Sonic the Hedgehog (IDW): Issue 66

Sonic the Hedgehog (IDW): Issue 66

Publication Date: November 8th, 2023

I suppose I should be used to "Sonic the Hedgehog" comics sometimes feeling directionless. Lord knows, Archie's "Sonic" books would meander for months on end, with no clear concept leading events on. Yet when IDW's "Sonic" starts to spin its wheels, the feeling is always more acute to me. Usually because the series will just start doubling down on elements I don't care about. Like the Zetis, magical plot devices, or the Babylon Rogues. The book has been in a little bit of a slump since Surge and Kit exited the scene, not feeling like it's building towards much. That the Rogues are on the cover of issue 66 should clue you in on which type of issue this is. 

Which isn't necessarily a bad thing. A good enough series can even make its filler arcs fun too. "Relic Robbing Rumble, Part 2" picks up where we left off, with Knuckles and the Chaotix bushwhacking the Rogues on a dock. After an extensive action scene, Knuckles manages to get the ancient Echidnan artifacts back, driving the Rogues away. Jet claims they were not employed by anyone to steal the objects, working on their own... Yet this is not the case, as the final page reveals. 

Of all the words in "Relic Robbing Rumble's" title, the most important one is definitely rumble. As this cover story went on, I became very aware of how this is only a ten page story. That's because the fight scene just kept going on and on. Yes, this is one of those issues of "Sonic" devoted almost entirely to characters beating the shit out of each other, without much in the way of forward narrative or personal development. The cover promises Knuckles and the Chaotix fighting with the Babylon Rogues and that's what the story delivers. That is pretty much all the story delivers. 

Ian Flynn's senseless beat-em-up stories always feel somewhat useless. Look back at "Hedgehog Havoc," "Champions," or "Zeti Hunt" for further evidence of that. You can always just feel, somehow, when the guy is inserting an action scene for its own sake. There's never that fun feeling of a kid smashing his action figures together in Flynn's battle royales, like we saw in classic Archie stories like "Super Sonic vs. Hyper Knuckles" or, uh, "Battle Royal." There's just a hint of desperation to them, as if you can sense Flynn inserting extended punching scenes strictly because he knows the young boys this comic is ostensibly targeted at crave sophomoric fight scenes. 

Maybe this is because Flynn isn't good at making these fights feel serious. The good Flynn stories that are heavy on action are usually the culmination of long story arcs, where everything hangs in the balance. When he's screwing around, you can tell because the fights are largely farces. This is what we get here, the combat interrupted with many comedic touches. Charmy realizes stealing is wrong after grabbing the relic away from Jet, graciously giving it back. Espio gets cartoonishly spun through the air and Vector clamps onto Wave's hoverboard, refusing to let go. I don't necessarily dislike these moments. They are actually pretty funny, that bit with Charmy especially. Yet it does nothing to dissuade the feeling that nothing in this issue actually matters. 

This sensation is sadly confirmed in the final pages. The end of the fisticuffs on the pier is incredibly anticlimactic. Even though questions clearly remain unanswered, Knuckles is happy to have his relics back. He outright says he doesn't care about anything else. We then learn that this entire fight was a diversion by Clutch, to distract the Chaotix as he meets with Jewel while wearing a bitchin' pimp coat. If a two-parter feels a bit futile, capping it off with a master planner outright admitting this was all a rude does not help matters. A story about Clutch engineering a diversion, which the heroes then slowly uncover, would have been a lot more interesting than just a big, goofy, fight scene that results in nothing being changed or learned. 

The first half of "Relic Robbing Rumble" was also kind of weak but issue 65 was saved by a strong back-up story. Does the second half of "Dinner with Cream" continue that trend? Rough and Tumble continue to disrupt Cream's attempts to finish the nice dinner her mom started cooking. Yet Gemerl being overwhelmed and the skunks' mischief eventually become too much for the little girl to handle. That's when Vanilla returns home, putting an end to these shenanigans with her motherly ways. 

The first half of "Dinner with Cream" worked because, no matter how silly this conflict was, it still mattered to Cream and Gemerl. The second half focuses much more on comedy and combat, much like the cover story did. This does downplay what made the first part fun. Watching Germerl get pelted with a salad and Cream attempting to fight off some buffoonish bad guys isn't as much fun when the slapstick is for its own purpose. The first couple pages of this back-up can't help but continue the futile atmosphere that weighed down the cover story. Is this entire comic going to be focused on lame, meaningless fight scenes? 

Luckily, Evan Stanley recovers a bit before the end. There are still some cute, touching character interactions in this story. Gemerl's reassuring words to Cream, no matter how upset she gets, are still nice. The way Vanilla is nothing but understanding with her daughter at the end is also adorable. The story ends with some serious ship-bait between Vanilla and Vector, which goes a long way towards making this one worth reading after all. 

Vanilla is, in fact, secretly the MVP of this issue. The fight comes to a halt when Tumble bullies Cream a little too hard, causing her to cry. The villains are made to feel even worse when Vanilla shows up and uses her powers of motherly guilt against them. The ending of "Dinner with Cream" is really no less anticlimactic than "Relic Robbing Rumble." The bad guys essentially go away after someone tells them to, making you wonder why they showed up in the first place. Yet Rough and Tumble are inherently ridiculous characters. Of course Vanilla would be able to correct their behavior with just a few stern words and a contemptuous glare. These guys are overgrown boys, super strong men-children. They are naturally weak to a motherly scolding. So it works, ending a light-hearted story on a goofy and sweet note. (But I fully expect Vanilla being all disciplinary and stern with two remorseful louts to inspire some very specific types of fan art, if it hasn't already.)

The same group of artists are back to work on this issue as the last one. Mauro Fonseca draws the first story, while Adam Bryce Thomas handles the second. Fonseca's exaggerated style really works for a story like this. The action scenes, and the comedic beats in particular, really have a fine sense of movement and timing. His tendency for big goofy faces really makes Knuckles' anger, Jet's frustration, and Vector's sorrow at not being paid sing. Thomas similarly has a talent with faces. Cream's ever escalating disappointment at what is happening adds a lot of humor to this. As does the sheer power that radiates from Vanilla's face as she stares down the skunks. Or the obvious flirtatious quality in the meaningful looks she gives Vector. 

