Sonic the Hedgehog: Issue 145

Sonic the Hedgehog: Issue 145
Publication Date: January 2005

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Sonic the Hedgehog: Issue 129

Sonic the Hedgehog: Issue 129
Publication Date: October 2003

I've made my dislike of the magazine cover gimmick well-known. I had no idea why Archie conceived of that idea in the first place and I was happy to see it go. The “Tossed in Space” story arc, meanwhile, has featured some pretty great cover artwork from Spaz... Up until now, anyway. For the final installment of this would-be space epic, Spaz seemingly returned to the magazine cover style. You've got a handful of characters posing simply in a white background, boarded by text. I don't know, maybe he missed a deadline? Either way, it's very disappointing.

Issue 129 is one of those weird ones where the cover story comes second. The back-up, coming first, is “Space Gamble.” In it, Sonic competes in an alien foot race. Why? Because his space ship got busted up and he has to get it repaired before continuing on his quest back towards Mobius. This is also a chance, you might notice, for Sonic to prove that he really is the fastest thing alive. Naturally, the motley crew of alien speedsters are no match for the blue hedgehog's famously speedy footwork.

Last issue, I noted the obvious influence “Star Trek” had on the “Tossed in Space” arc. This issue, that other famous “Star” franchise gets homaged. “Space Gamble” is pretty clearly inspired by the pod race scene from “The Phantom Menace.” There's no pods but the resemblance is otherwise clear. The race takes place over a desert terrain. Sonic wagers his victory against his own ship. He competes against a number of colorful, alien racers. One of which is clearly antagonistic, especially once his cheating ways are revealed. The announcer is even a two-headed creature, which is probably the most direct steal. (Also, one of the racers is named Greebo.)

It may not be creative but this scenario does, admittedly, entertain me. The other aliens are suitably weird. The cheater is named Scarab and, obviously, has an insect like design. There's also a weird, frog thing, a pink female, and a red horse critter that barely appears. There's no suspense, as Sonic overcomes the other racers pretty easily. Letting Sonic loose the race might have been an interesting moment of humility for the hedgehog. Instead, Scarab is a dirty cheater, making Sonic the winner. Then again, one of the reasons we read this comic book is to watch Sonic tear shit up and be a bad ass. So “Space Gamble” isn't a great story but it's mildly entertaining.

The second part is devoted to the final edition of “Tossed in Space.” In “Welcome to the Wheelworld,” Sonic arrives at the wheel shaped world of the Bem. Last time, E.V.E. told him this world could take him anywhere in the universe. The planet is preoccupied with a big trial. One of the Bem scientist, one Sonic previously met, is on trial for interfering with other alien worlds. Through a convoluted series of events, Tails' long lost parents also reside on this world. All of these disparate characters have to work together if Sonic is going to get back to Mobius.

Boy, there is a lot of technobabble in this one. When Sonic touches down on the world, he delivers an uncharacteristic monologue about his space ship. Four whole pages are devoted to detailing Ceneca-9009's history. These pages are accompanied by text balloons packed full of words. And not natural words either. Like, pseudo-science-y words instead. When one of the other Bems show up before the end, this character also smacks a panel full of exposition on us. I get that this is a race of scientists but must all of them be so damn droll?

Furthermore, I do not care about the plight of Ceneca-9009. I guess we're suppose to feel bad for this green-skinned weirdo. Yet she's such a non-character. Everything we learn about her, we learn through stiff exposition. Through this info-dump, we discover that Ceneca accidentally doomed an entire race to death. She thought a planet of formerly organic and currently robotic beings had been turned into machines against their wills. After turning them fleshy again, she found out that these guys had become robots to protect themselves. You'd think a scientist would've double-checked that kind of shit. So she's an idiot. It's hard to be sympathetic towards someone who accidentally massacred an entire race, even if her intentions were pure. It's difficult to care about Sonic's subsequent attempt to rescue the alien.

Bringing Tails' parents into this story is an odd decision. I suppose we never have learned what happened to Tails' mom and dad, after being introduced to them in “Sonic Kids 2.” I just assumed they had been part of Robotnik's Robian force and, I don't know, got destroyed or something over the years. It wasn't an exactly pressing plot point. “Welcome to Wheelworld” seeks to resolve this plot point that you probably didn't care about. Basically they were abducted by aliens, right after Rosemary Prower was about to be robotocized. The already robotocized Amadeus Prower was immediately change to organic again. However, their rescue made Mobius the center of intergalactic controversy. It's a strange way to resolve this particular plot point.

As random as the circumstances surrounding the Prower's disappearance is, it does allow Benny Lee a few chances for pathos. Sonic's reaction to learning that Tails' father was robotocized on the day of his birth – to hang his head in his hands, feeling like he's failed his best friend – is surprisingly vulnerable. Sonic's determination to help the two foxes is mildly touching. Though Lee's dialogue remains tangled, it's nice that he devotes so much time to Sonic and the Prowers catching up. The conclusion, where the foxes decide to stay on the alien world so Sonic can return to Mobius, isn't quite earned. But it tries and that's worth something.

