Sonic Colors: Rise of the Wisps

Sonic Colors: Rise of the Wisps

Original Release Date: August 19th and August 26th, 2021 

I'm going to be honest with you guys: I have no attachment to "Sonic Colors." The 2010 release is considered a classic among "Sonic" fans of a certain generation, with the Wisps having long since become established and beloved parts of the franchise. In 2010, however, I was too busy doing cool things like having my heart broken by a hipster girl with horn-rimmed glasses and sinking into a horrible depression that lasted years to pay attention to the new "Sonic" video games. By that point, I had completely divorced myself from that side of the series, barely being aware when a new game came out. When I finally did play "Sonic Colors," many years later, I thought... It was fine. Like most of the blue hedgehog games from this era, "Colors" struck me as perfectly functional and mildly fun without filling me with the effervescent glee the Genesis games did when I was a kid. Just Another Modern Sonic, in other words. 

For people who were kids during the Wii era, however, "Sonic Colors" seems to have made a similar impact as "Sonic Adventure" did for the generation before, defining the franchise in many fans' minds. I'm simply never going to have that nostalgic connection to it. To the point that, when the Wisps show up in the comics or merch, my response is not elation so much as a mumbled acknowledgement of "...oh yeah, these things again." (Quickly followed by the horrifying realization that 2010 was already fourteen years ago and I can hear the Reaper's scythe slicing through the air above my head.) I don't find the Wisps quite as out-of-place as the similarly beloved by everyone but me Chao, because at least they serve a game play purpose. Such cutesy, Emoji Movie looking motherfuckers as these still feel out of place in the "Sonic" franchise as I think of it. 

Simply put, "Colors" is another sign to me that "Sonic" is a multi-generational fandom with different definitive titles, spin-offs, and aspects depending on when you got into it. This meant that, eleven years after "Colors" first came out, I was confused when a remastered re-release was both announced and met with considerable excitement. As an old man hopelessly out-of-step with modern gaming trends, I'm still slightly baffled by the recent popularity of "remasters" of games that are only a decade or so old. And wouldn't a remake of a game that was generally considered to have been unfinished or mediocre, like "Sonic '06" or "Shadow the Hedgehog," have made more sense? However, a lot of people got hyped for "Sonic Colors: Ultimate." A glorified re-release it might have been, Sega still treated it like the big "Sonic" title of 2021. As was quickly becoming the tradition, that meant "Colors: Ultimate" got a flashy, Tyson Hesse directed animated short released to YouTube to promote it. Also following tradition, the remaster came out to middling or largely negative reviews, Sega quickly sweeping it under the rug to get fans and investors excited for the next thing. But the promotional cartoon, entitled "Sonic Colors: Rise of the Wisps," is still there, waiting for dudes like me to write too many words about it. 

"Rise of the Wisps" sort of tells a very abbreviated version of "Colors'" story while emphasizing the new additions made to the "Ultimate" remaster. Namely, a Jade Wisp that grants players a ghostly intangibility power and the presence of Metal Sonic. The short discards the whole "Eggman builds a theme park in outer space" set-up and the gimmick of multiple planetoids connected by a chain. However, the gist is the same. Sonic and Tails are recruited by the symbiotic alien Wisp race, via one of them communicating with Tails through a translator. (The Jade Wisp in this case, instead of Yacker.) Eggman has begun to use the aliens as a power source for his latest evil scheme. The various abilities the Wisps can grant Sonic prove useful in freeing them from the villain's control. Metal Sonic, also given some Wisps power-ups, is quickly sent to confront his organic counterpart. 

"Rise of the Wisps" more-or-less captures the tone I would expect from a modern, American-produced "Sonic" animated series. On one hand, it has a lot of action, the entire second half focused on Sonic and Metal battling it out. This is brought to life through some anime inspired action sequences. At the same time, the tone is kept largely light-hearted, with frequent comic relief and lots of joke-filled dialogue. In other words, it's a lot more serious than your average episode of "Adventures of Sonic the Hedgehog" or "Sonic Boom" while also maintaining a generally safe and soft tone that is unlikely to ruffle the feathers of any kids watching at home. The story has big stakes but the approach is such that they are rarely felt. This clearly matches the writing style "Sonic Colors" had, which also includes lots of funny dialogue and a story without too severe a mood, no matter how serious things got. This is basically the tone that "Sonic Prime" and the live action movies have taken, with varying degrees of success. It is, in other words, the default tone for the "Sonic" franchise as it exists today. 

In theory, I have no problem with this. I didn't like "Prime" that much but not so much because it tried to balance universe-spanning melodrama with goofy jokes. I generally like the movies despite them being heavy on the schtick. However, "Rise of the Wisps" sticks out for other reasons. First off, this short makes sure you know what all the different types of Wisps are and what abilities they grant Sonic. The Drill, Spiral, Rocket, Cube, and Ghost power-ups are all given highlighted moments. The various special abilities are used to save the day in the climatic moments. This can't help but remind me of merchandise-driven shows like "He-Man" or "Power Rangers," where new characters or accessories are introduced to resolve whatever problem the heroes may have... Coincidentally, at the same time toys of these props are available for your parents to buy at all your local toy stores! I've enjoyed lots of kidslop made to sell toys over the years but this approach does feel a little mercenary, as if you are watching more of an advertisement for the video game than you are an independent story. Which, obviously, you are but the "Sonic" spin-offs are usually a little bit better at disguising their strictly commercial purpose for existing. 

Honestly, the way the merchandise-driven nature of "Rise of the Wisps" combines with another of the short's elements that truly rubs me the wrong way. Several scenes in this ten minute presentation focus entirely on the Wisps, brightly colored creatures made up of simple shapes that communicate through soft, gurgling noises. That kind of makes me feel like I'm watching a cartoon made for, ya know, babies. There's also two separate moments where Sonic is incensed because Eggman and Metal are acting like bullies. Okay, fair enough as far as motivations for the good guys go.... But the way the moment is delivered feels less like it's talking about a fascist trying to control creatures with free will and more like somebody is pushing you around on the playground. The conclusion also has Sonic delivering a not-exactly-subtle message about the benefits of friendship. Colorful and highly toyetic characters that communicate through pre-verbal babbling and childish themes that deliver easily understood, generalized lessons a young viewer can apply to their child-proofed lives truly makes "Rise of the Wisp" feel like its aimed squarely at the kindergarten crowd. And not one of the good pre-school shows that a parent can appreciate too, like "Yo Gabba Gabba" or pre-Elmo "Sesame Street." We are talking the kind of baby shit that talks down to kids and is mostly interested in distracting them with bright colors and fun toys. 

