Sonic Super Special: Issue 3 - Sonic Firsts

 
Sonic Super Special: Issue 3 – Sonic Firsts
Publication Date: November 1997

These days, it’s very common for popular comic series to collect their issues in trade paperbacks. For a while there, the comic industry was counting on the popularity and sales of trade collections to save the industry. This is a habit that really picked up in the nineties, right around the peak of Sonic’s popularity. Despite this, Archie was very slow to catch onto this trend. They released the original “Sonic the Hedgehog” mini-series in trade in 2003. It wasn’t until 2006 that Archie started publishing the series in collected, chronological releases, with the “Sonic Archive” series. These days, there’s at least three on-going series of paperback collections, printing stories in color, black and white, from the distant past and the recent present. All of this is excluding digital reprints, which is the real future of comic book publishing.

Today, those older stories are very easy to find. When I first started reading the series, the only way to read those older “Sonic” stories was to dig up the original comics. That’s why the publication of “Sonic Firsts” was a big deal to me, back in 1997. Originally released as a proper trade paperback, loaded up with extras and goodies, the release was slimmed down for the third Sonic Super Special. It included the first appearances of Sonic the Hedgehog and the Freedom Fighters, Bunnie Rabbot, Super Sonic, and Knuckles the Echidna. In other words, stories from issue 0 of the original “Sonic” mini-series and issues 3, 4, and 13 of the on-going series. “Sonic Firsts” is how I first read these stories.

 
“Sonic Firsts” is not a perfect re-print. A few minor changes are made. Sally’s hair, blonde or brunette in the original printing, have been re-colored to the canonical red. Rotor, referred to as “Boomer” at the time, is called by his correct name. Other then that, things are the same. Instead of retracing familiar ground, writing new reviews of stories I covered just a few months back, let me take a different approach. Let me instead chronicle how these characters and their world changed between when these stories first appeared and when they re-appeared in 1997.

In “Don’t Cry for Me, Mobius!,” Sonic’s world is so much brighter and simpler then it was in 1997. Just the other day, when reviewing issue 54, I was noting how moody and complex Sonic had gotten. In this first appearance, he’s still a total joker, cracking puns at every oppretunity. Sally comes off as a comical straight woman, honestly a bit on the bitchy side. This is in contrast to the concentrated but conflicted leader she was, post-“Endgame.” Antoine, developing into an honorable solider, was the butt of Sonic’s pranks and jokes, remaining a wet blanket. Robotnik, a comic relief villain who posed little in the way of serious threats, was dead by '97. Rotor and Tails haven’t been changed too much, though everyone’s less sarcastic then they were back then. The story is awfully goofy. Though dated, Scott Shaw’s artwork is still appealing.

In “Rabbot Deployment,” Bunnie was mostly characterized by bad jokes about wanting to be a hairdresser. Thankfully, the book would drop that aspect of her personality quickly. Disappointingly, Bunnie still remains underutilized in the main book. She’s developed a romance with Antoine and has gotten a few stories to herself. Yet the defining Bunnie story still hadn't come along. Though a rightly beloved member of the Sonic’s universe, it would take a while longer for Archie to truly do anything with Bunnie. As for “Rabbot Deployment,” it’s still a very silly but mildly fun story. That scene of Bunnie dropping the BurroBot on its head remains amusing.

I’m not sure why Archie felt the need to high-light Super Sonic’s first appearance. Since “Lizard of Odd” first ran in issue 4, Super Sonic had only appeared one more time, in the “Super Sonic vs. Hyper Knuckles” one-shot. (Though his third appearance was just around the corner in issue 56.) In later years, Super Sonic’s appearance would signal that shit had gotten really bad. He was the nuclear option, a form so powerful that he was only called on when essential. UniverSalamander is such a silly threat that it’s hard to get too worried. Nevertheless, I still kind of like “Lizard of Odd,” just because its silliness is rather endearing. Super Sonic does boost Sonic’s already smug behavior to almost unmanageable levels.

Maybe the character that had grown the most since his first appearance is Knuckles the Echidna. In the time since “This Island Hedgehog,” Knuckles has gone from the sole echidna on the planet to having a girlfriend, a mom and dad, a bunch of grandfathers, an army of arch-enemies, and an entire city populated with his own species. Knuckles had also lost much of the gullibility that defined him at the time. Now, he’s far more cunning and confused about his world, though still pretty hot-headed. It’s not a high compliment but “This Island Hedgehog” is probably the best story in “Sonic Firsts.”

These days, “Sonic Firsts” is a truly antiquated artifact. If people want to read the first appearances of Sonic, Bunnie, or Knuckles, they can find the digital downloads on an app and have them on their computers, game systems, or phones in seconds. Back then, we relied on reprints like these to find the older stories. Are the older stories truly worth seeking out, for anyone but Sonic completest like me? Well, probably not. Yet just for nostalgia points, I have to give “Sonic Firsts” a [7/10.]

Sonic the Hedgehog: Issue 38

 
Sonic the Hedgehog: Issue 38
Publication Date: June 1996

Over the book’s still brief history, a regular collection of writers and artist have come to work on Archie’s “Sonic the Hedgehog.” Usually, the writers circle includes Mike Gallagher, Angelo DeCesare, Ken Penders and his frequent collaborator Mike Kanterovich. Artist wise, Art Mawhinney or Dave Manak contribute most commonly. However, it seems in 1996, Archie was trying to introduce some new talent. Issue 38 was written by “Kent Taylor,” a pseudonym for editor Scott Fulop. Artist wise, the issue introduced Manny Galan, who would soon become the regular artist for the “Knuckles” series.

38’s cover story is the rather verbosely entitled “The Rise of Robotropolis… The Fall of Sonic!” Following the earthquake in the last issue, Robotropolis is still recovering. A routine mission goes wrong for Sonic, Antoine, and Tails. The three are ambushed by a squadron of Combots. One of the machines is struck by lightning and Sonic is blown back by a strange ray. Afterwards, he discovers he’s lost his super-speed. Afterwards, the rest of the Freedom Fighters are captured by further Combots, forcing Sonic to team up with Sally’s trainees and sneak into the city.

