Sonic the Hedgehog: Fang the Hunter: Issue 4

Sonic the Hedgehog: Fang the Hunter: Issue 4

Original Publication Date: May 1st, 2024

Audiences, as we know, are impatient. In our world of streaming and social media, everyone demands instant gratification from everything. Corporations have totally rewired their release strategies to feed this ever-constant demand for new dopamine hits among the phone-addicted populace. TV shows seasons are dropped all at once. The release of any big movie is proceeded by a constant drip-feed of new clips and trailers. Updates on upcoming video games appear regularly, lest players forget they exist. That's just the world we live in now. Yet the comic book industry, being typically behind the times, mostly sticks to the same old monthly schedule as always. This truth in hand, I'm intrigued to see how IDW deciding to put the "Sonic the Hedgehog" on-going on hold for four months to make room for a miniseries starring a bunch of C-lister baddies worked out for them. "Sonic" fans are psychotically loyal, so I have no doubt that the hardcore readers have stuck around. Yet what of the casuals? Did they feel the need to pick up all four issues of "Fang?" Or will they forget about the "Sonic" comics during this brief hiatus in the storyline? I know I've already forgotten but I'm old and my memory ain't what it used to be, ya whippersnappers. 

In fact, what was I supposed to be reviewing? "Finnegans Wake?" Oh no, it says issue 4 of "Fang the Hunter" here. Easy to mix those two up... Anywho, we begin with Fang's gang surrounded by the Hard-Boiled Heavies. The trio of flesh-bags make a run for it, Warp Topaz in hand. The robots pursue, the team splitting up and confronting each of the Heavies on their own. The tide really turns when Fang's Marvelous Queen is called in and the weasel/jerboa/"Hunter" incorporates the Warp Topaz into his hovercraft. Things play out chaotically, with Sonic and Tails arriving on the phantom warship eventually too. 

When introduced in "Sonic Mania," the Hard Boiled Heavies got a lot of hype. Which is funny, as they operated in game as not much more than level bosses. It's not like any of the individual bosses in "Sonic & Knuckles" have ever gotten much attention. I suppose the Heavies have a little more personality than a generic rock guy or a floating red eye. The egg-shaped mini-boss squad have remained fairly well-liked in the fandom, as far as Eggman's henchmen go. Maybe that speaks more to recency bias and how Sega promotes their games today versus how they did in the nineties. Still, here in 2024, I think your average "Sonic" player would deem the Heavies more memorable than Hei-Ho or whatever. 

You can see that aspect in the prominent role they're given here. Each of the Heavies get a little action scene to showcase their special abilities and personalities. Heavy Shinobi swings his freezing katana and throws some Asteron shurikens. Heavy Magician creates an illusion of Fang, in the issue's best surprise. Heavy Gunner fires missiles, Heavy Rider swings his mace. These scenes go a long way towards establishing more quirks for each of these guys. Heavy Rider speaks in grandiose Ye Olde English, to match his knight persona. Shinobi performs a haiku in the middle of battle. Gunner is trigger happy. Magician is crafty. It's nice that these guys are more than just generic goons, that they have individual thoughts and feelings.

Whether you think the Heavies are neat or interesting here, I guess, depends on how much a villain's competence level matters to you. Despite being introduced as formidable foes, the Hooligans take them all out fairly quickly. One assumes that's because they are the stars of this book. Yet these scenes have an unexpected side effect: Guys, are Fang and Bean... Cool? When Fang grabs Shinobi's sword and quickly turns the robot's freezing power against him, I thought to myself "Damn, that was slick." As any long time "Sonic" fan artist can tell you, nothing makes a character instantly look like a bad-ass like handing them a katana. Likewise, Bean producing a massive bomb, exploding Heavy Magician, and walking out wearing her snazzy top hat... Kind of makes the wacky duck look like he actually knows what he's doing. Meanwhile, Bark goes toe-to-toe with Heavy King for far longer than expected, making him at least a fraction as powerful as Sonic according to the power scaler loonies. This is supported by a rad panel of him superhero posing. 

In my review of this mini-series' first issue, I said Fang's status as a constantly foiled chump made him a lovable loser. The successive issues have increasingly shown the trio as actually not bad at their jobs. Was part of the purpose of this mini-series to rehabilitate Fang's image among fans, to make his transformation into a creditable threat in "Superstars" plausible? Or is this just a natural aspect of shining a spotlight on them? Obviously, Fang had to level-up if he's going to be the protagonist of his own series. Whatever the cause, Flynn and his team get major points for actually pulling this off. By the end of this series, my perception of Fang has gone from thinking of him as a springy simpleton to acknowledging that he's an occasionally skilled warrior. If nothing else, this series has gone a long way to bringing IDW's Fang closer to his pre-reboot Archie Comics "Nack the Weasel" characterization. (Though I doubt he'll be murdering anybody again anytime soon.)

None of the above invalidates Fang and the Hooligans as comical figures. This is still an issue full of wackiness. Bean remains a snark-ass who sarcastically rebounds many of the things Fang says. Bark scolds his tush on one of Heavy Gunner's rockets and Bean's tail feathers casually burn at one point. Once Fang installs the Warp Topaz into his hovercraft, we get multiple panels of the trio being rendered dizzy and nauseous by the teleporting process. The most obvious humorous element remains Fang's fixation on the Marvelous Queen. He hugs the bike, praising it like it's his girlfriend and giving it the Topaz like he's feeding a beloved dog. I'm on record as thinking that the people who baby-talk their vehicles are a little weird. Ian Flynn at least thinks that the same habit is funny. Does Fang fuck his bike? We can only speculate... And envision the horrifying fan art I'm projecting into your mind's eye by writing these words...

