Knuckles the Echidna: Issue 32

Knuckles the Echidna: Issue 32
Publication Date: November 1999

Here it is, you guys. The final issue of “Knuckles the Echidna.” I’ve always suspected the series’ cancellation was sudden. Ken and company had already planned out the next story line, which would tie into the “Sonic Adventure” arc currently starting in the “Sonic” book. A proposed cover for issue 33 of “Knuckles” was reused for issue 80 of “Sonic.” I have no idea how popular the “Knuckles” book was but, considering Archie’s history of financial mishandling, sales might not have been the reason for cancellation. Whatever it was, the Guardian’s series would conclude with the final part of the “King of the Hill” story line.

In hopes of evading Hunter, Knuckles and Monk descend into the Hydro City Zone, the aquatic piping system that runs inside the island. Though the two escape the Overlander killer for a while, he eventually catches up with him. Locke and Archimedes are also on Knuckles’ trail, hoping to find him before the expert marksman does.

The uninspired three-parter comes to its conclusion with the equally uninspired “To the Death.” Knuckles and Monk heading into the sewers shows that Ken doesn’t even grasp the material he’s ripping off. In “The Most Dangerous Game,” Zaroff hunted his human prey on his own island. Hunter going after the echidna and the gorilla on the Floating Island gives the prey the home field advantage. Sending the story into the Hydro City zone also means most of the story takes place in an ugly, industrial setting. (It doesn’t help that Ken’s rendition of Hydro City does not resemble its video game counterpart at all.) Of all the “Sonic 3” levels to adapt, Hydro City is an odd choice. Why would there be an aqueduct system within the Floating Island? Ken has no answers. Instead, he gives Knuckles a line about the zone being even older then the echidnas.

Monk and Hunter continue to be aggravatingly lame characters. Maybe several hours have passed in universe but, to the reader, it seems Knuckles and Monk have progressed from worst enemies to comrades immediately. Far too much of issue 32 is devoted to the echidna and the gorilla sniping at each other. I think it’s supposed to be charming. In effect, it just makes Monk look like an idiot and Knuckles look increasingly exasperated with his forced partner. The panels devoted to the two working together are especially torturous. Knuckles, for some reason, can’t glide in the Hydro City Zone. This is blatant, bad writing, forcing two characters that otherwise have nothing in common to work together.

Hunter was already a derivative, uninteresting villain. In “To the Death,” he graduates to actively annoying. For some reason, Ken gives the guy an interior monologue. While stalking Knuckles’ footprints, or following him into the sewers, he prattles on endlessly to himself. The thought bubbles contribute nothing to the story. Hunter’s thoughts aren't interesting or revealing. Instead, he basically lays out his plans and actions before he actually does them. Even though he manages to kill two characters before the story is over, he still feels like such a weak addition to the universe. It’s like a D-list supervillian from another comic dropped in and stumbles around awkwardly, before finally being defeated.

That Monk and Knuckles fail so totally at bonding makes the story’s conclusion even weaker. Yes, the gorilla dies. After a struggle on a catwalk, Hunter shoots him. You might not get this immediately, since Ken’s shitty artwork makes it look like a ray of light burst from Monk’s neck, followed by an extremely awkward fall towards the ground. Knuckles is so enraged by the bully’s death, that his latent Chaos energy powers are unleashed. Yet nothing in the actual story points towards Knuckles caring that much about Monk. It’s a ridiculous, unearned ending. Pinning the story’s entire emotional point on characters we do not like or care about was a mistake.

Yes, I mentioned Knuckles’ superpowers. Since last issue, Locke and Archimedes have been wandering around the island, looking for the young Guardian. Knuckles’ dad and mentor continue to add nothing to the story. Several pages are devoted to them bungling around. By the time they find Knuckles, the conflict has already ended. Their role in the story is totally superfluous. Knuckles’ great powers emerging is also a cheap deus ex machina. Not to mention vague as hell. As illustrated, we see Knuckles get angry and then shoot some bumpy waves from his head. This, somehow, is enough to disable Hunter. The villain’s final fate – imprisoned in a glass bubble underwater, while wearing just his underpants – is as senseless as anything else related to him.

Because issue 30-32 of “Knuckles” containing one bad story arc wasn’t enough, “The Worst of Enemies” also concludes the Espio centric story that’s been playing out in the back pages. Espio tricks the robotocized Valdez and Liza into going to one of the Island’s many ruins. There, he confronts his former friend, tackling him into a river. Afterwards, he frees the imprisoned chameleons. Even though he’s won, Espio fears this is just the first of many attacks on the Floating Island.

Unlike “King of the Hill,” which was more-or-less doomed from conception, Espio’s story actually had potential. A friend of his has turned evil. His newly introduced love interest is robotocized right in from of him. These are dramatic stakes. Yet the execution has been so flimsy and non-involving. Valdez has not been a convincing threat. We barely know anything about Liza. The plot, meanwhile, seems tossed together. It blunders from one minor point to another before finally ending here. At the story’s end, nothing’s changed. Espio’s concerns about the Island’s future could’ve been built into something more but comes off as a tonally inconsistent epilogue. Colleen Doran’s lifeless, disproportional artwork has done nothing to make up for the shitty writing. She manages to make Espio walking away from a huge explosion – itself a cliché image – look totally lifeless.

I seriously suspect “King of the Hill” was an idea Ken hadn’t really developed before tossing it into the comic. It has all the hallmarks of being filler: Characters that easily could’ve been ported over from some other story, a plot ripped off from well known material, artwork hastily provided by the writer. It contributes nothing to the universe or world. The central characters exit the plot no different then how they entered.

