Sonic the Hedgehog: Bad Guys: Issue 4

Sonic the Hedgehog: Bad Guys: Issue 4

Publication Date: December 23rd, 2020

Dear Hedgehogs Can't Swim readers: I am finally caught up with IDW "Sonic." In the past, I've fallen so horribly behind with the new book that I've had to do short burst of hyper-focused updates like this before. And while I will probably almost definitely have to do this again, I think I am finally hooked on IDW "Sonic" after three years of it existing. It's not the same as the Archie book I fell in love with as a kid but this iteration of "Sonic" has finally forged its own weird identity, separate from the games or previous comics. I'll try and review the new issues as they come out, posting them as Monday/Wednesday/Friday updates. (Because adding them as weekend bonuses really wasn't working for me.) I'm still deliberating whether or not to go ahead with my Best of/Worst of list for 2020 or wait until issue 36 of the main book comes out. 

Anyway, enough about me! Let's talk about issue 4 of "Bad Guys!" As his plan comes crashing down on him, Starline has to make a quick escape from the clutches of his former teammates. Using his new superpowers, he quickly disposed of Rough and Tumble but Zavok proves trickier. Mimic betrays everybody and alerts Eggman to what's going on, before bouncing out of there. Eggman assumes Zavok is behind the entire enterprise, flattening the base with explosives. The Zeti lives and Starline gets what he wanted in the end: a small chunk of Eggman's empire. 

From the minute "Bad Guys" started, it was inevitable that Starline's plan was going to implode on itself. Zavok was aware of his treachery and it was only a matter of time before he made his play. But, I'll admit, I'm a little disappointed with how the implosion goes down. Starline's scheme is revealed but he immediately escapes. We never even get a showdown between the platypus and Zavok, which is what I figured the comic had been building towards. Flynn even gave Starline abilities that would make him Zavok's physical equal and still avoids a direct confrontation. I can't believe I'm chastising Flynn for not including a fight scene but it is anticlimactic that Starline really doesn't face any consequences for betraying his teammates. 

My big issue with "Bad Guys'" ending is that nobody faces consequences. Starline immobilizes Rough and Tumble with his poison spurs but they still have the strength to wiggle out of the base before Eggman bombs it. Mimic peaces out long before the pyrotechnics begin. Despite being caught in the explosion, Zavok survives and walks away bruised but intact. I know Sega never would've allowed Flynn to kill off a game character but he could've at least implied the Zeti's death, in order to build suspense for his inevitable return. And, in retrospect, it was pretty dumb of Starline to give his homies weapons but did not booby-trap them. Did he really expect to outsmart them the entire time? What a chode! 

The last issue of "Bad Guys" had me wondering what the point of all this was until its final pages. The status quo seems more-or-less restored at the end. Mimic is still out there, looking for revenge on Whisper. Rough and Tumble are free agents once again. Zavok is likely heading back to reunite with the rest of the Deadly Six. It seemed, in the long run, the only thing this mini-series really does is put everyone back to where they were right before the Metal Virus saga began. (Making me wonder what the point of that year-long event was once again.)

Except Starline has changed. Zavok's words really did get to him. He no longer wants to become Eggman's BFF, realizing the doctor is too flawed to ever achieve his goal of total world domination. Instead, he desires supplanting Eggman all together, conquering the planet totally on his own. Which finally gives a character I've always found somewhat irregular a proper characterization. (And it's also clearly what Flynn had been building towards from the moment he introduced him.) And thus, the "Sonic" comic gains another strong, secondary antagonist. Which was almost worth torpedoing "Bad Guys'" climax for, I guess. 

I'm fine with Starline becoming a fully-formed baddy. I'm less satisfied with him becoming a hyper-confident badass. Flynn gave Starline the Tri-Core and all the associated superpowers not to give him an awesome confrontation with Zavok but to make him more of a creditable threat in the future, I suppose. But watching the guy zip around Rough and Tumble, disposing of them in seconds with his poisonous elf boots, isn't very interesting. Egomaniacal smarty-pants like Starline are best left as intellectual threats, because they become completely insufferable if they're as all-powerful as they think they are... Unless Flynn is planning on making Starline the big bad of 2021's main story arc. We'll see but right now I'm not loving it. 

