Mega Man: Issue 52

Mega Man: Issue 52
Publication Date: August 2015

Here we are, at the final chapter of “Worlds Unite.” I know it only took me five weeks to get all these reviews out – less time than the four month period the story arc was originally published over – but it sure feels like we’ve been talking about this thing for a long time. I guess, compared to the Shattered World Crisis going on for about three years, or the decade it took to resolve the “Tails is the Chosen One” idea, twelve issues (plus two tie-ins) isn’t that much. Still, I’m ready to put the final crossover of the Archie era behind me for good.

By the way, did you notice that Flynn’s titles for this all sort together in alphabetical order? “Last Rights” picks up with Super Sonic and Super Mega Man facing off against Sigma’s most powerful form. The god-like heroes beat the megalomaniac reploid into submission quickly, before fucking killing him. The danger isn’t over yet though. The Unified World is deeply unstable, Sigma’s experiments pushing all the dimensions to their breaking points. While the heroes panic, Eggman and Dr. Wily are deep within Lost Hex. They are going to use the Master Engine to rewrite all of reality, to suit their needs. That’s when Xander Payne, who has lurked in the background for most of this thing, finally makes himself useful.

The final fight with Sigma is definitely anti-climatic. After eleven issues of Sigma boasting about what a bad-ass he is, we finally had a chance to see him in action. Yet watching him beat everyone up for a few pages last time, just for Sonic and Mega Man to defeat him in as many pages, is disappointing. Doesn’t Flynn know that these anime final boss battles are suppose to stretch on forever? I guess Super Sonic and Super Mega Man really are so OP, that they can dismantle a physical god within a few minutes. Granted, the way Sonic and Mega Man brutally execute Sigma –  blasting him from the front and back simultaneously –  is hilariously unexpected. (And deeply out-of-character but I guess desperate times call for desperate measures.) Still, I wish Flynn had organize things a little better, or gotten another issue for this plot, to allow the last battle between the heroes and the ultimate villain a little more breathing room.

There’s a reason Sonic and Rock roll over Sigma so quickly. This last issue isn’t really about the fight against Sigma. It’s actually about bringing “Worlds Unite” to a close. The climax of the story concerns the shared reality coming close to collapsing, presumably destroying all of existence when it does. This does lead to some effectively dour moments, when the guest characters realize none of their last ditch efforts will actually work. Billy Hatcher and his friends praying to their weird chicken god, who can not hear them, is probably the best example of that. I also like Vyse and Sir Arthur insisting on helping Sally and the Unified Army up until the end. Half of the script is devoted to the resolution, to getting everybody back home safe and sound.

During the last crossover, Flynn had Sonic and Mega Man Chaos Control everything back to normal. That doesn’t work this time, forcing another even crazier solution to things. Xander Payne has been following the whims of his visions, helping Eggman and Wiky escape and bringing them to the Master Engine. This would seem to contradict his anti-technology philosophy but it turns out destiny brought him here for a reason. Yes, the rambling zealot was right. He opens a portal through time with his magic eyeball, to right before Sigma transported himself to Sonic’s world. He then fires a gun into the space-time rift, eliminating Sigma, and ending “Worlds Unite” before it even began.

I have a lot of mixed feelings about this. Story lines that end by wiping themselves from continuity are usually reserved for plots so awful, even the writers realize they need to be tossed in the trash. (Such as “Sonic ‘06.”) “Worlds Unite” was actually pretty good. Considering the precarious nature of mass crossovers like this, I guess it’s best from a legal perspective if the “Sonic” and “Mega Man” comics can never speak of this again. But it’s too easy, too clean. One simple act ends up resolving everything, the heroes having nothing to do with it. What was stopping Payne from doing that sooner, other than his own inability to put the pieces together before now? And wouldn’t it have been more satisfying if the good guys found some way to solve things on their own?

It feels like Flynn painted himself into a corner and Payne un-fucking shit through time travel shenanigans was the only thing he could think of that would fix everything. But it doesn’t fix everything, does it? There’s at least one plot thread left dangling at the end of “Worlds Unite.” The Zetis sure haven’t been mentioned in a while, have they? Despite playing such a prominent role in the story’s beginning, they totally vanished after the fight aboard the Sky Patrol. After Payne paradoxes everything back to normal, Eggman is taken back to the point right before he conquered Lost Hex. He calls off the whole thing, assuming correctly that his latest plot with Wily must’ve failed. So the Deadly Six was still out there, waiting for the comic to find a use for them.

And let’s do some fan-wanking here. What if Sonic and Mega Man’s Chaos Control had worked? This would’ve been a good way to bring back the original continuity, if Archie had written up the correct contracts or Ken Penders had fallen into a hole. Maybe the original universe hadn’t been lost. Maybe it was merely shoved into a pocket dimension or something. The main “Sonic” book could’ve been devoted to the original continuity and “Sonic Universe” could have continued the rebooted worlds. Of course, this never could’ve happened for many reasons. But a nerd can dream.

Other than being kind of lazy, the ending to “Worlds Unite” does feel good. The “Sonic” and “Mega Man” cast are returned to their respective homes, with only the vague recollection of something unusual happening. The first thing Sonic does is call up Shadow, making sure he’s still alive. To be honest, I had totally forgotten that the so-called Ultimate Lifeform was seemingly killed when the worlds merged. If that was suppose to be a big emotional event, Flynn should have focused on it way more. Still, that scene –  along with its Mega Man equivalent, where Roll welcomes Rock back home – does add a little emotion to the ending.  (Though more scenes showing the other characters making their way home would’ve been nice.)

On the very last page, Sticks suggests there will be lingering aftereffects from this crossover. That Genesis Portals are probably still floating around out there. This scene is obviously meant to set-up potential future crossovers. Sadly, this sequel hook would hang forever, due to Sega and Archie ending their partnership for still unexplained reasons that are probably Archie’s fault. And how would Flynn have topped this anyway, a story with almost a hundred principal characters?