This story isn’t very good. Scott Fulop, despite being the series editor, doesn’t seem to have the best grasp on the series’ mythology. Sonic loosing his speed is a story that was going to inevitably happen. Why it happens is never actually explained. The Combot exploding simply has that effect on him. How he regains his speed is equally senseless. He grabs three power rings and suddenly, it’s back. This goes against how Sonic’s speed has been portrayed throughout the entire series up to this point. He also stumbles upon the Pool of Rings like it’s a new discovery, even though the pool was previously discovered back in the “Super Sonic vs. Hyper Knuckles” one-shot. Further proof of the story’s sloppiness comes at the end. After defeating the Combots, Sonic and the Freedom Fighters skidaddle and Robotnik blows up the building. Kind of an anticlimactic ending, isn’t it? (Further proof of Fulop’s lack of knowledge about the series comes when Sonic calls Antoine – a coyote – a fox.)

The second half of the story is just as unfocused. Sally and the rest of the Freedom Fighters are captured, which should be a pretty big fucking deal. These are all of the principal heroes and now they’re in the villain’s hands! Instead of focusing on his friends being endangered, the story barrels ahead. Sonic teams up with the team which would soon be the Substitute Freedom Fighters. With some help from Fly Fly Freddy – a new character that looks like a reject from a superhero comic – they sneak into the city. The only time the issue focuses on the peril Sonic’s friends are in is when we briefly see them captured. (Naturally, instead of killing the good guys when he can, Robotnik waits for Sonic to show up.) The emotional core of the story is Sonic’s doubting his own abilities, how his lack of speed will affect his hero-ing. This mostly manifests in him acting like an asshole to his temporary teammates.

Doing the artwork for this issue is Manny Galan. In time, Galan would develop into one of my favorite artist working for Archie. His artwork on the Knuckles series was consistently good. However, that’s a while off. In his debut issue, Galan still has a lot of growing left to do. He doesn’t totally grasp the character’s designs yet. Sonic frequently goes off-model. When drawn by Galan, Sally always seems a little longer or taller then she should be. Robotnik, meanwhile, looks like an indistinct blob. Galan’s facial expressions are… Odd. When knocked unconscious, characters have big “X”s in their eyes. When Sonic trips and falls, his jaws and teeth become more cartoony then usual. All the artwork is pretty off.

The back-up story is one of those totally useless joke strips the book fosters on us occasionally. Sonic is sick in bed. In order to pass the time, Tails reads him the comic book he’s written. This, it turns out, is a loose parody of the “Fantastic Four.” Loose is the key phrase there, as the story only references the most superficial elements of its target. Sonic, Tails, Sally, and Rotor are on a rocket and pass through some cosmic waves. Yet they don’t seem to gain any abilities, much less the abilities we associate with the Fantastic Four. Truthfully, only two things truly connect this parody to the Fantastic Four. First is the blue uniforms the heroes wear. Secondly, a spoof of Galactus called Robotnicus shows up and is then defeated with some Twinkies. It’s dumb. It’s extremely dumb. (Amazingly, Robotnicus is one of two Robotnik-themed Galactus spoofs that would appear in this book. What are the odds?)

So Issue 38 is pretty lame. Fulop’s script for the first story definitely lacks something. Galan’s artwork still needs a lot of work. The second story adds nothing to this universe and doesn’t give any of these characters anything to do. It’s not even a good parody of the Fantastic Four. Ken Penders’ artwork is typically flat and unappealing. About the only thing I like about this issue is Spaz’ cover art. It’s pretty cool. Otherwise, you can safely skip Issue 38. [4/10]

Knuckles the Echidna (Original Mini-Series): Issue 3

 
Knuckles (Original Mini-Series): Issue 3
Publication Date: July 1996

At the beginning of “Rites of Passage: Part Three,” Knuckles the Echidna has his spiked-hands full. Enerjak has turned his friends, the Chaotix, against him. Only with the help of Archimedes can he best them. Soon, the overpowered madman takes the fight directly to the young guardian. Knuckles has to face down his ancestor, even though he knows he isn’t powerful enough to defeat the mighty Enerjak.

A problem all throughout the “Knuckles” mini-series is that it’s main protagonist hasn’t been the one directing the plot. Even in the final issue, other people are pulling Knuckles’ fat out of the fire. Knuckles makes pretty short work of the Chaotix but he probably couldn’t have stopped them without Archimedes’ help. Later, the fire ant helps out again, calling on his insect brothers to sabotage Enerjak’s tower. (That makes this the second time Enerjak has falling for the same trick. So much for all-mighty, huh?) Later, Enerjak is defeated when rocket jets are attached to his tower, launching the madman into outer space. At the end of the comic, we find out that Locke, Knuckles’ dad, arrange this last course of action. The constant attempts to build Knuckles’ dad up as some sort of wise sage just makes his son look incompetent. There’s lots of talk of Knuckles coming into his own as a hero here. Yet, if it wasn’t for other people helping, he would’ve been dead about four times over.

And what about Enerjak? He’s obviously capable of amazing things. He raises a city out of the sand. He’s capable of flight, teleportation, and mind control. Yet Knuckles is still able to psych him out. I think the book is going for something here. That, despite his massive power, Enerjak’s arrogance still makes him easy to outsmart. Maybe. In the last third of the book, Knuckles successfully outthinks the villain out, getting him to discard his massive power and fight him mano-a-mano. Still, considering all of his abilities, Enerjak had lots of opportunities to crush his opponent. Shit, instead of stranding him in the desert, why didn’t he just kill him in the first issue? I mean, I know this is a kid’s book. But, geez. Mobius needs a better class of bad guy.

Penders try to spin these events into character development for Knuckles. And I suppose it is. Throughout the course of the story, he learns to trust Archimedes. That’s a fairly big deal, especially since Knuckles was ready to crush the bug in his first appearance. (And also tried to eat him, least we forget.) The events of the story also seems to bound Knuckles and the Chaotix closer together, though I’m not sure why. Mostly, Knuckles’ most heroic actions come at the end, during his first fight with Enerjak. In some of the best dialogue Penders would ever write, Knuckles lays out passionately why he’s less of an asshole then his great uncle. It’s maybe the only time in the entire mini-series that the hero seems triumphant. 

