Sonic the Hedgehog: Issue 152

 

Sonic the Hedgehog: Issue 152
Publication Date: August 2005

Ken Penders' decision to turn Sonic into a philandering Lothario, romancing every single girl in Knothole except his ex-girlfriend, was not well received by fans. Unsurprisingly, the die hard “Sonic” nerds did not enjoy seeing their hero portrayed as a double-dealing sleazeball. Despite the reveal that it was Sonic's mirror universe counterpart behind the seductions, fans were still pissed. So what did Archie do? Have Spaz draw up a cover seemingly celebrating Sonic's newfound status as a womanizer, encouraging “the playa” to play on. Readers were not amused. Most insultingly, the cover has little to do with the actual content of this issue. For one thing, Rouge is on the cover, despite being absent in the comic.

Issue 152 actually begins with the back story, “Engage!” Robotnik, growing increasingly frustrated that Sonic continues to foil his plans, inadvertently gives A.D.A.M.'s full reign to do whatever he sees fit. The computer virus decides to unleash a collection of nanites. The grey goo spreads across the countryside, encroaching on the Great Forest and endangering Lupe and the Wolf Pack.

I don't know why Ken decided to designate “Engage!” as its own story. The five pager plays out as nothing but a prologue to the issue's main story. All it really does is set up the Nanites as 152's main threat, explaining why they're in the book. (It doesn't explain why Robotnik had a collection of nanites lying around, though I've always theorized that roboticization involves nanite technology.) Ken throws Lupe and the Wolf Pack into the story in an attempt to add a human element. All it really does is remind us that Lupe is still around, organic once more, roaming the countryside but not contributing to the story.

With that out of the way, we move on to the main event, a story seriously entitled “Sonic's Angels.” Rotor and the rest of Knothole's brain trust immediately recognize the nanites as a seriously threat. A team composed of Sonic, Bunnie, Mina, Fiona, and Amy are sent to investigate. What they find is a massive nanite construct on the edge of the forest. After exploring the building, they discover the previously M.I.A. Snively is already there, looking for a solution. The situation turns grimmer when the nanites attempt to absorb Bunnie.

The very dumb gimmick behind “Sonic's Angels” is evident in the title. For whatever reason, this story features Sonic's collection of romantic conquests going on a mission with him. There's no in-universe reason for this. Mina has been retired from Freedom Fighting for quite some time, instead focusing on her musical career. Amy and Fiona at least have field experience, though I'm not sure why they were singled out over Tails or Antoine. Only Bunnie, as the resident bruiser, makes much sense. If Penders was trying to play up the romantic tension between the group, he must've forgotten that the real Sonic didn't screw around with all these women. For some reason, Sonic hasn't informed Sally or the others that he unwillingly traded places with his evil doppelganger recently. You'd think that conversation would've come up at some point.

That's all very dumb but it's not the most egregious thing about issue 152. Bunnie is captured by the nanites. Not understanding that half her body is organic, they attempt to adsorb the cyborg. The abduction is framed like a horror movie. Black, greasy arms grab Bunnie and drag her off. What happens next brings more unnerving connotations to mind. Bunnie is pinned to a table. Her cybernetic limbs are melted into goo. Robotic probes touch her body, including her swimsuit areas. Her left eye disappears mid-way through the book. Most disturbing are the silent tears streaming down her face, the obvious torment and anguish she's feeling. Does this remind you of anything? Introducing a metaphorical, practically literal rape into a kids' book is in questionable taste. Subjecting Bunnie, one of the series' most beloved characters to this, is especially awful.

Maybe if the story was actually about Bunnie's cybernetic assault, this would have been more excusable. But Ken's script brushes off what happens to Bunnie. Instead, he uses this as an opportunity to boost Sonic. Since the micro robots only understand organic and inorganic, Bunnie's status as both confuses the machines into inactivity. Bunnie could've accomplished this but the script robs her of agency. Bunnie's assault only happens so Sonic can play hero. That may genuinely be the most offensive thing Ken has ever written.

