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 (IDW): Annual 2019

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Sonic the Hedgehog: Issue 194

Sonic the Hedgehog: Issue 194
Publication Date: November 2008

One of Ian Flynn's gifts is the ability to get fans hyped up. Issue 193 concluded by introducing readers to Rosy the Rascal, the crazy anti-universe version of Amy Rose. The cover to issue 194 gives fans an even better look at the character, promising us that she would play a big role in this story. Yardley earns some serious points for making the classic Amy Rose design – by default, a super-cutesy character – and turning it into something genuinely unhinged looking. Anyway, on with the story.

Part two of “Other Side” begins with Sonic, Amy, and Buns attempting to deflect Rosy the Rascal's attacks. When this doesn't work out, Sonic runs back to Mobius through a portal hidden in the castle. What he finds is a three way battle at Freedom HQ. The Suppression Squad has turned against Scourge, bringing the Freedom Fighters around as back-up. The conflict continues until Sonic, Scourge, and Amy end up back on Moebius, right in the path of crazy Rosy's hammer.

Last time, I pointed out how Rosy the Rascal was a really neat concept. I've always considered Amy Rose's normal behavior to border creepy stalker territory. Introducing an alternate version of her that crosses that border was a fruitful prospect. Yes, watching Rosy being a creepy little nut case is fun. She sings weird songs and used incongruously childish language, all while threatening to smash people into paste with her hammer. Yet Ian mostly uses her as another obstacle for his heroes here, without exploring the implications of the character. Which is disappointing but not entirely surprising.

Once again, Flynn falls back on his worst tendency. The issue is primarily devoted to fight scene after fight scene. Yet again, I must preface this statement by saying I'm a fan of fight scenes. Some of the ones here are pretty cool. There's a neat panel of Sonic dodging Rosy's hammer, of the two Amys matching their battering skills. The three way fight that erupts in Freedom HQ is solid, showing Scourge successfully standing against two separate forces. However, I can't help but wonder if character development is being sacrificed for action sequences.

That weakness is emphasized because we do get some interesting glimpses at the cast member's inner lives. As everyone around him turns against him, it becomes clear that Scourge's mental state is deteriorating. He's become obsessed with his past victories, with his newfound status as “king” of Moebius. Yet conquering his own world hasn't made him happy. If anything, it's made him more paranoid and power hungry. The Suppression Squad turned against him because they are duplicitous by nature. On the other hand, you really get the impression that Scourge is starting to crack up to dangerous degrees.

We also get a peek into Fiona's inner life. I've been critical of how Ian's interpretation of Fiona has shifted from someone feeling guilty about their past to an actively amoral pleasure seeker. Flynn doesn't delve into this any more but he does show Fiona is a little more complicated than that. While racing through Freedom HQ, Sonic encounters the fox. She stands up to him, defending Scourge while claiming she has no other loyalties. Sonic points this out, which makes her pause. It certainly suggests that Fiona hasn't fully gone over to the dark side. Instead, she's simply confused and hurt.

The biggest flaw with “Other Side: Part 2” is simply narrative. Luck just has it that the abandoned castle on Moebius features a star post, allowing Sonic and Amy an easy escape back to their home world. The script just throws this out there without much explanation. This is, simply put, cheating. It also opens the door for a story that features a little too much mindless shuffling. By the end of issue 194, not too much has changed. Instead, the characters have just jumped back and forth in location. It's still not a bad story but Flynn better have a satisfying payoff to all this coming soon.

The back-up story continues this issue's habit of giving us little looks into the villains' inner lives. “Sleepless in New Megaopolis” follows Snively. Robotnik's nephew is increasingly dissatisfied with life in New Megaopolis. He feels like Robotnik's grip on sanity is starting to slip. He's annoyed that their army has been depleted, that the city is in ruins. Mostly, he's irritated that the new Dark Legion recruits refuse to respect him. While e-mailing other Eggman Empire employees overseas, Snively wonders if he's made a personal connection.