Good-bye, “Knuckles” solo series. You were often frustrating, as giving Ken an entire comic to play with allowed his irritating quirks to flourish. At the same time, you sometimes gave birth to good stories, solid ideas, and fascinating characters. We’d always have Julie-Su, at least until the reboot anyway. If nothing else, its definitely one of the weirdest chapters in the history of Archie’s “Sonic” universe. It’s just a bummer that the series had to conclude on such a shitty story. [3/10]

Knuckles the Echidna: Issue 31

Knuckles the Echidna: Issue 31
Publication Date: October 1999

The “King of the Hill” story arc continues with its second chapter, “The Thrill of the Hunt.” Knuckles and Monk are cornered by an Overlander calling himself Hunter. He captures Monk and talks Knuckles into coming back to his lair with him. As his name suggests, Hunter likes to pursue the most dangerous game. Knux and Monk are his next targets. Outfitted with shock collars, the two enemies are forced together to defeat their captor. Meanwhile, Locke and Archimedes try to get to the bottom of this.

Last issue, I referred to Hunter as an uninspired riff on Kraven the Hunter, a well established Spider-Man villain. There’s little doubt in my mind that Ken was ripping off Marvel, as Hunter has similar facial hair and clothes to Kraven. Yet the character’s lack of originality runs deeper. “King of the Hill” also rips off “The Most Dangerous Game,” a piece of well-trotted literary ground. Hunter has a large manservant, a detail-lacking robot called Aryu-One-Two. He considers hunting living beings a sport. While inside the lair, Knuckles discovers a series of mounted Mobian heads. (Pollo the Bear, from “SatAM,” appears to be among them.) This grisly scene is taken directly from the 1932 film version of “The Most Dangerous Game.” Ken’s not done paying “homage” to his influences. Hunter also, at one point, fires a grey version of Scaramanga’s Golden Gun.

This standard “Hunting Humans Mobians” story line is also mashed up with a standard “Enemies Forced to Work Together” story line. Monk’s bravado immediately has him stunned by Hunter. After the villain laboriously explains his modus operadi, Knuckles and Monk are tossed out into the Floating Island. As you’d expect, the two have to work together in order to survive. Hunter outfits both Mobians with shock collars, so they’ll cooperate. I’d assume Ken ripped this off from “Battle Royale” but the movie wouldn’t come out until the next year. (Oh yeah, Hunter also threatens Julie-Su. You know, that character you’d much rather be reading about.) However, Monk is still such a thin sketch of a character. He spends the majority of this issue unconscious. There’s no dynamic between the gorilla and Knuckles, meaning their force partnership lacks tension.

Because it’s impossible for Penders to write a “Knuckles” comic without forcing in the Brotherhood of Guardians, Locke appears in the story too. Inside Haven, Thunderhawk and Sabre notices that something has disrupted their signals. This is the work of Hunter, which the reader can figure out immediately. Locke and Archimedes, meanwhile, have to investigate further. I don’t know what business Locke and Archy have in this story. I’m assuming they’ll eventually save Knuckles’ ass? Otherwise, their presence drags down the pacing of a story that is already moving at a snail’s pace.

“King of the Hill” having a lame concept, weak execution, and introducing unneeded new characters isn’t enough. The story has to look like shit too. Ken’s pencils aren’t just ugly and lifeless. They’re often incoherent. An early scene has Hunter stunning Monk and I have no idea what happens in those panel. The faces of Monk, Knuckles, Archimedes, and Locke manage to be simultaneously stiff and unpleasantly stretched out. Ken flat-out does not know how to draw guns, as Hunter’s firearms often look like weird tube devices. Lastly, Hunter, Monk, and Aryu-One-Two have deeply unappealing designs. Penders makes no attempt to adapt them to the Sega/Archie house style. They do not look like they belong to this world. Ken’s writing skills may be debatable but his drawing skills are undeniably lacking.

The back-up story to “Thrill of the Hunter” is equally uninspiring. “The Best of Friends” continues Espio’s conflict with the now robotocized Valdez. The mechanical chameleon explains how he became captured by Robotnik. The dictator has sent the Robian to the Floating Island to locate Knuckles and the Master Emerald. When Espio fails to cooperate, Valdez robotocizes Liza, the female chameleon that is both men’s object of desire.

If the subplot involving the Brotherhood strips the cover story of any forward momentum, the back-up story screeches to a halt because of Valdez’ lengthy flashback. Did we really need to see the extended scenes of Robotnik capturing him, robotocizing him, and further programming him? Couldn’t that have been handled in a few panels, instead of two pages? Liza’s fate could have grafted the story an emotional heart. We discover that Valdez and Espio are both rivals for Liza’s affections. That she was working with the now robotic lizard in hopes that Espio could reach him. However, we just met this character last month. We know nothing about her. I do not care that she’s being turned into a robot. Add in Colleen Doran’s lifeless, ugly illustrations and you’ve got another dud.

I continue to wish that “Knuckles” got the axe three issues earlier. “King of the Hill” remains an uninspired story arc with a mountain of problems. Somehow, I don’t expect things to turn around in the last volume. [4/10]

Knuckles the Echidna: Issue 30

Knuckles the Echidna: Issue 30
Publication Date: September 1999

The “Knuckles the Echidna” series would be over before the end of 1999, the comic wrapping up with a modest two-year-and-change run. I don’t know if the series’ cancellation was due to poor sales or industrial shifts inside Archie. Considering the “Sonic” suite of books would soon to be clipped down to just one, I suspect the latter is true. If “Knuckles” had ended three or four issues sooner, it would’ve wrapped up with low key, personal stories. Issue 29 or “The First Date” story arc would’ve been a good note to go out on. But the somewhat misguided love child of Sega and Ken Penders instead had to limp on for one more story arc.

