DC X Sonic the Hedgehog: Issue 3

DC X Sonic the Hedgehog: Issue 3

Publication Date: May 21st, 2025

I've spent a lot of words lately describing why corporate crossovers and collaborations are so common these days. Ya see, kiddies, when two massive international conglomerates love money very very much, they get together and have a Fortnite skin or a SquishMellow or whatever. I suppose this raises a second question, of why they used to be uncommon. "DC vs. Marvel" was considered a seismic, once-in-a-lifetime event in 1996. (Though it wasn't and seems unlikely to be the last...) The string of crossover games Capcom made with various Marvel characters were perceived as a weird fluke, not a blueprint for countless titles to come. I suppose the thought was that these companies were in competition with each other. To shake hands on any sort of temporary team-up would compromise market share dominance. In the 21st century, we are long past the point of companies pretending there is anything fair about capitalism. Most mega-corps are now owned by even more gargantuan networks, monopolies being de-facto. DC Comics and Marvel Comics are merely peripheral organs, clinging appendix-like to the bloated monoliths that are Warner/Discovery and the Walt Disney Company. Tossing out a fun little team-up is a mild discomfort now, one that will sell some t-shirts and push a stock margin a teeny tiny bit higher. 

You have to be cynical about this shit because entities like "DC X Sonic the Hedgehog" are determined to flash-bang blind you with the childish joy of seeing your favorite superheroes and your favorite video game stars appearing in a comic book together. Let me point out the obvious then: When this collaboration was first revealed, we knew it wouldn't merely see the Justice League and Sonic and pals hanging out together. From the get-go, we were presented with slick artwork of Sonic dressing up as the Flash, Shadow cosplaying as Batman, Tails partially roboticized into Cyborg, and so forth. Was this an exciting comic storyline or a launch event for exclusive new "Sonic: Speed Forces" skin? You could buy a T-shirt of Shadow the BatHog two seconds after they announced this thing. It's not as if I'm immune to the blatant manipulation going on here. If they do make action figures or plushies or whatever of Knuckles as Superman, I'm going to buy them. Yet it is hard to shake the feeling that "DC X Sonic" exists less because it's a story that needed to be told and more because it served the corporate interests of the cyberpunk dystopian future we are living in. 

That becomes especially obvious on the third part of the mini-series. Not only because it's the debut of those nifty, extremely marketable mash-ups of Sonic and the gang. This comic book also features a notable appearance from Mr. Terrific, as the guy who watches the Watchtower when the rest of the Justice League is out of town. Despite the not-that-impressive on the surface title of being the Third Smartest Man in the World, DC Comics is pushing Mr. Terrific a lot lately. Not the least bit because he's got a plum supporting role in the new "Superman" movie that comes out in a few weeks. Once you notice that, you also notice that Hawkgirl – who is also in the upcoming big budget reboot – is also in this comic book. She appears alongside Supergirl, subject of another upcoming movie forming the foundation for the retrofitted DC Cinematic Universe. These are all long established heroes in the comics, of course, so it's entirely possible that their appearance here is a mere coincidence and not cross-promotional synergy with a movie WB has a lot riding on. At the same time, it wouldn't shock me if Flynn got a decree from on-high to specifically incorporate these characters somewhere in this crossover. Instead of allowing him to give a spotlight role to Zatanna or Plastic Man or Space Cabbie or whatever weird favorites he might have. 

But you are probably sick of hearing me complain about how corporate this whole endeavor is every time I bring it up. Once again, I must ask if "DC X Sonic" can overcome this impossible-to-miss surface level cynicism. Issue three sees Sonic, Tails, Knuckles, Amy, Shadow, and Silver stranded on the JLA Watchtower. Mr. Terrific makes it know that their world seems to have blinked out of existence, taking the Justice League with it. Now that this Earth is without its resident team of protectors and our furry friends don't know the current status of their own home, they decide the best thing they can do is take up the Justice League's mantle for the time being. Silver becomes a Green Lantern, Sonic begins racing through Central City. Knuckles flies around Metropolis in the cape and tights. Shadow assumes the role of the grim guardian of Gotham. Amy dons Diana's tiara and mini-skirt to safeguard Washington DC, because God forbid the woman gets her own cool fantasy city. As they start tangoing with the resident supervillains of this world, they quickly notice that the bad guys have gotten their hands on Chaos Emeralds. They realize this means their world didn't vanish forever, that the Justice League must still be alive... Rescuing them also means bringing Darkseid back, a risk the gang has to take. 

I've been saying the whole time that "DC X Sonic" seems to be getting by on fun factor and novelty alone, not having much room for depth in-between all the crossover crisis confrontations. Issue 3 begins with an extremely depressing bit of news: The world that Sonic and friends have always called home, that they've fought to defend countless times, where everyone they love and care about lives, is seemingly gone. Likewise, Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman and other icons you probably have some attachment to are missing-in-action. Now, Sonic, Tails, and Amy are all too plucky and optimistic to truly believe their world is gone forever. Obviously, we the reader is all too aware that DC Comics didn't kill off their most famous characters in a crossover with "Sonic the Hedgehog." Nor that Sega is giving up their own universe for the sake of this brief mini-series. This lack of stakes and tension is a constant problem in superhero comics, where the status quo is inevitably restored and all drastic losses are merely temporary. Furthermore, despite the "13+" rating on the cover and Mr. Terrific saying "DAMN" in one panel, the target audience for this comic book is most likely within the six-to-ten demographic. Itty bitty little baby children who probably would be overcome with sadness by such irreversible death and destruction. At the same time, it would've been nice if the book could've taken a second to acknowledge what our heroes have lost here. We get one whole panel of Shadow brooding over whether protecting this other world is what Maria would want him to do. Sonic and the others seem to let the news that all their friends are dead slid right off their backs. 

Because that would be sad. And this crossover isn't about being sad, of contemplating loss and the grim inevitability of the end of all things. It's about how marketable cool Sonic and friends look dressed up as the Justice League! Once again, I have to admit to being part of the problem here. Flynn has five brief issues to cram in as many DC Comics cameos as possible. This is presumably how we ended up with Silver talking with Ch'p and Amy doing some mild asphyxiation on Gorilla Grodd. I can't lie and say I don't get a thrill out of this. Of seeing Sonic outsmart Eobard Thawne or Knuckles chit-chat with Lois Lane. It is fun and there is an evident joy in these sequences. 

It's only with a mere minute of reflection that one begins to question why Knuckles had to put on Superman's duds or what benefit Sonic gets by activating the Flash's costume ring. Would the locals be scandalized to see these cartoon animals exposing themselves to the general public? I mean, Mr. Tawky Tawny does wear pants after all. Silver fitting himself into Green Lantern's tights makes sense as those guys Moon Prism Power Make-Up the minute they slip the ring on. What benefit does Shadow get driving around in the Batmobile? Why is Amy's car suddenly able to turn invisible like Wonder Woman's jet? Does Sonic have to wear the Flash's uniform because air friction is suddenly a problem on this world? Professor Zoom wonders if being stuck on this planet somehow gives the hedgehog access to the Speed Force, that plot contrivance that allows DC's speedsters to casually break the laws of physics whenever they want. That remains as a suggestion though. Did Tails willingly agree to turn himself into a Cyborg just so he could hang out with Raven and Starfire? Did I miss the panel last time where Wonder Woman handed Amy her tiara and lasso or are these spares she had lying around? 

