Sonic Super Special: Issue 6 – Sonic #50 Director’s Cut

Sonic Super Special: Issue 6 – Sonic #50 Director’s Cut
Publication Date: July 1998

When the final part of the “Endgame” saga was originally published, it arrived on comic store shelves in a compromised form. Originally, “Endgame” was going to conclude with a double-stuffed issue. However, that didn’t happened, forcing the final product to loose about half its pages. I went over all of this in my review of Issue 50. Either luckily or unluckily, depending on how you feel about “Endgame,” the extended version of issue 50 was published as the sixth Sonic Super Special. Incorrectly called “The Director’s Cut” on the cover – “Extended Cut,” “Writer’s Cut” or just “Uncut” would all be more accurate – the issue reprints the final part of “Endgame” the way it was meant to be seen.

Plot wise, “For Whom the Bell Tolls” runs the same as issue 50’s “The Big Goodbye.” Robotnik plans to activate the Ultimate Annihilator, wiping Knothole Village off the map. In Downunda, the local Freedom Fighters help Bunnie and Antoine escape. As they make it back to Mobotropolis, they tamper with Robotnik’s doomsday machine. Sonic’s tense confrontation on the Floating Island with Geoffrey St. John and Knuckles is cut short by Dulcy’s reappearance. Assuring them that he’s telling the truth, they head to Knothole and kick some ass. Afterwards, Sonic races towards Robotropolis, having his final showdown with Ivo Robotnik.

Issue 50 – a book I like – had a lot of problems. The Director’s Cut, unfortunately, only clears up some of Penders’ typically messy plotting. That bullshit about dragon’s being able to detect truth is still intact. Sonic and Knuckles still liberate Knothole in only two pages. Antoine and Bunnie still arrive in Robotropolis far too quickly. Lastly, that bordering-on-incoherent resolution is intact. All that business about Dr. Quack betraying the king and Knothole slipping into a pocket dimension three hours in the future? Yeah, still there. It’s a tad sad to realize these plot holes weren’t the result of missing pages. Turns out the writers are just fond of bullshit story turns.

The extended version does clear up two minor plot holes. Now, we see the Downunda Freedom Fighters escape Crocbot’s prison. We see Bunnie and Antoine sneak aboard the transport ship. That’s nice, since the published version just had us assume that happened. (These segments, happily, only reuse some artwork from “Down and Out in Downunda,” the flashback heavy story published in Sonic Super Special Issue 4.) Another plot hole clarified is the destruction of Knothole. Instead of that happening off-screen, Sonic now sees it with his own eyes. That makes the brutal fight that follows between the hedgehog and the robotic dictator seem more reasonable.

So if it doesn’t resolve the reader’s confusion, why does the long version add to “Endgame?” About sixteen pages. Early on, we see Robotnik execute a fellow Overlander, someone he knew from the first Great War. Other than showing just how ruthless Robotnik is, and displaying how effective the Ultimate Annihilator is as ultimately annihilating things, those two pages don’t add much. About four pages are devoted to the events in Downunda, with some nicely gritty artwork from Nelson Ortega. Later on, a whole heaping set of pages have Bunnie and Antoine explaining their plan to Sonic. I’m not exactly sure that adds too much to the story. Essentially, the plot gets garbled enough that characters have to stop what they’re doing and explain what’s going on. That’s never good.

However, there are a few additions I like. The most important one shows Hershey getting her revenge on Drago. In #50 as originally published, a small rock tossed at his head is enough to bring the sleazy wolf down. Here, Hershey beats the ever-loving crap out of him. She scratches him across the face, knees in hard in the groin, pounces on him, punches him a bunch, and nearly crushes his head with a big ass rock. This makes Drago look like less of a light-weight. Considering what a scum bag he is, it’s also pretty satisfying. It doesn’t make up for Hershey being such a weak character but it’s cathartic for the reader.