The “King of the Hill” three-parter begins with a bizarre ape-like creature climbing aboard the Floating Island, after seemingly lassoing part of the island. This is Monk, a gorilla who used to bully Knuckles when both were younger. Monk’s abuse got him exiled from the island by the Brotherhood. Now, he’s back for revenge. Soon enough, Knuckles and his former tormentor are fighting again. Meanwhile, a mysterious and armed Overlander has also set his sights on the Guardian.

Throughout the “Knuckles” series, how often Ken Penders would indulge his Penders-ness would vary from issue to issue. Usually, the Brotherhood of Guardians and their treatment of Knuckles were the outlet for his worst tendencies. Issue 30’s cover story, “Bad to the Bone,” instead focuses on some of Penders’ other annoying quirks. The story is filled with bizarre pop culture references. Upon reaching the Island, Monk quotes “White Heat.” For some fucking reason, a whole page is devoted to Knuckles reading “2001: A Space Odyssey.” And not an echidna version either but the original book. (The same page also references Ken’s “The Lost Ones,” because of course it does.) Though only briefly glimpsed in this issue, the story arc’s main villain is a thinly veiled rip off of Kraven the Hunter. There’s also some heavy handed anti-gun imagery. It’s incredibly distracting and often annoying.

The “King of the Hill” story arc seems written to expand Knuckles’ rogue gallery. While Hunter would be focused on soon enough, Issue 30 is mostly devoted to introducing Monk. The character does not make an especially compelling entrance. The character is supposed to be a gorilla but he looks more like a purple Bigfoot. He also wears one of those sumo wrestler loincloths, which is deeply unflattering. The character has been holding an incredibly petty grudge for a decade, making him seem even more uninteresting. By the time the two meet again, Monk is so clearly out of Knuckles’ league, he seems more like a minor annoyance to the echidna then a great villain.

A part of me suspects that a heavy-handed moral about bullying is where this storyline is headed. The flashback shows a hopelessly naïve Knuckles playing with a yo-yo. Monk then steals the yo-yo, gives Knuckles a homoerotic bear hug, and tosses him from a tree. Presumably, this was not the only incident where Monk bullied Knuckles. If it is, that makes the following seem like even more of an overreaction. Because Knuckles has always had his secret granddads there to bail his ass out, the Brotherhood of the Guardians ejected Monk from the Floating Island. And not like with robots. Personally. They dressed up like Satanists, picked the gorilla up, and threw him off the Island. In other words, the bullied victim never even had a chance to stand up to his bully!

The script is pretty shitty but the artwork is much, much worst. Ken Penders provides his own pencils. Issue 30 makes a good case for why that happened so rarely. The opening pages are awkwardly constructed, seemingly showing Hunter kissing his rifle before stiffly firing it. Ken’s handle on action has only gotten worst. Monk’s climb aboard the Island features many hideous angles. Characters’ faces freeze in bizarre expression. Despite the gratuitous speed lines, the panels are utterly lifeless, lacking any sense of motion or movement. Ken has a faulty understanding of proportion, as Knuckles and his opponent frequently shift size. Lastly, Monk is just an ass ugly design. He doesn’t look like he belongs in this book.

At least Ken didn’t draw the back-up story. “Hiding in Plain Sight” stars Espio the Chameleon. After introducing Julie-Su to newly minted Chaotix Ray the Squirrel, Espio rides into a group of chameleon. An older chameleon collapses, causing Julie-Su to carry him to safety. Espio, meanwhile, is led by his former friends into an ambush. Valdez the Chameleon has been robotocized and is seemingly leading a Robotnik-sanctioned invasion of Rainbow Valley.

“Hiding in Plain Sight” is, sadly, not much of an improvement over the cover story. The opening pages make it seem like more of a Julie-Su story. The introduction of Ray is strictly a formality, as it has nothing to do with the rest of the story. The old and injured chameleon popping out of nowhere borders on the comedic. The ending reveal that Valdez has been roboticized annoys me. Ken hadn’t used the character in a while so, instead of developing him further, he just decided to turn him into a robot. That’s lazy and sloppy. (The story also features one of those stupid not-horse creatures.)

New-comer Colleen Doran’s pencils are not much better then Ken’s. Characters often go off-model, with the length of limbs or sizes of heads shifting from panel to panel. Julie-Su’s hair constantly changes. Ray the Squirrel looks like pasted-in Sega clip art. The backgrounds are all uninspired jungle scenes. At least none of the new characters are as grossly unappealing as Monk. They’re just indistinct.

Neither story line in issue 30 is very promising. Why do I have this sinking sensation that the “Knuckles” book is going to end on a whimper rather then a bang? [4/10]

Knuckles the Echidna: Issue 29

Knuckles the Echidna: Issue 29
Publication Date: August 1999

Following the end of the “First Date” story arc, Archie’s “Knuckles the Echidna” series continues to be in a low-key mood. Issue 29 would be the final stand alone issue in the “Knuckles” series, as the comic would only run for three more issues after this one. The issue is focused on wrapping up a long lingering bit of history, one fans actually care about. As the cover proudly proclaims, Princess Sally is taking one final trip to the Floating Island.

In Knothole, Sally continues to bitch out her dad for keeping her mother and brother’s existences a secret. She travels to the Floating Island on a diplomatic journey, hoping the Brotherhood of the Guardians can assist the Freedom Fighters in their new war against Robo-Robotnik. She’s also there to seek further help with her mother’s illness. While on the island, Knuckles and the Princess put to rest the borderline romance/friendship they’ve shared since childhood.