Surge and Kit come back to the comic next month, hopefully bringing with them a renewed sense of focus. There's no doubt in my mind that IDW "Sonic" has floundered a little since they stepped away, the book devoting time to a number of minor subplots that have to justify their own importance. "Relic Robbing Rumble" had its moments, especially of the more humorous variety, yet it just couldn't get out from under the weight of being a lark. At least the back-up two parter was cuter and funnier that that. [6/10]

Sonic the Hedgehog (IDW): Issue 65

Sonic the Hedgehog (IDW): Issue 65

Publication Date: October 11th, 2023

I've got to tell you guys, it makes me happy that IDW's "Sonic the Hedgehog" comic is, for a little while anyway, sticking with the format of having a cover story and a back-up story. An attribute I loved about Archie's "Sonic" book was the variety. It wasn't just a cartoon animal action/adventure series. Sometimes it was also a romantic melodrama, a lore-heavy fantasy series, a cosmic sci-fi story, or goofball slapstick comedy. I liked that unpredictable quality. IDW "Sonic" hasn't been quite that tonally diverse. It's mostly stuck to the action anime style that the franchise largely resides in these days, save for occasional segues into survival horror and light-hearted detective fair. Yet issue 65 shows how a diverse selection of narrative types can really improve a story. 

The first story is part one of "Relic Robbing Rumble." Knuckles is shocked to see the Babylon Rogues stealing some ancient relics from an obscure corner of Angel Island. The feathery thieves get away with the statues too, a major bruise on Knuckles' pride. He seeks out the Chaotix to assist him. Vector wants to wrap this up quickly, as he plans to meet Vanilla later that night for dinner. They barge into a Eggman facility, which is a dead lead. Charmy gets an anonymous hint, which leads the quartet to ambush the trio of airborne as they await their buyer. 

In the main "Sonic" games and cartoons, Knuckles the Echidna is often reduced to comic relief. He's a big, strong guy who also has a serious gullible streak, which has led to him too often being written like a total buffoon. (A characterization that peaked with "Sonic Boom's" idiot Knuckles.) This is in contrast to the comic books, where Knuckles has actually been a fairly complicated character. Archie Knuckles was one of the more psychologically complex take on him, with serious Daddy issues and lots of internal conflict over his destiny. IDW Knuckles isn't that deep, though Ian Flynn has done his best to make the echidna more perceptive than his appearance suggests. His interactions with Blaze and Amy have really shown this. Some of this even leaked into the way he was written in "Sonic Frontiers."

Despite that, Flynn allows Knuckles to really backslide in "Relic Robbing Rumble." The guardian of Angel Island is primarily in smashy-smashy, proud warrior mode here. That the Babylon Rogues defeated him, making off with artifacts he's sworn to protect, seriously has Knux grumpy. He refuses to ask for Amy or the Restoration's help, strictly to preserve that lone warrior pride. This leads to him acting unreasonably, agreeing with Vector's plan to raid Eggman's lab, despite the lack of evidence, and simply going along with whatever idea the Chaotix have. I don't want to say it's out of character for Knuckles – it's not, necessarily – but it's certainly not the most interesting approach. I know Flynn can do better with our red guy here. 

Still, I suppose the first part of "Relic Robbing Rumble" works fairly well. This is obviously a more light-hearted story, with lots of comedy. Knuckles' stubborn ego is played for laughs, such as when he blocks Chamry from calling Amy or admits to Eggman that the relics aren't even necessarily that important. Vector rushing through things because he's eager to get to his date with Vanilla, Eggman's mild annoyance with the heroes, or Vector's reaction when Espio surprises him all made me chuckle. The chemistry between these guys, between Knuckles' honor-driven hot-headedness and the Chaotix' slightly incompetent sleuthing, keeps this story afloat entirely. I even kind of like the panel of Storm – someone I really don't give a shit about, I must stress – playing with the two idols they've snatched like they are dolls. I'm not made of stone, that's funny. So is Knuckles eating a big pink sundae, while slamming his fist on the table. 

And it's a good thing that this is a breezy, amusing story. Otherwise, I'm not sure what the point is. Especially needless is the sequence of the good guys hastling Eggman. The mad doctor is more perturbed than enraged by their intrusion, even listening while they explain themselves. He goes so far as to admit that he currently has no evil plan in motion, still licking his wounds after the destruction of Eggperial City. In other words: Why was this scene included in this story? I mean, other than to expand this plot into a two parter. It seems to me that whatever Flynn is currently building towards has something to do with the ancient culture of Angel Island, or at least these relics in particular. Giving Eggman a token appearance feels like an excuse to insert some robot-smashing in a story otherwise about goofy comedy. 

The back-up connects with the cover story in a loose way. "Cream's Dinner" shows us the special dinner that Vanilla is preparing. Naturally, her daughter is helping out. After realizing they are out of butter, Vanilla heads out to get some, leaving Cream (and the fate of dinner) in the hands of Gemerl. That's when Rough and Tumble, determined to rebuild their reputations after several humiliating defeats, decide to sneak into Vanilla's house and cause trouble. Gemerl can handle that too but, oh no, what about dinner?!

Unlike the cover story, which blunders around without much of a clear directive, "Cream's Dinner" has a totally solid idea at its center. This is a story all about contrasting the mundane with the oversized, one of my favorite comedic devices. It's a tale that climaxes with a dead-pan robot karate kicking two skunk mercenaries but the main plot is based around the utterly everyday concern of whether a meal will be prepared correctly. Most all of us are familiar with the small stakes of trying to cook dinner without fucking it up. Most of us probably aren't familiar with two henchmen breaking into our house to cause trouble. Yet Cream – a child – and Gemerl – a robot – treat both scenarios with equal gravity. In fact, Gemerl almost seems more concerned about dinner. He sees the skunks break-in as a hindrance to this far more important issue. Funny!

This proves that Evan Stanley can do comedy well but her greatest strength still lies in small, relatable character interactions. There's an adorable moment here where Cream, concerned if she can be trusted with watching the food, is reassured by Gemerl. It's a small sequence, occupying only two panels, but it adds so much. Gemerl may be a robot but he's clearly become Cream's father figure. Emotionally supporting his surrogate daughter clearly isn't what Gemerl is built for – literally – and yet he has made his main bit of programming. That actually makes this moment more touching than if Vector or Sonic or whatever was helping Cream out. At first, I really missed the crankier Archie version of Gemerl but, I've got to tell you, the even more parental, in spite of his robotic nature, IDW version has really grown on me. 