Aside from turning these three into something like action heroes, this mini-series also had the running arc of Bean and Bark threatening to walk out on Fang. I expected this to lead to an ending about the bounty hunter learning to appreciate his team a little more. How the real Eighth Chaos Emerald would be the Friends We Made Along the Way. To this prediction, Ian Flynn responds "lol no." Fang is lackadaisical about reaching Bark after powering up his hover-bike. Bean talks him into saving the mute polar bear, though the weasel is still pretty nonplussed about it. Upon defeating the Heavies and escaping the aircraft, Bean gets pissed at Fang not caring that the eighth emerald turned out to be a fairy tale. The duck and the bear storm off in their cute little rocket-powered side cars, feeling unappreciated and ready to seek out greener pastures. Fang has learned nothing from this experience. If anything, having a magic teleporting rock has now made him more of a conceited asshole than he was before. 

One could read this as a subversive flipping of the expected ending moral. He might have been the protagonist of these four comics but, at the end of the day, Fang is still basically a mercenary. He'll work for whoever will foot his bill, few questions asked. The jerboa is ballsy but that doesn't mean he has any moral scruples. He doesn't actually care about Bean or Bark. As he said over and over again: They are just mooks to him, disposable and interchangeable. I doubt Fang can care about anyone besides himself. (And his bike, an inanimate extension of his own pride.) That this fundamentally selfish, greedy person ends the story unchanged – just as if not more rotten than he was before – is pretty funny. And good on Bark and Bean for having the strength to leave an abusive relationship. You go, duck friend.

But I think there's another explanation for this ending that isn't based so much on Flynn intentionally upending our expectations. IDW "Sonic" is still operating under the somewhat hopeless delusion that it can be canon to the video games. The comics can do a lot of things but they can never directly contradict the video games. And, in "Sonic Superstars," Fang is ridin' solo. These three being a trio is still technically a factoid relegated to the B-Tier canon of the comics, that Sega's actual game developers are free to ignore. From the beginning, I assumed this mini-series was an extended ad for "Superstars." It ends by directly prompting the reader to pick up that game, promising the story continues there, proving my suspicion correct. Flynn handled it in a funny, interesting way but I imagine that "Fang must break up with Bark and Bean by the end, in order to lead into our recent game" was a direct order from his corporate overlords. 

Another obligation, one assumes, is that Sonic had to appear in this comic book too. The subplot of Sonic and Tails investigating the vanishing warship has been farcical from the beginning. That continues here, the duo showing up and not actually doing anything but taking credit for saving the day anyway. As it was last time, Sonic is depicted as a whiny teen eager for action and movement. I actually like Sonic being depicted this way, as a hyperactive kid. If his need for speed isn't being fed, he gets a little bitchy and melodramatic. If we are to assume that Fang starring in this comic redirects its perspective to his values, this makes sense too. Fang is more competent, even cool, in his story. Sonic, as Fang's rival, is depicted less heroically than usual. I'm sure the prickliest of fans, who demand Sonic's personality constantly matches a set of pre-determined attributes, will object to this. But I like it. It made me chuckle. 

Indeed, this whole mini-series made me chuckle. Thomas Rothlisberger's art remained excellent throughout. His big, expressive, cartoony faces sell the comedy while the action is kinetic and coherent. The panel of Heavy King slamming Bark to the floor is especially bitchin'. I doubt Fang the Hunter could support an on-going series. However, as a four-issue long goof, I had a lot of fun with this. IDW's detours into the Classic side of this franchise remain some of their most fleet-footed and joyously composed work. The rename is still some Captain Marvel/Shazam! shit as far as I'm concerned though. You'll always be Nack the Weasel to me, buddy! [7/10]

Sonic the Hedgehog: Fang the Hunter: Issue 3

Sonic the Hedgehog: Fang the Hunter: Issue 3

Publication Date: April 3rd, 2024

As I sit down to catch up with IDW's "Fang the Hunter" mini -series, I noticed that the Hard Boiled Heavies were featured prominently on the various covers for the third and fourth issues. This gave me a thought about the structure of this series that I hadn't thought of before. Would each issue of this comic pay homage to a specific Classic Sonic game? The first issue featured some scenes in the classic Green Hill setting. The second was heavy on Mushroom Hill and Sandopolis, from "Sonic & Knuckles." Since that issue ended by establishing the island from "Knuckles' Chaotix," I figured the third installment would revolve around that. While the fourth would drop us back into "Sonic-Mania" territory. Flynn loves to include references to the classic games, so this seemed plausible. But... Nah. Issue three goes off on its own thing pretty quickly. Probably for the best.

Anyway! Issue three actually begins with Fang, Bark, and Bean trapped in a prison pod by Eggman. He's ready to feed them to some mechanical piranhas but Fang's theory about an eighth Chaos Emerald intrigues the doctor. He explains that he loaned an airship to the Hard Boiled Heavies recently but it literally vanished. A new power source like a previously undiscovered emerald might explain such mysterious powers. The Hooligans are tasked with finding the ship, disciplining the Heavies, and returning whatever magical plot device they find to Eggman. 

In my review of issue 1 of "Fang," I mentioned how the bounty hunter's failure rate has made him something of an admirable loser. Fang is always humiliated by his attempts to be a bad-ass but he keeps trying, yadda-yadda. In the second issue, I noted how Fang actually could be quite competent when not up against a threat greater than him. Maybe he's not a loser after all! In issue three, the jerboa/wolf thing successfully tracks down the vanishing airship, something both Eggman and Tails have failed to do up to this point. He sneaks aboard with his team and, within minutes, they have fought their way into the bowels of the ship without sustaining any injuries. When faced with Heavy Rider, who is guarding the engine's core, Fang even successfully strategizes a plan to quickly disable the robot.

All of this presents a frightening possibility: Guys, what if Fang doesn't suck? What if he's only a complete joke when going up against Sonic? I think the truth is actually way less interesting than that. Fang, Bean, and Bark's competence varies entirely upon how funny it is for them to eat shit in whatever given situation they might be in. If Fang sets up a booby-trap for Sonic and it immediately backfires on him, that's because this is a classic, Looney Tunes, Coyote Vs. Roadrunner gag. If it serves the plot for Fang to go toe-to-toe against Knuckles or fend off a bunch of enemy robots, then that will happen instead. This is why power scalers are the absolute worst, most annoying idiots in any fandom. How strong or weak a character is depends entirely on whatever story the writer is telling at that moment. Fiction is not a list of stats. 