If there’s one reoccurring theme in “My Special Friend,” issue 29’s sole story, it’s that authority figures are secretive, evasive, passive-aggressive assholes. Sally is annoyed that her father kept secrets from her. He insists he did it for her own good. Sally even finds a way to justify her father’s long since forgotten order to disassemble all of the Robians.

Once on the Floating Island, she meets with the Brotherhood. After her reasonable request for aide, the Brotherhood shoots her down. Not because the echidnas lack the resources to help out. They don’t. The Guardians refuse because they believe the other Mobians to be intellectually inferior. Because they try to peacefully co-exist with their enemies, instead of just wiping them off the map, thus creating “a constant state of war.” This is the same group that previously tried to nuke the dingos or lock them in a pocket dimension. The Guardians apparently consider nuclear genocide and perpetual imprisonment more humane then peace. The Brotherhood have always been huge assholes but this is a crowning achievement of douchery previously unseen.

The Brotherhood’s decision to be massive cocks isn’t even the main thrust of this story. Instead, the lingering emotions between Knuckles and Sally is much more important. This story definitely finds Sally in a grouchy mood. Upon greeting Knuckles, she yells at him for not telling her about her mom. Knuckles’ honest answer – that he didn’t know – seems to soothe her annoyance. The two teens soon bond over their parents being shifty ass-wipes.

After the Brotherhood rejects her proposal, Sally and Knuckles have another heart-to-heart. They reminiscence about their childhood play dates. He tries to let her know that his family’s opinions do not represent his own. However, he also admits that there’s nothing he can do to sway their thoughts. The story ends with Sally leaving the island, asking Knuckles how they can continue to be friends when the Floating Island is indifferent to her strife. It’s a downbeat ending, political and personal. It also, effectively, forever dissolves whatever romantic tension that’s ever existed between Sally and Knuckles.

Despite the heavy issues of trust and intercontinental politics, “My Special Friend” is still a fairly light-hearted issue. The issue begins with Catweazle – remember him? Me neither – badgering Knuckles about his new step-dad. The Brotherhood may be enormous pricks but they greet Sally with a smile. It’s honestly kind of hilarious to see the normally hyper-grim Spectre smiling, waving, and soft-balling compliments at Sally. There’s some light humor, when Knuckles and Col. Sommersby discuss his mother’s cooking.

This issue is probably most notorious for correcting a continuity error from the comic’s beginnings. Remember how Sally used to be blonde or brunette in the comic’s earliest issues? Apparently, during some previously unseen adventure predating the series’ start, Sally tumbled into a vat of mysterious chemicals. Her skin didn’t turn chalk white. Instead, her hair and fur just shifted colors. It took awhile for it to wash out. Honestly, it’s a long road to cross just to correct a coloring error but, whatever, I’ll take it.

In the main “Sonic” book, Art Mawhinney has mostly been busy drawing the back-up stories. With issue 29 of “Knuckles,” he returns to a cover story. While I love Art’s pencils, he seems to be having a slightly off-day here. Sally is drawn with a thinner face, oval eyes, and a more elongated body then usual. Knuckles, meanwhile, is a bit chubbier then expected. Even Art’s most serious artwork has kind of a cute edge to it. After mostly seeing the Brotherhood drawn by grittier artist like Manny Galan or Jim Valentino, it’s somewhat disarming to see them drawn so adorably by Mawhinney.

Even while having an off-day, Art could deliver some fantastic moment. A series of panels devoted to Sally bowing her head, upon realizing that her dad sucks as much as Knuckles’, is quietly devastating. Considering this is a story about diplomacy and emotions, and facial expressions have always been specialties of Art, he was a good choice to draw it. Even if Sally and Knuckles look a little odd.

After heart and plot were at odds throughout the “First Date” story, it’s nice to see that Ken could occasionally balance those elements more gracefully. “My Special Friend” is admittedly a bummer of a story. But that’s okay. Life during wartime is rarely easy. Stories like this make me wish Sally could’ve guest-starred in Knuckles’ book more often. [7/10]

Knuckles the Echidna: Issue 28

Knuckles the Echidna: Issue 28
Publication Date: July 1999

In the final part of “The First Date” story arc, Ken Penders’ seems intent on wrapping up all the story’s plot threads. Knuckles’ approaches his mom for advice concerning his up-coming date with Julie-Su. Turns out, the date is falling on the same night as a surprise birthday party Lara-Le is throwing her son. She organizes the party with Julie-Su and Locke. Meanwhile, Knuckles makes peace with Vector and his parents.

“The First Date” three-parter is an idea I like more conceptually then in actuality. Considering how constantly insane Knuckles’ life is, slowing things down for an arc and focusing on character relationship was a great idea. Moreover, the story line finally allows Knuckles and Julie-Su to get serious, putting aside that stupid “soul touch” concept in favor of actually developing their attraction.

And it sort of did that, in a way that was slightly jumbled if relatively amiable throughout. For example, this issue turns the focus from Knuckles and Julie-Su’s upcoming date – the event we’re really invested in – towards Knuckles’ surprise birthday party. Feels slightly like a cheat, since there’s been so much build-up towards the Guardian and his would-be girlfriend finally having some personal time together.