Recently, the artwork continues to be good. Dawn Best draws “Star Gamble.” Her style is well suited to the alien physiology of Sonic's opponent. Best can't quite capture the sense of motion that would've made this one really pop, as the artwork is a little overly posed. Still, it looks good. Art Mawhinney returns for the cover story. As always, Art is a total professional. Even the aliens are rendered in his cute, emotive style. Since this is mostly a dialogue driven story, Mawhinney's strength for action isn't displayed much. Still, these are two nice looking stories.

The final page of issue 129 shows Sonic piloting his ship towards Mobius. Which means the “Tossed in Space” arc has finally come to a close. The story line was disappointing, an interesting idea that always seemed to rush through its fascinating ideas, to focus on the more awkward aspects. Notably, Sonic wouldn't return to outer space for quite some time following this. I guess the writers had to work through their sci-fi fascination? For what it's worth, the last issue of “Tossed in Space” is probably the best installment of the arc. [6/10]

Sonic the Hedgehog: Issue 128

Sonic the Hedgehog: Issue 128
Publication Date: October 2003

So we're three issues into the “Tossed in Space” event. Thus far, the story arc has not impressed. For the third part, which confusingly contains the fifth and sixth installments of the story, Archie dug deep into the archives, bringing back a foe that hasn't been seen in 107 issues. The return of E.V.E. - last seen a long ass time ago in issue 21 – provides us with the best edition of “Tossed in Space” thus far. Which still isn't saying too much.

Sonic is cruising through space in the ship the Azurites provided him with last time. They instructed him to visit a near-by planet, promising the residences there could return him home. When Sonic reaches those coordinates, he instead discovers a ring of space debris. Quickly getting picked up by a group of space adventurers, the hedgehog is informed that the world was destroyed by E.V.E. As in the highly advanced robotic life form Robotnik created ages ago. Which has taken to devouring planets all over the solar system. Feeling responsible for E.V.E.'s path of destruction, Sonic heads out to face the entity directly.

The first half of the story, entitled “Starmada,” is devoted to Sonic talking to the fleet of aliens. It's mildly fun, capitalizing on the sci-fi setting more than any of the previous chapters of “Tossed in Space” have. There's definitely some pulpy fun to seeing Sonic interact with a bunch of crazy aliens. The same can be said for the hedgehog piloting a space ship, avoiding laser blasts and asteroids. Yes, their leader – who is named Bagbar Breeblebrox, yet another obvious Douglas Adams homage – does little more then cough up exposition. But the designs are all pretty neat, especially the reptilian female in leather cowboy hat.

Once E.V.E. re-enters the story following her long absence, this issue becomes less interesting. The neigh unkillable super-robot has essentially evolved into yet another Galactus rip-off. That brings the “Sonic” book's number of would-be Galactuses – Galacti? - to three. This is emphasized in a scene where E.V.E. massive ship floats over an innocent planet, tears it apart, devouring everything there, and leaving ruin in its place. Unlike Galactus, who has a clear reason for eating worlds, E.V.E.'s goals are a little fuzzier. She talks about freeing other enslaved artificial life forms but I'm not sure how destroying how planets accomplishes that.

The second half, which gets the pun-tastic title of “E.V.E. Ill,” isn't a story with a lot of emotional stakes. But there's one scene that stands out. After sneaking inside E.V.E.'s massive ship, Sonic goes exploring while wearing a space suit. He, somehow, runs into Sally. The two unite with a hug and attempt to kiss, their space helmets clanking together. They were so caught up in the moment, they didn't even think about it. Awwwww. It's easy to guess that this isn't the real Sally but rather E.V.E. impersonating her. But it still provides this story with its sole moment of emotional resonance. It also serves to reminds us on what Sonic is missing out on and why he's journeying through space in the first place: To be reunited with the people he loves.

“E.V.E. Ill” has a disappointing conclusion, like seemingly all the stories have in this arc. (This one doesn't even have the excuse of making room for a back-up story, as this entry occupies the entire comic.) Twice, issue 128 reminds us of the events of issue 21. Probably not a bad idea, since it was a while ago, though I don't know why we needed two recaps. Anyway, Sonic informs E.V.E. that, when he told her to evolve pass her original programming, he didn't expect her to go around, destroying worlds. It basically takes one page of convincing before E.V.E. realizes she has fucked up. Her response? To dive into a fucking sun, obliterating herself. Sonic talks the super-robot into killing herself way too quickly. His lack of a reaction is also disappointing, as he's too preoccupied with fleeing to his space ship.

The story could've used another draft but issue 128 features some nice art work. J. Axer draws the first half. The gang of alien marauders look pretty awesome in Axer's style, as his extreme detail and colorful character designs make these utterly minor character look memorable. Dawn Best handles the second half. Best isn't as great an illustrator as Axer but she still does fine work. Sonic's body looks a little funny in a few panels but Best's nicely draws the faux reunion between the hedgehog and his princess. Her design for E.V.E. - a pink-skinned and haired female with a dress made of tentacles – is interesting. It's just as good a design as the crystal-brained angry face with tentacles Spaz drew oh so long ago.

