Sonic the Hedgehog (IDW): Free Comic Book Day 2022

Sonic the Hedgehog (IDW): Free Comic Book Day 2022

Publication Date: May 7th, 2022

It's easy to see why the "Sonic the Hedgehog" comic series has been a semi-regular participant in Free Comic Book Day since 2007. Free Comic Book Day is a way for comic companies to promote their product and attract new audiences. (As well as drawing new business to small local comic shops.) "Sonic" has appeared across numerous medias, so it's a well-known franchise that can grab the attention of folks who maybe don't otherwise read comic books. "Sonic" is also popular with kids, exactly the audience that can be transformed into life-long fans (and buyers) of the medium with just a single book. So I was not surprised when IDW continued Archie's tradition of including a "Sonic" book in all the FCBD goodies. 

What did surprise me is that Free Comic Book Day is in its traditional homelands of May this year, after COVID related shenanigans had it moving to April last year. I went on vacation last week – Universal Studios was fun, by the way – and wasn't reminded that FCBD had been the weekend I left until later in the week. So here I am playing catch-up, like I too often am doing. That's also why I'll have a review of the final issue of "Imposter Syndrome" next time. 

Anyway, "Sonic's" 2022 FCBD issue contains mostly new content in the form of two stories. The first of which is called "Deep Trouble." It involves Knuckles calling Sonic and Tails to Angel Island. While the guardian is still crabby about the Metal Virus endangering his home, he concedes he needs the duo's help on this new mystery. There's been strange earthquakes throughout the Marble Garden Zone and the echidna isn't sure what do make of it. As the trio explores further, they soon uncover the responsible party: Eggman, in a fancy drilling machine. 

One of the more common criticisms I've heard of IDW's "Sonic" stuff has been the lack of appearances of a certain character. Presumably because Sega mandates insist he constantly be chained to the Master Emerald, or weariness over comics using the echidna after the whole Ken Penders debacle, Knuckles hasn't had as big of a role in these comics as many fans would like. Flynn's best reasoning for this has been to write Knuckles as an isolationist, fanatically devoted to his job and resentful of the rest of the world for endangering his beloved island. I find this whole ordeal kind of lame but "Deep Trouble" at least rolls with it in as annoyance-free a manner as possible. Knuckles is still grumpy about the Zombot outbreak but he's willing to put all that aside when he needs a little help from his friends.

Ultimately, "Deep Trouble" is really kind of a nothing story. Sonic and Tails show up on Angel Island and Knuckles tells them about a problem. They immediately run into the source of that problem and, within the span of five quick pages, defeat it. You get the impression that not a lot of time or resources are allocated for these Free Comic Book Day issues. (After all, Archie frequently would just throw some reprints together for the day.) I imagine Flynn wrote this whole story in an afternoon and didn't out too much thought into it. Perhaps realizing how thin the gruel is, the author at least enlivens the proceedings with a little witty banter. Stern and serious Knuckles and flippant Sonic, as always, make ideal foils for each other. The hedgehog and Tails prattle a little about how to pronounce the name of "Sonic 3's" second zone. Eggman and the good guys trade some amusing quips. It's not a lot but it at least makes a story that doesn't amount to much more than "Sonic and friends find Eggman and then beat him" worth reading.

And this brief little story May gave us a preview of what the comic could get up to once its current story arc is resolved. We are told a little bit about what Knuckles has been up to in the nineteen months since he last appeared in the comic. He's been scouring Angel Island for any remaining trace of the Metal Virus and has, along the way, discovered numerous hidden passageways and secret spaces on the island. His dialogue reemphasizes that there's still a lot of mysteries surrounding the island. Is this a suggestion that Sega is finally allowing Flynn and the gang to flesh out the backstory of Knuckles' home land a little bit? Or is it just a tease for information that the company will never allow the book to elaborate on, least it disrupt Knuckles' status as a vaguely defined corporate mascot? I guess we'll found out eventually. Either way, I'm intrigued by the bread crumbs left here. 

If I have any complaint about this story, aside from it being short and simple, is that Eggman goes down like a little bitch. When exactly this story is set isn't specified. Obviously, it's some point after the end of the Metal Virus Saga and presumably a bit before the current storyline the comic is wrapped up in. I suspect the story might be set slightly after "Recovery," that period in the comic when Eggman clearly had no idea what he was doing. He says he's drilling on Angel Island for precious materials of some sort. (Maybe to help build whatever the thing in the "Test Run" arc was.) All Sonic, Tails, and Knuckles have to do is whack his EggMobile a couple of times, Swiss cheesing his armor, before the villain flies off with his tail between his legs. I guess this is what happens at the end of every stage in the Genesis games but it doesn't deflect the perception of Eggman as an aimless, incompetent supervillain. 

The script being simple isn't the only sign that this issue was maybe rushed out. Bracardi Curry does the artwork here. Curry's work is usually of a pretty high quality. And it's not bad here either. But it is slightly looser than his pencils usually are. The expressions are a little cartoonier. The body language is a bit more exaggerated. I don't mind any of this stuff and it's a fun-looking story. A panel of Eggman looking all stretched out while stressing in his cockpit is notable. But it's also a little goofier, a little less studied and fleshed out, than the art usually is in this comic. I get the impression that there just wasn't time for Curry to do a second pass on these pages. 