As a large adult man who willingly uses his limited free time to write extensively about cartoons and comic books meant for children, I have certainly encountered this feeling before when watching "Sonic" media. The most frustrating thing about "Rise of the Wisps'" writing is I don't think it had to be this juvenile most of the time. The earlier scenes feel like they could easily be from a "Boom" episode. The short begins with a dramatic rendition of Eggman loading some Wisps into a big, ominous machine before the mood is broken by the villain making a high-pitch, boyish cackle. Turns out Tails has been narrating Jade's description of events. Sonic takes over the role of Eggman, making many self-deprecating ad-libs before another meta joke about the wisp making its recollection more exciting. See, exactly the kind of good-for-all-ages wackiness you'd expect from the superior "Sonic" cartoon! This stands along other nicely silly gags, such as Cubot speaking only in video game announcer sound bites or a deeply underwhelming attempt from the bumbling hench-bots to combine with Metal Sonic. That so much of "Rise of the Wisps" feels like it was made for four-year-olds while also containing decent jokes like this suggests the cartoon didn't have to be quite so simperingly cutesy for more of its runtime. 

This is still a Tyson Hesse-directed cartoon, meaning the animation is at least good, right? Well, yes. "Rise of the Wisp" is colorful, with dynamic and fast-paced action. The aspect ratio closes in when Sonic challenges Metal to a race, a nice dramatic moment. The team of Wisps that attempt to free their brothers wear bandanas and little communication headsets, as if they are guerilla operatives. That's an amusing detail. However, the character animation isn't as vivid or entertaining as what was seen in "Mania Adventures." There was also the odd decision to add a sheen to the colors here that makes the entire short look a bit washed-out and muted. It's the kind of artistic decision that works well on, say, Nathalie Fourdraine's retail incentive variant covers for the comics but looks a little odd in animation. "Rise of the Wisps" still looks a lot better than the stiff "Team Sonic Racing: Overdrive" but certainly lacks the fluid motion and obvious creative vision of "Sonic Mania Adventures" or "Chao in Space."

If I had to guess, I would assume that Hesse and his team had a lot less time to work on this two-parter, compared to those latter two shorts. That would explain why the animation is merely very good, instead of gorgeous. Perhaps a tighter time frame would explain the weaker script too. (Which is credited to Hesse and an entity calling itself GGDG.) Perhaps the writing was pitched at a younger crowd in an attempt to emulate the game that introduced "Baldy McNosehair" to the list of fandom complaints. Whatever the cause, the tone remains off in "Rise of the Wisps" in such a way that it's hard for me to recommend it too much. Considering it was a short animation made to promote the release of a remaster that not many people seemed to have liked, I guess we should be thankful that this cartoon is as good as it is. Still, a few minor tweaks and changes in direction would have resulted in a far more satisfying whole. [6/10]

Sonic Universe: Issue 62

Sonic Universe: Issue 62
Publication Date: March 2014

Archie’s “Sonic the Hedgehog” comics have always wanted to be movies. Over the years, the writers and artists have used film terminology when talking about the book. The extended re-release of issue 50 was called a “director’s cut,” even though comics really aren’t directed the same way movies are. The farcical Off-Panel stripes, which are almost as old as the comic itself, treat the characters as if they’re actors in-between scenes. The misbegotten longer Off-Panel stories have even made jokes about make-up departments, award shows, and editing physical reels of film. (Not to mention Ken Penders’ actual efforts to get the comic made into a movie.)

This obvious jealousy the comic creators felt for filmmakers continued with 2014’s “After the Credits” months. This name makes no sense, as the credits - which are very different from cinematic credits - usually appear at the start of a comic book. So there’s always stuff after the credits! Obviously, the book was attempting to replicate the tactic used by Marvel Studios, where short little teasers appear at the very end of the movie. This forces people to sit through the credits, seeing the names of everyone who worked on the movie, and also provides a neat preview of the next adventure or a cute little joke. In a comic book, it just means an extra page in the very back of the book. Which you can flip to with minimal effort. So, for many reasons, “After the Credits” month was definitely one of the dumber gimmicks Archie would employ.

Issue 62 is the final part of “Shadow Fall.” Shadow confronts Black Death, hoping to defeat the leader of the Black Arms hive mind. Deeper within the comet, Rouge and Omega search for the nuclear bomb meant to destroy it. Eclipse the Darkling appears before them, determined to stop them from destroying the last remnants of his species. Even after the villains are defeated, there’s the issue of getting off the massive comet before it explodes.

Most of “Shadow Fall” has been devoted to fight scenes of varying types. Its final part is no different. Shadow fights Black Death. The alien psychically opens small portals, tossing meteorites at Shadow. Shadow responds by taking off his inhibitor rings, unleashing the full wrath of his powers. Meanwhile, Omega pelts Eclipse with heavy fire. This enrages the alien to the point that he transforms into a giant super-form. As much pomp and circumstance as these fights have, both conclude in underwhelming fashion. Shadow does some sort of super attack, bathing the whole room in fire. This incinerates Black Death so quickly you wonder why he just didn’t do that in the first place. Eclipse, meanwhile, can only maintain his pumped-up form for a few minutes. So Omega just has to survive a few rounds of punching and Eclipse deals with himself.

The fight scenes end weakly but this issue has other things worth recommending. For the first time, Flynn makes us care about Eclipse. First, he confronts Omega with one of those giant Black Arm soldiers. The robot kills the brute in seconds. Seeing this, his brother killed so cruelly and quickly, brings him to tears. This establishes the new villain as someone with feelings, personal connections. He doesn’t see the Black Arms as just his race but his family. So his struggle is made a little more personal, making him a deeper character. He’s not just trying to conquer Earth because that’s what evil aliens do. He’s protecting what he loves. It’s a little moment but it makes all the difference. You really should have led with that, Flynn.

That’s not the only time this issue reminds us that these cartoon rats running around are actual characters, with histories and personalities. During his battle with Black Death, Shadow takes a minute to have a psychic phone call with Rouge. The bat informs him that they’re about to activate the nuke, that he has a limited amount of time to kill the bad guy and get out of there. Not only does Rouge care about Shadow but the little smile he makes proves he cares about her. She cares if he lives or dies and that makes Shadow more invested in his own life. The cast actually having meaningful connections makes us way more invested in their fates. Go figure!

Flynn even manages to engineer a mildly suspenseful ending. Black Death is dead. Eclipse is defeated. But the entire comet is about to about to explode. Shadow has to run through the entire comet, in hopes of reaching Rouge’s shuttle in time. The comic even has the time counting down on panel, which is a good way to build suspense. Naturally, Shadow makes it out. But the way it’s portrayed - he Chaos Controls onto the shuttle minutes after the comet is nuked - is a nice touch.