I've made no secret of how much I despise the obsession with power scaling that a lot of people have. Having said that... I do think some of the gang are a little in over-their-heads here. Knuckles is not as strong, fast, or overall as powerful as Superman. I'm not sure Amy Rose is capable of doing some of the things Wonder Woman has to do during her daily adventures, such as decapitate a monster or suplex Solomon Grundy. This issue has Tails spit-balling about inter-dimensional travel and string theory, which is quite a leap from him simply being a really gifted mechanic. There's been much debate over the years about whether Sonic is as fast as the Flash or capable of some of the same ridiculous feats. I don't feel like tearing that claim apart but the way he easily defeats Professor Zoom here strikes me as a bit on the unlikely side. Dropping Sonic and friends into the DC Universe is a fun idea and would be a way to explore a lot of the limitations of these guys as crime fighters. Instead, "DC X Sonic" continues to function on cool factor alone, never asking any deeper questions about what would happen from such a switch-a-roo. 

Listen, I'm not saying I didn't have some fun with this. The best thing about this crossover continues to be the parallels and differences the writer has found between these two sets of characters. Yes, the way Superman protects Metropolis can be compared to how Knuckles protects Angel Island. Amy swinging her heart-generating Piko Piko Hammer while dressed as the Warrior of Love is a nice bit of metaphorical symmetry. However, the differences between these guys is also highlighted in ways that prove far more amusing. Lex Luthor, another bald super-genius, attempts to mislead Knuckles and, thankfully, he doesn't fall for it this time. When that doesn't work, the villain produced a Chaos Emerald that he's mistaken for Kryptonite. Obviously used to Superman peacefully flying away after an attempt on his life, Lex is startled when Knuckles swings back around and beats him. Similarly, Shadow the Hedgehog somehow proves even more humorless than Batman by swatting Joker aside the head with a rocket skate without saying a single word. 

Such encounters between our superhero-ified Team Sonic and the various native villains and allies of this world is, in fact, what composes most of this entire issue. Silver clobbers Sinestro alongside some of the better known Green Lantern Corp members. While Gorilla Grodd is the enemy that Amy pummels in the District of Columbia. Tails references fighting off Brother Blood alongside the other Teen Titans but we don't see that play out. That speaks to, once again, the hyper pacing of this entire story arc. The compromise is clear: Flynn clearly had a hundred ideas and scenarios he wanted to showcase during such a crossover as this. He only got five issues to explore them all, forcing the issue to rush through a bunch of scenarios that are clearly only a small selection of what has been going on during this time. 

Honestly, this entire issue feels a little bit like Flynn is simply happy to play in another sandbox for once. Sinestro and his Chaos Emerald charged Yellow Lantern summon some Parallax looking dragons. Gorilla Grodd descends on our nation's capital with a fleet of psychically controlled super-gorillas. The Joker, clearly in more of a wacky agent of mischief than mass-murdering demon-clown mode, rides around on a Joker-Mobile looking go-cart with a matching rocket launcher. Flynn even sneaks in a one-page appearance from Beast Boy and has the good guys hanging out at the Hall of Justice. You can tell that he's truly enjoying the chance to touch on all these beloved characters and elements. In fact, I'm starting to wonder if this entire mini-series wasn't a backwards scheme of Flynn's to maybe get hired by DC and write about something other than blue hedgehogs for once? 

Not that I think Flynn has anything but love and admiration for the “Sonic” cast and universe. He includes his fair share of in-jokes and shout-outs here. After Beast Boy turns into a green echidna to mock Knuckles, Sonic quibs that Knuckles would look awful in green. Yes, there's no way that's not a sideways poke at the much-loathed Chaos Knuckles arc, making this the first time an official piece of “Sonic” media has recalled the Archie series since it ended. The fanboy-ing out is a two way street, as well. You can tell the writer had a good time getting to include outrageous characters like C'hp, Grodd, or have Tails shout “Boo-yeah!” I never detected much influence on Flynn's “Sonic” writing from traditional superhero fair but it's clear he must be a reasonable fan of D.C. Comics shenanigans if he's casually dropping Sojourner Mullein or King Solovar into this crossover. 

If Flynn is relishing the chance to play around with an I.P. bigger than Sonic, you can tell Adam Bryce Thomas is as well. His take on Grodd, the Green Lantern Corps, Supergirl, and Hawkgirl all look pretty damn great. He was clearly especially happy to get a chance to draw the Joker, who is extremely animated and exaggerated looking on his pages. He brings his own approach to Lex Luthor too, who is a bit portlier and more Kojak-looking than he has been recently. Say what you will about the gimmickry of having Sonic and the gang dress up like the Justice League, there's no doubting that the costumes look cool as shit. The scenes of Shadow pursuing the Joker through traffic or the action beat with the Green Lantern Corp and Sinestro are as dynamic and smoothly illustrated as we've come to expect from this guy. IDW clearly did find the right man for this job, one of the few artists out there who can make both Sonic characters and human beings look bad-ass.

All along, I've been asking if “DC X Sonic” will rise above the novelty of its premise and actually provide a compelling story in its own right. More than half-way through at this point and I'm starting to realize that's not happening. I don't think this crossover is running on any idea deeper than it being cool to see these two universes interact. For sure, it absolutely is cool and I'm enjoying the unlikeliness of that. However, once again, I come away from another issue of this event wishing it was a little less breathless in its approach. Would've been nice to take a little more time to explore these circumstances and root what happens in a bit more heart. At the same time, Knuckles the Super-Echidna punches Lex Luthor through a glass window and across his desk and I'm not going to piss up your leg and claim I don't love that. Smashing your action figures together is fun but I do wish there was slightly more depth than that. [7/10]

Sonic X Shadow Generations: Dark Beginnings - Episode 3: To the ARK

Sonic X Shadow Generations: Dark Beginnings - Episode 3: To the ARK

Original Release Date: October 10th, 2024

The three episodes of "Sonic X Shadow Generations: Dark Beginnings" were released weekly in the lead-up to the eponymous remaster/bonus game dropping on October 25th. Yes, the Year of Shadow would essentially climax very close to Halloween, confirming once and for all that Shadow is the most goth of all the "Sonic the Hedgehog" characters. Could they have slipped in a little more weird alien body horror transformations so I could officially consider this a Halloween special? Anyway, four whole days after "To the ARK" was released, a compilation of all three episodes of "Dark Beginnings" would also drop. This gave the impression that such a format was probably how the entire animation was meant to be seen originally. It's harder to build hype when putting out one fourteen short than it is with the weekly drip-feed of episodes. Either way, "Dark Beginnings" ultimately being more of a single little movie than a TV series means it can be logged on Letterboxd, for the handful of people who are both "Sonic" nerds and hardcore cinema devotees. There are dozens of us, probably. 

Because your friends are more important than your employees, "To the ARK" begins with Rouge and Omega helping Shadow break into a GUN base so he can high-jack a rocket ship. After blowing up quite a lot of GUN's robots and vehicles, our hypothetically ultimate protagonist reaches the space shuttle he is seeking. As he launches off towards the ARK, GUN plans on shooting him out of the sky... Before Commander Tower intervenes, calling off the attack, and saying that he understands where Shadow is coming from. Shadow flies towards the ARK, and the threat that dwells there, and remembers his time with Maria before we cut to black. If you want to see the rest of the story, buy the video game, kid. 

Having seen all of "Dark Beginnings" now, the purpose of this cartoon emerges. In the ramp-up to the new game and movie coming out, Sega wanted to remind anyone who had forgotten how fucking cool Shadow the Hedgehog is. That's why most of this three-parter was devoted to the grumpy hedgie getting into lots of fights and blowing tons of shit up. One assumes that this is why Sega hired Christopher Luc and Kevin Molina-Ortiz to direct this thing. Those guys do kick-ass action and that's what they deliver. And you don't need me to tell that, simply as a display for some rad as fuck action animation, "Dark Beginnings" is a massive success. A good chunk of this episode is devoted to Shadow fighting the Blue Falcon. Not the Hanna-Barbera superhero, sadly, but the weird hovercraft thing from the "Shadow" video game. He Chaos-Controls around the industrial launch base, exploding hordes of missiles with his superpowers, and eventually taking down the vehicle personally. Yeah, it's cool as shit looking, with lots of fast-paced animation, weaving camera angles, expressive colors, and high-impact blows. 