As in last year's "Sonic" Free Comic Book Day edition, the second story here isn't really much of a story. "Prelude to Disaster" is, instead, basically a clip show. It's just a short summation of the book's first four years worth of stories. It runs us quickly through the Metal Sonic takeover, the Zombot outbreak, the "Bad Guys" mini-series, and the run-up to the current "Imposter Syndrome" arc. At the very least, the story is not just a primer for any novices picking up an IDW "Sonic" comic for the first time. It is framed as a conversation – or maybe more of a monologue – from Starline to Surge and Kit. Occasionally, Surge will pipe in with some smart-ass comment or Kit will stutter through a line. It's still a glorified recap. There's no new art here, as far as I can tell, but at least some attempt was made to make this more than just an advertisement for IDW's various collection of back issues. 

Though there are literally several advertisements for collections in this comic book. Including one seemingly thrown together to cash in on the second "Sonic" movie, devoted to stories focusing on Sonic and Tails' friendship. Also, in the fan art section, there's a pretty cool Belle custom action figure. As for 2022's FCBD issue, it's pretty inessential. I would've preferred another cute Classic Sonic story like last year. But this is an inoffensive comic with one or two cute moments, even if it's clearly pitched at newcomers. [6/10]

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

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

Publication Date: August 14th, 2021

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Sonic the Hedgehog: Issue 281

Sonic the Hedgehog: Issue 281
Publication Date: May 2016

Here’s how fucked-up Archie’s release schedule was by 2016. Issue 281 features a pretty cute and amusing variant cover drawn by Diana Skelly. It features Sonic being chased by a bevy of love struck female characters, with Omega playing the trigger happy Cupid. If you hadn’t guessed, this cover was obviously meant to tie into Valentine’s Day. As in, February 14th. And the book wouldn’t actually come out until May, cause shit was all fucked-up. It’s a good thing the book’s primary cover featured a big event – the reappearance of Dulcy – to cover up that embarrassing faux-pas.

(By the way: Among the variant cover’s fawning females, in her sole Archie appearance, is Lah. That’s the cute little ghost girl from the “Night of the Werehog” short film. The “Sonic” fandom being as obsessive-compulsive as it is, Lah is fairly popular despite being a minor character. I attribute this largely to her super adorable design. I have no idea if Lah’s cameo here is a hint that Flynn planned to utilize her at some point in the future. If so, it would’ve been neat to see how a cutesy ghost could’ve fit into the Archie-verse, the kind of stories that could’ve been built around that. Alas, it was not to be for obvious reasons.)

Anyway, our cover story is melodramatically called “Wings of Fire, Part One: Slow Burn.” Sonic and the Freedom Fighters are in Yurashia, on the look-out for Zonshen, the local Gaia Temple guardian. After running into Silver Sonic and some Badniks, the team is assisted by Dulcy the Dragon. A long ago ally of the Freedom Fighters, Dulcy has returned home to start her own team. Since then, she’s only managed to gather three others to her cause: Cyborg tiger and Egg Army deserter Jian, studious tortoise Bunker, and childish pheasant Cinder. The problem emerges when it’s discovered that a phoenix, driven crazy by the Dark Gaia energy, is preventing anyone from entering the Gaia Temple.

After Lupe was re-introduced, it was only a matter of time before that other SatAM exclusive female cast member, Dulcy, appeared post-reboot. Dulcy’s redesign is more radical than Lupe’s, largely due to her design always being an odd fit for the Sega style. I think the compromise, making her tall and gangly instead of tall and chubby, is still awkward. (And the book never addresses why a western-style dragon is in an eastern setting.) Nevertheless, it’s nice to have her back. The sweetness at the core of the character is focused on, in a cute flashback showing how she first met the Freedom Fighters, how she was immediately welcomed into their ranks.

Part one of “Wings Of Fire” is largely devoted to introducing Dulcy, her team, and the world they inhabit. The Shijin Warriors are, as you might’ve guessed, another reference to the Four Guardian Beasts of pan-Asian mythology. Flynn uses these three to set up the fractured area. The tough and short-spoken Jian points out that Eggman has a strong grip on the psyche of the local people. The tribe the chipper Cinder comes from are isolationists. Bunker gets the least development, though he’s as steady and observational as you’d expect a tortoise to be. As for the characters, I immediately like Jian – she gives me some Julie-Su vibes - but find Cinder a little annoying. It’s not like the comic needs another enthusiastic child character, not when Cream is already on this mission. As for the setting, it’s already a more interesting take on Central Asia than the ninja/Monkey Khan version that existed previously.

The second half of the book is devoted to “Homesick.” While the other Freedom Fighters are screwing around in Yurashia, Tails and a Bunnie are in Adabat – seemingly based Southern Asia – to look for another Gaia Key. They find the guardian, Teanchi, who is distraught. His home, which has been in the family for generations, was lost when the world was shattered. He’s been squatting on the wreckage ever since. It takes Tails and Bunnie getting his kids over there to convince him to take help.

While Tails and Bunnie are trying to get Teanchi out of his funk, we flash back to when Bunnie first came to be with the Freedom Fighters. Confined to a wheelchair and still adapting to her robotic limbs at the time, Bunnie was feeling depressed. Like she would never belonged. It took Tails and Ben Muttski, still adorable little kids at the time, to perk her up. It’s a big change to Bunnie’s history, as preboot Bunnie adapted immediately to her cybernetics. (Though they were still a big source of angst for her, from time to time.) Still, it’s nice to see the book focusing on the characters’ feelings so much. Feels like that’s been lacking in the last two years.

This connects loosely to Teanchi’s own loss, though in a round-about way. Loosing your home is devastating but I think loosing limbs is probably worst. Flynn did a better job last month of having the Freedom Fighters help out some common folks and reflect on their past. Nevertheless, I’m fond of this format. If Flynn had been connecting the search for the Gaia Keys or whatever to small, personal issues all along, this extended MacGuffin chase would’ve gone down a lot smoother.

