Princess Sally (Mini-Series): Issue 3

 
Princess Sally (Mini-Series): Issue 3
Publication Date: April 1995

The “Princess Sally” mini-series started strong, faltered slightly in the middle chapter, and ends… Better then it could’ve. Sally and the team begin their raid on Robotropolis, blasting SWATBots and marching straight into Robotnik’s stronghold. This, turns out, is a trap. The entire concept of the three power stations was nothing but a ruse, in order to replace Sally with an Auto Automaton, a nearly perfect robotic copy, and robotocize the real deal. However, the Freedom Fighters have been onto Robotnik’s con from the beginning and are well on their way to subverting it.

 
Maybe it’s different when you’re a kid. As an adult, it’s pretty easy to see through the dramatic contrivances of “Deadliest of the Species: Conclusion.” The whole vest switching gag clued us in that Sally had been replaced with a double. A panel in the last issue foreshadowed Geoffrey St. John’s status as a double agent, only pretending to betray the Freedom Fighters while actually betraying Robotnik. This leaves few surprises, though the ones that remain are mildly successful. When the Auto Automaton is placed in the roboticizer, it friggin’ explodes. That answers a question I think most Sonic fans have had. Secondly, the exact details of Robotnik’s plot was interesting. The entire power station, ground defense thing being a ruse was cleaver. If nothing else, Ivo’s ploy here was hella’ villainous. Gotta give props to that.

With the plot being relatively predictable, the action and the characters become the reason to read this. The action is decent. Sally and gang blast SWATBots with paint guns, I guess because actual guns would’ve been out of the question. (Though huge explosions are okay, apparently. What, they couldn’t use laser guns or something instead?) That’s silly but it does emphasize how endangered Sally and the others are. I also like the sequence where Hamlin nearly falls to his death. It was dramatic. Ken and Mike obviously wanted to introduce a new robotic threat in every issue. Part three contributes the Stealth Bots, giant machines with cloaking abilities. Disappointingly, they don’t do much and their designs aren’t very interesting. Still, it ends on an upbeat. Issue 3 repeats the gag from the prologue, where the counting numbers are displayed on the page, which is decent at building up suspense.

As for the characters, part three does maybe the best of the mini-series. For the first time, we get a bead on Dylan’s personality. He’s a bit verbose and Penders’ overdone dialogue finds a natural home in Dylan’s lips. Hamlin finally develops some damn humanity after Sally saves his hide. (Or would that be rind?) Disappointingly, Arlo and Penelope remain off-page for most of this story, their personalities remaining thin sketches. This issue also introduces the Mobius Underground who are, in a funny visual pun, groundhogs.

 
Despite an obvious conclusion, the last part of “Deadliest of the Species” functions all right. Up until the end anyway. The last five pages of the book are devoted to unpacking the plot, explaining Geoffrey’s double-agent-ery and every last detail of the scheme. (It also, in a bit of unintentional humor, points out the different colored vests. Stupid Robotnik! Robotocize the one in the blue vest, not the purple!) This is tedious and mostly unnecessary. If it had to be done, I’d rather get a one-page info dumb instead of a torturous epilogue of this length. It’s similar to the psychiatrist in “Psycho,” blandly explaining shit we already figured out.

The final page is still one of the most enticing in any Archie “Sonic” comic. As Sally and Geoffrey part ways, he gives her a passionate smooch. In her interior monologue, she explains that she is developing feelings for him. While this comic has not always handled romantic triangles well, I’ll admit to always liking the Sally/Sonic/St. John one. Geoffrey has the same reckless and roguish quality as Sonic, proving that Sally definitely has a type. But the skunk as a refined, exotic, and more professional quality to him, that the brass hedgehog lacks. Their kiss provides a romantic, emotional note to take the series out on.