Another observation I have about this issue is, perhaps, the artists should have traded stories. Mauro Fonseca draws the first story while Adam Bryce Howard does the second. Fonseca clearly goes for exaggeration in his work, most evident in any of the panels were Knuckles is freaking the fuck out. Fluid detail is the name of the game with Thomas. Both artists do a fine job. Both stories contain some hilarious faces. But Thomas would've brought a lot more verve to the action scenes on the first story while Fonseca would've emphasized the humor inherent in the second. Just an observation, not a criticism. This is a good looking issue regardless. 

I've commented last month that Sonic himself has been taking a backseat these last few issues. The hedgehog isn't in this issue at all. I'm happy the publisher and editors have enough confidence in this series' supporting cast to let them carry the book for a month or two. If Sega mandates or whatever insist Sonic must be a vagabond hero, not directly connected with the Restoration or any other group on a long term basis, simply taking the focus off him for a while is a smart move. It allows the supporting cast to grow, actually putting further development of this cast above just giving people what they want. You love to see it! Or, at least, I do.

Anyway, issue 65's cover story manages to be entertaining in spite of feeling entirely like filler and not giving Knuckles his due diligence. The back-up, meanwhile, is cute, charming, and funny. Enough so that it easily overshadows the cover story. I guess that leaves me on the hook for the next issue. I've got to know if Vanilla's roast is ruined or not and if she'll have to purchase fast food and cleverly disguise it as home cooking... [7/10]

Sonic the Hedgehog (IDW): Issue 36

Sonic the Hedgehog (IDW): Issue 36

Publication Date: January 13, 2021

In the past, after catching with IDW's ongoing "Sonic" comics, I've always tried to post reviews of the new issues as they come out. Usually, I post these reviews as bonus content on the weekends, so as not to disturb the perfect flow of my regular Monday-Wednesday-Friday updates. That never really worked for me though, as I usually just forgot to post on Sunday or whatever. I guess I've really gotten used to the rhythm of the three-updates-a-week schedule. So, from now on, new IDW reviews will pop up on one of the regular days, whenever I get around to writing them. Got it? Okay, good, let's continue.

Anyway, here we are at the last issue of "Chao Races And Badnik Chases." (Which is apparently actually entitled "Chao Races and Badnik Bases" and I've just been writing it wrong the whole time.) As an avalanche races towards the chateau, Sonic and Shadow are forced to choose between saving their friends – still Starline's prisoners on the roller coaster – and saving the innocent bystanders. Sonic makes the hard choice of stopping the avalanche. Luckily, Rouge and Tails save themselves and disengage from Starline. Meanwhile, Belle and Cream successfully free the Chao held in Clutch's suite, giving the gang the extra strength needed to defeat the unleashed Badniks. The group confront Starline one more time as they escape the building. 

Evan Stanley pulls off something surprising with this issue: She made me laugh several times. Yes, this issue is just full of chuckles. When Rouge frees herself, she gives a shout to Omega's disembodied head to activate his "auditory interference." Which means he starts screaming at Starline until he drops him, which is pretty funny. At the end, when Cream is explaining her adventure to a none-too-pleased Vanilla, Rouge vacates the area in an amusing manner. Mostly, this issue is a treasure trove of delightful reaction shots. Whether it be Sonic's shocked look when the barricade of trees he made does not stop the avalanche, Belle's eyes rolling back as the Chao burst free from their cage, or Starline deadpanning as the avalanche barrels down on him, this issue made me chuckle far more than expected. 

The levity comes at a cost though. This is a story with a time limit. Our heroes have to stop the bad guy, get the robot parts they need, and escape the building before the avalanche flattens all of it. Despite that being a good way to generate suspense, the events in Clutch's room certainly seem to take up a lot of time. Avalanches don't take that long to get down a mountainside, Evan! But it ends up not mattering. All the hotel guests were safely evacuated off-panel before the snow plows through the building, which is why there's no suspenseful panels of our heroes helping everyone get out in time. Sonic and Shadow harmlessly jump out of the newly-created snow bank at the end, totally fine. A giant wall of snow colliding with him at ramming speed doesn't seem to slow Starline down much either. Why introduce a natural disaster like that if it's not going to affect the plot more?

Looking back at "Chao Races and Badnik Chases Bases" as a whole, a concern I had early on turned out to be well-founded. Stanley just put a little too much plot, a few too many characters, into this arc. Ask yourself: What was the emotional core of this story anyway? Is it Belle being accepted among the good guys? That kind of happens on the sidelines of the main plot. Was it the effort to restore Omega? It seems like that, ostensibly the motivating force of the entire story, was often forgotten in all the competing plot lines. Stanley seems to bet on Clutch's abused Chao being freed to be what plucks at our heartstrings this time. If that's the case, Stanley should've focused more on depicting the Chao as abused victims and less as the assholes that Cheese was competing against earlier. 

Stanley should've made Belle's subplot a backstory running concurrently with the main story, to give her introduction a little more room to breathe, and resisted the temptation to indulge her Chao fetish altogether. Instead, she should've focused more on the bits of character development that grabbed me the most. I've seen people complaining about Shadow's characterization in the IDW comic. Yes, he has been an overly gruff asshole. But one must remember that this Shadow hasn't had the character development Archie's version did. We start to see his prickly exterior defrost a bit here. He's focused solely on getting revenge on Starline before Rouge points out that people might die in the avalanche, asking if he could live with that. He makes the right, moral decision and tries to stop the snowfall. (Not that it ends up mattering but never mind.) Closer to the end, while having a terse and mildly homoerotic conversation with Sonic, Shadow secretly passes an apple to the little asshole Chao that shares his likeness. That's a cute little touch, that shows Shadow isn't a relentlessly dour douchebag one hundred percent of the time, even if he's not willing to admit it. Hopefully, by this time next year, IDW Shadow will be more comfortable letting the wannabe tough guy/bad boy façade slide. 