There's another reason why Flynn depicts Fang and his gang as actually semi-confident enforcers in this issue. Remember back in the "Sonic: Mega-Drive" one-shots, where Flynn basically dreamed up a bunch of levels for a 16-bit "Sonic" that doesn't actually exist and then had the cast run through them? He did the same thing in "Seasons of Chaos" too. Well, that trend continues here, albeit in a much briefer capacity. When Fang, Bark, and Bean sneak aboard the ship, we are greeted to a page-long spread of them running through a number of obstacles and taking out a bunch of Egg-Robos. You can tell this is meant to invoke the classic platformers in the series because each panel is framed in a left-to-right, horizontal pattern. The Flying Fortress and Flying Battery Zones are clearly the big inspirations here but, mostly, what we are seeing here comes straight from the writer and artist's imaginations. So maybe that's why Fang is kicking ass in this issue. Somebody who's good at video games is controlling him. 

It looks like it would be a fun game too! I bet Bean's bomb abilities would make for some interesting mechanics in a classic Sonic game. Of course, watching somebody else play a video game is not so much fun. (An opinion I continue to hold in defiance of the enormity of the Let's-Player/VTuber industrial complex.) Seeing Ian sketch out his dream Genesis game is not what makes this issue fun. Instead, the banter between these three characters really makes it worth reading. Or, really, the banter between Fang and Bean, considering Bark remains as quiet as ever. In the leap from Archie to IDW, Bean really went up a level in his snarkiness. He still calls Fang cutesy nicknames and makes wacky faces, in accordance with his goofball characterization. However, the green duck bites back with a lot more snide comebacks. He mocks Fang saying "mook" so much and makes numerous sarcastic statements about his teammate. It's not bad. Considering Archie Bean's constant kookiness could get irritating, it's not bad at all. I am simply still getting used to Bean being altogether more sardonic than he's been in the past.

Comedy really does seem to be the main goal here. Fang trying to convince Eggman of an eighth Emerald's existence reveals the lack of evidence the Hunter has on his side. The Hooligans threatening Heavy Rider's Motobug steed is obviously a somewhat jokey set-up, playing off the idea of a seemingly heartless robot displaying a pet-like attachment to his ride. The conversation that follows between Fang and Heavy King is similarly full of absurd statements, which follows an earlier bit where the robot attempts to ghost Eggman in the most blatant way possible. We're not meant to take much of this seriously at all. 

That comedic tone is furthered by some likably goofy artwork from Thomas Rothlisberger. Maybe my favorite thing about this issue are the little, physical jokes Rothlisberger slips in, that only work because of the playful quality his art has. Such as Eggman's mental imagining of the eighth Chaos Emerald getting more like a child's scribble as Fang's case for it falls apart. Or a suffering Shellcracker Badnik straining to carry Eggman's golden throne of himself around. Some even add to the character's personalities, such as Bark knitting while the trio waits for the airship to appear. I'm sure some of these were in Flynn's script but most feel like the little jokes the artist would throw in if their own accord. Overall, Rothlisberger's extremely expressive faces and nicely cartoonish sense of motion goes a long way towards making this issue a winner. 

I don't feel every piece of "Sonic" media has to contribute to the overall lore of the universe or anything. I think some people out there do genuinely hold that opinion but it's fine by me if a comic or cartoon episode is just fun. However, the third issue of "Fang the Hunter" does see Ian Flynn expanding the Classic Sonic universe a bit. The big reveal here is that the airship the Heavies stole isn't powered by an eighth Chaos Emerald... It's powered by the Warp Topaz. As in, the same magical rock Dr. Starline used to give himself and the Imposters superpowers. Assuming Sega hasn't changed their minds about the Classic and Modern Sonic continuities existing in parallel universes, I would assume that this is just the Classic version of the Warp Topaz. There's a Master Emerald in both universes, right? But comments from Flynn suggest that this is the same Warp Topaz. Meaning its portal generating abilities means the Topaz has jumped between worlds or the Classic/Modern divide has been done away with... Not that I ever expect Sega, and by extension IDW, to ever fully explain this. But I guess the point is that the Warp Topaz can warp it up anywhere. 

All that is well and good. However, the last third of this comic is kind of a drag. After having a lot of laughs and fast-paced action, Heavy King and the other Hard Boiled Heavies step out and explain their master plan. I can see what you're doing here, Ian. The issue ends with Fang and his gang surrounded by the robots. This is set-up for the climatic royal rumble in the final part of the mini. Yet it also kills the forward momentum of this particular issue. Just hits a wall of exposition and scowling egg robots. Oh well. It was a pretty good comic book up to that point. 

Anyway, this is a Sonic the Hedgehog comic book, right? His name is still on the cover, even if he isn't. It feels like some sort of running joke in this mini, that the creative team has to include at least one scene of Sonic, to justify the book's existence. As if he's contractually obligated to appear. The scene has Tails cooking up some doo-hickey to track the Amazing Vanishing Airship, while Sonic impatiently paces the workshop. This series has really drawn into focus how Classic Sonic is different from his Modern counterpart: His ADHD is worse. He isn't as patient. He doesn't listen as well, giving Tails a blank state when he explains the science behind his latest gizmo. He's more of a smart-ass in general. And I pointed out last time, this definitely lines up with 90s portrayals of Sonic. So I probably like it for nostalgic reasons. Yet I do find a slightly edgier Sonic, who really doesn't do well when he can't Go Fast, a good take on the character. Gives him a little more texture, ya know? 

