggestion though. Did Tails willingly agree to turn himself into a Cyborg just so he could hang out with Raven and Starfire? Did I miss the panel last time where Wonder Woman handed Amy her tiara and lasso or are these spares she had lying around? 

I've made no secret of how much I despise the obsession with power scaling that a lot of people have. Having said that... I do think some of the gang are a little in over-their-heads here. Knuckles is not as strong, fast, or overall as powerful as Superman. I'm not sure Amy Rose is capable of doing some of the things Wonder Woman has to do during her daily adventures, such as decapitate a monster or suplex Solomon Grundy. This issue has Tails spit-balling about inter-dimensional travel and string theory, which is quite a leap from him simply being a really gifted mechanic. There's been much debate over the years about whether Sonic is as fast as the Flash or capable of some of the same ridiculous feats. I don't feel like tearing that claim apart but the way he easily defeats Professor Zoom here strikes me as a bit on the unlikely side. Dropping Sonic and friends into the DC Universe is a fun idea and would be a way to explore a lot of the limitations of these guys as crime fighters. Instead, "DC X Sonic" continues to function on cool factor alone, never asking any deeper questions about what would happen from such a switch-a-roo. 

Listen, I'm not saying I didn't have some fun with this. The best thing about this crossover continues to be the parallels and differences the writer has found between these two sets of characters. Yes, the way Superman protects Metropolis can be compared to how Knuckles protects Angel Island. Amy swinging her heart-generating Piko Piko Hammer while dressed as the Warrior of Love is a nice bit of metaphorical symmetry. However, the differences between these guys is also highlighted in ways that prove far more amusing. Lex Luthor, another bald super-genius, attempts to mislead Knuckles and, thankfully, he doesn't fall for it this time. When that doesn't work, the villain produced a Chaos Emerald that he's mistaken for Kryptonite. Obviously used to Superman peacefully flying away after an attempt on his life, Lex is startled when Knuckles swings back around and beats him. Similarly, Shadow the Hedgehog somehow proves even more humorless than Batman by swatting Joker aside the head with a rocket skate without saying a single word. 

Such encounters between our superhero-ified Team Sonic and the various native villains and allies of this world is, in fact, what composes most of this entire issue. Silver clobbers Sinestro alongside some of the better known Green Lantern Corp members. While Gorilla Grodd is the enemy that Amy pummels in the District of Columbia. Tails references fighting off Brother Blood alongside the other Teen Titans but we don't see that play out. That speaks to, once again, the hyper pacing of this entire story arc. The compromise is clear: Flynn clearly had a hundred ideas and scenarios he wanted to showcase during such a crossover as this. He only got five issues to explore them all, forcing the issue to rush through a bunch of scenarios that are clearly only a small selection of what has been going on during this time. 

Honestly, this entire issue feels a little bit like Flynn is simply happy to play in another sandbox for once. Sinestro and his Chaos Emerald charged Yellow Lantern summon some Parallax looking dragons. Gorilla Grodd descends on our nation's capital with a fleet of psychically controlled super-gorillas. The Joker, clearly in more of a wacky agent of mischief than mass-murdering demon-clown mode, rides around on a Joker-Mobile looking go-cart with a matching rocket launcher. Flynn even sneaks in a one-page appearance from Beast Boy and has the good guys hanging out at the Hall of Justice. You can tell that he's truly enjoying the chance to touch on all these beloved characters and elements. In fact, I'm starting to wonder if this entire mini-series wasn't a backwards scheme of Flynn's to maybe get hired by DC and write about something other than blue hedgehogs for once? 

Not that I think Flynn has anything but love and admiration for the “Sonic” cast and universe. He includes his fair share of in-jokes and shout-outs here. After Beast Boy turns into a green echidna to mock Knuckles, Sonic quibs that Knuckles would look awful in green. Yes, there's no way that's not a sideways poke at the much-loathed Chaos Knuckles arc, making this the first time an official piece of “Sonic” media has recalled the Archie series since it ended. The fanboy-ing out is a two way street, as well. You can tell the writer had a good time getting to include outrageous characters like C'hp, Grodd, or have Tails shout “Boo-yeah!” I never detected much influence on Flynn's “Sonic” writing from traditional superhero fair but it's clear he must be a reasonable fan of D.C. Comics shenanigans if he's casually dropping Sojourner Mullein or King Solovar into this crossover. 