That the rescue is capped off with Bunnie smooching Sonic makes it feel sleazier. Apparently Sonic still hasn't told Bunnie that he's not the one she got cozy with recently. Yet he's all to willing to accept her romantic overture. The kiss is drawn as passionate, accepting, not confused and shocked. (Penders claim that's not how he wrote it, that artist Al Bigley misunderstood but that still doesn't excuse Sonic just going with it.) It's almost as if the hero has intentionally been withholding information because he enjoys the attention the women are giving him. This is, for lack of a better word, incredibly gross.

Does “Sonic's Angels” contribute anything pleasant to the comic's universe? While the nanites would become minor bits of the Archie Sonic lore, their presentation here is confusing. A grey goo scenario would threaten everything. The story runs with this at first before later shifting gears, saying that the nanites only consume mechanical stuff. However, the story does bring Snively back. He's been absent since the “Home” arc and has apparently been working against Eggman. The story ends with him tentatively teaming up with the Freedom Fighters. That's an interesting plot point but one sure to be underutilized. That's the way the book has gone recently.

Issue 154 also has some artwork problems. The usually reliable James Fry draws “Engage!,” after a long absence from the book. Maybe he lost a step or two during his time off. The story's not bad looking but the characters and shading do look slightly off. Jon Gray draws part of “Sonic's Angels.” Gray has improved slightly from the “Return to Angel Island” arc, as the characters are less exaggerated, but I”m still not a fan. Gray's most baffling decision is to draw an American flag in the background of one panel for no reason. Al Bigley, who draws the second half, also showed some improvement recently but his work goes back off the rails this time. His characters frequently appear as disconnected globs of limbs and squinting faces.

Conceptually, this is just another mediocre Ken Penders' joint from one of the comic's worst years. With dumb romantic melodrama, a plot that meanders without much point, and story turns seemingly throw out at random. What happens to Bunnie, and especially how the book handles it, forces me to be much harsher on this one. The biggest insult? The original print version included a five page advertisement for Lego Bionicle in the middle of the book. I know that isn't Ken's fault but it just seals the deal for me. “Sonic's Angels” has earned its title as a legendarily shitty issue. [2/10]

Sonic the Hedgehog: Issue 147

Sonic the Hedgehog: Issue 147
Publication Date: March 2005

Recently, I theorized that Archie was putting such a heavy focus on Shadow the Hedgehog because Sega insisted the comic include more video game elements. Further proof comes along in the second part of the “The Good, the Bad, and the Unknown” tetralogy. The third corner of this fightin’ triangle is revealed as Metal Sonic. Though a consistent adversary to Sonic in the games, the original Metal Sonic hasn’t appeared in the comics since the “Knuckles’ Chaotix” one-shot, roughly a million years ago. So his sudden reappearance in the book is a bit of a surprise, one Archie hyped up nearly as much as Shadow’s.

The Freedom Fighters split up inside the mysterious underground lair they have found themselves in. Tails and Tommy enter a control room, helplessly pressing buttons. Fiona has been left in some obscure corner, which Sonic, Rotor, and Bunnie quickly speed to. Metal Sonic, sent by Eggman to check shit out, tracks down Shadow and Isaac. The robot quickly starts to wail on Shadow and his friend. Before long, Sonic enters the fray, apparently just looking for a good fight.

I don’t know why Ken threw together this collection of characters. Sonic and Tails go on adventures all the time while Rotor and Bunnie fill the smart guy and brawler roles, respectively. But what do Tommy and Fiona add to this team? Seems like both got slotted into additional scientific roles, even though Rotor’s already on this mission. I suppose the writer was trying to boost those two, still relative new additions to the team. What ends up happening instead is a story with too many characters, the writer awkwardly attempting to find a role for everyone. This results in an unfocused script that leaps around too much, confusing and irritating readers.