Anyway, this mini-series is shaping up to be a pretty solid affair. Great art all the way through, a good mixture of comedic shenanigans and an actual forward-moving story, and overall a compelling take on the characters. Having the Heavies show up and take all the credit for the storyline's events is a little disappointing but I'm not going to let it bring me down. Fun comic book! Now, let me go back and re-read this review to see how many times I wrote "Nack" instead of Fang... [7/10]

Sonic the Hedgehog: Fang the Hunter: Issue 2

Sonic the Hedgehog: Fang the Hunter: Issue 2

Publication Date: February 28th, 2024

At his busiest, Ian Flynn was writing four monthly series for Archie. That's a lot for anyone, so it has not been surprising that Flynn has slowed way down since making the jump to IDW. (Though he is still, by any normal measure, prolific.) This has been reflected in IDW's release schedule for their "Sonic" titles. While Archie spent years trying to launch a second "Sonic" book, IDW has been reluctant to do so despite publishing quite a few mini-series and one-shots. You can see this in the trend the company has followed, of alternating months between the main book and miniseries. Or, in the case of the "Fang the Hunter" mini, actually having the main title go on hiatus for a couple of months while the other book runs. IDW is either determined not to oversaturated the "Sonic" comic market or too cheap to pay multiple creative teams at once. You pick. Either way, it is an interesting strategy to bring some variety to their hedgehog-themed slate of books. 

The second part of the "Fang the Hunter" series begins where the first left off, with the titular villain-for-hire trying to avoid Knuckles' booby traps in the Mushroom Hill Zone. He soon tracks the echidna to the Sandopolis Zone, coming to blows with the guardian and finding the captured Bark and Bean. After the required amount of fisticuffs, Fang informs Knuckles that he's not trying to steal the Master Emerald. That he's after a mythical eighth Chaos Emerald, which Knuckles doesn't believe exists. Having exhausted all other plans, the Hooligans head to the last lead Fang has: An obscure and dangerous island that Eggman once attempted to colonize.

If Ian Flynn can be said to have one uniting quirk across all his work, it's his love of shout-outs to continuity. This made Ian the ideal guy to re-assemble Archie "Sonic's" grabasstic soup of random ideas and unresolved plot points into something like a coherent whole. Since IDW "Sonic" didn't have a decade of back issues to pull from before he came on, the series has sometimes felt frustratingly lacking in world building. Whenever Flynn gets to play in the Classic Era though, he actually does have a toy chest full of lore and obscure bullshit to play with though. The fact that a perpetual C-lister like Fang is headlining his own book at all is a testament to how this miniseries is being allowed to reference overlooked corners of the "Sonic" legacy. And so we have an issue devoted largely to running through two "Sonic & Knuckles" stages that then ends by arriving at a location from "Knuckles' Chaotix," a game I'd wager most "Sonic" nerds still haven't actually played. 

You can argue whether tickling long-time fans' nostalgia bones is a worthwhile purpose for a comic to pursue. In fact, you can probably make a good case about how comics – and nerd leaning properties in general – are slowly destroying themselves by largely catering to forty year old dorks with way too much attachment to a children's franchise. Yet, I'll admit, I got a kick out of seeing game play features and obscure enemies putting in a brand new appearance here. Whole panels are devoted to Fang rappelling down the rope ladders, climbing up the sandy waterfalls, and sliding around on the sand chutes. When the little ghost guys from Sandopolis Zone Act 2 showed up, I knew I was having a good time with this issue. I'm old and I reserve the right to smile, point, and chuckle when someone else references an obscure thing I like. And how often does a piece of media get you to think about the 32X, ya know? 

Honestly, some loving shout-outs to little details like this would probably be enough for me to enjoy this comic book. Yet this structure actually serves a greater purpose. By showing Fang travelling through the perils and pitfalls of this zone, it winds up making this issue feel very eventful. The main attraction of this issue, if the images featured on the covers are anything to go by, is Fang and Knuckles rumbling. It definitely feels like past "Sonic" comics would have built an entire issue around this fight. Instead, we get a satisfying little brawl in the middle surrounded by a bit of build-up, some mild world-building, and then a whole other set of events afterwards. I really expected this issue to end after Fang and Knuckles' fight but it keeps going, introducing some new problems for our motley band of anti-heroes to deal with it. I felt like I got my money's worth from this comic book is my point. 

If any complaint can be leveraged at IDW's Classic Sonic stories, it's that the setting doesn't allow for the characters to show much depth. The Classic versions of Sonic and the gang, even more so than their modern counterparts, are static characters. Yet Flynn does manage to give us some insight into Fang's personality here. That he manages to track Knuckles down, avoiding his traps, and surviving the various perils of the Sandopolis Zone shows that Fang actually isn't a chronic fuck-up. He actually does have a degree of cunning, which he shows when he uses the Marvelous Queen to free Bark and Bean. Or when he counters Knuckles' strength by bouncing around on his springy tail. Is it possible that Fang doesn't actually suck and that the universe really is just constantly shitting on him? Even if that's not the case, it's still nice to see Fang actually does have a degree of confidence. It explains why Eggman keeps hiring him, if nothing else. 

We get even more insight into the guy during a moment when he describes his future plans once he sells this mysterious eighth Chaos Emerald. I've always clocked Fang as a guy desperate to be taken seriously by the world and that's still true. However, his biggest dream in life is to kick back, relax, and trick out his hovercraft in even fancier ways. This is the first peek we've really gotten at Fang's motivation, beyond simple greed, and it's a nice touch. Honestly, don't most of us want to pull One Perfect Score that would allow us to relax the rest of our lives? Either Flynn was making a genuine effort to expand Fang as a character here or it's just a goofy joke about how much he loves the Marvelous Queen. Either way, it grounds the character some more in a way that makes him more relatable for all of us. 

Bean and Bark don't get that much character development in this issue. They spend half the book tied up inside an underground temple, so there's just not room for it. It's also not like these two can be expected to grow much anyway. Bean will always be the goofy henchman for hire. Bark will also be his strong, silent partner that is secretly kinder than he appears. However, Flynn is still pushing forward the idea that these two are unsatisfied with Fang's leadership. Once again, they threaten to walk out on the guy if this mission continues to be a flop. I don't really expect this plot thread to go much of anywhere. The idea that these guys that have been hanging out together for years, to the point that they are a branded team now, will go their separate ways is unlikely. But it is nice that Bean and Bark are actually motivating some element of the story here, instead of just following Fang around and being his wacky comic relief. 