Remember how I said I didn’t start to warm up to the reboot until near the end? This issue and the “Eggman’s Dozen” arc in “Sonic Universe” seem to be the turning point. It’s not a gold star issue or anything. The stories are still weighed down by the laborious lore that haunted the entire reboot. Yet I do find myself liking this one a bit. The cover story provides the kind of slower, character centric story I’ve been preferring lately. And everyone gathering around to eat noodles and dumplings is adorable. While I’m not sure I like all the new info the back-up gives us, at least its focused on people we know and love. That sounds look a [7/10] for me.

Oh, by the way, I had planned on reviewing the 2016 Free Comic Book Day edition of “Sonic” today. I reviewed all the others, even the ones that were reprints. Yet, checking my collection, it would appear I don’t possess 2016’s FCBD book. I guess I wasn’t in the comic shop much that year. Moreover, from what I’ve read online, the freebie was just a digest sized reprint of issue 280 and “Sonic Universe” issue 84. In other words, the books I just reviewed, that were brand new at the time. The only extra content was previews of some upcoming issues. So it sounds like Archie didn’t expend any effort that year. In turn, it doesn’t sound worth my time to track it down. It pains me that my Archie Sonic retrospective won’t be one hundred percent comprehensive because of this but I think you guys will let it go, even if I won’t.

Sonic/Mega Man Free Comic Book Day 2015

Sonic/Mega Man Free Comic Book Day 2015
Publication Date: May 2015

Archie was frequently not great at scheduling. This was a problem when it came to their big events. Free Comic Book Day comes every May. Yet the April 2015 issues of Archie’s “Sonic” books take place after the events of that year’s FCBD special. Of course, most of these issues were all doing the same thing: Preparing the readers for “Worlds Unite,” the next Sonic/Mega Man crossover event. Yes, kids, the next five weeks or so will be taking us back to Crossover Land. Oh boy, am I excited. As they did in 2013, Archie split that year’s FCBD special between the speedy hedgehog and the Blue Bomber.

The Sonic half is devoted to “Sonic Comic Origins: Into the Unknown,” which seems to take place after the end of “Champions” but before the conclusion of “Spark of Life.” Sonic is going for a leisurely jog through a coastal area when Dr. Eggman attacks. This battle is interrupted when a massive dimensional wedgie opens up. Some sort of lava-y dragon harlequin baby pops out, causing Robotnik to flee. Luckily, Silver arrives on the scene and helps Sonic to put that thing back where it came from. Afterwards, the telekinetic explains that the events of the Super Genesis Wave has caused dimensional portals to open all throughout time. Gee, I wonder if those could allow people to jump between worlds and zones?

Before actually talking about this story, it’s time for one of my favorite activities: Needless nerd pedantry! The Sonic story contained within the 2015 FCBD is identified as a Comic Origins story. These have usually been used to expand on the new, post-reboot backstories of Sonic’s supporting cast. “Into the Unknown” gets this branding despite not being devoted to anyone’s origins. I guess we learn a little about Silver’s home world here but that’s about it. Unless the origin we’re learning here are for the Genesis Portals, which seems like a cheat. I’m just saying, Archie: Don't say this series of stories is for one thing and then use it for another thing.

Instead, “Into the Unknown” is devoted to two things: Action and exposition. Sonic and Silver refer to the monster as an ifrit, even though it doesn’t look like an Islamic fire spirit. Apparently, they fought this thing before during the events of “Sonic Rivals 2,” a video game I don’t think I knew existed an hour ago. Anyway, the action scenes are serviceable. There’s a couple of cool moments of Silver tossing Sonic through the air using his telekinesis. The fight is mildly neat but has a disappointing ending, with Sonic simply luring the monster back to its home dimension.

The second half of the story is devoted to explaining the mechanics behind the Genesis Portals. It seems you can’t just reboot an entire multi-verse without some unforeseen circumstances. It's as if the shards of the shattered universe are flying backwards and forwards through time, tearing holes in the dimensional fabric of reality. The science behind that seems... Questionable. But this is not meant to be actual ramifications of Sonic's actions during “Worlds Collide.” Instead, it's a convenient plot device to set up future crossovers and other inter-dimensional shenanigans. Under more than two minutes of scrutiny, this shaky justification for the incoming crossover is revealed as undeniably shallow.

This issue also happens to introduce one of my least favorite reboot characters. Hanging out with Silver in the future is Professor von Schlemmer. Like Breezie, von Schlemmer has is origins on “Adventures of Sonic the Hedgehog.” Like that version of the character, he's an eccentric but ultimately morally upright super-genius scientist. The comic ditches the cartoon version's more annoying attributes. However, it keeps his eye-seering visual components. For some reason, von Schlemmer has turquoise colored skin and blazing orange hair with a yellow lightning bolt through it. That kind of color palette was acceptable in a day-glo cartoon show but looks really out-of-place here. He also has oddly mechanical patches on his face and skin. It all makes him look like a half-undead corpse, some sort of weird Frankenstein monster. There's no explanation for why von Schlemmer is so viscerally unpleasant to look at.

Adam Bryce Thomas provides the artwork and, hey, it's pretty damn good. There's a fantastic sense of motion and action to Thomas' work here. Sonic always looks very sleek and fast, Thomas usually portraying the hedgehog in motion. The Ifrit looks fittingly grotesque, a giant and squirming whale baby made of bubbling magma. Yet Thomas' work is strong enough that it's visually compelling even when not focusing on the action scenes. A shot of Silver levitating Sonic, who is rather casually about the situation, gets most of its humor from Thomas' artwork.