At least there's no lame back-up story this time! Yeah, issue 128 still has some serious problems. I'm not going to deny that. But it also has some amusing moments, which counts for something in this comic book. If nothing else, it looks pretty neat. I'll take what I can get. [6/10]

Sonic the Hedgehog: Issue 125

Sonic the Hedgehog: Issue 125
Publication Date: July 2003

Archie's “Sonic the Hedgehog” making it to 125 issues was definitely worth celebrating. When Archie began publishing the series, they probably didn't expect it to run for more then a year or two, much less for ten. Yet issue 125 presents another reason worth celebrating. The book would, after seven issues, finally ditch the lame brain magazine cover gimmick. Spaz's artwork would no longer be contained to a simple template and the cover would no longer be peppered with lame puns. Issue 125 definitely has a crowded cover, as Spaz tries to squeeze in as many characters as possible. But it's still preferable to two cast members posing in front of a white screen.

“Sonic Adventure 2.5: Omega,” as the story is rather grandiosely called, picks up where we left off. Some books from the royal library and the Brotherhood of Guardians confirm what the Xorda's announcement. Yes, Mobius really was Earth millions of years ago. Sally then attempts to peacefully negotiate with the alien invaders but the space squids aren't having it. Instead, fearful of being wiped out, Robotnik makes an uneasy truce with the Knothole Freedom Fighters. He provides Sonic and Sally with a giant murder-robot, which seemingly beats back the Xorda battleship. Before leaving orbit, the aliens drop a doomday device at the planet's pole, forcing everyone on Mobius to come together to literally save the world.

The comic has had Sonic and Robotnik team up once or twice before but the circumstances have rarely been this serious. The robotic dictator seems genuinely desperate and King Max nicely plays hardball, demanding the villain give up half of his territory before agreeing to help him. He needs Sonic's super speed to peddle the doom-bot that badly. Naturally, it's not a huge surprise when we discover that Robotnik has added a trap to the deal. Once Sonic is strapped in, he can't get out. Eggman plans to force Sonic to destroy his own city. Which is pretty fucked up, mildly clever, and the first time the new Robotnik has seemed as ruthless as he's suppose to be.

Karl is juggling a lot of balls in this story and does a decent job of catching them. Except for one point. Issue 125 also features Knuckles the Echidna's frequently foreshadowed return to the land of the living. He essentially tells Aurora to get bent, he's using his god like power to do what he wants, and zaps himself back to Mobius. Which is mildly disappointing but, considering how unhelpful the goddess was, Knuckles' solution is satisfyingly straight forward. It does lead to one touching moment, when Knuckles and Julie-Su are reunited. However, Knuckles' resurrection is otherwise an awkward plot device. He stops one death trap from killing Sonic and Sally, stranding them inside another. Knuckles then looses his superpowers, making him useless for the rest of the issue.

Luckily, “Sonic Adventure 2.5: Omega” is satisfying more often then not. Archie was apparently eager to get everything single character who has ever appeared in the book back for this two-parter. I don't think they succeeded. Horizont-Al, the Nerbs, and Spawnmower are nowhere to be seen. However, a metric shit ton of furries do appear in this issue. And not without a good reason. On Angel Island, we see the Dark Legion and the dingoes working together. At the polar icecaps, an army of hundreds of characters come together, all eager to help out. The huge cast makes the story feel properly epic. It also shows disaster uniting everyone, all types putting aside their differences for the greater good. It's hard to imagine humans working together that amicably, even in the face of total annihilation.

The story also feels suitably epic in scope. Dropping Sonic inside a giant robot to punch a space ship is certainly a big moment. So is the doomsday device dropped at the Arctic. The Quantum Dial works rather improbably, clicking down by the minutes before a black hole is created. Any machine stepping near the dial immediately disassembles. Which is why Station Square's nuclear missiles and Robotnik's giant mecha can't be used to scrap the thing. It's convoluted, for sure. The  Quantum Device exist to get Sonic alone with the doomsday device, forcing the hedgehog to sacrifice himself. But it's convoluted in a fun, comic-book-y way.

That's right, I said “sacrifice.” For reason that probably made sense to Karl when he wrote it, Sonic has to pull a Barry Allen. He runs really fast around the Quantum Dial, which somehow changes its affects, and creates a reverse time wedgie. Sonic vanishes in the resulting blast and everyone assumes he's dead. Except, of course, he's not. You know, after qoute-unqoute killing off Knuckles just six issues ago, you'd think the book would be resistant to perform another death cheat. But at least Sonic isn't headed for a tedious journey into the afterlife. He's simply teleported across space, as the comic's final pages reveal.

It's not graceful writing but Karl at least handles Sonic's “death” with a little more dignity then Ken handled Knuckles'. Bollers' narration, about how Sonic's passing will be felt among his friends, is heavy-handed but effective. He also makes room for honest emotion. A statue is erected in Sonic's memory. Sally looks longingly out a window, haunted by her lover's death. Hundreds gather for a memorial service. On the battlefield, in the immediate aftermath, everyone weeps in agony. This is the most touching moment. Bunnie cradles Sally. Mina collapses. Tails silently cries. Huge, cartoon tear drops explode from Amy's eyes. Though less protracted than the raw treatment of Sally's death back in “Endgame,” it's still a well done moment.

“Sonic Adventure 2.5: Omega” has something else in common with “Endgame.” As with issue 50, multiple artist were called on to work on this one. Fewer names were involved so it's not quite as visually schizophrenic as that issue. The art is a little more consistent too. Dave Manak draws the opening pages. While his work is as angular as ever, the artist actually makes an attempt to adapt to the character's then designs. He even makes the Xorda look appropriately squidy and gross. Dawn Best mostly sticks to the Knuckles interludes, where her stylistic pencils are well utilized.