The intent of nearly fourteen minutes of Shadow kicking ass and taking names is clear: To wash the bad taste of any middlingly received solo games and remind players that Shadow the Hedgehog is a bad-ass with a sensitive side. Obviously, the overwhelming majority of "Sonic" fans probably don't need to be reminded of this but, if "Dark Beginnings'" flashy as hell animation convinced one extra person to buy "Sonic X Shadow Generations," it probably did its job. The unstoppable super-hero who is gruff and doesn't give a shit, but is driven by a secret pain motivated by the loss of a loved one years ago, is a well known character type. However, there is apparently one thing Shadow isn't willing to do: After thoroughly disabling the Blue Falcon, he makes sure to personally activate the eject feature for the pilot. I don't know if this reflects a personal code on the hedgehog's behalf or if he simply feels it unnecessary to murder a G.U.N. officer just doing his job. It is a reminder that these characters are for little kids and probably shouldn't murder indiscriminately.

Considering the people working on this series would've been aware of the upcoming DC Comics crossover, it can't help but feel like another parallel to Batman. Shadow may be the best there is at what he does but what he does is only a little bit not-so-nice. He does not carry a licence to kill in his wallet and he's never murdered three men with a pencil, a fucking pencil. He's the dark and brooding defender of the world who still believes in the sanctity of human life, old chum. I do wish that "Dark Beginnings" had a little more time, in-between all its bitchin' action scenes, to delve into this idea a little more. The death of Maria floats over the entire series. Her loss will haunt Shadow forever. If his unwillingness to blow up faceless mooks and rip Eggman's throat out with his gloved hands was a reflection of this trauma, an insistence not to out other people through the same pain he's experienced, that sure would've been nice. Instead, it's one little moment in a six minute episode much more concerned with blowing shit up than the consequences of said shit blowing up. I bet the wife and daughter of that G.U.N. pilot will be thankful to the Ultimate Lifeform for sparring their husband/dad's life, assuming his injector seat didn't crash land into a mine field or a pool full of sharks.

I would've liked to have seen a little more insight into Shadow's code of honor but Ian Flynn has other concerns with this last episode. You gotta fill in those plot holes, man. Shadow working with G.U.N. is a well established factoid now, portrayed in the comics and video games. This is despite, ya know, that being the organization that killed his favorite person ever. The implication has always been that Shadow working with G.U.N. represents the fulfillment of his character arc. He's moved on from his pain, wants to help the world, and working with totally-not-S.H.I.E.L.D. is the best way to do that. As far as I know, this has never been exactly stated though. Moreover, why would G.U.N. want Shadow's help, considering he's blown up plenty of their shit in the past and continues to do so, as this cartoon depicts? 

As it is with Hollywood, turns out there is nothing more important than who you know. "Dark Beginnings" reminds us that Shadow and Commander Tower go way back. That they grew up together. Turns out, this makes the head huncho at G.U.N. totally fine with their top agent sometimes going on destructive rampages against them. I guess G.U.N. doesn't have much in the way of authority oversight so Abe and Shadow kind of knowing each other is enough for everyone to overlook all the senseless destruction. This still doesn't quite explain why Shadow would partner up with these assholes but it at least shows there's some sort of link there. 

That halfway explains why Shadow gets a pass for destroying expensive G.U.N. and God knows what else. What is Rouge and Omega's excuse, for aiding and abetting a rogue agent in his misadventures? Commander Tower actually points this out to Rouge specifically. She brings him a thumb drive full of Eggman secrets of some sort to compensate. Mostly, I think her batting her big beautiful eyelashes at her boss, playfully calling him "Abe," puffing up her lips and pushing out the 22Fs, is the real reason for him to forgive her. Okay but Omega has noticeably less sex appeal than Rouge. He definitely helps blow up G.U.N. robots in this episode, including a really cool shot of him employing a big-ass Gatling gun. I guess Tower is reluctant to confront the eight foot tall, heavily-armed murder bot about his indiscretions. What I'm saying here is that G.U.N. doesn't give a shit and let's their agents do whatever, no matter the cost to themselves and others. Your typical black ops organization, in other words. 

But there I go picking at nits again. Sorry, I can't help myself sometimes. The real point of "To the ARK" is not to display some sick fight scenes or give us a peek at the inner workings of G.U.N. higher-ups. Not unlike the various "TailsTube" episodes, "Dark Beginnings" is basically a commercial. It's meant to remind us to run out and buy that new video game. This is most apparent in how "Dark Beginnings" is also a prequel to "Shadow Generations," leading right into the start of the game. In other words, there's no room here to tell a complete story. "Dark Beginnings" doesn't truly have an ending, stopping at the point when Shadow is about to reach the ARK. Unable to tell a complete narrative, the last part of "Dark Beginnings" attempts to create some sense of emotional resolution instead. While on the rocket ride, Shadow thinks back to Maria. He gets sad and wistful for a minute before shaking it off. What this moment does is reveal that a lot of Shadow's tough guy personality is a put on. Inside, he's still a hurt kid still reeling from the sudden death of his older sister figure. It is a nice little moment that does bring things full circle to some degree, re-centering the story once again around Shadow's most important bond. 

If you missed the significance of that, "Dark Beginnings" also includes, in its last few minutes, a weepy pop ballad. I got flashbacks to all those would-be Disney animated movies from the nineties that included a pop version of a song over the end credits in the hopes of getting an Oscar nomination. "Without You" by Casey Lee Williams – apparently best known for one of those internet animated series that look like anime but aren't – skips the synth sparkles but otherwise hits all the clichés of the Oscar Bait Song. It is full of straining emotion, sweeping instruments, and vocals that reach for the heavens in terms of the feeling they hope to convey. The lyrics describe Shadow's difficulty in moving on from Maria's loss. It goes right for the heart and wants to see you cry. I find the song a little overwrought, to say the least, but it does go a long way to making "Dark Beginnings" feel more like a real movie than an ad. They are plucking those heart strings hard. 

While the lack of something like a real ending is an inevitable consequence of "Dark Beginnings" being a lead-in to a new video game, it doesn't kill the buzz the rest of this series gave me too much. If you watch the 14 minute compilation, you get an extra scene of Black Doom brooding aboard the ARK after the credits, an inessential addition. Playing through "Sonic X Shadow Generations" also reveals and additional scene, of Shadow and Maria hugging it out some more. That one feels a bit more like an actual ending, despite still not wrapping up any of the narrative threads. It's hard to give "Dark Beginnings" anything but the highest recommendations based simply on its gorgeous animation. Out of all the new "Sonic" animation to come out of the Youtube channel, I don't think this tops "Sonic Frontiers Prologue: Divergence" as my fave but it's definitely a real piece of art nevertheless. Why can't all "Sonic" media be this damn pretty and be willing to get a little sadder more often? Hopefully Luc and Molina-Ortiz get invited back to do more stuff like this during the, I don't know, The Year of Cream or whatever promotional stunt Sega does next. [8/10]

Sonic X Shadow Generations: Dark Beginnings - Episode 2: Finding the Way

Sonic X Shadow Generations: Dark Beginnings 

Episode 2: Finding the Way

Original Release Date: October 3rd, 2024

While I will admit to a certain cynicism concerning the typical fandom reaction to any and every new "Sonic the Hedgehog" character, the fact is that this series is especially good at designing new cast members. I don't mean solely visually, though an eye-catching design does seem to be enough to get most fans hyped. (Hence the aforementioned cynicism.) While you can complain about how many of the "Sonic" characters are truly essential, the artists and writers are very good about finding roles that were previously unfilled and sticking them together in compelling ways. Shadow's whole thing is that he's a loner, right? Rouge is a morally neutral jewel thief, far more interested in her next score than anything else, yes? These two should *not* be team players. Team Dark, however, has become an pivotal part of the "Sonic" universe. Somehow, when you combine the angsty super-being and the tricky femme fatale with a destruction obsessed kill-droid, it just works. The three personalities play off each other perfectly. The government of Sonic's world deciding to cram three people who would otherwise be supervillains and decide to let them focus their antisocial personality traits on the enemy is some succinct world building. There's a reason "The Dirty Dozen" is a classic and has spawned so many Thunderbolts and Suicide Squads. There's something irresistible about a bunch of assholes and crooks being very much forced to work together for the greater good. Let's us have our villainous cake and eat some moral relatively too or something. 