At least issue three delivers on the action. The battle between Knuckles and the Chaotix features the expected amount of fisticuffs. Really, it probably doesn’t make Knuckles’ teammates feel good to know their boss could easily beat the shit out of them. (Is this how the rest of the Justice League feels about Superman?) This issue also finally lets us see Knuckles and Enerjak fighting it out. Once again, I’m very please that Penders didn’t try to draw this book himself. Art Mawhinney’s pencils makes Knuckles’ scuffle with his great uncle a pretty exciting sight. Lots of pounding, swiping, and punching follows. If you’re just in it for the fighting, the last part of the “Knuckles” mini-series should prove satisfying.

Another problem part three shares with the rest of this series: For two pages, Enerjak flashes back to the circumstances of his origin. I think that’s the second time these events have been recapped in this book? Were the constant flashbacks necessary, Ken? Despite some great Mawhinney art throughout these three issue, the “Knuckles” mini-series is slightly disappointing. Truthfully, the mini-series isn’t even as good as some of the back-up stories that build up to it. It seems Penders is better at creating a mythology then utilizing it. Still, the “Knuckles” mini obviously sold well, because Archie would launch a second Knuckles mini-series early in the next year which would then lead into an echidna-centric on-going. That, my dear readers, is something we’ll get to in time. As for the first “Knuckles” mini-series, I sadly have to give it a [6/10.]

Knuckles the Echidna (Original Mini-Series): Issue 2

 
Knuckles (Original Mini-Series): Issue 2
Publication Date: June 1996

Look, I know hating on Ken Penders is what Archie Sonic fans are supposed to do. The law suit pissed me off too. Yet, re-reading these classic stories, it’s become clear that Penders built the mythology of this universe. Sometimes, I feel like he was the only writer who truly took these characters seriously. Still, some of his writing quirks annoy me. His stilted or exposition heavy dialogue, for one example. His frequently stiff artwork, for another. Or how about his reliance on pop culture references, something I never do? Issue 2 of the “Knuckles” mini-series features a few too many of those. A giant killer sandworm is killed when he runs head-first into a rock, like in “Tremors.” The spirit of the hero’s father appears before him, giving him some sage advice, like in “The Lion King.” A group of robotic guards chant the march from “Wizard of Oz.” Later, they yell “Crush! Kill! Destroy!,” like the robot in an old “Lost in Space” episode. We get it, Ken. You like things.

Anyway, the plot. Knuckles and Archimedes are lost in the desert, where Enerjak stuck them at the end of the last issue. It’s a hazardous place, as they face the danger of giant sandworms and heat exhaustion. Meanwhile, Enerjak uses his powers to build a city in his own image, a twisted place known as Nekronopolis. Knuckles arrives at the diabolic city only to discover that the villain has turned his own friends against him.

I’m starting to think that three issues really isn’t enough page space to get a proper story out. The “Tails” mini-series felt rushed and condensed. Now, “Knuckles” is facing the same problem. In the space of a few pages, we go from Knuckles surviving the bad guy’s evil plan to immediately crashing it. Only having three books to get everything out cheats the second act, lending the story an anemic middle section. It doesn’t help that Ken spends three whole pages on summarizing the events covered in the “Knuckles” back-up stories. Really, did he think the people who read this weren’t going to read the “Sonic” comics as well?

So what does part two of “Rites of Passage” have going for it? How about the quasi-comedic antics of Knuckles and Archimedes wandering the desert? The scene with the sandworm is moderately well done, mostly thanks to Art Mawhinney’s action-packed artwork. That Knuckles and Archimedes eat the animal’s remains afterwards is an awfully morbid, amusing gag. Another amusing moments comes when, in hungry desperation, Knuckles attempts to eat Archimedes. This doesn’t work out for him. That he would even consider it shows that this hero still has a lot of growing to do.

Still, Penders’ script takes it too easy on Knux. Just as he’s on the verge of dying from heat exhausting, a vision of his dad appears to him. The spectre guides Knuckles to an oasis in the middle of the desert. Even at this point, we know that Locke isn’t dead. What do we make of this moment? Like-wise, why does the oasis immediately vanish after Knuckles and Archimedes leave? The ending of the issue has Knuckles coming upon Enerjak’s evil city. He doesn’t intentionally seek it out. He stumbles upon it. If the mini-series had just been one issue longer, the story structure probably would have seemed less messy. As it is, Knuckles survives his enemy’s plot solely because others help him. He then discovers the villain’s lair purely through luck.

The issue is a bit short on action, being mostly devoted to Knuckles in the desert. Where exactly Enerjak got his robot army isn’t explained but Knuckles smashing the bots does lead to some okay action. Still, considering he’s obviously meant to be his arch-enemy, I would’ve liked Enerjak to get some more page-time. He’s the main baddie of the book and Knuckles has only met him once so far. (Also, why does every city on Mobius have to end in “–opolis?” Couldn’t Enerjak have just called his hide-out the Dead City?)

Mawhinney’s artwork remains fine but I’m beginning to suspect that Knuckles’ mini-series will disappoint just like all the others. Maybe we’ll get a bitchin’ final act? I’m not holding my breath. [5/10]

Knuckles the Echidna (Original Mini-Series): Issue 1

Knuckles (Original Mini-Series): Issue 1
Publication Date: May 1996

As I’ve mentioned before, Archie was definitely interested in launching a spin-off series from their successful “Sonic the Hedgehog” comic. The “Princess Sally” and “Tails” mini-series didn’t lead to on-going series about either hero. Suggested mini-series about Bunnie Rabbot or Espio the Chameleon never even saw print. It wasn’t until Archie decided to gift Knuckles the Echidna with a series that this plan met with any success. It’s a conclusion they should’ve touched upon earlier. Until Shadow came along, Knuckles was the only “Sonic” character to rival the blue hedgehog in popularity. In 1996, only a few years apart from his debut appearance, fans were curious about the echidna’s origins and adventures. Writer Ken Penders was all to happy to delve into these issues. He hyped the “Knuckles” mini-series for months before the first issue was actually released.

