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 Boom: Issue 7

Sonic Boom: Issue 7
Publication Date: April 2015

By April of 2015, Archie’s Sonic titles were pretty much ready to head into “Worlds Unite.” The previous issues of “Sonic” and “Universe” were heavily foreshadowing the next Mega Man crossover by this point. Only one more regular issue remained before the crossover officially began. Everything was streamlined towards getting the Blue Blur and the Blue Bomber back together again... Except for goofy “Sonic Boom,” which was still wrapping up a two-parter about go-kart racing. Even then, an end-of-issue teaser sets up Sticks’ participation in the crossover.

The second part of “Everybody’s Super Sonic Racing”  – everybody wants a second chance, oh –   begins where the first left off: With Sonic plummeting to his doom. Luckily, Tails and the rest of his pals swoop in to save him. Back on track, Sonic decides he’s going to finish the race and beat Eggman on his own terms. The mad scientist, naturally, doesn’t take this very well. As a last ditch effort to smash the hedgehog, he transforms his kart into a killer spider robot.

The second part of “Everybody’s Super Sonic Racing” is as farcical as the first, obviously. However, I like the way “Sonic Boom” continues to sneak little character moments in alongside all the jokes. Sonic’s insistence on beating Robotnik under the rules they all agreed to, despite the villain’s own unwillingness to follow them, is a good display of his moral character. Yeah, he’s mostly doing it because he wants to humiliate the bad guy. But it says something about our spiny hero that playing by the rules is important to him. Sonic may be a snarky bastard but he still believes in upholding an ethical code.

Honestly, the same kinda applies to the book as well. By this point, many of the jokes in “Boom” are character based. Knuckles is always going to act before he thinks, leading to him tossing Sonic’s go-kart back onto the track. (And, in one of the issue’s funniest gags, leading to Sonic incoherently screaming his name.) Sonic will always think about going fast, which means he’ll sometimes smash his head on the stirring wheel. Sticks will always be delightfully screwy, such as the panel where she goes pure-badger on Eggman, flashing her fangs and attacking him face-to-face. This leads to another hilarious panel, where the sound effects simply say “badger noises.”

Most of all, the characters are going to stand by each other. At the end, Sonic gathers up his gang and tells them how their friendship is more important than winning any race. The book immediately lampshades this moment as corny, thanks to some off-panel commentary from Fastidious Beaver. And, yeah, it is. But sometimes you need to be corny. Comedy is funnier when you care about the characters. And you care about the characters when the characters care about each other.

Having said that, this issue still contains some strong meta gags. As he’s falling through the canyon in the beginning, Sonic attempts to grab an editor’s box. Yeah, this is essentially a repeat of a gag from last issue, where Sonic tripped over a caption box. But the joke is still fresh enough that it made me laugh. Afterwards, Sonic asks his friends how they had time to plan his rescue. Knuckles responds that they had a whole month between issues. At that point, Amy asks everyone to spot breaking the fourth wall, which they promptly do. It’s good that Flynn knows when to cut it out.

The artwork is still a very mixed affair. Once again, Jennifer Hernandez and Ryan Jampole are trading back and forth. Once again, it’s really easy to tell which pages Jen drew and which ones Ryan drew. Jampole still doesn’t have a clear grasp on the “Sonic” cast, a solid his renditions of them are still weirdly neckless and awkwardly posed. Then again, a two page spread halfway through the book, showing Sonic and Eggman navigating through some traps in big-headed chibi style, is obviously Hernandez’ work and looks pretty weird. Granted, even Jampole shows a base level competence. He’s not Ron Lim. But he’s definitely the weakest of the current slate of Archie artists.

So “Everybody’s Super Sonic Racing” is a funny little two-parter. Some of the other issue of “Boom” have been funnier but these two still got me to laugh, chuckle, or smile several times. It’s a bummer the next three issues get eaten by the “Worlds Unite” crossover and the series was canceled one issue after that. This book has really become a reliably fun read. [7/10]

Sonic/Mega Man Free Comic Book Day 2015

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Sonic Boom: Issue 6

Sonic Boom: Issue 6
Publication Date: April 2015

It’s so surprising to me that the old first issue gamble still works. You know what I mean: Relaunching a comic book series with a new number one issue. The prospector market for comics is dead and those DC New 52 number ones aren’t worth shit. Yet the big two still pull this crap all the time. I guess new readers are willing to jump on a new number one, in the hopes that’ll be a new beginning. Notably, Archie never performed this re-numbering scheme nearly as much, never re-launching the “Sonic” books even when they probably should’ve. I guess that’s why they devoted the cover of “Sonic Boom: Issue 6” to mocking the number one spiel. It’s kind of a messy, lame cover though, isn’t it?