So what about that Mega Man story? I had long since stopped reading the “Mega Man” comic by this point but figured, for the sake of professionalism, I should at least give this half of the free comic a look. “World of Payne” mostly revolves around Xander Payne, a reoccurring adversary of Mega Man's, exclusive to the comic book. The story is devoted to explaining his back story and seems to do this largely by recycling panels from previous comic books. Apparently Payne is an anti-robotics extremist, whose terrorist actions threatens both organic and mechanical beings. After an encounter with a time machine threw him into the future and back, Payne has been captured. In his cell, he rambles about future events... including another visit from a blue hedgehog.

I don't have too much to say about this one, other than the very strong pun in the title. Payne does seem to be a more compelling villain than Dr. Wily, who is primarily motivated by his ego and the petty need to humiliate his rivals. Though we don't see much of it here, I bet some of Payne's concerns about the effects robots are having on humanity are valid. So he's already way more complex than most of Mega Man's rogue gallery. I dislike using so many different artists and art-style in this story, which certainly leads to a schizophrenic appearance. And the set-up for “Worlds Unite” is as blatant and distracting here as it is in the “Sonic” half.

So it's a pretty mediocre Free Comic Book Day special. The “Mega Man” story is a glorified clip show, albeit one devoted to a fairly interesting villain. The “Sonic” story is mildly fun as an action story but offers little else, aside from rocketing us towards the next big crossover. I don't have especially strong feelings either way about this one, though they veer slightly towards the negative. [5/10]

Sonic Free Comic Book Day 2014

Sonic Free Comic Book Day 2014
Publication Date: May 2014

In 2014, Archie would begin to publish short comic stories called Sonic Comic Origins. These would detail the backstories of the established cast members, as they exist in the rebooted universe. (Pointedly, characters that originated in the video games would be left out of this, as Sega refuses to let Sonic and his friends have an actual origin, as this would interfere with his status as a highly marketable corporate mascot.)

Despite this being fairly vital information, that informs this world and its characters, Archie and Ian Flynn did not see fit to include these stories in the actual on-going comic book. I guess they didn't want to interrupt the flow of the narrative, which is obviously much more important than knowing who these characters actually are and what they're about. Right? Sure. Anyway, the first of these Origins stories were published in 2014's Free Comic Book Day special. The second one would later be re-published soon afterwards in issue 7 of the “Sonic Super Digest.”

The first story is called “Sally – The Exiled Leader” and, obviously, revolves around Sally, the exiled leader. While the Freedom Fighters are working through a training simulation on the Sky Patrol, Sally thinks back on how the team was formed. She remembers her happy childhood days in the Acorn Castle, with her father. How he and Naugus were exiled to the Special Zone during Eggman's coup. How she fled to the Wood Zone, found Knothole Village. How Sonic inspired her to form her own team and fight back. How they've been fighting for years, rescuing her dad, winning the kingdom back, but still going forward to save the world and defeat Eggman forever.

Sally's backstory, as presented in “The Exiled Leader,” is not too different from the previous continuity. However, there's one really big difference. King Nigel Acorn is much less of a prick than King Max Acorn. The flashbacks emphasizes how much Sally loves her Dad, showing them playing when she was tiny. After rescuing Nigel and reinstating him as King, Sally asks her dad if she can forego her royal duties and continue to lead the Freedom Fighters. The King gives her his enthusiastic support. It's hard to imagine the old King Max doing either of those things. The preboot constantly mined Sally's struggle to balance her life as a Freedom Fighter with her life as a Princess. So that's one obvious way the reboot 'verse is superior to its predecessor. This is a King Acorn you can imagine people actually being invested in enough to want to rescue.

The training simulation set-up continues with “Rotor – The Exiled Inventor.” While building a rocket launcher to take down their digital adversary, Rotor recalls his own childhood. He grew up among a warrior walrus tribe in the frozen north. Unlike the rest of his family, he was more interested in technology than anything else. This caused him to run away from home and head towards the Kingdom of Acorn, supposedly a technological wonderland. Instead, Rotor arrived to find a conquered city. He soon met up with Sally and the Freedom Fighters, who quickly found a use for the walrus' inventive mind.

In the old continuity, Rotor's family were enslaved by the various Robotniks for more than a decade. Flynn switches this up a bit by having Rotor willingly leave his home. Being rejected by a distant father for being more intellectual than physical is a classic source of teenage angst. It's an okay origin but what's more interesting is the probably accidental connotations. In the old continuity, Ken Penders would reveal that he always wrote Rotor as gay. Assuming Rotor's double-secret closeted status is still true in the new timeline, the scene of the walrus coming out to his dad as a tinkerer, and being harshly rejected, reads very differently. And we already know Rotor's dad is now an Egg Boss. Flynn probably planned for the two to have a confrontation eventually but, naturally, was too busy with this Shattered Earth bullshit.

This issue also gives us a better look at the new continuity's history. It seems Flynn basically came to the same conclusion I did: That combining SatAM with the classic games is a solid decision. So there's lots of little images here that will be instantly recognizable to longtime Sonic fans. Such as the Princess Jasmine costume Sally wears as a little girl. Or the presence of Rosie, who was still her nanny. As a child, Rotor resembled his pudgier animated counterpart, even wearing the yellow baseball cap. And it would seem Eggman assumed power over the Kingdom of Acorn in more-or-less the same way, though the local countryside now features more marbled loops. At the same time, now it's evident Sonic began fighting Eggman before meeting the Freedom Fighters, presumably to make room for the events of the first few Sega games. Still, it works and I wish Flynn had led with this, instead of just dropping us into the middle of the action.

