Sonic the Hedgehog (IDW): Issue 16

Sonic the Hedgehog (IDW): Issue 16
Publication Date: May 8, 2019

So where were we? The last regular issue of IDW’s “Sonic” series I reviewed detailed Eggman testing his new Metal Virus, turning Rough and Tumble into “Zombots,” and Sonic finding out he’s been infected. In the months since then, the Metal Virus story arc has continued to play out. I’ve seen fans go from embracing this new direction to growing sick to proclaiming that IDW “Sonic” has never been good. Ah, so the cycle continues. Now I get to experience this on-going myself and see whether it’s the greatest thing ever or if it blows more than your mom at a truck stop.

“Infection!” begins with Sonic and Tails hopeful they’ve beaten the mechanical virus infecting Sonic, via the hedgehog’s trademark speed burning through it. This is what they tell Tangle, who is visiting Tails’ workshop. However, Sonic soon realizes running it off is only a temporary fix. He’s still infected, can still spread the virus with a mere touch, and is still at risk of becoming a Zombot. Meanwhile, Eggman unleashes the Virus via his new airship on the unsuspecting Windmill Village. The Zombots are unleashed on the countryside.

Sonic is having a moment of self-doubt in “Infection!” and I like that. Initially, he’s enthusiastic as Tails tells him the virus has been beaten back. Upon realizing he’s still a carrier, he has a self-reflective moment. Flynn’s script has Sonic outright say it, via internal monologue. Usually, Eggman builds a machine Sonic can smash and that’s it. Now, he’s faced with a threat he literally can only outrun for so long. He’s a danger to his own friends. (Flynn smartly draws a parallel to the Werehog, though it looks like the Metal Virus won’t eventually become a superpower upgrade Sonic can use...) It’s a pretty bold place to put our usually carefree hero. Sonic is uncertain of his own victory, for once. He’s scared. and that’s really interesting to read.

Up to this point, the IDW version of Eggman hasn’t done much besides scheme in the background. This issue has him really cut loose as a villain for the first time in this series. For ground zero of the Metal Virus, he chooses the idyllic village that cared for him during his days as Mr. Tinker. It’s clear that a Eggman takes a real sadistic glee in destroying his wholesome former home. Flynn also provides some insight into Eggman’s motivation here in a way Archie weirdly never really got into. It’s an interpretation of Robotnik I’ve put forward myself over the years. He sees the world as chaotic, impractical, wildly out-of-control. Eggman longs to smooth the world out, bring it into order... Which also means making it utterly subservient to him, which appeals to his intense egomania. It’s certainly more nuanced than the Archie version, which never got much further than “he wants to take over the world because he’s evil.”

While Flynn is expanding Eggman’s personality, I’m still not too sure about Dr. Starline, the closest thing to a Snively we’ve got now. Previously, I was certain Flynn was taking Starline in a particular direction. As an eager fanboy to Eggman that is disappointed by the reality, either finding his eccentricities intolerable or being disgusted by his cruelty. In this issue, as Eggman bukakes Windmill Village with the Metal Virus and infects the countryside, Starline is ecstatic. He loves that his new boss is so brutal and efficient. So I guess Starline is just Eggman’s fawning toady? Hopefully, Flynn is going somewhere with this guy because that schtick will get old real fast.

After a somewhat eerie introduction last time, Flynn gives us a clearer view at what the Metal Virus can do this issue. And it’s pretty damn bracing, as far as a comic book starring a blue hedgehog who runs fast goes. As a tidal wave of hot metallic goo is puked over the village, we get a series of panels of the goat mayor trying to outrun the downpour and protect a child... he fails, both of them awakening as Zombots on the next page. We see a random citizen cower hopelessly as his friend is overcome and turned into a soulless automaton. Most shocking is when a mother watches the chaos from her window, hugging her child. Soon, the Zombots break down the door and tear child from mother, infecting them both. Shit, man, that’s pretty intense.

Flynn can’t depict the gut-munching gore of the zombie genre but he seems to understand why it’s such a powerful horror trope. It’s the sudden and irreversible breakdown, watching things you love and rely on — friends, family, neighbors, and the orderly structure of polite society — turn on you violently. Usually the zombie horde is a slow, creeping metaphor for the inevitability of death. Here, the Zombots are symbols of unerring conformity at the hands of an authoritarian dictator. But it still works pretty well. It’s a really well done sequence.

Honestly, issue 16 is so grim that we definitely need some comic relief. Luckily, Tangle is here to provide. She rides into Tails’ workshop on a dirt bike in the first page, enthusiastically ready to share her latest adventure. Her bafflement at Sonic running on a giant hamster wheel is amusing, as is her quick acceptance of it. When she goes in for a high-five, Sonic has to quickly dive out of the way, leading to a cute pratfall. Overall, Tangle’s high energy and unending upbeat attitude continues to make her an utter delight. There’s also a good joke when Eggman reveals his latest airship, which is essentially a giant flying version of his face, is called the Face Ship. Starline’s deadpan reaction to that is priceless.

Featuring some wonderfully energetic artwork, Diana Skelly and Jack Lawrence trading back and forth, issue 16 may be the strongest issue of IDW “Sonic.” Sonic and Eggman’s characters are allowed to evolve, Tangle remains delightful, and the Zombot sequence is pretty damn great. It is, I think, the closest we’ve ever gotten to a full-blown “Sonic” horror comic and I really appreciate that. I didn’t know Flynn has that in him, to be totally honest. [8/10]

Sonic the Hedgehog (IDW): Annual 2019

Sonic the Hedgehog (IDW): Annual 2019
Publication Date: May 1, 2019

Long time readers of Hedgehogs Can’t Swim might have noticed I haven’t reviewed an issue of IDW’s “Sonic” comic since May. In fact, I know some of you have noticed, as I’ve gotten several annoyed comments from readers wondering when I was going to pick up the series again. I wish I could say I had taken a deliberate hiatus from the new on-going but the truth is, as too often happens, I’ve just drifted away from the series. Right when it seemed like it was getting better too! Well, now that Halloween is over and the end of the year looms, the regular animation reviews are going on hiatus so I can catch up with IDW’s blue hedgehog adventures.