 
“Rites of Passage” begins with Knuckles finally rescuing his friends from the mysterious Archimedes. After seemingly months of wandering the desert, he makes it inside a pyramid and avoids a number of death traps. Upon reaching the building’s center, he discovers the Chaotix are safe and sound. Archimedes, turns out, is not a great villain. He’s instead a fire-breathing ant that wishes to mentor Knuckles and guild him on his journey. Meanwhile, Knuckles great^X10 grand-uncle Dimitri escapes from his stony tomb. Flying in to meet the young echidna, he introduces himself as Enerjak, an immortal and immensely powerful super-villain.

Knuckles' storyline had been frozen for a while. Via short back-up stories in the “Sonic” series, Penders had been inching the plot forward for months. Some of those back-ups provided valuable information about the history of the echidna race. Too many of them were two-pagers that barely advanced the plot. So finally seeing Knuckles track down Archimedes and rescue the Chaotix is way overdo. The pay-off – that Archimedes isn’t a villain and is also an ant – is slightly disappointing. Turns out, the mystery of Archimedes’ identity was a big false lead. Enerjak is the villain of this mini-series. Penders’ awkward attempt at misdirection didn’t exactly pay off. Truthfully, the most satisfying part of this first issue is Knuckles yelling at Archimedes for being such an evasive jerk. The audience relates.

Plot wise, part one of “Rites of Passage” mostly exists to set-up the rest of the mini-series. Too much page space is devoted to recapping the Knuckles back-stories and showing what happened behind the scenes. The issue ends with Knuckles and Archimedes tossed into the Floating Island’s desert, suggesting the two will put aside their differences and work together. Enerjak’s first appearance – in a rather impressive six page spread – immediately sets him up at the series’ villain and Knuckles’ adversary. One of the first things the bad guy does is put the Chaotix under his will, meaning Knuckles’ primary goal here will be to rescue his friends again. (This, disappointingly, once again sidelines the Chaotix.) After waiting so long to see this mini-series unfolded, it’s a bit of a bummer that the first issue just tosses everyone to the whims of the plot.

This being a comic marketed to young boys, there’s still plenty of action here. Many pages are sacrificed to Knuckles dodging the ancient temples’ death traps. Penders doesn’t even pretend to deny the obvious comparisons to Indiana Jones. Knuckles even out-runs an on-coming boulder. However, a hero exploring a temple full of death traps has a pulpy attraction that’s hard to deny. Knuckles’ also blows a fucking door up with a laser cannon. Like-wise, Enerjak’s first appearance makes an impression. He flies, can shoot laser beams from his hands, teleports people, and seems impervious to regular attacks. That certainly makes him a more intimidating force then Robotnik, at least initially. His design, which decks the echidna out in Egyptian-style gold armor, is also pretty cool.

Thankfully, for the mini-series Ken Penders handed the artist’s pen over to Art Mawhinney. Mawhinney’s skills for clearly illustrated but exciting action is put to good use here. The two-page spread that opens the book, of Knuckles swooping through the traps, is fantastic. On the next page, he leaps from one hazard to the next, Mawhinney nicely capturing a sense of movement. Mawhinney even makes the potentially ridiculous designs of Archimedes and Enerjak look cool. When he first started drawing Knuckles, the artist didn’t have a perfect grasp on the echidna. That’s all changed now. His pencils are smooth, confident, and gorgeous.

Whether or not the “Knuckles” mini-series will ultimately work is still up in the air. The first book is merely the first act, the steps being put in place for the rest of the story. We don’t know if it’ll build towards a satisfying whole yet. Still, it’s not a bad issue either, with some fun action and good artwork. We’ll see where it goes from here. [6/10]

Sonic the Hedgehog: Issue 36

 
Sonic the Hedgehog: Issue 36
Publication Date: May 1996

SatAM gave Sonic and Sally both personal goals, beyond defeating Robotnik’s regime. Both heroes endeavored to rescue family members that had been taken from them. Sonic hoped to retrieved his robotocized Uncle Chuck while Sally sought to find her exiled father, King Acorn. Both missions were referenced in the comic’s early issues but both tended to take a backseat. Over the last few issues, Archie’s “Sonic the Hedgehog” comic brought Uncle Chuck into the story, filling his role as a double-agent for the resistance. In Issue 36, the book finally revealed where King Acorn has been all this time, the foundation for another pillar of the series’ mythology set.

Rotor receives some startling images from the camera he dropped in the Zone of Silence back in Issue 30. (This is after he clears up a continuity error, explaining that the Void and the Zone of Silence are two separate places with different properties.) The image is of a fearsome dark knight on a black horse, riding through the emptiness of the dimension. Sonic zips into Robotnik’s base, certain he has something to do with this. What he discovers is that the Zone of Silence is actually expanding, consuming other dimensions, and Robotnik has been working to contain its growth. The two form a shaky truce before the Freedom Fighters head into the Zone of Silence themselves. The Black Rider confronts the heroes and Sally soon discovers that this malevolent man is… Her father.

The best stories, in this comic or otherwise, have an emotional core. Too often, the comic would sacrifice that emotion for action or a forward moving plot. “Heart of Darkness” actually presents its characters making some hard decisions, accepting some difficult truths. Sonic has to put aside his hatred of Robotnik, in order to receive the villain’s uncertain help. When Sally knocks the Black Rider’s helmet off, she discovers that its her dad. It immediately disturbs her that the King doesn’t recognize her and is acting like a violent madman. As the heroes flee the Zone of Silence, she looks back, uncertain of what to think. Sally ends the story in tears. Sonic, meanwhile, has to make the tough decision to set off Robotnik’s Energy Inhibitor bomb, stopping the dimension’s growth. This, however, pushes the King even further out of their reaches. After activating the bomb, Sonic thinks to himself: “What have I done?” An earlier panel shows Sonic’s face contorting in rage as the King prepares to strike his own daughter. Perhaps he acted too rashly? It’s pretty serious stuff for a comic book about a blue hedgehog that runs fast.