The fight between Sonic and Robotnik goes on a little longer. I’m not sure who did the artwork for these new pages. It might be Steven Butler and, if it is, he might be having an off-day. Either way, Sonic is super angry and scatters some more SWATBots. I’m a fan of Angry Sonic and wish we saw him more often. At the conclusion of the fight, after both hedgehog and huge ass slip into the Ultimate Annihilator, there’s a one-page pencil spread of the two locked in combat, provided by Spaz. That’s cool. The page of blank whiteness that follows is unnecessary. Still, it does make a big fight seem a little more big. Lastly, a splash page of Sonic and the resurrected Sally locking lips, beautifully rendered by Art Mawhinney, is added near the end. You know I’m a die hard Sonic/Sally guy, so it’s satisfying to see them finally lock lips after so long. Especially since we know it’ll never happen again.

Normally, I’d ask if the quote-unquote “director’s” cut of Issue 50 is worth picking up for anybody but die-hard Sonic fanatics. Archie has answered that question for me though. This is the version of the story included in all future reprints. The extended version of “Endgame” has essentially replaced the original cut. Truthfully, it’s only a marginal improvement. The shorter cut, which I spent far more time thumbing over as a kid, is probably the version I’ll always prefer. As far as unnecessary director’s cuts go, this is slightly less useless than the “Donnie Darko” director’s cut. In other words: Still flawed, still satisfying. [7/10]

Sonic the Hedgehog: Issue 56

Sonic the Hedgehog: Issue 56
Publication Date: January 1998

I was nine years old in January of 1998, around abouts when issue 56 of “Sonic the Hedgehog” was published. When it started, I wasn’t reading the “Knuckles the Echidna” series. This wasn’t because I disliked the character or wasn’t interested in his adventures. The truth is I bought the comics with my own allowance money. I didn’t have much expendable income and, since there were other toys and books I was interested in, I couldn’t justify subscribing to a second series. At the time, I naively assumed there was no reason for me to read both. Soon enough, I discovered that Archie planned for multiple crossovers between the “Sonic” and “Knuckles” book. Issue 56 followed up directly on a cliffhanger introduced in issue 9 of “Knuckles.” This left me extremely confused about the comic’s contents. Back then, I just assumed I missed something important in “Knuckles.” Re-reading this one as an adult, it’s readily apparent that the issue itself is just extremely incoherent.

After the events of “Dark Vengeance,” Mammoth Mogul has teleported Sonic, Knuckles, and Tails off to some sort of cosmic plain. Atop a floating chunk of space debris, they’re attacked by rock monsters. After a brief scuffle, Athair appears in the sky and a portal opens behind him. Meanwhile, Mogul has become supercharged by Enerjak’s power, transforming into Master Mogul. While destroying an indistinct rocky part of the Floating Island, Sonic and Knuckles somehow reappear, lugging behind fifty power rings. After being zapped by Mogul’s chaos energy, they transform into Super Sonic and Hyper Knuckles. Soon enough, Tails appears in his own super form, Turbo Tails, carrying a Chaos Syphon with him. The battle concludes in the Chaos Chamber where the Brotherhood of Guardians intervene, combining the Floating Island’s two Chaos Emeralds into one and trapping Mogul inside. Now defeated, Knuckles is free to return the Sword of Acorn to Sally.

I don’t even know where to start with this one. “Immortality is forever… Life is Finite,” from the title on down, is a smoldering heap of (hedge)hogwash. The story lurches around in awkward, confusing ways. First, Sonic, Knuckles, and Tails are on a rock floating through space. Two pages later, Sonic’s figure 8 maneuver somehow sends them floating up into a portal that appears out of nowhere. Instead of attacking Echidnaopolis, Mogul attacks a castle on a rocky outcropping, apparently somewhere on the Floating Island. Inside, supporting characters randomly appear and disappear. Archimedes, a dingo, Hershey the Cat, Sally, Rotor, Athair, and Vector all zip in and out of panels, senselessly. Sonic and Knuckles reappear out of nowhere, continuing to fight Mogul in this ill-defined setting. Then the Floating Island is in space. Then Tails shows back up, without explanation, holding a Chaos Syphon. Where did the Chaos Syphon come from? I don’t know!

