Sonic the Hedgehog (IDW): Issue 43

Sonic the Hedgehog (IDW): Issue 43

Publication Date: September 1st, 2021

One of the various "Sonic" fan corners I hang out in features a person who complains loudly and obnoxiously every time an issue of IDW's "Sonic" comic is delayed. I blocked him a while ago but, before that, I would futilely attempt to explain that delays are common in the comic industry. IDW, in particular, is notorious for missing deadlines. This is the very grown-up and mature perspective I try to take but, I'll admit, IDW's fucked-up release schedule threw me for a loop today. I turned on my PC, ready to review an episode of an old cartoon, when I saw a notification that the new issue of IDW "Sonic" was out today. Issue 43's release date has been shifted so many times I forgot it was actually coming out on September 1st. So I got out of my comfy office chair, grabbed my tablet, booted up Comixology, and here we are now. 

Sorry, each of these recent comic reviews have opened with me complaining what an old man I am. Anyway, issue 43 is devoted to "Zeti Hunt, Part 3." We pick up where we last left off, with Sonic locked in a small room with the entirety of the Deadly Six. The hedgehog brawls with the six Zetis but eventually finds himself overwhelmed by their raw brute strength. Whisper helps out and Tails, with his electronic Zeti stopping devices, eventually arrives to help. Even after beating the monsters into submission, the trouble isn't over. Sonic is informed that Starline has kidnapped Belle. 

Almost this entire issue – as in 19 out of 20 pages – is devoted to the fight between Sonic and the Deadly Six. I like action in my action comics as much as the next guy. Flynn and his team find some novel moments to include in this lengthy brawl. Such as Zaz getting increasingly unhinged as he takes more of a beating from Sonic. Or Zavok picking up Zor, when he refuses to participate in the fight, and literally throwing him at Sonic. Still, there's only so much novelty to watching cartoon characters wail on each other for page after page. I wish there was a little more dramatic meat on this issue's bones. 

In fact, I didn't find myself becoming involved in this issue at all until Sonic started to loose the fight. Sonic is mostly able to handle the big colorful monsters but, after Zavok lands a lucky sucker punch on him, the tide of the fight starts to turn. I've said this before and I'll probably say it again, as it's a fact the "Sonic" franchise has trouble remembering sometimes: Fights are way more compelling when it looks like the hero might actually loose! When Zavok has his hand around Sonic's head, squeezing it like a stress ball, that's a compelling image. The issue needed more stuff like that. 

However, one thing remains consistent no matter how bad of a beating Sonic is taking: He's always a smart-ass. Some people complain about this too and it can definitely drain the dramatic tension from situations sometimes. However, here it is used well, I think. Sonic mocks Zavok's tendency to monologue about his grand, grim purpose by referring to it as failed poetry or rambling. It shows Sonic's tenacity, his unwillingness to give up, that he's still cracking jokes even when getting the shit beat out of him. It is what is commonly referred to as a "personality trait" and it helps enliven a fight-fest issue like this. 

Something else that keeps the pep up in this issue is when Sonic's pals help him out. Tangle goatses a hole in the steel door, whacking any Zeti that wanders by with her tail until Zavok yanks back. Whisper, always so whispery, fires some Wispon bolts into the room before Zavok uses his technopathy to scramble her mask. When Tails drops in, we get a good moment where he saves Sonic's ass by spindashing into Zavok's chest. It's nice to be reminded that Tails isn't just the tech guy but can do all the same special moves as Sonic. Again, brief moments like this add some color to an issue otherwise totally devoted to fisticuffs. (Also, the Chaotix get stuck in traffic and that made laugh while also raising some questions about the infrastructure on Sonic's world.)

In the past, we've seen multiple artist work on a single story, which I frequently suspect is to help lighten the work load of whoever the primary artist was supposed to be. This issue is split evenly between three different artists. And the shift in style is a bit jarring. Jamal Peppers does the first ten pages. I used to love Peppers' work on the Archie series but have been underwhelmed by his contributions to IDW so far. It seems Peppers has dropped the slightly sketchy pencil lines from his work, which always invoked a somewhat gritty feel. Without that, his art comes off as overly smooth and stationary. Or maybe he's just bad at drawing the Zetis. The Deadly Six come off as especially weightless, with wide-eyed and blank facial expressions, on his pages. 