So the “Princess Sally” mini-series had its’ ups-and-downs. I’m still glad it exists. That a character who, in time, would be relegated to a footnote could actually carry her own comic at any point makes me awfully happy. The letters column begs the readers to send in notes, demanding a “Sally” on-going series. It wasn’t to be. I wonder what that would have been like. Though Sally isn’t as strong without Sonic so maybe it’s for the best. As for the solo series, I’m a somewhat reluctant fan. If nothing else, Art Mawhinney’s pencils are consistently great. [7/10]

Princess Sally (Mini-Series): Issue 2

 
Princess Sally (Mini-Series): Issue 2
Publication Date: March 1995

Issue 2 of the “Princess Sally” mini-series disappointingly retreads a lot of the same ground as the first issue. Sally, St. John, and her team of Freedom Fighters set their eyes on the third and final power station. Located on an atoll and inaccessible by land or sea, the two instead drop in from the skies. Arlo is shot down in the landing and Penelope stays after him. Sally and the team successfully destroy the station, battling the giant robot guarding it. As night falls, there’s still no sign of Arlo or Penelope, Geoffrey’s shaky allegiances comes into question, and Sally’s fate is up in the air.

So, yeah, part 2 of “Deadliest of the Species” follows a very similar outline to part one. In both, Hamlin and Geoffrey argue. In both, the team sneaks into a dangerous location, guarding by automatic weapons. In both, they are beset by a giant robotic threat once inside. Both end with a mysterious sequence set inside some strange building.

However, as a rip-off of Penders’ own work, part two still functions alright. The Octo-Pod, a grotesque robotic combination of octopus and insect, is certainly a more threatening presence then the buffoonish Orb-Bots. The air drop with the hang gliders is a good sequence and features some of the series’ snappiest dialogue. Like the first part, the focus is still on action and upward-moving pacing. So there’s no slow moments in issue 2. Though lacking slightly in freshness, it’s still a satisfying action story.

Mostly, the heart of the tale emerges in two ways. First, there’s Sally’s thoughts for her team mates. The new Freedom Fighters are still a thinly defined bunch. The opening page describes the personality of everyone. Hamlin is a hot-headed prick. Penelope is friend to the animals. Arlo would sacrifice anything for his friends. Dylan is young and thoughtful in both mind and heart. Okay, sure. There’s not much evidence of that in this story. However, Sally’s decision to not stay behind for Arlo when he’s injured is interesting. It shows that the character is a military leader and sacrifices sometimes have to be made in combat. The comic also draws attention to how it’s not an easy decision for her to make. The two’s disappearance also adds some dramatic tension to the book’s latter half.

And then there’s the issue of Geoffrey St. John. The story continues to emphasize his skills as a badass. He successfully blows up the Octo-Pod. (This scene also shows Penders’ weakness for team writing. Sally and Geoff dominate the action. Everyone else just hangs out.) However, we still aren’t sure if we can trust him. The final pages show the skunk offering Sally’s body to Robotnik, foiling the team’s planned assault on Robotropolis. However, a smart reader can identify this as a red herring. One panel hints at too much. St. John had traded Sally with some sort of double, this all being part of a plan to subvert Robotnik. Once again, Penders has a bad habit of showing too much of his hand, spoiling any dramatic tension.

So part 2 isn’t as good as part 1. It’s still a reasonably successful story with some decent attempts at emotional heart but much of the excitement has started to drain away. Art Mawhinney’s artwork is typically great and continues to provide a lot of pleasure to this series. Will “Deadliest of the Species” end on an up-note? Find out next time! [7/10]

Princess Sally (Mini-Series): Issue 1

 
Princess Sally (Mini-Series): Issue 1
Publication Date: February 1995

These days, Princess Sally is relegated to an obscure corner of the “Sonic” fandom, composed of devotees to the comics, folks still holding a candle for “SatAM,” and hardcore furries. Most people dismiss her in favor of the damnable Amy Rose, the inferior pre-fab Sonic love interest. That makes it hard to imagine a time when Sally was probably the fourth most important Sonic character. Though Amy Rose was introduced in America in 1993, the character wouldn’t truly go over for quite some time. For many years, Sally was the female lead of the Sonic franchise.