Issue 6 begins a two-parter entitled “Everybody’s Super Sonic Racing.” Am I the only one who sings that to the tune of Loverboy? Anyway, Eggman sends a high-speed courier robot to deliver a message to Sonic. All the heroes are invited to participate in a friendly go-karting with the Doctor. Sticks is immediately suspicious and opts out. The others decide to see where this is going. Naturally, it’s a trap. Eggman has outfitted the go-carts with mysterious devices and littered the race track with traps.

When talking about “Sonic and Sega All-Star Racing” a while ago, I mentioned Nintendo’s “Mario Kart” series and the burning jealousy I imagine Sega felt towards it. Sega is still chasing that kart spin-off dream, since they are about to release another sure-to-be-mediocre racing game. There’s a big silly element that these (usually out-of-continuity) spin-offs ignore: Why is the hero and his most hated enemy going on a civil go-cart race together? It’s a logic gap this issue of “Sonic Boom” is designed to mock. Multiple times, the comic points out how ridiculous its entire premise is, even including a direct jab at the “Mario Kart” franchise.

So it’s a fruitful set-up for a comedy story. There’s a lot of amusing moments here, usually involving the various ways the racers crash. My favorite is Comedy Chimp. While racing, the devil on his shoulder encourages him to crash his kart, saying the tabloid attention it’ll get him will be worth any injuries. The angel on his other shoulder eagerly agrees with him, an amusing touch. Also funny is how Knuckles is taken out. Eggman has included a bomb-shaped robot among the racers. Knuckles later passes the machine and is so incensed by the other driver’s refusal to say hi that he ends up activating the bomb. This is the good kind of absurdity that “Sonic Boom” has become especially adapt at.

Not all the gags are as strong. Amy stopping her Kart because a line of (robotic) ducks is walking in front of her is amusing. If that gag had just gone on, if the parade of marching water fowl never ended, that would’ve been a good gag. Instead, the robo-geese turn hostile and attack Amy. Eehh, not as funny. I’m also not super fond of Orbot and Cubot taking each other out via bickering, though it is mildly amusing that Cubot’s airbag deploys after the crash.

I would’ve liked to have seen Sticks get involved in this craziness. However, her paranoia being correct for once – one hundred percent correct, it turns out – is both in-character and a solid joke. The meta gags of that nature are fairly strong in this issue. After Tails aimlessly slides off a cliff side, he breaks the fourth wall to explain different kinds of stupidity. A cute gag has Sonic tripping over his own introductory tag near the story’s beginning. That’s a clever way to break the traditional rules of comics. The “Ker-“ sound effect running gag continues and would be annoying if it wasn’t easy to ignore.

Once again, the art duties are being traded between Ryan Jampole and Jennifer Hernandez. As it was last time, there’s an easy way to figure out who drew which panels. If the characters look comfortable and expressive, if the action is funny and spiffy, that’s Hernandez. If the characters look stiff and awkward, if the action is flat and lifeless, that’s Jampole. This is most obvious in the panel where the cheetah-shaped courier-bot suddenly turns and runs away from Team Sonic. The way Jampole draws it makes it look like the cheetah-bot just randomly veers off to the left side of the panel.

While not as funny as the last few issues, “Sonic Boom” remains reliably entertaining with its sixth installment. It’s good to know when can always count on the silly versions of Sonic and the gang for some goofy, good-natured laughs. It’s a bummer there’s only five issues left and three of them are part of the “Worlds Unite” crossover. [7/10]

Sonic Boom: Issue 4

Sonic Boom: Issue 4
Publication Date: January 2015

Before I re-read the comics and write these reviews, dear readers, I usually look up the issue I’ll be covering today on either the Mobius Encyclopaedia or the Sonic News Network wiki. This is just to confirm I have the publication date correct or if there’s any pertinent trivia I need to include in my review. Upon reading the title, I noticed it was listed as “SticksTM and Stones.” I figured this was some sort of joke on the book’s behalf. “Sonic Boom” is fond of meta gags, after all. Nope, turns out Sega was just being especially anal retentive this week. When first introduced, all the characters have trademark symbols next to them. I guess that means, if I try to publish a book with the words knuckles, tails, or sticks in the title, I can expect a nasty letter from Sega’s legal department.

Anyway, “Sticks and Stones” begins with Eggman making his fourth consecutive attack in his Big Boy mech. He interrupts Sonic and the gang at lunch, because they honestly forgot they were suppose to fight the mad scientist on the beach today. Emboldened by this slight, Eggman proceeds to thrash the heroes. Sticks arrives with a simple stone and claims it to be the Rock of Justice, an ancient relic with magical properties against evil. Sonic and the others ignore Sticks’ claims but not everything is as it seems.

Sticks gets a satisfyingly absurd little character arc in this issue. After proclaiming the rock is magical, her friends ignore her. We’re treated to several amusing panels of her attempting to interest the others in the stone. When this fails, she just tosses the damn thing at Eggman, creating a chain reaction that destroys the Big Boy. Convinced the Rock of Justice really is magical, and that it’s magical strength has been used up, the heroes give it a proper burial.