When Bracardi Curry takes over on page eleven, it's really obvious. Curry's art has a fantastic sense of motion. His character work is stylized, and a little more jagged than the traditional "Sonic" artwork, which makes his action sequences even more distinctive. After five pages of excellent art from Curry, Thomas Rothlisberger takes over. After doing impressive work on the 30th Anniversary special and this year's FCBD issue, this is Rothlisberger's debut in the regular series. His talent really lies in facial expressions. Which is probably why panels devoted to Sonic and Tails being defiant while Zavok squishes them, or the clear masochistic pleasure on Zor's face after getting zapped with Tails' gizmo, really shine. It's a good looking book but having three people, each with such distinctive art styles, work on one issue does make for a slightly disorientating read. 

As we reach the end of the "Zeti Hunt" story arc, I do have to wonder what the point of all this was. Did Flynn just want to remind readers the Deadly Sox where still out there, doing zeti shit? Did he bring the colorful monsters back simply to occupy the main cast while setting up the upcoming "Imposter Syndrome" mini-series in the background? That really feels like where this is going but I guess we still have more issue in this arc for it to justify itself. This isn't a totally useless issue and the script does what it can to spruce up a story devoted totally to a fight scene... But it's still just an extended fight scene and only so much can be done with that. [6/10]

Sonic the Hedgehog (IDW): Annual 2020

Sonic the Hedgehog (IDW): Annual 2020

Publication Date: July 8th, 2020

IDW seems committed to the “Sonic” franchise and has continued to expand the line pass the main book. 2020 has seen the release of the second “Sonic” related mini-series and the continuation of the annual one-shot. As with the first annual, this contains several short stories set in Sonic’s world. Yet, with 2020’s weirdness even seeping into “Sonic” comics, this annual presents side stories from the Metal Virus outbreak. Which, oddly enough, means Sonic himself only has cameo appearances throughout this book. In fact, Eggman is the only “star” character to headline any of these stories. This is either an interesting creative choice or Sega’s bizarre mandates forcing the comic to get creative.

Our first story, “Big’s Big Adventure,” is Ian Flynn’s sole contribution to the Annual. And, yes, it’s about Big the Cat. It chronicles the rotund feline’s quest to reunite himself with his perpetually missing amphibian friend, Froggy. It turns out that the fat cat has been following his frog buddy through every major adventure of the comic’s first two years. Turns out, Big the Cat was always just off-panel, eavesdropping on every important event that has happened in Sonic’s world since the end of “Forces.” Big is finally reunited with Froggy but this story has an unhappy ending... Because Froggy is infected with the Metal Virus and Big is cluelessly being consumed by it, as he sits and pets his pal. 

“Big’s Big Adventure” seems like a joke story. After all, Big is basically a walking meme at this point, only surviving in the “Sonic” franchise because some people find him amusing for whatever reason. Turning the dopiest of characters into the comic’s Forest Gump, wandering into historical events through his own simpleton logic, is obviously a joke. In execution, this doesn’t act as much more than a summary of the book’s first two years. Big’s simple-minded interpretations of what’s happening is, I guess, meant to be humorous. Jon Gray’s typically cartoony artwork and garish colors makes this intent clear. 

But there’s not much too it... Until the end that is. That panel of Big, totally unaware that he’s becoming a Zombot as he pets his infected frog, is suitably tragic. Big is so child-like, that he can’t even wrap his head around the pandemic. His naivety has unknowingly led him to his own doom. Jeez, that’s pretty grim. Even Gray’s artwork takes a step-up in the surprisingly sinister final few panels. 

The second story has 2020’s Annual’s embracing its horror status. “Darkest Hour,” both written and drawn by Evan Stanley, follows two new characters. Nite the Owl is the late-night DJ at the radio station outside Sunset City. Don the Rooster is the grouchy station janitor and Nite’s only company. What starts as a normal night soon takes a grim turn. Listeners start calling in with reports of Zombots attacking, frightening and confusing Nite and Don. Soon, the humble radio station becomes the only source of public information in the chaos-stricken city. And it’s only a matter of time before the Zombots start to close in...

“Darkest Hour” has a pretty bitchin’ premise. Showing a zombie apocalypse story from the perspective of a humble public broadcaster, who went in expecting a normal night and instead got wrapped up in history, is an idea I’ve seen before. Watch the 2008 Canadian flick “Pontypool” for something similar. Applying this idea to the “Sonic” universe is something new, that’s for sure. Stanley manages to capture something like a sense of panic, as Nite and Don attempt to grapple with the information they are receiving. The new characters are likable enough. However, Don’s arc — going from caring only about himself to helping others — isn’t given much room to grow. This one honestly probably needed more than five pages to really work but Stanley does a decent job with it.