Maybe I’m just happy this crossover, as enjoyable as it was, is finally over. Tyson Hesse’s artwork is very strong here, by the way. Honestly, it’s impressive that Flynn juggled this insanely ambitious story as well as he did. He mashed together sixteen different worlds and, all things considered, the result was relatively coherent and mostly fun to read. There are many things I would have done differently, especially concerning the ending, the progress of the story, and the chosen guest characters. But, hey, it was certainly way better than “Worlds Collide” was. [7/10]

Sonic the Hedgehog: Issue 275

Sonic the Hedgehog: Issue 275
Publication Date: August 2015

With the penultimate installment of “Worlds Unite,” the main Archie “Sonic” book has reached a surprising milestone. This is the comic’s 275th issue, its eleventh milestone issue. That’s an amazing run for any comic series and certainly unprecedented for a silly licensed book like this. However, this would also be the last milestone issue of the original “Sonic” comic, making this a bittersweet victory at best.

But there’s no time to talk about that, we are knee deep in a crazy crossover! A bunch of heroes from all over the multiverse are assembled and collected onto the floating “Skies of Arcadia” boat. The 76 member army faces off against Sigma, in his massive planetoid form. He produces an endless stream of minions but the heroes eventually conquer them, Sigma’s body falling to pieces. He’s not dead though, merely changed into an even more powerful form. The good guys have to deploy their final measures...

“Killing the Giant,” that’s the pithy subtitle Flynn cooked up for this one, is devoted almost entirely to action. This issue is the equivalent of the last act in a superhero movie, those climatic half-hour smorgasbords of CGI destruction. There’s actually very little dialogue, most of the pages focusing on our huge cast of good guys smashing the bad guys. (That makes this issue a quick read too.) I don’t hate it. Massive action scenes have their place, in comic books and comic-book-based movies. There’s nothing in the way of emotional pathos. There’s not much else to it besides the satisfaction of watching the heroes tear through an army of robots. But, hey, that is satisfying.

Since nearly the entire issue is focused on action, this becomes more of a showcase for the artist than the writer. Last time, I noted that Tyson Heese’s abilities were slipping a little, under the pressure of adapting to so many different styles. Well, either Ritz was aware of this or he was merely resting his drawing hand to prepare for the big finale. “Killing the Giant” looks pretty fucking amazing. Everyone looks just the way they are supposed to, first off. Secondly, Hesse brings an incredible sense of movement and speed to his action. The over six-dozen characters swing, punch, slice, jump, shoot, grit their teeth and Hadouken in a way that is fun and exciting to look at. This issue's success largely belongs to Hesse.

Flynn and Hesse do make a few moments stand out among the chaotic combat. Amaterasu’s bizarre celestial brush powers come in handle, drawing a shield when the “Billy Hatcher” gang needs it. Nights seems completely delighted by this battle, smiling the entire time. (Much to Reala’s chagrin.) Sally and the Freedom Fighters aren’t even left out. She’s seen slicing bots up alongside Protoman. Rotor is shown lifting up huge part of Sigma’s armor. There’s even some final bits, like Sticks randomly running off with Sir Arthur’s helmet and lance. Or Fastidious Beaver writing up his will as things become more grim,

Through it all, the theme of unity continues to emerge. The heroic Street Fighters and Shadaloo members put aside their differences, allowing Flynn to sneak two more characters – Balrog and Vega – into this. Mostly, the book delights in pointing out similarities among the crossover cast. Knuckles and Ken Shouryoken together. Sticks and Aika throw boomerangs. Bunnie and Protoman shoot energy blasts from their hands. Metal Sonic and Reala swoop through the air. Gillis Thunderhead and Spark Man both shoot lightning bolts. Axel makes bedroom eyes at the foppish shooter from “Skies from Arcadia” while Quake Woman drills a robot alongside another one of the pirates from the same game. My favorite panel has all the swordsman – Antoine, Zero, Ax Battler, the tiger dude from “Breath of Fire,” and that pirate guy – teaming up to slice some baddies. Flynn was clearly having fun with this.

Of course, it all leads up to Sigma pulling a Frieza, revealing a new form that’s smaller but more physically powerful than any of his previous ones. This plot turn feels rather tedious. The villain sweeps through the battlefield, disabling every hero he sees. Sigma can now even do seemingly impossible task, like blocking Amaterasu’s celestial brush. I know stories like this function by constantly upping the threat level but the main baddie just generating himself a Superman-level form doesn’t feel very inspired or interesting. Especially since we immediately figure out that this was done strictly to set up a showdown with Sonic and Mega Man’s Super forms. I guess there’s a rule somewhere that every major Archie “Sonic” event has to end with Super Sonic appearing to fight the final boss.

Because this is a milestone issue, Archie decided 275 had to have an extra long page count.  But they didn’t want to pay anyone to write and draw an actual story, possibly showing what some of the ancillary cast members got up to in all of this. So they just shove a reprint in there. They chose that totally bogus “Sonic Comics Origin” from 2015’s FCBD issue. It seems odd to include what amounts to a prologue to the story arc your reading into its next-to-last part. But I guess the idea was to give readers who don’t visit comic shops a chance to read a thoroughly mediocre story.

It’s not high art or anything. This book didn’t especially make me feel anything deep. It did make me feel a tiny little rush of fanboy excitement, seeing all these heroes together and kicking ass. And I’m old, so that definitely counts for something. “Worlds Unite” continues to roll along, as a big event that is inevitably reaching its even more action-packed finale. I guess I’m still pretty into it. [7/10]

Sonic Boom: Issue 10

Sonic Boom: Issue 10
Publication Date: July 2015

As “Worlds Unite” rolls into its tenth part, “Sonic Boom” reaches its penultimate issue. I’ve bemoaned before how disappointing it was that the generally delightful “Sonic Boom” book spent a third of its abbreviated run on a silly crossover. By this point, Archie was definitely aware of the series’ impending cancellation. The preview for number 11 at the end of this book refers to it as the final issue. I feel like we were cheated out of three proper issues of this highly irreverent and very entertaining series.