Sega was so determined to popularize Sally that they even commissioned Archie to launch a three issue mini-series about her. (This is according to Dan Drazen, the original grumpy old man of the Sonic fandom, anyway.) Ken Penders and Mike Kanterovich, who had already done a lot of work with the character, were selected as the writers. Their initial pitch involved Sally discovering an underground civilization of roboticized Mobians, led by her mother, Queen Alicia. This idea was scrapped, either by Sega or Archie, late enough in the game that promos in the magazine gave us a peak at the cover art designed for the original story. The final comic would go in a totally different direction.

“Deadliest of the Species” Part 1 begins with a short recap of the back-up story from “Sonic” Issue 20. Sally and Geoffrey St. John barely escape a SWATBot ambush, exploding the factory at the last minute. In the woods, the Princess regroups with her team of back-up Freedom Fighters. She reveals the plan to them: Robotropolis is protected by an on-ground defense system. The team’s objective is to knock out the three energy stations that provide power to the system. The first was destroyed in the opening scene. The team marches into the second, facing great danger.

I actually really like the first issue of “Princess Sally.” It’s a straight-forward action story with propulsive pacing that doesn’t pause for much else. We begin with action, with Sally and Geoffrey firing back at SWATBots. Quickly, the team is inside the second station, Sally tossing a grenade inside, decimating hordes of SWATBots. A pair of giant Orb-Bots (thankfully unrelated to Orbot) appear and merely take the team down. Quick thinking on Sally’s part destroys the first one while the other falls into a ravine, like a stupid asshole. The tone is so similar to an action movie, that the characters even drop cheesy one-liners like “SWATBots always going to pieces!” or “Looks like fall came a little bit early!” Those are pretty painful, though it’s better if you imagine Arnold Schwarzenegger saying them. Mostly, “Princess Sally” #1 is so focused on pushing its story ahead, that there’s not even much time for tortured Penders-iffic dialogue.

Another element the story accomplishes is successfully introducing a new batch of characters. Geoffrey St. John would remain a divisive figures among Sonic fans, with people calling him everything from annoying to a rapist. If he comes off as slightly sleazy, that’s because he was probably suppose to. In my head, anyway, he sounds a lot like Bond-era Sean Connery. He works well enough in this story. He makes for a decent foil for Sally, trading amusing battlefield banter with her. His antagonistic attitude with the other Freedom Fighters also works well. Though Geoffrey and Hamlin act like pricks to each other for little to no reason, these scenes help cast doubts on Geoffrey’s alliances. It makes him a slightly ambiguous character, one we’re not totally sure we can trust. It adds some complexity to what is otherwise a simple story.

(This issue doesn’t give much space to the other Freedom Fighters. Hamlin is hot-headed, Dylan seems young, Arlo and Penelope aren’t even that developed. But I like them anyway. They’re colorful and interesting and shows us that there’s more to the Freedom Fighters then what we’re used to seeing.)

That ambiguity is important. Half-way through the issue, Sally is suddenly wearing a purple vest, instead of her usual blue. This is a sign that something is amiss. The story ends with an atmospheric set of dialogue-free pages – more excellent work from Art Mawhinney – that shows something is definitely up with Sally and Geoffrey. What exactly is going on will be revealed in the rest of the mini-series. But it’s a good hook to take us out on, guaranteeing that readers will grab up the next issue.

Exciting action, a fun cast of characters, great artwork, and a story that doesn’t mess around combines to make “Deadliest of the Species” Part 1 an early Archie gem. The only reason it doesn’t get a nine is for only being the first part of the story and for how stupid that one Orb-Bot was. How does one miss a canyon right in front of them? Stupid robot. [8/10]

Sonic the Hedeghog: Issue 20

 
Sonic the Hedgehog: Issue 20
Publication Date: December 1994

Issue 20 of Archie’s “Sonic the Hedgehog” series holds a special place in my heart. I loved this issue as a kid. A few of my childhood issues are missing their covers simply because I didn’t take the best care of my comics when I was really young. Issue 20 is in tatters because I couldn’t stop reading it. I can recall one time when my older sister, in order to annoy and upset me, threw this comic behind the couch. I don’t know why Issue 20 resonated with me so much. I’ll attempt to parse out why below. This comic isn’t responsible for fanning my love of Sonic but it definitely kept the flames going.