Starline becoming the comic's primary threat would make sense though, since Eggman has been dropping the ball more and more here of late. At the end of the issue, he realizes Zavok isn't smart enough on his own to pull off all these raids. Yet he also never connects the dots, wondering if maybe that sidekick he betrayed not too long ago might be responsible. After his embarrassing performance in the "Recovery" two-parter, I'm really not loving this trend of Eggman being a dumbass. The excuse of "he's still frazzled after the Metal Virus catastrophe" is only going to wash for so long, Ian. 

Anyway, I suppose I still liked "Bad Guys" well enough overall. It definitely eats it a little in the second half but those first two issues were really strong. The weird helpful/antagonistic dynamic between Starline and Zavok was so good, I honestly wish Flynn could have kept that going for longer. If this mini-series had been six issues, instead of four, it would probably feel less rushed and more satisfying. As it is, I am forced to hand out another [6/10] and end 2020 on a whimper. 

Sonic the Hedgehog: Bad Guys: Issue 3

Sonic the Hedgehog: Bad Guys: Issue 3

Publication Date: November 25th, 2020

I've written, several times over the years, about how comic books are notorious for having misleading covers. When children have been the primary target for your product for upwards of fifty years, that only seems natural. When a kid sees a cover about how Superman has turned into a gorilla or the Flash is a puppet now, their eyes light up with shock and awe that results in them immediately buying the comic in question. Kids are also more likely not to feel ripped off when nothing of that sort actually happens in the comic. Archie's "Sonic" series was certainly not above tactics like that. Remember when Sonic cradled Sally's dead body in his arms or our heroes were consumed by a white void full of monster arms? While I've done little but bitch about IDW's "Sonic" books, I'll give the company this much: They've done few misleading covers. Yes, the shocking event depicted on the cover of issue 3 of "Bad Guys" does happen. 

Volume three of "Bad Guys," which the Sonic News Network wiki informs me is subtitled "Trust Issues," begins with Starline doing another monologue... Except it's not Starline but Mimic impersonating him. Yes, Zavok and the octopus are well aware of the doctor's in-coming betrayal. The next day, the team raid the hub of Eggman's computer network. The new power cores Starline has outfitted his team with makes the job easier than ever. Just as the platypus thinks victory is within his grasp, Zavok and Mimic turn on him. 

From the beginning, "Bad Guys" has been interesting because of the different schemers plotting against each other within the team. Trying to figure out how aware of each other's plots Starline and Zavok were has been a lot of fun. Issue three is when Flynn cashes that check. It turns out Zavok has always been aware of Starline's plot and Mimic had his suspicion all along as well. This is a little disappointing, as I was hoping Flynn could milk that tension a little longer, but it does lead to another intriguing event. Now Starline has been (seemingly) outsmarted and outmatched, making us wonder if he can wiggle his way out of this predicament. Which is also pretty exciting and a good cliffhanger to leave things on, so Flynn continues to have my begrudging respect for this month.

It's a good thing this issue has such a strong dramatic hook to it. Otherwise, part three of "Bad Guys" is pretty simple. It's largely devoted to Starline's team crushing Eggman's defenses with ease. Supercharged by the Power Cores, they tear through the Eggnet Hub's protection without breaking a sweat. But, in its own way, these action scenes are kind of fun. We haven't seen what the Power Cores can do exactly, so there's novelty in watching a super-fast Rough or a more pumped-up Zavok tear some robots apart. Some times, you just want to see a team of goons working together and fucking some shit up, ya know? You get a certain rush from watching ownage like that getting laid down. 

Perhaps these admittedly tension-free action scenes are fun because we are kind of invested in these guys at this point. Somehow, Flynn has managed to get me to care about Zavok and Rough and Tumble. The zeti's calculating nature and shrewd powers of observation have taken him from a C-list "Sonic" villain in my mind to someone who is actually a compelling antagonist. Rough and Tumble - who I had pretty much no feelings towards, one way or the other - are also growing on me. In the truck on the way to the Eggnet Hub, the two compose a new poem to introduce their entire team. See, these two are the opposite of Zavok and Mimic, in the sense that they are totally clueless about the incoming betrayal. They are basically just big, dumb, hyper-destructive kids and that's endearing. Flynn should play up that contrast between their ultra violent and childish world views more often. 