If Flynn is relishing the chance to play around with an I.P. bigger than Sonic, you can tell Adam Bryce Thomas is as well. His take on Grodd, the Green Lantern Corps, Supergirl, and Hawkgirl all look pretty damn great. He was clearly especially happy to get a chance to draw the Joker, who is extremely animated and exaggerated looking on his pages. He brings his own approach to Lex Luthor too, who is a bit portlier and more Kojak-looking than he has been recently. Say what you will about the gimmickry of having Sonic and the gang dress up like the Justice League, there's no doubting that the costumes look cool as shit. The scenes of Shadow pursuing the Joker through traffic or the action beat with the Green Lantern Corp and Sinestro are as dynamic and smoothly illustrated as we've come to expect from this guy. IDW clearly did find the right man for this job, one of the few artists out there who can make both Sonic characters and human beings look bad-ass.

All along, I've been asking if “DC X Sonic” will rise above the novelty of its premise and actually provide a compelling story in its own right. More than half-way through at this point and I'm starting to realize that's not happening. I don't think this crossover is running on any idea deeper than it being cool to see these two universes interact. For sure, it absolutely is cool and I'm enjoying the unlikeliness of that. However, once again, I come away from another issue of this event wishing it was a little less breathless in its approach. Would've been nice to take a little more time to explore these circumstances and root what happens in a bit more heart. At the same time, Knuckles the Super-Echidna punches Lex Luthor through a glass window and across his desk and I'm not going to piss up your leg and claim I don't love that. Smashing your action figures together is fun but I do wish there was slightly more depth than that. [7/10]

Sonic X Shadow Generations: Dark Beginnings - Episode 3: To the ARK

Sonic X Shadow Generations: Dark Beginnings - Episode 3: To the ARK

Original Release Date: October 10th, 2024

The three episodes of "Sonic X Shadow Generations: Dark Beginnings" were released weekly in the lead-up to the eponymous remaster/bonus game dropping on October 25th. Yes, the Year of Shadow would essentially climax very close to Halloween, confirming once and for all that Shadow is the most goth of all the "Sonic the Hedgehog" characters. Could they have slipped in a little more weird alien body horror transformations so I could officially consider this a Halloween special? Anyway, four whole days after "To the ARK" was released, a compilation of all three episodes of "Dark Beginnings" would also drop. This gave the impression that such a format was probably how the entire animation was meant to be seen originally. It's harder to build hype when putting out one fourteen short than it is with the weekly drip-feed of episodes. Either way, "Dark Beginnings" ultimately being more of a single little movie than a TV series means it can be logged on Letterboxd, for the handful of people who are both "Sonic" nerds and hardcore cinema devotees. There are dozens of us, probably. 

Because your friends are more important than your employees, "To the ARK" begins with Rouge and Omega helping Shadow break into a GUN base so he can high-jack a rocket ship. After blowing up quite a lot of GUN's robots and vehicles, our hypothetically ultimate protagonist reaches the space shuttle he is seeking. As he launches off towards the ARK, GUN plans on shooting him out of the sky... Before Commander Tower intervenes, calling off the attack, and saying that he understands where Shadow is coming from. Shadow flies towards the ARK, and the threat that dwells there, and remembers his time with Maria before we cut to black. If you want to see the rest of the story, buy the video game, kid. 