This alone probably would have suited me just fine. It’s a simple and goofy story of Sticks’ friends undervaluing her but then remembering why she’s important to them, no matter how eccentric she may seem. The comic then throws in an amusingly absurd denouncement, where we discover the Rock of Justice really is just a meaningless stone. The comedic quasi-pathos from before are not invalidated but the ridiculous spirit of Sticks, as a character, is maintained. I’m probably reading too much into it but I like that this comic cares just as much about its characters as it does its jokes.

“Sticks and Stones” also continues issue three’s deft execution of physical sight gags. For their fourth battle with the Big Boy, Eggman has outfitted the armor with devices specifically designed to counteract the heroes’ abilities. These attributes get goofier as the issue goes on. The hidden springs and rear-mounted butt guns quickly give way to swatting Amy away with a giant tennis racket and deflecting Sonic with a massive sling-shot. These broader physical gags paired nicely with smaller ones, such as Knuckles attempting to shield himself with an umbrella or Sticks having to pause her heroic declaration because the Rock of Justice is too hot to hold.

Even the fourth wall leaning gags, usually the comic’s weakest comedic tendency, are getting better. Among the expected acknowledgment of logos and “Ker” sound effects are two sharp gags about the “Sonic” comics’ over-reliance on editor’s boxes. Their first appearance is followed by a taunt, directed at the readers, about how they should’ve expected them. Later, Sonic does the editor’s job for him, by referencing the issues the Big Boy previously appeared in dialogue. I guess I liked those two jokes because only longtime “Sonic” readers will really get them.

Before, I’ve talked about how the “Sonic Boom” cast are driven by their compulsions and obsessions. Sonic’s speed, Knuckles’ dumbness, Sticks’ insanity, etc. Issue four gives us some insight into Eggman’s obsession: His need to defeat Sonic. And it’s a very petty, emotional obsession. When he discovers the good guys forgot about their fight-date, Eggman mopes for a panel. Later, he considers just packing up and going home, his moment ruined by Sticks and the Rock’s arrival. Cubot and Orbot have to talk him into continuing the battle. This Eggman is childish and a little pathetic, someone who depends emotionally on being acknowledged by his rival. This contrast nicely with his grand designs as a super villain. It’s also much funnier than previous attempts to make Robotnik a comedic figure, which usually focused on his ego and fatness or just make him a buffoon.

The artwork is once again from Ryan Jampole and Jennifer Hernandez, though it’s not specified who did what this time. I suspect the artists traded off pages or something. Hernandez’ smoother and more energetic art characterizes most of the book, though you can still see Jampole’s somewhat awkward character work from time to time. The artwork highlight of the book is clearly the two page spread where Sticks throws the Rock, which then ricochets into the Big Boy. Instead of traditional panels, the action is depicted through a swirl of images, kind of like a James Bond barrel sequence. It’s a neat looking set of pages, for sure.

The first four issues of “Sonic Boom” form a loose story arc, with the Big Boy being Eggman’s primary weapon in each one. If this was the old days, this probably would’ve been a mini-series proceeding the main series’ publication. It’s nice to know Flynn is still acknowledging that habit, even if it was antiquated in 2015. I guess because there was already a TV show to pull from, the “Sonic Boom” comic found its identity much faster than any of Archie’s previous series. I hope it can keep up being this consistently amusing throughout its whole run. [7/10]

Sonic Boom: Issue 3

Sonic Boom: Issue 3
Publication Date: January 2015

Archie opened January with issue three of “Sonic Boom.” The book entering its first full year should’ve been the start of a lengthy run. I mean, if “Sonic X” could make it to forty issues, surely an actually entertaining book like this could run just as long. Instead, Archie’s “Sonic Boom” wouldn’t live beyond 2015. But let’s not bury the book just as it’s beginning. The series would continue to develop its absurdist voice in its third issue.

“Hammer Spaced” picks up where we left off last time, this goofy comedy book seeding the tiniest specks of continuity. Amy is still distraught over loosing her hammer. Like seriously distraught. Sonic and friends go about solving this problem in their own ways. Sonic, Knuckles, and Tails search the island while Sticks tries to introduce Amy to other weapons. Her hammer, meanwhile, is discovered by Cubot inside Eggman’s base, which quickly leads to some jealousy on Orbot’s behalf.

“Sonic Boom’s” humor continues to lean pretty hard on the self-aware and referential side of things. There’s still jokes about logos appearing in dialogue balloons, a running gag I’m a little tired of. Every sound effect is still proceeded by “ker,” though the book is drawing a lot less attention to it. There are some solid gags of this type though. The montage of the gang looking for Amy’s hammer is presented as a two-page spread, with a musical note informing us that this is a montage. The book also ends with Sticks addressing the book’s editor, telling them to cut it out with the overly long list of other Sonic titles Archie was publishing at that time. (Three monthlies, a magazine, a digest, and several trade paperback lines.) That made me chuckle.