Sega faithfuls love Metal Sonic, considering him one of Sonic’s most dangerous adversaries. I’ve never quite gotten the hype. As a robot, he’s defined by a one-note drive to destroy Sonic. In “The Heart of the Hedgehog” arc, Dan Fingeroth merged this with a more personable psychosis and a sarcastic streak, actually making Metal Sonic interesting. Ken attempts something similar here. The writer shoves some trash talk into the robotic hedgehog’s voice synthesizer. He refers to Shadow as “Bio-Trash” and repeatedly declares himself his superior. While that worked with the more humanized Metal Sonic 2.5, it’s an odd fit for this version of Metal Sonic, who just came off the assembly line. Still, it is slightly more interesting then Shadow’s boring friend Isaac.

Then again, maybe I’m overestimating Ken’s intentions. Because “The Good, the Bad, and the Unknown” only really has one purpose: Getting Sonic, Shadow, and Metal Sonic into a big fight. Which the story gleefully leaps into. Metal Sonic floors Shadow with a telescoping extend-o punch. Shadow, in retaliation, swings him into a wall. There’s punches, leaps, tossed rocks, and rocket boosters to the face. Metal Sonic at least has a reason for fighting these guys. Sonic’s excuse for getting into the action – running off to join the fight just because he’s bored – reeks of lazy writing. It’s as if the Archie brass told the writer “We don’t care why they fight, just make them fight” and he delivered in as cynical a fashion possible.

Remember a while ago when Archie, for some stupid reason, gave the Off-Panel crew a five page story? Sure you do. Remember how I said they never did that again? I’m sorry, that was wrong. “The Edge of Parodies” is a self-indulgent bit of fourth wall breaking from Mike Gallagher and Dave Manak. Mike and Dave enter the Off-Panel universe, despite Sonic’s objection. Both quickly realize, as the writer and artist, they have control over the story as it happens. Dave and Mike immediately transform themselves into superheroes and spend the rest of the comic arguing about who has cooler powers. Sonic attempts to distract them with some old Badniks but it takes the editor stepping in, saying this bullshit is stupid and to stop it, to make the story end.

“This Side of Parodies” has one funny gag. Sonic recruits a bunch of Badniks from the original game – once regular cast members who haven’t been seen in years – to challenge Gallagher and Manak. Seeing Moto-Bug as a grouchy old man is mildly amusing. Otherwise, “This Side of Parodies” is another useless bit of ego masturbation for Manak and Gallagher. Without irony, both fictional stand-ins blame the other for the book’s sometimes shoddy quality. Manak says his art makes Gallagher’s rushed scripts awesome. Gallagher says his writing makes up for Manak’s sketchy artwork. Which doesn’t disguise the fact that this story is about the writers making themselves superheroes. Though I will say this much: Unlike “Better Read Than Dead,” at least Sonic has an extended role in this story. It’s not just about how awesome the comic’s creative staff is. Still, I can’t imagine excited kids, eager to read about Sonic the Hedgehog’s adventures, were much pleased by this.

Issue 147 wraps up with “Fox and the Hound.” Sonic is too busy adventuring to play with Muttski. Desperate for attention, the dog instead teams up with Tails for some playtime. The two proceed to play fetch, hopstocth, and go for a swim. During a game of hide and seek, Muttski starts to get aggressive towards Tails. Sonic intervenes and insists this is just a misunderstanding, as Muttski thought he was fox hunting.

“Fox and the Hound” has a promising idea. The story mentions Sonic’s ability to understand Muttski’s speech, a plot point the book has done nothing with since introducing it. Overall, seeing Tails and Muttski bond over their mutual status as Sonic’s ignored sidekicks is a cute idea. This could’ve built towards a “boy and his dog” scenario, Tails having a deeper bound with Sonic’s pet then the hedgehog ever did. Instead, “Fox and the Hound” is just build-up towards a really lame pun about fox hunting. It’s another Romy Chacon five pagers that wastes the potential inherit in its premise.