More characters reappear, Mogul somehow ends up in the Chaos Chamber, and Locke somehow traps Mogul by creating the Master Emeralds. It’s all so horribly incoherent that I frequently have no clear idea what’s going on. In previous issues, writer Scott Fulop fell back on explaining events with magic, the Ancient Walkers, or Mogul’s spells. Tails being the Chosen One, a plot point not referenced since his three-page mini-series, is also trotted out for no reason. That tendency is in overdrive here, half of the book’s events occurring due to some powerful being making an off-screen decision. About the only meaningful thing we learn in this issue is that Mogul has a Chaos Emerald embedded in his chest. Holy fuck, it’s bad.

Part of the reason issue 56 is so difficult to follow is because of John Herbert’s artwork. Herbert previously illustrated Snively’s sequences in issue 54 of “Sonic.” Those scenes where atmospheric and moody. Unfortunately, Herbert’s work here is a complete mess. The artwork is overly dark and difficult to follow. The characters frequently seem to be floating in an empty panel, without context of their location or place within it. Herbert’s action is awful, as Sonic and Knuckles rarely seem to be interacting with Mogul. For some god forsaken reason, an entire page shows the action as reflected in Locke’s computer screens.  That means the images are without color and are slightly warped. As if the action wasn’t warped enough already. The combination of a script that can’t keep still and disjointed artwork results in a books that’s impossible to follow.

In its last third, this mess of an issue finally comes back down to Earth. The pencils switch over to Manny Galan. For all his flaws – such as giant teeth or off-model Freedom Fighters – at least you can tell what’s actually happening on Galan’s pages. Knuckles bequeaths the Sword of Acorn to Sally, finally resolving that long dangling plot point. In its final pages, Sonic and Knuckles have a talk outside the city. Both are having a hard time relating to a world without Robotnik. While Sonic tries to convince Knuckles to run away with him – emphasis on the gay subtext there’s, not mine – Knuckles decides the newly changed Floating Island needs him more. The book concludes with Sonic conferring with his other male life partner, Tails. Scott Fulops’ dialogue continues to be awful but at least there’s some sort of bearing to these scenes.

Though there’s still a lot of shit to shift through, “Immortality is Forever… Life is Finite” is definitely one of the most haphazard story Archie ever (barely) assembled. Despite this issue being awful, it would contribute two lasting aspects to the Archie Sonic-verse. Tails’ super form of Turbo Tails would reappear a few times. Mammoth Mogul would remain trapped inside the Master Emerald for a while. As a villain that was potentially interesting but rarely well used, I can’t say I’ll miss him. As for this story, I have to give it the dreaded [3/10.]

Sonic the Hedgehog: Issue 50

 
Sonic the Hedgehog: Issue 50
Publication Date: June 1997

To most long running comic series, fifty issues probably doesn’t seem like that big of a milestone. When you look at the superhero comics that have been running, in one form or another, since the thirties, five years probably isn’t that impressive. If the interviews I’ve read with many of the writers on Archie’s “Sonic the Hedgehog” book are any indication, nobody expected “Sonic” to run for more then a few years, at most. Most licensed books burn out before even hitting thirty. Nobody knew that “Sonic” would still be running nineteen years later, quickly approaching its three-hundredth issue. This is why issue 50 has that number printed in big bold letters on the front cover. It’s why Archie marched out some spiffy, quasi-CGI looking graphics for Spaz’ cover. And it’s why the comic’s writers planned the epic “Endgame” story arc, which could’ve effectively acted as the comic’s final story, to conclude here.