Art Mawhinney draws most of the book, bringing his expressive faces to the panels devoted to tense conversation. Steven Butler draws most of the second half. So he handles the big action beats and the huge crowds, which play to his strengths for detail and action. Jay Axer handles the climax and the resolution, so the most important emotional scenes are granted his detailed, excellent work. Instead of just sticking artists on random pages, Archie actually seemed to be hand-picking them for specific moments. (Which may be why Ron Lim gets only a few pages, mostly devoted to landscapes.)

It's not a perfect story but “Sonic Adventure 2.5” is a satisfying pay-off to the last few issues, bringing together a lot of characters and plot points without fouling them all up. It's a solid action/adventure story and that's some times all I ask of this book. (It's sort of funny that Archie was reluctant to just call the story “Sonic Adventure 3,” considering Sega still refuses to make a game actually called that.) At the very least, it's a better anniversary issue then number 100 was. [7/10]

Sonic the Hedgehog: Issue 122

Sonic the Hedgehog: Issue 122
Publication Date: April 2003

I’ve been criticizing the Sonic/Sally/Mina love triangle for some time now. The reoccurring plot point has made Sally look overly sensitive, Sonic look obvious to his girlfriend’s feelings, and Mina look like a stalker. Even as someone who is barely a fan of Amy Rose, I still think she would’ve made more sense as the third corner of the triangle. My biggest complaint is that Karl has been hitting this note, repetitively, for over a year now. With the “Heart-Held Hostage” story arc, Karl goes upon burying this point once and for all.

“Heart Held Hostage: Part 1” begins with Jules teaching Sonic how to play the guitar, a talent the hedgehog has displayed from time to time. The music naturally attracts Mina, who begins to sing along. Sally’s parents allow her to spend some time with her friends. Upon spotting Sonic and Mina spending time together, the Princess becomes discouraged. She wanders off and Bunnie follows. At that point, the pleasant afternoon is interrupted when Nack the Weasel and his gang storm into town. They kidnap Sally and vanish. After interrogating one of the weasels, the heroes determined the Princess’ location.

Issue 122 brings back Nack the Weasel, who hasn’t appeared since issue 94. His sister is nowhere to be seen but, instead, Nack is accompanied by a band of new weasels. The mercenaries have a thin motivation here. They kidnap Princess Sally strictly to ransom her. Considering Nack knows first-hand what a bad idea it is to piss off Sonic, you’d think he would have a better plan. Then again, Nack has been characterized more by his ruthlessness than his brains. As always, I’m happy to see the book utilize some other villain than Robotnik, especially since the book has been a little Eggman-heavy here of late. (Later, we learn that Nack has recently acquired a castle from a rich weasel relative. That raises some interesting questions of its own.)

Of course, Nack’s unnamed gang members present one of the story’s most amusing sequences. Amusing or horrifying, depending on how sick your sense of humor is. When the weasel won’t say where the Princess has been taken, the Freedom Fighters try to rough him up. Bunnie dangling the weasel from a window is ineffective. Instead, King Max has the teens leave the room and brings in some burly guards. Who, one assumes, brutalize the weasel into talking. Because the Geneva Convention didn’t last into the Knothole age and enhanced interrogation techniques are standard training for Acorn bodyguards.

As for the Sonic/Sally/Mina love triangle… Early panels where Sally and Mina have the same thoughts about Sonic are cheesy, to say the least. Is “So Sonic!” really that common a description? Sally’s reaction to the song and dance number, as insecure as it makes her look, is at least a well-handled emotional moment. I also have a problem with Nack taking the Princess capture without her putting up a fight. Yeah, she was caught off-guard but it still seems too easy. (Then again, Karl has displayed a bad habit of writing Sally as too submissive.) At least Sonic’s reaction to hearing the Princess’ location – immediately racing off – is a nice touch.

The second story continues Ken Penders’ “Afterlife” story line. Knuckles continues his journey into the echidna afterlife. He quickly meets Aurora, the species' patron goddess. Because every single authority figure in this comic book is evasive, Aurora doesn’t answer Knuckles’ questions so much. Instead, she drops a load of exposition on the dead echida, further elaborating on his childhood. The goddess clarifies herself as the force behind Locke’s prophetic dreams, the thing that drove him to perform unethical experiments on his unborn son, forcing Knuckles down his grim and dark destiny as the Greatest Guardian of Them All…

Aurora’s introduction raises more questions then it answers. When Knuckles asks the goddess to show herself, she appears as an echidna. She then explains that she presents herself to each species as that species, for their comfort. Which confirms that more then just echidnas worship Aurora. So does that mean Aurora is the chosen deity for all of Mobius? Do people in the Kingdom of Acorn or Downunda worship Aurora? Is she the force behind the Source of All, the creator of the universe the kings commune with? If so, why does the goddess take a special interest in the Brotherhood of Guardians?

Of course, the real answers to these questions is that this is Penders’ story. Vague, unexplained mysticism is his bag and so is making Knuckles and his family the most important people in the world. It’s even implied that the Guardians are descended directly from the goddess, which also raises a boatload of questions.