The third story is “Reflections,” written by Caleb Goellmer with art by Aaron Hammerstrom. It’s an almost totally dialogue-free story, depicting Metal Sonic wandering the halls of Eggman’s base. Surrounded by images of his organic counterpart, Metal comes across a vat of Metal Virus slime in an obscure corner. He dips his finger in and seems shocked that he’s not affected. Starline then shows up and tells the robot to scram, yet clearly some sort of thought is stirring in his computerized mind. 

I’ve had largely negative things to say about Goellmer’s previous contributions to IDW’s “Sonic” books. “Reflections” manages to be his first good story, though Hammerstrom’s atmospheric pencils do most of the heavy lifting. We already know Metal Sonic is self-aware but this seems to be the first time the robot is made cognizant of his artificial nature. After seeing the flesh-and-blood Sonic be infected, he attempts to infect himself but find he can’t do it. It’s yet another way he is different, maybe even inferior, to his inspiration. And that seems to really chap his shiny metal ass. 

At least that’s the way I interpret it. Considering the deliberate contrast Hammerstrom’s artwork creates between the hard, cold metal robot and the reflections of living things, I think that’s the message we’re suppose to take away. That Goellner of all people got me to think about Metal Sonic’s interior monologue is surprising and impressive. I hope this is a plot point that’ll go somewhere, not just be left as a moody one-off.

Story four is “Eggman’s Day Off,” from newcomer Sarah Graley and artist Lamar Wells. It follows Starline, being a huge nerd about working for Eggman. When he leaps towards his idol, thinking he's in trouble, he instead finds Eggman is also a huge nerd. Deep within the Faceship, Eggman has a secret man-cave. This is where he comes to unwind, devoting himself to his hobby of making small toy robots of himself, his various creations, and his enemies. That's right, Eggman collects action figures too. Among the various toys, Starline finds a toy of himself... Or, at least, a toy of himself as a machine. Eggman decides the platypus has seen more than enough and ejects him from the room, leaving his assistant with more questions than answers. 

I don't know if “Eggman's Day Off” is meant to set up future plot points, by further suggesting that there's some animosity between Eggman and Starline, or if this is just a look into Eggman's psychology. Is the toy of Mecha-Starline meant to imply that Eggman eventually plans to turn his organic partner into a robot? Or is it merely suggesting that Eggman sees everyone around him as toys to play with, machines he can boss around and command? The latter is certainly the more interesting idea and would build-up the conflict between the two doctors more. For the most part, “Eggman's Day Off” is mostly played for laughs. Yes, the comic is pulling a “Spaceballs” by showing the bad guy playing with dolls. It didn't make me chuckle much, though seeing Robotnik be so enthusiastic about toy collecting is pretty cute.  

The fifth story in this jam-packed annual is “Flock Together.” This is also written by a first-timer, Samantha King, but drawn by long-time “Sonic” artist Jamal Peppers. The story depicts how Vector retrieved Charmy Bee after he was infected with the Metal Virus. While on a Restoration rescue shuttle, Vector and Espio wonder how they can retrieve their friend. That is when the ship is bombarded by a horde of zombot flickies. Among them is Charmy. Vector and Espio climb atop the Shuttle and, after a brief scuffle with the robotic birds, manage to cram their insect friend inside a glass globe. 

These annuals always have one dud and this is 2020's. On a narrative level, “Flock Together” offers very little. Vector and Espio immediately chancing upon Charmy, after just talking about rescuing him, is contrived. The attempts to make adorable Flickies into threatening creatures falls flat. Bizarrely, the moment Vector shoves Charmy into the capsule happens entirely off-panel. Espio clouds Vector in smoke during what one assume is the most dramatic moment in the story. Speaking more generally, King's dialogue is incredibly stiff, with Espio's word balloons coming off as especially technical. While Peppers is an experienced “Sonic” artist, his work here is slightly flat and unexpressive. I think he might've been a bit rusty.

We wrap up with “The Catalyst.” Gigi Gutreix, who inked one of the earlier stories, does writing duties while Abigail Bulmer handles pencils. The story centers on Jewel. The president of Sonic's fan club, introduced in the previous annual, comes running into Spiral Hill. He informs her that the other members of the Fan Club are missing. The two roam the countryside until the Vice President is found, isolated on a pile of hay surrounded by Metal Virus goo. She's rescued but neither of the youths are aware of how dangerous this stuff is, having already come into contact with it. Afterwards, the Faceship looms overhead...