After filling out Knuckles’ backstory in the back pages, Ken Penders returns to the cover story. Where he also starts to fill in some backstory. We flashback to the day of Robotnik’s coup, when he tossed the King into the Zone of Silence. We discover that Robotnik had a mentor named Kodos, that he previously disposed off. We see that Robotnik is actually working to prevent the destruction of the world this time. (After all, if there’s no world, what will he conquered?) This information is shown in about as eloquent a way as Penders knew how. There’s some narration and science-y sounding exposition but it’s never distracting. As for the Zone of Silence itself, it’s a very odd place, a gravity-free void inhabited by strange grey creatures. And horses, apparently.

Issue 36 has another striking cover image from Spaz, who makes King Acorn’s armor look truly threatening. Disappointingly, that dramatic image – of a flaming lance, a smoke-spewing horse, an opening gate – never quite appears in the story. Art Mawhinney provides the pencils. While I obviously love Mawhinney’s work, I wonder if he was the best artist for this job. King Acorn and his grey underlings both look a little too cute for such a serious situation. However, Mawhinney’s gift for facial expressions gets shown off here. Sally’s shock, Sonic’s anger, Antoine’s fear, and King Max’s psychotic determination are all beautifully represented. Even if someone maybe should have handled the horrific elements, Art’s pen definitely helped this story find its emotional soul.

The back story seemingly concludes the extensive flash-back Knuckles’ has been undergoing for the last two issues. Inside his newly made tower, the now empowered Dimitri threatens his brother and the Echidna Magistrate. He explains his plan to conquer the Floating Island, enslaving its populace, and then taking over the world. Luckily, a legion of fire ants show up in time, destroying the tower from the base down, burying Dimitri inside. Afterwards, Edmund and the rest of the echidna society decide to abandoned technology. Edmund, meanwhile, decides he will watch over the Island and the Chaos Emerald for the rest of his life, passing that responsibility down to his son. Thus, Edmund becomes the first Guardian of the Floating Island, a tradition that continues with Knuckles.

I sort of wish there was a more elegant way to get this information out there. Knuckles has been wandering around, searching for his kidnapped friends for months now. The last three stories have featured him flashing back to his father’s teachings, recalling the history of the Floating Island. It makes the hero look slightly ineffectual and drops some forward-momentum from the plot. However, it’s still a pretty interesting story. The sudden appearance of the fire ants is a bit of a cheat, naturally. There is something poetic in a hugely powerful entity being taken down by the smallest of creatures. Ken’s dialogue is no less heavy-handed. At times though, he finds a nice line or two. After the tower’s collapse, the Magistrate actually quotes Proverbs 6:6 and refers to the ants as God’s humblest creatures. (Which suggests Christianity apparently survived into the Mobian era but it’s also not something you expect to read in a kid’s book.) I also like the reveal that Edmund was the first Guardian. The story is all slightly ham-fisted set-up for Knuckles’ up-coming mini-series. Yet it’s still pretty interesting, an appropriately mythic background for perhaps the most mystic Sonic character.

The combination of two pretty great stories makes Issue 36 a stand-out example of Archie’s “Sonic the Hedgehog” series. Considering how much it would set up, it’s probably one of the most important issues in the series’ history. The directions this foundation would lead to wasn’t always smooth yet it’s a great set-up never the less. [9/10]

Sonic the Hedgehog: Issue 34

 
Sonic the Hedgehog: Issue 34
Publication Date: March 1996

Though primarily based on the Saturday morning cartoon show, Archie’s “Sonic the Hedgehog” comic would delightfully expanded into its own weird thing over its long run, taking elements from the video games and other cartoon shows but mostly from the writers’ weird imaginations. At times, the book would struggle over its identity. Issue 34 attempts to bring the comic in-line with certain events from the cartoon show. Meanwhile, it introduces a new breed of robotic mooks that would, briefly, supplant the SatAM-created SWATBots.

In Knothole Village, Sonic and Rotor discover that nothing they can do effectively de-robotocizes Uncle Chuck and Muttski. The two Robians seem in high-spirits about it, just happy to have their freedom back. Meanwhile, Robotnik, who has developed a new military fetish, unveils his latest line of weapons: The Combots, a heavily-armed fleet of robotic soldiers. Dulcy hears in on this and reports back to Knothole. Sonic, Uncle Chuck, and Muttski head into Robotnik’s lair to destroy the machines before they can be deployed. However, Chuck and the dog are blasted by a beam, their free will zapped again. Now, Sonic is strapped to the front of Robotnik’s tank and the Combots are marching towards the Great Forest, wiping out everything in their path.

“To ‘Bot or Not to ‘Bot” is a story with potentially high stakes that manages to squander all of them. The story has both a visceral threat and an emotional threat. The Combots are said to be super-destructive new machines. Robotnik, with a new militaristic zeal previously unseen, seems very determined to murder his enemies. The emotional threat, meanwhile, is to Uncle Chuck and Muttski. After getting back his uncle and dog after so many years, Sonic is now faced with loosing them all over again.

These ideas could have made an impact but writer Angelo DeCesare drops the ball on both points. First off, the Combots never actually get to show off their dangerous abilities. They stand around, look intimidating and do some marching. The only serious thing they wind up doing is walking off a cliff. Keep in mind, this is at least the third time one of Robotnik’s newest machines where destroyed by being led off a cliff. You’d think he would just stop attacking that part of the Great Forest. The Combots look cool. Their metal scowls, spiked shoulders, and camouflage color schemes certainly make them visually threatening. However, they end up not being very impressive.

The emotional threat fizzles out too. Spoiler alert for a nineteen year old comic book: Uncle Chuck and Muttski aren’t reduced to robotic slaves again. In a cheap, last minute plot twist, Rotor reveals that he planted them earlier with the microchip meant to maintain Sally’s free will, from back in Issue 29. The whole story was an act of misdirection. It looks like Robotnik has victory in his grasp but he was never close. Chuck reprogrammed the Combots to march off the cliff and Robotnik flees in defeat. On one hand, this is meant to give Comic Uncle Chuck the same purpose Cartoon Uncle Chuck. He’s a double agent for the Freedom Fighters, acting like a robotocized cog but actually reporting back to his nephew and friends. Unfortunately, it also ends the story on a total cheat.