If anything has defined Snively over the years, it's his desperate need to be feared and respected. This is why he eagerly orchestrated the original Robotnik's death, why he immediately attempted to assume control of the empire. Which made the countless setbacks he's suffered since then hurt even more. Being belittled by the newly mad Eggman and the Dark Legion really infuriates him, furthering a frustration he's already feeling. All of this stuff is handled really well, proving an unusual factoid again: That Snively is one of the characters Flynn writes the best. The budding e-mail relationship with a mysterious somebody in another country is setting up an up-coming plot point but it's easy to see why this appeals to Snively so much. Just finding someone who treats him as an equal, who gives him some positive attention, is a big boost for the little guy.

194's cover story concludes by officially introducing Silver the Hedgehog into the Archie continuity. Silver is a character I certainly have some thoughts on and I'll save those for next time. I'll just say that, in 2008, his sudden appearance did not encourage me, especially with the current storyline quickly getting jumbled. Still, it's not a bad issue and has a strong backstory, even if some of Flynn's flaws are becoming more and more apparent. [7/10]

Sonic the Hedgehog: Issue 152

 

Sonic the Hedgehog: Issue 152
Publication Date: August 2005

Ken Penders' decision to turn Sonic into a philandering Lothario, romancing every single girl in Knothole except his ex-girlfriend, was not well received by fans. Unsurprisingly, the die hard “Sonic” nerds did not enjoy seeing their hero portrayed as a double-dealing sleazeball. Despite the reveal that it was Sonic's mirror universe counterpart behind the seductions, fans were still pissed. So what did Archie do? Have Spaz draw up a cover seemingly celebrating Sonic's newfound status as a womanizer, encouraging “the playa” to play on. Readers were not amused. Most insultingly, the cover has little to do with the actual content of this issue. For one thing, Rouge is on the cover, despite being absent in the comic.

Issue 152 actually begins with the back story, “Engage!” Robotnik, growing increasingly frustrated that Sonic continues to foil his plans, inadvertently gives A.D.A.M.'s full reign to do whatever he sees fit. The computer virus decides to unleash a collection of nanites. The grey goo spreads across the countryside, encroaching on the Great Forest and endangering Lupe and the Wolf Pack.

I don't know why Ken decided to designate “Engage!” as its own story. The five pager plays out as nothing but a prologue to the issue's main story. All it really does is set up the Nanites as 152's main threat, explaining why they're in the book. (It doesn't explain why Robotnik had a collection of nanites lying around, though I've always theorized that roboticization involves nanite technology.) Ken throws Lupe and the Wolf Pack into the story in an attempt to add a human element. All it really does is remind us that Lupe is still around, organic once more, roaming the countryside but not contributing to the story.

With that out of the way, we move on to the main event, a story seriously entitled “Sonic's Angels.” Rotor and the rest of Knothole's brain trust immediately recognize the nanites as a seriously threat. A team composed of Sonic, Bunnie, Mina, Fiona, and Amy are sent to investigate. What they find is a massive nanite construct on the edge of the forest. After exploring the building, they discover the previously M.I.A. Snively is already there, looking for a solution. The situation turns grimmer when the nanites attempt to absorb Bunnie.

The very dumb gimmick behind “Sonic's Angels” is evident in the title. For whatever reason, this story features Sonic's collection of romantic conquests going on a mission with him. There's no in-universe reason for this. Mina has been retired from Freedom Fighting for quite some time, instead focusing on her musical career. Amy and Fiona at least have field experience, though I'm not sure why they were singled out over Tails or Antoine. Only Bunnie, as the resident bruiser, makes much sense. If Penders was trying to play up the romantic tension between the group, he must've forgotten that the real Sonic didn't screw around with all these women. For some reason, Sonic hasn't informed Sally or the others that he unwillingly traded places with his evil doppelganger recently. You'd think that conversation would've come up at some point.

That's all very dumb but it's not the most egregious thing about issue 152. Bunnie is captured by the nanites. Not understanding that half her body is organic, they attempt to adsorb the cyborg. The abduction is framed like a horror movie. Black, greasy arms grab Bunnie and drag her off. What happens next brings more unnerving connotations to mind. Bunnie is pinned to a table. Her cybernetic limbs are melted into goo. Robotic probes touch her body, including her swimsuit areas. Her left eye disappears mid-way through the book. Most disturbing are the silent tears streaming down her face, the obvious torment and anguish she's feeling. Does this remind you of anything? Introducing a metaphorical, practically literal rape into a kids' book is in questionable taste. Subjecting Bunnie, one of the series' most beloved characters to this, is especially awful.