If there's been any flaw at all with "Bad Guys," it's been Flynn's insistence on keeping Eggman to the margins. Considering that's the big bad these lesser bads are fighting against, you'd think he would have more of a presence. In this issue, his alarms alert him that the Eggnet Hub is being raided. Starline quickly hijacks the signal and says another location is being attacked. Eggman hedges his bets by sending forces to both locations. Honestly, the fact that Eggman has been even a little fooled by Starline's obvious manipulation undermines his supposed great genius. Considering how goofy he was in the "Recovery" arc, maybe Eggman is still licking his wounds after the whole Zombot fiasco. Or maybe Ian Flynn is just an inconsistent writer. You decide!

What is not inconsistent is the quality of the artwork. Jack Lawrence draws the opening and closing few pages of this book, providing his typically excellent pencils. The middle section of the book is drawn by Aaron Hammerstrom, who provided the atmospheric "Reflections" in this year's annual. You can immediately tell when Hammerstrom has taken over, as his style is far looser and more cartoony than Lawrence's. This is okay, as Hammerstrom's art provides the right kind of chaotic energy for this action scenes. I don't know if the "Battletoads"-like decision to have the guys grow giant hands and feet while kicking ass was just Hammerstrom exaggerating or an effect of the Power Cores. Either way, I like it!

While not being quite as strong as the previous two issues, the third issue of "Bad Guys" continues to be compelling. This mini-series is working because Flynn is actually balancing action and character development, something he should've tried during the tail-end of the Metal Virus Saga. Maybe that's because he's awarded more freedom when working with less well-known characters. I don't know the reason but I do know I'm enjoying this one and am actually looking forward to the exciting conclusion next month. [7/10]

Sonic the Hedgehog: Bad Guys: Issue 2

Sonic the Hedgehog: Bad Guys: Issue 2

Publication Date: November 4th, 2020

One of the reasons why I might have seemed a little overly disappointed in the first issue of “Bad Guys” is because this kind of thing is entirely within my wheelhouse. I’m a big fan of “men on a mission” flicks like “The Dirty Dozen” or “The Wild Bunch.” I watched way too many episodes of “The A-Team” as a kid. I even gave “Suicide Squad” far more credit than it deserved. You get a band of rogues together and send them on some wacky mission and I’m immediately sold. “Bad Guys” is pretty much the “Sonic” version of that. Flynn is clearly drawing from his own work here, as “Bad Guys” has a similar premise to “Eggman’s Dozen,” one of the better arcs of the post-reboot Archie era. I’m hopeful that, now the set-up is out of the way, this thing can get moving. 

His team assembled, the second part of “Bad Guys” sees Starline and his motley crew going on their first proper mission together. Starline wants to break into a storage facility full of Eggman’s power cores: little balls of concentrated energy that boost certain strengths. (Starline isn’t telling his duplicitous teammates the entire truth either.) Naturally, the place is heavily guarded. As the gang breaks in, they do everything they can to make it look like Sonic is responsible. But will Eggman see through this deception? And will Starline see his scheme through to success without his feelings for his former boss getting in the way?

The best thing about issue 2 of “Bad Guys” is it adds a little more depth to Starline and Zavok’s personalities. Starline’s interior monologue reveals that he has no trust in his teammates and, in fact, intends on disposing of them once he achieves his goal. So the platypus isn’t just willing to deceive people, he’s planning on killing them too. Starline graduating from nerdy wannabe to full-blown supervillain would certainly make him a more intimidating figure. Zavok, meanwhile, seems to be a little more honorable than I expected. He believes that robots can never be as creative or willful as living things. Which suggests he’s not a total authoritarian, who wants to enslave everyone, but rather some sort of Nietzschian, who sees himself and his Zeti pals as inherently superior to the rest of the world. This helps distinguish Zavok a bit in the “Sonic” rogue gallery. 