Providing pencils for Issue 34 is Brian Thomas, an artist who rarely worked on the book again. It’s not hard to figure out why. Thomas doesn’t seem to have a grasp on the Sonic characters. Sonic, Uncle Chuck, and Muttski look all right. Everyone else is wildly off-model. Rotor’s snout is too long. Snively’s eyes are too wide. Sally’s head is too big and her eyes are too blue. Antoine’s forehead is too large. Bunnie’s neck disappears. Tails’ nose points too far up. Robotnik, meanwhile, spends the whole issue in a General Patton get-up, with reflective sunglasses, a kaiser helmet, and medals lining his shirt. Along with Thomas’ squishy art, he winds up looking like an entirely different character. Thomas obviously has some skill but he doesn’t seem suited to this book at all.

Rounding out the book is another Penders “Knuckles” story. Luckily, this isn’t a lame two pager and actually provides some backstory. In the shadow of Mount Fate, Knuckles recalls the history of the echidna empire. How the Floating Island was once on the ground and echidna society was scientifically advanced. When a white comet was on a collision course with the city, the scientist harnessed the power of the Chaos Emeralds and the island floated into the sky. This is a suitably mythic origin for the Floating Island and would inform most of Knuckles’ mythology. Since this is another action-light story, they’re aren’t many opportunities to draw attention to Penders’ weaknesses as an artist. (Though his decision to make red the default coloration for all echidnas was probably a mistake.) The dialogue is slightly heavy-handed but the writing is decent and the artwork is acceptable.

A decent back story only brings up the quality of Issue 34 so much. The cover story is a dud, thanks to an underwhelming script and some seriously off artwork. [5/10]

Super Sonic vs. Hyper Knuckles

Super Sonic vs. Hyper Knuckles
Publication Date: February 1996

This one was a big deal when I was a kid. Though still a relatively new addition to the “Sonic” universe, Knuckles had already emerged as the hedgehog’s most prominent rival. He was a hero too, and well-established as one by this point. Yet Knuckles still had a certain grit to him, an edge, that Sonic lacked. Inevitably, the two would come into conflict. At this point, every single time Sonic and Knuckles met, they would fight. So what made another issue devoted to them fighting such a big deal? You don’t get it, man, these were their super forms! The fight had been elevated to a whole other level! There was also a certain novelty to seeing a character besides Sonic achieve a super transformation. Unlike the many other 48-page specials Archie would publish, “Super Sonic vs. Hyper Knuckles” felt like an event. For Sonic-obsessed little nerd kids like me, it was an event.

The comic doesn’t waste too much time getting to that main event of a showdown either. Worried about the Floating Island’s stability, Knuckles hopes to retrieve a spare Chaos Emerald, should anything happen to the current one. After consulting a book of arcane knowledge, Knuckles suspects a link between Power Rings and Chaos Emeralds. He heads down to Robotropolis, to the mystical Ring Pool. The echidna’s loyalties still uncertain, Sonic is sent to investigate. The two immediately get into a fight. Their rumble unearths the entrance to a new Game Zone. Once inside the alternate world, Sonic and Knuckles quickly gather fifty rings and seven emeralds, both transforming into their super-forms. Now, the fight really gets ugly.

While reviewing the “Triple Trouble” special, I commented on how Sonic and Knuckles’ constant fights were getting tiresome. At this point, they should know the other was a good guy. However, “Super Sonic vs. Hyper Knuckles” is built entirely around that fight. The book contextualizes the two heroes’ constant scuffles in a new milieu: It’s a game. They recognize each other as worthy opponents, each knowing the other can take the punishment. They like to fight because it allows them to be challenged and to show off. Thanks to Mike Gallagher’s script, Sonic and Knuckles drop puns frequently during their fist fight. There’s no risk of a battle to the death, since both characters are heroes. So instead, their conflict becomes a pair of super-powered boys rough-housing. It’s a competition, one where neither can come out on top but both enjoy the race. There’s so much macho posturing during the comic that Sonic and Knuckles start sounding more like Arnold Schwarzenegger and Bill Duke in “Commando” then colorful video game mascots. (And like any good eighties action flick, eventually the guys’ one-liners start to seem less like pithy attempts to take down their opponent and more like romantic flirting.)

Like-wise, most of the book’s 48 pages are devoted to that fight. Gallagher seems to delight in thinking up new ways for the heroes to wail on each other. Knuckles punches through a piece of paper. Sonic rams the echidna with his figure 8 maneuver. Knuckles tosses the hedgehog into a tree before Sonic yanks the tree up by its roots and slams it on Knuckles. Once the two go Super Saiyan, the fight truly escalates in ridiculousness. Entire page spreads are devoted to the guys punching, slamming, and kicking each other. Knuckles tears stones out of the walls to smash Sonic in the face, while a two-page spread has Sonic yanking on the echidna’s dreadlocks. In their superforms, both are more-or-less invincible, making their fight seem even more like an overblown game.

It’s a lot of fun though. Art Mawhinney really gets to stretch his drawing muscles this time. His strength for action is right at the forefront. Since the book is double-length, it allows the artist to devote whole pages to dramatic action artwork. Considering half of the story is located in a psychedelic game zone, that also allows Mawhinney a chance to show off. The fight concludes when Super Sonic and Hyper Knuckles take running tackles at each other, the force of the blow collapsing the pocket universe and tossing both back into reality. That’s how hard Sonic and Knuckles wail on each other this time: An entire alternate universe is torn apart by it.

Sonic and Knuckles’ fight doesn’t advance the plot much, even though it’s the reason we're here. By the end, a potential power source for Robotnik is destroyed, Knuckles gets the extra Chaos Emerald he wanted, and Sonic gets an active work-out. Everybody wins! The only true emotional beat the story has is the reveal that Sally and Knuckles know each other, that they met at some point in their childhoods. This makes Sonic jealous, furthering the two’s conflict. Knuckles would never emerge as a serious love interest for Princess Sally though. The jealousy Sonic feels over their friendship would truthfully only deepen the relationship he has with his Princess. It does here anyway, as the reveal leads to some pretty cute flirting between the hedgehog and the chipmunk.