(The TV show would be screwed too. Its time slot changed several times before Cartoon Network dumped it on their sibling network, presumably in favor of showing “Teen Titans Go!” fifty more times a day. After season two ended, there was no official announcement concerning whether “Sonic Boom” would continue or not. Eventually, the cast, crew, and fans just shrugged their shoulders and assumed it must’ve been canceled. But I’m getting ahead of myself again.)

While the last few issues of “Sonic Boom” wrapped up in this crossover made some attempt to maintain the series’ sense of humor, that’s not so much the case in issue 11. Sticks is still sort of the star, appearing more often than any other character here. There’s some self-referential humor, such as when Sticks talks about falling through a plot hole. The similarly meta “Viewtiful Joe” world is visited near the end, leading to some more fourth wall breaking. Some references are even dropped over the story’s serious parts. The Sky Patrol’s escape pod is revealed to be the spitting image of the ship from Sega’s “Fantasy Zone” series. Other than that, and what appears to be some diaper fetish artwork published in the fan art section, this story could’ve been published in any of the “Worlds Unite” titles.

Plot wise, “Justice Across Worlds” is another issue devoted primarily to gathering more characters for this crossover. The same formula is maintained: Our established cast reach a new world, witness the local hero smash some robots, and ask them to tag along. Sticks and X travel to the world of “Monster Hunter 4” and recruit a giant fucking dragon, as well as some house cats cosplaying as Sonic and Mega Man. Amy Rose and Mega Man pick up Billy Hatcher and his friends. Rotor and Bubble Man grab the flying hero and his dragon steed from “Panzer Dragoon.” Big and Hard Man journey to “Breath of Fire 3’s” world and come back with some people. Shadow Man and Antoine meet the cast of “Golden Axe” and encouraged them to join the team. Lastly, Axl and Sticks run into Viewtiful Joe and his girlfriend.

Have you got all of that? Because there’s actually more. On the Unified World, Sigma grabs the Sky Patrol and starts to break it in half. The few heroes left aboard - Cream, Cheese, Crash Man, Comedy Chimp and Fastidious Beaver - move it to the escape pod. Metal Sonic helps them escape. After that, the issue, having completed the allotted number of pages, ends. Once again, Flynn was so busy introducing more of the massive cast, that he forgot to write a proper ending to this issue. It just stops.

Another thing about this issue is that it allows Ian Flynn to indulge his previously unknown dragon fetish. Of the six worlds visited here, three of them feature dragons. The guy from “Panzer Dragoon” rides a dragon. The main dude from “Breath of Fire 3” turns into a dragon. The recruited hero from “Monster Hunter 4” is a big ass dragon. (Though he looks just as much like something Gamera would fight.) The world of “Golden Axe” definitely has dragons in it too, though the “Sonic/Mega Man” crew doesn’t run into any of them. All the while, we just assumed Ian Flynn was a furry when he’s actually been a scalie the whole time. Considering his obvious love of this shit, I’m shocked he never incorporated more fantasy tropes into “Sonic.”

In all seriousness, I’m not that familiar with most of the crossover characters introduced this time. I played the shit out of the original “Golden Axe,” as well as the third arcade exclusive game. I have a little experience with “Viewtiful Joe,” having played the first one a bit at a friend’s house. Other than that, I’m not too well read on the rest of these. I know Sonic Team also worked on “Billy Hatcher” and that’s about it. Honestly, when “Panzer Dragoon Orta” came out in 2002, I didn’t even know it was a sequel. If it’s not apparent already, the “Breath of Fire” and “Monster Hunter” series really aren’t my thing.

My lack of familiarity with these titles may contribute to part ten of “ Worlds Unite” being a little harder to follow. With most of these crossovers, we are dropped right into some deep nerd shit with little explanation. Why are there two house cats dressed as Sonic and Mega Man? The odd magic of “Billy Hatcher” is dumped on us with no explanation. It gets worst once we reach the “Breath of Fire 3” world. Suddenly, there’s all these creatures running around, shooting magic spells and performing special attacks. Then a giant, mutant onion shows up. I don’t know if you guys can keep up with this shit but it made my head spin.

I’m sad to say, the artwork takes some blame for the book’s general incoherence. Tyson Heese, though very talented, seems to loose his way after zipping between so many different styles. His character work is generally fine, especially the “Golden Axe” cast, but the “Viewtiful Joe” crew, with their bizarre proportions, look a little weird. It’s the action scenes that are hard to follow.

There doesn't seem to be any natural flow to what the “Billy Hatcher” cast does, which amounts to making hand gestures at people until they turn into eggs. The “Panzer Dragoon” scene is a little scattered and seems to be missing a key explosions, when the Unity Engine is just merrily blasted. By the time we get to the “Breath of Fire III” setting, things descend into a largely incoherent swirl of bright colors and weird faces. I can’t really blame Hesse for this, as we know the miserable bastard is talented. A hugely ambitious project like this would cause any enormously talented artist to loose their grip some.

Having said all that, there are a couple of scenes here I do like. On the first page, Sticks tells X he should try wearing a scarf. This is apparently a reference to some “Mega Man X” shit but reads like an amusing non-sequitur. My favorite scene occurs while Mega Man and Amy are hanging out in the “Billy Hatcher” world, when the native chicken god announces from the heavens, in a booming voice, that the local heroes should join this quest. The baffled reaction Mega Man has to this made me laugh. I also like some of the action scenes Rotor has, leaping around in the water.

Flynn pulled more or less the same plot on us last time and it worked pretty well. I guess lightning can’t strike twice. This is a pretty tricky issue to read. I guess "Worlds Unite," somewhat inevitably, has collapsed a little under the strain of being a massive crossover. But it’s still not that bad, as there are some entertaining moments here or there. Hopefully, things will even out some more next time. [5/10]

Sonic Universe: Issue 78

Sonic Universe: Issue 78
Publication Date: July 2015

Obviously, a big part of “Worlds Collide’s” appeal was seeing Sonic and Mega Man interact with characters they otherwise would never meet. As the full cast was revealed, there were some pleasant surprises. “Street Fighter” was a phenomenal catch, as I never would’ve dreamed that Sonic and Chun-Li would share space together in any thing but my wildest/kinkiest daydreams. (These franchises have since overlapped two more times.) “Golden Axe” was a wonderful inclusion, being another classic Genesis series and, by far, Sega’s most metal franchise. “Billy Hatcher” and “Viewtiful Joe” were all natural choices, as their aesthetics blend well with “Sonic.” So were “Alex Kidd” and “Nights Into Dreams,” as seeing the blue hedgehog interact with Sega’s other mascot characters was a simply irresistible proposition.