Instead of telling Knuckles why she brought him here, Aurora regurgitates the echidna’s origin. We see Locke’s dream in more detail. This provides more foreshadowing for that “Mobius: 20 Years Later” story, where Knuckles defeats Robotnik, that Ken has been hyping for ten thousand years. Proving once again that the writer is on board, even the goddess agrees that Locke did the right thing by nuking his baby and alienating his wife. The divorce is presented as Lara-Le’s fault, that Knuckles’ destiny is “inevitable” and the wife was wrong for trying to stop that. For trying to prevent her husband from abandoning their child in the wilderness and invading his privacy for, well, ever. Jesus, Ken, how fucked up was your childhood?

We get a double dose of Penders this month and, luckily, the second story is slightly better. Julie-Su, still morning, goes to Knuckles’ den and looks through his belongings. This pisses off Vector and the two get into yet another scuffle. After calming down, Vector explains how he first met Knuckles and both teenagers share in their sorrow over loosing a mutual friend.

Vector continues to take Knuckles’ death harder then nearly anybody else, once again proving my theory that he was super-gay for the echidna. Julie-Su being inside Knuckles’ den – someone else daring to care for the guy, especially a woman – enrages Vector into violence. Eventually, the crocodile and the object of all his scorn, the female that proved Knuckles would never love him, make peace. But not after smacking each other around, which leads to the satisfying sight of Julie-Su kicking the asshole in the face. But both are mourning and this gives them some common ground. During the conversation, Vector even admits that he’s dead weight to the Chaotix, being more of a talker then a fighter. It’s a secret the crocodile insists Julie-Su never tell anyone else. Gee, Vector, do you have any other secrets you don’t want getting out, that may compromise your macho exterior?

There’s a reoccurring pattern to these stories. Instead of focusing on the characters’ mourning, a natural reaction to the death of a friend or lover, Ken’s using these stories to expand on the cast’s origins. Vector explains to Julie-Su how he first met Knuckles. Basically, the two literally stumbled over each other. They punched one another in the face, developed a mutual respect, and then a bird pooped on the crocodile’s head. It’s not a very satisfying origin but, then again, I wouldn’t expect anything about Vector to be interesting. At least the story throws in some honest emotion, to make up for any other issues.

Issue 122 is as uneven as any of the book’s recent issues but something makes it special. It’s got to be one of the best looking books among the entire run. We have three awesome artist at the top of their game. Jay Axer draws the cover story, bringing a magnificent level of detail, expression, and dynamism to the tale. The characters all look especially awesome while the action scenes really pop. Art Mawhinney draws “Afterlife.” While the echidnas still look a little weird in his style, the scenes of Locke’s dreams and sudden decision are really well done. Dawn Best draws the final story, doing some of her best work. Vector looks especially cartoonish while Julie-Su looks both powerful and vulnerable. And apparently she recently underwent a growth spurt, as the formally flat-chested echidna is now sporting D-cups. Not that I’m complaining…

So what do you make of this one? A cover story that has some problems but functions okay, a middle story that is full of irritating moments, and one last back-up that works better then it should? Once again, the word “uneven” comes to mind. But the all-around great artwork is making me feel generous so this gets a [7/10.]

Sonic the Hedgehog: Issue 120

Sonic the Hedgehog: Issue 120
Publication Date: February 2003

The Sonic/Sally/Mina love triangle was seemingly put to bed in issue 109’s “The Crush.” However, Karl Bollers wasn’t done exploiting this plot point. Issue 120 would also touch on the budding Freedom Fighter’s feelings for the speedy hedgehog. It would take at least one more story arc for Karl to bury this one for sure. Despite that, issue 120 is an interesting one, short on action and focusing more on character.

In “She’s Gotta Have Him” – is that a Spike Lee reference, Karl? – Mina continues to think up ways to get Sonic’s attention. After a mom-suggested wardrobe change does nothing, Mina touches upon the idea of officially becoming a Freedom Fighter. After a day or so worth of training, a real emergency hits Knothole. Roobtnik sends a giant-ass robot after the village. During this attack, Mina proves less than helpful.

Despite being a fairly regular member of the comic’s cast since issue 76, Mina the Mongoose has yet to really get much character development. Up until this point, she’s mostly been defined by her crush on Sonic and her missing mom. The mom thing has been wrapped up, with Miss Mongoose really appearing in the comic for the first time. “She’s Gotta Have Him” still focuses on Mina’s feelings for Sonic but, at least, gives us a little more insight into her thoughts. Literally, as she narrates the story. A cute panel shows her imagining a wedding with Sonic. We also get a few sweet moments with her mom, further establishing that relationship. Later, Mina shows a will to pursue the hedgehog, dressing up in a slinky Chinese gown, doing what she can to get Sonic’s attention.

I wish a little more time was devoted to Mina training to be a Freedom Fighter. We basically get one quick page, showing her racing with Sonic, piloting a plane with Tails, sword fighting with Antoine, and falling asleep while Rotor attempts to explain computer science. She seems to take to most of the activities and I would’ve liked to have seen more of that. Instead, a giant robot marches on Knothole. (Though, again, now that Eggman knows the village’s location, I don’t know why he doesn’t just bomb it from a distance. That seems easier than building a Megazord.) Naturally, this close call with action is too much for Mina, causing her to ditch the training. I know Karl only has so many pages to explore this concept but the story definitely seems a little rushed.

