Sonic the Hedgehog: Issue 45

 
Sonic the Hedgehog: Issue 45
Publication Date: January 1997

After a fairly productive 1996, 1997 would get off to a slow start for Sonic and his pals. At this point, the “Endgame” arc was fast approaching. A storyline that would offer up some serious mix-ups to the Sonic continuity, it was pen-marked to debut in issue 47 and conclude in issue 50. This meant that the two issues stuck between this arc and the conclusion of the King Acorn story arc essentially weren’t allowed to do too much. Which is how we get an issue like number 45, which may be one of the most generic Sonic stories we’ve gotten in a while.

Robotnik has been expanding his empire all over the world, except for one location: The jungle. Turns out, the fat man has a phobia of jungles. Due to this, Snively urges Robotnik to let him oversee a conquest of the Mobian jungle. Robotnik approves, as long as he takes down as many trees as possible. Uncle Chuck overhears this plan and informs Sonic. The Freedom Fighters march into the jungle but encounter a tribe of hostile gorillas before they can find the villain. Luckily, Mobie the Cavebear, last seen in issue 32, also happens to be in the area.

For a while there, I was enjoying the way the book was building on its world. This is how we found out there were other Freedom Fighter teams around the globe. That this world was bigger then just Sonic and his friends. However, since then, the books has turned its focus to building on the character’s history and forging a complex, odd world of magic. Issue 45 feels like a throwback to this earlier time in the book’s history.

 
And not necessary in a good way. The gorillas are meant to be sympathetic but act scary, threatening Sonic and Rotor with guns and chaining them to trees. The gorillas, naturally peaceful, became this way through being forced to fight Robotnik. This could’ve been an interesting comment on what fear and combat does to people. However, “Guerrilla Thriller” is way too thin for that. Instead, it introduces a new clan of characters that we do not like.

Secondly, the story doesn’t give Sonic or Rotor much to do. After going into the jungle, they immediately get captured by the gorillas. They spend most of the story chained to a tree. The only proactive thing that happens in this period is a botched attempt by Sonic to escape and Rotor poisoning the gorillas’ stew with a berry that causes sleep. Basically, Sonic spends half of the story waiting for the rest of the plot to arrive, in the form of Mobie and Snively’s deforesting machine.

 
Speaking of which… Mobie is a goofy character but one I admit liking. Despite his return getting hyped on the cover, he doesn’t do much here. The cave bear shows up, trashes some SWATBots, and yanks Sonic and Rotor’s chains apart. That’s it. As for the deforesting machine, it’s mildly intimidating. However, Tails easily defeats Snively while Sonic easily dismantles the machine. Add some of Dave Manak’s most jagged and unappealing artwork and you’ve got a pretty weak story.

Disappointingly, the back-up story isn’t much better. In “Knuckles Quest 3,” Knuckles’ continued quest for King Acorn’s sword has run into a problem. He’s been captured by Black Death, a sorcerer, and the Enchantress. The Enchantress has enslaved Knuckles’ body, forcing him to do menial labor for them. Knuckles recalls the message the Ancient Walkers gave him and decides to wait. Luckily, Sir Connery, a weird horse-looking paladin, shows up and kicks everyone’s ass. He drops a cryptic hint and Knuckles leaves. To be continued.

The “Knuckles Quest” has essentially been a long series of unproductive mini-quest for Knuckles. After meeting with the Ancient Walkers, he gets a vague hint. After fighting Merlin Prower’s monsters, he got a vague hint. This story arc doesn’t even have him being that proactive. Knuckles is enslaved throughout most of this story, clearing floors and doing chores. When the hero is actively waiting for someone else to rescue him, you know something has gone horribly wrong. Black Death and the Enchantress don’t come across as very effective villains, since enslaving someone to do petty labor seems to be their most heinous act. When Sir Connery shows up, he shouts some mumbo-jumbo and zaps both villains.

Ken Penders draws this one himself. Truthfully, the Enchantress and Black Death – who is an adorable black kitten, by the way – look alright. Knuckles ends up contorting in some very awkward looking ways. When Sir Connery shows up, any competence Ken had as an artist goes out the window. Connery is suppose to be a horse but looks like a weird lizard alien instead. As always, Ken’s attempt at action are incredibly flat and lifeless. Not only does Connery look weird, he acts weird too. He spends all of his page time ranting about how he has to purge evil magicians. Not the best way to make a first impression, man.

The cover story is useless but harmless. The back-up story is deeply lame. Issue 45 is one you can slot in your long box and then forget about. [4/10]

Sonic Blast

Sonic Blast
Publication Date: January 1997

Ah, the Sega Saturn, Sega’s ill-fated attempt to compete in the fourth generation of home video game consoles. Because of a bungled release date, corporate shake-ups at Sega, and the lack of a killer app, the Saturn would quickly fall behind the Nintendo 64 and Playstation. Naturally, Sega wouldn’t launch a new system without a new game starring their mascot. That game, “Sonic X-Treme,” had a troubled production and would ultimately not be released. In “X-Treme’s” absence, a game called “Sonic 3D Blast” was released later as the system’s trademark Sonic game. “Blast,” however, was developed for the Genesis so it didn’t really show off the Saturn’s abilities. Worst yet, it was a mediocre game, with sluggish controls and repetitive game play. Tossed in there somewhere was the Archie Comics’ adaptation, merely entitled “Sonic Blast.”