So, anyway: In the world of comic books, “annuals” are a regular occurrence. For those of you who might now know, annuals are special, double-length issues published once a year — duh — that usually contain multiple stories from different writers and artists. Annuals have separate numbering from the main book, usually just being referred to by the year they are published. The stories contained within are usually a bit detached from whatever is happening in the main series at the time too. Weirdly, in the twenty-plus year’s Archie was publishing “Sonic,” they never once did an annual, opting instead for various one-shots and specials. IDW, however, clearly has different plans. Their first “Sonic” annual rolled out this past May.

We begin the annual with “Bonds of Friendship,” from the ever-reliable Ian Flynn with art by Jennifer Hernandez. The story has Tangle the Lamar returning to her home village, with Whisper in tow. The two eventually end up at the Mineral Museum (largely filled with treasure Tangle has gathered during her adventures) which is run by Tangle’s oldest friend, a nervous beetle with a glittery shell named Jewel. After introductions, the Babylon Rogues — making their first appearance in this continuity — bust in and steal everything... Including Jewel, which the dim-witted Storm mistakes for a large gemstone. Tangle and Whisper leap into action to save their friend.

“Bonds of Friendship” is clearly a prequel to the “Tangle & Whisper” mini-series IDW would begin publishing a few months later. It establishes the lemur and the wolf as a duo, while building up Tangle’s history and home town some. The boisterous Tangle and shy Whisper are cute together. Tangle’s stretchy tail and Whisper’s versatile Wispon leads to lots of creative bounding and flipping. It seems Tangle collects nervous types as Jewel — who seems likable enough, even if we only get a glimpse at her personality here — is also rather anxious. I was apathetic about Flynn utilizing the Babylon Rogues, as I never cared for them in the Archie series. However, here Flynn characterizes the self-obsessed Jet and the principled Wave as a bickering couple, which makes the Rogues way more neurotic (and therefore way more interesting) than previous iterations. Storm is still just a big dumb guy though. In general, it’s a cute story with some fun character interactions and some okay action sequences. Its cuteness is further bolstered by Hernandez's extremely adorable artwork.

Our second story, “Jet Set Tornado,” comes from Caleb Goellner, who was invited back to write after that awful “Team Sonic Racing” one-shot for some reason. Obviously set a few issues prior, it concerns Sonic and Tails testing out a new rocket booster for the Tornado. Sonic is allowed to drive, which Tails quickly regrets. The hedgehog activated the rocket booster carelessly and threatens the structural fortitude of the plane. That’s when the duo spots a heavily modified Balkiry, hauling stolen Resistance supplies. They chase the bird-bot into a volcanic region, destroy it without the wrecking the plane, and drop the cargo into some lava which I guess isn’t a big deal.

“Jet Set Tornado” is, admittedly, slightly better than “Team Sonic Racing.” There’s a bead of emotional truth to Sonic and Tails’ decisions, as Sonic makes the choice to risk himself to save Tails’ latest invention. But the story is still pretty bad. Goellner’s dialogue remains, at best, awkward. He fills the word balloons with technical phrases like “straightaways” and “volatile” and lots of talks of unscheduled landings, volcanic vents and geysers, boosters and payloads. Goellner still seems more preoccupied with the special abilities of vehicles than the characters’ personalities or a narrative with any tension or resonance. Jack Lawrence’s energetic pencils are wasted on this nothing of a story.

“Victory Garden” sees Evan Stanley returning to the writer’s chair for the first time in a while, co-scripting with newcomer Gigi Dutreix. Blaze is looking for Silver around Resistance HQ. It seems the futuristic hedgehog has taken an interest in gardening, amazed by how green the planet is now when it’s totally desolate in his time. However, he hasn’t had any luck getting anything to grow. Blaze scorches the Earth and informs Silver on some general rules on gardening, helping a bountiful crop grow in time.

“Victory Garden” is really just as technical as “Jet Set Tornado.” Blaze spends several panels explaining the role ashes play in gardening. The difference is this technical stuff reflects the characters’ personalities and interests. Silver’s dopey attempts at garden are adorable, continuing to show what a lovable klutz he is. As is his enthusiasm at how green and fertile the present timeline is. Blaze taking the time to teach him shows she likes the kid, thinks his interests are worthwhile, and wants to help him grow, figuratively and literally. It’s a really cute story, is what I’m saying. Stanley also provides some wonderful artwork. I love how warm and painterly her work has gotten recently.

Cavan Scott, a British writer best known for his work on “Doctor Who” but new to “Sonic,” contributes “Curse of Eggman’s Pyramid.” Rough and Tumble decide to break into a pyramid Eggman built a while ago, sure it’s full of treasure. Tumble is concerned about a rumored curse though. Soon, they run into Rouge, who is also supposedly looking for treasure. A “curse” makes itself known but not everything is what it’s seems.

Rough and Tumble are characters I have nothing against but probably never would’ve thought to build a story around them myself. However, “Curse of Eggman’s Pyramid” is largely a work of goofy comedy, which is a fine fit for the dim-witted skunks. Both are repeatedly caught off-guard by the pyramid’s traps. The more superstitious Tumble slowly converting the more assured Rough is worth a chuckle. Scott thankfully keeps the rhyming to one panel. Rouge’s intrusion into the story is worthwhile. It leads a genuinely cute ending, where we discover Rouge was acting on a behalf of a community of fennecs that have taken up residence in the pyramid. (And seeing Rouge dressed as a mummy is amusing too.) Diana Skelly’s cartoony artwork is especially well suited to this material.

The annual concludes with James Kochalka and Jon Gray’s “Sonic Fan Club.” It concerns a group of enthusiastic young Sonic fans, none of whom appear to be named. The club president, a snooty blonde deer/dog?, is soon challenged for leadership by another member of the club, a red fox in a purple pillbox hat. They decide to have a contest to determine the president, based on who is the most like Sonic. They have a foot race, test their rolling skills, and end up fighting a Badnik. That’s when Tangle appears and offers to help but just ends up tangling herself in her tail.