Despite the clear improvements this issue makes over the previous three, it’s still stymied by some contrived, video game bullshit. The boring-ass space marines are still floating around. The issue only devotes a few panels to them, seemingly aware of how little they brought to the story. (And making you wonder why they were included in the first place.) Eclipse’s super form is ridiculous looking, the little guy expanding to Schwarzeneggerian proportions in seconds. Once Black Death is killed, all the other Black Arms soldiers fall over dead. He’s a classical load-bearing villain, the kind of logic that works fine in a video game but just seems like poor planning in an actual narrative. He couldn’t have psychically transferred those duties to Eclipse at the last minute or something? At least make sure the rest of the Black Arms go down fighting.

The last part of “Shadow Fall” injects a little feeling into what’s otherwise been an exercise in expanding Sega’s lame-ass lore. That help takes what’s been a painfully dull story arc out on a slightly higher note. Still, the issue is hampered by many of the same problems that have faced the rebooted “Sonic Universe” thus far. I remember it being quite a while before this spin-off finally gets back on its feet again. [6/10]

Sonic Universe: Issue 61

Sonic Universe: Issue 61
Publication Date: February 2014

It could not be more obvious that Ian Flynn had high hopes for Eclispe the Darkling. He has a prominent placement in issue 61’s cover, doing a weird lunge thing over Team Dark’s shoulder. The next issue would devote its variant cover entirely to Eclispe, giving him one of those cool Rafa Knight digital renders. And I can certainly understand the desire to give Shadow the Hedgehog, one of this franchise’s star characters no matter how I feel about it, his own archenemy. Yet I wish he had come up with something more inspired than what looks like an alien-ized pallet swipe of Shadow, who has yet to display much in the way of personality. But I guessed it worked because Eclipse seems to be fairly popular among the “preboot Archie Sonic was never good” crowd.

Part three of “Shadow Fall” is subtitled “A Matter of Trust,” because an arc full of machine guns and man-eating aliens was just crying out for a Billy Joel reference. The issue begins with the still brainwashed Shadow fighting with the other team members of Team Dark. They quickly undo his mind-control and revert him to normal. Meanwhile, Eclispe successfully subdues and captures the remaining members of Spider Troupe. Team Dark heads deeper into the Comet to rescue the soldiers and stop the Black Arms once and for all.

The main thrust of “A Matter Of Trust” involves Shadow overcoming his brainwashing with the help of his friends. This plays out in an underwhelming fashion. After rumbling with him for a while, Omega and Rouge pin Shadow down. The bat essentially nags at him until he gets better, just the suggestion of mentioning Maria apparently being enough to knock Shadow out of his evil-influenced stupor. This not only suggests that Black Death’s mind control is ludicrously weak, it also draws attention to how artificial the entire plot point of Shadow being forced to fight his teammates was.

However, I’ll give issue 61 this much: After wrapping that sequence up, Team Dark gets down to the business of taking out the Black Comet. Shadow’s renewed connection with the aliens allows him to navigate the comet more effectively. With all the inter-team bickering and evil manipulation out of the way, the comic’s plot can finally start actually moving. While I know some people are invested in this aliens bullshit, I imagine most readers were drawn to this arc because they want to see Team Dark working together and kicking ass. Issue 61 finally delivers on that.

Of course, the alien stuff still takes up a large portion of this comic book. Part three of “Shadow Fall” really draws attention to how much the Black Arms kind of suck at their job. Eclipse uses his teleportation to easily disarm the reminder of the space marines. He’s going to kill them but Black Death instructs him not too. He tells them to save the humans as food for the next generation of aliens, who are hanging out in knock-off xenomorph eggs. It seems to me that eliminating the threat to the eggs is more pertinent than feeding them, especially since they haven’t even hatched yet. Why not let Eclipse kill the intruders and throw the nuke out the nearest air lock? Once they land on Earth, the Black Arms will have plenty of food anyway.

Of course, we all know the real reason the space marines are left alive. This is still a kids book, no matter how faux-tough and gritty it wants to appear. Showing the bad guy just killing everybody, even if that makes the most sense, would be beyond the pale. Flynn’s methods just draws attention to how contrived Black Death’s reasoning is. The story has to continue towards its inevitable showdown, even if there are half-a-dozen points before then where things could have been resolved. This whole story arc has been hampered by clumsy plotting like that.

Also clumsy: A flashback where Abraham Tower tells Rouge and Omega to take Shadow out, that his connection to the Black Arms is too great, that he’s too dangerous to have around. That’s another obviously artificially engineered bit of tension, since we know Shadow’s friends aren’t going to kill him. At least that leads to plenty of scenes of Rogue and Omega interacting. As always, the giant robot’s often stated desire to blow everything up is frequently amusing. He’s also given some more frankly hilarious sound effects, though I’m not sure if those were suppose to make me laugh.

So part three of “Shadow Fall” is slightly better than the two parts before it. But only slightly. The plot is still full of contrivances and other bullshit like that. At least the story actually feels like it’s starting to go somewhere now, one whole issue away from the end. Mostly, I’m still just waiting for this thing to end. (Which it won’t actually do for another nine issues, since this arc was merely the first half of the “Dark Trilogy.” Ugggggh.) [5/10]

Sonic Universe: Issue 60

Sonic Universe: Issue 60
Publication Date: January 2014

Is there a comic book story tactic more common than making it look like a hero has gone evil? Okay, yes, probably. But the temporary heel-face turn is pretty common in comics. Especially in Archie’s “Sonic” books. Over their long run, they made it looked like Bunnie, Sally, Monkey Khan, Knuckles, Uncle Chuck, and Sonic himself (at least twice) has switched sides. This technique is so common that the few times a morality shift has actually stuck - Fiona, Geoffrey St. John I guess - it’s been a genuine surprise. With issue 60 of “Sonic Universe,” Shadow joins that list of characters. Has “Shadow Gone Evil?!” the cover asks. What do you think?

Part two of “Shadow Fall” is subtitled “A Shadow in the Dark,” which has got to be one of Flynn’s dumbest titles. A shadow in the dark would pretty much just be more dark, don’t you think? Anyway, the big cliffhanger last time - Team Dark and the space marines paralyzed by the Dark Arms’ nerve agent - is quickly undone. Turns out they have gas masks. The team journeys deeper into the comet, looking for the perfect place to plant their bomb. Meanwhile, Eclipse the Darkling and Black Death attempt to corrupt and control Shadow’s mind,

Ian Flynn would introduce roughly a hundred new characters during the reboot. One that certainly seemed well received by certain corners of the fandom was Eclipse the Darkling. I, personally, can’t agree with this enthusiasm. Eclipse is the Black Arms’ attempt to replicate Shadow... who was already a darker, edgier version of Sonic. That makes Eclipse a counterfeit of a counterfeit. His personality is stock-parts evil invader. He longs to convert Shadow over to the Black Arms’ side, a typical “we could rule together” motivation. That entitlement also gives Eclipse a petulant brattiness, not the most endearing attribute. So the character doesn’t do much for me.