 
Emerging out of the ocean is a mysterious atoll called Flickie Island. Robotnik immediately deduces that a Chaos Emerald exists on the island. Setting off alone, partially because of Snively’s sabotage, Robotnik lands on Flickie Island. He immediately sets out robotocizing the island’s inhabitants, the Flickie birds. Sonic, Tails, and Rotor pick up on Snively’s leaked signal and head after the villain, hoping to stop his scheme.

“Sonic Blast” comes from the pen of Mike Gallagher. While he’s written some fairly serious stories over his run, including the “Mecha Madness” two-parter and the “Death Egg Saga,” Gallagher’s has his roots with goofier stories. Meanwhile, the main “Sonic” book had been getting relatively grim here of late. (And would be getting grimmer soon, with the up-coming “Endgame” arc.) So a relatively whimsical, light-weight story like “Sonic Blast” actually comes off fairly well. It’s a straight-ahead action piece, humorous without lessening the threat of its villain or the heroics of its hedgehog.

 
Robotnik is at his greediest here. He lands on Flickie Island to steal a Chaos Emerald. However, the island is covered with jewels, growing naturally from trees and flowers. Immediately, the tyrant begins coveting the gems. That’s not the evilest thing he does though. He brings with him a mobile robotocizer and immediately sets out turning the peaceful birds into mechanical monsters. That’s how evil Robotnik is: He has no problem transforming adorable little birdies into soulless, evil robots to further his goal. There’s no honor among thieves though. “Sonic Blast” continues to set up Snively’s growing hatred of Robotnik. In this story, he intentionally sabotages his boss’ plan. That particular plot point would pay off real soon.

As an action story, “Sonic Blast” is mostly focused on Sonic battling Robotnik on the island and Tails and Rotor fighting off the robot Flickies. The fight between Sonic and Robotnik’s escalates quickly. This nicely shows the differences between the two. Robotnik is a thinker, always planning, able to outsmart his opponent. Sonic isn’t much for planning but he’s quick on his feet – literally – and quickly deduce solutions to new problems. Robotnik shoots a wrist-laser at Sonic but he runs out of the way. He attempts to head-butt Robotnik but gets a shock to the nose instead. Sonic defeats Robotnik’s battle armor but the madman’s cape is weaponized, wrapping Sonic up. (In a move that would make Barry Allen proud, Sonic vibrates his way out of this pickle.) As for the Flickies, they get the drop on Tails, nearly drowning him. The Freedom Fighters quickly discover that salt water can re-robotocize the birds, somehow. Thus, Rotor and Tails load up a pair of super-soakers and get to work. It all works really well, moving ahead quickly and with grace.

The script is fast, light-weight, and fun. Flickie Island makes a fun setting and the finale, where Sonic and Robotnik end up within a pocket dimension inside the island, is amusing. Helping matters along is more excellent artwork from Art Mawhinney. Mawhinney could draw the hell out of serious stories but his roots are in cartooning. So his pencils work really well for a fun and loose story like this. His incredible detail, sense of movement, and expressive faces work fantastically. “Sonic Blast” is a bit of trifle but still a lot of fun and it looks great.

Keeping up the light tone is a pair of back-up stories that are equally silly, if less well organized. First is a two-pager called “The T.U.F.F. Awards,” in which Rotor bungles an award show for the Freedom Fighters. The jokes are silly, with a seal handing out the sealed envelope, or Bunnie being shown unscrewing a jam jar to show her strength. The second back-up is called “Bugged Bunny.” While Bunnie naps in the forest, Robotnik and Snively attached a tracking device to her. The villains track her but Bunnie, unknowingly, foils all of their attempts. The central joke here is that Robotnik and Snively are dressed as flowers for some reason.

Angelo DeCesare writes both of these and they’re full of silly puns. Dave Manak draw both back-ups. His pencils are typically jagged and goofy looking. That’s okay because both stories are very silly too. Basically, the entire 48 pages of “Sonic Blast” feels like a throwback to the book’s earliest, goofiest days. Sometimes that’s okay, as each of the stories are entertaining in their lightness. [7/10]

Sonic the Hedgehog: Issue 37

 
Sonic the Hedgehog: Issue 37
Publication Date: May 1996

Throughout my reviews, I’ve mentioned the odd push-and-pull Archie’s “Sonic the Hedgehog” series has, between its inspiration and the weird world the writers had created themselves. Some stories published in the book feel like they could only be published here. Others, meanwhile, feel like left-over SatAM scripts retrofitted for the comic book. Don’t take that last point as an insult, as SatAM was awesome. Issue 37, both its cover story and its back-up, feel like storyboards for an episode of the cartoon that never reached production.

First is “The Day Robotropolis Fell.” Sonic and Sally are in Robotropolis to meet with Uncle Chuck. From his underground lair, he informs them that a major earthquake is about to hit the city. Robotnik, Snively, and his army of SWATBots have left the area in a flying craft, in order to avoid the damage. Robotnik, meanwhile, has left the robotocized Mobians in the city, not concerned for their well being. While the dictator is out of the city, Uncle Chuck has a crazy plan to de-robotocize a number of the mechanical citizens. They have to accomplish all of this before the earthquake strikes, which happens sooner then anyone expected.