Anyway, I bring this up because the second episode of "Sonic X Shadow Generations: Dark Beginnings" reunites the star attraction with the other two members of Team Dark. Not that Shadow was intentionally seeking them out. Following his dream/vision last episode, Shadow is looking for a space craft to reach the ARK. He headed to the nearest Eggman base to find one. By a massive coincidence, this is the same base that Rouge and Omega are currently attacking for some reason. She claims it's just a supplies depot, with no rocket ships in sight, but does agree to help Shadow out... Assuming he comes to Sonic's birthday party with her. In-between conversation points, the trio murder a shit ton of Egg Drones and Shadow reflects on a memory of Maria comforting him when he was feeling bad for himself. 

Last time, I criticized "Dark Beginnings'" script for being a bit too on-the-nose. Ian Flynn has the sole writing credit on this entire mini-series but I don't know if that means he had relative creative control or was working within ideas and storyboards provided beforehand. The dialogue sees the characters rather flatly explaining what they are feeling and doing. A ten year old Abraham Tower rushes out of a room and makes sure to sneer that Shadow is a freak on the way out. Inside, the Lifeform Ultimatized for Self-Pity describes his existential angst over actually being genetically engineered from alien DNA. In a good example of telling rather than showing, he describes how this information makes him feels and awkwardly includes the word "larva." Maria, in turn, knows exactly what to say to make the broody test tube baby feel better. Her words not only specifically address what Shadow is feeling in that moment but also echo into the future. Maria just happened to say that Shadow will someday meet other people he can trust, exactly as the episode cuts to him racing off to encounter Rouge and Omega. Damn, that little girl was optimistic about getting off that space station! 

This tendency towards dialogue that is obvious, if not a touch overwrought, continues into the next scene as well. Shadow's explanation to Rouge about what he's doing here is a rather flat and basic description of everything that happened before. While I'm enough of a nit-picky, overly critical dork to be bugged by this, it doesn't truly distract from the emotions "Dark Beginnings" is invoking here. Here's why I think Shadow's story resonates with so many people: It shows the power of kindness. Shadow was born to be a weapon. He was programmed to be an avatar of Gerald Robotnik's planet-consuming need for vengeance. When we first met him, he was defined by nothing but his impressive superpowers and humorless, antihero attitude. 

Despite that... Maria was kind to him once. She could have been like Abe Tower and bullied Shadow, fearing him for not being a "normal" child of God. Instead, she reached out to Shadow and was gentle, empathetic, and nice to him. Maria's life was always destined to be short, even if G.U.N. agents are crappier aim. As the subtitles remind us, she's been gone fifty years by the time of the current day. Despite that, those simple acts of sympathy still resonate. A little girl who died half a century ago was nice to Shadow the Hedgehog and that was enough to make him realize and understand that he is capable of more than destruction, able to pursue goals beyond revenge. The foundation of such a method is love. That Maria's actions causes Shadow to completely change his direction in life, to be the hero Maria saw in him and not the weapon everyone else wanted him to be, proves that love ripples further than hate or revenge ever could. The idea that a simple act of kindness can change a life – and, in effect, change the world – is a touching thought that feels like a fundamental truth about the universe. 

As much as the emotion element of this episode resonates with me, I don't think that will be the main thing most people take away from “Finding the Way.” As with the first episode, the main thing that is immediately memorable about this four minute installment is how fuckin' cool it looks. The intense visual presentation is evident right from the get-go. The scenes on the ARK are moodily lit, the twitching Black Arms larva being weirdly expressive. As soon as Shadow races across the screen, the action rarely stops moving. In fact, the battle with the Egg Drones is so fast-paced and stylized that you almost have to watch it twice in order to catch everything that happens. Shadow weaves in and out of the laser blasts and weapons at a rocket's pace, striking back with such intensity that the image seems to shatter. When Rouge and Omega shows up, the action gets even more explosive. Rouge flies up into the air, poses before the moon – some real “Batman '89” vibes there – before striking down at a giant-sized drone with an earth-splitting kick. It's so fuckin' cool and it looks amazing.

It's very satisfying watching Rouge the Bat kick ass. I feel like it doesn't matter how often she shows up, the bat is always an underutilized member of the “Sonic” supporting cast. Rouge has such a grace about her, all of her movements being laced with sensuality. This means she has chemistry with everyone, Shadow included. What could have been a totally plot-driven dialogue exchange, where they discuss what's going on and how to push forward, becomes an amusing flirty discussion. The way her eyes bulge out when Shadow scoops her out of harm's way, how she bats her lashes and rolls her head when talking him into going to Sonic's birthday party: It shows such an immediate and charming personality. To the point where, when she looks over her shoulder at Shadow and asks “Interested in raiding a G.U.N. Base?” I had a Pavlovian reaction of “I'm interested in raiding that ass!” I probably shouldn't have told you that. Anyway, Rouge rocks and she makes this episode better than it already was. 

Karen Strassman has been voicing Rouge since 2010, meaning she's got a good grip on the character by this point. Strassman definitely makes Rouge sound cute and flirty, while maintaining an edge of professionalism, that suits the character well. However, as I mentioned last time, I do find the Japanese voice cast a little smoother sounding. Rumi Ochiai, the Japanese voice of Rouge since the “Sonic X” days, sounds a little less ditzy, a little less Valley Girl, and that goes a long way towards fitting the character's femme fatale attitude. Roger Craig Smith shows up as Omega here and I'm really not crazy about his take. Doesn't sound robot-y enough, ya know? Taiten Kusunoki – check out this dude's head shot – makes the kill-bot sound both more mechanical and also more expressive, a good balance. Kirk Thornton has more quiet moments in this episode, so I think he's a little less gratingly tough. 

It's clear that Flynn is telling a direct story here, one designed to expound on Shadow's past while also pushing him towards the events of the video game re-release this entire venture is meant to promote. At the same time, assuming this script truly does reflect Ian Flynn's vision more than anyone else, “Finding the Way” can't help but reflect the author's quirks. In this four minute episode that is extremely heavy on the action, Ian still finds some time to plug a plot hole. For years, fans have speculated on why Shadow the Hedgehog – not exactly the most social of guys and not somebody who generally considers himself a friend of Sonic the Hedgehog – would show up at his birthday party. While it's funny to assume he was doing some sort of information gathering, the truth is Rouge just blackmailed him into doing it. Dude just can't help himself. He has an obsessive compulsion for finding weird gaps in story logic and cooking up solutions to them. 