Which is most evident in the ending. On the last page, Bollers hints at Mina’s future. While taking a shower, she sings, the music floating over to Sonic’s ears. He notes her obvious talent and then the story just kind of ends. Mina would be better served once her pop career began so at least we have that to look forward to. “She’s Gotta Have Him” is still an interesting, if clumsy, story. (Though once again, I have to wonder what Mina brings to this story line that Amy Rose – also Sonic’s fan girl and obsessive stalker – couldn’t have done equally well. Maybe Sega was tying Archie’s hands on how they could use Amy? It wouldn’t be the first time they put ridiculous restrictions on characters.)

The second story takes us back to the newly rechristened Angel Island. Julie-Su sits on the dock where she first kissed Knuckles, reflecting on her feelings for the recently deceased Guardian. Mighty comes along, hoping to comfort the girl. He says he has stories about Knuckles’ younger years and Julie-Su asks to hear him. Mighty then tells the time of when he first met the young echidna.

“Those Were the Days” probably should’ve been about mourning. The Knuckles/Julie-Su love story was often hassled by that bullshit “soul touch” fuckery but, when Ken got out of his own way, the two teens had a great back-and-forth. Knuckles always seemed a little uncertain but Julie-Su obviously had strong feelings for him. Despite that, they hadn’t been officially dating very long before Knuckles died. How would she feel, after loosing one of the first people to actually treat her with kindness? She should be devastated, though likely hide those feelings under her tough exterior. This would’ve been a rich emotional vein to explore.

Sadly, “Those Were the Days” isn’t about those things. Instead, Ken uses this opportunity to give the Chaotix an origin story. Mighty ran into Knuckles immediately after escaping Robotnik’s prison camp. The echidna was ground-bound because Vector had hastily built a gyro-copter, which just happen to crash land in this area. This retcons the Chaotix’s first appearance in the “Knuckles’ Chaotix” special, which seemingly showed the team meeting each other for the first time. But that’s fine. A more personable retcon is okay, even if Ken’s writing is a bit convoluted. What annoys me is this really isn’t the time or place for an origin story. Did Julie-Su really feel better after hearing about a random adventure Knuckles had as a kid? Why couldn’t Ken had told this story after the Guardian’s inevitable return from the afterlife?

The third story, “The Royal Signet,” is another joint from Romy Chacon, who previously gifted us with Tommy Turtle. Sally and the Queen are spending some mother/daughter time together, picking flowers. That’s when Sally reveals a royal ring in her vest pocket. She then explains that Julaya, her late mentor, gifted her this ring. And today just happens to be Julaya’s birthday. The princess, the queen, and Rosie gather at the grave sight, paying homage to the lost teacher.

“The Royal Signet” is pretty good but has one major problem. Romy Chacon’s dialogue is a little overwritten. Some of it is cute, such as Sally’s affecting Antoine’s accent. But her thoughts concerning her mother’s return is a little strangled. So is her explanation of the ring’s significance and her declaration at Julaya’s grave. Even Alicia describing something as “So amusing” seems a little stiff.

Still, once you cut through the bullshit, “The Royal Signet” is pretty well done. It returns to one of the comic’s best stories, “In the Still of the Night,” which established Julaya’s importance to Sally and her passing. Chacon does little but revisit this story, showing events in flashback. Archie even got Art Mawhinney back to draw this one, providing a visual continuity as well. However, it’s nice to see Sally think about her mentor, to commiserate over her death. Considering how poorly the book is handling Knuckles’ all-too-temporary passing, it’s good to know the series could still occasionally approach death gracefully.

120 is also a good looking issue. Steven Butler draws the cover story. While his Mina looks a little weird and the giant robot has a generic design, it’s an overall handsome story. Dawn Best draws the middle tale. She gives Knuckles and Mighty weirdly muscular limbs but her sad Julie-Su looks awesome. Meanwhile, Mawhinney’s work on the final story is top-notch. While it doesn’t work totally, I admire the book for doing a more slow-paced, more character-orientated issue like this. Honestly wish they would try it a little more often. [7/10]

Sonic the Hedgehog: Issue 118

Sonic the Hedgehog: Issue 118
Publication Date: December 2002

In the last month of 2002, Archie would introduce an obnoxious cover gimmick for their “Sonic the Hedgehog” series. For the next few months, the book’s covers would imitate magazines. And not just in design, what with headshots bordering the main image in a uniform way. For some stupid reason, headlines patterned after things you’d see in “People” or “Cosmo” are printed around on the cover. Why? I don’t know why. It certainly chains Spaz’ hands, preventing him from creating eye-catching images. Thankfully, this would be a short-lived gimmick. But we still have to look at it for a while.

But what of the stories inside? “Robotnik’s Return” delivers on just that, though in a round about way. Robotnik and Snively finally get their minds back in robotic bodies resembling their standard appearances. The Freedom Fighters corner the villain before he can do any more damage. The big fight is interrupted when motherfucking aliens intervene. They abduct Sonic, Tails, Robotnik and Snively before plopping them down in an alien coliseum. Then, for some reason, they turn Robotnik and Snively into humans and Sonic and Tails into robots. The winner gets returned to normal. The loser stays this way.