If Eclipse tried to get Shadow to switch sides with his words, perhaps by appealing to the alienation the black hedgehog feels among the G.U.N. soldiers, maybe that would’ve been interesting. Instead, he simply attempts to psychically brainwash Shadow. This makes Shadow an inactive protagonist in his own story, as he spends almost the whole issue at the bad guy’s mercy. It’s also not a very interesting plot development. Obviously, Shadow will not stay brainwashed forever. This is a temporary status, likely thrown in so the so-called ultimate life form can wail on his friends for a while. There’s no suspense to this development.

At least it does lead to some kind of cool artwork. Eclipse’s attempt to overtake Shadow’s self-control leads to a battle in the center of the mind. Jamal Peppers clearly enjoyed drawing this. He depicts events from Eclipse’s and Shadow’s video game as floating between massive red blood cells. It concludes with Shadow attempting to fly out of a giant Eclipse’s hand, before being blocked by Black Death’s mad, staring eye. The visuals are kind of trippy and fun to look at.

The space marines continue to be a big problem with this story arc. They continue to be lame, one-note characters. Here, they crack wise a few times but display no real personality. I’m actively rooting for them to get eaten. The weird, first-person-shooter antics they bring with them continue to appear grossly out-of-place in this comic book. At one point, they’re fighting giant worms with spider faces and weird butthole mouths. (Apparently, these critters are from the “Shadow” game so blame those unfortunate designs on Sonic Team.) Get this macho bullshit out of my “Sonic” comic.

At least Rouge and Omega get more to do in this issue. Not a lot, mind you, but it’s something. Rouge yells out the lead space marine for his refusal to help Shadow. Omega gets a couple of quips about his lack of lungs and his love of explosions. Hilariously, his machine guns make the goofy onomatopoeia of “budda budda” when firing. That may not be much but at least it gives the reader some grounding in this far out story.

So the “Shadow Fall” continues to suck pretty hard. Part two is slightly better than the first, if only for some neat artwork and focusing less on tedious alien fighting. This story is still primarily showing why the comic book’s decision to not bother with Sega’s increasingly convoluted lore was a good idea. [4/10]

Sonic Universe: Issue 59

Sonic Universe: Issue 59
Publication Date: December 2013

As a spin-off, “Sonic Universe” always had a delicate balance to maintain. It seems to me that Sega and/or Archie would rarely approve a storyline if it didn’t star a character from the video games. Over the course of its 94 issue run, only four arcs starred characters primarily from the comic. It seems crazy to me that the fucking Babylon Rogues got a “Sonic Universe” arc before Bunnie or Lupe or someone we actually give a shit about like that. (A Freedom Fighters-centric arc was announced right before the book was canceled, of course.)

Only one of these Archie-centric arcs was published after the reboot. I have no proof that Sega demanded “Universe” focus more on their product after the reboot or if Archie was just hedging it’s bets after a shaky reboot. Either way, it sure seems like we’re going to see a lot of Shadow and Knuckles within the next year. The first of these arcs was “Shadow Fall” published through issue 59 to 62 of “Sonic Universe.” Fans seem to like this one well enough but, guess what?, I fucking hate it.

Part one of “Shadow Fall,” “Into the Unknown,” begins with G.U.N. deploying Team Dark and a bunch of random humanoid soldiers on a secret mission. It seems the Black Arms, those nasty aliens that helped Dr. Gerald create Shadow, are back on their way to Earth or whatever the fuck this planet is called now. The team’s goal is to plant a nuke on the Arms’ comet and blow the shit out of it, before the planet’s populace even notices. As the group enters the craft, Shadow begins to suspect they could be walking into a trap. Uh-duh, he’s right.

Upon opening this comic book, the main thought in my head is “What the fuck am I reading?” This is a “Sonic the Hedgehog” comic book?! Within the first couple pages, we see a bunch of generic space marine types fighting really badly designed alien creatures aboard some sort of bio-organic comet or something. There’s a huge mech thing there too. Shadow, Rouge, and Omega could not look more out of place with these guys. It’s like the “Sonic” gang was suddenly picked up and dropped into a shitty adaptation of “Gears of Wars” or the “Doom” movie. It reads more like sloppy fan fiction, a crossover throw together by an overly enthusiastic fanboy with little care for whether it made sense or not. This is very far removed from the general aesthetic of the series, especially post-reboot, and the contrast stings badly.

See, this is the problem with abandoning twenty years’ worth of comic book lore and replacing it with whatever the fuck stupid garbage Sega had been vomiting up over the last decade. Previously, the Black Arms were some mysterious, off-panel alien race. Prior to this, the “Shadow the Hedgehog” game was considered such a toxic misstep that Sega forbid the comic from giving its plot points anything but a passing mention. And I was perfectly fine with this. The “Shadow” game was a poopy piece of poop that I played for twenty minutes and then immediately returned to Blockbuster. Shadow didn’t need to be a half-alien creation that rode a motorcycle and wielded machine guns. I was content with the kind of interesting character the comic had turned him into in its place.

Now, the comic has had its history suddenly torn away from it. With nothing else to build on, the comic has to acknowledge the previously off-limits video game stuff. So I hope you’re an expert in the lore of the “Shadow the Hedgehog” video game, because this entire story line is build upon it. This is not a continuation of the comic I’ve been reading almost my whole life. It’s a sequel to a video game I can barely remember playing, one that almost everyone can agree wasn’t very good. Once again, it’s just another example of how slap-dashed and poorly planned the reboot was. I can’t have been the only long time reader of the comic that was totally ambivalent to what Sega has turned the “Sonic” franchise into in the intervening years. But storylines like this, that banked hard towards the video game crowd, completely alienate me and everyone like me.