The other bit of character development that intrigues me is Cream and Gemerl's increasingly codependent relationship. Gemerl is getting his shit wrecked a lot here of late, to the point where it's getting hard to take him seriously as a protector at all. In this issue, some simple Badniks are enough to leave him wobbly and sparking. That's when Cream has a brief heart-to-heart with the robot, informing him that it's not just his job to protect her. She can protect him too. They've got each other's back. Which is a nice moment and seems to build on the events both characters lived through during the Metal Virus saga.

Considering the announcements for the upcoming issues, it looks like Evan Stanley will remain in the head writer's chair for at least one more story arc. Which might be why she devotes some time to setting up future plot points at the tail end of this issue. Starline's motivation is revealed: He wanted to capture Tails. The final scene reveals he just grabbed a handful of his fur, which the doctor implies will be enough for whatever he's planning. Is IDW's "Sonic" headed for a clone saga or does Tails have some special property the doctor wants to exploit? Meanwhile, the exact nature of Belle's creator is being kept mysterious... Even though I thought Mr. Tinker was already confirmed to be her builder. Is Stanley planning a twist there or is she just bad as disguising her intentions? I guess we'll find out in the upcoming months. 

If it seems like I was harsh on this story arc, I'm sorry about that. I did enjoy "Chao Races and Badnik Bases" overall. Stanley pretty clearly set out to write a fun, light-hearted arc to act as a breather following a year full of turmoil and a horrible virus. (Both in and out of the comic.) I just wish she balanced her various ingredients a little better. This arc had a lot of delightful moments but lacked cohesion. If she's going to stick around as head writer, hopefully she'll get a little better at that. But I guess I'm in a good mood, as I'm still giving this issue a soft recommendation. [7/10]

Sonic the Hedgehog (IDW): Issue 35

Sonic the Hedgehog (IDW): Issue 35

Publication Date: December 2nd, 2020

So here’s something that personally pleased my OCD. IDW packed the last two months of 2020 with “Sonic” content, insuring that both the “Chao Races and Badnik Chases” story arc in the main book and the “Bad Guys” mini-series wrapped up before the year ends. (Issue 36 of “Sonic” came out on the 30th of December, just barely squeaking in.) Which means both arcs will be under consideration for my yearly Best/Worst. That makes me happy, that I can really consider the year as a full entity, instead of having to judge any unfinished. This means nothing to most readers but, ya know, I gotta be me.

[Update: Nevermind, the last issue got delayed so just disregard this entire paragraph]

Anyway, part three of “Chao Races and Badnik Chases” picks up with Sonic, Tails, and Belle in an Eggman base full of exploding Badniks. With some quick assistance from their new puppet friend, Sonic and Tails make it out. That’s when an emergency call from Rouge calls the trio away to White Park. Sonic drops Belle off with Amy and Cream, to help free the abused Chao. That’s when Clutch awakens and summons some Badniks if his own, complicating matters. Tails wants to help Rouge and immediately gets his dumb ass captured. He awakens in a careening roller coaster with Rouge, who reports she was brainwashed by a mysterious stranger. Sonic and Shadow swoop in to help, though the asshole behind these shenanigans has other plans. 

Earlier in this story arc, I wondered if Evan Stanley would be able to balance the various plot points she was juggling. Turns out, this was a valid concern! “Chao Races and Badnik Chases” starts to go off-the-rails — lol rollercoaster pun — in its third installments. Stanley has trouble keeping track of where all her characters are. Belle has to get in Clutch’s penthouse, to help unlock those Chao and prove her worthiness. Meanwhile, Tails needs to end up in that rollercoaster, so Sonic has someone to rescue. Yet, to keep the stakes continuously rising, Stanley introduces more evil robots for Amy to fight. This ends up making Sonic look like an ass, as he immediately abandons Amy and friends just when he was needed the most. You know things are getting a little convoluted when Stanley has to introduce magical mind control to ensure all the characters are moving in the directions she needs them to.

It’s a little frustrating to see the plot get jumbled up like this and to see the characters get lost in the shuffle. It’s nothing new for this comic, as Stanley follows in Flynn’s footsteps by adding bigger and bigger action scenes. Twice in this issue, a sudden tidal wave of Badniks show up to complicate things for our heroes. This makes sense for an Eggman base but seems slightly random in Clutch’s penthouse. Wouldn’t it have made more sense for everyone to gather by the roller coaster for the big finale next issue? But, no, we need more action now now NOW. So Stanley throws in a neigh-indestructible giant polar bear robot for Amy and Gemerl to battle. This also allows Clutch to escape, insuring they’ll meet again and always in more sexy and exciting ways. Another example of narrative logic being sacrificed for comic-book-y impulses. 

I guess that’s just par the course for comics. Something that’s also par for this specific hedgehog-related course is characters being immediately defined by their superpowers. Belle had a promising introduction last issue, as a sad toy eager to find an inventor who no longer exists. I imagine Belle’s Quixotic quest to reunite with Mr. Tinker will come up again. For now, she’s a puppet girl with lock-picking tools in her finger tips, a gimmick which just happens to be useful to our heroes at that exact moment. Maybe it’s just me but I’m more interested in Belle’s psychosis than her superpowers. Also, the good guys immediately integrate this former Eggman robot into their team, which probably isn’t the best idea. There should be a probationary screening period before someone can join the Restoration.

The fucked-up plot doesn’t really start to move smoothly again until the final third. Once the strangled set-up for getting everyone in place is passed, Stanley creates a pretty cool action sequences. A roller coaster is a dynamic setting for a fight. Shadow’s reappearance is nicely dramatic. The issue ends on one hell of a cliffhanger, with an avalanche heading towards the hotel. Yet there’s a problem with these events as well. Stanley reveals who the mysterious parka wearer with the glow-y hands is. It’s Starline, which is not as cool as the ideas I had and also spoils the end of “Bad Guys.” Now we know Starline makes it out of that story just fine and seemingly with more superpowers than ever before. I doubt this was Stanley’s fault and might have been a scheduling mishap. But, damn, you couldn’t have held off on that reveal for another month?