But there were some disappointments, mainly because my fanboy imagination got away from me. I’m sure Ian Flynn’s corporate overlords had some say in what series he could draw from but it seems his taste largely dictated what video games were rolled into this plot. Flynn’s love of weeby RPGs meant boring bullshit I couldn’t care less about, primarily “Breath of Fire 3” and “Skies of Arcadia,” got included. (“Monster Hunter 4” was apparently inserted at Capcom’s insistence, so we can’t blame Flynn for that one.) Considering he was referenced in the last crossover, I was really hoping Sega would dig into the archives and include “Vectorman.” Or other Genesis weirdos, like “Comix Zone” or “Ecco the Dolphin.” The likes of “Okami” and the original “Panzer Dragoon” definitely strike me as second choices.

Naturally, I would’ve done it differently. I would’ve gone after Dreamcast-era oddities like “Jet Set Radio,” “Space Channel 5,” and “Power Stone.” Secondly, I would have insisted that my second all-time favorite video game franchise, Capcom’s “Darkstalkers,” been included. Yeah, the sexy and macabre character designs probably aren’t a great fit for “Sonic” and “Mega Man’s” E-rated audiences.

But once I started thinking about this, I couldn’t stop. My mind immediately imagined scenarios like Sonic and Felicia spin-dashing together. Or Rouge and Morrigan comparing wings and outfits. That “Darkstalkers” had already appeared in comic books (pretty good ones too) might’ve given me more false hope this could’ve actually happened. Alas, my fan fiction-like fever dreams never became reality. At least the “Ghost ‘n’ Goblins” characters appeared, insuring the spookier side of Capcom and Sega’s respective menageries weren’t totally ignored. I guess “Resident Evil” and “House of the Dead” were totally out of the question, weren’t they?

Anyway, what was I talking about? Oh, yeah, this comic book. Part nine of “Worlds Unite,” “Infinite Realities,” shows the United Army traveling to other worlds and gathering more heroes for the cause. Sonic and Break Man gather Alex Kidd and Stella. Knuckles and Quake Woman recruit those “Skies of Arcadia” pirates. Tails and Air Man team up with Nights and Reala. Bunnie and Zero tag in Sir Arthur and Firebrand, from “Ghost ‘n’ Goblins.” Sally and Wood Man visit the world of “Okami” and meet up with Amaterasu and her handler. Even more “Street Fighters” join the fray, as M. Bison decides no one is going to conquer his world but him. All this dimensional hopping leaves the Sky Patrol vulnerable to Sigma though.

As the above plot synopsis probably made clear, “Infinite Realities” is not the most narratively complex part of this crossover. Really, the entire comic book is just devoted to our heroes traveling to the next world and grabbing a new set of good guys and bad guys. It does feel like a kid mashing a bunch of his action figures together. There’s a definite formula here. The “Sonic/Mega Man” pairings arrive in the new world, see the heroes and villains take out some of Sigma’s men, and asks them if they want to help out. Naturally, nobody declines this call to arms. This was probably unavoidable, considering the nature of crossovers and how many characters are being added to the cast this time.

Having said that, Flynn at least keeps things speedy. He doesn’t linger in one place for too long, keeping the story moving fast enough that this constant barrage of new introductions doesn’t get too tedious. He even squeezes in something like a theme. In many of the worlds, heroes and villains put aside their differences to help the greater good. Astaroth tells Firebrand to assist Sir Arthur, Wizeman tells Reala to follow Nights. The reasoning is always selfish – of the “how will I conquer the world if this other jerk destroys it?” variety – but it’s a nice idea. And that page devoted to Bison crushing the Maverick’s head is, full stop, pretty badass.

Flynn also does a pretty good job of quickly establishing who everyone is and what they are all about. We see the sheer joy Alex Kidd and his girlfriend get from conquering evil. The contrast between the carefree and playful Nights and the serious, fight-orientated Reala is notable. Amaterasu’s handler awkwardly hits on Sally, which is pretty funny. (Though the surreal rules of that world definitely could’ve been more clearly incorporated with the other, more grounded characters.)

Of course, not all of these stop-offs can be as compelling. Yes, I’m going to bitch about “Skies of Arcadia” some more. This scene drags horribly, as the characters shout magical spells and perform their coordinated attacks. Everyone shouts melodramatic stuff, drawing attention to their own abilities. It comes off as hopelessly artificial. While Alex Kidd or Nights immediately come off as people with personalities, this New Romantics cover band seems utterly lifeless and lame. And while I really love the “Ghosts ‘n’ Goblins” world, it easily comes off as the most cartoonish of the guest stars introduced here.

The cliffhanger also feels a little shoved in. As I said last time, Sigma probably should’ve done something sooner about everyone escaping to the other worlds. Likewise, the skeleton crew on the Sky Patrol makes no attempt to hide themselves from the giant, genocidal android in front of them. So when Sigma grabs the ship and starts to squeeze, it’s really their own fault. The next issue is also going to be another round of introductions, making it seem like Flynn threw in this cliffhanger because the issue was ending, not because the story was at an organic stopping point.

Another factor that keeps this ship sailing smoothly is its humor. The panels devoted to Sticks cheering on a stoic Guile’s shoulders, or Sir Arthur’s increasingly baffled reaction to what’s happening, are amusing. Or the way Ken and Ryu go about destroying the Unity Engine, which is clearly inspired by “Street Fighter II’s” special stages. A lot of the humor comes from Tyson Heese’s excellent artwork, the son of a bitch. It’s clear he really enjoys illustrating the “Nights” and “Street Fighter” sequences. (Though his take on Alex Kidd veers towards the Cal-Arts side of things.)