There’s not a lot to this one. At first, you assume the condescending club president will be humbled by story’s end. When they encounter the Badnik and he is clearly intimidated, it certainly looks like that’s where we are headed. Instead, Kochalka goes for that non-sequitur of an ending. A really poor touch is that Sonic affects the story — racing through and smashing the Badnik while Tangle is distracted — without ever actually appearing on-panel. It reflects on the story’s depth that none of the characters are actually named. Instead, Gray’s artwork and character designs do most of the talking. The butterfly girl, who looks a lot like Dot Warner, is my favorite. I’m sort of hopeful they’ll bring back some of these kids, just to keep expanding the still relatively new book’s cast. I’m on record as not being much of a fan of Gray’s highly exaggerated artwork. However, he’s gotten a lot better with time and wacky comedy like this is obviously where he’s best utilized. (Though his Tangle is noticeably off-model.)

Of the five stories in the Annual, only one is truly a dud. Ironically, this is the only one that actually stars Sonic. Evan Stanley’s “Victory Garden” is definitely the best if the bunch, with the latter two leaning towards wacky comedy in an amusing way. I hope IDW continues with the Annuals, to make room for the young series’ growing supporting cast. I guess, over all, I’d give this one a fairly high score as long as you ignore that stinky Caleb Goellner story. [7/10]

Sonic the Hedgehog: Issue 286

Sonic the Hedgehog: Issue 286
Publication Date: September 2016

It's sort of amazing the difference a few issues can make. Up until very recently, I was so bored with the Shattered World Crisis. I just wanted this shit to be over. You read this blog, you know that already. Now that the plot is actually fucking moving, now that we are actually feeling what’s at stake here, suddenly I’m into it. I’m sure, if pressed on the issue, Flynn would claim all that build-up was necessary to make the big climax work. But let’s be real here. “Panic in the Sky” would’ve been just as good if it had come a year or two earlier.

But, hey, let’s not bitch about what might’ve been, let’s bitch about what is. In “Panic in the Sky, Part Three: Colossal Crash,” the battle for the fate of the world continues. Sonic races up the Gaia Colossus, seeking out Chip, while Eggman and his Egg Dragoon rains hot hellfire down on him. The Freedom Fighters battle their way through the E-series robots towards Eggman Land. The Sky Patrol does what it can to distract the Death Egg. All the while, the awakening of Dark Gaia grows ever closer.

This story arc continues to give us good examples of what comic book heroes should be. Victory still remains uncertain for the Freedom Fighters. They continue to be hopelessly outnumbered and outgunned. And yet they fight on. Rotor throws everything the Sky Patrol has at the Death Egg. Eventually, the ship is overwhelmed and crashes to the ground. Sonic, though he remains as snarky as ever throughout, can only stand up to the Egg Dragoon for so long. Eventually, Robotnik freezes him in his tracks and moves in for the kill. Nobody dies, of course. Rotor and Nicole survive the Sky Patrol going down. Sonic changes into the Werehog just as Eggman has him pinned down. From a meta perspective, we readers obviously know the heroes will live and win the day. But that sense of struggle, of standing up against a threat even when the odds are bleak, is exactly the reason I love this shit.

Making it so the heroes are actually struggling has another benefit too. It makes those victorious moments much more meaningful. This issue has at least two of what I call “Fuck yeah!” moments. When the heroes suddenly come back and whoop some major ass, when we get that little rush of adrenaline. (For a better known pop culture example, it’s something the Marvel movies are really good at.) Sally, Bunnie, and Antoine team up to take out E-106 ETA, Bunnie eventually delivering a laser-assisted punch right into the robot’s face. Fuck yeah! When Sonic suddenly transforms into the Werehog and uses those stretchy limbs to wail on the Egg Dragoon? Fuck yeah! Flynn attempts these all the time and usually the heroes’ victory seems too easy. But here he grabs exactly what he aims for.

Moreover, the status of the world really feels precarious here. A few times throughout the Shattered World Crisis, we’ve felt the seismic effect the planet literally cracking apart has on the populace. Too often, the comic has just treated it like a status quo, life just continuing as normal even though the continents are torn apart. In “Colossal Crash,” Flynn captures an apocalyptic feeling. The skies are dark and red. Massive lightning bolts are ripping out of the sky. Cities are crumbling apart, Eggman Land collapsing under Sally’s feet. When a giant monster pulls itself out of the earth, things officially start to feel Biblical. Why didn’t the Shattered World Crisis feel this epic along? I guess it would’ve been hard to maintain this mood for three years but, again, the story should’ve have gone on that long.

Let’s talk about that giant monster some more. Some kaiju-like abomination appearing to battle Sonic at the end of the game has become a reoccurring feature in the “Sonic” series, since at least “Sonic Adventure.” (I guess the Death Egg Zone Boss from “Sonic & Knuckles” would be a precursor to this.) It’s so expected now that it’s no longer exciting or interesting. It’s exactly the role Dark Gaia played in “Sonic Unleashed” and, right on time, Super Sonic appears at the end of this issue, ready for the final boss battle. Yet, at least on this iteration, Dark Gaia proves more interesting than the Bio-Lizard, Metal Overlord, Solaris, Devil Doom, or Nega Mother Wisp. He has a truly creepy and weird design, a huge mouth extending out both sides of his mouth. It gets even weirder when giant, insanely staring eyeballs grow out of that mouth. Yes, it would be more interesting if, just once, Sonic had to stop a threat like this without going Super Saiyan. But Dark Gaia remains a suitably intimidating threat.

Diana Skelly and Adam Bryce Thomas do double-duty on the art here. While I really love Skelly’s cartoony style, and found her art’s looseness really helped contributed to the sense of panic in the last few issues, she sometimes makes things look a little too goofy here. Sonic’s reaction to hearing that Eggman intends to kill him looks a little too much like a Garfield reaction. Thomas’ work is also excellent but I think the action scenes, especially when the Werehog unleashes its furry fury on the Egg Dragoon, are a little hard to follow. I guess what I’m saying is both artists are extremely skilled but maybe should have reigned their style in a little when telling this story.