Having seen all of "Dark Beginnings" now, the purpose of this cartoon emerges. In the ramp-up to the new game and movie coming out, Sega wanted to remind anyone who had forgotten how fucking cool Shadow the Hedgehog is. That's why most of this three-parter was devoted to the grumpy hedgie getting into lots of fights and blowing tons of shit up. One assumes that this is why Sega hired Christopher Luc and Kevin Molina-Ortiz to direct this thing. Those guys do kick-ass action and that's what they deliver. And you don't need me to tell that, simply as a display for some rad as fuck action animation, "Dark Beginnings" is a massive success. A good chunk of this episode is devoted to Shadow fighting the Blue Falcon. Not the Hanna-Barbera superhero, sadly, but the weird hovercraft thing from the "Shadow" video game. He Chaos-Controls around the industrial launch base, exploding hordes of missiles with his superpowers, and eventually taking down the vehicle personally. Yeah, it's cool as shit looking, with lots of fast-paced animation, weaving camera angles, expressive colors, and high-impact blows. 

The intent of nearly fourteen minutes of Shadow kicking ass and taking names is clear: To wash the bad taste of any middlingly received solo games and remind players that Shadow the Hedgehog is a bad-ass with a sensitive side. Obviously, the overwhelming majority of "Sonic" fans probably don't need to be reminded of this but, if "Dark Beginnings'" flashy as hell animation convinced one extra person to buy "Sonic X Shadow Generations," it probably did its job. The unstoppable super-hero who is gruff and doesn't give a shit, but is driven by a secret pain motivated by the loss of a loved one years ago, is a well known character type. However, there is apparently one thing Shadow isn't willing to do: After thoroughly disabling the Blue Falcon, he makes sure to personally activate the eject feature for the pilot. I don't know if this reflects a personal code on the hedgehog's behalf or if he simply feels it unnecessary to murder a G.U.N. officer just doing his job. It is a reminder that these characters are for little kids and probably shouldn't murder indiscriminately.

Considering the people working on this series would've been aware of the upcoming DC Comics crossover, it can't help but feel like another parallel to Batman. Shadow may be the best there is at what he does but what he does is only a little bit not-so-nice. He does not carry a licence to kill in his wallet and he's never murdered three men with a pencil, a fucking pencil. He's the dark and brooding defender of the world who still believes in the sanctity of human life, old chum. I do wish that "Dark Beginnings" had a little more time, in-between all its bitchin' action scenes, to delve into this idea a little more. The death of Maria floats over the entire series. Her loss will haunt Shadow forever. If his unwillingness to blow up faceless mooks and rip Eggman's throat out with his gloved hands was a reflection of this trauma, an insistence not to out other people through the same pain he's experienced, that sure would've been nice. Instead, it's one little moment in a six minute episode much more concerned with blowing shit up than the consequences of said shit blowing up. I bet the wife and daughter of that G.U.N. pilot will be thankful to the Ultimate Lifeform for sparring their husband/dad's life, assuming his injector seat didn't crash land into a mine field or a pool full of sharks.

I would've liked to have seen a little more insight into Shadow's code of honor but Ian Flynn has other concerns with this last episode. You gotta fill in those plot holes, man. Shadow working with G.U.N. is a well established factoid now, portrayed in the comics and video games. This is despite, ya know, that being the organization that killed his favorite person ever. The implication has always been that Shadow working with G.U.N. represents the fulfillment of his character arc. He's moved on from his pain, wants to help the world, and working with totally-not-S.H.I.E.L.D. is the best way to do that. As far as I know, this has never been exactly stated though. Moreover, why would G.U.N. want Shadow's help, considering he's blown up plenty of their shit in the past and continues to do so, as this cartoon depicts? 

As it is with Hollywood, turns out there is nothing more important than who you know. "Dark Beginnings" reminds us that Shadow and Commander Tower go way back. That they grew up together. Turns out, this makes the head huncho at G.U.N. totally fine with their top agent sometimes going on destructive rampages against them. I guess G.U.N. doesn't have much in the way of authority oversight so Abe and Shadow kind of knowing each other is enough for everyone to overlook all the senseless destruction. This still doesn't quite explain why Shadow would partner up with these assholes but it at least shows there's some sort of link there. 