“The Day Robotropolis Fell” is a straight-forward, concisely constructed story. The in-coming earthquake provides a time limit on the story, ratcheting up the suspense. The natural disaster isn’t the only visceral threat the story provides. Uncle Chuck is trying to restore free will to a crowd of people under Robotnik’s control. This the kind of noble cause the Freedom Fighters should be working on all the time. When the earthquake strikes early in the middle of the story, it puts more pressure on our heroes. So now they have to survive the city crumbling around them, successfully de-robotocize a group of innocents, get them on a plane, and then Sonic and Sally have to get out of the city themselves. Yet the story progresses through these points in a clear way, never making the script seem over-stuffed or sloppy. This might honestly be one of the best constructed stories ever presented in the comic.

All of this is before the major events that happens mid-way through the story, which lends this issue its undeniably eye-catching cover. While Sonic and Sally make their escape, a structure falls on Sally, injuring her and knocking her unconscious. (Though, given the size of the rock and the distance it fell, it really should have killed her.) Now, the problem is personal for Sonic. His best friend and love interest is harmed, which just exacerbates the issue. He has to protect Sally and escape a crumbling city. The race through the earthquake affected Robotropolis leads to another dramatic decision, the hedgehog forced to think fast on his feet. Luckily, everyone makes it out okay. Yet the tension, stakes, and pressure in this story are excellent.

There aren’t too many problems with “The Day Robotropolis Fell.” Chuck’s plan to restore the Mobians – which involves a big ass explosion – doesn’t make much sense. There’s a totally unnecessary epilogue where Robotnik and Snively crash their ship on the way back into the city. It’s the only time this felt like an Angelo DeCesare story, whose work is normally much goofier. This is the best work DeCesare has done in a while and further evidence that, when he was really trying, he could produce some great stuff.

Well, there’s the issue of the artwork. Brian Thomas’ pencils were last seen in Issue 34, which was a fairly weak story not helped but Thomas’ off-model artwork. His work here is no better. It’s clear Thomas doesn’t have much aptitude for drawing these characters. He has a bad habit of drawing Sally’s arms way too long. He also makes her eyes huge and anime-esque, which is a style the book wouldn’t adopt fully for a few more years. His faces are okay and he has a decent sense of motion. Mostly though, Sonic and the rest seem somewhat undefined here. The artwork is a bit squishy and off-model. I really wish Art Mawhinney could’ve handled the pencils on this one. He would’ve killed it.

The back-up story turns the spotlight on Bunnie, who the comic too often overlooked. When I mentioned that Issue 37 feels like a SatAM episode, I was serious. I could’ve sworn that this story, “Bunnie’s Worst Nightmare,” appeared as a segment on the show. I can’t find any proof of this though, so I guess I'm remembering shit wrong? Anyway, the back-up story concerns Bunnie developing an odd rash on her organic skin. Soon, her mechanical components begin to spread throughout her body. Seemingly, the robotocization process has resumed, slowly turning her completely into a robot.

It’s a potentially powerful story. As the title indicates, Bunnie’s worst fear is loosing her humanity. She’s come awfully close to it happening before. The story is both written and drawn by Rich Koslowski, who hasn’t done much work on the book before or after this. His pencils are a bit awkward. His facial expression are overly broad and truthfully weird-looking. His backgrounds are too often just bright colors. He does seem to have a general better grasp on the character designs then Brian Thomas.

As for the story, it has Bunnie confronting her worst fear and choosing to sacrifice herself rather then endanger her friends. A little too much of the comic focuses on Rotor trying to reverse the condition, instead of focusing on Bunnie’s emotions. The appearance of Robotnik, via ghost-like hologram, is an odd moment. As the title foreshadows, the last page reveals the story to be a nightmare. On one level, the events are way too clear and sensical to be a dream. On the other hand, Bunnie’s predicament is definitely nightmarish. The story could’ve been a deep exploration of the character’s fears and insecurities. And it does do that, a little bit, but eight pages isn’t quite enough space to exploit the story to its full potential. Still, “Bunnie’s Worst Nightmare” isn’t bad.

It all equals out to a very good story, far more concerned with clear plotting and the character’s emotional states then this comic usually is. Truthfully, only the shaky artwork is what keeps this from being a truly stand-out issue. [8/10]

Sonic the Hedgehog: Issue 34

 
Sonic the Hedgehog: Issue 34
Publication Date: March 1996

Though primarily based on the Saturday morning cartoon show, Archie’s “Sonic the Hedgehog” comic would delightfully expanded into its own weird thing over its long run, taking elements from the video games and other cartoon shows but mostly from the writers’ weird imaginations. At times, the book would struggle over its identity. Issue 34 attempts to bring the comic in-line with certain events from the cartoon show. Meanwhile, it introduces a new breed of robotic mooks that would, briefly, supplant the SatAM-created SWATBots.

In Knothole Village, Sonic and Rotor discover that nothing they can do effectively de-robotocizes Uncle Chuck and Muttski. The two Robians seem in high-spirits about it, just happy to have their freedom back. Meanwhile, Robotnik, who has developed a new military fetish, unveils his latest line of weapons: The Combots, a heavily-armed fleet of robotic soldiers. Dulcy hears in on this and reports back to Knothole. Sonic, Uncle Chuck, and Muttski head into Robotnik’s lair to destroy the machines before they can be deployed. However, Chuck and the dog are blasted by a beam, their free will zapped again. Now, Sonic is strapped to the front of Robotnik’s tank and the Combots are marching towards the Great Forest, wiping out everything in their path.