There’s also some surprising references made throughout this issue. One that delighted me occurs early on. While Amy is freaking out, she tells Sonic that she was given a gift. She hammers. She hammers very well. For those unaware, that’s a callback to 1999 superhero comedy “Mystery Men.” It’s one of my favorite movies and among the most quotable films of all time but I didn’t expect a “Sonic” comic to reference a fifteen year old flop. While bemoaning his lot in life, Cubot also mentions Robotnik’s various other lackies. He obliquely refers to Scratch and Grounder, Snively, Bocoe and Decoe, and even “Sonic Underground’s” Sleet and Dingo. Some of the kids reading this book definitely did not know who all those characters were.

Issue three pairs this stuff with some solid physical comedy. Pratfalls usually don’t work very well in the comic medium. Without the motion of live action or animation, it’s hard to make that stuff pop. However, “Hammer Spaced” manages to pull gags with some goofy artwork and good timing. Amy’s attempt to master Sticks’ boomerang leads to her whacking herself. When the badger hands her a staff, the comic employs that classic gag of someone accidentally whacking people. It’s an old gag but, I don’t know, I laughed.

The subplot about Cubot and Orbot bickering over Amy’s hammer is more varied. Cubot going all Gollem over the hammer did nothing for me. Orbot tells Cubot that he must turn the hammer into Eggman but, the minute he’s pressed on it, he admits he just wants the cool thing because it’s cool. I liked that. I also like Eggman’s pre-villainy warm-up, which includes doing squats, posting to Twitter, and shoving an animesque slice of toast in his mouth.

The artwork in issue three is technically provided by two people. Ryan Jampole is credited with breakdowns while Jennifer Hernandez handled finishes. The result is an odd fusion of their two styles. Some panels, especially those dedicated to the robots, look like Jampole’s blocky and static work. Others feature Hernandez’ bright, crisp, and cheerfully cartoony lines.

What I’m finding myself liking the most about the “Sonic Boom” comic is how comfy it is. Compared to the usual drama and strife of the main book, this is a comic with decidedly low stakes. While the comedy is extra zany, the characters seem to mostly spend their time just hanging out with each other. It really captures what’s nice about sitcoms: The characters are fun to be around, the comedy is light and amusing, and everyone leaves in a good mood. I never thought that would be a good fit for the “Sonic” franchise but it’s already working pretty well. [7/10]

Sonic the Hedgehog: Issue 263

Sonic the Hedgehog: Issue 263
Publication Date: August 2014

If you didn’t know Chaos was going to make a surprise appearance in issue 263 of Archie’s “Sonic” comic, the final part of the “Waves of Change” arc, the cover ruins that. Honestly, I have a lot of questions about Ben Bates’ otherwise very dynamic cover. Chaos seems to have generated a waterspout around Meropis, a really cool idea that absolutely does not happen in the actual comic book. That seems to have provided enough lift to levitate Amy and Rotor into the air, as they’re just posing blankly many feet above the ground. Sonic, meanwhile, is surfing on a gush of water from Chaos’ arm. This is despite his body language in no way correlating with an upward motion. It’s one of those covers that appears super cool until you actually take a long look at it and realize it makes no fucking sense.

So how about the plot of “Waves of Change: Part Four - Divine Waters?” Meropis is under siege from the Dark Gaia monsters. Razor and Amy try to protect the Temple, while Coral continues to try to manifest the magic bubble around the city. Meanwhile, Sonic and Rotor fumble on the ocean floor, as their air charms run out and a huge monster wails on them. Luckily, Coral is contacted by float-y spirit echidna Tikal. She summons Chaos to save Sonic and Rotor. And everything pretty much works out okay after that.

“Divine Waters” wraps up the “Waves of Changes” arc in ridiculously tidy fashion. Not a single plot point set up in the last three issues is left unresolved. Captain Striker forgives Coral, which he shows by sending Echo the Dolphin and a squad of soldiers to protect the temple. Queen Angelica and King Puff reappear just to apologize about being such assholes. The temple Chao re-emerges and the magical rites are performed, rising the shields and saving Meropis. The Freedom Fighters even get a farewell gift of a shit ton of Power Rings, which is apparently what fuels the Sky Patrol. Sonic and the gang didn’t find a Gaia Temple but Amy has now learned the Mystic Melody, which will help locate the temples quicker... Somehow. It’s like Flynn had a check list of things he had to do before finishing this one. It’s clean but comes awfully close to feeling contrived.