I guess this is what I was talking about when I’ve mentioned in the past that the reboot didn’t start to work for me until near the end. I really like this comic book! It’s exciting, stirring big emotions in the reader! It’s well paced, all these plot points hitting just when they are suppose to with the correct amount of impact. The reveals are cool and there’s even plenty of emotion, when Sonic convinces a hopeless Chip that not all is lost or in the Freedom Fighters’ insistence on keeping on even when everything looks bleak. It took Flynn three years but he finally wrote a Post-Super Genesis Wave story as good as his best earlier work. [9/10]

Sonic the Hedgehog: Issue 285

Sonic the Hedgehog: Issue 285
Publication Date: August 2016

To anybody who has been reading the book since at least the reboot started, we already know how important the “Panic in the Sky” story arc is. It’s finally wrapping up a story arc that has lingered, lingered so hard the Cranberries could’ve written a song about it. Just in case we didn’t realize the momentousness of this occasion, Archie threw together a four-part connecting cover. It’s been a while since we’ve had one of those, so it’s pretty cool... even if Dan Schoening, who still hasn’t quite gotten the grasp of these characters, is the one drawing it. What, Spaz wasn’t available?

“Panic in the Sky: Part 2 — Falling into Place” — aw, nice pun there, Flynn — begins by giving our heroes a last minute reprieve. Before the Sky Patrol plummets to the Earth below and everyone dies, Nicole gets one of the engines back online. The Freedom Fighters are still alive but they are beaten and exhausted. Nevertheless, Sally has to rally the limited resources she has to save the day. Especially after Eggman captures the most important Gaia Gate and begins his plan to keep the world shattered and feed off Dark Gaia’s energy forever.

Much like 283’s “The Mission,” “Falling Into Place” is a story largely about getting all the narrative clockwork to line up just right. (This is even reflected in its title.) Yet there’s a big difference between the two. While “The Mission” was largely set in a tension-less void, things are very serious this time. Time is definitely running out, as Eggman is closer than ever before to achieving his goal of complete global domination. The Freedom Fighters are basically getting ready to make a suicide run, Sally assuring everyone that they make not be coming home this time. That’s a considerably heavier emotional stakes than the last time Flynn devoted a whole issue to narrative structure work.

What makes this especially effective is how badly the Freedom Fighters got their asses beat last time. It’s rare that we see our heroes so exhausted, so beat down by their journeys. Sally is especially hit hard. Early on, she and Tails discover Nicole’s burned out handheld form. There’s a panel, a few minutes, where Sally thinks her best friend/lover(?) is dead. And it’s pretty sad. Even after Nicole is revealed as not dead, Sally never quite emotionally recovers. She is totally exhausted in this issue, struggling to keep going. But she does, formulating a decent counterattack as quickly as possible. And that’s why we love Princess Sally.

In fact, this issue does a good job of getting at why we love the Freedom Fighters in general. Among the many things that bug me about the reboot is that the Freedom Fighters are just about on equal footing with Eggman. We rarely get a sense of them being rebels, working underground to disrupt tyranny. (This could also be a fair criticism against Flynn’s preboot work as well, except we had seen the struggles that lead to that comfort before, which makes a big difference.) Well, in this issue, you definitely feel the Freedom Fighters are underdogs. Their resources are low, time is against them. It’s thrilling to be reminded why these are guys are so heroic, to see that need to protect the innocent and stand-up to tyranny, even when the odds are against them.

But that’s enough about the good guys. What about the bad guys? Eggman is having a lot of fun in this issue. When he carries Chip to the Gaia Gate, he gloats happily about how close he is to victory. How sweet it feels to being close to coming out on top. Naturally, this scene also gives the audience more insight into what exactly Robotnik is planning. But, honestly, just seeing the guy so pleased to be so close to enslaving the entire world, controlling a mad god and having an infinite energy source for his war fleet, is justification enough. While I tend to prefer my Eggman on the calculating and vicious side, I do enjoy seeing him ham it up from time to time too. We see that side of him when he steps into the Gaia Colossus, marveling at the controls, or when he ambushes Sonic at the end with the Egg Dragoon. (Though I honestly think of all of Eggman's potential catchphrases, it's weird to me that "Get a load of this!" is the one that has stuck.)

While I have been very critical of Flynn's decision to spend three goddamn years adapting "Sonic Unleashed," roping so much fucking baggage into the book, the game's mythology does lead to a cool moment here. When Eggman activates the final sequence to unleashed Dark Gaia, the Gaia Temples from all over the globe pull themselves from the ground and fly to his spot, to assemble themselves into the Gaia Colossus. The montage of characters watching huge stone buildings levitate into the air and fly off is both funny and surreal, tapping into a vein of cosmic weirdness that has been lacking from the book for some time. It doesn't make up for all that senseless, bullshit MacGuffin chasing, but it is a fun moment. (And it also allows Flynn to reference many of the new characters and locations he introduced here, reminding us what is at stake as the world spins towards total destruction.)

So it's a pretty good comic book! Diana Skelly's artwork continues to be loose and energetic in a likable, even if her character work veers towards the flat and underdrawn in a few panels. I'm also really glad the book finally introduced a decent design for Speedy, one heavily inspired by Drawerlala's excellent fan re-design. Thank god he's not wearing a diaper anymore. So "Panic in the Sky" continues to work very well as a grand finale but actually putting its heroes in a very difficult spot. [7/10]

Sonic the Hedgehog: Issue 284

Sonic the Hedgehog: Issue 284
Publication Date: July 2016

My opinion on Flynn deciding to stretch the Shattered World Crisis out for nearly three years is probably well known around here. I mean, I’m pretty sure I’ve bitched about it in almost every review I’ve posted since last December. But I will give this ridiculously long-winded build-up one thing: It made it easy to get hyped for the ending. When I read that the “Panic in the Sky” four-parter would finally bring the Shattered World Crisis to an end, I got far more excited than the book had made me in years. Granted, probably not for the exact reasons Flynn hoped — my reaction was less “So cool and exciting!” and more “Thank god it’s finally ending” — but still, excitement is excitement.

At the beginning of “Panic in the Sky - Part One: Best Laid Plans,” the Freedom Fighters are celebrating. They feel so confident in their plan to patch up the world, that Sonic is having the victory party before the victory. This proves to be premature. Tails Doll has allowed Phage into the Sky Patrol’s computers, crippling the ship’s systems. While Nicole attempts to wrestle back control, the Battle Bird Armada lays siege to the ship. Despite Sally’s best efforts, Speedy makes off with Chip. The ship’s engines are blown and it begins to fall through the sky. Meanwhile, Nack and the Hooligans break into Mobotropolis. With Metal Sonic distracting Gemerl, and the Witchcarters distracting the other forces, they successfully grab the Chaos Emeralds and Gaia Keys from the royal vault.