“To ‘Bot or Not to ‘Bot” is a story with potentially high stakes that manages to squander all of them. The story has both a visceral threat and an emotional threat. The Combots are said to be super-destructive new machines. Robotnik, with a new militaristic zeal previously unseen, seems very determined to murder his enemies. The emotional threat, meanwhile, is to Uncle Chuck and Muttski. After getting back his uncle and dog after so many years, Sonic is now faced with loosing them all over again.

These ideas could have made an impact but writer Angelo DeCesare drops the ball on both points. First off, the Combots never actually get to show off their dangerous abilities. They stand around, look intimidating and do some marching. The only serious thing they wind up doing is walking off a cliff. Keep in mind, this is at least the third time one of Robotnik’s newest machines where destroyed by being led off a cliff. You’d think he would just stop attacking that part of the Great Forest. The Combots look cool. Their metal scowls, spiked shoulders, and camouflage color schemes certainly make them visually threatening. However, they end up not being very impressive.

The emotional threat fizzles out too. Spoiler alert for a nineteen year old comic book: Uncle Chuck and Muttski aren’t reduced to robotic slaves again. In a cheap, last minute plot twist, Rotor reveals that he planted them earlier with the microchip meant to maintain Sally’s free will, from back in Issue 29. The whole story was an act of misdirection. It looks like Robotnik has victory in his grasp but he was never close. Chuck reprogrammed the Combots to march off the cliff and Robotnik flees in defeat. On one hand, this is meant to give Comic Uncle Chuck the same purpose Cartoon Uncle Chuck. He’s a double agent for the Freedom Fighters, acting like a robotocized cog but actually reporting back to his nephew and friends. Unfortunately, it also ends the story on a total cheat.

Providing pencils for Issue 34 is Brian Thomas, an artist who rarely worked on the book again. It’s not hard to figure out why. Thomas doesn’t seem to have a grasp on the Sonic characters. Sonic, Uncle Chuck, and Muttski look all right. Everyone else is wildly off-model. Rotor’s snout is too long. Snively’s eyes are too wide. Sally’s head is too big and her eyes are too blue. Antoine’s forehead is too large. Bunnie’s neck disappears. Tails’ nose points too far up. Robotnik, meanwhile, spends the whole issue in a General Patton get-up, with reflective sunglasses, a kaiser helmet, and medals lining his shirt. Along with Thomas’ squishy art, he winds up looking like an entirely different character. Thomas obviously has some skill but he doesn’t seem suited to this book at all.

Rounding out the book is another Penders “Knuckles” story. Luckily, this isn’t a lame two pager and actually provides some backstory. In the shadow of Mount Fate, Knuckles recalls the history of the echidna empire. How the Floating Island was once on the ground and echidna society was scientifically advanced. When a white comet was on a collision course with the city, the scientist harnessed the power of the Chaos Emeralds and the island floated into the sky. This is a suitably mythic origin for the Floating Island and would inform most of Knuckles’ mythology. Since this is another action-light story, they’re aren’t many opportunities to draw attention to Penders’ weaknesses as an artist. (Though his decision to make red the default coloration for all echidnas was probably a mistake.) The dialogue is slightly heavy-handed but the writing is decent and the artwork is acceptable.

A decent back story only brings up the quality of Issue 34 so much. The cover story is a dud, thanks to an underwhelming script and some seriously off artwork. [5/10]

Sonic the Hedgehog: Issue 32

 
Sonic the Hedgehog: Issue 32
Publication Date: January 1996

A few issues back, Archie’s “Sonic the Hedgehog” series uncovered the old “hero gets amnesia, unwillingly works for the bad guy” story troupe. Despite being a haggard cliché, that issue became my favorite of the 1995 season. To open 1996, the comic would try its hand at another well-known story device: The defrosted caveman. Mummies of prehistoric men frozen in ice have been found before but just melting the ice isn’t, you know, enough to bring them back to life. In fiction, it’s a different story. “Blast from the Past,” issue 32’s cover story, puts a Sonic spin on this concept. Since this is back before the whole “Mobius is Earth thousands of years into the future!” idea, the caveman is actually a cavebear.

“Blast from the Past” begins with a dramatic one-page spread of Sally falling into an icy crevice. (Though this recalls the not-too-far-off “Endgame” arc, Tails rescues her in time.) The Freedom Fighters are in the frozen mountains of Mobius for some reason when a gang of SWATBots ambushed them. Turns out Muttski, Sonic’s roboticized dog, led them there. After escaping the machines, Sonic and friends stumble upon a frozen Neanderthal man bear. They take the block of ice back to Knothole Village, where it naturally melts. Dubbed Mobie, the cavebear starts wrecking shit in the village before returning back to the mountains. Despite his dislike of the critter, Sonic takes chase.