And speaking of wacky comic relief... Most of the IDW version of the "Sonic" team aren't all that different from their Archie counterparts. Especially when written by Flynn. However, I will say that IDW Bean is a lot less aggressively goofy than his previous four color iteration. He still says random shit – he calls Fang Wampus at one point – but the entirety of his personality isn't devoted to being super silly comic relief all the time. Bean is even allowed to be sardonic at times, such as when he mockingly cheers when being rescued twice in this comic book. Maybe Flynn just realized that it's not 2006 anymore and nobody thinks squishy little goofball sidekicks who just scream bullshit are funny anymore. Or maybe grouches like me have been complaining about it enough that Flynn altered his plans accordingly. Whatever the cause, I'm glad Bean is allowed to be funny outside of being obsessed with "teh shiny" now. 

By the way, Sonic the Hedgehog is in this comic book. Yes, it's a good sign of how much story is shoved into this issue that Sonic and Tails' little subplot barely registers. The duo only get one scene, as they continue to chase a mysterious airship just to watch it vanish into thin air right in front of them. That is, admittedly, a pretty cool hook for a story. Considering Eggman shows up at the end of this issue, one assumes that this particular story thread will take up more focus in the second of the miniseries. Is this phantom airship connected to Fang's fabled eighth Chaos Emerald? Seems likely to me.

Adding to this story working as both comedy and an action/adventure comic is some fine artwork from Thomas Rothlisberger. His talent for motion makes the scuffle between Knuckles and Fang a joy to read. His ability to say a lot with a character's face goes a long way here too. Two of the issue's biggest laughs come almost from that alone. Such as Knuckles' face when doing the mental math on Fang's claim of an eighth emerald. Or Sonic's outrage upon seeing the airship disappear. Never underestimate how funny someone making a goofy face can be. Also, the inking and colors – by Rik Mack and Valentina Pinto – must be commended. When Fang flies into the underground temple, the use of lighting and shadows establish the right kind of foreboding atmosphere immediately.

Also, I still have to stop myself from calling him "Nack" every time I write the character's name. I'm sorry, Sega, my brain is still running software from 1999. I'll always sort the purple, pointy bounty hunter guy with the hat and floating bike under "Weasel, Nack the." Anyway, this is a pretty good comic book! I'm looking forward to reading the next issue. See you guys again in six weeks. [7/10]

Sonic the Hedgehog: Fang the Hunter: Issue 1

Sonic the Hedgehog: Fang the Hunter: Issue 1

Original Publication Date: January 17th, 2024

When released in 1994, "Sonic the Hedgehog: Triple Trouble" received a little bit of hype. The "Sonic" franchise was red hot at the time, perhaps at the peak of its nineties popularity. This meant any new game featuring the character was going to get a big push. And it didn't hurt that this was the second appearance of Knuckles, who was quickly becoming the second most popular character in the series at the time. However, "Triple Trouble" was still a handheld title, for the Game Gear, a console that was never as big as Sega hoped and always trailed way behind the Game Boy in popularity. This meant that "Triple Trouble" was destined to be consigned to the waste bin of pop culture. As the "Sonic" series began to explore new avenues, with a quickly expanding cast and universe, in the 2000s, "Triple Trouble" would be seemingly forgotten even by Sega. 

The game's obscure status would make the new character it introduced even more overlooked. Fang the Sniper, or Nack the Weasel to us U.S. assholes, would become a reoccurring character in the Archie comics. But the rest of the "Sonic" fandom didn't care about this guy for a long time. Aside from "Triple Trouble," Fang's only other appearance for years was "Sonic the Fighter," an even more obscure arcade exclusive. By the start of the 2010s, Fang was stuck in the same limbo as Mighty or Ray: Beloved by a tiny niche of the fandom but ignored by everyone else, even the video game company that created him. Who had time for a pink weasel/jerboa/wolf what's-it when we were being flooded with telekinetic time travelers and fiery felines? 

That slowly started to change with the 2017 release of "Sonic Mania," which brought Fang – along with the equally overlooked Bark and Bean – back to the forefront of the series. Since then, we've seen this trio of troublemakers referenced a lot more. Fang was even given a prominent role in last year's "Sonic Superstar," suggesting that the little scum bag was a going concern for Sega again. This Fang Renaissance continues into 2024, with IDW giving the guy – now dubbed a Hunter by Sega, since I guess "Sniper" was a little too aggressive – a starring role in his own four-part mini-series. This is a pretty big deal for a character deemed little more than an in-joke for quite a while. 

And what does the first issue of "Fang the Hunter" contain? It begins with Fang, Bean, and Bark spying on Sonic as he chills in a hammock. They quickly attack, hoping the hedgehog can give them some info on a mythical eighth Chaos Emerald. Sonic doesn't know anything about this, assuring them that such a thing doesn't exist. After such a humiliating defeat, Fang decides to shake down Knuckles for info next. The Guardian is waiting for them and prepares traps throughout Angel Island to throw them off. Meanwhile, Tails warns Sonic that a mysterious airship has ravaged the Marble Zone before vanishing. 

In the original Archie Comics continuity, "Nack the Weasel" was a fairly serious adversary. He successfully disarmed Sonic so Robotnik could roboticize him, kidnapped Princess Sally, and even killed some people. However, that is an atypical characterization for the guy across most of the series. From "Triple Trouble" onward, Fang has largely been portrayed as a joke, an incompetent buffoon that is easily defeated, usually by his own deeply misplaced overconfidence. As the comics have sought to more closely follow the games, this characterization has taken root here as well. In the handful of appearances in past IDW books, Fang has mostly been a joker, an un-serious threat that is always humiliated before any criminal plot he has can come to fruition. This might be because he's always hanging around now with Bark and Bean, essentially the Laurel and Hardy of the "Sonic" world. 

With that in mind, the first issue of "Fang's" mini-series is largely devoted to slapstick comedy. The opening sequence of the comic – where Fang attempts to crush Sonic with a big rock, only for the hedgehog to deflect them without breaking a sweat – even seems to recall the wacky antics of the "Adventures of Sonic the Hedgehog" cartoon. Maybe that's just because there's a hammock in the scene though... Either way, there's definitely some "Tom and Jerry" vibes to this comic, as we watch the antagonists get comically defeated by a hero that way outclasses them. 