If you haven’t figured it out already, this story is an awkward attempt by Benny Lee to undo some of the comic's recent mistakes. By the story’s end, Robotnik and Snively are human. So the writer’s bizarre decision to robotocize Snively is reversed. Eggman, meanwhile, becomes a flesh and blood being for the first time. This was presumably done in order to raise the stakes. Now, Robotnik can’t just download his mind into a new body when he’s blown up. These were smart decisions. But was it necessary to bring in aliens to resolve this? It’s a totally random writing choice.

As an action story, “Robotnik’s Return” is underwhelming. You’d expect the big fight between Robotnik and Sonic to be the centerpiece. And it is but not a very effective one. Robotnik and Snively face down Mecha-Sonic and Mecha-Tails in a two-legged battle machine… Which is destroyed in one panel. Turns out, regular human beings aren’t much of a match for super-charged robots. I’m not sure why these aliens had to go through all this just to figure that out. At least Steven Butler’s artwork is nice.

The second story isn’t so nice looking, since Ron Lim draws it. But the script is better! In “Heart to Heart,” Karl Bollers finally picks up a plot point he abandoned a while ago. The combined efforts of Dr. Quack and Rotor have healed Geoffrey St. John and his Secret Service from the Nanobot infection Robotnik gave them. Back to normal, Geoffrey and Hershey have a – go figure – heart to heart conversation. The story concludes with the two deciding to search for Prince Elias, another plot thread left dangling last year.

What’s most surprising about “Heart to Heart” is that Geoffrey St. John actually admits that he was wrong. He admits he was a shitty leader of the Secret Service, getting them captured and harmed. He reflects on how his pursuit of Sonic was based out of jealousy and ego. He even fesses up to being a shitty adviser to Elias Acorn, driving the prince away. Considering the character is such a hard-headed jerk, it’s very unusual for him to realize so bluntly how wrong he was. (And it’s a move that was unlikely to happen under Penders’ pen, I think.)

The story also expounds on St. John’s origin and his future a little bit. We learn more about his life before the fall of Mobotropolis, about his father’s death and his reaction to Robotnik’s rise. As for the future, St. John and Hershey’s relationship is confirmed with an on-panel kiss. The two running off together on an adventure at the end seems to be a symbolic marriage of sorts. It seems unlikely to me that a committed patriot like Geoffrey would fall in love with a confirmed traitor like Hershey. Then again, the heart wants what it wants. And this finally buries the Sally/St. John ship.

The last story concludes Ken Penders’ “Ultimate Power” story arc. Knuckles confronts Mammoth Mogul before the villain reveals that the entire room is a Chaos Syphon. Before the echidna gets his god-like powers sucked away, he goes into overdrive. A massive explosion of chaos energy follows. When Constable Remington and the Dark Legion investigate, they discover three things. Mogul has vanished. Dimitri is unharmed. And Knuckles is dead.

As always, Ken buries the emotion under a lot of bullshit. Before we get to the important stuff, we’re treated to three whole pages of Knuckles and Mogul yelling at each other. Their dialogue is way too damn technical, focusing on the minutia the reader doesn’t care about. After the dramatic event happens, Ken cuts away from the important people. We don’t see Julie-Su and the Chaotix’s reaction to Knuckles’ demise. Instead, Lien-Da and Remington, two characters with no emotion connection to the Guardian, discover his corpse. We only see Lara-Le’s reaction in one small panel, during a scene otherwise devoted to renaming the Floating Island to Angel Island. (This was presumably done to bring the comics more in line with Sega cannon, though this story was a weird place to do it.)

So what do I think of Knuckles’ death? Well, even in 2002, I knew this was temporary. There’s no way Sega was going to let Ken Penders kill off one of their flagship characters. Even as a fourteen year old, I assumed a spiritual journey through the afterlife was coming next. It’s also a bummer that Knuckles died defending Dimitri – his former arch-enemy – instead of his girlfriend, mother, or best friends. For that matter, making Mammoth Mogul a component in the death is another odd decision. Wouldn’t it have made stronger dramatic sense to have Lien-Da betray Knuckles or something? The death scene just isn’t handled in the best way, is my point. (Dawn Best’s artwork is a little off too, making once again wonder if Ken drew part of this one.)

So 2002 ends on a weird note. Issue 118 is full of big changes. Robotnik and Snively are human again. Knuckles is dead. Geoffrey St. John and Hershey are going to be out of the picture for a while. Yet only that middle story comes anywhere close to hitting the emotion it’s reaches for. The other stories seem built around changes that are either unimportant or temporary. But at least the book is slightly better then that godawful cover suggests. [6/10]

Sonic the Hedgehog: Issue 117

Sonic the Hedgehog: Issue 117
Publication Date: November 2002

As 2002 drew to a close, Archie continue to pack three stories into each issue of “Sonic the Hedgehog.” I don’t know what editorial decisions were made in deciding which story got the cover spot. Last issue, the second story got the cover treatment, relegating the first story to back-up status. Issue 117 similarly sticks an unimportant story in the front, giving the cover story second place. Maybe Spaziante just picked whichever plot would make for the most eye-catching cover? I have no idea. (Though issue 117 certainly features one of Spaz’s most disproportionately creepy covers.) Jay Axer’s frontispace, meanwhile, concerns the book’s final story. Weird, right?