And no element is more contrived than the sudden appearance of Tikal and Chaos, a textbook and almost literal deus ex machina. They appear out of nowhere and resolve the heroes’ problems. Chaos saves Sonic and Rotor by zapping big air bubbles around them. You know this is a cheat because the heroes would have absolutely died if the soggy god hadn’t intervene. Ian painted himself into a corner and had to summon the god out of the machine to get out. There’s some bullshit about how the bad juju in the water, from Dark Gaia leaking its shit everywhere, kept Tikal from getting to the temple sooner. That’s Flynn’s sole attempt to justify this random ass plot solution. It’s sloppy, sloppy writing and Ian is better than that.

With such a contrived ending, the emotional state of the characters is all we’re left to cling to. There’s some cute banner between Sonic and Razor at the end, as well as an almost flirtatious exchange with Rotor. Mostly, it’s nice to see Coral – who has spent most of the arc as a nervous wreck – feeling better by the end. Tikal appears and gives her both a magical boost and a pep talk. I guess a goddess materializing in my house and assuring me I’m doing a good job would make me feel better too. Sonic leaves Meropis in a considerably better place than when he arrived. I just wish it felt more natural.

Aleah Baker continues her run in the back pages with “Consequences,” a direct follow-up to “A Light in the Dark.” The two Egg Bosses responsible for watching over the crystal cave mining job, deer sisters Clove and Cassia, arrive at the location. They find a bunch of wrecked robots, and a taunting message from the Freedom Fighters, but no Chaos Emerald. Clove has to inform Eggman of their failures, but he has more pressing concerns.

Story wise, there’s not much to “Consequences.” The main plot point is Eggman discovering Sally stole some pertinent documents when she was aboard the Death Egg. Instead, this story is about introducing Clove and Cassia. Continuing Flynn’s post-reboot goal of introducing more funny animal diversity, they’re two cool looking pronghorn deer. It’s immediately apparent they are not working for Robotnik because they like it. Little sister Cassia has robotic implants. It’s hinted that Eggman provided this upgrade in return for the sisters’ loyalty. So right out of the gate, Clove is more complex than most of this book’s villains. She is motivated by her concerns for her sibling, which is subtly hinted at here, while Cassia is eager to break loose following a long period of illness. It’s fascinating stuff. The only disappointing part of “Consequences” is that Flynn would not use Clove and Cassia nearly enough before the comic was canceled.

Let’s talk about the book’s artwork. Ryan Jampole, last seen during “Worlds Collide,” draws the cover story. As seen last time, Jampole’s artwork is a bit stiff. His action scenes frequently lack a sense of movement. His characters are a bit awkward, all of them looking a little too long-limbed. His backgrounds are often blank and uninteresting, usually composed of plain colors. But it’s serviceable. Evan Stanley draws “Consequences”and it’s much better. Stanley’s artwork is detailed and expressive, Clove and Cassia really coming to life. (I also suspect Stanley drew the last page of the cover story, which re-introduces two fan favorites, and looks nothing like Jampole’s work.)

But there is one piece of artwork from Stanley this month that I do not care for. Stanley provides this month’s alternate cover, which I don’t usually talk about. Against a searing cotton candy pink background, she has re-imagined the Freedom Fighters as Chao. And the results are deeply unpleasant to look at. Squeezing these recognizable features onto the spherical Chao bodies, with their huge eyes and weird stubby limbs, is not cute. The added detail of gaping mouths makes this more unnerving than cute. Thankfully, it’s just a little gag image and has nothing to do with the issue itself.

As for the comic itself, the cover story is a disappointing conclusion to an arc that had a promising start. The back-up is pretty good though. Let’s round it up to a [6/10.]

Sonic: Lost World

Sonic: Lost World
Publication Date: October 2013

I know what you’re thinking. “Zack, tonight is New Year's Eve. Why are you reviewing a comic book with the word “Halloween” on the cover? Do you really start planning for your favorite holiday the day at the end of the year?” To answer your question, haha, I start planning for next Halloween on November 1st. As for this comic book, “Sonic: Lost World” was Archie’s entry into 2013’s Halloween Comic Fest, which is kind of like Free Comic Book Day except in October and also you have to pay for the comics. (As far as I can tell, this is also the only time Archie participated in Halloween Comic Fest.)

As for why I’m reviewing this comic in the ass end of December, it really doesn’t have anything to do with Halloween. There’s some monsters in it, but they are generic, Pokémon looking things and not remotely spooky. So nothing about it especially jives with the Christmas holiday. I’m also reviewing these comics roughly in the order they came out and this special appeared at this point in the series’ chronology. So, fuck it, it’s the last day of the year and I’m reviewing a sort of, kind of Halloween special. Deal with it.

Anyway! “Sonic: Lost World” begins with a Eggman discovering a continent floating in the sky. It’s neither Angel Island nor Little Planet but a new world called Lost Hex, because the Sonic-verse is overrun with floating landmasses. Eggman decides to exploit this new location, like he always does. He’s countered by Zavok, the leader of Lost Hex’s native species, the Zeti. Eggman quickly subdues the technokinetic beast with a magical conch shell he literally pulls out of nowhere. Utilizing the Zetis as his new shock troops, Eggman begins rounding up animals for his takeover of Lost Hex. Sonic and Tails follow the fat man to the new world, setting up an adventure you’ll have to buy the video game to see the rest of.