As I’ve observed in the past, watching our heroes get beat is often more interesting than watching them win. In “The Best Laid Plans,” the Freedom Fighters are caught completely off-guard. They are totally overwhelmed by their enemy’s striking so hard and so suddenly. Sally gets slammed into bars, Sonic can’t keep up, Bunnie’s strength is matched. Everyone is getting their asses beat. It’s a humanizing moment but also exciting to read, because it makes the book feel like it has some really big stakes for the first time in forever. It feels like the good guys might actually loose, that the heroes might come close to dying. This is, you’ll notice, the basic dramatic narrative tension of most action/adventure stories.

What makes this loss so meaningful is that the heroes put up a really good fight. Look at the siege of Mobotropolis, for example. Gemerl, who still hilariously acts like a perturbed stepdad, matches Metal Sonic blow-for-blow. It’s only after the villainous robot calls in the support of dozens of Badniks that Gemerl is overwhelmed. King Acorn, in one of the issues most delightful moments, bust out his own beam-sword and shield. He beats back the Hooligans before a sucker punch from Bark takes him down. The good guys tried their best... and they still lost. That’s some well earned tension there.

And “The Best Laid Plans” isn’t just a series of fantastically grim action beats. Flynn manages to find time for some quirk and humanity. Sally is trepidatious  about celebrating so early, which isn’t foreshadowing but Sally just being the thoughtful tactician she’s always been. Sonic’s cocksure reassurances to her are also totally in character. Showing how empathy drives him, Chip willingly gives himself up to Speedy rather than watch Sally get hurt. When Sonic spies Chip being snatched, he goes into a full-on panic which we rarely see from the hedgehog. There’s even a cute moment that nearly justifies T-Pup’s entire wretched existence. He hunts down Tails Doll in the ventilation shaft, like a terrier excitedly grabbing a rat.

So the cast aren’t just action figures being sent through the motions. They actually act like people, with thoughts and emotion. But not every action scene is that strong. Nicole’s encounter with Phage is definitely my least favorite of the subplots. It largely plays like a rematch of their fight at the end of “Spark of Life,” Nicole even going Overclocked again in an attempt to stop the taunting virus. While of course we care about Nicole, she does seem a little impervious in the digital setting. Especially when compared to the very physical threat her friends are dealing with at the same time. My favorite bit involving this story is how Phage growls out of a giant Tails Doll head, probably the first time an attempt to make Tails Doll creepy has actually worked.

Which brings me to my next point: I really like the artwork here! The illustrations are from Diana Skelly. Skelly’s style is very cartoony, which you’d think would be best for comedy. And her drawings are funny, such as when Sonic munches into a chili dog as that Sky Patrol is attacked. Or the goofy way Bean attempts to sneak past King Acorn. Yet her style is also hugely expressive, which really helps tell a story where our cast is panicking the whole time. Skelly’s work is also very loose and energetic, which further helps convey how fast and unexpected this strike is.

As tedious as the build-up to this has been — the long, long build-up — at least the end of the Shattered World Crisis is off to a good start. It’s good to know that Flynn can bring all the pieces together in a satisfying fashion when the situation calls for it. Will he be able to keep it up over the next three issues? Well, I guess we’ll find out soon enough. For now, I’m feeling good enough about this one to give it a positive score. [7/10]

Sonic Boom: Issue 11

Sonic Boom: Issue 11
Publication Date: September 2015

The fallout of “Worlds Collide” was massive, the entire “Sonic” comic continuity being scrapped and started anew. At first, it seemed like “Worlds Unite” would not result in as huge an upheaval. Yet, following the crossover’s conclusion, Archie would cancel two of the participating titles. “Sonic Boom” would end immediately while “Mega Man” would run for a few more issues before being canned as well. When pressed, Ian Flynn would confirm that “Boom’s” cancellation had nothing to do with low sales but would not reveal the exact reason why.

It was soon apparent that things were not all well at Archie. Earlier in 2015, the company would attempt to Kickstart a modernized reboot of the “Archie” titles. When people complained about a major comic publisher asking for handouts from its fans, Archie would cancel the Kickstarter and go ahead with the series on their own. But it seems Archie really did need those handouts. In addition to the unexpected cancellations, all Archie titles would be mysteriously delayed the next year. One can assume that a general lack of funds was behind all of this. The company simply didn’t have enough money to relaunch their flagship titles and keep everything else running and on-time.

Of course, all of this proceeded more mysterious cancellations at the end of 2016, the remaining “Sonic” books only being the most prominent. (The new “Jughead” book, which Flynn also worked on, ended suddenly as well.) Once again, the publisher would remain mum on why the books ended. It’s hard not to assume the earlier mix-up and the later one weren’t related. Thus, autumn of 2015 was the beginning of the end for Archie’s “Sonic” titles. This was the point when it became clear to fans that this comic company was not run very well. And that Archie would sacrifice its licensed titles to preserve its mascot characters.

But all of that has very little to do with the final issue of “Sonic Boom!” So let’s actually start reviewing it. “Eggman Gets a Gorilla” begins with the mad scientist’s latest giant robot, the anime inspired MeBot, being easily destroyed by Sonic. Eggman decides a naturally occurring brute might serve him better. When the gorilla arrives, he immediately attacks Eggman and squats in his base. Soon, Sonic meets the otherwise laid-back gorilla, named Kyle, and lets the accident prone simian move in with him. This proceeds Kyle searching for a job, which also does not go well.

“Eggman Gets a Gorilla” was written by Sam Sandak Freiberger. If that last name looks familiar, it’s because Sam is the son of Bill Freiberger, one of “Sonic Boom’s” head writers who also contributed to the comic a little. Sam proves to be even funnier than his old man. There are a number of good, absurd gags here. Such as the gorilla switching from fearsome to a couch potato within a few pages. Or that opening bit, where Eggman includes an anime-esque backdrop for his bad ass robot. My favorite gag involves Kyle’s job search, where he fails through various occupations in quick succession. One of his short-lived gigs involves washing windows on a skyscraper, leading to a delightfully unexpected shout-out to “King Kong.”