Maybe if the story was actually about Bunnie's cybernetic assault, this would have been more excusable. But Ken's script brushes off what happens to Bunnie. Instead, he uses this as an opportunity to boost Sonic. Since the micro robots only understand organic and inorganic, Bunnie's status as both confuses the machines into inactivity. Bunnie could've accomplished this but the script robs her of agency. Bunnie's assault only happens so Sonic can play hero. That may genuinely be the most offensive thing Ken has ever written.

That the rescue is capped off with Bunnie smooching Sonic makes it feel sleazier. Apparently Sonic still hasn't told Bunnie that he's not the one she got cozy with recently. Yet he's all to willing to accept her romantic overture. The kiss is drawn as passionate, accepting, not confused and shocked. (Penders claim that's not how he wrote it, that artist Al Bigley misunderstood but that still doesn't excuse Sonic just going with it.) It's almost as if the hero has intentionally been withholding information because he enjoys the attention the women are giving him. This is, for lack of a better word, incredibly gross.

Does “Sonic's Angels” contribute anything pleasant to the comic's universe? While the nanites would become minor bits of the Archie Sonic lore, their presentation here is confusing. A grey goo scenario would threaten everything. The story runs with this at first before later shifting gears, saying that the nanites only consume mechanical stuff. However, the story does bring Snively back. He's been absent since the “Home” arc and has apparently been working against Eggman. The story ends with him tentatively teaming up with the Freedom Fighters. That's an interesting plot point but one sure to be underutilized. That's the way the book has gone recently.

Issue 154 also has some artwork problems. The usually reliable James Fry draws “Engage!,” after a long absence from the book. Maybe he lost a step or two during his time off. The story's not bad looking but the characters and shading do look slightly off. Jon Gray draws part of “Sonic's Angels.” Gray has improved slightly from the “Return to Angel Island” arc, as the characters are less exaggerated, but I”m still not a fan. Gray's most baffling decision is to draw an American flag in the background of one panel for no reason. Al Bigley, who draws the second half, also showed some improvement recently but his work goes back off the rails this time. His characters frequently appear as disconnected globs of limbs and squinting faces.

Conceptually, this is just another mediocre Ken Penders' joint from one of the comic's worst years. With dumb romantic melodrama, a plot that meanders without much point, and story turns seemingly throw out at random. What happens to Bunnie, and especially how the book handles it, forces me to be much harsher on this one. The biggest insult? The original print version included a five page advertisement for Lego Bionicle in the middle of the book. I know that isn't Ken's fault but it just seals the deal for me. “Sonic's Angels” has earned its title as a legendarily shitty issue. [2/10]

Sonic the Hedgehog: Issue 144

Sonic the Hedgehog: Issue 144
Publication Date: December 2004

The “Mobius: 25 Years Later” story arc has been running in the back pages of Archie's “Sonic the Hedgehog” series since December of 2003. After a year of getting half the book to itself, which lead to a sometimes overly relaxed pacing, the possible future of Sonic and his friends gets a cover story to itself. Probably because this promised to be the final story in that setting for quite some time. Let's get to it.

Rotor and Cobar have finally figured out a way to possibly avert the incoming apocalypse. The Royal Family and Knuckles travel to the Badlands, which appear to be the radioactive remains of Old Robotropolis. Under the blasted out wastelands, they crawl towards Robotnik's time displacement machine, the device which will toss Sonic into the past and hopefully save the world. Unbeknownst to Sonic or her father, Lara-Su is a stowaway on their plane, eager to join the adventure.

“The Die is Cast” is mostly concerned with barreling towards “25 Years Later's” quasi-conclusion. However, the issue does sneak in some cute moments between the characters. At the story's start, Knuckles informs Lara-Su that her training to become a Guardian will officially begin as soon as he gets back from this mission. Her reaction, to leap excited into his arms and give him a big hug, seems very genuine and charming. When Julie-Su hears Knuckles is going on this one without her, he defuses the tension with a big meaningful kiss. I'm not sure why Knuckles excluded Julie-Su on this mission but it's nice that Ken took the time to ask her opinion.