That halfway explains why Shadow gets a pass for destroying expensive G.U.N. and God knows what else. What is Rouge and Omega's excuse, for aiding and abetting a rogue agent in his misadventures? Commander Tower actually points this out to Rouge specifically. She brings him a thumb drive full of Eggman secrets of some sort to compensate. Mostly, I think her batting her big beautiful eyelashes at her boss, playfully calling him "Abe," puffing up her lips and pushing out the 22Fs, is the real reason for him to forgive her. Okay but Omega has noticeably less sex appeal than Rouge. He definitely helps blow up G.U.N. robots in this episode, including a really cool shot of him employing a big-ass Gatling gun. I guess Tower is reluctant to confront the eight foot tall, heavily-armed murder bot about his indiscretions. What I'm saying here is that G.U.N. doesn't give a shit and let's their agents do whatever, no matter the cost to themselves and others. Your typical black ops organization, in other words. 

But there I go picking at nits again. Sorry, I can't help myself sometimes. The real point of "To the ARK" is not to display some sick fight scenes or give us a peek at the inner workings of G.U.N. higher-ups. Not unlike the various "TailsTube" episodes, "Dark Beginnings" is basically a commercial. It's meant to remind us to run out and buy that new video game. This is most apparent in how "Dark Beginnings" is also a prequel to "Shadow Generations," leading right into the start of the game. In other words, there's no room here to tell a complete story. "Dark Beginnings" doesn't truly have an ending, stopping at the point when Shadow is about to reach the ARK. Unable to tell a complete narrative, the last part of "Dark Beginnings" attempts to create some sense of emotional resolution instead. While on the rocket ride, Shadow thinks back to Maria. He gets sad and wistful for a minute before shaking it off. What this moment does is reveal that a lot of Shadow's tough guy personality is a put on. Inside, he's still a hurt kid still reeling from the sudden death of his older sister figure. It is a nice little moment that does bring things full circle to some degree, re-centering the story once again around Shadow's most important bond. 

If you missed the significance of that, "Dark Beginnings" also includes, in its last few minutes, a weepy pop ballad. I got flashbacks to all those would-be Disney animated movies from the nineties that included a pop version of a song over the end credits in the hopes of getting an Oscar nomination. "Without You" by Casey Lee Williams – apparently best known for one of those internet animated series that look like anime but aren't – skips the synth sparkles but otherwise hits all the clichés of the Oscar Bait Song. It is full of straining emotion, sweeping instruments, and vocals that reach for the heavens in terms of the feeling they hope to convey. The lyrics describe Shadow's difficulty in moving on from Maria's loss. It goes right for the heart and wants to see you cry. I find the song a little overwrought, to say the least, but it does go a long way to making "Dark Beginnings" feel more like a real movie than an ad. They are plucking those heart strings hard. 

While the lack of something like a real ending is an inevitable consequence of "Dark Beginnings" being a lead-in to a new video game, it doesn't kill the buzz the rest of this series gave me too much. If you watch the 14 minute compilation, you get an extra scene of Black Doom brooding aboard the ARK after the credits, an inessential addition. Playing through "Sonic X Shadow Generations" also reveals and additional scene, of Shadow and Maria hugging it out some more. That one feels a bit more like an actual ending, despite still not wrapping up any of the narrative threads. It's hard to give "Dark Beginnings" anything but the highest recommendations based simply on its gorgeous animation. Out of all the new "Sonic" animation to come out of the Youtube channel, I don't think this tops "Sonic Frontiers Prologue: Divergence" as my fave but it's definitely a real piece of art nevertheless. Why can't all "Sonic" media be this damn pretty and be willing to get a little sadder more often? Hopefully Luc and Molina-Ortiz get invited back to do more stuff like this during the, I don't know, The Year of Cream or whatever promotional stunt Sega does next. [8/10]