“The Catalyst” is a little better than “Flock Together” but still feels like a story I'm not sure needed to be told. I support bringing back the Sonic Fan Club kids, if only because IDW's unique cast needs to grow. However, we don't really learn much about either kid here. It's nice to spend more time with Jewel, especially her briefly mentioned memories of a childhood with Tangle. Yet the story mostly feels like an exercise in inevitability. It merely depicts how Jewel got infected, a rather downbeat tale that probably didn't need to be elaborated upon much. Bulmer's artwork is fine though she doesn't really distinguish herself among the “Sonic” artist crowd.

2020's Annual sure is an odd one, as the focus on the Metal Virus means almost all these stories have a dour feeling to them. That's not necessarily bad though. It starts off pretty strong and I'm pleasantly surprised this comic book got me to care about non-entities like Big and Metal Sonic. The quality dips a little in the second half, with more unremarkable-to-bad stories. Yet it's an oddball, interesting collection, that's for sure. I'm glad IDW is taking more risk like this. If nothing else has come out of this overlong Metal Virus Saga, at least the comic has been pretty willing to try out other moods. The daring means I have to give this a [7/10.]

Sonic the Hedgehog: Issue 283

Sonic the Hedgehog: Issue 283
Publication Date: June 2016

We are headed into the home stretch, guys. Archie’s “Sonic the Hedgehog” comics would be rebooted in September of 2013. Though heavily foreshadowed over the next few issues, the Shattered World Crisis wouldn’t officially begin until the end of issue 256, published in January of 2014. Two years and six months later, we are finally approaching the end of that particular story arc. Issue 283 is the buffer issue in between the rest of the Shattered World Crisis and the four part arc that would conclude it once and for all. (And, of course, the comic would end shortly after that, meaning this retrospective is heading into the home stretch too.)

But before we can get around to that, this situation calls for some set-up. “The Mission” sees Sonic and Sally aboard the Sky Patrol. They broadcast a message to all the world’s Freedom Fighters teams. They have all the Gaia Keys and Chaos Emeralds. Big and Cream have secretly relocated them to the vault under Castle Acorn. Eggman is still unaware of the significance of the Gaia Temples. The plan is to have all the Freedom Fighters coordinate a massive attack on Eggman’s bases, distracting him while Chip performs the ritual necessary to restore the world. It’s a great plan... Except Tails Doll is hiding inside the Sky Patrol, broadcasting the entire thing to Eggman.

Do you know what “The Mission” is? It’s a fucking Skype conference call. Sally, Sonic, and Chip are broadcasting a prepared speech to their various associates over the world, about their next course of action as a corporation worldwide net of radical tyranny fighters. This has got to be one of the most blatant examples of Flynn taking a whole issue to set the stage for the next event storyline. There’s no action and next to no character development. It’s all pure narrative construction. That, in and of itself, isn’t really what bugs me. In fact, there’s even something to be said for making sure the proverbial table is set before you have your metaphorical dinner. It’s just so fucking blatant and that annoys me. This is essentially an entire cover story devoted to the characters saying “Get hyped! This nearly three year long plot is finally going to end soon!”

And let’s be real here. There’s a good reason Flynn had to take a whole issue to catch the readers up on everything that’s happened. The lore behind the Shattered World Crisis is so needlessly convoluted that even the writer has trouble keeping track of it. I know this is a point I’ve harped on in the past but, seriously: That’s what happens when you translate stuff directly from a video game to a comic book. In between the Chaos Emeralds, Gaia Keys, and Gaia Temples, this entire bloated arc has been overflowing with plot devices. I couldn’t remember what role each of these things had to play and I doubt I was the only one. So it’s only natural Flynn took a whole issue to touch on everything again and get the details straight. But it’s frustrating things were allowed to get to that point.

I don’t know if Flynn realized you can’t publish an inventory rundown and call it a story or if Aleah nudged him in the shoulder and told him to include some actual personality in here. Because there are a few attempts to make “The Mission” more than just the heroes detailing their plan. It actually starts with a really cute moment, of Sally suffering from some stage fright before going on-camera. Awww, ya see, royals are just like us. In Yurashia, Dulcy has to quietly agree to the plan because Cinders is asleep in her arms. While in Knothole, Cream and Gemerl have some amusingly dad/daughter like interactions. The broadcast ends with Chip thanking everyone for showing him the beauty of the world, a moment that would be touching if it wasn’t sandwiched between so much boldfaced exposition. These tiny character-driven moments are not enough to make this story actually good but at least some attempt was made to inject life into this.