If “The Die is Cast” provides a satisfying conclusion to anything, it's King Sonic's recent bad mood. The hedgehog hero has spent most of this story arc in a funk, feeling neurotic about his status as royalty. In “The Die is Cast,” he finally gets over himself. Rotor informs Sonic that there might not be a way to get him back to this time line, that he might end up stuck in the past. Sonic leaves no doubt that he's willing to do this. It's nice to finally see Sonic man up and act like the hero we all know he is. Should've happened a lot sooner, if you asked me.

Archie would be putting the “Mobius: 25 Years Later” alternate universe on the shelf for a while after this story line, not returning to it until after Ian Flynn came onto the book. I'm not sure why they picked this particular point to table things for now. It ends on a huge cliffhanger. Something goes wrong with the time displacement machine, Sonic being tossed to unknown whereabouts. Simultaneously, Lara-Su begins to fade from existence like Marty McFly's siblings in “Back to the Future.” The exact cause for this is still up in the air and we won't get any answers for a while now. Which is a disappointing conclusion to one of a hugely uneven but intermittently touching story arc.

The back-up story returns to the present timeline. “Love and Loss” focuses on the wildly popular Knothole News, a publication that apparently someone in Knothole has the time and resources to assemble, publish, and distribute. The paper is so popular because of a romance advice column called “Dear Aly.” The story covers four letters written to the columnist. The first is from Bunnie, still torn up over Antoine's personality shift. The second is from Mina, who is debating over ditching Ash or attempting to pursue the newly single Sonic. The third is from Amy, who is still struggling to get over her crush on Sonic. The last letter is from Sally... Which is funny, since Sally is Dear Aly.

By focusing on emotion, “Love and Loss” addresses a few of the things “Sonic” fans have actually been wondering about recently. Such as “Is Bunnie okay?” The answer seems to be “Maybe not.” She's a mess, weeping openly, desperate for answers, her heart torn up by Antoine's cruel rejection of her. Something else fans are wondering is what the hell Sally has been thinking. “Love and Loss” confronts this as well. She regrets slapping Sonic, realizing she overreacted. It provides some insight into her rejection of Sonic, that she's afraid of loosing him again. (This is still bullshit, as I refuse to believe Sally would be that petty, but it's something.) The story concludes with Sally hoping to talk things over with Sonic, to reevaluate the changes in their lives. Moreover, she promises not to let this relationship drama hold her back. It's a positive change, if nothing else.

Because just focusing on Bunnie and Sally's strife probably wouldn't be enough, “Love and Loss” also devotes some page to Sonic's stalkers admirers. That Mina is still holding a torch for Sonic is not surprising but somewhat disappointing. Seems to me that love triangle was murdered and buried a while ago. I guess Mina's feelings die harder than John McClane though. Still, Mina's reaction to Aly's response – tossing a photo of Sonic over her bed into the trash and calling Ash up for a late night booty call – is cute. As for Amy, I do like her ignoring Aly's answer, which the advice columnist predicted. Seems realistic for a girl that is physically a teenager but emotionally still a ten year old. It also must be really easy for Sally to figure out who wrote each letter.

Jon Gray, who I'm no fan of, draws “Love and Loss.” Gray's loose, cartoony style is far better suited to a low key character story like this than a big action epic like “Return to Angel Island.” Considering it's a story focused on emotions, Gray's tendency to exaggerate everyone's facial expressions actually works in this one's favor. Bunnie's face twisting in tearful agony is effecting. A panel devoted to her holding her tear-strewn face really gets to me. Amy's blunt dismissal of the Aly's response works equally well. I even like the kind of cute opening scene, devoted to people swarming the newsstand. Gray should stick to stories like these, is what I'm saying, I guess.

That back-up story makes up for some of the cover story's shortcoming, though it's not enough to boost the entire issue to a generally positive rating. “25 Years Later” wraps up for now and some characters' hearts still aching proves a little more compelling. Over all, issue 144 is another deeply uneven issue, bringing a deeply uneven year to its conclusion. [6/10]

Sonic the Hedgehog: Issue 141

Sonic the Hedgehog: Issue 141
Publication Date: October 2004

These days, Archie tends to really stretch out its story lines. Ian Flynn has become notorious for penning arcs that stretch on for a year or more. Say what you will about 2004 – I certainly have – but at least Archie wrapped stuff up in a timely fashion then. “Return to Angel Island” concluded in October of 2004, with its fourth issue. That might have been one issue more then was needed but at least the thing is finally over.