Sonic X Shadow Generations: Dark Beginnings - Episode 2: Finding the Way

Sonic X Shadow Generations: Dark Beginnings 

Episode 2: Finding the Way

Original Release Date: October 3rd, 2024

While I will admit to a certain cynicism concerning the typical fandom reaction to any and every new "Sonic the Hedgehog" character, the fact is that this series is especially good at designing new cast members. I don't mean solely visually, though an eye-catching design does seem to be enough to get most fans hyped. (Hence the aforementioned cynicism.) While you can complain about how many of the "Sonic" characters are truly essential, the artists and writers are very good about finding roles that were previously unfilled and sticking them together in compelling ways. Shadow's whole thing is that he's a loner, right? Rouge is a morally neutral jewel thief, far more interested in her next score than anything else, yes? These two should *not* be team players. Team Dark, however, has become an pivotal part of the "Sonic" universe. Somehow, when you combine the angsty super-being and the tricky femme fatale with a destruction obsessed kill-droid, it just works. The three personalities play off each other perfectly. The government of Sonic's world deciding to cram three people who would otherwise be supervillains and decide to let them focus their antisocial personality traits on the enemy is some succinct world building. There's a reason "The Dirty Dozen" is a classic and has spawned so many Thunderbolts and Suicide Squads. There's something irresistible about a bunch of assholes and crooks being very much forced to work together for the greater good. Let's us have our villainous cake and eat some moral relatively too or something. 

Anyway, I bring this up because the second episode of "Sonic X Shadow Generations: Dark Beginnings" reunites the star attraction with the other two members of Team Dark. Not that Shadow was intentionally seeking them out. Following his dream/vision last episode, Shadow is looking for a space craft to reach the ARK. He headed to the nearest Eggman base to find one. By a massive coincidence, this is the same base that Rouge and Omega are currently attacking for some reason. She claims it's just a supplies depot, with no rocket ships in sight, but does agree to help Shadow out... Assuming he comes to Sonic's birthday party with her. In-between conversation points, the trio murder a shit ton of Egg Drones and Shadow reflects on a memory of Maria comforting him when he was feeling bad for himself. 

Last time, I criticized "Dark Beginnings'" script for being a bit too on-the-nose. Ian Flynn has the sole writing credit on this entire mini-series but I don't know if that means he had relative creative control or was working within ideas and storyboards provided beforehand. The dialogue sees the characters rather flatly explaining what they are feeling and doing. A ten year old Abraham Tower rushes out of a room and makes sure to sneer that Shadow is a freak on the way out. Inside, the Lifeform Ultimatized for Self-Pity describes his existential angst over actually being genetically engineered from alien DNA. In a good example of telling rather than showing, he describes how this information makes him feels and awkwardly includes the word "larva." Maria, in turn, knows exactly what to say to make the broody test tube baby feel better. Her words not only specifically address what Shadow is feeling in that moment but also echo into the future. Maria just happened to say that Shadow will someday meet other people he can trust, exactly as the episode cuts to him racing off to encounter Rouge and Omega. Damn, that little girl was optimistic about getting off that space station! 

This tendency towards dialogue that is obvious, if not a touch overwrought, continues into the next scene as well. Shadow's explanation to Rouge about what he's doing here is a rather flat and basic description of everything that happened before. While I'm enough of a nit-picky, overly critical dork to be bugged by this, it doesn't truly distract from the emotions "Dark Beginnings" is invoking here. Here's why I think Shadow's story resonates with so many people: It shows the power of kindness. Shadow was born to be a weapon. He was programmed to be an avatar of Gerald Robotnik's planet-consuming need for vengeance. When we first met him, he was defined by nothing but his impressive superpowers and humorless, antihero attitude. 

Despite that... Maria was kind to him once. She could have been like Abe Tower and bullied Shadow, fearing him for not being a "normal" child of God. Instead, she reached out to Shadow and was gentle, empathetic, and nice to him. Maria's life was always destined to be short, even if G.U.N. agents are crappier aim. As the subtitles remind us, she's been gone fifty years by the time of the current day. Despite that, those simple acts of sympathy still resonate. A little girl who died half a century ago was nice to Shadow the Hedgehog and that was enough to make him realize and understand that he is capable of more than destruction, able to pursue goals beyond revenge. The foundation of such a method is love. That Maria's actions causes Shadow to completely change his direction in life, to be the hero Maria saw in him and not the weapon everyone else wanted him to be, proves that love ripples further than hate or revenge ever could. The idea that a simple act of kindness can change a life – and, in effect, change the world – is a touching thought that feels like a fundamental truth about the universe. 