“Blast from the Past” has two emotional threads running through the story. The first of which involves Mobie. He’s a pretty silly character. First off, he doesn’t look much like a bear. Instead, he resembles the classic caveman design, with some furry Sonic elements added to it. The plot follows the traditional outline of stories like this: The caveman is accidentally thawed out, thanks to a device called Glaciator which we’ve never seen before and would never see again. A man out of time, Mobie immediately starts freaking out, smashing shit with his club. The Freedom Fighters’ attempts to communicate with him only remind the caveman of his family, all of whom are assuredly dead now. (The comic kind of skims over that last point.) Because this is a Sonic book, they had to involve him somehow. So Sonic goes from being annoyed by Mobie to learning to like the big guy. That makes sense, since Mobie just wrecks shit upon being defrosted. The reconciliation between hedgehog and cavebear is a bit rushed though.

This is because “Blast from the Past” has to sneak in another emotional plot. Sonic’s Uncle Chuck returned in Issue 30, the robotocized Mobian regaining his free will. 32 heavily features Muttski, Sonic’s pet dog. Having spent lots of time around him, Muttski can easily track Sonic’s scent. (How a robot can smell is another issue all together.) The story directly deals with Sonic’s reaction to his best canine friend becoming a robotic killing machine. This provides the story with its emotional heart and works a little better then the Mobie A-plot. Disappointingly, even that plot thread has a too easy resolution. Off-panel, Uncle Chuck restores Muttski’s free will, Sonic regaining his beloved pet, at least in robot form. Mobie, meanwhile, is left in a jungle, safe from Robotnik but still lost in a strange new world without his family.

Stuck between the book’s two stories is another two-pager from Ken Penders, “Prisoners.” Picking up where “The Hunt is On!” from “Knuckles’ Chaotix” left off, the Chaotix awaken in a darkened room. A voice speaks to them, telling them not to get violent. After a minute of talking, he opens a door and reveals himself to the heroes, if not the reader. I really wonder if it was a page-count thing or a conscious decision on Penders’ behalf to stretch the reveal of Archimedes out so damn long. Tiny stories like this really do nothing but irritate the reader and belabor the point. Soon enough, Archimedes would be revealed and Knuckles’ story could actually begin moving forward. Even though it’s only two pages long, “Prisoners” still features some very flat, awkward artwork. Penders really doesn’t know how to draw Mighty. Every time he appears in this story, his shape changes some.

Issue 32 wraps up with the second part of “Tundra Road,” the Rotor story that began the previous month. Rotor is rescued from the arctic waters by two members of the Arctic Freedom Fighters: Sealia and Augustus. Teaming up, they take the fight to Robotnik, sneaking into his base with the old Trojan Horse ploy. Though they wreck his base, Rotor’s family ends up on an ice floe, floating out into the ocean, still hypnotized. Instead of trying to rescue them, Rotor heads back to Knothole Village.

Yeah, “Tundra Road” ends on an odd question mark. I’m not sure why Rotor couldn’t have jumped into his submarine and pursued his family, protecting them until he can figure out how to cure them. I mean, I understand the real reason. Rotor can’t stay away from Knothole Village for too long, in case he’s needed for a story. Yet the hero leaving his mother, little brother, and friends alone to float through the wilderness seems awfully callous. Rotor teaming up with the Arctic Freedom Fighters is a natural story decision, considering the location. The Trojan Horse bit is a little odd. Personally, I wish “Tundra Road” could’ve had a third part. Or was expanded into a three issue mini-series, which I suspect might have been the original plan. It would’ve given Rotor more time to explore his situation and allow the story to have a proper conclusion. Instead, it had to be squeezed into two back-up stories. Rotor’s mom and little brother wouldn’t be mention for years afterwards.

The cover story isn’t bad but every tale in issue 32 is slightly strangled by the page count, trying to do too much in too little space. [6/10]

Sonic the Hedgehog: Issue 30

 
Sonic the Hedgehog: Issue 30
Publication Date: November 1995

In the Saturday morning cartoon show that primarily inspired Archie’s “Sonic the Hedgehog” comic, Sonic’s Uncle Chuck was a very important character. A spy for the rebellion inside Robotnik’s home turf, Chuck also represented everything that was at stakes for the Freedom Fighters. He was their friend and loved one, his very free will was at stake, and getting him back wasn’t going to be an easy task. Despite being so important to the series’ mythos, Uncle Chuck didn’t appear much in the comic up to this point. He played a role in the early issues of the original “Sonic” mini-series and showed up in Issue 16. Besides that, he’s been surprisingly absent. Well, issue 30 announced its intentions to bring Chuck back, by placing him right there on the cover. If they couldn’t make it any clearer, the cover story is entitled “The Return of Uncle Chuck.”

In Robotropis, Robotnik and Snively are working on a new portal generator, to suck even more of their enemies into the Void, the alternate universe where Robotnik stuck King Acorn. However, there’s a malfunction and the fat man is sucked inside as well. Snively uses this opportunity to seize control of Robotnik’s empire. The experiment has an unforeseen side effect though: Uncle Chuck regains his free will.

In his many reviews of the comics, the Original Grumpy Old Man of the Sonic Fandom Dan Drazen would rate the stories on their “Heart.” Usually, he found the comic felt short of whatever heartiness he desired it to have. For once though, I think a little more heart would’ve helped this story. Getting back his Uncle Chuck has been Sonic’s main motivation for most of the series. However, when Uncle Chuck reappears with his free will intact, Sonic seems much more excited about getting to eat his uncle’s chili-dogs again. The story ends with Chuck hanging out in Knothole with the Freedom Fighers, which seems like way too easy a victory for them.