About the only character development we get in this issue centers around Amy. She continues to be pulled in two by her desire to be a useful, strong Freedom Fighter Restorer(?) and her nostalgia for simpler days. She gets all blushy and shy when Sonic drops in, her crush clearly still intact. At the same time, she is determined to topple the bear-bot. After her recent abandonment of her Restoration leader role, she’s eager to prove to herself that she’s still a competent warrior. This would actually put that really shitty moment from a few months back — where she fled from Eggman during the victory party — in a better context. Amy still wants to be a bad-ass but she’s been overwhelmed here of late. She’s basically having an apocalypse-induced breakdown. I feel ya, Amy. Hopefully the book is actually building towards something with this and it’s not just Sega’s corporate mandates fucking the comic’s characterization.

Evan Stanley wrote and drew the last two issues, which is a lot for one person to manage. So, for issue 35, Adam Bryce Thomas was drafted to handle the art duties. I wonder if this wasn’t a last minute decision, as Thomas’ work is not up to his usual standards. In fact, the action scenes are a little hard to follow here. I’m still not entirely sure what happened in the first scene in the Eggman base. There’s a little too much leaping and speeding around for me to keep track of everything. Amy fights with the ursine Badnik is also a little incoherent. It’s possible that Thomas’ love of stylized action scenes might have gotten a little ahead of him here. Or maybe he was just on a tight deadline. Obviously the dude is talented so I’m just chalking this one up to an off day. 

After two enjoyable issues, “Chao Races and Badnik Chases” starts to eat its own tail a little, an event I foresaw happening. Stanley probably should’ve just focused on Amy, Rouge, and Cream sneaking around a casino, instead of trying to cram in two or three other plot points into this story arc. Maybe it’ll all come together swimmingly next issue. As for this one, I’m afraid I have to hand out another [6/10].

Sonic the Hedgehog (IDW): Issue 34

Sonic the Hedgehog (IDW): Issue 34

Publication Date: November 11th, 2020

As I type this, I am now officially caught up with IDW’s “Sonic” comic. Four more issues — two more of the main book and the second half of “Bad Guys” — are scheduled to come out before the year is over. You, the reader, probably wouldn’t have noticed this at all if I hadn’t mentioned it, as the reviews will keep coming out at a regular pace. But the fact that I’m up-to-date on the series is the sign to me that Hedgehogs Can’t Swim is, at the very least, back for now. Until I wander horribly off-schedule again. Which will probably happen next month. 

Anyway, part two of “Chao Races And Badnik Chases” has Rouge, Amy, and Cream preparing for another Chao race. After Cheese wins again, Rouge looks to go through with her shady deal with Clutch... But Amy, Cream, and Gemerl insists on tagging along. This tips the gangster off that something funny is up. Before things turn too sour, Shadow leaps into action to save everyone’s asses. Meanwhile, Tails continues his attempt to hack into Eggman’s network, while Sonic stands by bored. This is when a marionette style robot named Belle makes an appearance. Sonic initially thinks she’s a threat but she seems innocent. This distraction alerts the base to Tails’ hacking, deploying the automated defenses.

Evan Stanley gets a lot of mileage out of pairing three of the franchise’s most prominent female characters together. The opening sequence, where the three talk around the breakfast table, features some really cute dialogue. Rouge and Amy represents two very different types of womanhood for Cream to aspire too. Amy likes to follow the rules, is focused on planning, dresses in traditionally feminine but conservative clothes, and has been in love with the same guy for twenty-seven years. Rouge is ambivalent to the law, is distracted by shiny things, dresses sexy, and is promiscuous. (Cream mentions how Rouge never came back to the hotel room last night, a probably innocent line dripping with connotations. Especially considering what a good mood Rouge seems to be in when she does appear.) These differences are noted in a very cute dialogue about Rouge robbing the hotel guests. It’s a bummer Sega characters are static, as I’d like to see how Cream would grow up with all these different role models influencing her.

Having said all that, perhaps Route should have focused a little more on planning. What exactly was her strategy with Clutch? She’d give him Cheese and then... Immediately take him back after getting the robot parts? That doesn’t seem like a very sound con job. We’ll never know how the original plan might’ve played out cause Stanley cheats a little. She has Shadow — who is still lurking around the hotel, looking for some sort of lead on Eggman — leap in and save the day. It’s a good thing he was there, huh? The comic was threatening to get interesting there, with its heroines forced to fight their way out of a tight situation. The truth is, I find it unlikely that someone as wily as Rouge would ever allow Amy, Cream, and Gemerl along for such an obviously dangerous mission. 

Presumably this is not the last we’ll see of Clutch, considering there’s two more issues in this arc and Stanley clearly put some time and energy into his design. We learn more about what kind of villain this possum is. He keeps his Chao in a cage and seems to mistreat them. He’s basically no different than thugs that run dog fighting rings. The impact of this reveal is a little softened, because the only one of Clutch’s Chao we know is the Shadow-style one that’s been bullying Cheese. If Stanley wanted us to understand more that he’s just an asshole because of his cruel master, she probably should have shown a little more of Clutch’s abuse. But I guess that would’ve stepped outside the boundaries of a children’s comic.

This issue is pretty evenly divided between the adventure at the casino and Sonic and Tails hanging out in the dank, abandoned Eggman base. Sonic’s visible boredom, which he alleviates by boxing a Knuckles doll, is mildly amusing. Mostly, this section is devoted to introducing Belle. The character was revealed on Twitter to much hype, as “Sonic” fans tend to immediately embrace new characters if they have a cool design. I was hoping Belle might be a villain, as I was getting some creepy puppet vibes from her brief appearances last issue. (Also, the comic severely needs a female villain that isn’t Zeena.) Instead, Belle is an innocent marionette carved by Mr. Tinker, with only defensive combat abilities. She wants to be reunited with her kindly inventor, a motivation that could turn tragic depending on how Stanley plays it. I was a slightly disappointed by this, because my idea was cooler and the comic already has one innocent little girl character, but we’ll see where things go. 

If nothing else, Belle does have a pretty neat design. A puppet-style robot is something we haven’t seen in the “Sonic” franchise before. The action scene, where Belle dodges around the jumpy Sonic, is fluidly done. Stanley makes good use of shadows and silhouette in several scenes, such as when Shadow is lurking about or when Amy questions Rouge’s motivation. Her propensity towards cute characters is a bit distracting though. When a horde of self-destructing Badniks is unleashed near the end, the threat factor is undermined a bit by them all being adorable ladybugs. Still, it’s a very good looking comic book.