How many times has the book drudged up Locke and Lien-Da’s failed marriage for extra drama? Issue 28 seems to bury that plot point once and for all. While Locke is spying on Knuckles and his friends like a total creep, Lien-Da gives him a call. She asks him to come to their son’s birthday party, the two assuring each other they can put their problems behind them for the sake of their child. At the party, Knuckles’ parents tell him they have a big announcement. His reaction is one of the story’s most unnoticed and saddest moments. He wonders if his mom and dad are getting back together. Hope springs eternal for this child of divorce, apparently. Lien-Da and Locke assure him that will never happen but they’ll continue loving him. It’s a potentially strong emotional beat that probably deserved a little more attention then it got.

That’s not the only instance of forgiveness in this story. After nearly tearing his stupid head off last time, Knuckles and Vector make up. Both basically admit they acted too rashly, deciding to forgive and forget. This seems to dismiss the serial asshole behavior Vector has been displaying from the beginning. The book even acknowledges that, with a hilarious exchange where Espio flat-out admits that people wonder why they hang out with Vector. See?! Everyone knows he’s useless! Still, the Chaotix are back together again. That’s good, I guess.

With everything else the issue is handling, the eponymous first date gets sidelined. It basically comprises two pages. Knuckles shows up as Julie-Su’s apartment. She slips on a slinky, little black dress. (This isn’t the only example of blatant fan service for us Julie-Su fans. Earlier, she appears wearing only a big t-shirt.) The two walk to their destination, exchanging some mildly flirtatious dialogue. That’s when this story line collides with the birthday party plot thread. At the party, they dance a little, which is a cute moment, before locking lips. That’s a moment I wish the story spent a little more time building up to.

Chris Allan continues to do the artwork for this story arc. His work in the last two issues was frequently off-model and overall a bad fit for the book. In issue 28, Allan looses his fucking mind. In several panels, Knuckles, his parents, and his girlfriend become lankier. Sometimes, Knuckles appears to grow several pounds of muscle. Allan apparently previously did work for Archie’s Ninja Turtles comic. It seems he thought he was drawing Raphael and Leonardo at times. Near the end, Vector suddenly becomes a muscled monstrosity. It’s ugly as hell. Once again, Archie reached out to artist who clearly had no attitude for drawing these characters.

Luckily, series regular Manny Galan is back to draw the back-up story. (Save for Andrew Papoy drawing a single page, for some reason.) Unluckily, the story arc devoted to Mighty, Nic, and Fiona searching for Ray continues to be a jumbled mess. Mighty throws open a vault and discovers Ray clinging to a magical crystal. In flashback, it’s revealed that Robotnik originally powered the prison camp with this stone. When Sonic and Mighty escaped, Ray grabbed the crystal and blinked out of reality. Apparently, he’s been floating between dimensions for the last decade. Also, Fiona reveals that she sneaked out of the camp on her own.

If I had to guess, I’d assume that Ken really wanted to tell this story. Perhaps he had trouble justifying devoting three cover stories to a quartet of minor supporting characters. So this plot got shoved into the back of the “Knuckles” book. You can tell this was a bigger idea that the writer clipped down. The page devoted to Ray disappearing while Sonic and Mighty escaped the camp borders on incoherent. How Nic rescues Ray from his trans-dimensional fate is a total narrative shrug. Throughout it all, the script never provides a reason why Mighty cares about Ray so much. The stuttering squirrel is a thin sketch, with little personality. Meanwhile, the entire business with Fiona seems shoved in for no reason. It’s a mess... Which is a shame, as the concept showed some promise. A story devoted to a young Sonic and Mighty wrecking Robotnik’s shit probably could’ve been a lot of fun.

To say issue 28 is a disappointing conclusion betrays the intentionally low stakes this story had. It could’ve been great but some pretty awful artwork and a script that leaps around too much brings it down. The back-up story, meanwhile, feels seriously abbreviated. Oh well. [6/10]

Knuckles the Echidna: Issue 27

Knuckles the Echidna: Issue 27
Publication Date: June 1999

As I mentioned last time, the promise of focusing on Knuckles and Julie-Su’s relationship made me eager to check out issue 26. I enjoyed that comic book but never picked up the other two parts. This was less an intentional choice and more because I don’t think I made it to the comic shop that month. So now, eighteen years later, I finally get to read the rest of the “First Date” story arc. This is a momentous occasion, I’m sure you agree.

The second half of “The First Date,” which is verbosely subtitled “Who Wrote the Book of Love?,” does not satisfyingly follow-up on the first part’s cliffhanger. Yeah, Knuckles has walked in on Julie-Su having brunch with some other echidna. Instead of confronting her, he looses his cool and has Archimedes teleport him back out of there. Of course, Julie-Su has no feelings for this Raynor dork. After both Knuckles and Julie-Su angst about the relationship – and Knuckles nearly beats up Vector – he finally gets up the cajones to asks her out on a date.

On paper, issue 27 unnecessarily stretches the storyline out further. The entire cover story is, more or less, based around the two teens wondering anxiously if their feelings are reciprocated. And, yeah, some times the story feels like its dragging its feet. When Knuckles is having slapstick antics inside the restaurant, nothing is added to the story. Knuckles bumping into the Chaotix at an arcade, and nearly giving Vector the beating he has long deserved, is mostly unneeded. However, I go to bat for Knuckles agonizing over his asking Julie-Su out. We can’t forget that the Guardian is 16 years old. Agonizing over whether or not a girl likes them is exactly what sixteen year olds do. Yes, Penders’ writing is as inelegant as always. However, I think he handles this particular plot turn alright.

Knuckles’ story is natural if bumpy. Julie-Su’s part of the story seems a little more compelling. Being a hot and bad ass young woman, it’s totally expected that she would attract male attention. While Knuckles stumbles into his feelings, like the awkward bruiser he’s always been, Julie-Su gives it more thought. She’s got a guy making goo-goo eyes at her but he’s not the one she wants. Poor girl. You really feel for her. A panel devoted to Julie-Su sitting in her apartment, distraught, is definitely my favorite moment from this issue. Naturally, Knuckles does eventually ask Julie-Su out, ending this story on a triumphant moment. Of course, now the anxiety about the actual date begins.