Yes, “Sonic: Lost World” is another one of the those comic stories produced solely to advertise Sega’s new video game. An exclusive to the Wii and 3DS, the game was apparently not very good, saddled with an awkward control mechanic and a dumbass story. The comic basically plays out like one of Flynn’s “Another Time, Another Place” stories, the quickly thrown together script acting as a prequel to the game’s plot.  Despite that, Flynn has said this story is canon to the comic’s main plot, taking place at an undetermined point in the future. Presumably, he had plans for the Zetis after he wrapped up the Shattered World Crisis. That never came to be but he did use them in the next “Mega Man” crossover.

Those Zetis were “Lost World’s” primary contribution to Sonic lore. Like all new additions to Sonic’s cast, fan reaction was divisive. Most found them to be lame but a few immediately clung to them. (Years later, only the disconcertingly curvy female, Zeena, seems to have made much of an impact. For obvious, pervy reasons.) I’m utterly ambivalent to the Zetis. They have boring designs that barely fit the “Sonic” style. Each one gets some gimmicky superpower, such as Zevok’s ability to control machines. Besides that, their personalities are one-note, easily deduced from their appearances. Zavok is the only one we really meet in this issue and he makes no impression on me whatsoever.

The only time Zavok is interesting at all is when Eggman forces him to grovel, following his use of that inexplicable conch shell. The proud Zeti doesn’t take this indignity well. The bad guy formally known as Robotnik is unusually sassy in this outing. Finding a new world to subjugate and exploit puts him in a very chipper mood. Even after Sonic gets on his trail, he remains grinning and chuckling. It’s fun to see the villain in such an upbeat, hammy mood.

Eggman’s glorious villainy is pretty much the only thing this comic has going for it. Sonic and his friends are reduced to their most basic versions here. Sonic is fast and quibby. Tails does machines and responses to his friend’s sarcasm. Knuckles is short-tempered and prone to punching. Amy is super girly and bonds with the animals. The world they live in blank and nondescript. This is the broadest, blandest version of Sonic’s world possible. Which, sadly, makes it pretty in line with Sega’s vision at the time and possibly even now.

The artwork is from Ryan Jampole, whose only prior “Sonic” artwork was during “Worlds Collide.” Jampole’s Eggman looks pretty great. The artist gives him a dignified air until his temper gets the best of him, at which point he twists into a crazy cartoon figure. His Zetis are fine, like right out of the Sega artwork, and his Badniks look really cute. However, his depiction of Sonic and friends are super lifeless. Their facial expressions are bland and his action scene lack any energy. So it’s a split decision in the artwork department.

And, like I said, “Lost World” lacks any zip as a holiday special. I think Archie dropped this thing when it did strictly because it lined up with the release of the video game. The comic itself is forgettable and lacking meat, much like the video game it’s based on. One or two funny Eggman moment is pretty much the only thing entertaining about it at all. By the way, if you missed this one-shot when it first came out, it was reprinted in issue 9 of “Sonic Super Special Magazine.” Its cover says it’s a “super collector’s issue!” [5/10]

Oh yeah, by the way, happy New Year. See you in 2019, true believers.

Mega Man: Issue 25

Mega Man: Issue 25
Publication Date: May 2013

The Archie’s way of doing things had change a lot by 2013 but one thing remained consistent: Their need to give their series an anniversary issue every two years. Most comic companies barely acknowledge the 25th issue or even the fiftieth. Then again, “Mega Man” reaching 25 issue was kind of a big deal for this series. According to Flynn, “Mega Man” was on the verge of cancellation before the “Worlds Collide” crossover. Afterwards, it would run for another two years.

Part four of “Worlds Collide” is subtitled “Through the Looking Glass,” which is presumably a reference to Lewis Carrol and not “JFK” or “The Simpsons.” Sonic and Mega Man’s fight continues through Mega City. However, the two quickly realize they are both heroes and that they are being duped by their greatest enemies. At that point, Eggman and Wily order Tails Man to attack. After Mega Man and Sonic return the fox to normal, the villains change their strategy and kidnap Dr. Light.

From the cover on down, it really seems like part four of “Worlds Collide” is going to be about Sonic and Mega Man fighting, continuing the brawl that started in the previous part. The issue even begins by declaring this the start of round two. And the fight goes on for a few pages. Mega Man evens the odds a little with the help of his robotic pets: Rush the dog, Tango the cat, and Beat the weird bird thing. (Sonic still doesn’t seem that endangered though.) Those hoping for a definitive answer to the “Who Would Win?” debate are going to be disappointed. This issue marks the part of the crossover were the heroes cease fighting and begin teaming up

Naturally, there’s a tedious element to this revelation. While running through a traffic jammed intersection, the two begin to talk. After a minute of conversation, Mega Man learns that Sonic isn’t linked to the bank robbery and Sonic learns that Mega Man didn't kidnap his friends. That they’ve both been tricked. Gee, if only they had taken the time to ask each other one question before they started blasting away. However, Flynn puts a little more work into it than that. After Tails Man attacks, some innocent bystanders get blown away. Both heroes notice each other saving civilians, realizing neither can be all bad. That’s a much more natural way of the two learning both of them are good guys. I wish Flynn had led with that instead of the two just getting over their jocko need to punch each other.