After a brief flashback showing how Julian Kintobor came to stay with the Kingdom of Acorn, the story picks up where it left off. Sonic, Knuckles, and Geoffrey St. John are having a Mexican standoff on the Floating Island. After some more in-fighting, Dulcy proclaims that Sonic is innocent. Everyone else seemingly being aware that dragons can detect truthiness, the heroes march off for Knothole. Quickly freeing them from Robotnik’s occupation, Sonic spots Hershey beating the crap out of Drago. Sonic marches off to Robotropolis, taking the fight to Robotnik. He arrives just in time for the tyrant to activate the Ultimate Annihilator, the weapon that will wipe out Knothole and the Freedom Fighters once and for all.

In its originally published form, “The Big Goodbye” was a somewhat compromised affair. Ken Penders had originally envisioned the story as double-length, running 48 pages long. At the last minute, Archie brass informed him that the tale would be running at the regular length, forcing Ken to quickly abbreviate the script. (The extended, original cut would eventually be published as the sixth Super Sonic Special.) As a result, lots of the story’s background events where cut out and a few genuine plot holes were created. In its published form, we don’t see how Antoine and Bunnie escape Crocbot’s prison in Downunda. We’re left to assume that the Downunda Freedom Fighters successfully escape, Bunnie and Antoine sneaking aboard the ship heading back to Robotropolis. Sonic, Knuckles, and Geoffrey seemingly push back Robotnik’s take-over of Knothole in the span of two pages. In the last act, Sonic says he saw Knothole be destroyed by the Ultimate Annihilator. The reader is left with no idea what he’s talking about, as this event occurs totally off-panel.

If only that was the story’s only problem. Some of the awkward script decisions from the last issue are carried over to this one. After the action-packed conclusion, we are treated to two and a half pages of exposition. First, Rotor explains that Knothole wasn’t destroyed. The effects of the Ultimate Annihilator, damaged during Sonic and Robotnik’s fight, caused the village to shift three hours into the future. This is an awkward, random-ass explanation. Dr. Quack then explains how Robotnik tracked Knothole’s location down, after detecting a signal from Quack’s Dream Machine in Issue 43. In extended detail, he goes on about how the villain abducted the king, replacing him with a robotic double, and blackmailed Quack into assisting him. Somehow, Quack overheard that Snively had sabotaged the weapon so that it would only target Robotnik’s molecular structure. In other words, the Ultimate Annihilator was never a threat to Knothole. Gee whiz, Ken, was that the most elegant way to handle all that?

Inside all this contrived insanity beats the heart of a really good story. Sonic and the reinforcements dropping back into Knothole is a truly triumphant moment. The heroes come back from the edge of oblivion to surge forward and kick some major ass. Following this, Sonic catches Hershey conking Drago on the head, talking about how she was duped. Sonic, his face scrunched up in anger, grumbles out that “We were all duped.” He marches into Robotropolis. He races up to Robotnik’s head-quarters. He tears through the robotic guards, easily avoids the traps, and quickly disposes of Snively.

At this point, the hero and the villain have their final confrontation. Sonic and Robotnik battle in the dictator’s control room. He dodges Robotnik’s laser blasts while the rotund mad scientist uses the cramped room to toss Sonic around. They trade powerful punches. Sonic leaps around the dissolving room, the Ultimate Annihilator taking affect. Sonic doesn’t make any goofy quips. There’s no light-hearted smiles. Sonic has lost everything he cares about while Robotnik is close to his ultimate victory. This is a fight to the death, both combatants letting loose all the pent-up anger they’ve ever felt. Neither cares much about their own safety, as long as the other dies. For long time Sonic fans, this is as epic as can be.

After that extended epilogue full of exposition, “Endgame” pauses to resolve its most important plot point. Least we forget, this story started with Princess Sally taking a big dive off the side of a tall building. Sally’s death would only make Robotnik’s defeat a Pyrrhic victory at best. I’m not a fan of the Comic Book Death, where a character seemingly dies only to return to life later on. Ken’s first plan to revive Sally was originally far more sinister. Sally was going to remain dead while another Auto-Automaton took her place, Sonic only discovering later that his girlfriend had been replaced by a robot. Sega vetoed this plan, hoping to use Sally in future merchandising. (As far as I can tell, this amounted to a puppet musical in a crappy Australian amusement park nobody remembers.) Thus, Sally is revealed to have not died from her fall. Instead, she’s was merely very nearly dead. Dr. Quack hid the truth and stuck her body in a stasis tube, disguised as a memorial. It’s definitely a cheat and a huge one too, especially since this is the first we’ve heard of said stasis tube. The emotional impact of Sally’s apparent death in issue 47 is voided.