The interaction between these two is probably the highlight of the book. During a quieter moment in-between smashing robots, Zavok and Starline have a little talk. The doctor ends up revealing a little too much of his true motivation, suggesting he’s personally hurt by Eggman’s rejection. When Zavok responds by saying “He’ll never take you back,” Flynn comes awfully close to framing this as a romantic rejection. Which is made even funnier when Zavok immediately tells Starline he “doesn’t need” Eggman. The pep talk/seduction that follows actually gets to Starline a little. But we, the reader, know that Zavok is also planning on betraying the doctor. You’re left wondering how sincere this conversation was. The question of who is scheming who looks to be what will keep me interested in this mini-series. 

In general, the interplay between the team members energizes what would otherwise be a routine action issue. Mimic is probably the most selfish of the squad, only in this to get his name out of Eggman’s database. (A fitting motivation for a shapeshifter.) His barely-begrudging tolerance of his teammates, especially of Rough and Tumble’s idiotic catchphrases, made me chuckle. While the skunks remain the most simplistic members of this quartet, a moment where they leap into action to protect their new “boss” is surprising. These two are simple-minded lunkheads who need to take orders, so it makes sense that they would immediately latch onto a new leader. It also suggests that this team is already closer than expected. 

As much as I rag on Flynn’s overreliance on action scenes, they are fun here. Mimic shape shifting into an Egg Pawn just to snipe another one in the back shows how dangerous and elastic his abilities are. The proper climax of the issue has Rough and Tumble taking down a robotic T-Rex. The fight is over way too quickly but I can’t dislike any comic book that includes a robot dinosaur. In general, Flynn seems to be using these action scenes not just to fill pages. It’s allowing him to continue to show off the cast’s unique abilities. Mimic’s shapeshifting, Rough and Tumble’s team work, and Zavok’s technopathy all come in handy during this raid. 

As much as I enjoyed this issue, Flynn is still choking on his own set-up a little. Three and a half pages are devoted to Starline explaining the mission objective to the team, something that a single panel probably could’ve accomplished. It’s not like Flynn needed to tell us what a Power Core is. We probably could’ve figured that out on our own. There’s minimal character development in this scene too, making it really unnecessary. Flynn could’ve cut the exposition heavy intro, jumped right into the raid, and spent a little more time on the awesome dinosaur fight. 

Still, this is a big improvement over the first installment of “Bad Guys” and one of the better balanced issues Flynn has written this year. I’m actually getting invested in these guys and am curious where their relationships will go next. Moreover, the action isn’t being used as a means to its own ends but rather as a way to build on the characters. The way it’s supposed to be! Let’s see if Ian can stick the landing in the next two issues of this thing. [7/10]

Sonic the Hedgehog: Bad Guys: Issue 1

Sonic the Hedgehog: Bad Guys: Issue 1

Publication Date: October 7th, 2020

And so, in its third year, IDW continues the long tradition of “Sonic” comic mini-series spin-offs. Yet there’s a notable difference in the approach IDW is taking with this, as opposed to Archie’s methods. Archie was desperate for an on-going “Sonic” spin-off and released mini-series as “pilots.” They focused on Sonic’s most popular supporting characters, like Tails, Sally, and Knuckles. IDW, meanwhile, is presumably limited in how they use the Sega-created supporting cast. The most obvious candidate for a stand-alone story — Shadow and Team Dark — would probably be seriously handcuffed by Sega’s narrative demands or some sort of other red tape. Instead, IDW has focused on the comic exclusive cast. “Tangle & Whisper” was an immediate fan favorite and now Ian Flynn is hoping to replicate that success with “Bad Guys,” a mini-series starring Dr. Starline and other recent additions to Sonic’s rogues gallery. 

Starline is now operating outside of the Eggman Empire. He still hopes to influence his idol in world conquering but an attempt to infiltrate an Eggman base almost results in him being crushed by robots. Starline realizes if he’s going to succeed in his plans, he’s going to need help. Bullshitting his way into Everhold Prison, he contacts four prisoners: Zavok, Mimic, and Rough and Tumble. Each take some convincing — and Zavok and Starline are both plotting to double-cross each other — but eventually the doctor assembles his team. They fight their way out of the prison and begin on their villainous path.