At least the art isn’t too bad. Steven Butler continues to do fine work on the cover story, even if his Metal Sonic looks a little weird. (And it’s disappointing that Isaac is drawn as a straight palette swipe of E-102 Gamma, right down to the number designation.) But Sonic, Shadow, Bunnie and the gang still look awesome, as does the action. Dave Manak’s artwork for “This Side of Parodies” is typical of Manak. However, his loose, angular style fits the story, misbegotten as it may be. Al Bigley continues to improve with “Fox and the Hound.” Tails and Sonic still look a little off at times but, for the most parts, Bigley is developing a style of his own: Jovial and cartoony without loosing track of the characters’ reality. A little more fine-tuning and he could’ve turn into a great “Sonic” artist. Disappointingly, he would only draw one more story for Archie before leaving the book.

Issue 147 is another collection of lame stories. “The Good, the Bad, and the Unknown” reveals itself as nothing more then a mindless fight fest. (And I generally like fight fest!) “Fox and the Hound” could’ve been interesting if the writer had a little more faith in it. And “This Side of Parodies” was a terrible idea that shouldn’t have been in the book in the first place. The Dork Age continues, uninterrupted. [4/10]

Sonic the Hedgehog: Issue 146

Sonic the Hedgehog: Issue 146
Publication Date: February 2005

Archie was prepared to double down on this Shadow the Hedgehog thing. In 2005, the black furred hedgehog anti-hero would appear on six covers, nearly half of the “Sonic” comics Archie would put out that year. I guess I can't blame them. The character was hugely popular with “Sonic” fans at the time, enough so that Sega would give Shadow his own video game the next year. (The debatable quality of that game would definitely leave its mark on both the character and the franchise.) Archie was probably just giving the fans what they thought they wanted but, in retrospect, it can't help but look like the book latched onto the aspects of the series that was trendy at the time.

Issue 146 begins a four-part story arc with the unwieldy title of “The Good, the Bad, and the Unknown.” A random selection of Freedom Fighters – Sonic, Bunnie, Rotor, Tommy, Fiona – have tracked down the explosion they noticed last issue. They enter an underground cave, discovering a mysterious laboratory. At that point, Shadow confronts Sonic. He came to uncover some information about his origins but the two hedgehogs quickly get into fisticuffs.

The cover to issue 146 actually crosses out Sonic's name, replacing it with Shadow. This is fitting, as Shadow practically takes over the first part of “The Good, the Bad, and the Unknown.” A good portion of the story is devoted to a flashback, showing Shadow tracking down the cave/lab after hearing a mysterious signal. Ken retroactively sucks the feeling out of last issue's “Shadows of Hope” by revealing that he literately believed Hope to be Maria. I guess his brain was scrambled following that fall? This appears to wrap up the bond between those characters, which is, you might notice, the only interesting thing Shadow had going for him at this point.

“The Good, the Bad, and the Unknown” - is it okay if I abbreviated that awful fucking title? - seems to be building towards some sort of convoluted mystery. Shadow discovers the underground facility after picking up on a mysterious signal, similar to something Dr. Gerald broadcast. Inside, he discovers a robot named Isaac, who looks like a gold-plated E-102 Gamma. The machine confusingly explains his origin or something, eventually revealing that he's thousands of years old. I couldn't care less about this bullshit. Does anyone care about this bullshit?

The only memorable thing about this particular comic is the big fight scene it opens with. We leap right into the action with no explanation. The issue begins with an impressive one-page spread of Shadow socking Sonic in the jaw. The two proceed to dodge, punch, and kick. The fight concludes when Sonic doses Shadow with a blast of water, cooling the antagonistic hedgehog down. Steven Butler draws part one of “TGTBTU” and his dynamic pencils suit this big action scene very well. It's easily the best thing about the story.

Archie sticks three stories into this one. “Out of Your Shell,” a vehicle for Tommy the Turtle, is stuck in the middle. Apparently Rotor and Tommy are cohabiting. Rotor promises the shelled reptile that they'll do something fun that day but Rotor gets called away by work. When he returns to the cabin, he discovers that the bored turtle has reorganized Rotor's notes and files. Instead of kicking him out like most OCD-riddled eccentrics would, Rotor promotes Tommy to his assistant and brings him along to his laboratory. 