I mean, that’s fanboy bitching about how the comic changed and we fear change. More pressingly, the Black Arms and G.U.N.’s soldier boys just fucking suck. First off, the Black Arms are badly designed. They’re these brown and red muscle monsters with goofy, pudgy little heads shoved onto their beefy shoulders. They wield swords and rocks against enemies with machine guns and nuclear bombs. There’s no consistency across the species, as other members of the race are flying bat things or floating humanoids. Their master plan - paralyze an entire planet and then eat everyone on it - is the sort of simplistic motivation you’d expect a child playing with their action figures to come up with. They’re a watered down, warmed over versions of the alien villains that have appeared in various sci-if video games, like “Halo” or the aforementioned “Gears of Wars.” Which, in turn, were basically rip-offs of “Aliens” and Robert Heinlein’s “Starship Troopers.”

As for the space marines, they are assholes to Shadow. They constantly refer to him with derogatory nicknames. This suggests something sort of interesting, that Mobians or whatever we call the furry animal people now, face prejudice from the humans they share their planet with. Except we will see no further evidence of this anywhere else in the reboot. (And I just really fucking hate to see “Sonic” characters interact with actual humans but that’s a topic I’ll rant about more at a future date.) Generally speaking, most of the soldiers have no personality, providing the reader with no reason to give a shit about any of them. I’ll say the same thing about the named Black Arms members we see here, like Black Death, who is just a generic evil thing.

Also, the plot for this one just sort of sucks in general. After the G.U.N. ship lands on the Black Comet, there’s a very underwhelming action sequence of the heroes quickly clipping through the aliens. It’s really obvious that Flynn is not comfortable writing this kind of stuff, as there’s no passion or urgency to these scenes. (They are also, of course, curiously bloodless.) After that, Shadow spends the rest of the issue telling everyone they’re walking into a trap. The team then walks into a trap. Simply put, there’s no tension here. It just feels like the plot is going through the motions. After that, Flynn introduces Eclipse the Darkling, his attempt to give Shadow an arch-enemy, making the proceeding nineteen pages feel like limp set-up for the story the writer actually wants to tell.

With such a drought of anything resembling compelling conflict, interesting characters, or even fuzzy nostalgia to hook the readers, what does this issue give us to latch on to? Well, Shadow is going through some stuff. Despite dedicating himself to protecting the world a while ago, he still feels a lingering connection to the Black Arms. This is exacerbated by the increasing isolation he feels from the humans and his team mates and a failed attempt to bond with the alien ship. When the soldiers hull out the thermo-nuclear butt plug, Shadow wonders if committing genocide against the Black Arms isn’t too extreme a measure. A hero being torn between two warring factions is, I guess, something kind of juicy for the reader to chew on. But that’s about it.

I hope you’re not reading this book because you’re a fan of the other members of Team Dark. Rouge and Omega get next to nothing to do. Omega is mostly comic relief, his love of destruction and explosives used for a few one-liners. He isn’t even seen that much in the action scenes, which seems like a real wasted opportunity. Rouge gets even less to do. She chitchats with Shadow a little about the aliens and delivers some exposition. I don’t even really understand why she’s here. I love Rouge but I can’t imagine she’d be that useful on an cosmic trip to destroy a horde of cannibalistic aliens.

The artwork is pretty good, I guess. Jamal Peppers knows his story stuff. However, once again, it feels like he’s aping Yardley instead of doing his own thing. I much preferred his earlier illustrations. As for the issue, it’s just bad, man. Oh, and did I mention this is part of a twelve issue “trilogy” of stories that takes up practically all of 2014? This part of the retrospective is going to fucking suck. [4/10]

Sonic Universe: Issue 36

Sonic Universe: Issue 36
Publication Date: January 2012

Some people thought the world was going to end in 2012. Looking back on it now, it seems even sillier than most bits of mass hysteria, as the concerns were based entirely on pseudo-scientific nonsense. What does this have to do with Archie's “Sonic” comic book series? Not too much, other than we're about a year and a few months away from the comic being rebooted. As for “Sonic Universe,” the year started up with the conclusion to the Babylon Rogues' underwhelming story arc.

Part four of “Babylon Rogue” is subtitled “Resurrection” but don't get too excited. Busta Rhymes does not kung-fu fight Michael Myers in this comic book. Instead, it begins the Battle Bird Armada blowing up Castle Acorn. The Babylon Rogues leap down into the crater, looking for the Babylon Gardens. Sonic quickly takes chase. Soon, Speedy gets in there too. All five soon uncover some intergalactic bullshit and then some more stuff happens.

The mystery of the Babylon Gardens is resolved in a fairly un-spectactular way. In fact, Jet and the Rogues do not seem all that impressed by the generic sci-fi fortress they walk into at the end. When they enter, the Tesseract-looking cube flies out of Jet's hand and activates the artificial intelligence aboard the ship. A robot wakes up, dumps a boatload of exposition on a reader, and then threatens to suck the entire world into a black hole.

And it's super fucking boring. The robot that pilots the Babylon Gardens, which is naturally a space ship buried deep in the ground, is not even that interestingly designed. It's a generic looking robot. Moreover, it's revealed that the Babylon Rogues are descended from aliens. Because, the last time this comic book brought aliens into the story, fans fucking loved it. Yardley attempts to tie this into the book's lore. Apparently A.D.A.M., while teleporting Chaos Emeralds from all over the universe, drew from the power of the Babylon Gardens. It does not make the reader anymore interested in this super lame plot twist.

A little more compelling is the rivalry between Sonic and Jet. You see, Sonic just watched his village get a big chunk of it blown up. So he's pretty pissed off at Jet. Seeing Sonic totally loose his cool, drop the quips and the jokes aside, and just focusing on being super angry has a certain novelty. His dismissal at the end of the story, smashing the control key and dropping directly out of the ship's airlock, is easily the best moment in this comic book. Of course, the rivalry is pretty one-sided. Sonic is way more angry at Jet, while Jet has pretty much no reason to have any problems with Sonic.

That's not the only rivalry thrust into the story here. The Battle Bird Armada has uncovered the secret of their subspecies, that they've been trying to find for centuries. Somehow, they do not send a thousand soldiers and ships down into the crater. Instead, Speedy is sent down alone. There's more of a reason for the two green birds to hate each other. Both are eager to claim the Gardens first, eager to impress or shame each other. Speedy needles Jet at one point and he nearly grabs him back. However, this fight fizzles out, as Sonic resolves the plot and the two make a temporary truce in order to safely escape the crumbling ship.

Last time, the drama in Mobotropolis was more compelling than any of the bullshit to do with the Rogues. The birds and their self-contained drama takes center stage again in this issue but there's still a few peaks at Knothole politics. Naugus slinks away from the battle, sinking into a shadow. This suggests that his humiliating loss last issue actually does have to with his mental turmoil right now. The Freedom Fighters remain concerned about Nicole, who remains a no-show following her trauma from Sally's disappearance. Other than that, there's not too many interesting stuff happening here.