“The Mission” is really only one half of this “plot” and the back story of issue 283, “Zero Hour,” is devoted to showing us the second half. In the Death Egg, Eggman has managed to hunt down Phage, who he is quite annoyed with him. Before he can unleash his full wrath on the sentient virus, Orbot interrupts. Eggman watches Tails Doll’s pirated broadcast of Sally’s announcement. He quickly mobilizes a counter strike to the Freedom Fighters’ master plan.

“Zero Hour” has a lot of the same flaws as “The Mission.” Both stories are long dialogue scenes devoted to characters detailing their plan to their underlings. Eggman even refers to it as a conference call. What makes this even more irksome is that part of “Zero Hour” is even devoted to Eggman watching Sally’s broadcast, essentially in live time. Kind of feels like Ian was just trying to fill page space there, doesn’t it?

However, I do slightly prefer “Zero Hour” over “The Mission.” Flynn wouldn’t have his characters detailing his plans if both of them weren’t destined to go awry. That creates a bit of suspense, in seeing how Eggman will counteract the Freedom Fighters’ plans. Mostly, this one is more enjoyable because of how angry Robotnik gets upon hearing he’s been played. He stews in his rage for a few panels before that genius intellect kicks in, and he starts to strategize. (Also, his chat with Phage includes a Nigerian prince joke, which made me laugh.)

The artwork is nice, by the way. Jamal Peppers, on the cover story, and Jennifer Hernandez, on the back-up, do fine work. Ultimately, there’s only so much I can say about this issue. I suppose an extended first act like this makes sense, when heading into a four-parter that concludes a three year long story. But, geez, I can’t help but assume there was a smoother way to present this information to the reader. Issues like this do little to change the “let's get this over with attitude” I’ve been approaching most of the reboot with. [5/10]

Sonic the Hedgehog: Issue 282

Sonic the Hedgehog: Issue 282
Publication Date: June 2016

In summer of 2016, did Archie just decide to burn through all their holiday-related variant covers? The delays had fucked things up so badly that the Valentine’s Day cover came out in May. The June issue, meanwhile, features a spooky horror movie variant that would’ve been ideal for October. Realizing how much things were in disarray, maybe there was an executive decision to just stick this one randomly on issue 282.

Naturally, I approve of this variant. It actually embraces the whole point of the werewolf concept, showing Tails and Amy cowering from a rampaging Werehog that clearly means them harm. Gee, wouldn’t that have made an interesting story! Instead, Tyson Hesse’s (pretty good) main cover is the one that actually reflects the comic’s content. Even if the Werehog using his stretchy arms to fight some random phoenix thing isn’t anywhere near as interesting.

So, anyway, “Wings Of Fire: Part Two - Fighting Fire with Fire” – you think you could’ve squeezed the word “fire” in there a few more times, Ian? – begins with Sonic wolfing out and the combined Freedom Fighters/Shijin Warriors heading off to the local temple. They know the Phoenix Guardian has been corrupted into a dark spirit and that Conquering Storm has set up an ambush. But, because the local Gaia Key scholar is pinned down there, they head out anyway. Everything goes surprisingly well.

What I most liked about the previous part of “Wings of Fire” was the little tidbits of character interaction we got. Instead of building on this stuff for a more emotionally satisfying story, Flynn more or less disregards this stuff in part. And in favor of what? Action scenes, of course, that old standby of Ian's. So the Werehog tangles with the Dark Phoenix Spirit, tossing some pottery at him. Conquering Storm and her band of ninjas drop in on the Freedom Fighters, feuding with them inside the temple. And it's... Fine. I don't know, Cinders can throws sparkles at people.

Listen, I like fight scenes as much as any comic nerd but it's not like we haven't seen this kind of stuff before. So, once again, the passing interactions between the cast members prove more compelling. When Conquering Storm gets the jump on Dulcy, the script hints at some long-standing rivalry between the two. Dulcy even has a humiliating nickname – Connie! – for her opponent. The lynx being a ninja and all that, one can't help but assume that some betrayal of honor or some shit happened in their past. That would've been something the book could've built on in the future if, you know, it hadn't gotten canceled.

Beyond that, what else does this issue offer us? Well, the plot continues to move to forward. After the Freedom Fighters rescues the Gaia temple expert – with his hideously bean-shaped head – they leave the Orient with the final Gaia Key. Meaning this exhausting Shattered World Crisis is nearly over. Naturally, this reveal brings with it some mystic mumbo-jumbo. Apparently among Chip's newly rediscovered Light Gaia abilities is the power to resolve plot points with just a paragraph and a flash of light. He says a speech and the Dark Phoenix – not that one – is cured. Ho-hum.