Tommy the Turtle rejoined the land of the living awhile ago but the book still hasn't figured out what to do with him... Until now! But don't get excited. Tommy is now officially Rotor's lab assistant. The reptile hasn't shown much interest in science before this point. The character has been previously characterized by his slowness but now he's gained a quick wit, it appears. I don't know why Karl came to this conclusion, as the book has no shortage of brainy characters already. Tommy having a natural inclination towards organization seems especially random. Is a prime alphabetizer something the Freedom Fighters really needed? Beyond a lame script, “Out of Your Shell” features some lifeless art from Ron Lim.

Rounding out the book is “Circuit Me,” a five pager starring Sally and Nicole. While wandering around Rotor's lab, with Nicole in hand, Sally trips on some wire. Some sort of pseudo-scientific mumbo jumbo ensues, causing Sally and Nicole to switch bodies. While the Princess is trapped inside the handheld computer, Nicole suddenly experiences having a flesh-and-blood body for the first time in her life. Rotor attempts to reverse this incident but it undoes itself naturally a few minutes later.

“Circuit Me' is an interesting idea. The book has done the body swap premise before, back in Sonic Super Special: Issue 12. But sticking a computerized program into Sally's body is a little more complex. Suddenly, Nicole is feeling things that were literally beyond her a few minutes earlier. She's smelling, seeing, and even picks up on Sally's love for Sonic. A computer learning to be human Mobian is a fascinating idea. Sadly, the story is far too short to truly build on this concept. The set-up takes three pages, only leaving two to really explore the connotations. It's disappointing but this story would, in a round about way, set up Nicole's forthcoming transformation into an actual character. Al Bigley draws this one and he's showing signs of improvement, clearly taking some cues from Steven Butler (Good!) and Jon Gray (Ehhhhh).

That final story showed some potential but there's little else to recommend about issue 146. The first part of “The Good, the Bad, and the Unknown” is not promising. I'm dreading drudging through the next three parts of this thing. The middle story continues to struggle to find a purpose for Tommy Turtle. At least two of the three stories have okay artwork. The mediocre years continue to slowly slide by us. [5/10]

Sonic the Hedgehog: Issue 145

Sonic the Hedgehog: Issue 145
Publication Date: January 2005

Rumor has it that, following the release of “Sonic Adventure 2,” Sega began to make more demands of Archie. Specifically, they demanded that the comics incorporate more elements from the recent games. This, combined with “a zillion readers' request” as Ken puts it, surely had an influence on the direction the book would take in 2005. Issue 145 heavily features fan favorite Shadow the Hedgehog, almost to the point of pushing Sonic out of his own book. This issue would be a precursor to a much hyped four part arc revolving around Shadow. Whether or not you enjoy this shift of direction was strictly a matter of taste. So let's get on with it.

The book opens, not with Sonic, but with Shadow. In “Shadows of Hope,” the mysterious hedgehog spies on Hope, as the young girl still reminds him of his lost Maria. Shadow's snooping is interrupted when Locke teleports next to him. He nabs the hedgehog, unknowingly grabbing Hope as well. Locke hopes to use Shadow to protect Angel Island, now that Knuckles is traveling the world. This plan doesn't go so well.

Yeah, I loved Shadow the Hedgehog the first time I played “Sonic Adventure 2.” I was twelve years old when that game came, right in the character's target demographic. I was susceptible to Shadow's “edgy,” “extreme” attitudes. My fascination with Sega's new bad boy proved short-lived. Archie Comic's awkward attempt to incorporate Shadow into their book would reveal how shallow a character Shadow is. Grasping for straws, “Shadows of Hope” builds on the black hedgehog's fascination with Hope. This is a good idea, as its his sole shred of humanity. However, it's not quite enough to build a story on and “Shadows of Hope” quickly runs out of energy.