This, in fact, may be where Fang's appeal lies. As a stereotypical villain, he's never going to learn his lesson. No matter how many crushing defeats he suffers, he's going to keep pursuing Sonic. This makes the jerboa something of a lovable loser. He's always going to fail. We, as human beings, will also fail more often than we will succeed. So, even though Fang is a bad guy, we still relate to him. His need to keep pushing a metaphorical boulder up an allegorical hill, when it's always destined to flatten him, even makes the guy kind of admirable. Don't we all wish we had that kind of tenacity, in the face of life constantly making you eat shit? This allows "Fang the Hunter" to have its cake and eat it too, letting us derive amusement from Fang's exaggerated defeats while also seeing us root for him a little bit, in a perverse way. Haven't we all wanted to see the Coyote catch the Roadrunner at least once? 

While Fang hopelessly strives to be taken seriously someday, despite the clear unlikeliness of that ever happening, Bean and Bark have long since accepted their roles. IDW Bean isn't quite as unhinged as his Archie counterpart but he's still a wacky goofball, embracing the absurdity of every humiliation he suffers. While Bark is the strong, silent straight man, seemingly unflappable and inscrutable no matter what. I guess there is only so much to be mined from this dynamic, so issue #1 of "Fang" does introduce a conflict between Fang and his partners. Namely, they feel taken advantage of and plan on dumping his ass after this adventure. I don't take this threat seriously at all. If anything, I think this three might all learn to appreciate each other before this mini is over. But at least the set-up of "the mooks are planning to walk out on their boss" has some comedic value to explore. 

The clear farcical tone of this first issue makes me assume the MacGuffin quest that has been set-up will likely end up being a wild goose chase. There being seven Chaos Emeralds has been established as a fact of the "Sonic" series for so long, that it's easy to forget that the exact number has varied over the years. There were just six emeralds in the first "Sonic" game and most of the 8-bit ports. In "Sonic Spinball," there were as many as sixteen emeralds. Originally in the Archie continuity, there was just a surplus of many Emeralds of many different colors, until Ian Flynn fixed that. Fang believing there are eight Emeralds is likely a reference to "Sonic the Fighter," where there were indeed eight Emeralds to correspond to the eight characters. Considering that was his last in-game appearance for years, no wonder Fang seems to believe this is the case. 

I wouldn't be shocked at all if Ian Flynn used this mini-series to patch over a continuity era in the Classic Sonic canon. Yet it would be much funnier if Fang continues to hold onto an erroneous belief, in the face of mounting evidence to the contrary. But maybe the book is going somewhere else, what with that dangling plot point of Sonic and Tails chasing after a phantom ship in the Marble Zone. I guess, either way, the skeleton of a decent story has been set-up here. 

If this issue has heavy "Looney Tunes" overtones, what of Sonic as the Bugs Bunny to Fang's Yosemite Sam? On "Adventures of Sonic the Hedgehog," Sonic filled an almost literal Bugs Bunny role, right down to the frequent crossdressing and random bursts of nuttiness. Since that would be pretty out of character for IDW Sonic, Flynn writes him here as a snarky asshole. He has nothing but smartass quibs for Fang and his gang. He gets sarcastic with Tails. He even has to remind himself to be "patient with the kid" after he interrupts his nap. While fans constantly debate how much 'tude Sonic should display, we shouldn't forget that this is technically Classic Sonic we are seeing here. The blue hedgehog being a bit of a prick, even to his best friend, recalls his demeanor in the OVA or Fleetway comics, works contemporary with the Classic setting. Plus it's funny. I'm fine with it. 

Sonic is not the only hero to frustrate our titular goons though. Also in keeping with his more Classic Era characterization, Knuckles mostly hides back in the shadows and upends the Hooligans – or whatever they are called here – with traps he's set-up throughout the isle. This includes a delightful instance of Knuckles using the air vent trap from the start of "Sonic & Knuckles." If this whole comic wasn't a light-hearted goof, these scenes would almost be sinister. Mushroom Hill is depicted as dark and shadowy, Fang's buddies picked off by an unseen threat. Considering Knuckles fools Bark with a decoy that unmistakably resembles the Blair Witch stick figure, I'm going to assume that this mild horror atmosphere is intentional. Not a reference I expected to see in a "Sonic" comic, so maybe Bean will put on a Ghostface mask in the next issue. 

Mauro Fonseca is on pencil duties here and his work definitely matches the cartoony tone of the script. There is quite a lot of stretch and squash on display in these panels, especially when Fang tackles Bean to keep him from accidentally blowing up the Magnificent Queen. It turns out Fang's angular head really lends itself to this kind of over-the-top reactions. There are some really good faces in this issue, let me tell ya. Impressively, Fonseca manages to maintain the particular Classic Sonic look for everyone even when going for cartoony physics. Good stuff!

By the way, do you want to know how many times I wrote "Back" instead of "Fang" while assembling this review? Literally every single time! Old habits never die, I guess. Anyway, the first issue of the "Fang the Hunter" kicks the mini-series off in a goofily amusing, fleet-footed fashion. Let's see if Flynn and the gang can keep it up. [7/10]

Sonic the Hedgehog: Amy's 30th Anniversary Special

Sonic the Hedgehog: Amy's 30th Anniversary Special

Publication Date: September 27th, 2023

The “Sonic the Hedgehog” titles must be a big hit for IDW, as they are continuing to make a habit out of releasing one-shots on a regular basis. They just announced another one last week! Among their most persistent series of one-shots have been the anniversary editions. Sonic's 30th anniversary in 2021 was a big deal for the whole franchise, IDW honoring it with one of their best comics in the entire series. They continued the trend last year, giving Tails an anniversary special too. Showing that this is clearly going to be a tradition until they are out of 30th anniversaries, 2023 has brought with it a 30th anniversary special for Amy Rose too. (The fact that Sega has a new retro-platformer coming out soon was, no doubt, another reason to greenlight this special.) I bet Flynn is already drafting the script for Knuckles' birthday one-shot for next year. 