Just like his dad, Sam is also fond of fourth wall breaking jokes. Some of these are a little sweaty, like Sonic getting an idea and then utilizing the suddenly appeared lightbulb. Or the sudden appearance of a Twitter hashtag. Most of them are better though. Eggman consults his past self during a brainstorming session. Later, Eggman advises Sonic to read an issue of this very comic book, a silly gag that is saved by Sonic’s deadpan response. I also like the comic cast continuing to interact with their own word balloons. Sam even managed to spruce up the thoroughly depleted ker-sound effect running gag, by having the onomatopoeia form into ever more complex algebra equations.

Surprisingly, the last issue of “Sonic Boom” also includes a back-up story. “True Stories,” sadly, does not involve the “Sonic” gang singing Talking Heads songs. Instead, it begins with Eggman loosing his ear piece. Bored and annoyed, he decides to actually use those spy cameras he installed around Sonic’s village. What he sees is not especially informative, to say the least. He then finds his earpiece in the worst way but, don’t worry, it ends up all right.

“True Stories” is a series of mostly wonderful gags. Most of these are pretty broad. Like Tails building a top secret dance instructor robot. Or Kyle reappearing to give Sonic a pie in the face and Knuckles buying a silly hat. Broad is okay though, as these moments are also pretty funny. I especially like the finale, where Eggman and Sticks realize they are spying in each other. It helps that smaller gags are sneaked in there. Like the dance instructor bot having goldfish in both his platform shoes and his wig. Or Knuckles describing himself as “afraid of commitment.” There’s also a gentle jab at anime Knuckles’ hat, which some interpreted as a stab at Ken Penders but was probably just a silly in-joke.

Though I’m sure the “Sonic Boom” staff was given little notice of the book’s cancellation, this does feel like a fitting farewell. “True Stories” gives us one more look at all the characters being silly. For one last time, at least on the printed page, we see Knuckles be dumb but overly eloquent. We see Sticks being paranoid, Amy overreacting to stuff, Comedy Chimp telling bad jokes, Sonic acting as a speedy straight man, and Tails inventing things. (Tails kind of got the shaft in this series, didn’t he?) More than any other, I’ll miss lovable loser Eggman. Watching him be deeply humiliated by his failures, repeat all his mistakes, and be placated by junk food was consistently hilarious.

Diana Skelly’s artwork, which fills up both stories, goes a long way towards selling many of this issue’s jokes. Her depiction of the Go Nagai style Eggman mech is pitch perfect. Skelly is especially good at facial expressions. Amy’s righteously angry face at a trolling Smile Bug makes an otherwise dumb joke work. Eggman declaring himself the angriest man in the world, before a pizza delivery changes his mind, is awesome. Yet Skelly’s loose, energetic, and cartoony style is composed enough to also sell the dry and bemused reactions people have to the insanity around them.

Good-bye, Archie’s “Sonic Boom.” You were a very amusing comedy series. When you consider the book’s brief run, it actually emerges as one of Archie’s most consistent “Sonic” series. I liked pretty much every issue of this book. The final issue promised that more “Sonic Boom” stories would appear in the Sonic Digest and Magazines. Aside from several reprints, this would not come to past. It’s hard to know if Flynn planned for more but just never realized it, due to Sega and Archie parting ways, or if the publisher was just feeding annoyed fans a line of bullshit. Considering Sega would abandon the spinoff franchise soon, more stories probably never would’ve happened anyway. Once again, the goofy but lovable sub-series got the short end of the stick. (Or Sticks, as it were.) Ker-farewell, “Sonic Boom.” I’m being utterly sincere when I say I’ll miss you. [7/10]

Sonic the Hedgehog: Worlds Unite - Battles: Issue 1

Sonic the Hedgehog: Worlds Unite - Battles: Issue 1
Publication Date: July 2015

The second half of the “Worlds Unite: Battles,” ostensibly focused on the “Sonic” part of the cast, was only published a month after the first. Yet, in terms of story within the crossover, it sure seems like we’ve come a long ways since then. Flynn made sure to leave plenty of empty spaces in the narrative to fit in these mindless fight scenes, sometimes egregiously so. Even, having the “Sonic” half of this fight-centric mini-series come out just as the story is reaching its grimmest point, sure feels trivial. The heroes are about to be crushed by Sigma’s forces! Do we have time for this bullshit right now?

The first story chronicles Sonic’s battle with Zavok, Zeena, and Zor – otherwise known as half of the Deadly Six – that occurred at the start of the crossover, which already feels like it was ages ago. Apparently, the fight was a lot more expansive than we first thought. After the three Zetis fall out of the sky and start wailing on Sonic, the trio are tossed through several portals. They end up in Station Square, where the Zetis threaten the human citizens, before being blasted into a random Eggman junk yard. There, Zavok activates a bunch of old Badniks and quickly overwhelm Sonic.

While the “Mega Man: Battles” one-shot felt like a lively and fun extra, the “Sonic” half of the duo starts off feeling utterly mercenary and lifeless. This is a terrible story. Somebody named Joel Enos writes the script. This was his first and last contribution to Archie’s “Sonic” books. It’s easy to see why. Everybody speaks in catch-phrases. Sonic makes repeated references to his homing attack, which feels deeply unnatural. Most of the Zetis’ dialogue references their own special attack. Save for the emo Zor, who wants everyone to know how bored and listless he is. They throw out hoary lines like “Oh, brother!” or “A heap of trouble!” Sonic’s defeat is humiliating, taken down by the reanimated corpses of Badniks he crushed when he was a child. The final insult is that this story doesn’t connect with the first part of “Worlds Unite.” There, Sonic was abducted from the green field. Here, he’s carried off from the scrap heap.

The artwork is similarly uninspired, breaking the trend of excellent art we’ve seen in this crossover thus far. Tracy Yardley contributes some of the worst pencils I’ve ever seen from him. The characters look weirdly blocky and undefined. The Zetis’ facial expressions are utterly lifeless. The action is routine and lacks energy. Maybe Yardley was just having an off day. Maybe he thought a half-assed script deserved half-assed art. Either way, it’s some truly disappointing work.