A big problem is that Archie's writers didn't seem to have much faith in Shadow. Neither the hedgehog nor Hope truly drives the plot of this one. Instead, Ken's pet character Locke is the real protagonist of “Shadows of Hope.” Like always, Ken writes the former Guardian as a hyper-competent bad-ass. He even narrates the story. Despite being an old man, he zips in and easily grabs Shadow, one of the most powerful characters in the 'verse. Later, he puts a judo flip on the guy and pins him in the air with his Chaos Powers. (Which he notes aren't as strong as Knuckles' but are still a force to reckon with.) Truthfully, Locke is acting like a bad guy, detaining people against their will for selfish reasons. Like always, Ken can't recognize that and instead treats the old man like some sort of neutral force, instead of the prick he is.

Another reason you can tell “Shadows of Hope” is a Penders' joint is the stiff dialogue. For some reason, he writes Shadow like an alien or robot or something. He says unbelievable things like “Identify yourself or else be considered a foe!” and  “I am not bathed in the warm, soothing nutrients...” Other characters have clunky dialogue, as Locke says “You're neither biological, mineral nor vegetable!” And Hope later flatly states her emotions with  “I'm more scared of you than I am of him!' Among this super stiff dialogue is one genuinely emotional moment. When Locke corners Hope, Shadow gets a flashback to Maria's death. Triggered like Rambo in the police station, the hedgehog leaps free of his prison and attacks Locke. It's a powerful moment but the story just ends afterwards, Shadow flying away, barely affected by what just happened to him. Lame.

Karl Bollers' sole contribution to this issue, “Training Day,” sadly does not star Denzel Washington. Instead, the five pager is devoted to Robotnik educating his robot army about the Freedom Fighters. He lays some basic facts about Sonic, Tails, Knuckles, and Amy Rose – including her oft referenced but rarely displayed aptitude with tarot cards – on his robot soldiers. Why Robotnik has to tell robots these things instead of just programming the information into them is a question I do not have an answer to.

Archie has done this kind of thing before. A totally needless refresher course about the characters and their world. Usually I assume a story like this crops up to inform new comers to the book. Maybe the editorial staff figured Shadow's reappearance in the book would attract a new audience? If so, why is “Training Day” devoted to basic facts about the Sega created stories? Wouldn't an info-dump about Sally, Bunnie, and the rest of the Archie exclusive crowd have been a better choice? Sega fans are already familiar with Sonic, Tails, Knuckles and Amy. (Who is still a bit player at this point, it must be sad.) So I don't know why “Training Day” exists. It's a useless story.

Issue 145's final story, “Harbinger,” is the first time the flesh and blood Sonic appears in this particular issue. It follows a laid back day in Knothole being interrupted by a sudden blast many miles away. After Rotor informs the others of this, Sonic and Tails blast off to investigate. Turns out, Shadow the Hedgehog has something to do with the explosion.

“Harbinger” was written, I suspect, as a “day in the life” kind of story. One of those tales not meant to have much plot but instead focus on the characters as they go about their day-to-day life, doing average stuff. So we see Sonic play a game of darts with Ash, with Mina, Bunnie, and Amy watching. We see Tails reading a book and having a chat with Rotor and Tommy, who has apparently become his assistant. There's even a detailed series of panels devoted to Sonic packing his bag for this latest journey, because going on adventures is part of Sonic's daily life too. Conceptually, I like the idea but the execution is lacking. There's no through line between these events, the scenes just piling on top of each other. It seems less like a normal day in Knothole and more like a series of unrelated events.

Not all the character beats work either. Sonic and Ash nearly coming to blows over a barroom dart game makes both seem like overly macho meatheads. Everyone just standing around and watching, dispassionately, doesn't speak very well of his friends either. It suggests Ash is jealous of Sonic which is annoying, since that subplot is dead and buried. A later scene has Tails yelling at Rotor for not immediately including him on a mission. Again, Tails being insecure as a Freedom Fighter is a plot point long since settled. At the end, Sally bids Sonic an awkward farewell at the airport, both secretly still feeling something for the other. This idea has promise but the overwrought thought balloons really sinks it.