The first issue of “Bad Guys” is another one of those Ian Flynn part ones devoted largely to setting shit up. Starline’s interior monologue runs all throughout the opening action sequence, further establishing his motivations. After that, we are treated to two whole pages devoted to Starline dictating a captain’s log, describing his current predicament in detail. Even once we get to the prison, “Bad Guys” continues in this mold. Much attention is paid to establishing why each of these crooks will work with Starline, each wanting revenge on Eggman. Even the subsequent prison break is a way to show off everyone’s unique abilities. 

Another issue facing “Bad Guys” — especially when compared to “Tangle & Whisper” — is that I still don’t know if I actually like Starline. I immediately liked Tangle and Whisper grew on me after a while. Starline I’ve been reluctant to embrace. Flynn has sort of played up the juicy, Snively-like rivalry between Starline and Eggman... But it’s held back by the platypus remaining a die-hard Eggman fanboy. He’s uncomfortably situated between obsessive stalker and scheming lackey. I get Flynn not just wanting to create a stand-in for Snively but, if Starline is deluding himself into thinking Eggman still wants his help (and he must be), the writing should reflect that more. He’s also got this faux-elegant, loquacious tone to him that I don’t find particularly charming. Flynn gives him more superpowers this issue, like electro spurs on his boots or a potentially plot-breaking hypnotism device, but that doesn’t make Starline much more interesting. It remains to be seen if I’ll come around to him. 

The truth is the verdict is still out on most of these guys. Mimic is cool but he’s not given much to do her besides shapeshift and flout his self-interested personality. I haven’t made up my mind about Rough and Tumble yet either. As big dumb brawlers, they serve their purpose. Action comics like this do need guys like that. As goofy comic relief, they don’t do much for me. (Though Tumble’s continued insecurity about his lack of a tail does still amuse me.) Weirdly, it’s Zavok that comes off the best here. Flynn has redeemed the Zetis a little in the last year and Zavok’s ruthlessness, the utter brutality he displays in his quest to further his goals, does make him a compelling villain. 

In fact, probably the best thing about issue 1 of “Bad Guys” is watching Starline and Zavok scheme around each other. Starline appeals to Zavok’s ego, assigning him leader of this squad, in order to convince him to go along with his plan. This is, of course, a lie and Starline plans to betray the Zeti the minute he steps out of line. Zavok, meanwhile, is well aware of this impending deception. He is waiting for the right moment to betray Starline too. We’ve got two separate secrets working against each other here. See, now that’s dramatic! Who will strike first? Which of these underhanded plots will succeed? Now I’m drawn into this thing and Flynn better not fucking squander it. 

The second half of the comic is largely devoted to the jail break which is, admittedly, an entertaining action sequence. Each of these guys have their own special abilities and a prison full of hapless guards provides plenty of cannon fodder for them to practice on. Zavok turns Wispons against their masters. Mimic disguises himself as the warden to trick people. Rough and Tumble bash a lot of heads. Starline utilizes his various gadgets. It’s more than just your typical punching and smashing. And that’s fun. Even if the inevitable prison riot scene is totally expected, that’s a plot device I almost always enjoy. 

Jack Lawrence, one of my favorite art debuts of the year, will be penciling the entire mini-series. He does good work here. His action scenes are incredibly dynamic. The panels devoted to Starline using his various gadgets, like those tricked out spurs, are pretty cool. He manages to make every panel as expressive as possible, telling us a lot about the characters even as they just talk in their jail cells. Like how Rough and Tumble are playing tic-tac-toe on the floor of their cell. Or just how freaked out the guards are when the bad guys surprised them in the watch tower. It’s a testament to Lawrence’s skills that he makes visuals cliches — like Zavok slamming heads together or the gang walking away from an explosion without looking at it — look neat. 

So, we’ll see how this one plays out. Issue one of “Bad Guys” suffers from a lot of the first issue lag I’m accustomed to with Flynn. Yet it sets up some potentially promising leads too. Where it goes, and if it ends up being more interesting than tedious, is something I guess I’ll discover soon enough. This one has enough stuff I like to give it a mild recommendation. [6/10]