 
And yet it almost doesn’t matter. After hearing that Sally isn’t really dead, Sonic races over to her memorial/stasis tube. He opens the door and leans into her still body. He kisses her and whispers that he wishes she’ll come back. Naturally, Sally awakens just then. The two embrace. All is well. The heroes have triumphed, the bad guy is dead, and the lovers are reunited. I’m not made of stone, you motherfuckers. As a life-long Sonic fan, and a nearly as life-long Sonic/Sally shipper, this stuff gets straight to my heart.

Since 50 was the pay-off on five years of storytelling, Archie decided to invite all the series’ major writers and artists to work on the landmark book. Thus, issue 50 shifts artists and writers every few pages. As you’d expect, this does not lead to an especially collected read. Spaz beautifully illustrates Robotnik’s opening flashback, Sonic and the fat man’s final confrontation, and the final page, contributing dynamic and powerful pencils. Manny Galan does a good job illustrating the fight on the Floating Island. Nelson Ortega does better then his last time at bat, Robotnik’s villainous shouting and Knuckles dive into Knothole looking pretty good. Sam Maxwell contributes a fantastic middle-of-the-book spread of the heroes wrecking some SWATBots. His later work, of Sonic running into Robotnik’s lair, is a bit incoherent though.

Art Mawhinney handles the epilogue and Sonic and Sally’s reunion. Considering emotion has always been his strength, it’s a good choice. Even Dave Manak’s work isn’t too bad, as his cartoon exaggeration works well for how pissed off Sonic and Hershey are on those pages. Only Ken Penders’ pencils stick out as bad. His shots of Sonic running look incredibly static. Was switching between artists a good idea? Probably not but at least most everyone is at the top of their game.

(The switch between writers – which includes Penders, Mike Gallagher, Scott Fulop and the debut of future head writer Karl Bollers – is less noticeable. You can mostly guess who's writing what by how cocky Sonic is acting. I bet everyone was mostly sticking to Ken’s outline here.)

“Endgame” remains controversial among Sonic aficionados. Some people hate the whole damn thing for toying with fans’ emotions. Other despise it out of residual Penders hatred. Others love the story arc, considering it the most epic story ever told in the “Sonic” book. Obviously, it leaves me with a lot to talk about, seeing as how I’ve rambled on about issue 50 for 1447 words now. In my opinion, the story starts off extremely strong, handling an emotional topic in an appropriately heavy way. Its plot ends up eating itself midway through, the contrivances quickly piling up. Still, “Endgame” delivers some incredibly satisfying, awesome moments. (And issue 50 is improved in its extended version.) While Penders and pals stumble a bit with the details, he still successfully delivered an epic conclusion to the book’s first five years. [7/10]

Sonic the Hedgehog: Issue 48

Sonic the Hedgehog: Issue 48
Publication Date: April 1997

A while ago, Cracked.com published a listicle about surprisingly dark or weird comic book adaptations of beloved children’s properties. Included within was an entry about Archie’s “Sonic” comic, describing Sonic’s life as full of death and depression. (This was before the Sega-fied reboot stripped all the grit out of the book.) While it’s true that the comic has always been willing to address concepts most other Sonic media is too wimpy to regard, the book isn’t usually that dark. Except for a brief, four month period in 1997, when Sonic was framed for the murder of his girlfriend and on the run from his own allies. The second part of “Endgame,” “Sonic the Fugitive,” announces its serious intentions with that moody, dark cover, showing Sonic fleeing into a darkened, damp cave, still in shackles.