As much as the emotion element of this episode resonates with me, I don't think that will be the main thing most people take away from “Finding the Way.” As with the first episode, the main thing that is immediately memorable about this four minute installment is how fuckin' cool it looks. The intense visual presentation is evident right from the get-go. The scenes on the ARK are moodily lit, the twitching Black Arms larva being weirdly expressive. As soon as Shadow races across the screen, the action rarely stops moving. In fact, the battle with the Egg Drones is so fast-paced and stylized that you almost have to watch it twice in order to catch everything that happens. Shadow weaves in and out of the laser blasts and weapons at a rocket's pace, striking back with such intensity that the image seems to shatter. When Rouge and Omega shows up, the action gets even more explosive. Rouge flies up into the air, poses before the moon – some real “Batman '89” vibes there – before striking down at a giant-sized drone with an earth-splitting kick. It's so fuckin' cool and it looks amazing.

It's very satisfying watching Rouge the Bat kick ass. I feel like it doesn't matter how often she shows up, the bat is always an underutilized member of the “Sonic” supporting cast. Rouge has such a grace about her, all of her movements being laced with sensuality. This means she has chemistry with everyone, Shadow included. What could have been a totally plot-driven dialogue exchange, where they discuss what's going on and how to push forward, becomes an amusing flirty discussion. The way her eyes bulge out when Shadow scoops her out of harm's way, how she bats her lashes and rolls her head when talking him into going to Sonic's birthday party: It shows such an immediate and charming personality. To the point where, when she looks over her shoulder at Shadow and asks “Interested in raiding a G.U.N. Base?” I had a Pavlovian reaction of “I'm interested in raiding that ass!” I probably shouldn't have told you that. Anyway, Rouge rocks and she makes this episode better than it already was. 

Karen Strassman has been voicing Rouge since 2010, meaning she's got a good grip on the character by this point. Strassman definitely makes Rouge sound cute and flirty, while maintaining an edge of professionalism, that suits the character well. However, as I mentioned last time, I do find the Japanese voice cast a little smoother sounding. Rumi Ochiai, the Japanese voice of Rouge since the “Sonic X” days, sounds a little less ditzy, a little less Valley Girl, and that goes a long way towards fitting the character's femme fatale attitude. Roger Craig Smith shows up as Omega here and I'm really not crazy about his take. Doesn't sound robot-y enough, ya know? Taiten Kusunoki – check out this dude's head shot – makes the kill-bot sound both more mechanical and also more expressive, a good balance. Kirk Thornton has more quiet moments in this episode, so I think he's a little less gratingly tough. 

It's clear that Flynn is telling a direct story here, one designed to expound on Shadow's past while also pushing him towards the events of the video game re-release this entire venture is meant to promote. At the same time, assuming this script truly does reflect Ian Flynn's vision more than anyone else, “Finding the Way” can't help but reflect the author's quirks. In this four minute episode that is extremely heavy on the action, Ian still finds some time to plug a plot hole. For years, fans have speculated on why Shadow the Hedgehog – not exactly the most social of guys and not somebody who generally considers himself a friend of Sonic the Hedgehog – would show up at his birthday party. While it's funny to assume he was doing some sort of information gathering, the truth is Rouge just blackmailed him into doing it. Dude just can't help himself. He has an obsessive compulsion for finding weird gaps in story logic and cooking up solutions to them. 

The script also makes sure to remind us that Abraham Tower grew up on the ARK, a tidbit I always forget about that. Is there any particular reason he has heterochromia? All those years of staring at glowing glass tubes full of weird alien weapons or off-spring or something. Anyway, this rocks. It looks fucking amazing and it also has a nice amount of heart, expanding on the emotional boundaries of this universe while also giving us all the things we want to see. Aw darn, there's only more left? We could've gotten a little more! [9/10]