The script also makes sure to remind us that Abraham Tower grew up on the ARK, a tidbit I always forget about that. Is there any particular reason he has heterochromia? All those years of staring at glowing glass tubes full of weird alien weapons or off-spring or something. Anyway, this rocks. It looks fucking amazing and it also has a nice amount of heart, expanding on the emotional boundaries of this universe while also giving us all the things we want to see. Aw darn, there's only more left? We could've gotten a little more! [9/10]

Sonic X Shadow Generations: Dark Beginnings - Episode 1: Shadow and Maria

Sonic X Shadow Generations: Dark Beginnings

Episode 1: Shadow and Maria 

Original Release Date: September 25th, 2024

Sega, in all its lofty buzz-word corporate speak pretensions, assured us that 2024 was going to be the Year of Shadow the Hedgehog. Recalling Nintendo's famously unsuccessful declaration that 2013 was the Year of Luigi, Sega boldly announced last April that Shadow was going to take a front seat presence in the "Sonic the Hedgehog" franchise. They set up a website for it and everything. Accordingly, the last 12 months saw many big and small promotional events built around the so-called Ultimate Lifeform. All the mobile games got Shadow-centric events. Shadow-related DLC became available for the current games, including the Apple exclusive one you forgot about. There was a manga, a Lego set, fancy pins. Those living in the southwestern United States could purchase Shadow themed collectible cups at Bahama Buck's, a shaved ice chain that apparently exists. There was a Shadow the Hedgehog-themed Angry Birds tournament. Did you know there were Angry Birds tournaments? In the year 2024?! Most bizarrely, a physical version of the Dark Rider was toured around the U.S., allowing fans a chance to gawk at the actual motorcycle actually operated by the actual Shadow the Hedgehog! What a time to be alive. 

The promotional event known as "Fearless: Year of Shadow" is technically still on-going, as of this writing. After getting to cosplay as Batman back in September, the angsty hedgehog is taking a prime position next to the Dark Knight in the DC Comics crossover. IDW is publishing a Shadow one-shot this July, which I guess will mark the official end of this fifteen month long year. Despite that, all the hype was clearly meant to build towards two climaxes in late 2024: The release of "Sonic the Hedgehog 3" in theaters in December and a new "Shadow" video game in October. Honestly, the release of the remaster of "Sonic Generations" was completely overshadowed – heh – by its bundled spin-off, "Shadow Generations." The new half-game was well received by fans and I'm guessing it sold pretty well too. "Sonic the Hedgehog 3" also made a lot of money. All of this means that "Year of Shadow" was an actual good idea Sega had, paying off for the company. Suck it, Luigi! Hedgehogs rule, Italian plumbers drool! 

"Shadow Generations'" story drew heavily from the previous video game starring this guy, "Shadow the Hedgehog." That the foregrounding of the angsty hedgehog's extraterrestrial origins were rapturously received by fans shows we've come a long way since 2005. Two decades ago – give me a second to reflect on how much of my life I've wasted – Shadow's solo game was widely loathed. The gameplay received mixed reviews and the new features were said to lack depth, sure. However, most of the negative reaction centered on the game's tone and story. The decision to add guns and mild swearing to a "Sonic" game was seen as a desperate, comically half-assed attempt to turn a strictly kid-friendly series into something edgier. The game's plot was largely criticized, especially the decision to add aliens to Shadow's origin. I don't know why but people always get mad when aliens are involved in the origins of "Sonic" things. This reception led Sega to not touch the Black Arms stuff for years, the comics forced to keep them off-panel. 

That was a long time ago. The kids who played "Shadow the Hedgehog" are now old enough to look back on it fondly. The snarktastic world of mid-2000s gaming journalism, that treated everything "Sonic" as a shameful relic of the nineties, is now a distant land itself. At a certain point, people came around to actually liking Shadow's edgiest phase. The prominent role for Black Doom and frequent references to Shadow's past in "Shadow Generations" cemented that part of the franchise lore as another weird, convoluted thing that makes the "Sonic" universe the delightfully eccentric entity it is. Shadow is no longer ashamed of being a genetically engineered super-weapon created with extraterrestrial DNA. He lets his freak flag fly now, baby. 

I bring all of this up because, as we've established by now, animated shorts promoting the new "Sonic" games getting posted to YouTube are common practice. To show how fuckin' serious they were about this Year of Shadow, we actually got a three part presentation. "Sonic X Shadow Generations: Dark Beginnings" was an animated prequel to the game, delving more into Shadow's past, posted in the weeks leading up to the game's release. Episode one, entitled "Shadow and Maria," shows the young Ultimate Lifeform and his favorite Robotnik family member bonding aboard the Ark. Their innocent playtime, and the pep talk she gives the always angsty Shadow, is interrupted when G.U.N. attacks the satellite. There's a robot fight before Shadow seems to fall further and further into his memories, revealing this flashback as a dream he's having. Disturbed upon waking, he becomes convinced this was a vision rather than a dream. He sets out to uncover what it could mean. 

Of the twelve people who are reading this blog, I'm about to alienate six of you with the following statement: I think Shadow's backstory, with Maria's death and the ARK and all that, is kind of overrated. Maria Robotnik is the definition of a sacrificial lamb. She exists to die, to give Shadow a properly edgy reason to be pissed at the world. Meanwhile, Maria barely exists as a character in her own right. In this episode, she and Shadow are seen playing, racing to an observation deck to see the Aurora Borealis over the Earth. To emphasize how fragile and vulnerable she is, the girl is gasping for breath. In return, Shadow gets righteously angry with himself for his inability to heal all her woes. Naturally, her response is nothing less than perfectly loving and accepting. If, by some unlikely series of circumstances, you started watching "Dark Beginnings" without knowing the fate about to befall Maria, you'd still probably guess that she was doomed to die. She is the definition of a beautiful cinnamon roll, too good, too pure for this world. It all feels a little contrived, a bit melodramatic, if you ask me. 

All of which is an issue I have with "Sonic Adventure 2's" script, not with what "Dark Beginnings" is doing. Ultimately, this episode functions as an expanded version of Shadow's dark awakening. It exists to give us more context to these events. Ian Flynn's script is a little heavy on the "as you know" dialogue, Maria explaining her illness and Shadow discussing his status as the so-called Ultimate Lifeform. However, I think the writer mostly works as an epic exaggeration of Shadow's mythic origins. There's explosions and catastrophe and a duel with a robot. Perhaps in this context, Maris being a simplistic plot device of a character makes sense. This is the "Sonic" brand embracing its own grandness, applying an almost Biblical sense of mythological importance to these events. This is not merely Shadow's origin story but his creation myth. It's supposed to be bigger than life, I suppose. That is further supported by a sweeping, very dramatic musical score.

That last point is further emphasized by the main thing most people remember about the "Shadow Generations" short: These cartoons look really fucking pretty. All of "Dark Beginnings" was directed by Christopher Luc and Kevin Molina-Ortiz. Luc and Molina-Ortiz are best known for their work as storyboard artists on "Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles" and "Blue-Eyed Samurai," shows I have not seen because I'm perpetually seven years behind what's current. Nevertheless, I am familiar with these programs' reputation for being gorgeously animated. Especially in terms of highly kinetic action scenes. That's where "Shadow and Maria" truly excels. The fight between Shadow and Emerl – I always forget he's part of Shadow's origin story – weaves stylishly in between their fists and feet as they kick and punch at each other. Each blows send out shock waves of energy, shattering near-by glass tubes, to show us how overpowered these guys are. There's a punishing preciseness to their movements, each blow landing with the kind of determination that you usually only see in Hong Kong martial arts movies. I have no doubt that the fight was actually choreographed, because it's all so exact on its movement. The animation is unfailingly smooth with a constant sense of movement, evocative lighting, a depth of color, and an artistic eye that constantly dazzles. It looks exceptionally cool, the quality of animation here being on-par with an especially high quality action anime. 