While the stakes aren’t as high here as they were in some of the earlier issues, “Worlds Unite” is still rolling along at a decent pace, remaining a lot of fun. Would this issue be less entertaining if I didn’t already like a lot of the guest characters? Probably. But, hey man, this is my blog and I’ll do whatever I want.  [7/10]

Mega Man: Issue 51

Mega Man: Issue 51
Publication Date: July 2015

“Worlds Collide” has been a fairly solid crossover up to this point and certainly an improvement over its predecessor. However, part eight is when the fun really starts. Archie, Sega, and Capcom perhaps realized that getting Sonic and Mega Man back together would not generate sufficient hype. Not even throwing in Mega Man X would do that. They had to go bigger. The crossover would delve into other Sega and Capcom properties, creating a truly wild collection of characters and worlds. Archie further generated fan buzz by slowly revealing what other franchises would be involved, a classic tactic to ramp up excitement. With part eight, we reach the point in the story where those outside franchises begin to appear. While I had some qualms about this, which I’ll rant about later, needless to say it’s still pretty fucking cool.

Part eight of “Worlds Collide,” “Holes in Reality,” begins with our heroes in a pretty low place. Exhausted after fighting off their mind-controlled friends and the Deadly Six, they are totally unprepared to handle Sigma's army of Mavericks. The villain's plans continue to progress, as he opens Genesis Portals to countless worlds, sending many of his henchmen after them. Just as things look at their grimmest, help arrives. Sticks returns with Chun-Li, Ryu, Ken, and Guile by her side. The Street Fighters quickly turn the tide of the battle. The United Army realize journeying to other worlds and recruiting more heroes might be what they need to do to save all the worlds.

Seeing our heroes pushed to their breaking point does lead to some compelling moments. Axel and Zero are somewhat shaken, seeing some familiar faces in the army of time displaced Mavericks. Sonic and Mega Man are forced to save Eggman and Wily, as the Mavericks close in. Wily is surprised that his greatest enemy would choose to save him but Rock insists that he doesn't want to see anyone die. Awww, what a nice guy. Seeing the good guys continue to fight even though they are exhausted and beaten is just good comic book writing. These guys never give up, even in the face of insurmountable odds.

The United Army being pushed to the edge of destruction makes their eventual come back even more triumphant. The two page rush depicting the Street Fighters decimating the remaining Mavericks is such a satisfying sight. Watching Sally go back into tactician mode, barking orders and formulating a plan, is also awfully nice to see. This kind of push and pull – between crushing defeat and earned victory – is the way to keep these fight-fests stories balanced and entertaining. There's even a kernel of emotion here, when Sally gives Sticks a big hug upon the badger's victorious return.

As well paced as this particular issue is, it's really devoted to one thing. Holy shit, the “Street Fighter” cast is fighting alongside Sonic. Yes, once the fighters appear on the page, the comic devotes several pages to the established heroes standing back, oooh-ing and awww-ing over the new guys' amazing abilities. Whether or not Chun-Li and her friends could tear through a collection of killer robots within several minutes is a question I'll leave you nerds to answer. For me, there's a definite rush in just seeing these characters interact. No, we don't get a clear beat on anyone's personality. Ryu and Ken have a short exchange about how weird this is, like they are in a kid's cartoon. I'm not even sure Guile has a single line of dialogue, outside of shouting his attack names. But who cares? Just based on the novelty factor, this sequence gets a pass.

Of course, any long-winded crossover is going to have some shaky plotting moments. There's a little plot hole here that bugs me slightly. Once Sigma opens the other Genesis Portals, he apparently becomes too distracted to pay attention to the heroes. He sends most of his army off, leaving only a few Mavericks behind to crush his enemies. After the Street Fighters appear and save the day, Sigma just allows Sonic and the crew to explore the other Genesis Portals. There's a line from Sally about how “they are beneath Sigma's notice” now or something. Which sounds like a shaky justification to get the good guys out of a bind and set up the next chapter of the crossover. I guess I'll allow it, what with the story being knee-deep in things right now, but there was probably a less sloppy way for Flynn to justify this. Letting the heroes slip away while the bad guy is right there doesn't make Sigma look very creditable.

The artwork has been excellent throughout this crossover. Edwin Huang continues to provide the pencils. Huang's work is still energetic and highly expressive. The fight scenes remain extremely fun to look at, everyone brought to life wonderfully. However, Huang might've been getting a little tired or rushed on this one. There's a few panels that are a little hard to follow, such as Mega Man's interaction with Dr. Wily. Occasionally, Sally and Zero's facial expressions veer towards dull surprise territory. Still, not really complaining. This book looks awesome.

It seems like this crossover continues to follow up slightly weaker issues with somewhat stronger ones. It's not just because the introduction of the “Street Fighter” cast perks things up, though that's a big factor in this issue's success. Seeing the words “Hadouken!” in a “Sonic” comic is fucking amazing. But I actually think Flynn does some decent character work here in-between the hitting and punching. Let's see if he can keep it up, as “Worlds Unite” heads into its last act. [7/10]

Sonic the Hedgehog: Worlds Unite - Battles: Issue 1

Sonic the Hedgehog: Worlds Unite - Battles: Issue 1
Publication Date: July 2015

The second half of the “Worlds Unite: Battles,” ostensibly focused on the “Sonic” part of the cast, was only published a month after the first. Yet, in terms of story within the crossover, it sure seems like we’ve come a long ways since then. Flynn made sure to leave plenty of empty spaces in the narrative to fit in these mindless fight scenes, sometimes egregiously so. Even, having the “Sonic” half of this fight-centric mini-series come out just as the story is reaching its grimmest point, sure feels trivial. The heroes are about to be crushed by Sigma’s forces! Do we have time for this bullshit right now?