Truthfully, Issue 30 is more focused on moving the plot forward then on emotional manners. Snively’s resentment of his own uncle has been hinted at plenty of times. “The Return of Uncle Chuck” is the first story that actively shows Snively attempting to dethrone Robotnik and take his place. However, as this and future stories would show, Snively is kind of incompetent. It takes all of one issue for the Freedom Fighters to defeat his plan. Though his main idea – attaching the Void portal to the front of a plane and zapping all the other Freedom Fighters into an alternate universe – wasn’t an awful idea.

Angelo DeCesare wrote this one and it’s the writer in a goofy mood. The script lays on the puns and the resolution seems way too easy, especially since it involves Robotnik and the Freedom Fighters coming to a temporary truce. Art Mawhinney did the artwork for this one and, while his work is overall very good, he seems a little off in a few panels. He never seems to quite nail Uncle Chuck’s design and even Snively and Bunnie seem slightly off-model a few times. Not Art’s best work.

Issue 30 has a weird back-up story. It’s called “Who Keeps Stealing My Chaos Emeralds?” It’s a totally goofy piece of slapstick, wherein Coconuts keeps setting traps for a thief, only to have them back-fire on him. It’s written by Paul Casitglia, a writer who never did much work for the series. Castiglia out-right references the Road Runner and Wile E. Coyote shorts, which were obviously an inspiration for this story. The only reason it warrants mention at all is because Pat Spazante, the most respected of Sonic artist, drew it. Naturally, Spaz’ pencils are extremely good and he provides a fantastic scene of cartoony chaos while maintaining the usual amount of detail and animated energy he’s known for. Why Spaz would choose to draw such a pointless little story, I don’t know.

Anyway, Issue 30 gets a [6/10.]

Sonic the Hedgehog: Issue 29

Sonic the Hedgehog: Issue 29
Publication Date: October 1995

By this point in the existence of Archie’s Sonic series, it started to form its own personality. Though with lots of SatAM, some of the video games, and an occasional burst of “Adventures of,” the team of writers had added enough of their own ideas to make the series kind of its own thing. However, there’s no doubt that SatAM was the biggest influence on the comic. This is made all the clearer in Issue 29, which introduces more SatAM element. Firstly, it adds Dulcy the Dragon to the comic’s cast. A character conceived for the show’s second season, Dulcy managed to become a fan favorite despite never doing much of anything. The comic also features one of the oval-shaped hoverpods that were a common fixture on the cartoon. After a bit of a break, Robotropis is back to looking like it did in the show. Most importantly, the issue’s story truly feels like a left-over SatAM script.

 
After Dulcy and Sonic smash a hoverpod, Sonic sneaks inside and steals a rare de-robotocizer. The Freedom Fighters immediately formulate a plan for the object. Sally will sneak directly into Robotropis, purposely being captured. Using a chip devised by Rotor, Sally will be robotocized and sabotage Robotnik’s plan from the inside. However, before throwing her in the device, the villain discovers the chip and removes it. Now, the Freedom Fighters head into the enemy base, not realizing that their plan has been compromised.

“Steel-Belted Sally” is a story with very high stakes. Sally is robotocized, her free will zapped away. She becomes an agent of the enemy. Meanwhile, some important technology is introduced. A chip that restores a Robian’s free-will and a device that can de-roboticize someone seem like a huge deals. Accordingly, the Freedom Fighters’ first instinct is to de-roboticize Bunnie. Despite these huge ideas, the story is a bit disappointing. By starting the issue with the discovery of the de-robotocizer, from the beginning we know Sally will be returned to normal. The device seems too tidy and neat. It really seems like writer Angelo DeCesare thought up the idea of Sally being turned into a robot and then back-tracked, making sure the readers wouldn’t be too upset by the concept. Considering the last issue featured Sonic being brainwashed and wailing on his friends, that’s surprising.

Truthfully, the story plays it so safe that we never feel like Sally is in any danger at all. In both SatAM and many of the comics, roboticization is shown as Robotnik’s greatest crime. And why shouldn’t it? He yanks an individual’s free will away and transforms their flesh into steel. It’s a human rights (animal rights?) violation of the greatest order. Look at the SatAM episode, “Sonic’s Nightmare,” where the thought of Sally being captured turns Sonic into a nervous wreck. By showing it as easily undone, something that can be changed with a single device, the idea is robbed of its threat factor.

Secondly, the Freedom Fighters never seem very concerned about their leader being changed into a soulless robot. Perhaps the story just moves too quickly to focus on that. Still, I’d expect Sonic and friends to be way more pissed, far more emotionally violated, by what happens. DeCesare’s script is a little too jokey in general for the subject matter. For a story that involves the theft of free will and a major character being seriously endangered, wrapping it up with an “Everyone Laughs!” ending seems insincere.

I’ve done so much praising of Art Mawhinney’s artwork since starting these reviews. Yes, issue 29 looks very good. Mawhinney’s strength for hugely expressive faces gets shown off. However, I do offer some criticism. Dulcy has always had a slightly awkward design and, even with someone as skilled as Mawhinney drawing her, she still looks kind of silly. Mecha-Sally, who years later would become a very important part of the mythology, looks really odd as well. The visible bolts and rivets in her body make the design seem slightly comical. Her modular body is just awkward. As a kid, I was always disappointed that the terrifying Mecha-Sally drawn by Spaz on the cover never appears exactly like that in the book.