Anyway, there's a back-story too. “Shards and Sparks” returns us to Soumerica, where Knuckles and Amy Rose have been chilling with Mighty and Ray. The quartet decides to infiltrate Thunderbolt's Egg Base. The chinchilla has recently come into possession of a few more Master Emerald shards, which is exactly what Knuckles is looking for. Once again, Thunderbolt is humiliated when the heroes break in, smash their defenses, steal the plot devices, and head home.

This comic book has always had a bad habit of leaning on MacGuffin Quests too hard. Here of late, it has been especially bad. Both of issue 282's stories are about the good guys retrieving some magical something-or-other from the bad guys. So, once again, it's the banter between the characters that make this interesting at all. So Knuckles and Mighty try to outdo each other's feats of strength, chatting (flirting?) all the while. Amusingly, Amy Rose uses her girly side as a cover for being a hammer swinging bad-ass. And even Thunderbolt seems to be growing on me, as her hopeless need to impress Eggman is growing more desperate.

But I liked the artwork! Jamal Peppers is still doing that thing where he copies Tracy Yardley's style. Some of the characters look a little bland and squished. Still, Peppers knows his shit and the action scenes are well drawn. Jennifer Hernandez actually outdoes Peppers in the back pages. Her facial expressions look fantastic here. Knux and Mighty's cocksure smiles are effective, Thunderbolt's looks are fittingly crazed, and Amy's various expressions – including shock and put-on glee – all look pretty damn good.

So I wasn't really feeling this one much, guys. Once again, I feel like the personality of the book is being crushed by the need of the story. This remains the fault of Flynn trying to build a long-running plot around a video game's structure, that is heavy on shit for the player to retrieve. But at least it'll be over with soon. Let's look at that bitchin' variant cover one more time and imagine the cooler story that could've accompanied it. [5/10]

Sonic the Hedgehog: Issue 281

Sonic the Hedgehog: Issue 281
Publication Date: May 2016

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Sonic the Hedgehog: Issue 280

Sonic the Hedgehog: Issue 280
Publication Date: April 2016

While reading issue 280 of Archie’s “Sonic the Hedgehog” comic. Since the reboot started in November of 2013, it never felt like the plot was moving much. The heroes would, from time to time, grab one of the ten thousand magic MacGuffins they need to save the day. But the World remained Shattered and the Freedom Fighters took on a lot of side-missions. With issue 280, it finally feels like we are moving towards a conclusion. And it only took Flynn two years and five months to make the plot progress in a meaningful way!

“Keys to Victory” has Sonic, Tails, and Chip hanging out on the Efrika continent which is, go figure, basically Africa. Sonic gets Axel and his team of bikers to chase him around a tree. Meanwhile, Tails and Chip sneaks into the local Gaia Temple. The two locate the second-to-last Gaia Key. Chip also flies into a glowing green doorway and a floating ball of light informs him of his duty in life for the first time.

“Keys to Victory” is another one of those rare Archie “Sonic” issues that Sonic barely features in. While Tails and Chip are doing the actually plot relevant stuff, Sonic leads Axel and his men on a wild goose chase around a big-ass tree. This allows Flynn to get the required action beats in, as Sonic slaps around some of the bikers and gets slapped himself. I could nitpick here and point out that Axel probably should’ve realized something was up, especially after Sonic casually leaves at the end. But mostly I’m amused by the way the writer constructs the story that barely features the star character.

Instead, this issue is focused on Chip. Since his introduction, I’ve had a lot of mixed feelings about Chip. On one hand, he’s a sweet kid. His confusion about his own origins was occasionally semi-touching. However, he rarely contributed to the actual plot and was mostly just another small, cute, flying thing in the book’s universe. Here, Chip finally learns about his special purpose, in an amusingly psychedelic sequence. Its not that seeing Chip reach some self-realization means much to me but it is nice to see this plot point finally start to come around.

A lot more touching is the interaction between Tails and Chips. See, the two have something in common. Before he met Sonic, Tails felt like an outcast. It’s all of one panel but his reminiscence about their friendship is pretty cute. So is the way Chip, who still feels like an outcast, extrapolates from there. Remembering the interactions he’s had with the Freedom Fighters since coming aboard the Sky Patrol. It’s a little bit of emotion but it makes this story stronger than it would’ve been otherwise.