"Dark Beginnings'" commitment to looking as bitchin' as possible at all times becomes more apparent as the episode reveals that this is a dream. As Shadow crashes through the glass of the ARK's observation deck, the shattering window takes him further into his own memories. He becomes a fractured witness to Gerald's isolation and execution, before Maria's death appears to him as a storm cloud cracked by a stray lightning bolt. Black Doom's glowering face appears in the sky behind it, suggesting the alien overlord's status as the author of all of Shadow's pain. I love shit like this, when a show gives itself a license to be a little surreal, a little dream-like, to explore the character's psychological hang-ups as physical obstacles. That, to me, shows a willingness to take the character's trauma seriously and to engage with these lofty ideas on a bigger level. Of course Maria and Gerald's death loom over Shadow's whole life like an ominous storm cloud. Of course he feels trapped in a nightmare prison that he has nothing to do with, forced to relive the same tragedy until he breaks the cycle of manipulation and control. Hell yeah, that's the good shit. 

And, I must emphasize again, it all looks really cool. There are several truly striking, moody visuals here. Like the red tubes of Gerald's experiments lighting up in the dark as Shadow sails by them or a lingering shot of her shattered moon in the night sky, a ring of debris around it. Any criticism I might have is minor in comparison to the sheer artistry on display. (For example: I've never been crazy about Kirk Thornton's Vegeta-ian take on Shadow. It's a little too self-aware in its raspy toughness. Kōji Yusa, who always plays Shadow like he's the morally conflicted undercover cop in a Yakuza movie, has a better grip on the character for me. I think Yuri Shiratori is also a little less aggravatingly precious as Maria than Stephanie Sheh, hence why I tend to stick to the Japanese audio for these things as much as I can.) I can't praise the "Sonic CD" opening strictly for the strength of its vibe and aura moments and not extend this slice of raditude the same praise. And there's two more? Neat! [9/10]

Sonic the Hedgehog (IDW): Issue 78

Sonic the Hedgehog (IDW): Issue 78

Publication Date: May 7th, 2025

I've made this observation often but it never fails to amuse: The "Sonic the Hedgehog" comic book can function perfectly fine without Sonic the Hedgehog in it. For years, I had to hear clueless jack-asses complain about how Sonic had "too many friends." That the games needed to go back to featuring him and only him. Or that the Archie Comics had too large a cast. There might be some valid criticism hidden within these statements but the truth is apparent to "Sonic" lifers like you and me. The hedgehog has a great supporting cast, one more than strong enough to support stories without him, stories that are sometimes all the better because of it. That case is proven again with issue 78 of IDW's "Sonic the Hedgehog." It wasn't until after I was done reading it that I realized the Blue Dude with 'Tude never appeared within its pages. The guy's name is on the cover but he didn't bother to show up this month and I didn't even notice. That definitely says some things about me and this comic. 

So what of this "Sonic the Hedgehog" story that pointedly does not feature its title character? "Shattered Pieces, Part 3" focuses on Tails, Amy, and Blaze as they travel the country and check in on various communities in the aftermath of Restoration HQ's destruction. They find places like Barricade Town and Glass Hill functioning fine on their own, the local Restoration chapters strong enough to support themselves. They don't get a whiff of trouble until arriving in Turtleshell Island, a floating city kept above water by several support buoys. The trio encounter Surge and Kit there, all on friendly terms... Unaware that Kit has planted a bomb on one of the buoys, to create another crisis Surge can play hero in. Soon, the whole gang is running around the island to try and keep it from sinking and rescue anyone who hasn't gotten to safety yet. 

All throughout IDW "Sonic's" run, I've bitched and moaned about the lack of world-building, which I continue to blame on Sega's vague vision for what Sonic's home world is like. 78 issues in and we still don't have a firm idea of how these scattered villages function or how any of these cartoon animals got here. However, "Scattered Pieces" represents Flynn finally fleshing out the setting a little more. Despite all the random sci-fi super-tech utilized here and there, "Sonic's world" seems to mostly be a series of small towns and cities, isolated apart from each other by rural expanses of nature. It increasingly seems as if there was no type of government body or prevailing social structure before the Restoration came into existence. As we discover in this issue, that seems to be because these towns don't need it. All these places seem to be doing fine on their own, operating independently of each other. My needlessly nitpicky brain still has a lot of questions here – where do they get their food? Their building supplies? – but the growing implication seems to be that Sonic's society is practically a utopia. Before Eggman showed up, it seems these little clusters of communities existed largely without conflict or problems, everyone happily functioning. 

I don't find this to be a particularly satisfying answer. Compared to the conflict filled history of Mobius, full of wars and conquests and competing superpowers, this presentation seems... Ya know, boring. All the furry animal people that live on these islands mostly existed in an Eden-like bliss and tranquility with nature – even though they also have cities and infrastructure and cars and shit??? – before the corrupting influence of Eggman entered into their paradise. And if he went away forever tomorrow, they'd go right back to that? I guess that tracks with the depictions in the video games but it doesn't make for an especially compelling setting. There's some cool touches here, such as the aforementioned floating city or an ice-spewing firetruck powered by Wisps, that represents Flynn adding some color and quirkiness to this world. That shows a distinctiveness but does little to make this location feel fully realized. I guess I hoped, by this point in the "new" comic's run, I would have more of an idea of what the hell Sonic and his friends are fighting to protect. 

The book seems to be moving towards something that I have a very bad feeling about. During IDW "Sonic's" entire existence, our good guys have been aligned with the Resistance and then the Restoration. They functioned as something like a replacement for the Freedom Fighters and Mobotropolis, a uniting and centralized force that gave Sonic and friends some sort of motivating goal. They had an objective, of rebuilding society after Eggman's conquest of the globe in "Sonic Forces." Sonic, kind of a capacious hero who simply runs around when left to his own devices, was given direction and a regular supporting cast. All things you need if you want your comic book to feel like an actual narrative and not stuff just happening for no reason. Since the destruction of Restoration HQ, this feeling has crept into the book. This storyline kicked off with everyone going their separate ways, lots of the character seeming dissatisfied with what their lives have become. In this issue, we see that society seems pretty well restored. These towns don't need the Restoration anymore and Ian Flynn seems well on his way of writing the whole concept out of the series. 

Where does that leave "Sonic the Hedgehog: The Comic Book?" Sonic running around wherever he wants, running into disorganized groups of friends that he otherwise doesn't stay in touch with, until everyone has to unite to stop Eggman's next plan for world domination? I think that's exactly what Sega wants this comic book, and the entire "Sonic" franchise to be, a vague collection of mascots in a vaguer world that don't do anything in-between the new mainline video games. Archie "Sonic" was weird. It stood on its own, perhaps as the most fleshed-out version of Sonic and his friends. Should I still be comparing this comic book, 78 issues in, to the one it was designed to replaced? My fear that this comic would exist only as a promotional device for Sega's corporate goals, thoroughly strip-mined of any deeper personality, has never gone away. Are we really headed towards that? What about G.U.N.? Angel Island? Is this series truly going to be a collection of random elements that get thrown together randomly? 

I think I managed to depress myself a little. My growing concern over the Shape of Things to Come has sort of overwhelmed my thoughts on this individual issue. Which, by the way, I did like. The first half feels somewhat uneventful. Amy, Tails, and Blaze are going from town to town, trying to resolve a crisis they then discover doesn't actually exist. Makes you feel a little like your time is being wasted, ya know? However, there is a hang-out vibe to these scenes that has some value. Once everyone arrives on Turtleshell Island, and the entire city is threatened with submergence into the sea, a fire is lit under the ass of this issue. At that point, "Shattered Pieces: Part 3" becomes a compelling and exciting adventure story. We've got our gang, they've got a problem to solve, and the clock is ticking. Let's watch them put their heads together to save the day. The solution that arises – of Kit making a huge air bubble and floating Blaze under the island, where she generated heat vents to hold the island up – is novel. Good shit. I enjoyed that part. Imposing a time limit on our heroes is always a good way to build suspense and the image of an entire town sinking into the sea is dramatic enough to catch the imagination. 