The cover story seems to be want to be dark but kind of wimps out. The back-up story, surprisingly, doesn’t cheat on the darkness. The second part of “Growing Pains” picks up where last month's story left off. Tails is still imprisoned by Robotnik and the robotic Fiona. However, he makes a last minute escape. Now he has to fight off the girl he loves and the mad tyrant behind the scheme.

It’s odd. Mike Gallagher is never above goofy sight-gags or puns. His script here is typically free-willing. Despite that, he’s still written one of the darkest stories to ever appear in the pages of “Sonic.” Tails is betrayed by the girl he loves and shoved in a death trap. Even after escaping, that girl tries to murder him repeatedly. The story concludes with Fiona trying to drown Tails in the sea, shoving his face under the waves until he expires. Holy shit, right? I continue to like Gallagher’s characterization of Tails as an angry teen. He even seems genuinely tough after he clogs up Robotnik’s machine with his tails. He wakes the guy with a tree and gets in a fist fight with his love interest. At one point, Tails even announces that Robotnik has “robbed him of his innocence!” Again, I say “Holy shit!”

The conclusion is a bit of a cheat. Fiona, just before delivering the killing blow to Tails, rusts up. Apparently, Robotnik didn’t think to water-proof his Auto-Automatons. Tails places the rusted up model on the beach and notices that Robotnik left some papers talking about his plans on the other side of Mobius. This, naturally, sets up the “Tails” mini-series which debuted the same month as this book. However, the story ends on a surprisingly emotional image. The robotic Fiona, rusted stiff, stands on the beach and watches Tails leave. As he goes, a tear runs from her eyes. Does this suggest that the robot maybe did have feelings for Tails, that Robotnik’s creations are capable of free will and emotions? We’ll never know. When Fiona Fox appeared again, years later, it was the flesh-and-blood version the automation was based off. And though the book would occasionally reference Tails’ feelings for Fiona, her reveal as a villain would sink that ship forever. It’s a shame. Imagine a story about a robot learning to love and overcoming its programming. Could’ve been something.

In short, the cover story is a bit of a disappointment while the back-up story remains strong. [7/10]

Sonic the Hedgehog: Issue 26

 
Sonic the Hedgehog: Issue 26
Publication Date: July 1995

I’ve commented before about the wild tonal shifts this series underwent in its early years. It still varies from issue to issue at this point. Last time, I reviewed the “Sonic & Knuckles” one-shot, whose tone was relatively serious and closely in line with the SatAM series. Now, here comes Issue 26 with a story that feels like its right out of “Adventures of Sonic the Hedgehog.” Heck, Robotnik even hangs out in a hill-top tower, like he did in that series, and Snively is reduced to a pun-slinging sidekick, recalling the role played by Scratch or Coconauts. At times, the constant back-and-forth between mostly serious and mostly silly can really give the reader whiplash.

In “Way, Way Past Cool,” Sonic and friends are enjoying a pleasant summer day down by the stream. That is, until a freak snowstorm blows in. Soon, the entire area is below zero and everyone is freezing. Naturally, Robotnik is behind this freak weather change. He has created a device to drastically change the weather, expecting to wipe out the Freedom Fighters with me. When the frost-bitten furries take coverage in a cave, they meet another group of Freedom Fighters which may help them turn the tide.

This is a fairly basic story. The bad guy cooks up a standard plot – a big ass freeze ray is not exactly the most original scheme – the heroes scramble for a while before regrouping and finding a solution. The early scenes of the Freedom Fighters wandering through the snowstorm is mostly devoted to goofy puns and threating about what’s happening. Robotnik is in pure silly mode, yelling and screaming in a mock-serious fashion, acting like a comic relief villain. Though freezing to death is a fairly serious threat, the story doesn’t treat it very seriously.

If Issue 26 has anything memorable about it, it’s the introduction of a new group of Freedom Fighters. I’ve always liked new teams being introduced, as it makes Mobius feel like a more fleshed-out world. It’s good to know that Sonic and his friends aren’t the only ones out there rebelling against Robotnik’s regime. However, this issue doesn’t get much time to develop the Arctic Freedom Fighter’s personality. Guntiver the Wolf is the blandly heroic leader. Augustus the Polar Bear is the big guy. Flip the Penguin is the carefree, fun-loving one. And Erma and Sealia are the girls. All Erma does is help chip Sonic and friends out of a block of ice later one. Sealia does nothing. The character designs are funny and interesting but the team is so thinly sketched, it’s hard to care much about them.

 
Still, there’s some okay moments in “Way, Way Past Cool.” The scene of Sonic sliding on the ice in the cave is mildly amusing, showing that his speed isn’t always enough to make it out of a situation. Seeing the two teams come together is mildly satisfying, as is the catapult the heroes build out of nowhere. Snivley is in groveling, suck-up mode here, doing his best to appease his boss, which is one of my favorite Snivley modes. Mostly though, I wish the story made better use of its snowy setting and its new cast. Dave Manak’s angular, goofy artwork doesn’t help matters much.