  
Sonic and Sally rush into a Robotropolis factory – in a way not totally dissimilar to SatAM’s opening sequence – in order to destroy the doctor’s new Anti-Matter Machine. The machine ends up being a ruse. The metal door slams shut behind Sally, trapping Sonic inside. When he applies the bomb to the device, he thinks he has plenty of time to escape. He doesn’t. The bomb explodes, the factory is destroyed, and Sonic seemingly goes with it. The Freedom Fighters can’t mourn for too long. In their grief, they plot a suicide mission to take down Robotnik. Sonic, however, isn’t dead. The Anti-Matter device has only made him non-corporal and invisible. Will he be able to return to the land of the living before his friends seal their own fates?
 

“That’s the Spirit” isn’t without the silly excesses common to this era of Sonic. The memorial statue carved for Sonic is very comical looking. In order to prove to himself that he’s not dead, Sonic jumps on a very confused moose’s back. While still ghost-like, Sonic haunts Robotnik, commanding the dictator to get a hairpiece and loose weight, a gag the comic follows through on. However, the story is surprisingly serious for something coming from the pen of Angelo DeCesare. The Freedom Fighters each mourn for Sonic in their own ways. Sally alternates between tears and anger. Antoine goes into muted shock. Tails refuses to believe that his idol is dead… Until Sonic discovers a note the fox left for him, that outright confirms that Tails’ knows he has passed. It’s all pretty heavy stuff for what was basically still a kid’s comic at the time.

Maybe that’s why this issue resonated with me so much. It’s very rare that children’s media deals with death. It’s a topic that most adults don’t want to share with kids. However, as a young person, I was morbidly fascinated with death. I used to consider the details of my own funeral constantly. The death of bad guys in Disney cartoons and action movies were always the parts of movies I paid the most attention too. I have no doubt that this morbid interest is why I would become such a horror movie nut later in life. To see Sonic the Hedgehog flirt with death, to see his friends mourn, to see how they move on without him… It was powerful stuff for me, at the time.

 
For the most part, the story holds up surprisingly well. For it’s first half, it’s very focused on the effect Sonic’s death has on his friends and enemies. As the climax of the story approaches, the tale inevitably gets sillier. Robotnik plans to scoop up Sonic and his friends with a bird-shaped robot, for some reason. The way this plan is thwarted, with Sonic taunting the villain from the afterlife, is pretty silly. The effects of the Anti-Matter device wear off in time, which definitely drains some of the tension from the story. Dave Manak’s art is also very board and loose. Unlike many of the other Sonic artists, Manak’s stuff never really evolved.

Number 20 remains a very well-rounded issue. The back-up story is also strongly recommended. “Deadliest of the Species: Prologue” is exactly that, a prologue to the Princess Sally mini-series that would be debuting soon afterwards. Yes, kids, Princess Sally was once popular enough for Archie to greenlight a mini-series starring her. What’s notable about “Prologue” is how there’s very little dialogue for its first few pages. In some of Art Mawhinney’s most moody and distinctive artwork, we see Sally sneak into a Robotnik compound, destroy a SWATBot, hack a computer, and activate the building’s self-destruct command. (This seems to draw attention to a fact frequently overlooked: The Freedom Fighters are basically terrorists. Trade out the robots for people and see how obvious that becomes.) The countdown to the explosion ticks under the bottom of the panels, giving a great idea of tension. Sally is met by Geoffrey St. John, a character equal parts intriguing and infuriating. And it ends on a hell of a cliffhanger too, Sally being targeted by a surviving SWATBot.

Though only the start of a larger story, the prologue of “Deadliest of the Species” is still pretty great, showing how dramatic and impressive this series could be when working in top form. The artwork is wonderful and Penders’ writing is relatively unobtrusive. He definitely should have done more stories with little-to-no dialogue.

Issue 20 is a nostalgic favorite that holds up pretty well. I’m happy to say this is one of my favorite issues of the entire run. [9/10]