Despite my misgivings about where this is all headed, I do enjoy spending time with these characters. That is despite the book's increasing insistence on reducing everyone to a static series of characteristics. For example: Must we mention Blaze's acrophobia every single time she shows up? Is she claustrophobic now too, as depicted by her nervousness inside the bubble Kit creates? Tails makes sure to point out Blaze is too hard on herself, that she's a good friend and shouldn't spend so much time trying to make up for her self-perceived mistakes. I like that Blaze is anxious about stuff and struggles with confidence and believing in herself. I dislike that being reduced to basically a gimmick that defines her solely, one of set if stats that are never allowed to change. Sure would be nice to know where that anxiety comes from! Or to see her grow and overcome these changes with time! What happened to Blaze to make her like this? Is she always going to be this way? That's depressing to consider! 

In fact, all of the characters come off as a little one-note in this issue. As Blaze is defined solely by her lack of self-worth and phobias, Kit and Surge are stuck in a specific mode. Kit can't live without Surge and must see her succeed, which he is engineering through clandestine crisis. Surge wants to be a hero now... But she also wants to be better than Sonic and the others, despite her inexperience and natural inclination towards mayhem. The latter element results in her making the situation worse, severing another one of the cables holding the island aloft. I like Surge being well-intentioned but inexperienced, struggling between her desire to be better and her impulsive, destructive nature. And if Kit is a little neurotic and obsessive about Surge, that makes sense. Starline literally programmed him to be that way. The internal battle between these two misfits trying to turn over another leaf and everything about their lives up to now telling them they are villains: That's good! Let's see more of that. 

Unfortunately, there's this frustratingly futile air around this entire issue. Blaze helps save the day but her fears remain. Kit wants to make Surge a hero but these interlopers resolve the disaster he created. If this is building towards a schism between Surge and Kit, the former actually wanting to change and the latter sticking to his programming, that would be interesting... But just as Blaze's fear of heights can never go away, I'm increasingly feeling like none of this matters. These individual events are not building towards something and the comic is merely killing time until the next event kicks in. "Scattered Pieces" is such a cool idea for a story arc but now I'm worried that it's less about growing all of the characters on their own and more about simply keeping the status quo intact until the next anniversary issue. Are we going to see any of these dangling plot points wrapped up any time soon? 

All of this shows the differences between the concerns I have about "Sonic" as a series and what must people seem to take away from this book. When the preview pages were posted on Twitter the other day, everyone got excited about the cute brown bunny girl with glasses working at the public information office in the first village Amy visits. This issue is full of colorful background extras like that. In Barricade Town, we get glimpses of a fox guy with a pierced ear strumming a guitar and a purple cat chick with an umbrella and distinctively cut bangs. On Turtleshell Island, a portly bear dude with a Tom Selleck mustache and red-rimmed sunglasses gets a few choice appearances. Aaron Hammerstrom, whose pencils are excellent like always, clearly enjoys designing these OCs. Since Lanolin rose from peripheral background extras to featured cast member, the book clearly enjoys introducing neatly designed nobodies who could, if picked up by readers and writers, become the next new OC. 

In fact, issue 78 is trying just that. While Glass Hill, a familiar-ish face is found among the volunteer firefighters. It's the monkey guy from issue 22, the shifty motherfucker who hides his infection once he's inside a shelter that is seemingly required in every zombie story. I think Flynn might be trying to redeem this primate a bit. Now that I get a second look at him, I'm even wondering if he's inspired by the random ass monkey that was hanging out with the Freedom Fighters in the "Sonic Spinball" special stage. While a natural growth of the supporting cast like this has its benefits, I'm not begging to find out more about Shifty Monkey here. We did not meet him under good circumstances and that is influencing my opinion of him. I assure you that's the root of my dislike of him and not because monkeys have the ability to scare the shit out of me What about the raccoon girl with the perm and red eyeshadow standing behind him in one panel? She seems cool. Let's turn her into the next Lanolin instead. 

Anyway, this arc continues to feel despondently directionless. Considering Clutch's embrace of loser-dom in the previous issue, I'm kind of worrying about Ian Flynn's health. Somebody check on him, make sure he's alright. I'm not happy at all where it seems the story is pointing either. Having said all that, the action sequence in the second half rocks pretty hard and that makes up for the sluggish first half. Next issue promises to focus on Whisper and Mimic, so hopefully some meaningful resolution will actually occur there. Or maybe I'm hopelessly holding a torch for this series to become something it clearly never will and all the time I spend writing these reviews are a massive waste for both me and anyone reading this. Oh well! See ya next month, disappointing comic book that I'll still read! [6/10]

DC X Sonic the Hedgehog: Issue 2

DC X Sonic the Hedgehog: Issue 2

Original Publication Date: April 16th, 2025

It must be tricky writing a big, inter-corporate crossover like "DC X Sonic the Hedgehog." You have two sets of characters to balance, both of which have certain expectations fans will want to see met. (And two sets of legal barriers from corporate overlords to obey, which is surely no fun at all.) The DC Universe is a vast and sprawling construct, with established characters and concepts that easily measure in the thousands. The "Sonic" license is also extremely convoluted and huge. How do you begin to narrow down who and what you want to feature? Then you must organize all those ideas into a semi-coherent narrative of some sort, usually within the boundaries of only a few issues too. That's enough to stymie the most hardcore of fan boys. I'm going to have some criticism for Ian Flynn's script for the second installment of "DC X Sonic" here in a minute but, when you consider all of the above, some of the flaws make a lot more sense. 

We pick up where we left off last month, with Sonic and the Flash about to face down Darkseid, who has gotten his ominous mitts on the Blue Chaos Emerald. The tyrant of Apokolips and his Omega Beams prove more than even these two speedsters can handle, the New God of Fascism walking off with the glowing gemstones. He realizes that these reality-altering rocks have more than enough juice to achieve his dimension-shattering goals. He deploys all his henchmen to hunt the remaining six down. The Justice League and Team Sonic do what they can to track down the stones before these villains can. However, the Blue Emerald is enough to start shaking the very fabric of existence up. With an assist from Eggman, both groups of heroes take the fight to Darkseid on his RagnaRock... But is the fate of two worlds already sealed?

Recently, a new bit of Zoomer slang – forged, no doubt, within the darkest depths of TikTok or Roblox or something – has wedged itself into the internet's lexicon. That would be "hype moments and aura." As a geriatric millennial, barely clinging to life by the straps of my JNCO jeans, it's entirely possible I'm misunderstanding all of this. However, as far as I can tell, that string of words refers to when a piece of entertainment – anime, video games, movies, what have you – substitutes exciting moments of action or suitably awe-inducing spectacle for writing of genuine depth. We old folks would refer to this, I think, as "style over substance." The degree to which a story's aesthetic appeal and its actual narrative depth contribute to one's enjoyment of a piece of art is as old as criticism itself. Many have argued that style is substance. There's no doubt, that many illustrators, musicians, and filmmakers have elevated the artificial presentation of their work to such a degree that it becomes an astounding work of art all its own. You can even say that the grasping of the ineffable quality that makes something cool – its aura, if you will – is quite a challenging and precise task of its own. 