The story begins with Sonic in-route to Devil’s Gulag, the inescapable hellhole where enemies of the Acorn Empire are sent to rot. During the trip, the plane is shot down by SWATBots. Sonic makes an escape, pursued by Geoffrey St. John. Soon, the two meet in a cave, fighting to the death. In Knothole, Uncle Chuck declares his nephew’s innocence, while Antoine and Bunnie investigate what’s up with Drago.  

Issue 48 does a number of important things. The first scene, of Sonic being led to the plane while announcing his innocence, sets the tone. While in-route, Sleuth Doggy Dawg – a character we can never forget actually existed – busts his chops. Upon crash-landing, Penders’ slightly overwrought narration emphasizes that this is no joke. Sonic is silent and determined, cutting through the robots with anger, as if his confusion and rage over the situation has finally exploded out. While hiding in a cave, the day’s events leads him to an exhausted sleep.

The fight between Sonic and St. John is especially brutal. This is the culmination of the rivalry that has been building up between the two. They scuffle in the caves for a few pages, the action frequently speaking for itself. The climax of the comic truly comes when St. John screams “You killed the woman I love!” Sonic’s equally passionate response “You only love yourself! I loved her!” truly establishes how serious this situation is. It’s powerful enough that the book ending on a cheesy reference to “The Fugitive” – though St. John thankfully doesn’t shout “I don’t care!” – is forgiven.

Compared to the hard-hitting emotional blows seen in issue 47, “Sonic the Fugitive” is much lighter. Not to say it doesn’t try. There’s a spectacular one-page spread devoted to the Freedom Fighters responding to the tragedy of their friend’s death and the apparent betrayal of their greatest hero. Tails wails in confusion, incapable of correlating his best friend with the man who murdered the Princess. Uncle Chuck fumes in denial, smoke literally shooting from his ears, determined to clear Sonic’s name. Rotor screams in rage at Sonic’s betrayal. Bunnie and Antoine both seem uncertain what to think. Dulcy enters late, weeping and babbling uncontrollably. Rosie does her best to soothe everyone. (Amy Rose is there but silent, perhaps too shocked to speak.) Issue 48 doesn’t focus on this emotion more, instead focusing on the machination of the plot. However, the brief pause to gauge everyone’s reaction is deeply appreciated.

After executing a daring plot, Penders and his co-conspirators are already working on undoing it. We see Drago talking to the King, neither seeming trust-worthy. King Max seems all too happy to track down and exterminate Sonic. Several panels are devoted to Uncle Chuck’s determination to seek out the truth of the situation. Only Antoine and Bunnie can see pass their grief and realize that something unusual is happening. They spy on Drago as he flatly explains to Hershey that they’re in cahoots with Robotnik’s scheme. It’s a moment that concludes with an army of SWATBots dragging Antoine and Bunnie off to someplace Downunda.

As routine as this moment is, it’s saved by a sequence that definitively establishes what an asshole Drago is. Though we don’t see it on the page, it’s obvious he physically beats Hershey. Afterwards, he verbally berates her for refusing to own up to her part in this plan, making it clear this wasn’t Hershey’s idea. Dudes’s a traitor, a manipulator, and an abuser. If Archie’s goal was to create the most repugnant character in the franchise’s history, they succeeded.

Issue 48 tries to end with a huge shock. King Acorn calls a meeting in Knothole, where he flatly announces that Dr. Robotnik has been reappointed to the position of Warlord. The villain makes his grand entrance, smashes Uncle Chuck and Muttski’s heads together, and blasts Rotor’s cannon out of his hands. This should be a shocking moment almost on par with Sally’s death. Over the last 47 issues, Robotnik’s final goal – his endgame, if you will – has been to locate Knothole Village and stomp out the rebellion once and for all. (Truthfully, the book has gone to some hugely contrived lengths to prevent this from happening much sooner.) This also reveals that King Acorn is either directly under Robotnik’s control or is an Auto-Automaton. The latter reveal probably would have been more shocking if we hadn’t guessed it two issues ago. Robotnik marching into Knothole could’ve been more effective but that’s not where our hearts at. It’s with the Freedom Fighters morning their Princess’ death and Sonic’s struggle in the cave.