So issue 117 opens with “Cyber Chase,” a brief story starting Robotnik and Snively. Following the destruction of the doctor’s base last time, both villains had their consciousness downloaded onto the internet. They rush to make it back to another one of Eggman’s bases, downloading their minds into new robotic bodies. Some shenanigans ensue before the story ends.

“Cyber Chase” is basically a joke story, which continues the comic’s bad habit of making its primary villain a goofy non-threat. Robotnik and Snively race around the “information superhighway,” leading to the kind of lame visual gag I thought we had outgrown by 2002. Yes, we see zeroes and ones literally racing over highway overpasses. This goofy tone continues after Snively places his mind into a handsome body, a bizarre gag that is quickly undone by Robotnik. In other words, this back-up exists just to prove that Robotnik and Snively are still alive, still out there. What an odd way to get that information across.

Which brings us to the cover story. We follow a rabbit named Juice as he enters the Forbidden Zone, that inhospitable land between the Great Forest and Robotropolis. He enters an abandoned base occupied by Drago, Sleuth Dawg, and the other members of the Fearsome Foursome. Juice is actually Sonic in disguise. He’s there at the request of Tommy Turtle, a previously unmentioned childhood friend. Robotnik appears in the base, answering a bargain presented by Drago. This goes horribly wrong, forcing Sonic and Tommy to make a hasty return. Until that, too, goes awry.

“The Tortoise and the Hedgehog” is a pretty good story… That has the indignity of introducing maybe the Archie Sonic character I hate the most. In his first appearance, Tommy Turtle serves his purpose. He exists to sacrifice himself, giving Sonic an important moral lesson. His death adds some emotion to what would’ve otherwise been a standard action story. But Tommy was doomed to rise again, the character being awkwardly forced into a number of future story, distracting, annoying, and exhausting the reader. So it’s not Tommy’s fault that he sucks. Instead, writers insistent on pushing the character are responsible. Yet his introduction still fills me with worry.

Truthfully, “The Tortoise and the Hedgehog” works pretty well. Yes, forcing Sonic into a Tortoise and the Hare story is a bit cheesy. Introducing a character just to kill him of is an odd decision. However, Romy Chacon’s script still gets at the heart of Sonic’s personality. He still feels guilt over bullying Tommy as a kid. This pushes him to rescue the turtle when he calls for help. His interior monologue makes these motivations clear. To have Tommy sacrifice himself to save Sonic further enforces the power of friendship, empathy, and charity on our hero. The conclusion, with Sonic standing outside the burning factory, is effectively emotional. Even if it’s a character we just met, Tommy’s choice still resonates.

Plot-wise, “The Tortoise and the Hedgehog” features some decent action beats. Sonic racing around Robotnik’s factory on Tommy’s shell is a nice moment. Robotnik’s ruthlessly robotocizes the Fearsome Foursome once it becomes apparent they are no use to him. (Which is another example of the book’s schizophrenia concerning that character.) This continues the book’s main trend in 2002, of resolving dangling plot points. Drago and the gang are dead, for now, leaving one less errand plot line roaming Mobius.

The third story continues Ken Penders’ “Ultimate Power” story arc. Constable Remington informs Knuckles and the Chaotix that cab driver Harry has recently ended up in the hospital. Mammoth Mogul zapped the guy after hitching a ride with him. Knuckles uses his Messiah powers to heal the dingo’s wounds. Enraged, the echidna then teleports to Mogul’s location. Which plays right into the villain’s plan. Mogul used Dimitri as leverage to capture Knuckles and intends on draining his Chaos energy.

The plot mechanics of “Ultimate Power’s” third part isn’t very notable. Knuckles is tricked by yet another villain. Mogul’s master plan – draining Knuckles’ power – is easy to predict. Julie-Su, Harry, and the Chaotix are stuck in forgettable supporting roles. What’s most interesting about this story is how Dimitri has continued to evolve as a character. Mammoth Mogul confronts the ill Dimitri, insisting that life is only about survival. Dimitri counters him, showing that he has developed a conscious. I wish Ken had hinted at this sooner. Just recently, the former Enerjak was still being his supervillain self. But it’s still an interesting development.

“Ultimate Power: Part 3” also features some typically awkward Penders-esque dialogue. The exchange between Lien-Da and a fellow Dark Legionnaire is especially clumsy. Words like “Whereof,” “Indeed,” and “Pachyderm” are tossed around casually. Mammoth Mogul also gets some overly arch, unbelievable dialogue, though we’re used to that from him. As always, Ken’s shitty dialogue derails much of the dramatic tension the story could’ve created.

Both the back-up stories are a bit weak but the cover story isn’t bad. Issue 117 was also one of the few consistently good looking issues in 2002. Steven Butler draws the first story, making Robotnik and Snively’s ridiculous adventure look great. Art Mawhineny draws the cover story. His cute style is well suited to Tommy Turtle’s adventure, while his strength for emotion is also well utilized. Dawn Best draws the final story, bringing some color and style to Ken’s weak story. When an issue is this divided, I’m not sure what to rate it. How does [6.5/10] sound to you guys?