Issue 145 features a very uneven, mostly bad, collection of art. Ron Lim draws the Shadow-centric opener. It's a little better then his usual work, as Lim finally seems to be acclimating to these characters some. Yet there's still some serious cases of blank facial expressions and noodle limbs. Hope looks especially awful in Lim's style. Al Bigley draws “Training Day.” He draws the story as static images of Sonic and friends, Robotnik's floating head narrating over them. It's not an uninspired look. Dawn Best returns for “Harbinger.” It's not her best work as Sonic looks overly round and cutesy. Best has a bad habit of not drawing necks, characters' heads just floating on their shoulders. Yet it's still, clearly, the best artwork in this particular issue.

2005 wasn't off to the best start. “Shadows of Hope” and “Harbinger” both have potentially interesting elements but neither work entirely. “Training Day” is utterly useless. Seems like the previous year's slump isn't intending on ending any time soon. [5/10]

Sonic the Hedgehog: Issue 137

Sonic the Hedgehog: Issue 137
Publication Date: June 2004

With issue 137, the Tommy Turtle Trilogy totally tears towards termination. I've made my dislike of this particular story arc and everything it represents well known. Yet, compared to the last few limp issues, issue 137 works slightly better. I'll take any port in a storm, especially since I know good stories will become harder and harder to find soon enough. “Half-way decent” feels great in a drought of quality like this.

In “Robo-Dyne Systems,” Sonic and the Freedom Fighters, Sally included, fly towards New Megaopolis, the brand new city Robotnik has built on the radioactive ruins of Old Robotropolis. They are there for a reason: To sneak into the factory where Tommy the Turtle is being kept and rescue him. While there, Sonic and Sally uncover an entire production line of infiltration units, a new wave of Auto-Automatons meant to sneak into Knothole and take it over from the inside. The heroes decide they need to both rescue Tommy and destroy the factory.

Once you get over “Robo-Dyne Systems” being about Tommy the Turtle, it's actually a pretty decent action story. The turtle doesn't play a very large role in the plot, mostly serving as the kidnapped victim being rescued. Instead, this one is about the Freedom Fighters kicking ass as a team. I know I say this any time it happens but some things bare repeating: Seeing the team actually work together as a unit is so satisfying. Sonic and Sally are the power couple, the hedgehog speeding through enemies while Sally strategizes. Bunnie is the bruiser, smashing through robots. Antoine is the brave soldier, fighting valiantly despite being weaker than his comrades. Rotor is the brains, quickly thinking the gang out of tight ends. And Tails is the guy on the outside, arriving with the airplane at the end to save everybody's ass. It works fairly smoothly, a formula that's been in place since SatAM, kind of.

“Robo-Dyne Systems” even includes one decent fake-out. We cut from a panel of Sonic and Sally rescuing Tommy to the Princess and hedgehog reuniting with Bunnie and Antoine. The story actually doesn't project the incoming reveal too badly. Of course, this Sonic and Sally are infiltrator units. Once this is discovered, Bunnie makes short work of them. However, the combination of artwork and writing keeps the suspense effective, making for a decent sequence.

It's not just some strong pacing that elevates “Robo-Dyne Systems.” In-between action beats, the story sneaks in some decent – not great – character interaction. The story begins with Sonic noting that Sally is accompanying him on this mission, even though she's still pissed at him. The Princess points out that Tommy was her friend too. Later, the hedgehog and chipmunk have an argument mid-mission. Sally wants to focus on destroying the factory, while Sonic insist rescuing Tommy is their top priority. Considering the book has outright refused to acknowledge the break-up for the last few issues, it was nice of it to bring emotional issues back to the forefront, even if it could've been handled better. Bunnie and Antoine's break-up also comes up, briefly. Sadly, this just amounts to the coyote continuing to be a dick to her for no reason.