Despite maybe spreading itself too thin, “Sonic the Fugitive” is still a story that moves. Part of that success if owed to Manny Galan’s artwork. Though it took a while, Galan has finally grown into a worthy Sonic artist. The morning Freedom Fighters or Sonic’s rage are beautifully expressed. This book features some incredibly clear, impactful action. Sonic tearing through the SWATBot or his struggle with Geoffrey has a grit and brutal energy rarely seen in this book. I also love the way he draws Hershey. Though a newly introduced character, he immediately establishes her as a vulnerable person just with her body language. Though Mawhinney is my all-time favorite Sonic artist, his work is also kind of cute. Maybe Galan, who brings a more earthy quality to the page, was better suited to this story.

The plot is starting to get in the way but “Endgame” is still a story arc full of emotion with some incredibly raw action. [7/10]

Knuckles: The Dark Legion: Issue 3

 
Knuckles: The Dark Legion: Issue 3
Publication Date: March 1997

“The Dark Legion” story arc concludes with the third issue, entitled “Blood is Thicker.” Picking up right where the last one left off, the Chaotix were about to be trampled by a stampede of people fleeing through the burning forest. With some quick thinking and utilization of the Chaotix’ abilities, Knuckles resolves that problem. His team then gets to work sneaking into the Legion’s lair, where Kragok and his men are about to steal the Island’s Chaos Emerald. Meanwhile, Locke and Archimedes watch from Haven, observing his son’s actions.

“Blood is Thicker” is a slightly disappointing but still mostly solid conclusion to the story line. "The Dark Legion" mini-series continues to be a straight-ahead action story. This story shows that Knuckles can be pretty smart under pressure. It also gives the other Chaotix more to do then just smash heads. Mighty stops the stampede with a down tree. Vector, meanwhile, blows out the fire by turning his headphones all the way up. Yeah, that’s ridiculous and awfully silly but at least it gives the crocodile something productive to do.

The disappointment comes into play when the story begins to repeat itself. Once again, Knuckles and friends try on some Dark Legion robes and sneak into the enemies’ base. This time, that base is a giant platform that rises out of the ground, without explanation. While it is satisfying to see Knuckles and his team beat up some bad guys and show off their individual abilities, the script definitely seems to be circling back to what it did previously.

Also disappointing is Locke’s involvement in the story. Penders has yet to make Locke an interesting character. Usually, he just sits back and observes his son’s adventures, seemingly disinterested in his plight. When Knuckles gets into a really tricky jam, Locke is also there to help him out, usually providing some totally implausible easy solution to Knuckles’ problem. Penders once again relies on that plot point. In this story, Locke calls on his secret Guardian chaos magic to make all of the Dark Legionnaire's guns freeze up. Seconds later, he causes the tower to fall apart. This is lazy writing, first off, the very definition of a deus ex machine. It also makes Knuckles and the Chaotix seem slightly incompetent. Couldn’t Charmy Bee or somebody sneaked off and found the Self-Destruct switch? Anything more elegant then Locke using his secret powers to make the building shake apart.

It’s also disappointing that Knuckles never gets a showdown with Kragok. The two scuffle for a minute, Knuckles putting the villain down briefly with an uppercut. After that, the bad guy escapes as his lair crumbles. Knuckles doesn’t even make sure the Chaotix have escaped safely before leaping from the joint himself. I get that the bad guy has to survive, so he can fight another day, but this mostly leaves “The Dark Legion” ending on a limp note. Once again, I wonder if three issues was enough space to tell the story Ken wanted to tell.