Ultimately, the really cute interaction between the characters is why I’m going to give this one a positive score. I really love that opening banter — Cream is eating a perfectly square waffle, you guys — and impatient Sonic complaining. I’m not totally satisfied with how the main plot is unfolding and it remains to be seen whether Belle will develop into an interesting character. Over all, this arc has been fairly relaxed and entertaining. After the year everyone — including these fictional cartoon animals — has had, I’ll take it. I’m hoping Stanley really brings this one home in the next two parts. [6.5/10]

Sonic the Hedgehog (IDW): Issue 33

Sonic the Hedgehog (IDW): Issue 33

Publication Date: October 14th, 2020

Ian Flynn has been the primary writer of the “Sonic” comics since 2006, trading off with only a few other writers in all that time. (And that’s in addition to writing all of Archie’s “Mega Man” series and a couple other books here and there too.) Certainly Flynn has been great for “Sonic” and has written a number of stories over the years that I’m very fond of. Having said that, I’ve certainly had plenty of criticism for Flynn too. Especially lately. So I’m pretty pleased to see him hand over head writing duties to someone else for a while. While Flynn works on the “Bad Guys” mini-series, artist-turned-writer Evan Stanley will be handling the main book. I wasn’t a fan of Stanley’s “Silver Age” “Sonic Universe” arc but the story she wrote for last year’s annual is still probably my favorite “Sonic” thing IDW has published. So I approach her arc on the main book with a mixture of excitement and caution. 

“Chao Races and Badnik Chases” focuses in on Tails attempting to repair Omega, who is still just a head at this moment. He needs both a decoder for Eggman’s software and parts to put the murder-bot back together again. Rouge and Amy head off to a casino/amusement park called White Park, where a black market robot parts trader called Clutch is known to work. Their cover is entering Cream’s Chao, Cheese, in the casino’s Chao races. Gemerl comes along to protect Cream and Shadow seems to be chasing someone else at the park. Meanwhile, Sonic and Tails investigate an abandoned Eggman lab to uncover the computer code cipher. But they appear to be not-exactly alone there...

I’ve been accused of being overly negative here of late, so I’ll get my grievances about the first part of “Chao Races and Badnik Chases” — an issue I otherwise enjoyed! — out of the way first. Stanley showed off some awkward handling of narrative in “The Silver Age.” She’s gotten a lot better but there’s still some bumps early in the road here. The first act of this comic is pretty boring. Far more pages than necessary are devoted to setting up the story, all the characters being sorted into various teams before setting off on their own goals. The dialogue is laden with exposition, as every detail of the various plans are laid out. I was ready to check out on this one early. 

I was also skeptical of this issue because I knew so much of it was going to revolve around fuckin’ Chao. My indifference-bordering-on-hostility towards these stupid little baby things is well known. Until a recent exhaustive video on the topic, I didn’t even know anything about the Chao racing mini-game in the “Sonic Adventure” titles. I never played them and am baffled that Sonic Team spent so much time and energy on a dumb ass mini game instead, I don’t know, making sure the primary camera system in the main game actually functioned correctly. I’m still utterly baffled by the devotion and fascination people have with the Chao gardens and all their related content.

But that’s neither here nor there. The Chao race subplot here is, admittedly, dumb and probably a waste of time. The scenes devoted to Cheese’s apparent rivalry with a mean, Shadow inspired Chao — the personal pet of Clutch, we soon learn — are ridiculous. I was reminded a little too much of Maggie and Baby Gerald in the panels devoted to the two blobs glaring angrily at each other. Having said that the race scenes are kind of fun. Stanley’s pencils are energetic and emotive. Despite myself, I did end up rooting for Cheese as he works to make it across the finish line. He might be a stupid, simperingly cute little squish toy but he doesn’t give up easily and I respect that.

Generally speaking, this is a fun comic book. After the exposition-heavy first third, the dialogue and character interactions are cute and relatable. It’s amusing to see Amy take a breather from the chaos of the last year. Omega’s snide remarks provide chuckles. The suspicion Gemerl regards Rouge with is also amusing. The scene devoted to Rouge meeting Clutch are well-done. Probably inspired by the similar Renfield T. Rodent, the garish but sleazy possum provides a decent foil for Rouge. Both are duplicitous but Rouge is a little more honorable than this guy appears to be. Both are obviously trying to trick each other and it’s fun watching them dance around their true motives. 

We still don’t yet know what exactly Shadow has to do in this storyline. He’s snooping around the hotel and ends up fighting some glowing weirdo in a parka. I have no idea who this mysterious hooded figure may be, though Rouge seemed to recognize him earlier. Maybe it’s Infinite? I don’t know but the presentation is mysterious enough to draw me in. Moreover, the scuffle with Shadow is well done. It’s, notably, this issue’s only real action scene, providing a much needed relief from Flynn’s exhausting focus on fight scenes here of late. As for Shadow’s characterization, Stanley successfully hints that his douchebag exterior covers up a kinder spirit. 

This issue was originally suppose to come out in September but, in account of the delays, was released in the middle of October. So IDW didn’t plan it this way but the issue ends up being a kind of a Halloween special. Sonic and Tails explore a spooky abandoned lab. They have amusingly bro-y banter about ghosts and vampires. Some spooky Sonic and Tails Dolls appear and a shadowy figure is lurking in the background. Obviously, I love this and sort of wish the whole issue could’ve been devoted to this storyline. Wouldn’t it have been fun to have a little short horror story starring Sonic and Tails in October? But Stanley seemingly has bigger plans for this story, so we’ll see where she takes it.

My only other problem with “Chao Races and Badnik Chases, Part One” isn’t really Stanley’s fault. There’s almost no mention of the Metal Virus or Zombots here. Ya know, that massive crisis the comic spent the last year and a half on? It annoys me a little that the series spent so much time on that arc and now not only wants to move on but seems to want to forget it ever happened. I guess the “Recovery” two-parter — which wasn’t actually about the world recovering at all — is the only look we’re going to get at the aftermath. I get if Flynn and company want to stop talking about viruses and pandemics for a while. But you’d expect something like the Zombot plague to have a long term affect on the comic’s world. That the book is brushing the entire thing aside definitely feels like a cheat. (And also makes the last year and half feel like a huge waste of time.)