The script for issue 27 is pretty good, all things considered, but it wouldn’t be an issue of “Knuckles” without some obnoxious business with the Brotherhood of Guardiands. The various Fire Ants and Knuckles’ granddads seem way too invested in Knuckles and Julie-Su’s romance. They all basically demand to spy on the boy. Locke, in an unexpected moment of clearheadness, decides to protect his son’s privacy.

Naturally, that ridiculous “Soul Touch” business crops up again. Archimedes explains that particular plot contrivances thusly: Echidnas suck at romance as a species. Therefore, sexual attraction is attributed to magic. Is it just me or does all of this feel like a big excuse to justify Locke and Lara-Le’s dysfunctional relationship? No, Ken, Locke and Lara-Se broke up because Locke is an asshole. Anyway, it’s dumb and puts a damper on a story I otherwise enjoy.

Oh yeah, the artwork kind of sucks too. Once again, this Chris Allen guy handles the pencils. Allen doesn’t really have a grasp on the characters’ proportions. His Knuckles – and other echidnas, for that matter – often bend into shapeless blob. Archimedes shifts in size randomly. Julie-Su remains weirdly short and squat. Vector and the other Chaotix are obviously off-model. He doesn’t even seem to understand were the character’s heads and limbs are in relation to their necks and bodies. Why did Archie keep letting people like this to draw the book?

The back-up story continues Mighty’s quest to relocate Ray the Squriel. Along with Nic the Weasel and Fiona Fox, he explores the Robotnik work camp where he met Sonic years before. Fiona shows some resentment towards Mighty but goes along on the mission anyway. Mighty remembers rescuing the girl years earlier and later teaming up with Sonic to escape the place. In the present, the trio discovers deactivated Auto-Automatons of the Freedom Fighters. Then the story ends suddenly.

The story is called “Those Were the Days…,” which must be an ironic title. It has so much potential. Mighty feels guilt over abandoning his friend years before. Robotnik's recruiting organics to work in a mine, when he has plenty of robots at his disposals, seems like an odd story. Yet it provides an interesting set-up, of a young Sonic and Mighty having bad ass adventures before either became associated with their teams. Sadly, the story rushes through all these points, draining them of their emotions. Flesh-and-blood Fiona and Nic continue to be thinly sketched characters. Nic is mostly defined by her greed and Fiona is mostly defined by her anger. At the very least, the artwork is better then the cover story. Manny Galan draws the flashback sequences while Andrew Pepoy draws the present day scenes. Galan’s artwork is typically solid. Pepoy’s work is a bit too angular but he gets the job done.

The back-up story is fairly weak. Even the cover story has some serious problems. Still, I continue to like the emotional, comedic, and laid-back stakes of “The First Date” story arc. Let’s hope Ken doesn’t fuck it up in the third act. [7/10]

Knuckles the Echidna: Issue 26

Knuckles the Echidna: Issue 26
Publication Date: May 1999

As a kid, I was unusually invested in Knuckles and Julie-Su’s relationship. Which is weird since, as I’ve previously pointed out, I barely read “Knuckles” solo comic at the time. Even from the few issues I had read, I became unusually attached to Julie-Su. I guess a tough, pink, cyborg echidna chick was a character I had been looking for. Or maybe I deeply desired Knuckles to have a love interest equal to what Sonic and Sally had. Either way, when I saw that issue 26 of “Knuckles” would revolve around his relationship with Julie-Su, I had to pick it up.

Following their reconciliation last issue, Knuckles and Locke are spending some father/son time together. Despite reconnecting with his long, lost dad, Knuckles’ mind is on another subject: Julie-Su. Locke explains the Soultouch to Knuckles, the bullshit psychic connection thing that draws echidnas to their mates. Meanwhile, Julie-Su is also wondering about her feelings with Knuckles. Even further meanwhile, Vector and the other Chaotix shoot the shit in a mall.

My biggest complaint about the “Knuckles” series is Ken’s self-involved, ridiculous, obnoxious mythology rail-roading any honest character interaction or development. “The First Date” story arc was a refreshing change of pace. There was no arch villains, convoluted plots, or stupid mythology to explain. It was just a story about Knuckles and Julie-Su coming to a decision about their feelings for each other, a way overdue development.

Okay, there’s no stupid myth-building… Except for one thing. For a while now, Ken has been hinting that Knuckles and Julie-Su’s connection isn’t so simple. Apparently, having them both be young, hot, tough, and relating over shitty parents wasn’t enough. Instead, Julie-Su has been compelled to pursue Knuckles for some reason. Now, we know that reason: The Soultouch. Yeah, there’s some stupid, psychic juju that goes on when echidnas give each other boners. It’s dumb. Why did you have to be so dumb, Ken?

Knuckles and Julie-Su wondering out loud about their feelings for each other is way more compelling. The two teens handle their emotions in very different ways. Used to having old people explain shit to him, Knuckles asks his dad. Per the average, Locke explains some vague spiritual nonsense and then disappears. Julie-Su, meanwhile, shoots a picture of Knuckles with a motherfucking gun. That seems pretty reasonable, considering Knuckles abandoned her in the middle of the city last time. After that, Julie-Su goes shopping. If this was Tumblr, I would accuse Penders of being sexist, by assuming all women love shopping or something. Instead, I’ll point out that retail therapy works for any gender. Moreover, both teens are kind of confused about their feelings. Which is accurate. Love does that to you.