Flynn also brings both characters’ supporting cast together in this issue, which leads to some amusing humor. Roll’s reaction to seeing Sonic and Tails is quiet bafflement, which got a chuckle out of me. Sonic continues to tease the more straight-laced Mega Man throughout the issue too, which is definitely in keeping with his personality. Tails even apologize for his friend’s hyperactive nature. This even leads to some character development, when Sonic is too flippant about Dr. Light’s kidnapping and realizes he was being a dick.

The book still delivers the action though. As the silly as the idea of Mega Man having a SWAT team of animal sidekicks is, they do shake up the conflict. Tango rolls into a buzz saw, prompting Sonic to say that’s his move, and Rush gives Mega Man the ability to fly. Once Tails Man attacks, he reveals he can shoot huge gusts of wind. That also leads to some cool panels of the heroes leaping around scattering cars. Sadly, Tails Man is too easily defeated. One blast from Mega Man’s lemon shooter is enough to destabilize him.

I’ve been somewhat critical of the artwork in the crossover and I want to clarify that. None of the art has been bad, thus far. There are no Ron Lim or Many Hands level eyesores here. Mostly, I’ve been critical of the art because I know Jamal Peppers can do better. Peppers draws the first ten pages here. While his artwork is fine – energetic even, as in the panels were Sonic leaps on Beat’s head or when Wily and Eggman are freaking out –  I still thought it was Yardley at first. The rest of the book is illustrated by Ryan Jampole. Jampole’s work is also totally acceptable but it’s clear he’s still learning to draw the Sonic characters. A few times, it looks like Sonic has no neck, his head just resting on his shoulders, and his arms are awkwardly jutting out of his torso, instead of having shoulders.

Well, “Worlds Collide” is getting better. After a very shaky start, the crossover is finally finding a more entertaining rhythm. Getting through the boring set-up and to the two casts actually interacting improves things considerably. I just wish Flynn could have found a more natural solution to getting these buys to fight. [7/10]

Sonic the Hedgehog/Mega Man FCBD 2013

Sonic the Hedgehog/Mega Man FCBD 2013
Publication Date: May 2013

Ah, the crossover. It’s a tradition with a long history in comics, nearly as old as the medium itself. The first crossover in comics occurred in 1940 when the Golden Age Human Torch and Namor the Submariner slugged it out in the pages of Marvel Mystery Comics #8. (That crossover was also, more or less, the origin point of the wider Marvel Universe.) Since then, characters meeting, fighting, and teaming-up has been an essential part of the comic book experience. Not even fictional universes becoming more defined and companies becoming more stringent has prevented crossovers from happening, as inter-company team-ups still occur fairly regularly. A good recent example are the various Ninja Turtles/Batman crossovers DC and IDW have done.

Archie has happily gotten in on this game before but the results have usually been... Stranger. I’m talking about shit like “Archie Meets the Punisher” or its modern follow-ups, where the Riverdale gang met the Predator, KISS, the Ramones, and whoever the fuck the people on “Glee” were. Archie’s attempts to build crossover events with the “Sonic” characters have been even less well received. The crossover with a bunch of random Image superheroes is widely considered one of the worst Archie Sonic stories. The hedgehog’s team up with the company’s own Sabrina the Teenage Witch was ignored by most people and scorned by those that did read it.

So it’s no surprise that Archie’s Sonic books took a long break from crossovers after that. But that was going to change in 2013. This was a different era. By that time, Archie was also publishing a comic book based on Capcom’s long running and iconic Mega Man video games. Ian Flynn was also writing this series. Considering their mutual statuses as video game series about robot-smashing little blue guys with mad scientist archenemies, fans have often paired the two characters. We know Flynn is a huge fucking nerd, so I imagine he began pitching a crossover between the two books from the minute Archie received the Mega Man license.

The stodgy Sega and Capcom execs must have approved the idea by 2013. “Worlds Collide” would play out over that summer, in the pages of “Mega Man,” the main “Sonic” book, and “Sonic Universe.” The crossover would technically start in the series’ shared Free Comic Book Day edition from that year. That’s what the cover, referring to itself as Worlds Collide Part 0, would have you believe. In fact, the FCBD edition would just reprint half of both series’ most recent issues. Both end with white light fade outs, signaling the interruption of both series’ ongoing plots and the beginning of the event.