Unlike most of the 48-page specials, “Super Sonic vs. Hyper Knuckles” is only composed of two stories. The back-up story is “Fathers and Sons,” a Ken Penders written-and-drawn story. Unlike the needlessly drawn-out Archimedes saga playing out in the back pages of the “Sonic” book, “Fathers and Sons” actually moves the story forward. Knuckles’ father Locke is properly introduced, as we see Knuckles being trained by his dad in the ways of guardianship. Since Locke is teaching his son valuable lessons, Penders’ exposition-heavy dialogue actually makes sense. Knuckles reflecting on the events of his childhood also gives the story a slightly melancholy feeling. The recollection of his feelings after being abandoned by his dad adds some much-needed heart to this story. (Growing up alone on a peril-filled island might also explain why Knuckles is an asshole sometimes.) From a writing perspective, “Fathers and Sons” is actually pretty good, expanding the mythology while also expanding the characters without belaboring the points. Because there’s no action or dramatic posing in the story, Penders’ artwork doesn’t suffer that much either. It’s still pretty squishy in parts, and Locke’s goatee looks ridiculous, but it’s fairly passable.

So there you go. The cover story of “Super Sonic vs. Hyper Knuckles” is a fun, fight-centric story that defiantly satisfies those that want to see Sonic and his most important rival beat the shit out of each other. It’s funny without being goofy and action-packed without loosing sight of the characters. The back-up story, meanwhile, finally shows Knuckles’ story growing. Add in some killer Art Mawhinney pencils and you’ve got a winner. [7/10]

Sonic the Hedgehog: Issue 33

 
Sonic the Hedgehog: Issue 33
Publication Date: February 1996

As I’ve mentioned before, as a child I didn’t read every issue of “Sonic the Hedgehog” as soon as it hit the newsstands. Many issues alluded me for years before I finally had a chance to read them. One such issue was number 33. I saw the cover several times in the preview sections at the end of every book. There’s no doubt that 33 has a very eye-catching cover. Sonic is up to his hands and knees in… Something. Some sort of orange, bubbling substance. As a young kid, I assumed it must've been lava or a similar substance. When I finally got around to reading the comic, I was disappointed by the reveal. It’s snot, you guys. Or, even worst, another type of bodily fluid.

Yeah, “Let’s Get Small” is that type of story. Sonic returns to Knothole Village to find the place weirdly deserted. Rotor, visibly very ill, informs him of what happened. While Sonic was out, the Freedom Fighters order some take-out. Unfortunately, the fast food place was a front for Robotnik. He infected the food with his new nano-bots. Now, all the Freedom Fighters are extremely sick. Using some re-purposed Robotnik technology, Sonic shrinks himself down to microscopic size and enters his friend’s body, like “Fantastic Voyage” minus the submarine. Inside, Sonic meets Rotor’s “Auntie Bodies,” who is overwhelmed by the “Paris-Site’s’ force.

We are deep in goofy territory here, people. A microscopic journey into someone’s immune system is not that uncommon of a story. (I’m pretty sure the Atom does it about once a year.) Because Sonic doesn’t have a spaceship or a bitching super-suit, the story comes off as far more… squishy. Dave Manak seems to really delight in detailing the interior of Rotor’s body, with nerves, postulating sores, and squirmy tissue walls. At one point, Sonic is covered in green and grey goo by weeping lesions. It’s just gross, you guys. And since Sonic is deep inside his buddy’s body, this is technically the goriest issue of “Sonic” Archie would ever publish.

Then there’s the issue of the puns. Rotor’s immune system is personified as Auntie Bodies, an old lady version of Rotor in a dowdy dress, with grey hair and a cane. Paris-Site, who looks like a greasy corn kernel, wears a beret, has a pencil mustache, and carries a cane. Mike Gallagher apparently missed the memo that this comic already has one character that speaks with an exaggerated French accent. Paris-Site’s accent is actually even more incomprehensible then Antoine’s. A second antagonist named Fever doesn’t even get a punny name, as he’s just a being made of flames. There are also jokes about “micro-bars” and “cellular phones.” All of this is excluding the obviously goofy fast food business.

The story has relatively high stakes. Sonic is, after all, fighting for the lives of his friends. However, let’s get small has a disappointing ending. Sonic’s pep-talk gives Auntie Bodies the strength to fight back. Together, they clobber Paris-Site and Fever. Similar insurrections are going on in the other Freedom Fighters’ bodies. Sonic then spin-dashes into Rotor’s nose, so he’ll be sneezed towards the shrinking device. Oh, and here’s a super-nerdy nitpick about the story. The device Sonic uses to shrink himself was taken from the portable Roboticizer the Freedom Fighters seized back in issue 3 of “Sonic.” Wouldn’t it have made more sense to use the actual shrink ray Robotnik invented back in Issue 8’s “A Little Sonic Goes a Long Way?” Or is this an example of a nerdy reader remembering an obscure detail that the writers forgot about?

Clearly not done rising the comic to a new artistic standard, issue 33 also tags on two Penders-drawn stories. The first of which is yet another entirely useless continuation of the on-going Knuckles subplot. Knuckles himself doesn’t even appear in this two pager. Instead, a hooded figure – which we now know is Locke, Knuckles’ dad – watches his son, Archimedes, and the Chaotix from a computer set-up. Each appears in a different monitor, detailing events seen in previous two-pagers. The short story hints at the plot to come, by mentioning Mount Fate. Otherwise, this is another example of Penders dragging this story on and on some more. This plot could have been told in a single back-up story but Ken was bidding his time until the “Knuckles” mini-series got a green-light. That’s still three issues away so we’ll probably see this story dragging its feet some more before it finally reaches some sort of point or relevance. (At least the artwork's not too bad, since the two pages revolve around a hooded guy looking at some computer screens.)