Of course, there’s got to be a sting in the scorpion's tail. After his dad fucks off, Knuckles is left to brood in some Haven waiting room. Archimedes appears and teleports Knuckles to wherever Julie-Su is. The problem is Julie-Su decided to get coffee with some rando. Some fucking echidna in a Chewbacca bandolier who bought her a hat. It’s not smooth writing but Knuckles popping in on Julie-Su making goo-goo eyes with some dipshit makes for a hell of a cliffhanger.

Oh yeah, there’s more. The Chaotix are dealing with Charmy leaving the group. While hanging out at the mall, Espio reveals that he knows more about Charmy then the others. Somehow, this segues into a conversation about Vector’s ability to attract females. I don’t think Ken wrote it this way on purpose, but this is how it plays out: Vector is gay. That would explain why he hates Julie-Su so much. That would explain why he’s so terrified when he hears that Charmy is engaged. That would explain why his attempts to seduce women are so facile and shallow. Vector the Crocodile is deeply closeted, his internalized homosexuality manifesting as misogyny. At least, that’s what I’m telling myself, since it makes this stupid subplot more compelling.

Someone named Chris Allan provides the pencils for the cover story. The artwork is pretty off. Luckily, Manny Galan returns for the back-up story. Mighty the Armadillo teams up with Nic the Weasel, Nack’s previously unmentioned female sister. The weasel promises that she’s gotten a lead on Ray the Squirrel, Mighty’s long lost childhood best friend. On the way to their destination, Mighty flashbacks to his childhood adventure with Ray and Sonic... Before the last panel reveals the return of Fiona the Fox. But not the one you think it is.

Considering the Chaotix are kind of important characters, it’s good that Ken is finally filling their back stories in a bit. In “Friend in Need,” he even does a sort of clever thing. The obscure SegaSonic arcade game was the first appearance of Mighty the Armadillo, where he co-stared along side Sonic and Ray. So integrating both of these characters into Mighty’s origin is a neat idea. Ray’s stutter marks him as a different character, even if we get no other development on him. Showing that he let a friend down at some point explains Mighty’s deeper attributes. As for Nic the Weasal and not-robot Fiona, neither have proven compelling just yet. Maybe that’ll get better maybe.

I’ve given issue 26 a lot of shit but it’s not a bad issue. It might honestly be one of the better issues, considering Ken puts a leash on one or two of his ten thousand annoying quirks. The story has some emotional heft to it which counts for something. The backstory is short but not terrible. That pays off to a [7/10,] I guess.

Knuckles the Echidna: Issue 25

Knuckles the Echidna: Issue 25
Publication Date: April 1999

Man, I missed Manny Galan. That’s the first thing I noticed about issue 25 of “Knuckles the Echidna,” the book’s first and only anniversary issue. After three issues of Jim Valentino stumbling his way through Penders’ garden of Guardians, the book’s regular artist is back on duty. Even after the three month break, it’s obvious Galan has slipped a little. Issue 25 features some looser expression and some shaky action. It’s clear that Galan does his best work when he’s regularly honing his craft.

Anyway, the plot. While Knuckles and Julie-Su are out, cleaning up the mess the Dark Legion left last time, Knux spots his dad. He immediately runs and catches up with his pop. Instead of fleeing like a pussy, Locke actually acts like a grown-up and faces his own son. Leaving Julie-Su in the middle of the city, they fly off to Haven together. Knuckles asks his dad why he abandoned him as a child. Instead of giving him a proper answer, Locke delivers a history lesson, circles around to Knuckles’ grand and secret destiny, and the book acts like that makes up for everything.

The issues I have with Locke and the Brotherhood of Guardians is well established by this point. While I don’t hate Ken Penders nearly as much as the rest of the internet, these guys play into his worst tendencies as a writer. That is, his reliance on vague, poorly explained mythology and his inclination towards cheap and nonsensical conclusions. However, “Childhood’s End’ had potential. After bumping into him a few times recently, Knuckles and his dad finally have the chance for a heart-to-heart. Maybe Locke could explain to Knuckles why he abandoned him for years on end. Why he’s been neglecting his duties as a father. Of course, that would require a writer who could actually acknowledge that Locke and the Brotherhood have ever been wrong about anything.

Oh, Locke explains some stuff to Knuckles. We find out why the Brotherhood has a history of abandoning their boys. Apparently, centuries ago, a young Guardian got himself killed while rumbling with some Overlanders and the Dark Legion. His dad, who was hiding out in Haven instead of helping, felt guilty about this. So the Brotherhood’s solution… Was to leave their sons unintended on the island, spying on them from a distance? That’s supposed to stop something like this from happening again? Nope. There’s no emotion or resolution here. Just bold-face exposition.

The most bold-faced of that exposition concerns maybe this comic’s most annoying element: Knuckles’ grand and grim destiny as the Greatest Guardian of All. We discover that Locke was plagued by nightmares during Lara-Le’s pregnancy. Consulting Athair, he learned that these were visions from the Ancient Walkers of a great battle Locke’s son would face. Determined not to fuck this up, Locke bathed Knuckles’ egg in Chaos radiation. This is why Knuckles has spikes on his hands. This is why he has a boatload of special powers which allow Penders to write himself out of corners. Who gives a shit. The most interesting thing about this revelation is that Locke essentially named his son after his birth defect. That would be like if Bree Walker’s parents named her “Pinchers.” 

So what are Locke’s crimes totaling to now? He abandoned his son as a child, was emotionally cold to his wife, and performed unethical medical experiments on his offspring while he was still a fetus. Despite all of this, the author continues to insist that Locke can’t do anything wrong.