At the same time, we do live in an especially distracted time. Many aspects of our daily lives have become far too similar to professional wrestling, where someone very much can mask a lack of technical skill with the ability to excite an audience. There's no easier way to generate a "hype moment" or some "aura" than to nod at something people already know, something they've been waiting for. When Captain America said "Avengers assemble!" in "Avengers: Endgame," it was guaranteed to result in an orgasmic tidal wave of fans finally getting the dopamine they were promised. Marvel is betting a lot of money on a similar reaction to an 84 year old Patrick Stewart croaking out "To me, my X-Men!" against an ashen green screen environment in their next billion-dollar crossover movie. I'm not immune to this. Sonic going Super in the second movie got a similarly oversized reaction from me. However, in a world increasingly driven by corporations mining our nostalgic connection to yesterday's creations for easy buzz amid an ever-more artistically hollow entertainment landscape, we must remain diligent. The term "We've got hype moments and aura" is actually a good piece of pop culture critique. Making the reader cheer is not the same thing as making the reader cry, making the reader think, or changing the way the reader feels about the world or themselves. Style has its place but it's not a substitute for depth, certainly not in a world where the stories we consume – the reflections of our reality that represent us grappling with our existence – are under threat of being replaced by machine-generated dross devoid of any value at all. 

The point I'm making in far too many words is this: "DC X Sonic" doesn't have to actually be good to get people losing their minds. When you are shoving two beloved pieces of pop culture like this together, depending entirely on "hype moments and aura" represents the path of least resistance. Did I get a buzz simply from seeing Sonic the Hedgehog attempt to outrun Darkseid's crooked, hero-seeking Omega Beams? You bet your ass I did. Having an image of Shadow and Batman riding side-by-side or Knuckles and Superman taking to the skies together is an insane dream come true. This comic book contains a panel where Wonder Woman rides around on the back of Amy Rose's pink electric car. How am I to react to that with anything but cries of "This is fucking cool?" Ian Flynn certainly packs the book with these moments. He litters this comic with callbacks to DC lore. Classic Darkseid henchmen like Lashina, Mantis, and Kalibak all clash with our good guys. Steppenwolf threatens to take a bridge Shadow and Bruce Wayne are standing on for a magic carpet ride. Watching Silver the Hedgehog and Green Lantern attempt to combine their powers to stop Darkseid is friggin' exciting. 

As I said before, it's also a lot. If there's any big complaint I have about "DC X Sonic" so far, it's that this comic book is as fast paced as both the Blue Blur and the Scarlet Speedster combined. Those two are fighting off Darkseid for a page or two before we are off on a MacGuffin chase after the Chaos Emeralds. Seeing this unlikely pairing take on a selection of sub-bosses from Apokolips is cool... It also represents only a handful of panels in a brief issue. Batman and Shadow barely get to show Steppenwolf how born to be wild they were before the heroes have to redirect their efforts towards confronting the Anti-Life pusher man directly. That cataclysmic struggle with the bad guy itself only lasts a brief time before the crossover is moving onto its next hype moment, which surely exists to set up more hype moments in the future. I know the fate of two worlds hang in the balance here but maybe a slightly less breathlessly deployed series of incidents would have been nice. 

An individual comic book that's part of a limited mini-series leaving you wanting more is not the worst crime. That's kind of the whole point of the medium, right? To get you so hyped up that you can't wait for part three to drop next month? There's a difference between exciting us with the promise of more to come and leaving too many scraps on the plate though. This issue introduces a fun plot point. Darkseid and his minions are going to tear Sonic's world apart. That won't leave much for Eggman to build his amusement park on, so the villain makes a shaky truce with his life-long enemies against a far bigger threat. It's a classic comic book set-up and one we've seen before. However, what we haven't seen before is Eggman badgering the Justice League into taking a ride on the Egg Carrier before slamming point first into the giant eye of Darkseid's personal Death Egg. Eggman's role in the story isn't much more than that and it feels like a waste. That such a juicy idea, as Eggman and Team Sonic putting aside their differences to team up against the new Antichrist in town, is reduced to merely one incident among many is disappointing. 

The Flash points out that Superman also has an egomaniacal balding mad scientist obsessed with defeating him. More parallels like that – otherwise known as the main reason we like to read goofy crossovers like this – were definitely needed. What joy the first part of "DC X Sonic" gave me was mostly born out of Flynn contrasting these two sets of action figures. There's a little bit of that in issue two. Sonic and the Flash continue to banter and bait on another, constantly razing the other about who is faster. The Flash brags about surpassing picoseconds and Sonic quips that it's cute his speed can be measured. That's what we want to see, man. Sadly, in his attempt to shove in as much stuff as possible and fuse the script with the Speed Force, Ian Flynn robs us of more truly fun interactions. These characters probably aren't going to meet each other again. Maybe slow it down a bit? 

Instead, the ways these heroes are similar and different are only highlighted fleetingly. Shadow is bragging about being the Ultimate Lifeform to Batsy for a single panel before they are distracted by the next crisis. Tails and Cyborg techno-babble in a laboratory on the way to inventing a plot saving doohickey. Otherwise, there's disappointingly little of that here. Wonder Woman promises to help take on Eggman next time she's around – is that an Egg-Fu reference???? – which Amy is enthusiastic about. Superman stands back and looks a little embarrassed as Knuckles goes HAM on Kalibak. Otherwise, it's only an action beat here and there. Silver and Jon Stewart get it the worst, not doing much more than throwing some green constructs and telekinetic waves at Mantis. It's cool but is it enough? 

I still don't know but I am sure of something else: Ian Flynn and Adam Bryce Thomas sure are impressed with Darkseid. I never would have guessed that Flynn was such a big fan of Jack Kirby's blending of classic mythology and far-out sixties sci-fi but you can see it clearly here. "DC X Sonic" totally buys into the idea that Darkseid is the biggest threat to the multiverse. He drops that iconic line about how "Darkseid IS," which still ranks among comic-dom's hardest rap brags. The issue emphasizes his grandness, that he truly is a god, and it goes a long way towards making the stakes here feel extra high. You know a comic book has a top shelf bad guy when you feel like the heroes are totally outmatched against him. You can tell Adam Bryce Thomas also had a lot of fun drawing stuff a lot weirder than blue hedgehogs and Chao for once too. He designs a weird cosmos-resetting Fatherbox for the bad guys that reminds me of H.R. Ginger's "Li II" painting. Whether that was an intentional reference or not, biomechanical psycho-sexual vibes are not something I ever expected to get from an officially branded "Sonic" comic. 

This was obviously a dream gig for the artist. The variety of superpowers on display here allow for all the high dynamism we expect from Thomas' action sequences. You often feel the speed and the power of the blows here, of Wonder Woman lassoing Darkseid or Superman trading blows with the New God. Of course, the speed and agility of Sonic and the Flash get some theatrical presentations too. I also really like ABT's decision to often depict Darkseid's face as nothing but glowing red eyes bathed in shadows. If I had to leverage any criticism against this extremely gorgeous artwork, it would be that Thompson makes Superman a little prettier than I like. He gives him feathery eyelashes and a graceful dancer's posture, when I like my Clark Kent to be a little closer to an old time-y circus strongman aesthetic. But that might be strictly a me thing. 

It's cool. No shit it's cool. A comic book with Sonic the Hedgehog and Batman in it would have to be a disaster for it to be anything less than cool. Only someone like Ken Penders could fumble a touchdown that badly and they don't let him into comic shops anymore. Flynn never letting up on the gas is frustrating, especially when what we truly want to see is more of these two teams interacting. There is plenty of hype and aura, no doubt about that, but I do wish it was a little less rushed. The ending – in the tradition of comic crossovers, far graver than it actually will end up being – shows that Sonic and the gang will get to delve more into the DC Universe as this goes on. The Justice League might be getting a bit more unlimited than I initially expected, which hopefully means we Aquaman fans won't be left on dry land here. Whether "DC X Sonic" winds up being a satisfying whole remains to be seen but I guess I'm too big of a nerd not to keep hoping for the best. [7/10]