Of course, when you compare Amy to Tails or Knuckles, you notice she's a very different character. Amy Rose is probably the most popular female character in the “Sonic” franchise now, essentially being the female face of the entire series. Yet she didn't even debut in one of the numbered sequels. Amy Rose first appeared in “Sonic CD,” a game a lot of fans probably didn't play when it was new because not many people had a Sega CD. Tails was appearing in the American “Sonic” comics and cartoons and Knuckles would soon acquire a massive following in the comics. Amy, meanwhile, wouldn't appear in an animated series until “Sonic X” and was only a minor supporting character in the Archie books for years. 

Despite being the closest thing Sonic had to a love interest in the video games at the time, Amy Rose didn't really become a detailed character until the Dreamcast era. “Modern” Amy was still a fashionable, very pink girl hedgehog but she also wielded a big-ass hammer, while having personality traits outside of endlessly pursuing Sonic and being a damsel-in-distress. The Piko Piko Hammer has become such an ingrained part of Amy's personality that Classic Amy – the subject of this one-shot – has retroactively been given it as well. While Modern Amy has flourished and become a beloved member of the series, Classic Amy has just sort of hung around.  The reinvention of the character has overshadowed the rather vague original version. 

How did Ian Flynn go about resolving this issue? Let's see. “Amy's 30th Anniversary Special” begins with the pink hedgehog throwing a little party for her animal friends, also giving them a reading from her divination cards. The cards warn of danger and, soon enough, Metal Sonic barges into the area. Joined by a little blue Flicky, and guided by her magic cards, Amy sets out to get the bottom of things. She discovered a series of Egg Capsules, freeing Nack Fang, Ray, and Bark along the way. They soon follow a shipment of fruit to an island fortress, where Eggman has captured all of Amy's friends in similar Egg Capsule. Metal Sonic is right on their trail though, leading to a big showdown. 

You know what my first thought was upon finishing reading this comic book? “Ian Flynn should write a “Strawberry Shortcake” or “Rainbow Brite” comic or something like that.” This issue really captures the feel of “girly” Saturday morning cartoon shows from the eighties and I mean that in the best way. This one-shot is unapologetically girly. Pink is the primary color on many of the pages. Amy is constantly surrounded by cute, little animals – who look like stuffed toys, really – and pretty flowers. After quickly assessing that Bark, usually an antagonist, isn't such a bad guy, she gives him a big hug. The issue ends with the heroes having a tea party! The visual design for this comic shoots is designed to appeal to the audience of “cutest little girl you can imagine in the early 90s.”

Again, I don't mean any of this as a criticism. I'm not the target audience for “She-Ra” or “Jem” or “Care Bears” or whatever. Yet it's impressive that this comic marries to this specific aesthetic so unerringly without letting it effect the story any. Despite Amy, and Classic Amy especially, being defined largely by her devotion to Sonic, that's only a little part of this comic. Instead, there are some decent stakes here. Amy's friends have been captured and, gosh darn it, she's going to free them. She's a young girl, with young girl problems, but that doesn't hinder her from overcoming the specific challenges this narrative presents. Flynn's script argues that Amy's girliness is not a defect but an asset. 

Honestly, I think the character arc Amy gets here is really cute. All throughout the story, she expects to find Sonic or Tails or someone really famous like that in the Egg Capsules. Instead, she gets Nack, Ray, and Bark. All throughout, she attributes the extraordinary characteristics her magic cards points towards to other people. In the end, it's pointed out that Amy is the one who accomplished all these things. Honestly, I think this is a good message to send to young people. Young girls, especially, undervalue their own abilities because our society is so fucking sexist. Amy learning her own strength, that even she denies, is a sweet little arc that fits the character and also makes for a compelling narrative. 

Aside from her infatuation with Sonic, Classic Amy has one other characteristic. At least, she does in theory anyway. The manual to “Sonic CD” mentioned that Amy was into Tarot and this is a factoid that was widely ignored for years. These days, all out of a desire to make the modern/classic divide more distinct, Classic Amy's Tarot fixation is focused on more. This issue, in particular, hammers the fortune telling thing really hard. It proves a decent way to keep the story moving and also allows Aaron Hammerstrom to design some really cute cards. It's still weird to me that Sega pretends Amy has always been into divination though.

Though Ian Flynn has told fans not to worry about the Classic/Modern divide anymore, it seems this mandate is still in place for the comics. Mighty, Ray, and the Hooligans have yet to appear in the modern-set stories. Another way you can tell these characters are still off-limits for the rest of the comics is that, any time IDW publishes a “Classic” title, they tend to show up. Yes, this issue gives a plum supporting role to Ray the Squirrel. Mighty, Bean, and the Weasel Formerly Known as Nack all put in some appearances. Ray gets some cute little moments to himself, playing up his youthful nativity. (It's still weird to me that Comic Ray doesn't have a stutter anymore.) 

Yet Bark the Bear proves to be the secret MVP here. Because, really, who is Bark the Bear? In the Archie comics – where the extremely obscure character of Bark has been more defined, versus his sole appearance in a largely forgotten video game from 27 years ago – he's also been this silent bruiser.  While Flynn has always written Bark as an antagonist, he's mostly just been muscle for hire. Not really a dedicated villain in his own right. It's been suggested before that Bark actually isn't a bad guy and this comic runs with that. Maybe it's just because Flynn has a limited number of characters to work with in this setting, so Bark got selected. Yet to see the big quiet bear prove he's more teddy than grizzly is a nice touch. 

You know what another element of cutesy eighties cartoon is? Bad-ass villains that are always humbled by the soft, adorable heroes. Even “boy” cartoons have this element, where extremely cool looking bad guys like Skeletor, Shredder, and Cobra Commander were repeatedly humiliated. This contrast was even more obvious in shows targeted at younger kids and girls. Seriously, look at this guy. Could be a mascot for a metal band, right? And he got his ass kicked every week by Teddy Ruxpin. Meanwhile, this demonic looking motherfucker regularly lost fights to the Little Ponies. 