Sorry, guys, I really wasn't feeling this one. Yardley brings back more of that awkward comic relief, by giving Storm – by far the least well defined of the Rogues – some really dumb dialogue. The plot reveals, involving aliens and robots, is super lame. (Apparently the alien bullshit came from Sega, which is another reason to fuck those guys.) It's a disappointing pay-off to a story that was not especially compelling to begin. I can't recall the Babylon Rogues doing much in the book after this and I can't say I will miss them. [4/10]

Sonic the Hedgehog: Issue 171

Sonic the Hedgehog: Issue 171
Publication Date: January 2007

Over the course of 2004 and 2005, Archie published a number of “Sonic the Hedgehog” stories featuring Shadow the Hedgehog. To be brutally honest, none of them were good. In fact, when I was first reading these issues as a teenager, I honestly wondered if Shadow had a place at all in the Archie Sonic-verse. As part of his mission to get the comic to shape the fuck up, Ian Flynn set out to write the very first good Shadow the Hedgehog story published in this comic. (And, depending on how you feel about “Sonic Adventure 2” and “Sonic Heroes,” maybe the first good Shadow story period.) Amazingly, he succeeded.

In the biblically entitled “I Am,” Shadow the Hedgehog storms into Robotnik's main laboratory. He demands to see Gerald Robotnik's diary, which Eggman has been keeping from him, and finally learn the final facts about his origin. After grabbing the ancient disc, Shadow is chased out of Robotropolis. He flees to Knothole, where Tails attempts to read the disk. Using an experimental digital interface, Nicole inserts Sonic and Shadow into Gerald's diary. Meanwhile, Snively follows the black hedgehog to Freedom HQ, ready to bust some heads.

In outline form, “I Am” is another one of Ian Flynn's stories devoted to fixing a stupid plot point introduced by the previous writers. For a while now, Shadow has been working for Robotnik. In the Sega video games, Shadow is more of a free agent, working to meet his own needs. By this story's end, Shadow is no longer affiliated with the Eggman. The book also spills the details of Shadow's origin, involving Gerald making a deal with the alien tyrant Black Doom. (Of course, Ian has already established that the Black Arms may never returned to Mobius, being locked in an endless war with the Xorda, preventing us from getting an adaptation of Sega's widely loathed “Shadow the Hedgehog.”) This is also another move that brings the comic's world a little more in line with the video games, without sacrificing the comic's uniqueness.

This is all well and good but what makes “I Am” an above average story is its emotional component. Shadow's drive and determination to resolve his past as the so-called ultimate life form has him showing more personality then he has anywhere else up to this point. More important, Shadow achieves the impossible. He is reunited with Maria. The hedgehog and the saint-like teenage girl he bonded with, years ago, have a tearful reunion. That's right. Sega allowed their number one tough guy character to cry, however briefly. When Shadow confronts Snively in the final pages, declaring definitively who he is, it's actually rather powerful. This character has found himself. It's satisfying to read – a floundering cast member is now centered – but it's mostly just good writing.

On paper, Nicole inserting Shadow and Sonic into the digital memories on Gerald's CD seems like a sudden plot point. Nicole outright announcing to Shadow that this is a rather miraculous thing she can do fairly easily does come out of nowhere. Having said that, setting the story inside what is essentially a memory is a cool idea. The disk's memory is slowly eroding away, which gives the plot a time limit, raising tension. It also leads to a cool image, the world slowly falling apart around our heroes. This moment also allows for a return of Nicole's lynx form, giving the computer program some more character development. Soon, the holo-lynx shall become Nicole's default form, finalizing her growth into a real person.

Though this is clearly Shadow's story, “I Am” does feature some decent character beats for the book's primary cast. Sonic, Tails, Knuckles and Nicole are the only Freedom Fighters that appear in this story. This creates a nice streamlined cast. I love Sally and the gang but there was no reason for them to be in this story. Sonic and Tails' relationship continues to be rocky, the fox still having trouble forgiving the hedgehog for dating Fiona. Of course, Fiona's been AWOL for two issues and Sonic's not so sure about her anymore either. In an especially cute series of panels, Knuckles expresses an honest concern for the young scientist. Knuckles apparently just finished a run around the woods on his hover board, a little personable touch.

On top of being a really solid character story, “I Am” also features a delightfully fun action beat. Before fleeing Robotropolis, Shadow does something unforgivable to Snively... He snatches him bald-headed, tearing out his six remaining hairs! This gives us a fun look into Snively's personality, as he was attached to these stray hairs that he had tracking devices implanted inside. After arriving in Knothole, he attacks in a deliciously preposterous vehicle called the Egg-Lobster. Yes, it's a giant robot lobster. That's a level of goofy fun I welcome, which puts this story over-the-top into the genuinely great category.

After such a great cover story, the back-up comes off as rather minor. In “Enforcers,” a group of dingoes are preoccupied with oppressing a village on Angel Island. Before Locke can start guardian-ing the place, the Destructix leap in and fight off the canines. Doctor Finitevus emerges from a warp ring, asking Locke to form a pact with him. In order to help sell the deal, Finitevus has Dimitri's floating head on hand to testify. Locke eventually, reluctantly agrees to the doctor's conditions, eager to unite the Island again. (And, pointedly, to do it without Knuckles' help.)

Of course, there's a twist and that's really the whole point of “Enforcers.” On the final page, it's revealed that Finitevus is lying. He's putting the pieces in place for his next power move. From the moment Dr. Finitevus was introduced, it's been implied that he has devious plans of his own. While Bollers was happy to let this point rest, Flynn obviously has plans of his own for the albino echidna. In the last panel of “Enforcers,” we discover that Finitevus is plotting the return of Enerjak.

Though mostly focused on plot. “Enforcers” does have one or two little dollop of character development. When Finitevus suggest Knuckles could help protect Angel Island, Locke outright refuses. This continues Flynn re-establishing Knuckles' asshole dad as an intentional asshole. This story also continues Dimitri's development into a quasi-heroic character or at least someone eager to atone for his villainous ways. It's little stuff but it's enough to elevate what would otherwise just be more plot development for future story lines.

By the way, Tracy Yardley provides pencils for both stories. Yardley keeps up with his own high standard, producing two nice looking tales. Issue 171 is another really strong contribution from Flynn, another example of what this guy would become the comic's most respected and beloved writer. He took underdeveloped characters, like Shadow or Finitevus, and turned them into something you actually cared about. “I Am” is a great cover story and even the back-up is pretty good. And since I'm feeling generous, I'll give the whole issue a [9/10.] I'm not always this nice.