Luckily, things perk up quite a bit in the second story. It depicts Sticks and Roll’s fight, which we’ve see several references to. Roll is invited to the training simulation room, even though the letter is addressed to “Red.” Turns out Sticks has sprung an ambush on her, attacking with countless robots, traps, and high explosive. The humble housecleaning robot proves surprisingly adapt, surviving the attacks. Once they’re face-to-face, it becomes apparent that Sticks’ target is not Roll. Rather, the badger is convinced the robot’s broom is some sort of spy. Oh, what a hilarious misunderstanding!

Despite veering dangerously close to overbearingly zany, this story is pretty funny. It keeps up the “Sonic Boom” tradition of breaking the fourth wall, as well as adding “ka-“ to all the sound effects. It doubles down on that joke, as Sticks comments on the onomatopoeia getting her species wrong at one point. Sticks interrupts the opening page, which transforms into an overzealous, pro-wrestling style announcement. It might be too wacky but the conclusion is amusing. Sticks explains her reasoning for thinking the broom is malicious – its bolts look a little like angry eyeballs – and Roll’s decision to humor her is cute.

Artist Ryan Jampole both writes and draws this story. It’s a nice surprise that his script is pretty decent. While I’ve found his illustrations underwhelming in the past, he does a lot better here. While a few of his anime-style facial expressions are kind of weird looking, a few – such as Roll’s look of surprise when the door slams behind her – made me laugh. His action scenes are energetic and fun. There’s even a fairly impressive page, a visual montage of a Roll overcoming Sticks’ machinations. It would seem silly stories like this, which allow for looser character work, fit Jampole’s style more than straight-ahead action stories.

The last story is the most recent, chronologically speaking. It’s set during the battle on the Sky Patrol, after the Deadly Six assumed control of Mega Man and his robot pals. Break Man – who is secretly Mega Man’s brother, Blues – is firing on Knuckles, under no will of his own. Blues suggest Knuckles damages his nuclear core, causing an explosion that will wipe out Sigma’s forces. Knux is deeply disturbed by this kamikaze plot. He encourages Blues to fight the psychic manipulation and they eventually work out a plan: Knuckles beating him into unconsciousness.

Ian Flynn sat out this entire issue, handing this last story to Aleah Baker. Emotion driven plots are Baker’s trademark and she even manages to sneak some of that into an extended fight scene like this. When Break Man explains his suicidal plan to Knux, his slow realization – spreading from child-like confusion to fiery rage – is both funny and touching. See, Knuckles doesn’t give up on anyone. He tells Break Man that he barely knows him but understands what he’s going for, that he can’t give up. Break Man responds with knowing silence, signaling that he agrees. Baker manages to take a fairly hollow story and put some heart and soul onto it.

This story is also the best drawn in this book. Diana Skelly contributes some energetic artwork. The humor and pathos of that page, where Knuckles realizes what Break Man is planning, works just as much because of Skelly’s pencils as Baker’s words. She makes Knuckles’ dopey realization adorable and his fiery rage afterwards palpable. That furious energy continues into the fight scene, Skelly making Knuckles’ punches seem especially passionate. The panel of Knuckles ducking under a big energy blast is funny too.

So we have a real mixed bag here. The first story is atrocious, earning a [4/10] for its awful writing and mediocre artwork. The second story is a lot better, funny and zany with matching artwork. I’d give it a satisfying [7/10]. The last story turns nothing into something, Baker’s writing and Skelly’s artwork elevating what should’ve been a totally disposable extra. It gets a [8/10]. “Mega Man: Battles” was a trifle but an entertaining one. “Sonic: Battles” is extremely uneven but ultimately worth for that last story.

Sonic the Hedgehog: Issue 271

Sonic the Hedgehog: Issue 271
Publication Date: April 2015

Here we are at the end of “Champions,” guys. It looks like we’ve got one more regular issue of “Sonic,” and a few from the other various series, before we are all launched back into “Megaman” crossover land. I would say the crossover completely derails the momentum the rebooted comic had gained. Except the reboot still hasn’t picked up much speed, has it? After a year and change, we are still no closer to resolving the Shattered World Crisis. I know I keep harping on this point but, seriously, it should not have taken this long. You should really resolve the crisis created by the last crossover before launching into the next crossover.

Anyway, that’s all besides the point. The last part of “Champions” is subtitled “Finale: The Ones Left Standing,” which makes this story sound way more dramatic than it will actually be. Sonic and Knuckles continue their title bout, bantering all the while. That’s when everything descends into chaos. Bean explodes the generator, plunging the stadium into darkness. Metal Sonic swoops in and grabs the Chaos Emerald out of Breezie’s vault. The robot nearly gets away but Tails wallops him right at the end. The Freedom Fighters get the Emerald, Breezie makes lots of money, and the world is still hopelessly tittering towards total annihilation.

Fighting tournament arcs are suppose to build towards the big climatic final showdown. (Action anime usually milks several episodes out of final fight, because comics aren’t the only medium with pacing problems.) So it’s sort of funny that Sonic and Knuckles’ fight here is the least important part of the story. The two are joking and reminiscing the whole time. After Sonic learns that the Master Emerald got shattered again, he even offers to throw the fight for Knuckles. There’s no tension over who will win and who will loose. These two are basically playing, giving the audience a good show. And the fight is interrupted halfway through and never concluded. I doubt this was an intentional subversion of fan expectations but it’s sort of interesting when looked at through that perspective. Though I bet some people were still super disappointing.

Then again, it’s not like we haven’t seen Sonic and Knuckles fight before. The two heroes remind us, through dialogue, that they’ve fought plenty of times in the rebooted continuity. Who will win the Chaos Emerald is a serious question but “Champions” continues to be, more-or-less, a comedy. We get a farcical flashback, where Scratch, Grounder, and Coconuts each try to earn credit for discovering the Emerald in the first place. During Sonic and Knuckles’ fight, there’s a funny two page spread showing the enthusiastic reactions of everyone watching. Bean and the Hooligans continue to be ridiculous characters, the duck affixing bombs with bubblegum. This is a very goofy comic book.