The artwork is by Lamar Wells. Wells previously did the pencils for issues 253 and 254, supposedly working off Tracy Yardley's outlines, in addition to providing a few covers here and there. Wells, working alone this time, does just fine. His Sally looks especially bouncy and cool. He draws good dramatic poses, which works for the highly static flashbacks, and dynamic action scenes, which work for the training simulation presence. He has a good balance of cute and gritty, that this series has always run on. 

I also like the little throwbacks and in-jokes in here. Such as the reveal that Rotor apparently invented the spikes throughout the Green Hill Zone as a trap for Eggman's Badniks. Or the bit of flirty banter Sonic and Sally get at the end of the first story. Most notably, the training simulation also has the Freedom Fighters battling Scorpius, the memorable first level boss from “Sonic Spinball.” The stories are solid enough and will probably make me a little more invested in these new versions of the established cast members going forward. Which makes me really wonder why Archie didn't include these in the main book. This seems like the kind of important information readers would want to know.

Instead, these Sonic Comic Origins were stuck into 2014's Free Comic Book Day release, where they would have to share half a comic book with Mega Man reprints. Not really caring about the adventures of Mega Man X or whatever, I didn't read that half of the book. (Spaz drew that story, so it at least looks snazzy.) Archie would continue to shove the Comic Origins into various Digests and Magazine releases, leaving them out of the regular book for some baffling reason. That makes this Free Comic Book Day release one of the most essential. [7/10]

Sonic the Hedgehog/Mega Man FCBD 2013

Sonic the Hedgehog/Mega Man FCBD 2013
Publication Date: May 2013

Ah, the crossover. It’s a tradition with a long history in comics, nearly as old as the medium itself. The first crossover in comics occurred in 1940 when the Golden Age Human Torch and Namor the Submariner slugged it out in the pages of Marvel Mystery Comics #8. (That crossover was also, more or less, the origin point of the wider Marvel Universe.) Since then, characters meeting, fighting, and teaming-up has been an essential part of the comic book experience. Not even fictional universes becoming more defined and companies becoming more stringent has prevented crossovers from happening, as inter-company team-ups still occur fairly regularly. A good recent example are the various Ninja Turtles/Batman crossovers DC and IDW have done.

Archie has happily gotten in on this game before but the results have usually been... Stranger. I’m talking about shit like “Archie Meets the Punisher” or its modern follow-ups, where the Riverdale gang met the Predator, KISS, the Ramones, and whoever the fuck the people on “Glee” were. Archie’s attempts to build crossover events with the “Sonic” characters have been even less well received. The crossover with a bunch of random Image superheroes is widely considered one of the worst Archie Sonic stories. The hedgehog’s team up with the company’s own Sabrina the Teenage Witch was ignored by most people and scorned by those that did read it.

So it’s no surprise that Archie’s Sonic books took a long break from crossovers after that. But that was going to change in 2013. This was a different era. By that time, Archie was also publishing a comic book based on Capcom’s long running and iconic Mega Man video games. Ian Flynn was also writing this series. Considering their mutual statuses as video game series about robot-smashing little blue guys with mad scientist archenemies, fans have often paired the two characters. We know Flynn is a huge fucking nerd, so I imagine he began pitching a crossover between the two books from the minute Archie received the Mega Man license.

The stodgy Sega and Capcom execs must have approved the idea by 2013. “Worlds Collide” would play out over that summer, in the pages of “Mega Man,” the main “Sonic” book, and “Sonic Universe.” The crossover would technically start in the series’ shared Free Comic Book Day edition from that year. That’s what the cover, referring to itself as Worlds Collide Part 0, would have you believe. In fact, the FCBD edition would just reprint half of both series’ most recent issues. Both end with white light fade outs, signaling the interruption of both series’ ongoing plots and the beginning of the event.

Before we can talk about “Worlds Collide,” we need to talk about the Mega Man series. Or, at least, my relationship to it. As a kid, I was definitely aware of the games. I played a friend’s copy of “Mega Man 2” on my Gameboy during a misbegotten summer camp excursion. My best friend in middle school was a pretty big fan of “Mega Man Legends.” I have vague memories of the Saturday morning cartoon show. Mostly of its anime-esque opening sequence and catchy theme song. (Which Flynn repeatedly references here.) Not so much the actual show which, by most accounts, is pretty bad. I definitely enjoyed playing as Mega Man and Roll in “Marvel vs. Capcom.” I like a couple of the Protomen’s songs. But, for the most part, my attempts to get invested in the “Mega Man” franchise have not been successful.

Despite my ongoing ambivalence to Capcom’s mascot series, when Archie’s comic adaptation was announced, I decided to give it a shot. Mostly because Patrick Spaziante was penciling the first four issues and because I like Flynn, I guess. I read the first story arc. I found the plot to be repetitive and the characters to be childish. After Spaz left the series with issue 5, I quickly dropped the book. My experience is not typical though. Flynn’s work on “Mega Man” received the kind of mainstream critical acclaim that his “Sonic” run never achieved. A lot of people really love this book. So much so that, when Archie announced its cancellation extended hiatus, there was quite of bit of fan outcry.

So, what I’m trying to say is, I want to go into this “Worlds Collide” re-read with an open mind. The Mega Man half of this FCBD edition reprints half of issue 23 of Mega Man.The story is entitled “For the Bot That Has Everything,” though that information isn’t in this comic book. It depicts Break Man – who is actually Mega Man’s robotic “brother” Protoman – attacking Mega Man. The Robotic Masters – former soldiers of the evil Dr. Wily that Mega Man has converted to the side of good – attempt to help out but are quickly defeated. Just as Mega Man has cornered Break Man and is about to unmask him, the Super Genesis Wave sweeps through the comic.