Issue 280 continues the recent trend of sticking stories focusing on the Freedom Fighters into the back pages. In “A Special Occasion,” Sally and Rotor have taken Professor Pickles to the university in Spagonia, that vaguely Mediterranean part of Sonic's world. The professors put them in contact with Lucia, the young woman who protects the latest Gaia Key. Lucia, however, has other matters on her mind. Tonight is her mom's birthday and getting a reservation at her favorite restaurant is proving impossible. Sally decides to help the girl, using her royal status to pull some strings.

Over the course of “A Special Occasion,” Professor Pickles and his diminutive rival get into a petty argument. Rotor shouts “Hey old guys!” – is that a “Men in Black” reference? – and later expresses his frustration to Sally that people are still letting their petty differences get in the way when the world is literally in pieces. While I find myself agreeing with Rotor, Flynn makes a good case for the little things with this one. Watching Sally and Rotor go about helping normal folks, doing small favors to make sure people are happy and healthy, is pretty cute. Lucia also strikes the reader as a likable character, a forgetful girl with a lot on her mind. It's a nice way to cover up another story about retrieving some magical object.

Honestly, a tale with deliberately low stakes like this doesn't seems pretty uncharacteristic of Ian Flynn recently. Though Flynn gets credit for this one, I suspect Aleah Baker helped out a lot. This is further evident in the story's conclusion, where the emotional heart is revealed. While having dinner with Lucia and her family, Sally mentions that her mother died when she was young, that she only has the vaguest memories of her. This causes Rotor to have a flashback to his own mother, laying sick in bed. It's a small moment but it provides a lot of heart to a cute, more character focused story.

It's a decent issue but there's one small thing about it that still bugs me. Sonic and the gang really are going to be hanging out with normal humans for the rest of the reboot, aren't they? While my grievances with this are pretty well known by this point, I have another issue with this factoid. Why are they all so damn ugly looking? Lucia is kind of cute but Pickles has those awful eyebrows. His professional rival looks like some sort of hideous hobgoblin. The African tribesman they meet in Efrika have weirdly giant heads. You know, Mobians interacting with regular people is weird enough but must they be so visually unappealing as well?

Still, this is a minor nitpick. Truthfully, issue 280 is a pretty good one. Though the back-up stories have been strong recently, this is the best overall issue in quite a while. It got that way by focusing on characters over action and finally moving the plot forward. (The solid artwork, from Jamal Peppers and Jennifer Hernandez, certainly doesn't hurt any.) [7/10]

Mega Man: Worlds Unite - Battles: Issue 1

Mega Man: Worlds Unite - Battles: Issue 1
Publication Date: June 2015

You know, it’s weird to me. “Worlds Unite” was, by most measures, an even bigger event than “Worlds Collide.” In addition to the twelve part story being spread across four titles, Archie also released two related stand-alone issues. The “Worlds Unite - Battles” sub-series would focus strictly on combat, playing up the “who would win in a fight” element of the crossover. There would be one branded to Mega Man and one branded to Sonic. Despite being such a big event, it does seem to me that “Worlds Unite” received less promotion than “Worlds Collide.” As for the “Battles” books, which were direct market exclusive, I didn’t even know they existed until they popped up in my comic shop’s subscription box.

Maybe Archie thought the crossover would sell itself? Or maybe they just didn’t have the money to promote it. Shortly after the crossover ended, several Archie titles – including the “Sonic” books – would experience delays. The company would also cancel a number of books, including “Sonic Boom” and “Mega Man.” But I guess I’m getting ahead of myself. Let’s talk about “Mega Man: Worlds Unite - Battles: Issue 1.” (How’s that for an elegant title?)

The stories in the “Battles” books expand on the fights in the main story we only got a small look at. For example, the first story in the “Mega Man: Battles” depicts Mega Man’s fight with three of the Deadly Six. In part one of “Worlds Unite,” we only see his car get wrecked, the Zetis seemingly getting the drop on him. “Battles” goes into a little more detail. Zazz, Master Zik, and Zomom ambush the Rock as he’s on the way to the store. He transforms into Mega Man but soon gets tossed into a near-by apple orchid. While he puts up a valiant effort, the Zetis’ ability to manipulate technology is his undoing.