The back-up story, “Fortified,” is a lot better, if equally disposable. While exploring the woods, Sonic twists his ankles. This leaves the Freedom Fighters without their most valuable member. The group explores the woods before coming to an abandoned wooden fort. Robotnik is right on their trail, in a tree leveling bulldozer. With Sonic out of commission, Rotor builds Bunnie a suit of armor from the old scrap metal lying around the fortress.

First off, it’s always nice when this series remembers that Bunnie exist. I don’t think she’s contributed to a story since Issue 23. The comic was still finding a use for her at this point. In this story, the writers seemingly realizes that she is actually the most powerful member of the team. When Rotor whips her up some body armor, she easily shreds a whole team of SWATBots. The sudden appearance of an old fort really comes out of nowhere. However, the story is breezy and fun. With Art Mawhinney’s typically spot-on artwork, forested setting, and a focus on the ensemble, “Fortified” really feels like a lost episode of SatAM. Not a super memorable one but an entertaining one nevertheless.

So I guess what I’m saying is you can skip the cover story and go straight to the back-up. [6/10]

Sonic the Hedgehog: Issue 23

 
Sonic the Hedgehog: Issue 23
Publication Date: March 1995

Oh shit, kids. This one brings back memories. As a youngster, I thumbed through my growing Sonic comic collection countless times. As previously mentioned, I read issue 20 and the In Your Face special so much that the covers actually came off. Issue 23 was another one I remember reading and re-reading countless times. I can recall a long trip to my grandparent’s place where this issue was one of the few things I brought to occupy myself with. It’s not an especially great issue of “Sonic the Hedgehog” but, never the less, I have a certain nostalgic affection for it.

 

While out gathering medicinal berries on the outskirts of Robotropois, Rotor looses the ants from his ant farm. This puts him, Sonic, and Sally in a dangerous position, once Robotnik and Snively puts their sights on them. That is until a giant metal tube extends out of the sky, sucking all of them up into an alien spacecraft. Manned by an enormous being calling himself Car-Heem (of - sigh - the planet Weeet.), the alien throws everyone into a glass tank, watching and observing them. If they plan to escape, the Freedom Fighters and Robotnik have to work together.

“Ivo Robotnik, Freedom Fighter” tosses together two well-worn story types. The first which is the Alien Collector, a powerful being from another planet who collects people, planets, or mysterious objects for whatever reasons. Other examples include Pyron from “Darkstalkers” and, uh, the Collector from Marvel Comics. (Car-Heem wouldn’t be referenced again for 11 years, when Ian Flynn started making occasional shout-outs to him because Flynn is a huge fucking nerd.) The second trope the story includes is the Enemy Mine scenario, where hero and bad guy are forced to work together for whatever reason. The script isn’t especially clever in the way it mashes these two cliched situations up but I suppose it gets points for combining both instead of just running with either as they are.

This is an Angelo Decesare script, so expect plenty of goofiness. There’s lots of loose comedy, like characters being itched by ants, Robotnik trying to sell the alien a book, or Robotnik outright refusing to work because he’s a lazy bastard. The puns aren’t numerous as they could’ve been yet still exist. First off, the villain’s name is a pun on Cream of Wheat for no discernible reason. Robotnik is forced to recite the Freedom Fighter pledge and a few jabs are made at his clothing, weight, or the shape of his head. The story also includes a forced-in moral lesson for the kids. When Robotnik sucks Car-Heem out the airlock, Sally insist they rescue him because a Freedom Fighter never leaves anyone to die.

Okay, so it’s cliched and corny. There’s still something satisfying about watching this story unfold, even if we always know where it’s going. Car-Heem’s spaceship isn’t a cliched flying saucer but instead a square-shaped Phoenix Lights-style craft. You know that Robotnik is going to try and betray the Freedom Fighters at some point, so there’s some minor suspense waiting for that to happen. I also like the parallels the story draws between the character’s situation and ants in an ant farm.

The back-up story, also by Angelo Decesare, turns its focus on Antoine. After Tails left a power ring in Robotropolis, Antoine volunteers to go retrieve it. Obviously aware of how dead he’d be if he attempted something like this alone, Bunnie Rabbot discreetly tags along, rescuing the coyote several times. It’s a silly tale, devoted to the hero stumbling into seemingly fatal situations only to be pulled out at the last minute. The escalating scenarios are nicely ridiculous, climaxing in Robotnik attacking Antoine while in his pajamas. Mostly, the back-up story will be of most interest to shippers, as this is the first story to portray Bunnie and Antoine as being attracted to each other. The final panel, which shows Antoine laying a smooch on a blushing Bunnie, is pretty cute truthfully.

(The issue contains the winners from issue 14’s “Do-It-Yourself Sonic” contest. Caulder Bradford wins the top prize, probably because his pages are indistinguishable from what would’ve normally been published in the comic anyway. Breman Welch’s second place winner is hilariously awkward as it features such sterling dialogue as “Good lunch!” and “Let’s give them a fishing present!” He also calls what is obviously a whale a shark. The third place winner was Kenny Janda who earns points for redrawing the entire fucking comic. His dialogue is hard to make out but it seems about on par for this type of story. Also, both the first and third place winners reference Pinocchio. Anyway, mine was better.)

Dave Manak draws the entire issue. As usual, his work is silly, cartoony, and loose but works for this stories. It’s rather middling, especially compared to the better stories that have been appearing the book around this point. But, I don’t know guys, I still kind of like it. [6/10]