Sonic and Knuckles' celebration over rescuing Locke is short-lived. Robotnik has beamed Hunter onto Angel Island, with the express purpose of capturing the Master Emerald. Since the heroes are away at the moment, the villain easily penetrates the Dark Legion's defenses, heading straight into the Hidden Palace Zone. Luckily, Knuckles arrives in time but the young echidna is still torn up inside over the loss of his magical powers.

I know I've done pretty much nothing but shit on Jon Gray's artwork for the last week but, with issue 141, Gray's work degrades to a previously unseen level of incoherence. Gray portrays Hunter tossing star-marked bumpers around, zapping echidnas with green electricity. This is meant to teleport them away but Gray doesn't clearly draw that. The action scenes remain that chaotic. I honestly have no idea what's happening in a panel devoted to the Chaotix fighting some dingoes. Through it all, Gray sneaks in some of his trademark ugly facial expressions. What is his obsession with giant mouths, agape in horror or agony or excitement?

Story wise, part four of “Return to Angel Island” packs in the dramatic reveals. After focusing most of the arc on rescuing Locke, it gives the reader a bit of whiplash to return to capturing the Master Emerald as a major plot point. Both Remmington and Finitevus are seemingly captured by Hunter. This is kind of a major event but the script doesn't treat it importantly, shoved in-between other business. It's also revealed why Archimedes was hanging around the Master Emerald. Apparently, Locke gave him the mission of observing the Emerald while it was in Lien-Da's hands. This makes sense, I suppose, but Archimedes' reappearance into the story is still overly sudden.

Squeezed between helter-skelter action sequences is one genuinely interesting character moment. After Robotnik's forces siege the Hidden Palace Zone, Lien-Da snipes at Julie-Su and Locke. Julie-Su, never one to hide her opinion, snipes back, leading to a full-blown argument. She lets her step-sister know what a bitch she's been. The argument is only cut short because Vector – you know shit is bad when Vector is the voice of reason – points out that a battle is currently happening. After so much heavy plotting, it's nice to see a purely emotional response like this. Then Karl Bollers' pushes it too far, by devoting a whole panel to Lien-Da saying Dad liked Julie-Su more. It's a melodramatic, overly on the nose conclusion to an otherwise decent scene.

More so then Robotnik's occupation of Angel Island, the driving point of this arc has been Knuckles' depression over loosing his powers and his discomfort with being hailed as a messiah. Part four tosses that shit right in the blender. It turns out Knuckles never lost his Chaos Powers. They were merely in remission until he made contact with the Master Emerald again. After doing so, Knux transforms into Super Knuckles – a super form seemingly identical to the previously seen, equally pink Hyper Knuckles – and immediately murders the fuck out of Hunter by tossing him into the ocean below. (Knuckles casually killing an enemy might be a bigger deal if anyone gave a shit about Hunter.) I, personally, would have rather seen the further consequences of Knuckles struggling with his lack of powers, realizing he doesn't need them to be a hero. Instead, he gets them back through no action on his part and everything is hunky-dory. What a let down.

Even when not written by Ken Penders, Locke can't help but be a dick. After freeing the Island, Knuckles informs his dad that he doesn't intend to stay. Knuckles believes he should use his powers to protect the whole world from Robotnik, not just the Floating Island. This is a direct jab at the Brotherhood's isolationist politics. In a better story, Locke would gain some character development and admit his son is right. In “Return to Angel Island,” Locke rips Knuckles a new one for daring to care about places other then his home land. True to form but still pretty shitty.

Meanwhile, “Mobius: 20 Years Later” continues in the back pages. In “Scenario” - that had to have been a temp title that Ken forgot to update, right? - Sonic and Knuckles are informed of the gravity of the forthcoming catastrophe. Apparently, Sonic is to blame. All that zone hopping he's done, in addition to his fight with Robotnik in “Endgame” and destroying the Xorda's Quantum Dial, apparently weakened the dimensional barriers around Mobius or something. Cobar and Rotor are working on cooking up a solution but outlooks' not so good. Meanwhile, Lien-Da continues to sneak around like a sneak. I don't know what she's up to.