Sonic the Hedgehog: Issue 170

Sonic the Hedgehog: Issue 170
Publication Date: December 2006

By the time 2006 came to a close, Ian Flynn had wrapped up the big two story lines he planned for the year. Instead of spending the last month of his freshman year setting up another big plot line, he decided to take things a little more slowly with issue 170. The new head writer continued his habit of resolving plot points other writers left hanging and simplifying a universe that had, perhaps, gotten a little too unwieldy.

“Comings and Goings” begins with King Acorn still in an unconscious state, have never recovered from the poisoning Anti-Antoine delivered. Uncle Chuck, Tails, and Dr. Quack have cooked up a machine that might wake the King up. The problem is they need a Chaos Emerald to do it. Using a new device Rotor has invented, Sonic and Tails enter the recently transformed Special Zone and grab a Emerald. Afterwards, Merlin uses that Emerald and Knuckles' guiding stone to travel across the galaxy and rescue Tails' parents.

I'm not sure why, post-”Endgame,” Archie decided that everyone of the main characters needed to have living parents. Before being introduced to Tails' parents in “Sonic Kids 2,” I sort of assumed they just perished in the Great War. For whatever reasons, the writers chose to build this bizarre space epic around the elder Prowers. Ever since Sonic got back from “Tossed in Space,” Tails' mom and dad being on the other side of the galaxy has been referenced from time to time. Well, the fox finally gets his family reunion. Ian doesn't overdo the emotion. Tails is shy about approaching his mom and dad, which is a cute moment. Rosemary Prower is overwhelmed with emotion, fighting back tears as she sees how much her boy has grown. It's a pretty good moment.

Ian also uses this opportunity to conveniently do away with the wildly unpopular science-fiction elements that had crept into the series recently. After being zapped away to Argentium, Sonic and the gang notices the planet is in the middle of the war zone. Turns out, the Xorda and the Black Arms are deadlocked in a war above the planet. Amadeus Prower suspects they'll be fighting each other forever. This makes sure the Xorda, already widely disliked by the fanbase, won't be appearing in the book again anytime soon. It also prevents the Black Arms from showing up too. Rumor has it this was actually a Sega mandate but it works out either way, as most fans were eager to disregard the relatively recent but critically reviled “Shadow the Hedgehog” game. For that matter, the outer solar system being fraught with combat meant Sonic didn't have much reason to travel outer space either.

“Comings and Goings” is almost evenly cut in two halves. The important business with Tails and his parents occupies the second half. The first half deals with retrieving the Chaos Emerald. This confirms what was widely foreshadowed last time. The Zone of Silence has been transformed into the Special Zone. It most heavily resembles “Sonic the Hedgehog 2's” special zones. There are long, winding tunnels littered with rings, bombs, and Chaos Emeralds. This is another attempt by Ian to reconfiguration the comic book universe so that it resembles the video games a little more, while simultaneously cutting down on some of the book's repetitive moments. There's no longer the Zone of Silence, the Void, and scattered around Special Zones. There's just one of those.

Yet Flynn doesn't just tossed unneeded comic elements. He also respects this book's history. He takes Feist, that giant panda bear creature that briefly appeared back in issue 66, and brings him back into the story. Now Feist has transformed into a god-like entity, overseeing and controlling the Special Zone. Luckily, the cosmic panda has no ambitions to rule over Mobius. Instead, he simply reshapes the Special Zone, allowing Sonic and friends to race through its traps for prizes, just for his own amusement. This allows Flynn to revisit any of the other Special Zones from the video games but in a way that makes sense for this book. (Compare to the post-reboot attempts to integrate video game canon with comic canon and see how much more elegant this is.)

Last time, Flynn wasn't just determined to kill Tommy Turtle off again. He was determined to make the turtle's second death mean something. This mission continues in “Comings and Goings.” After most of the plot business is over, Sonic and Knuckles meet each other in Knothole's graveyard, whose occupancy has really gotten a boost recently. This re-emphasizes how Tommy really was a childhood friend of Sonic, how he's hurt by his passing. Yet Sonic is too much of a manly man to tearfully express those feelings. Instead, he works through his pain with some good old fashion homoerotic posturing joking around with Knuckles. This provides a candid moment for the two heroes, which is mildly touching.

After two whole pages of Off-Panel stripes for some reason, we are presented with another... Mike Gallagher story? In “The Island of Misfit Badniks,” Sonic is racing through the Great Forest when he literally stumbles upon a hidden alcove Robotnik would use for sneak attacks. Inside, he finds a map to an island where damaged badniks – those easily disposed robots Sonic jumped on in the original video games – automatically returned to when damaged. After tracking the island down, Sonic discovers a bunch of D-list baddies eager for revenge. Among them is Pseudo-Sonic, the very first mechanical copy of Sonic.

According to those hedgehog scholars at the Mobius Encyclopaedia, “Island of Misfit Badniks” was published in order to drum up interest in the Sonic Saga trade paperback that Archie was finally beginning to publish at the time. This suggests to me that this was an old story that was sitting on the shelf for some time. It's not as if Mike Gallagher has contributed a non-”Off-Panel” story to the book in a while. Considering the multiple callbacks to the comic's early history, and its vague placement in continuity, there's no reason not to think this story could've been written years ago.

As far as the actual content goes, “Island of Misfit Badniks” is typical Gallagherian silliness. Sonic easily bests the badniks. Though there might be a certain novelty to seeing Sonic fight Pseudo-Sonic – seeing as how the characters never actually fought back in issue 9 – the scuffle only lasts a page. The fight ends with the two guys running directly at each other, not unlike Gallagher's “Super Sonic vs. Hyper Knuckles” one-shot. The island is also a metal submarine. When it sinks at the end, the Badniks have actually just hidden themselves. The story concludes by promising that these ancient villains will return. (Mike, somehow, resists the temptation to have the characters directly beg the readers to request their return.)

By the way, Tracy Yardley's artwork continues to be high quality on the cover story while Dave Manak's illustrations on the back-up are as loose as you'd expect. Issue 170 takes 2006 out on a fairly strong note. It tells a meaningful, emotional story while also embracing the new writer's stated goals for the book. [8/10]

Sonic the Hedgehog: Issue 169

Sonic the Hedgehog: Issue 169
Publication Date: November 2006

With issue 169 of Archie's “Sonic the Hedgehog,” it was confirmed that – like God – Ian Flynn is one of us. Goobble Gobble. I mean, that he wrote a fan comic before coming aboard as Archie's head writer probably should've been our first indication. The point I'm making is that, as his first year on the book made clear, Ian was just as frustrated with the mess the book had become as we were. He was tired of all the bullshit plot turns, out-of-character writing, and wasted potential. His biggest objection as the writer was to fix that. He was also sick of Tommy Turtle. One of his explicit objectives was to murder the turtle. See? That's how you knew he was a fan.