As a Mega Man novice, what do I think of this? Well, there seems to be some decent emotion here. The rivalry between Mega Man and Protoman has a nice mythic quality to them. It's elaborated upon a little in the data files in the back, but part of Protoman's switching sides is based in the jealousy he feels for Rock and Roll, his more perfect “siblings.” We get a glimpse at Protoman's inner turmoil, as he has a chance to finish Mega Man but, remembering the good times he had with their dad, decides not too. I also like how increasingly pissed off Mega Man gets at his enemy, as he continues to tear apart his friends. (Including his transforming robot dog, Rush, who is a hell of a lot more charming than T-Pup.)

However, one of the problems I had with “Mega Man” when I first read it are still apparent. As Mega Man is fighting Protoman, the Robot Masters attempt to help out. Most of these guys speak strictly in puns. Cut-Man, especially, seems to communicate solely with scissor-related wordplay. Even when he's been seriously damaged and the situation is grave, the other Robot Masters seem to have little personality beyond their various abilities and superpowers. This is also an action heavy story. Since I have zero emotion attachment to these characters, the violence means pretty much nothing to me.

There was some crossover in artists between “Sonic” and “Mega Man.” Ben Bates, Jamal Peppers and Tyson Hesse drew a few stories, with Matt Herms working as colorist for most of the series. Ryan Jampole, a regular artist on “Mega Man,” pencils this specific issue. Jampole seems pretty good at this. His facial expressions are cartoony and communicative. Everyone seems to be on-model, as far as I can tell. However, his action strikes me as a little stiff and hard-to-follow. There's a moment where Break Man scoops up Bomb Man's, uh, bombs with his shield and throws them back. In execution, it looks more like the bombs are gently rolling into Break Man's shield, which just happens to be sitting there.

So what does this Free Comic Book Day special offer faithful Sonic fans? Pretty much nothing. The reprinted pages from issue 247 are exactly the same. Considering I just reviewed that issue on Friday, I don't feel a need to rehash my thoughts on it. Besides that, there's a little section to catch new readers up on the general factoids of Sonic's world. The artwork here is all recycled from the Complete Comic Encyclopedia. It's very apparent that this FCBD special was done to promote “Worlds Collide” and to catch up readers from one series that do not follow the other one. Though it's hard to imagine hardcore Mega Man readers being lured to “Sonic” by half a story so entrenched in the comic's then on-going plots. (Though I guess that wouldn't matter after the reboot, would it?)

As far as Free Comic Book Day issues go, this is definitely one of Archie's lazier ones. Reprinting brand new stories really strikes me as a bizarre strategy. So I don't think it's even fair to rate 2013's this FCBD one-shot. It wouldn't really be ethical for me to put a number on this “Mega Man” story, when I only read half of it. And I have almost no familiarity with the series around it, for that matter. Then again, only getting part of the story never stopped Rex Reed so, eeeeh, I guess this gets a [6/10].

Sonic Free Comic Book Day 2012

Sonic Free Comic Book Day 2012
Publication Date: May 2012

It's Free Comic Book Day time again, readers. At least, it's time for us to, once again, flash back to that specific day in 2012. For the past two years, Archie gave away genuinely new comic books to celebrate this day. That was pretty cool as, the two years before that, they were content to simply throw some reprints at us. Well, the company was in a lazy mood again in 2012. 2012's FCBD edition of “Sonic” simply reprints issue #230. I'm not sure why Archie felt the need to reprint a story that was still so recent, other than 230 more-or-less setting up most of the current conflict in the book's then-on-going story line.

Turns out, though, I won't have to review a comic book I reviewed not that long ago with this one. Because Archie does include some extras here. In the back of the comic, after “Two Steps Back...” concludes, are a series of brief text stories detailing a different Freedom Fighters' reaction to the artificial Genesis world breaking down and everyone being zapped back to the Prime Zone. It isn't much, as each story is only a single page long, but at least it gives us something to talk about. Tales about Tails, Knuckles, Amy Rose, Bunnie, and Rotor are included within. This collection is given the rather awkward title of “Sonic: Genesis Awakenings”

Tails' story details him aboard the Tornado, watching Sonic sneak onto the Death Egg, before being attacked by the Flying Fortress. The Genesis Wave is then reversed, zapping him back to reality. Of all the stories in this collection, it seems the most superfluous. Tails' was actually involved in “Genesis,” so there's not too much new information here. The opening paragraphs gives us a peak inside the fox's mind during the infamous moment in “Sonic 2,” at the beginning of the Wing Fortress Zone, when the Tornado is shot down and Sonic bails out, leaving his friend behind. The conclusion mostly exist to describe the brief moment of confusion everyone on Mobius felt as reality is restored back to normal.

The rest of the “Awakenings” stories are focused on characters that weren't directly involved in “Genesis,” given us a peek at other corners of Robotnik's Sega-ified artificial world. Knuckles' story has him patrolling Angel Island, reflecting on his mission and his loneliness, before he's reunited in the Prime Zone with Julie-Su and Charmy. There's some nice juxtaposition between Sega Knux's solitary life and Archie Knux's companionship. But otherwise there's not much purpose to this one. Though Charmy mentions being detectives with Vector and Espio in the Genesis World, so I guess that's the official Sega bylaw concerning that trio now, as dumb as that idea is. (There's also something a little poignant about this, as it's also Julie-Su's last appearance in the book before the Frightful Pendersing removed her from the universe. Her lines about feeling like she was back inside the Twilight Cage may be foreshadowing of the “Endangered Species” arc.)