As pointless as that one is, the second back-up is actually way worse. “Sonic Shot” has Sonic and friends indulging in a game of hockey. A bored Snively, along with a group of SWATBots, show up and ask if they can play. Robotnik ends up announcing himself and decides the game should be played for keeps. Sonic and friends naturally whoop the robot’s ass and win the game. I can only assume Penders is a hockey fan and felt the need to incorporate his favorite sport into a Sonic story. The details don’t make much sense and this kind of story was basically already covered, all the way back in Issue 5. Ken’s artwork actually shows some improvement here. Instead of looking like paper cut-outs moved around a stationary background, there’s actually some sense of flow and movement to his panels. However, all the characters still wobble off-model a couple of times. Snively looks especially unflattering in Penders’ bland, shaky style.

If you’re looking for a classic “Sonic” story, you can skip Issue 33. The cover story is goofy and honestly kind of icky. The back-up stories are varying degrees of useless. This is a filler issue, if I’ve ever seen one. No future writers, not even continuity-nerd Ian Flynn, have felt the need to reference Auntie Bodies or Paris-Site. Cool cover aside, there’s not much to recommend. [4/10]

Sonic the Hedgehog: Issue 32

 
Sonic the Hedgehog: Issue 32
Publication Date: January 1996

A few issues back, Archie’s “Sonic the Hedgehog” series uncovered the old “hero gets amnesia, unwillingly works for the bad guy” story troupe. Despite being a haggard cliché, that issue became my favorite of the 1995 season. To open 1996, the comic would try its hand at another well-known story device: The defrosted caveman. Mummies of prehistoric men frozen in ice have been found before but just melting the ice isn’t, you know, enough to bring them back to life. In fiction, it’s a different story. “Blast from the Past,” issue 32’s cover story, puts a Sonic spin on this concept. Since this is back before the whole “Mobius is Earth thousands of years into the future!” idea, the caveman is actually a cavebear.

“Blast from the Past” begins with a dramatic one-page spread of Sally falling into an icy crevice. (Though this recalls the not-too-far-off “Endgame” arc, Tails rescues her in time.) The Freedom Fighters are in the frozen mountains of Mobius for some reason when a gang of SWATBots ambushed them. Turns out Muttski, Sonic’s roboticized dog, led them there. After escaping the machines, Sonic and friends stumble upon a frozen Neanderthal man bear. They take the block of ice back to Knothole Village, where it naturally melts. Dubbed Mobie, the cavebear starts wrecking shit in the village before returning back to the mountains. Despite his dislike of the critter, Sonic takes chase.

“Blast from the Past” has two emotional threads running through the story. The first of which involves Mobie. He’s a pretty silly character. First off, he doesn’t look much like a bear. Instead, he resembles the classic caveman design, with some furry Sonic elements added to it. The plot follows the traditional outline of stories like this: The caveman is accidentally thawed out, thanks to a device called Glaciator which we’ve never seen before and would never see again. A man out of time, Mobie immediately starts freaking out, smashing shit with his club. The Freedom Fighters’ attempts to communicate with him only remind the caveman of his family, all of whom are assuredly dead now. (The comic kind of skims over that last point.) Because this is a Sonic book, they had to involve him somehow. So Sonic goes from being annoyed by Mobie to learning to like the big guy. That makes sense, since Mobie just wrecks shit upon being defrosted. The reconciliation between hedgehog and cavebear is a bit rushed though.

This is because “Blast from the Past” has to sneak in another emotional plot. Sonic’s Uncle Chuck returned in Issue 30, the robotocized Mobian regaining his free will. 32 heavily features Muttski, Sonic’s pet dog. Having spent lots of time around him, Muttski can easily track Sonic’s scent. (How a robot can smell is another issue all together.) The story directly deals with Sonic’s reaction to his best canine friend becoming a robotic killing machine. This provides the story with its emotional heart and works a little better then the Mobie A-plot. Disappointingly, even that plot thread has a too easy resolution. Off-panel, Uncle Chuck restores Muttski’s free will, Sonic regaining his beloved pet, at least in robot form. Mobie, meanwhile, is left in a jungle, safe from Robotnik but still lost in a strange new world without his family.

Stuck between the book’s two stories is another two-pager from Ken Penders, “Prisoners.” Picking up where “The Hunt is On!” from “Knuckles’ Chaotix” left off, the Chaotix awaken in a darkened room. A voice speaks to them, telling them not to get violent. After a minute of talking, he opens a door and reveals himself to the heroes, if not the reader. I really wonder if it was a page-count thing or a conscious decision on Penders’ behalf to stretch the reveal of Archimedes out so damn long. Tiny stories like this really do nothing but irritate the reader and belabor the point. Soon enough, Archimedes would be revealed and Knuckles’ story could actually begin moving forward. Even though it’s only two pages long, “Prisoners” still features some very flat, awkward artwork. Penders really doesn’t know how to draw Mighty. Every time he appears in this story, his shape changes some.

Issue 32 wraps up with the second part of “Tundra Road,” the Rotor story that began the previous month. Rotor is rescued from the arctic waters by two members of the Arctic Freedom Fighters: Sealia and Augustus. Teaming up, they take the fight to Robotnik, sneaking into his base with the old Trojan Horse ploy. Though they wreck his base, Rotor’s family ends up on an ice floe, floating out into the ocean, still hypnotized. Instead of trying to rescue them, Rotor heads back to Knothole Village.

Yeah, “Tundra Road” ends on an odd question mark. I’m not sure why Rotor couldn’t have jumped into his submarine and pursued his family, protecting them until he can figure out how to cure them. I mean, I understand the real reason. Rotor can’t stay away from Knothole Village for too long, in case he’s needed for a story. Yet the hero leaving his mother, little brother, and friends alone to float through the wilderness seems awfully callous. Rotor teaming up with the Arctic Freedom Fighters is a natural story decision, considering the location. The Trojan Horse bit is a little odd. Personally, I wish “Tundra Road” could’ve had a third part. Or was expanded into a three issue mini-series, which I suspect might have been the original plan. It would’ve given Rotor more time to explore his situation and allow the story to have a proper conclusion. Instead, it had to be squeezed into two back-up stories. Rotor’s mom and little brother wouldn’t be mention for years afterwards.

The cover story isn’t bad but every tale in issue 32 is slightly strangled by the page count, trying to do too much in too little space. [6/10]