One could read into Sonic being so flatly blamed for kick starting the latest armageddon. Ken really seems to have it out for Sonic in “Mobius: 20 Years Later.” The King has been acting slightly childish throughout. We learned that Sonic blew out Knuckles' eye. The hedgehog didn't even get a chance to finish off his own arch-enemy. Now, Sonic is directly responsible for the ominous event the entire story line has been foreshadowing. I don't think Ken was intentionally putting down the comic's titular hero in order to further boost Knuckles but... It can't help but come off that way, a little bit.

There's not much else to “Scenario” besides explaining the mechanics of the upcoming cataclysm. The final scene with Lien-Da isn't as ominous as it should be because her future version has been portrayed, not as a devious villain, but as a totally domesticated citizen. Only one scene in the story is focused on something else. Neither Julie-Su nor Sally can sleep, as both are too worried about their husbands. This characterization of both women – as doddering wives who seemingly only care about their men – is starting to grate on me. Perhaps a better solution would have them trailing Sonic and Knuckles, if they're so worried about them? At least that would've given the Queen and Ms. Guardian some level of agency, some role in the plot.

As a whole, I didn't care for “Return to Angel Island.” It had a handful of decent moments outdone by an uninteresting plot, terrible artwork, and a number of awkward story reveals. “20 Years Later” continues to loose me, with Penders once again revealing some of his worst habits as an author. 2004 remains an experiment in mediocrity. [5/10]

Sonic the Hedgehog: Issue 140

Sonic the Hedgehog: Issue 140
Publication Date: September 2004

It seems like Archie considered “Return to Angel Island” the big “Sonic” event of 2004. “Home,” after all, began in 2003. The return of Tommy the Turtle was only deemed big enough to occupy three issues. For some reason, Knuckles' liberation of his home land got four roomy issues to explore its story. That's more than Knuckles' original mini-series got! Well, let's get on with this shit.

Having been reunited with his mom, Knuckles goes about reuniting himself with his dad. Combing the equal forces of Sonic, the Chaotix, and the Dark Legion, they storm the Dingos' stronghold. Making short work of Kage von Stryker's forces, Locke is rescued. Enraged by his general's failure, Robotnik pulls a villain out of cold storage.

“Return to Angel Island” has been skirting the issue for a while now. The story arc has presented plenty of moments for Knuckles to get emotional but has managed to bungle each one almost every time. In part three, the troubled young Guardian almost gets through a touching moment without being interrupted. Kneeling before the Master Emerald, he confesses how impotent he feels, especially when compared to what those who believe in the Avatar think he is. Even this revealing moment has a few derailing elements. Knuckles has to pause and explain the claws and sunglasses he's wearing now, two objects taken from “Sonic Adventure.” The scene ends with a bizarre panel of Archimedes, looking very ominous, saying everything is going according to plan. By the way, this moment is totally unrelated to everything else that happens in this story.

Yet this moment is one respite from the constant action that makes up “Return to Angel Island.” The rest of the issue is made up of action sequences. Sonic leaps around quickly from the Dark Legion's floating platforms, a moment that gets a whole page devoted to it. Jon Gray devotes nearly an entire page to the Chaotix raiding Kage's fort. This is, notably, the only moment the Chaotix appear in this one. The issue seemingly builds up towards a confrontation between Sonic and Stryker. When that fight comes, it ends extremely quickly. Which is either a deliberate comment on how much Kage sucks or just a seriously underwhelming moment.

Locke does get rescued, by the way. Knuckles and his dad share a weary exchange, the teenager getting teary-eyed. Yet Locke is mostly just a prop to drive the heroes. The story is seemingly over at this point. For some reason, it continues pass this logical conclusion. Robotnik, realizing Kage is incompetent, sends another agent to the Angel Island. What fearsome former villain has Eggman pulled out of obscurity to get a second chance...? Hunter. Yep, that lame Kraven rip-off from the final “Knuckles” comic arc. Yeah, you can tell I'm real enthused to see this jack-ass again.

If the cover story is, arguably, moving too quickly, the back-up is arguably moving too slowly. “A Difference of Opinion” has Sonic and Knuckles finally talking to each other in private after dinner. This allows the two heroes to level with each other. Before discussing the forthcoming apocalypse, the two look back on the reason why their friendship is so strained these days.