Amy's story drums up often forgotten bits of her personal history. In the Genesis world, Sega Amy plays with Tarot cards, decides her and Sonic are destined to be together, and briefly mentions Metal Sonic and Little Planet. This image of classic Amy as a flightly, love-struck little girl is then immediately contrasted with Archie Amy, a hammer-swinging hard-ass designated with keeping an eye on Geoffrey St. John. It's another example of how far the character has come... And a good example of why I prefer Archie's modern take on Amy versus the very boring version Sega first created for “Sonic CD.”

The last two stories are potentially more interesting as they concern characters that don't really have counterparts in Sega's classic games. Apparently, Bunnie spent Genesis inside a Prison Egg, trying to encourage the more animal-like mobinis around her that everything would be okay. What makes this little one-page tale interesting is Bunnie's reaction upon returning to the Prime Zone. She is startled for a second by her now-robotic limbs. While foreshadowing what happened to her in issue 232, it also gives us a peek at the mental compromises Bunnie faces everyday as a cyborg. (Flynn also points out that, in the Genesis world, Bunnie and Cream are cousins. Because all rabbits have to be related, I guess? That seems a little racist, bro.)

Rotor's story is the one that acts the most like a proper epilogue to “Genesis.” It begins with 'Boomer' back in the Oil Ocean Zone, watching the sky fill with white light, and having a conversation with Sally that he finds odd. Awakening back in Mobotropolis, Rotor debates putting on his nanite battle suit before deciding his friends have the situation handled. There's a definite ironic edge to Rotor trusting in Sonic's ability to get things done, considering all the bad luck that will befall the Freedom Fighters. However, Rotor's story here is probably the one with the least meat on its bones. It seems to mostly exist as a primer on what happened right at the end of “Genesis” and right at the beginning of “Two Steps Back...”

The “Genesis Awakenings” stories are an interesting experiment. Flynn actually shows himself to be a decent writer of prose. The wording can occasionally be a bit childish but it draws you in. His focus on character work remains strong. I could see him transitioning into a career as a decent YA writer if the comic book thing ever dries up. I honestly wish Archie had done this sort of thing more often. As a Free Comic Book Day special, this is still mostly a bit of a cheat. But at least it's better than just a full-on reprint. I'll give it a [7/10] mostly for the novelty factor.

Sonic Free Comic Book Day 2011

Sonic Free Comic Book Day 2011
Publication Date: May 2011

It's hard to believe that 2011 would be the fifth year where Archie's “Sonic the Hedgehog” series would participate in Free Comic Book Day. Seems like just yesterday, I was writing about the very first FCBD edition. I guess what I'm saying is, the tradition became such a standard part of the “Sonic” series, that I hardly recall a time when it wasn't. Luckily, Archie wouldn't just throw some reprints together for the fifth year. Instead, they allowed Ian Flynn to retell – and improve – one of the most notoriously awful stories in Archie “Sonic” history.

Though I've criticized it in the past, you can't fault Archie's scheduling with this one. 2011's Free Comic Book Day story, “Rematch,” is set precisely between issue 224 of “Sonic” and issue 225, which would come later in the same month. As the new Death Egg rises over Mobotropolis, Sonic looks over at Naugus and thinks about their last encounter. He recalls visiting the Frozen Tundra to place a rose on Eddy the Yeti's grave. There, he discovered that Naugus temporarily escaped from the Zone of Silence and has another fight with him.

If that plot description doesn't sound familiar, you must not be as big of a “Sonic” nerd as me. I distinctly recall opening this comic book for the first time, getting a few pages in, and immediately realizing that this was a retelling of “Naugus Games.” Yes, “Naugus Games,” the notorious final story from the Sonic Super Special quarterly series. Even in 2011, fans still remember that odious issue, still considered one of the worst in the comic's long history. Slipping a retelling of the story in 2011's FCBD edition was Flynn retconning a universally loathed story out of existence.

Sort of. In fact, Ian Flynn still follows the basic outline of “Naugus Games.” Sonic still returns to the former sight of Nate Morgan's laboratory. He still finds a massive, underground reserve of power rings. He discovers Naugus has returned, fights with him briefly, just to toss him back into the Zone of Silence. However, “Rematch” makes some pretty big improvements on the source material. First off, Sonic doesn't accidentally wish Naugus back into the Prime Zone, making our hero seem like less of an idiot. Flynn makes Naugus' return his own doing. Secondly, the awful original story receives an actual point. Sonic's second fight with Naugus ends up wiping Nate Morgan's left-over power rings away. So that's a plot device we won't have to deal with again.

Lastly, Flynn manages to add some more grandeur and pathos to a story that is still fairly circular and unnecessary. He pays more attention to Eddy the Yeti's sacrifice, gifting the story a little more heart and feeling. Before defeating Naugus, Sonic becomes Ultra Sonic again, making this second fight at least as big as their previous one. These are small improvements but they manage to salvage the thin gruel that was “Naugus Games.”

A clear way “Rematch” is a big improvement over “Naugus Games” is the artwork. That might have been the primary reason Flynn decided to retell this one. Many Hands' hideous scribblings are replaced with some sharp Steven Butler artwork. No, half the book isn't total darkness nor a generic snowflake pattern. Instead, we actually see Sonic's fight with Naugus in detail. The sorcerer looks especially beefy and intimidating here. The early shots of Sonic running through the frozen waste is beautifully rendered, Butler employing his typical abundance of detail. The fight has a lot of cool moments, Sonic speeding around ice blast and walls of flame. Butler even gets to thrown in some swirling space scapes at the end, when Naugus gets tossed away again.