But like I said, that’s not Evan Stanley’s fault. Part one of “Chao Races and Badnik Chases” is mostly an amusing little issue. Once the laborious setup is out of the way, it’s fun watching these characters embark on wacky adventures of different stripes. Considering her history with narrative hiccups, I am wondering if Stanley will be able to balance all these different story lines in a satisfying way but I suppose that remains to be seen. For now, I’m going to give this one a positive score. See? I don’t hate everything all of the time! [7/10]

(Also of note, this issue contains a cameo from the O.C. of longtime “Sonic” comic reviewer, Bobby from “Thanks, Ken Penders.” It’s a nice shout-out to the fan community and I’m happy for her. Having said that, I am also insanely jealous. If you’re going to reference fan blogs, Stanley, where’s my shout-out, huh? Everybody reading this, please go harass Evan on Twitter until I am officially made a part of “Sonic” canon. Thank you and good night. (P.S.S.: please don’t actually do that. Not harassing anyway but maybe just gingerly pleading? That won’t hurt anybody’s feelings. Thank you and good night again.)

Sonic the Hedgehog (IDW): Issue 31

Sonic the Hedgehog (IDW): Issue 31

Publication Date: September 16th, 2020

As the real world remains in the grips of a deadly virus that isn’t going away any time soon, Ian Flynn and IDW’s “Sonic” comic must’ve found itself in a weird situation. Flynn will always deny all political subtext but he stumbled into a shockingly relevant blue cartoon hedgehog book here. When all we wanted was escapism, he had to run with a grim storyline he plotted out years ago. Now, the zombie apocalypse is finally behind the “Sonic” comic but it’s in the uncomfortable place of seeming insincere. We now know that the world will not move on easily from a shattering pandemic. How does a goofy kids book go about acknowledging that?

By mostly ignoring the problem, it seems. “Recovery, Part 1” focuses on the Restoration attempting to, uh, restore things back to normal. Amy is utterly overwhelmed, feeling like she’s not the person for this job. Jewel offers to help. The Chaotix are similarly swamped with missing person cases, with Cream and Vanilla stepping up to assist. Tails, Tangle, and the others turn to helping out however they can and celebrating... But Eggman has other plans. Meanwhile, in Blaze’s dimension, Sonic is totally unaware of who he is.

Yes, Flynn totally dodges the question of “how does the world come back after the apocalypse” by not focusing on the world at all. We do not see any ruined cities being rebuilt. We do not see former Zombots reuniting with their family. We certainly don’t see people grappling with the trauma of having been zombified. We don’t even know if they remember anything about the experience. The only nod towards the world being totally devastated is a panel of Amy standing in a ruined office — lol nobody thought to move Restoration HQ to a new building? — and the Chaotix subplot acknowledging that there’s a ton of missing people. Flynn doesn’t even bother to show Gemerl being repaired. He shows up here without a huge hole in his chest.

Instead, the focus is on the characters’ eagerness to return to normal. This desire is made very literal when Silver returns to his future and finds a shining, towering city. (Is Silver constantly aware of the shifting timeline? Can he not just pick a good future and live there?) Tails is utterly certain Sonic is alive and will return. Whisper’s biggest concern is that the Babylon Rogues were invited to the victory party. Everyone seems happy to help undo the devastation that is presumably just off-panel. I guess this is the difference between a cartoon virus that leaves its infectees alive and a real world virus that has killed almost two million people. But the narrow focus on just how our superhero protagonists are feeling makes it hard to swallow this recovery. 

But I’ve been bitching a lot lately about how the book can’t slow down and focus on the characters getting to feel things. Admittedly, “Recovery, Part 1” does feature some decent moments of that sort. Amy and, weirdly, Shadow are the only ones seemingly mourning Sonic. Amy misses when things were simpler and she was just a goofy fan girl chasing after her favorite teen idol. Yeah, I miss that world too, pink hedgehog. Shadow, meanwhile, has to acknowledge his sadness in the gruffest, broodest manner possible. Sonic proved him wrong — Shadow wasn’t strong enough to fight off the Zombots — and now he can’t even tell the guy how humbled he is. Sega is supposedly insisting Ian always write Shadow as a headstrong asshole, so I’m willing to consider any change in his attitude as positive character development.  

Ultimately, it’s up to Tangle and Whisper to really keep me reading. Tangle, being her empathetic self, honestly asks Tails how he’s doing in the face of Sonic’s apparent loss. Later, she has to tell Whisper to calm down after she spots the Rogues. It’s really adorable how much these two lesbians love each other, especially in the panel where Whisper’s tail starts wagging as Tangle puts an arm on her shoulder. There’s also a pretty cute moment of what I’m guessing is flirting between Vanilla and Vector, a ship that seemingly has some precedence but I had never even considered before. But I get it, because Vanilla is a single mom that has been alone for years and Vector is jacked. Cream’s mom, I give you permission to go ahead and get croc’d. (Jet’s character development apparently went right in the shitter though, as he’s back to being just as annoying now as he was to begin with.) 

I guess my main complaint with “Recovery, Part 1” is that it’s not as character focused as it seems to be. This is an issue focused more in figuring out where the characters will physically be, post-Metal Virus, than considering how they are feeling. Flynn makes sure to set up several future plot lines. Eggman immediately goes back to scheming, which does lead to some amusing comic relief with Omega. This seems to promise a big ol’ action scene next issue, which makes this old man sigh a little. Starline reappears, his faith in Eggman’s methods shaken but not his fan boy devotion to the doctor’s genius. Rough and Tumble are dug out of a hole and let loose. Presumably as set-up for the then-upcoming “Bad Guys” mini-series. Even when taking a breather, Flynn has to keep plotting. 

Most questionable is Sonic’s fate. The titular hedgehog only appears in the first few pages. Seemingly, he has no memory of his heroics on Mobius his home world. Instead, he’s adopted a foppish dandy persona known as Mr. Needlemouse, much to Blaze’s visible annoyance. You may recognize this as almost the exact same plot Eggman went through in the comic’s first year. Maybe Mr. Tinker being so well received is why Flynn is visiting a similar fate on Sonic. Is this going to follow up on Eggman’s theory that Sonic isn’t so different from him after all? Will Mr. Needlemouse be a villain or at least a huge prick? Or is Flynn just utterly out of ideas? I guess I’ll find out soon enough. 