“A Difference of Opinion” should've been about two guys who were once close friends coming together for the first time in years and figuring out what when wrong. It's not an uncommon scenario, as even the best friends drift away or come to blows. Instead, “A Difference of Opinion” heaps exposition on the reader. Not-so-casually, Sonic and Knuckles detail past events. Apparently, at some point in the past or future, depending on how you read this, Knuckles becomes a living Chaos Emerald again. He then flat-out murders Robotnik, who was trying to steal the Master Emerald again. Power mad, Knuckles went about rewriting the world, prompting Sonic to blast him with some sort of doo-hickey. This restored Knux to normal, at the cost of blowing his eye out. Hence the fancy cyborg deal he sports in “20 Years Later.”

You're probably tired of hearing me doing this. Let's rake Ken over the coals once more for his most common writing flaws. Why is he telling us these past events, instead of showing us? Would a full-blown flashback have been too much to ask, instead of having the characters awkwardly bring up this information? Then again, maybe this summary saved us from having to see Knuckles go all green again, a change that was super tiring when it first happened and we only recently got rid of. Yes, one must point out how odd it is that Knuckles is the one to definitively defeat Robotnik, Sonic's archenemy. Once again, Ken does nothing to dispel his obvious echidna favoritism.

Flaws and all, there are a few decent lines of dialogue in “Difference of Opinion.” I do like the palatable tension the story has, as the conflict between Sonic and Knuckles is something this entire story arc has been building towards. Steven Butler's artwork is as top-of-the-line as usual. His strength for facial expressions gets a good workout here, since the story is primarily devoted to two guys standing around and talking. Though Butler's involvement does kind of make me wish Knux and Sonic weren't authority figures in the future and could beat the shit out of each other, for old times' sake.

As for Jon Gray's art on the cover story... Well, I'm still not a fan but I think I'm getting use to it. Gray does make interesting use of lighting and shadow. He frequently places a character in partial darkness in order to emphasize their expression. As for his action scenes, some of his visuals are striking while others just look like shit. Sometimes on the same page! Ray leaping over enemies, smashing their heads together, looks quite cool. Lien-Da's legs flying into the air like limp noodles, on the other hand, looks awful. This suggests that Gray isn't a bad artist so much as a sloppy one.

Anyway, issue 140 ain't terrible but is still far from good. That's a [6/10], for you.

Sonic the Hedgehog: Issue 139

Sonic the Hedgehog: Issue 139
Publication Date: August 2004

Issue 139 has got to be one of the most Knuckles heavy issues of “Sonic” Archie ever published. Sonic barely features in this one while the Freedom Fighters are nowhere to be seen. After the "Knuckles" book, mostly thanks to Ken Penders, built up the echidnas and the Floating Island to be such a pivotal part of Mobian history, it was inevitable that the series would have to deal with Angel Island again, even after Knuckles' solo book got canned. I'm not complaining, as I've got no beef with Knuckles' corner of the universe. It's just surprising to see Sonic reduced to a supporting character in his own book.

I guess I didn't mention this but the first part of “Return to Angel Island” ended on a cliffhanger. After wrecking a Dingo prison camp and freeing a number of echidnas, the heroes were ambushed by the Dark Legion. After scuffling with the Legionnaires, Knuckles receives some upsetting news. The Dark Legion, the still missing Brotherhood, and the regular echidna citizens all formed a truce, in hopes of deflecting the Robotnik backed Dingo army. There is an up-set to this: Knuckles is reunited with his mom, his stepdad, and his new baby brother, Knecapion.

Part 2 of “Return to Angel Island,” subtitled “The Avatar,” is not as action heavy as the first installment. Yes, the issue opens with a big fight between the heroes and the Dark Legion but eventually it settles into a calmer groove. Knuckles' reunion with his mom could've been a big moment. So could've his discovery that he has a new little brother, which is pushed into the back as a bit of comic relief. (Knuckles' biggest emotional reaction occurs after he hears Dimitri has died. His cries of anguish are weird, considering Uncle Dimitri sure spent a lot of time trying to kill Knuckles.)