Moreover, the Brotherhood in general can't do anything wrong. While Stepphenwolf was guarding the island, a crew of Overlanders showed up to attempt a raid. (Among them was one of Robotnik’s ancestors.) Using his bad ass magical powers, Steppenwolf immediately scared them off. Meanwhile, Locke’s prophetic dreams points towards Knuckles battling Robotnik in the far future. As in, Sonic’s archenemy. If it wasn’t apparent already, we now know who Ken Penders’ Gary Stu self-insert is. It’s not Knuckles. It’s not even Locke. It’s the entire concept of the Brotherhood of Guardians.

So what do I like about “Childhood’s End?” Like I said, Manny Galan’s artwork is solid, if not up to snuff with his usual work. Rembrandt’s reaction to his son’s death is the sole moment of genuine pathos in the book. That’s because it’s the only time any of the Guardian’s actually take responsibility for their actions. Locke and Knuckles abandoning Julie-Su in the middle of the city is total bullshit. Having said that, her reaction – where she calls Knuckles a jerk and then denies having feelings for him, like the tsundere she is – is amusing.

“Childhood’s End” concludes with Knuckles and Locke saying they love each other and walking off, arms wrapped around their shoulders. Issue 25 in no way earns this because Locke hasn’t really admitted he’s done something wrong. Clearly, Ken doesn’t believe he did. Instead of being a touching and cathartic meeting between father and son, “Knuckles’” anniversary issue is another heaping load of exposition and another excuse for Ken to masturbate his ego. [4/10]

Knuckles the Echidna: Issue 24

Knuckles the Echidna: Issue 24
Publication Date: March 1999

Critics of Ken Penders like to say he had no interest in Sonic, Knuckles, or any of the SEGA-originated characters. That the writer was more interested in his own ideas and simply used the “Sonic” cast as a way to tell those stories. I give Penders a lot more credit than most anyone else but even I agree with this assessment. Look no further than issue 24 of “Knuckles the Echidna,” in which the title character spends nearly the entire book unconscious and is rescued by other characters.

Knuckles, Julie-Su, and General von Stryker remained captured within Haven, still controlled by the Dark Legion. Instead of murdering his enemies right then and there, Dimitri decides to perform surgery on Knuckles, to determine the source of his power. Luckily, Locke and Spectre sneak into Haven and proceed to fuck up the bad guy’s plans. Meanwhile, Constable Remington realizes something is obviously wrong with Benedict the head councillor, getting to the bottom of these shenanigans.

For me, one of the most frustrating things about Ken Penders is how he introduces characters with potential and then does so little with them. Julie-Su is awesome – I’d be willing to call her mai waifu, even – and what has she done recently? Lay unconscious in Locke’s ship? Spend two issues dangling upside down in Haven? Why do you introduce a bad ass echidna babe and not do anything with her? Literally the same thing could be said about Lien-Da. Since the Kommisar’s introduction two issues ago, she’s done nothing but sit around. Meanwhile, Ken’s self-insert Locke and Constable Blandington actually motivate the plot.

And what about Knuckles? As I said, he spends all of issue 24 incapacitated in some way. At first, he’s captured. While Dimitri monologues, Knuckles fires back with some quibs. Afterwards, he’s knocked unconscious and put on an operating table. It’s at this point that the book finally hints at an origin for the superpowers Knux has displayed recently. Apparently, Knuckles has undergone some sort of genetic energy, transforming him into a living Chaos Emerald. Okay, sure, whatever. Why is the titular hero so inactive in this plot? That violates the basic rule of writing. The protagonist is supposed to be proactive, not unconscious.

Locke and Spectre get most of the action. Having escaped the Legion’s take over, they teleport back into Haven. Sabotaging the base’s controls, they pump a gas through the ventilation system. This gas, somehow, disrupts the Legionnaire's robotic upgrades. I’m, uh, pretty sure gases don’t work that way. Meanwhile, Locke karate kicks a guy, Spectre blasts laser beam from his werewolf hand, and they both save the day. Spectre continues to be the most likable of the Brotherhood but Locke suddenly kung-fu fighting… Well, it’s certainly a thing that happened.

Benedict replacing the President of Echidnaopolis has definitely been one of the comic’s dumber plots recently. I mean, the guy is obviously evil and so clearly a puppet for the Dark Legion. Remington finally acts on his suspicious, throttling the guy inside his office. A chase ensues, which leads Remington and Harry – remember Harry? – to Haven. Essentially, the cop and the cab driver exist in this story to escort Julie-Su and Knuckles out of Haven. The only reason Locke and Spectre don’t do this is so their mysteriousness can be preserved. Boooo. Most ridiculously, Benedict isn’t merely a stooge for the Dark Legion. He’s a goddamn robot, which is revealed in a hysterical series of panels.

About the only compelling aspect of this issue is Dimitri, who rather convincingly explains his side to Knuckles. The Guardian is having nothing of it though, which is another example of Ken making his heroes look like pricks and his villains look reasonable. There’s also a funny panel where some Legionnaires comment on Haven obviously being technologically advanced. So why are these two factions fighting then? I can’t tell if Ken is aware of his own plot holes or if this is his idea of wacky banter.

Also, von Stryker is in this story for no reason, the Moritori Rex subplot remains unresolved, Dimitri somehow escapes, and Jim Valentino’s artwork remains hideous. The “Dark Alliance” story arc has been the weakest to appear in “Knuckles” for quite some time, starting decently, fumbling in the middle, and totally collapsing at the end.  [4/10]