The first story chronicles Sonic’s battle with Zavok, Zeena, and Zor – otherwise known as half of the Deadly Six – that occurred at the start of the crossover, which already feels like it was ages ago. Apparently, the fight was a lot more expansive than we first thought. After the three Zetis fall out of the sky and start wailing on Sonic, the trio are tossed through several portals. They end up in Station Square, where the Zetis threaten the human citizens, before being blasted into a random Eggman junk yard. There, Zavok activates a bunch of old Badniks and quickly overwhelm Sonic.

While the “Mega Man: Battles” one-shot felt like a lively and fun extra, the “Sonic” half of the duo starts off feeling utterly mercenary and lifeless. This is a terrible story. Somebody named Joel Enos writes the script. This was his first and last contribution to Archie’s “Sonic” books. It’s easy to see why. Everybody speaks in catch-phrases. Sonic makes repeated references to his homing attack, which feels deeply unnatural. Most of the Zetis’ dialogue references their own special attack. Save for the emo Zor, who wants everyone to know how bored and listless he is. They throw out hoary lines like “Oh, brother!” or “A heap of trouble!” Sonic’s defeat is humiliating, taken down by the reanimated corpses of Badniks he crushed when he was a child. The final insult is that this story doesn’t connect with the first part of “Worlds Unite.” There, Sonic was abducted from the green field. Here, he’s carried off from the scrap heap.

The artwork is similarly uninspired, breaking the trend of excellent art we’ve seen in this crossover thus far. Tracy Yardley contributes some of the worst pencils I’ve ever seen from him. The characters look weirdly blocky and undefined. The Zetis’ facial expressions are utterly lifeless. The action is routine and lacks energy. Maybe Yardley was just having an off day. Maybe he thought a half-assed script deserved half-assed art. Either way, it’s some truly disappointing work.

Luckily, things perk up quite a bit in the second story. It depicts Sticks and Roll’s fight, which we’ve see several references to. Roll is invited to the training simulation room, even though the letter is addressed to “Red.” Turns out Sticks has sprung an ambush on her, attacking with countless robots, traps, and high explosive. The humble housecleaning robot proves surprisingly adapt, surviving the attacks. Once they’re face-to-face, it becomes apparent that Sticks’ target is not Roll. Rather, the badger is convinced the robot’s broom is some sort of spy. Oh, what a hilarious misunderstanding!

Despite veering dangerously close to overbearingly zany, this story is pretty funny. It keeps up the “Sonic Boom” tradition of breaking the fourth wall, as well as adding “ka-“ to all the sound effects. It doubles down on that joke, as Sticks comments on the onomatopoeia getting her species wrong at one point. Sticks interrupts the opening page, which transforms into an overzealous, pro-wrestling style announcement. It might be too wacky but the conclusion is amusing. Sticks explains her reasoning for thinking the broom is malicious – its bolts look a little like angry eyeballs – and Roll’s decision to humor her is cute.

Artist Ryan Jampole both writes and draws this story. It’s a nice surprise that his script is pretty decent. While I’ve found his illustrations underwhelming in the past, he does a lot better here. While a few of his anime-style facial expressions are kind of weird looking, a few – such as Roll’s look of surprise when the door slams behind her – made me laugh. His action scenes are energetic and fun. There’s even a fairly impressive page, a visual montage of a Roll overcoming Sticks’ machinations. It would seem silly stories like this, which allow for looser character work, fit Jampole’s style more than straight-ahead action stories.

The last story is the most recent, chronologically speaking. It’s set during the battle on the Sky Patrol, after the Deadly Six assumed control of Mega Man and his robot pals. Break Man – who is secretly Mega Man’s brother, Blues – is firing on Knuckles, under no will of his own. Blues suggest Knuckles damages his nuclear core, causing an explosion that will wipe out Sigma’s forces. Knux is deeply disturbed by this kamikaze plot. He encourages Blues to fight the psychic manipulation and they eventually work out a plan: Knuckles beating him into unconsciousness.

Ian Flynn sat out this entire issue, handing this last story to Aleah Baker. Emotion driven plots are Baker’s trademark and she even manages to sneak some of that into an extended fight scene like this. When Break Man explains his suicidal plan to Knux, his slow realization – spreading from child-like confusion to fiery rage – is both funny and touching. See, Knuckles doesn’t give up on anyone. He tells Break Man that he barely knows him but understands what he’s going for, that he can’t give up. Break Man responds with knowing silence, signaling that he agrees. Baker manages to take a fairly hollow story and put some heart and soul onto it.

This story is also the best drawn in this book. Diana Skelly contributes some energetic artwork. The humor and pathos of that page, where Knuckles realizes what Break Man is planning, works just as much because of Skelly’s pencils as Baker’s words. She makes Knuckles’ dopey realization adorable and his fiery rage afterwards palpable. That furious energy continues into the fight scene, Skelly making Knuckles’ punches seem especially passionate. The panel of Knuckles ducking under a big energy blast is funny too.

So we have a real mixed bag here. The first story is atrocious, earning a [4/10] for its awful writing and mediocre artwork. The second story is a lot better, funny and zany with matching artwork. I’d give it a satisfying [7/10]. The last story turns nothing into something, Baker’s writing and Skelly’s artwork elevating what should’ve been a totally disposable extra. It gets a [8/10]. “Mega Man: Battles” was a trifle but an entertaining one. “Sonic: Battles” is extremely uneven but ultimately worth for that last story.

Sonic the Hedgehog: Issue 274

Sonic the Hedgehog: Issue 274
Publication Date: July 2015

I guess comic book companies putting out misleading covers is a trend that will never stop. Issue 274 of “Sonic,” part seven of “Worlds Unite,” has a cover that suggest the “Sonic” cast and the “Mega Man” cast will be fighting. This is technically true but it only happens due to the influence of the Deadly Six, the robotic heroes fighting it all the way. In this day and age, covers and solicitations of comics come out several months in advance. So, sure, if you had just read the last part of “Worlds Unite,” you know how misleading this cover is. If you’re looking at it several months before hand, you might really assume Sonic and the Megas will fight it out for any number of reasons. I guess that’s a pretty smart marketing tactic.