Before we can talk about “Worlds Collide,” we need to talk about the Mega Man series. Or, at least, my relationship to it. As a kid, I was definitely aware of the games. I played a friend’s copy of “Mega Man 2” on my Gameboy during a misbegotten summer camp excursion. My best friend in middle school was a pretty big fan of “Mega Man Legends.” I have vague memories of the Saturday morning cartoon show. Mostly of its anime-esque opening sequence and catchy theme song. (Which Flynn repeatedly references here.) Not so much the actual show which, by most accounts, is pretty bad. I definitely enjoyed playing as Mega Man and Roll in “Marvel vs. Capcom.” I like a couple of the Protomen’s songs. But, for the most part, my attempts to get invested in the “Mega Man” franchise have not been successful.

Despite my ongoing ambivalence to Capcom’s mascot series, when Archie’s comic adaptation was announced, I decided to give it a shot. Mostly because Patrick Spaziante was penciling the first four issues and because I like Flynn, I guess. I read the first story arc. I found the plot to be repetitive and the characters to be childish. After Spaz left the series with issue 5, I quickly dropped the book. My experience is not typical though. Flynn’s work on “Mega Man” received the kind of mainstream critical acclaim that his “Sonic” run never achieved. A lot of people really love this book. So much so that, when Archie announced its cancellation extended hiatus, there was quite of bit of fan outcry.

So, what I’m trying to say is, I want to go into this “Worlds Collide” re-read with an open mind. The Mega Man half of this FCBD edition reprints half of issue 23 of Mega Man.The story is entitled “For the Bot That Has Everything,” though that information isn’t in this comic book. It depicts Break Man – who is actually Mega Man’s robotic “brother” Protoman – attacking Mega Man. The Robotic Masters – former soldiers of the evil Dr. Wily that Mega Man has converted to the side of good – attempt to help out but are quickly defeated. Just as Mega Man has cornered Break Man and is about to unmask him, the Super Genesis Wave sweeps through the comic.

As a Mega Man novice, what do I think of this? Well, there seems to be some decent emotion here. The rivalry between Mega Man and Protoman has a nice mythic quality to them. It's elaborated upon a little in the data files in the back, but part of Protoman's switching sides is based in the jealousy he feels for Rock and Roll, his more perfect “siblings.” We get a glimpse at Protoman's inner turmoil, as he has a chance to finish Mega Man but, remembering the good times he had with their dad, decides not too. I also like how increasingly pissed off Mega Man gets at his enemy, as he continues to tear apart his friends. (Including his transforming robot dog, Rush, who is a hell of a lot more charming than T-Pup.)

However, one of the problems I had with “Mega Man” when I first read it are still apparent. As Mega Man is fighting Protoman, the Robot Masters attempt to help out. Most of these guys speak strictly in puns. Cut-Man, especially, seems to communicate solely with scissor-related wordplay. Even when he's been seriously damaged and the situation is grave, the other Robot Masters seem to have little personality beyond their various abilities and superpowers. This is also an action heavy story. Since I have zero emotion attachment to these characters, the violence means pretty much nothing to me.

There was some crossover in artists between “Sonic” and “Mega Man.” Ben Bates, Jamal Peppers and Tyson Hesse drew a few stories, with Matt Herms working as colorist for most of the series. Ryan Jampole, a regular artist on “Mega Man,” pencils this specific issue. Jampole seems pretty good at this. His facial expressions are cartoony and communicative. Everyone seems to be on-model, as far as I can tell. However, his action strikes me as a little stiff and hard-to-follow. There's a moment where Break Man scoops up Bomb Man's, uh, bombs with his shield and throws them back. In execution, it looks more like the bombs are gently rolling into Break Man's shield, which just happens to be sitting there.

So what does this Free Comic Book Day special offer faithful Sonic fans? Pretty much nothing. The reprinted pages from issue 247 are exactly the same. Considering I just reviewed that issue on Friday, I don't feel a need to rehash my thoughts on it. Besides that, there's a little section to catch new readers up on the general factoids of Sonic's world. The artwork here is all recycled from the Complete Comic Encyclopedia. It's very apparent that this FCBD special was done to promote “Worlds Collide” and to catch up readers from one series that do not follow the other one. Though it's hard to imagine hardcore Mega Man readers being lured to “Sonic” by half a story so entrenched in the comic's then on-going plots. (Though I guess that wouldn't matter after the reboot, would it?)

As far as Free Comic Book Day issues go, this is definitely one of Archie's lazier ones. Reprinting brand new stories really strikes me as a bizarre strategy. So I don't think it's even fair to rate 2013's this FCBD one-shot. It wouldn't really be ethical for me to put a number on this “Mega Man” story, when I only read half of it. And I have almost no familiarity with the series around it, for that matter. Then again, only getting part of the story never stopped Rex Reed so, eeeeh, I guess this gets a [6/10].