Obviously, plot is not the main concern here. We do get some meaningful character beats. Such as Zomom being insulted when Rock calls him a “yellow devil.” Or Master Zik psychically pelting the hero with apples, just to annoy him. These are small moments but they still give the Zetis more character development then they receive in the “Sonic” books. And though it’s totally expected of him, Mega Man refusing to go down because he knows his friends and loved ones are relying on him still displays what a wholesome, heroic guy he is. Zik coldly commanding Rock to shot himself in the head afterwards nicely deflates that moment too.

Otherwise, this story is all about Ben Bates’ stylish, energetic artwork. The dude clearly enjoys indulging in anime-style fight fest. Mega Man and the Zetis spend half of the fight springing through the air or getting tossed around. Bates keeps the sense of motion going throughout all of this, making it feel like the reader is speeding along with the combat. I also like individual panels here, like the one devoted to Zazz scratching Mega Man up. That’s depicted as a series of frenzied hand movements around his screaming head. I don’t even mind that Bates’ work is slightly sketchy in a few panels. That only adds to the story’s energetic feeling.

The second battle gives us more of a look at Zero and Axl fighting Vile outside Sigma’s fortress, which happened in the opening pages of “Worlds Unite’s” first part. That may not seem very exciting  – these guys fight all the time, right? – but just wait. Zero and Axl attempt to take down Vile for several pages, the traitorous Maverick Hunter countering every one of their attacks. That is until he’s frozen suddenly in his tracks. Silver the Hedgehog emerges from the heavens. He’s not certain of who the good guys and bad guys are in this situation and just wants to close the Genesis Portals... The one Sigma just fled through.

This battle clarifies X’s comments in part two of “Worlds Unite,” about how they got from their world to Sticks’. Narratively, there’s not a lot here. Silver’s sudden appearance is a nice surprise, though one we should see coming. The battle banter between Vile and the heroes is mildly amusing. He calls Axl a pretty boy, confirming my suspicions that he’s the token bishonen. We see more of everyone’s abilities here, including Axl’s shape-shifting and Zero’s mastery of the blade. But that’s about it.

Much like the cover story, this one is all about the artwork. Jamal Peppers’ pencils are not as dynamic as Ben Bates’ but they still look pretty damn cool. The “Mega Man X” characters are really designed to look as rad as possible. So seeing them leap around, trading blows and posing in the middle of combat, is their natural habitat. There are several eye-catching panels, such as Zero’s sword slashing at Vile or the reveal of Axl’s transformative abilities. Peppers is one of the few artists equally adapt at drawing both the “Mega Man” and “Sonic” cast, as Silver looks excellent too. My only issue with the artwork is not Peppers’ fault. Vile’s right arm is an energy mace and that looks awkward as hell.

The third and final story in this book is the only one not to be written by Ian Flynn. It instead comes from an entity calling itself “T. Rex.” (Presumably not the ghost of Marc Bolan.) It details the battle that took place between Sonic Man and the Robot Masters, when the blue hedgehog-turned-robot invaded Mega Man’s city in part two of “Worlds Unite.” Despite their best efforts, the heroic Robot Masters are no much for Sonic Man. He’s resistant to their abilities and takes them out in minutes.

This story has the thinnest script of any in this book. Apparently Fire Man talks with a weird cowboy accent. There’s a few jokes in the Robot Masters’ introductory captions. Sonic Man’s cruelty, which includes tossing Ice Man into Fire Man’s blast of flames, is a nice, villainous touch. Otherwise, this one is all about the artwork. It’s provided by Brent McCarthy, someone I’m not familiar with. McCarthy’s artwork is very stylized. McCarthy focuses on the characters’ stretchy faces and big gloves and boots. However, this approach does create a very dynamic approach. McCarthy’s graphically heavy style, especially when combined with Elaina Unger’s deep and rich colors, makes the reader feel the impact of every punch and special attack. That’s a good approach, since this is a story totally devoted to Sonic Man beating the shit out of the good guys. I think an action-packed story is exactly what McCarthy is suited to, as the early panels of Wily and Eggman talking look a little weird and overdone.

Most of the fights in “Mega Man: Worlds Unite - Battles” have foregone conclusion. If you’re reading this comic, you’re reading the main story. And if you’re reading that, you already know Mega Man looses to the Zetis. That the Maverick Hunters make it past Vile, that Sonic Man decimates the Robot Masters. But watching the wreckage get done has some value. This is not a deep book but it is a fun one. If nothing else, it’s worth reading just to see some exciting artwork from a trio of very talented artists. Was it necessary? Nah. And you won’t miss much if you don’t read it. But it is a decent little extra. [7/10]

Sonic/Mega Man Free Comic Book Day 2015

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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