These moments are pushed aside in favor of this whole Avatar business. Many of the echidnas Knuckles rescues, including his stepdad, bow to him. They praise him as the Avatar, the hero prophesied by the Ancient Walkers. Maybe the story's best moment occurs when a couple with a blinded child comes to Knuckles, hoping he'll heal the sick little girl. Knuckles, of course, denies being their messiah and bemoans the continued loss of his powers. This is fine, I guess. Knuckles' interior conflict over his destiny has always been a big deal for him. Yet the stuff with his family is a little more pressing for me.

The supporting cast continues to mostly be players in the action scenes. However, the script does make room for one interaction among the Chaotix. While Knuckles and Sonic are given a tour of the Hidden Palace Zone, Vector and Julie-Su get into one of their classical scuffles. Vector is incensed that Julie-Su is willing to accept the Dark Legion's help, as the crocodile clearly doesn't abide by the old “enemy of my enemy” adage. Sure, we've seen Julie-Su and Vector argue before, lots of times. Yet at least Karl provides a more concrete reason for their words, aside from Vector's general misogyny. This is more than Sonic or the other Chaotix get. They each only have a few lines.

“The Avatar” does spend a lot of time setting up the changes the Floating Island has undergone. The Master Emerald Shrine has been moved into the Secret Palace Zone, undoing the nice Sega-accurate Emerald Shrine the book cooked up not too long ago. This fits in with the game accurate redesign the Secret Palace Zone has undergone, including the tapestry of Sonic fighting Robotnik, which seemingly has no meaning now. Lien-Da has assigned herself leader of the Dark Legion, claiming Dimitri is dead. (Though his presence in the “20 Years Later” back-up story immediately reveals this as a lie.) The Brotherhood is missing. Most prominently, a mysterious new echidna named Dr. Finitevus, with an evident grudge against Knuckles, puts in his appearance. The book would try to build up Finitevus as Knuckles' arch-enemy, following Dimitri's rehabilitation. I never quite bought that but Finitevus' ranting and raving are amusing.

It's a slight improvement over the first part but there's still one serious problem. Jon Gray is still drawing it. Gray's ridiculous cartoon style pitches the emotions to the roof. When Finitevus yells at someone, his jaw unhinges as if he's a snake ready to swallow an egg. When Knuckles mourns Dimitri, his reaction is similarly over the top. Everyone is a loose collection of squiggles and circles. Lien-Da looks awful. Knecapion's appearance at the end is especially comical, banging Knuckles on the head with his rattle. Maybe Gray's artwork would've suited a lighter story but it jives badly with “Return to Angel Island.”

“Mobius: 20 Years Later” brings us back down to earth while remaining on the Floating Island. In “Slumber Party,” as the title suggests, is focused on Knuckles and Sonic's kids retiring for the night. Manik attempts to play Spin the Bottles with the girls but they rebuff him. Instead, they relax to a board game and Manik joins his dad in a game of pool. Knuckles broods in another room.

Some people bitch about “Slumber Party” because it doesn't advance the plot any. Which is a fair criticism. Even Dan Drazen, a fan of the “20 Years Later” setting, expressed frustration with this one. The Royal Family has just been informed that a planet shattering cataclysm is coming. What's their reactions? To play a bunch of games. Sure, that's probably not the most appropriate response. Then again, how many times has Sonic and Sally faced down an apocalypse? You'd probably react in a laid back manner after enough of those too.

Having said that, I still like “Slumber Party.” It works as a character piece. Letting the character sits back and unwind for a bit is worth doing, especially when the book has been so plot heavy recently. It gives some further character development to Lara-Su, her friend Salma, and the future versions of their parents. There's a cute moment, where Lara-Su reveals Salma's relationship to Rutan. Now to be fair, Prince Manik is still rather obnoxious while Princess Sonia remains a thin sketch at best. And Lara-Su's friend Riki-Le, who looks nearly identical to Julie-Su, doesn't even get that much. Still, I sort of like this one. (And it's not just because Steven Butler draws all the girls in slinky pajamas.)

I'm still not feeling the “Return to Angel Island” arc but issue 139 is, admittedly, superior to the issue that proceed it. There's little flecks of character development and emotion amid the absurdly drawn fight scenes. The back-up is seriously flawed but I still enjoyed it. In 2004, I'll take what I can get. [6/10]