Onward to “Mobius: 20 Years Later,” with “Trouble in Paradise.” We follow both the Knothole Royal Family and Knuckles' household on Angel Island as they prepare for their upcoming dinner together. On the plane, Sonic expresses concern to Sally about his continued role as King of the free world. In Echidnopolis, Knuckles explains the warning Rotor gave him to Julie-Su.

What I really like about “Trouble in Paradise” is its clever visual gimmick. The left side of the pages are devoted to Sonic and Sally's journey to the Floating Island. Their panels are all framed in blue. On the right side, we see Knuckles and Julie-Su preparing for the dinner, their panels surrounded by red. In other words, we're seeing separate events playing out in real time, alongside each other. It also gives us a peak into both couple's relationships. Apparently, Sonic and Sally are still arguing about the same shit twenty years later, while Knuckles remains bad at keeping secrets from Julie-Su.

It's cleverly presented but the script is still a little too typical. Honestly, this far into adulthood, I find it difficult to believe that Sonic would still have anxiety about kinghood. Maybe when he first took the position, sure. But now? What does he expect Sally to do? Divorce him? It's dumb. Julie-Su and Knuckles' side of the conversation revolves too much around the vague hinting Ken has continued to do recently. “Trouble in Paradise” also introduces Prince Manik, Sally and Sonic's son. Penders writes the boy as an obnoxious teen stereotype, asking if “we are there yet” and so forth.

We ain't done yet. Pushed into the back is the terribly titled “One Part Ooh-La-La, and Two Parts Treachery!” While going through his things, looking to write a letter to the king, Antoine comes upon a note Bunnie write him years ago. In it, we see the time an old childhood sweetheart, named Tatiana, came to visit Antoine. The coyote feared the reappearing sweetheart would threaten his relationship with Bunnie. He realizes that Tatiana is a lying, no good bitch and stands by Bunnie instead.

Before I can address this story, which I'll just refer to as “Ooh-La-La” for brevity and my sanity's sake, I need to address the artwork. Somebody named Al Bigley does the pencils, his debut credit. It is seriously off-model. Everyone in the story have weird, elongated torsos that doesn't fit the character designs as we know them. He weirdly emphasizes everyone's shoulders, making the cast members look even longer. The faces, meanwhile, are Ron Lim level, featuring huge glassy eyes lacking expressiveness. He doesn't stick to these designs either, as everyone frequently bends out of shape. Tatiana is a seriously unappealing design too, looking like an anime teenager with a feline head shoved on her neck.

Tatiana is easily the biggest problem with “Ooh-La-La.” Antoine's back story has always been the thinnest of all the Freedom Fighters. Randomly shoving a major character in, out of nowhere, is bad form. If Tatiana is such an important part of Antoine's life, why are we only now hearing about her? The information about the character – that Antoine had a crush on her when they were kids but then she dumped him for Sonic – is rushed through. So is her reintroduction. Tatiana appears for a few panels, hugs Antoine, and then she rushes back off. The whole thing feels like a cheat.

Having said that, “Ooh-La-La” does have some good stuff in it. It's really sweet how Antoine is concerned that Bunnie will be upset about Tatiana's reappearance but Bunnie is perfectly understanding. It's also very touching how quickly the coyote realizes that Bunnie is far more important to him then some random girl that friend-zoned him a decade ago. The climax of the story is Antoine explaining how deep his love for Bunnie is by a waterfall. That scene genuinely works, giving this shortie some emotional heft. The final image – modern day Antoine tearing up the letter without care – is also oddly powerful. Why Antoine is such a prick now still hasn't been addressed – that's a dumb reveal still to come – but it's clear how much he's changed.

Like I said, issue 137 is still far from perfect. Yet it's still the best the series has offered us in at least a while. A fun cover story, an emotional back-up, and a cleverly presented tale in-between add up to the first issue I've actually liked in far too long. [7/10]