What is the point I'm making her? It's practically a tradition that, the softer the cartoon looks, the more disproportionately bad-ass the antagonist looks... Who is then, despite that intimidating exterior, totally defeated over and over again. This also accurately describes Metal Sonic in this issue. He blasts in, tears shit up, frightens Amy into hiding, but never actually does anything productive. In the end, he's left defeated in a comical fashion. As an old man who has been watching cartoons my whole life, it warms my heart to see this nostalgic troupe upheld in a comic clearly paying tribute to that era. 

That the Classic Sonic aesthetic is so readily apparent always makes these anniversary specials a treat for the eyes. Aaron Hammerstrom provides the pencils here, as he did for the Tails Anniversary special. He does excellent work too. The characters are expressive and adorable, fitting within the Classic house style while also coming alive within these panels. This is especially important for characters who don't speak, like Bark and Metal Sonic. They seem as lively and well-characterized as the rest of the gang. Reggie Graham's colors are bright and soft, furthering the feeling of a vintage cartoon. 

I don't think the “Amy 30th Anniversary” special is as good as the “Tails” or “Sonic” anniversary one-shots. Those stories were more action-packed, with more adventurous pacing. Yet I think this comic book is pretty good too. As it's probably clear by now, Classic Amy is not a “Sonic” cast member I'm especially attached to. Yet this issue managed to make her endearing to me. While I don't think this will replaced the later versions of Amy as my preferred take on the pink hedgehog, the one-shot does argue for Classic Amy's place in the franchise's history. [7/10]

Sonic the Hedgehog (IDW): Free Comic Book Day 2021

Sonic the Hedgehog (IDW): Free Comic Book Day 2021

Publication Date: August 14th, 2021

Ah, Free Comic Book Day. That most beloved holiday centered around getting free comic books! It's hard to believe it's been fourteen years since Archie Comics' “Sonic” book first started participating in this nation-wide day ostensibly designed to promote local comic shops, officially making Sega's most blue hedgehog-related franchise a part of this American tradition. After publishing “Sonic” comics for three years, IDW has finally decided to have their iteration of the “Sonic” franchise join the same tradition. Because COVID fucked everything up – and, really, is still in the process of fucking everything up – Free Comic Book Day happened in August this year, instead of May when it usually happens. And because Sega is still celebrating Sonic's 30th anniversary, the IDW's first FCBD special is also set in the Classic Sonic universe.

The story exclusive to this issue is “Amy's New Hobby.” Tails comes to visit Amy at her adorable little bungalow, because he's lonely while Sonic is out adventuring. During lunch, Tails notices Amy doodling in a little sketchbook. She is somewhat embarrassed to admit that she's started drawing fan comics about Sonic and all his friends, including herself. Tails thinks it's pretty cool though and shows it to everyone. When Sonic speeds in and demands to see, Amy is petrified... But he likes her little comics too.

“Amy's New Hobby” comes from Gale Galligan, who previously contributed “Dr. Eggman's Birthday” in the 30th Anniversary special. It's evident that they specialize in cute and funny little stories about characters just hanging out. The detail of Amy being embarrassed by her fan art is a really adorable detail. Similarly, Sonic, Mighty, Ray, and Tails being completely accepting of this hobby is so friggin' sweet. They accept her, even if she doesn't! How fucking nice is that? Similar to the story Galligan wrote previously, that had Eggman's robots being grateful for him even if he wasn't for them, this is a quiet and sweet tale about acceptance and friendship. It's really nice to see some low-key stories like this in the modern Sonic comic universe.

The brief peeks we get at Amy's comics here are also absolutely adorable. Unsurprisingly, there seems to be some wish fulfillment in these comics, with at least one panel devoted to Amy rescuing Sonic from a grave situation. Another one has Knuckles thanking Sonic for being a friend, some of the cast buying chili dogs, and an extended homage to the “Strange, Isn't It?!” scene from the OVA. That is one of several cutesy homages to “Sonic” history in this brief little comic. Other shout-outs include cameos from Honey the Cat, Bark and Bean, and the sound test band. Honestly, Mighty and Ray's small roles feel like a shout-out to obscure “Sonic” history at this point too. The shot we have of Amy's house includes a couple easy-to-miss nods to franchise lore.

The artwork goes a long way to selling the sweetness of this story too. Thomas Rothlisberger, who also did the art for Galligan's previous story, provides pencils. There's a lot of really cute little details in the character's faces and body language when they're talking. Like Tails describing his stories with Sonic while munching a sandwich or Amy's clear uncertainty over showing anyone else her work. The panel devoted to Amy's absolute horror when Sonic sees her art is especially amusing. The comics-within-the-comic are completely precious too, done in a sketchy/colored pencil style that recalls Knuckles' little imagine spots in the Archie “Mega Drive” specials. 

The second story in this special... Isn't really a story. David Mariotte, an editor at IDW, gets official credit for writing “Race to the Empire.” It's really just a quick recap of the first few years of the book, with some pithy narration on-top and artwork thrown together from across the different issues. About the only thing that's really interesting about this “story” is the blurb at the end pointing towards the future of the series. Namely, a story arc called “Battle for the Empire” will be running in the comic in the lead-up to issue 50. And at some point in the future a new mini-series called “Sonic: Imposter Syndrome” will be arriving. That title is literally the only thing we know about that series right now but one assumes Mimic will have something to do with it. 

IDW's first FCBD issue isn't going to go down in “Sonic” history as especially important to the lore. Not that Archie's FCBD specials were ever all that significant either. These issues are, essentially, advertisements after all. So it's not surprising that a third of the comic is devoted to driving people's eyeballs to the back issues and upcoming issues. However, the headlining story is really cute and the artwork is very well done. I'm glad I was able to read this and recommend it to all Hedgehogs Can't Swim readers as well. I hope IDW continues to do more Classic Sonic stuff going forward, if only because it's the only way we're going to see more of these obscure characters. [7/10]