So, anyway, “Worlds Unite, Part Seven: Gears and Wills” does begin with the Zetis turning Mega Man, X, and all their buddies against the Freedom Fighters. (Bunnie is disabled as well.) Though the heroic robots do everything they can to fight the psychic influence, they are still trying to kill their allies. Sally is forced to leave the bridge and fight alongside the other Mobians. Ultimately, Eggman and Wily arrive with a big weapon that breaks the spell. However, this still gives Sigma time to evolve into his deadliest, largest form yet.

After the extremely satisfying sixth part, part seven of “Worlds Unite” starts to feel a little sluggish. One comic book devoted to a massive battle was awesome. A second issue at that same break-neck pace, composed of a somewhat contrived conflict between friends, starts to feel exhausting. Seeing so many divergent characters fighting together against a common foe was fun. Seeing them fight among themselves feels more like typical comic book bullshit. I know this was inevitable, what with the Zetis’ superpowers (and the rule that all crossover events most contain fights like this), but I wish Flynn had sneaked this stuff into an earlier part of the narrative.

Now, don’t get me wrong. There’s some bad-ass moments here. Sonic and Sally working together to kick some ass, for the first time in what feels like forever, sure is nice. The scene where she orders a thoroughly drained Zavok to surrender is probably the issue’s best. Knuckles, who hasn’t been given much to do in this crossover, gets to deliver a big upper cut to the mind-controlled Gemerl. Eggman and Wily appearing to save the day is somewhat contrived, as they bust out a huge gun that instantly disables all the robots, but it’s also sort of funny. Even the villains get an impressive moment, when Zeena runs along the exterior of the ship, taking over all the cannons installed there. As it did last time, Edwin Huang’s excellent artwork goes a long way towards selling these moments.

Maybe one reason why part seven feels so much more hollow than part six is the lack of personal moments among all the fighting. The focus is much more on clashing factions, instead of establishing a heart in the heat of battle. Still, Flynn does try. Sally insisting on joining the fray, putting her own life in danger to protect her friends, is the exact reason why so many of us still love this character after so many years. After the battle pauses, there’s an adorable scene where Cream puts a band aid on Sally’s arm. There’s a sort of cute moment, where Rotor is attacked by Snake Man and not convinced he’s doing this totally against his will. I just wish there could’ve been more of this stuff.

These little humanistic moments stand in contrast to the tedious in-fighting that occurs in the last third. After the Zetis are captured, Zero insists they keep on fighting, continue to march on Sigma. Sonic agrees with this. Sally and the Mega Men think they should probably take a breather, which doesn’t seem like an unreasonable request. It all ends up being a moot point, as Sigma soon emerges from Lost Hex in a new kaiju-sized body along with an army of roughly fifty thousand “Mega Man X” bosses. The argument between the heroes feels like Flynn filling page space before he can cram in that cliffhanger.

In the middle of all this, there’s a scene devoted to Sticks. She’s still stuck in the “Street Fighter” world, being interrogated by a still-obscured Chun-Li. This scene is obviously setting up the further cross-overs that will soon occur in this storyline. She begins with a rambling, incoherent story about pasta. After some urging, she then explains the business about Sigma and the Genesis Portals. What’s funny about this is Sticks’ nonsensical blabbering is totally indistinct from the actual plot relevant information. (I’m not sure why Chun-Li takes one theory more seriously than the other.) I guess describing the plot of comic book crossovers really isn’t any less convoluted than real world conspiracy theories.

We’re at the half-way point of “Worlds Unite,” right before the other Sega/Capcom properties are brought into the fray. Which might explain why things are starting to drag a little. It’s certainly not a bad comic book. It’s only when compared to the excellent previous issue that it feels a little tired. Hopefully, the introduction of more universes will perk things up a little next time. [6/10]

Sonic Boom: Issue 9

Sonic Boom: Issue 9
Publication Date: July 2015

We are six issues into “Worlds Unite.” At this junction, Archie saw fit to introduce a character guide at the start of each issue. This is because the already expansive cast is about to get even bigger. A helpful reminder at the start of every issue probably is necessary or will be soon. So, right now, the cast is broken down into Sonic and the Freedom Fighter, Mega Man and the Robot Masters, X and the Maverick Hunters, Sticks’ gang, and the temporarily aligned bad guys. They’re up against Sigma’s army and the Deadly Six. Got all that? It’s kind of important you do.

Part six is subtitled “Fire in the Sky,” despite not featuring D.B. Sweeney being abducted by aliens. The Sky Patrol has arrived at Lost Hex and all hell breaks loose. The heroes, who are now going by the catchy name The Unified Heroes, face off against Sigma’s army. They hold their own but are dangerously close to being overwhelmed. Meanwhile, during the heat of battle, Sticks is knocked through a suddenly appearing Genesis Portal, possibly stumbling upon the good guy’s salvation.

Cue up the battle music because we are going to war. This entire issue is devoted to one epic-ass showdown. Normally, I complain when this book sacrifices everything in the name of action but... You know what? This is awesome. Maybe it’s because Flynn leaves just enough room for little character moments – Sonic and Mega Man trading banter, Wood Man offering a confused Knuckles his leaf power-up – to prevent this from being a totally bland fight fest. Or maybe so much colorful stuff is going on that it’s impossible for the reader to become bored. Either way, Flynn accurately captures the chaotic feeling of being in the middle of combat.

Moreover, the comic continues to do an excellent job juggling its enormous cast. Flynn gives almost everyone something to do. Rotor pilots a turret and later body-slams a Zeti. Robotnik and Wily scheme among themselves in the bowels of the ship. In a likely “Star Trek”-inspired moment, Sally, Nicole, and Cream sit on the Sky Patrol’s bridge, anxiously overlooking everything. My absolute favorite moment has Antoine slaying a robo-dragon with the stab of his sword. Even Big gets in on the action, hooking an enemy robot with his fishing rod. I guess not everyone gets a scene, as the Robot Masters are underserved. But I don’t care about them so I’m fine with that.