Even the most serious moment, when Metal Sonic flies in and nearly gets away with the Emerald, is accented by comedy. No guards are present to challenge him, which confuses the robot. The series of panels of the Freedom Fighters attempting to stop him are silly and comedic. After Tails socks him, with Breezie’s re-activated security system and the other heroes standing in his way, Robotnik tells the robot to forget it. Metal Sonic lets the good guys just take the Emerald. They, in turn, let him fly away. The bad guy just... leaves. This would count as a complete anti-climax, if we were meant to take “Champions” seriously at all.

Ultimately, two small, character-related moments end up justifying this comic book for me. Tails whacking Metal Sonic away is not an accident. After the fox prevents the Emerald’s theft, Sonic declares him the ultimate champion of ultimate destiny. This moment plays nicely off that moment, two issues ago, where Tails felt like a chump for getting taking out so cheaply by Honey. Sonic essentially gives Tails the championship to make his little buddy feel better. Aww, isn’t that sweet? See, the blue hedgehog really is a nice guy. Why the official rule makers just go along with this announcement is a question this comic book doesn’t feel the need to answer.

I also like a scene that comes directly afterwards. Honey is signing a deal with Breezie. The cat points out all the obvious ways Breezie allowed Eggman’s interruption of the final fight to happen. Breezie reveals that allowing the villain to intervene made her tournament way more of a new story than it otherwise would’ve been. Nearly letting Metal Sonic get away with the Emerald made Breezie even more rich and famous. Honey is left unnerved by the other businesswoman’s calculating ruthlessness. It’s a solid moment because it shows the difference between Honey and Breezie, two characters that seemed somewhat similar up to now. The cat has morals and scruples. Breezie doesn’t, as her bank account and public profile are the only things that matter to her.

Besides those nice character-driven moments, I still can’t help but feel that “Champions” was kind of a waste of time. Again, if this had occurred after the world was saved, as a light arc meant to blow off some steam, I probably would’ve liked it more. Many of those problems remain present in this last part. By the way, Diana Skelly gets some help with the artwork from Ryan Jampole. If you need to figure out which panels he drew, just look for the ones where the characters’ heads awkwardly grow out if their shoulders like tumors. [5/10]

Sonic the Hedgehog: Issue 270

Sonic the Hedgehog: Issue 270
Publication Date: March 2015

The regular cover for issue 270 of Archie’s “Sonic the Hedgehog” is serviceable enough. It shows the four Sega-approved protagonist of the series, posing and displaying their various superpowers. Compared to the alternate cover though, it comes off as totally plain. I’ve expressed my fondness for the original two “Marvel vs. Capcom” games, which Archie previously did a throwback to. The alternate cover is another reference to that game. Drawn by  Brent McCarthy, it pays homage to the famous Japanese box art, showing Sonic and friends facing off dramatically. In a nice touch, it even includes a white curve to the left, befitting a Dreamcast game. And if you missed the joke, this cover is referred to as the “Marvel at This Showdown” variant.

Part three of “Champions,” subtitled “Raising the Stakes,” continues the fisticuffs and behind-the-scenes intrigue. Nack and Knuckles win their matches against Bean and Amy, Sonic and Tails watching from the bleachers. This builds towards the semi-final showdowns: Sonic vs. Honey and Knuckles vs. Nack. Meanwhile, Eggman watches from a distance, plotting on sending Metal Sonic in at the last minute.

Aside from presenting us with a bracket that I don’t think makes any sense, “Champions” does get slightly more psychological in its third part. It seems intimidation and out-thinking your opponent is just as important as brute strength or speed. During her fight with Knuckles, Amy is so distracted by thinking about Sonic - and whether she wants to fight him or not - that Knuckles easily smashes her. (This is cute, even if it’s hard to imagine the grizzled badass that was preboot Amy loosing like that.) Nack attempts to use psychological tactics against Knuckles, playing towards what he perceives to be the echidna’s mental weaknesses. This doesn’t work but it’s good to know Flynn considered brains as well as brawn in this fighting tournament arc.

The insight into the cast’s minds doesn’t just occur inside the ring. While watching Bean humiliate Nack, Sonic notices that Tails is feeling a little down. Apparently the fox is feeling a little embarrassed about his loss to Honey. There’s a good panel of Sonic’s face, showing how he had never considered his young friend feeling this way. He reassures him, saying that the world has seen Tails saving it many times, and that’s the end of that plot point. However, it’s nice that the comic took the time to acknowledge the characters’ feelings in between all the fighting and grunting.

There's been a light and humorous feeling running through most of “Champions.” This goes even further in the third fight, where the combat is mostly played for comedy. Aside from Amy being squished because she's lost in her own thoughts, the fights involving Nack are both played for laughs. As he's bombarded with bombs by Bean, he gets more and more irritated before snapping and giving the duck a harsh beatdown. As for his bout with Knuckles, the echidna calmly waits out the weasel's teasing before slamming him to the ground, back and forth, by his tail. There's even some humor in Sonic and Honey's fight, as she surprises him early with a body slam.

Adding to the humor, as it did last time, is Diana Skelly's artwork. Seeing Nack loose his shit, as Bean pelts him with explosives, is good for a laugh. It’s not the only time this issue plays the weasel’s misery for laughs. The scene of Knuckles whipping him back and forth like a koosh ball is pretty funny. So is Sonic’s blank expression of surprise when Honey flips him. The panel of Bean the Duck somersaulting through the air while doing different pose is goofily amusing too. While I really like Skelly’s artwork, I sometimes feel it’s a little too loose and cartoony at times. In the final set of pages, Sonic and Knuckles both go a little off-model.

Another cute element in this issues are the fake ads peppered throughout. Throughout the fights, we see the commercials that play through the televised fight. (Even though it’s clarified as being on pay-per-view later in the book.) We see Wes Weasely shilling Chao Cola, a commercials for a Chao version of “Sonic Boom” and “Chao in Space 3,” and some sort of program starring oddball ‘06 character Sonic Man. You’ll notice all of these are lame in-jokes that aren’t funny at all. However, I do like how these little moments expand on the comic’s world.

By turning the story into a farcical comedy in its third part, the “Champions” arc perks up a lot. If the whole thing is meant to be a goofy comedy, it becomes a lot easier to swallow all the logic holes in the story. I still don’t care who wins the tournament and gets the Chaos Emerald or whatever. But at least I’m more entertained now. [6/10]