“Order from Chaos – Part 2: The Great Harmony” picks up with Sonic sneaking into A.D.A.M's nanite city, checking to see that his dad is okay. After determining that his father is fine, Sonic rushes over to rescue his friends, Tails and Tommy. (And Shadow too, I guess.) With Robotnik's aerial egg-fleet flying in to bomb the Nanite City to ashes, Sonic has to act quickly. A.D.A.M uses his homing rod, powered by Turbo Tails and Hyper Shadow, to draw different colored Chaos Emeralds from all over the galaxy, using the powers to make himself into an invincible super-form. Luckily, Sonic utilizes the same Emeralds to make himself Super Sonic. Ultimately, it's not the hedgehog that saves the day though.

By this point, Ian's task of cleaning up the mess Ken and Karl left behind was just about wrapped up. I mean, he would continue to tidy up remaining plot points and expand on neutered characters. Throughout his next year, he would really focus on making the comic his own. With “Order from Chaos” - again, I don't think that title was picked just because it was catchy – he was really sweeping the debris under the rug. By the end of this story arc, the Nanites and Tommy and Tails' prophecy as the Chosen One would all be gone for good.

I know I've talked shit about Tommy Turtle pretty much non-stop since he was brought back to life. Back when the comics were new, I remembered Tommy Turtle being shoved into everything, just interrupting the flow of the book and annoying the hell out of everyone. Re-reading these issues, the turtle was present a lot less then I remembered. Though still annoying, still a symptom of the book's worst year, Tommy was less of a tumor than I recalled. Still, after considering it (and notably leaving the reptile out of most of his issues), Ian decided that Tommy must die. And I still consider it one of his best decision. All Flynn did was right what was set wrong previously. Tommy was never suppose to survive past his initial appearance.

Most surprising of all, Flynn even manages to somehow redeem Tommy Turtle in his final appearance. Fans were annoyed by Tommy but he was still Sonic's childhood friend, making him reluctant to beat his face in. (This makes A.D.A.M a better villain, as he takes advantage of that.) Tommy's final act is to seize control of his body long enough to end his life, flying into the Egg Fleet's cannons, destroying A.D.A.M and saving the world. After he's gone, Sonic and Tails reflects on the courage, determination, and willingness to protect others that was needed to do that. It's... Poignant? Surprisingly so! That's some ace writing, taking one of the book's most despised characters and making us kind of sad to see him go.

Tails being the Chosen One was a plot point that was more-or-less resolved already, save for one point. Tails was supposed to bring about the Great Harmony. That, by all appearances, didn't seem to happen. I mean, it's not as if Tails could remove all the conflict from the book. So Ian changes the meaning of the Great Harmony. After Tommy drawls all the Chaos Emeralds from the galaxy to Mobius – a nice callback to the Tossed in Space arc – Tails spills the emeralds into the Zone of Silence. We'll soon discover that this'll fuse the thousands of Emeralds into seven, while transforming the Zone of Silence into the Special Zone. Which makes the comics a little bit more like the games while clipping away at some confusing aspects.

Another interesting aspects of “Order from Chaos” might have been unintended by the writer. The issue begins with Sonic discovering Jules inside the Nanite City. (A nice touch: A.D.A.M told the Robian to self-destruct but didn't specify a time. So Jules set his countdown clock for forty years.) Later, while fighting with A.D.A.M/Tommy, the computer program claims that all his chaotic antics were done to emulate and impress Robotnik, his quote-unquote father. All along, Anonymous was trying to stand up to Daddy. This draws a parallel between Jules and Robotnik as dads, the effect their parenting has had on their respective sons. It doesn't solidify into an actual point, which is why I don't think Ian did it on purpose. But it's certainly interesting.

If “Order from Chaos” can be said to have any problem, it's being a little too plot heavy. The first half was, indeed, a bit heavy on the exposition. This second half is so focused on resolving its point that it doesn't find time to return to Knothole, letting us know what happened with Bunnie. It would've been nice to get a follow-up on that. In truth, Tommy's death is the only time this issue pauses to feature some real emotion. Shadow doesn't have much any reason to be in the story, after A.D.A.M utilizes his abilities. These are the kinds of things Dan Drazen would complain about. The second half isn't as solid as the first but it's still pretty great.

Despite being pretty front-loaded, issue 169 still finds room for a back-up story. “...For a Friend” focuses on the Chaotix. While Knuckles and Julie-Su are on a double date with Charmy and Saffron, the others focuses in on the still-Robotnik-controlled Golden Hive Castle. Otherwise known as Charmy's childhood home. Espio sneaks inside, discovering that there's no chance on saving the hive, that it's been totally assimilated by Eggman. Determined to save his friend the grief, he blows the whole thing way the fuck up.

Plot wise, “...For a Friend” resolves a pretty minor previous point. I can't say I really cared about Charmy being a prince much. It was always a kind of pointless development. Thanks to this story, we don't have to worry about that any. What makes this story worth reading are the smaller, character-oriented moments. There's a cute character beat where Espio spies on an Egg Drone playing Solitaire on his computer. This leads to the chameleon talking with Nicole. She appears on a computer screen in her lynx form, a cute foreshadowing of that becoming her default appearance soon enough. Even by focusing on Ray's stuttering, Flynn finds some minor character developed for the often neglected squirrel. Of course, Espio blowing up the building to save his friends' grief is interesting too, playing into the chameleon's developing personality as a stoic ninja.

Interestingly, Ken Penders did the inking and lettering for this story. I wonder how that worked out, the guy returning briefly to the book following his not exactly mutual separation? Anyway, Steven Butler handles the pencils. While usually reliable, Butler is having a slightly off day. Espio's limbs appear a little too noodly and angular at times, almost as if Ron Lim did some uncredited clean-up on this. Luckily, Butler still packs in some memorable images, like Espio rushing into the castle.

The flaws of “Order from Chaos” are really just nitpicks. Honestly, my biggest problem with this comic book is the eleven page ad shoved in the middle, advertising some long defunct, kid-centric social network called SparkTop. They dragged the Teen Titans into it, which was just rude. Anyway, while “The Darkest Storm” was supposed to be Ian's first big event as a writer, this is his first really great story arc for the book. He managed to take a disorderly, messy world and reorganize it in such a natural way, that makes so much sense. The result is so very satisfying. Tracy Yardley's artwork is pretty solid too, it must be said. While the first half of the story was superior, “Order from Chaos” still wraps up on a pretty great point. [8/10]