Through it out, “Fire in the Sky” remembers that this is technically a “Sonic Boom” comic. Sticks is the de facto main character here. She’s front-and-center on the first page. Throughout the issue, she’s given plenty to do. She’s chased by bees. She’s smashes shit with her boomerang. In a hilarious series of panels, Comedy Chimp and Fastidious Beaver flee from battle, forcing Sticks to chastise them while more important fights go down in the background. As before, Sticks’ irrelevant side-quest lends some wonderful levity to this epic battle.

Granted, there’s a pretty big plot hole here. It’s well-established by now that the Zetis can psychically control robots. There’s really no excuse for the Deadly Six not to immediately take over Mega Man and X’s gang, leading to a swift victory by making half of the heroes crush the other half. Instead, Flynn saves that for the issue’s cliffhanger. Which is pretty silly but I guess totally fitting for a big, melodramatic, comic book crossover event. (The issue’s other crossover has Sticks stumbling through a portal and immediately running into an off-panel Chun-Li. This is also somewhat sloppy but absolutely necessary because it gets the “Street Fighter” cast into the book.)

Edwin Huang returns to illustrate and, holy cow, does it look nice. Huang’s complete mastery of action could not be more apparent. Everyone is detailed and energetic. The action beats are fast-paced, drawing the eye. Such as when Sonic leaps around to smash Badniks or Master Zik kicking Rotor in the face. Or, another fantastic moment, Amy and a Bunnie knocking out Zeena. His character work also remains excellent. The panels devoted to Sticks falling through the air, being indigent that no one will recuse her, are hilarious. Overall, inviting Huang onto the crossover might be the best thing Archie did for “Worlds Unite.”

This is exactly the kind of fun insanity I hope for from a big crossover. There’s something fun or interesting happening on every page of this book. The artwork is amazing. The cast’s personality is not lost among the madness. It’s been way too long since Ian Flynn and his crew has delivered something this well done. Fuck it, I’m throwing out a [9/10]. I’m in a good mood.

Sonic Universe: Issue 77

Sonic Universe: Issue 77
Publication Date: June 2015

That’s a good cover, isn’t it? At least, half of it is. During any big crossover, inevitably there will be an image of all the heroes lined up together. Seeing the four divergent groups pose together, dramatically starring down the bad guys, sure is cool. The bottom half lacks some zap though, doesn’t it? Instead of just having Sigma and his various sub-bosses opposing the heroes, Spaz or whoever dictated the image should’ve included the Deadly Six or something. A collection of differing heroes deserves a collection of differing villains, right? Am I nit-picking again?

Part five of “Worlds Unite,” comically entitled “Everybody in the Same Boat,” begins with our heroes gathering on the Sky Patrol, looking down at the world in turmoil. X informs the others of what a bad bitch Sigma is. Meanwhile, Eggman and Wily are being chased through the Lost Hex base by the Deadly Six, Sigma having discovered their betrayal. That’s when Xander Payne – and his new, portal generating eyeball – appears to rescue them. They are taken to the Sky Patrol and begin an uneasy truce with the heroes. The Sky Patrol is pointed towards Lost Hex, where Sigma awaits with an army.

Part five of “Worlds Unite” is very much a transitional issue. The chaos of the first act has brought everyone together. They are unified against a common enemy. The beginning of the story has wrapped up. Now, it’s time to move all the pieces into place and get ready for the second act. This is all too evident in the way “Everybody in the Same Boat” ends, with the good guys flying off to confront the more-than-prepared villain.

The blatant mechanics of the narrative showing is not a problem, for once. Flynn patches over that stuff by mostly making this story about the cute interactions between the integrated cast. Sonic makes chili dogs for everyone for lunch, which Sally bemoans. Sonic assures Mega Man he won their last fight, which the robot is skeptical about. X makes Cream his navigator, in a cute touch. Nicole and Quake Woman bond over their mutual status as machines learning to be more human. Zero and Antoine compare swords. Comedy Chimp tries to crack jokes around Break Man, who’s having none of it. Eggman and Tails admire the Robot Masters. Little touches like this makes our cast seem more alive, making us care more about the war they’re heading into.

Sticks, of course, steals the show. Her ramblings about “spy brooms" – set-up for Sonic’s half of the “Battles” sub-series – annoys and baffles Sally and Zero. She immediately develops a rapport with Xander Payne, the two soon comparing conspiracy theories. (I never thought I’d see the Freemasons and the Illuminati referenced in a “Sonic” comic.) Equally amusing is her tendency to confuse the main Sonic-verse characters with their “Boom” counterparts. She wonders where Sonic’s sports tape is and insist Knuckles can be buffer. As I’ve said before, Sticks’ kookiness adds a nice touch of comic relief to the crossover, which otherwise might’ve been too serious. Moreover, Sticks can totally get away with this stuff, as it’s one hundred percent in-character for her.

Really, the only complaints I have with this issue involves the villains. Xander Payne randomly dropping in to rescue Eggman and Wily feels like a bit of an ass-pull, albeit a necessary one. While the heroes are getting to know each other, Sigma is building his army, recruiting his various bosses  –including a giant, robot penguin, which is not exactly intimidating – from across time. I like Sigma when he’s gloating villainously but but I’m less invested when he’s just showing off his various superpowers.

This issue also brings a new artist onto the book. Edwin Huang came to prominence for his fantastic work on UDON's “Street Fighter” books. Unlike other big-ish name artists, who sometimes struggle to adapt to the “Sonic” house style, Huang has no problems. This is a fantastic looking comic book. Everybody is on model, with Huang's Sally looking especially expressive and excellent. This is not an especially action packed comic book, being devoted mostly to people standing around and talking, but still looks hugely dynamic. Huang gives everyone little physical quirks, their personality showing in their body language. Just the way Xander Payne holds his shoulders or what Sticks does with her hands tell us so much about who these characters are. It's awesome.

I know I've harped on this point but, really: “Worlds Unite” is just so much better paced than “Worlds Collide.” The last crossover felt like it took forever to get going and then rushed through everything after that. This story is hitting most of the beats on time, making us care about the cast, and showing the consequences for what happens. I'm glad Flynn can learn from his mistakes, at least some times. [7/10]