Hey, at least it all looks nice.  Adam Bryce Thomas isn’t just excellent at action. This more conversation based issue shows his general mastery of the “Sonic” world.  He really conveys how overwhelmed Vector and Amy feel in these moments, the former’s facial expressions being especially well done. This emotional drawing creates some comic relief too, as Rough and Tumble and Tangle and Whisper both get some amusing reaction shots. Thomas is even good at suggesting what the otherwise stoic Shadow must be feeling in all this. Thomas is also the only artist currently working on this book that draws Rouge at the correct level of thiccness, an observation I definitely did not need to put into words. 

Man, the people who really enjoy IDW “Sonic” must think I’m the bitchiest old man alive. Sorry, guys, but this issue didn’t really work for me either. Though Flynn is handling the aftermath better here than he did in the previous issue, he’s still too focused on plot and enough on heart. [6/10]

Sonic the Hedgehog (IDW): Issue 30

Sonic the Hedgehog (IDW): Issue 30

Publication Date: August 19th, 2020

Any time one year long comic event ends, there’s always a transitional period. In superhero comics, this usually means getting back to whatever the writer was doing before the massive crossover interrupted everything. With the more singular “Sonic” books, Ian Flynn usually takes an issue or two before starting work on the next mega-arc. Issue 30 marks only the second time IDW’s “Sonic” book has done this. While we are certainly familiar with what Flynn has done in the past, it remains to be seen what — if anything — he’ll do differently this time.

“Cured” begins in the immediate aftermath of the Metal Virus Saga. Silver returns from the brink but Sonic is nowhere to be seen. The Restoration barely has time to consider their missing hero before the Deadly Six resume their attacks... Well, Zavok does anyway, as most of the Zetis just slink off in defeat. After subduing the monster, another attack happens: Eggman escapes in a shuttle, making off with Omega’s head and having Metal Sonic skewer Gemerl in the process. Meanwhile, in Blaze’s dimension, a very familiar face arrives.

Issue 30 isn’t the slower installment I was expecting. On one hand, of course things wouldn’t slow down right after the virus is flushed away. Just because the zombies are taken care of, doesn’t mean the Deadly Six are no longer a threat. Obviously, Eggman is going to use this suddenly Sonic-less time to recuperate and attack again. In some ways, this is a nice touch of realism. The world isn’t going to stop just because the populace has been through a bunch of crazy bullshit over the last several months. And it’s certainly in-character for Eggman and Zavok to strike while everyone is vulnerable. 

On the other hand, an action-packed issue is the last thing I want right now. “Cured” is an almost oppressive in its combat. Zavok shows back up on page 3, leading to almost all the good guys dogpiling him. Metal Sonic dives in not long after that, resulting in a fight between the robot and Shadow. Neither fight scene is all that memorable. Zavok is easily defeated, probably because he’s exhausted from his recent ass-kicking. (Though, in execution, this just makes the Zeti look like an inconsequential threat.) Meanwhile, Shadow and Metal’s fight is a scuffle that accomplishes nothing. It really feels like editorial was insisting Flynn keep the violence flowing. 

We know Flynn loves his mindless punching but we are also aware that he knows other ways to fill pages. We, very briefly, get a peek at what the characters’ emotional state must be. Amy is overwhelmed, fearful of Sonic’s fate and uncertain what to do next with the Restoration. Tails is mostly in panic mode. Knuckles is in complete denial about Sonic, while also being a huge dick about getting the refugees off Angel Island. Supposedly Sega is demanding that the Master Emerald remain Knuckles’ number one priority at all times, which is resulting in him developing isolationist politics. (Though I do like the scene of him bantering with the ever-flirtatious Rouge.) Weirdly, it’s Cream I’m most relating to here. She just wants the bad guys to disappear and for life to return to something resembling normal. Me too, little bunny. 

Honestly, the scene where Metal Sonic impales Gemerl can’t help but feel a little mean. How much do you want to traumatize Cream, Ian? This child has watched her mother turned into a zombie, faced down death herself, and now just saw her paternal guardian figure get run through. That bunny is going to need so much therapy. It’s easy to see why that moment was included, in order to reestablish that Eggman is still a scumbag. He’s planning something villainous. Which is mildly interesting, I guess. As is the final reveal that Sonic has been zapped to Blaze’s home world. Yet it’s all just more ever-advancing plot, which is exhausting after the heavy dramatics last issue. 

That I’m suddenly relating to Cream, a character I was previously totally ambivalent towards, is another example of Flynn’s continued efforts to flesh out the supporting cast. There’s a pretty cute scene where Wave congratulates Jet on not being a totally selfish egomaniac for once. Not only does this moment suggests the slightest romantic feelings, it also continues to give Jet more of an inner life. (Storm is still a big dumbass, though.) There’s also a funny moment where Zor delights in being hunted and persecuted, continuing his growth into the Deadly Six’s amusingly self-destructive comic relief. 

Priscilla Tramontano, probably my least favorite of the new artist to come onto the book, is back on penciling duties. Her work is improving. The characters are less angular and wide-eyed than the last time she drew them. A panel devoting to Amy falling to her knees in exhaustion is even quite good. Yet Tramontano’s action scenes continue to lack a sense of motion. The fight between Shadow and Metal is especially inert. It feels like the two super-charged hedgehogs are merely posing dramatically around each other. Tramontano adds a bunch of motion lines to make up for this but it doesn’t work. The stiff action is all the more apparent after Adam Bryce Thomas’ energetic work last issue.

It seems Ian Flynn’s groove is still off these days. He keeps going fast when he should be slowing down and slowing down when he should be picking up the pace. Hopefully next issue will focus a little more on what everyone is feeling and not so much on squeezing in as much action as possible. Or maybe I’m just an impossible-to-please old dude, with totally antiquated opinions about blue cartoon hedgehogs. That is entirely possible. Regardless of how old or grouchy I may or may not be, this use is still pretty awkward. [5/10]