(In fact, getting Butler to draw this issue was an especially neat idea. Butler drew many of the original issues that surrounded that one, including the Nate Morgan trilogy that set this one up. So, in other words, you could easily slot this story into “Naugus Games'” original place in continuity and hardly notice that it wasn't there originally. At the very least, this tactic removes half of Many Hands' hideous work from the book's history.)

Though deeply entrenched in “Sonic” lore, this is still a Free Comic Book Day special. The book makes sure to summarize recent events in Sonic history at the beginning, for some newcomers who may be getting their introduction to this universe. There's not much to this one. It's more-or-less an extended in-joke for “Sonic” fans who have been around a while. In other words, I am one-hundred percent the target audience for this comic book. [7/10]

Sonic Free Comic Book Day 2010

Sonic Free Comic Book Day 2010
Publication Date: May 2010

Time flies when you get old. I'm not just regurgitating a pithy metaphor there. It's scientifically true. As you age, your perception of time speeds up. 2010 was eight years ago, nearly a decade. It feels like yesterday to me. The joys and pains and memories of that year still linger in my brain as if they were fresh. It's hard for me to realize that 2010 saw Archie publish the fourth Free Comic Book day edition of “Sonic.” Seems to me that they only recently started participating in that comic shop tradition. Presumably, by the time I finish this project, I won't believe I've wasted three years on this.

Now that my rambling introduction is out of the way, let's get on with the review. Sonic's 2010 FCBD issue is entitled “Hide & Seek & Destroy.”  Sonic is still searching the Egg Dome for Robotnik, running around the radioactive city without even a hazmat suit. The doctor continues to observe him secretly from afar. Sonic's search is interrupted when the Hybrid Krudzu Hydra, a super-badnik created by the original Robotnik, emerges from the ground and attacks him.

You've got to remember that these Free Comic Book Day issues aren't really intended for the series' faithful readers. Because everyone in the comic shop gets one of these, they are primarily intended to interest non-readers of the series. So, naturally, “Hide & Seek & Destroy” spends a decent number of pages recapping recent events in the “Sonic” book. As Sonic races through the city's ruins, he thinks about his long history with the Doctor and Robotropolis. As he approaches the Egg Dome, he thinks about defeating Eggman in issue 200. After that is a one page visual summary of the Iron Dominion story arc. It's fine, for what it is, but I don't think dumping a boatload of info on new readers will hook them.

And that's not really what “Hide & Seek & Destroy” primarily does. Most of the free issue is devoted to the fight between Sonic and Krudzu. It's odd to bring the mechanical plant back for a free edition. The pest hasn't appeared since the very first issue of the series. (Then again, considering 2009's FCBD issue reprinted that story, maybe this strategy does make sense.) The lengths Flynn goes to get the creature in the story are a bit much. The original Robotnik was working on resurrecting the plant years ago, leaving him buried deep within the Robotropolis soil. After the city was nuke, it's taken all this time for the organic machine to rebuilt himself. Which he's done by grafting the parts of shattered Badniks to his body. It's not the smoothest idea but at least it's something different.

Robotnik may be technically sane but he still seems a little goofy. The scenes between the Eggman and Snively are mostly comedic in nature. The gags vary. Robotnik chastising his nephew for daring to take a lunch break got a chuckle out of me. So did the Doctor shouting “Great Googly-moogly!,” suggesting Eggman is a Frank Zappa fan. Other jokes are less amusing. Robotnik taking notes on the fight, like he's never seen his hedgehog adversary battle a robot before, is odd. Snively getting super into the fight also strikes me as slightly out of character. I guess I shouldn't be surprised that, in a FCBD issue, Robotnik's personality veers more towards the goofy character he is in the Sega games than the more sinister villain he usually is in the Archie-verse.

The issue is worth reading for the fight between Sonic and the Krudzu. As you'd expect, there's lot of leaping and dodging around the plant's tentacles. Sonic swings the plant's own tendrils back at it, in an elastic manner. There's a cool panel of Sonic ricocheting off the various robot heads the creature is equipped with. However, it all leads up to a real flop of an ending. Robotnik decides that a neigh-unkillable plant monster will be too powerful to control. He also dictates that, if anyone is going to kill Sonic, it should be him. So he cooks up a golden hummerbird that bites the Krudzu, causing it to explode. That's an underwhelming conclusion and so is Sonic just leaving afterwards, tuckered out from the fight.

2010's FCBD issue is penciled by James Fry. Fry is usually a reliable artist but he's been away from “Sonic” for a while. His work here suggests the lack of regular practice has caused his abilities to slip a little. “Hide & Seek & Destroy” looks a little rough. The opening pages, of Sonic running through the dead city, look cool. After that, things start to fall apart. Fry's rendition of Robotnik and Snively look seriously weird, both growing massive mouths full of ugly teeth. The Krudzu looks cool, with its grasping claws and snapping mouth. Yet, once the fight starts, Fry starts drawing Sonic with increasingly odd looking facial expressions. The hedgehog performing an uppercut while in a spin dash just looks strange. It's far from the worst art to ever be published in a “Sonic” comic. It's actually kind of cool looking occasionally. But it's also not Fry's best work.

It's a middle-of-the-road comic. I guess we should be happy we got a new story at all. Archie has been more than happy, before and after this, to just fill the Free Comic Book Day issue with reprints and cheaply thrown together walls of text. Actually going to the effort to pay writers and artists to pump out something new, and charge nothing for it, was a nice treat. I guess. [6/10]