Luckily, the flashback elements remain fairly strong. Hundreds of years ago, a civil war broke out on the Floating Island, as the Dark Legion made its move. Steppenwolf comes off as practically a Christ figure here. A man is sent to assassinate him and he calmly talks the guy down. He then calmly marches into the Dark Legion HQ and confronts their leader. This is the juicy stuff, as Steppenwolf discovers that his beloved cousin Menniker has been controlling the Legion all along. It’s a potentially interesting point the book resolves too quickly. Steppenwolf spins his hands, performs some magic juju, and sucks the entirety of the Legion into an alternate universe. It’s kind of a dick move. Once again, I wonder if Ken is intentionally making the Guardians morally ambiguous or just doesn’t realize his heroes act like jerks. Giving someone absolute power to hand out punishments as he sees fit traditionally doesn’t end too well.

The artwork in the book is fairly solid and Manny Galan continues to do good work… For the most part. The first page features the same artwork of the stampeding locals, awkwardly shrunk down to fit in a smaller panel. Later, Espio goes slightly off-model. Still, Galan is talented. It’s clear that he was studying both Art Mawhinney and Spaz’ work. He has traits of both while bringing his own unique quirks to the table. (Such as really focusing on drawing mouths and teeth.) Speaking of Spaz, I should probably discuss his lovely cover art. When placed side-by-side, “The Dark Legion” mini-series forms a complete picture, a tactic Spaz would repeat over the course of the book’s run. It’s a neat image too, showing the past and present echoing within each other while featuring plenty of explosion.

By the end of “The Dark Legion,” it was already confirmed that a “Knuckles the Echidna” on-going book would be coming next. As a mini-series, it’s more satisfying then Knuckles’ first series and shows the characters developing stronger personalities and a stronger world. The last issue still falls victim to a lot of Penders’ annoying quirks but it’s, overall, not a bad read. [6.5/10]

Knuckles: The Dark Legion: Issue 2

Knuckles: The Dark Legion: Issue 2
Publication Date: February 1997

The second issue of the “Knuckles: The Dark Legion” mini-series continues the successful formula laid down by the first one. In the present, Knuckles and the Chaotix continue to sabotage the Dark Legion’s march across the Floating Island. In the past, we learn about what happened to Edmund, how Steppenwolf assume the mantle of Guardian, and how the fire ants became involved with the echidnas. However, the issue throws in a third, mostly superfluous plot. Archimedes teleports himself into Locke’s secret lair – revealed as Haven – and the two have a mysterious encounter with Athair, Locke’s grandfather.

That’s right, kids. There’s some mystic mumbo-jumbo clogging up what is otherwise a good story. Locke watches his son’s adventure, cold and distant. Knuckles’ dad has yet to prove himself all that useful, mostly just sitting back and observing while his kid risks death. Archimedes BAMFs in for no defined reason. Meanwhile, Athair appears in Haven. He and Locke snipe at each other, the younger echidna still pissed at his granddad for abandoning his post. The masks of the Ancient Walkers appear behind Athair, he says his arrival is important, and then he disappears, saying this has been a warning. As he vanishes, Locke cries out for him to clarify his point. The readers can sympathize. What was the meaning of all that, Athair? Wouldn’t it have been more constructive to tell them what you’re warning them about? Then again, I’m not an ancient mystic so maybe I don’t understand.

 
Besides that messiness, “Sins of the Fathers” is another solid issue. Though glimpsed last time, this issue helps define Kragok, the current leader of the Dark Legion. In a nice gesture, Penders remembers that Knuckles is supposed to be hot-headed. Right about when Kragok is ready to launch into a “We could rule together!” speech, Knuckles leaps across the desk and attempts to strangle him. Realizing there’s no point in pursuing this plan, Kragok instructs his henchmen to beat Knuckles to death. Unlike Enerjak, who boasted about his limitless power but came off as slightly ineffectual, Kragok doesn’t fuck around. He’s efficient.

He’s also completely fucking crazy. Later, while chasing Knuckles and the Chaotix through the forest, he decides to set the trees around him on fire, totally ambivalent to the collateral damage this will cause. After having at least two bad guys who claim to be powerful but don’t do much, it’s nice to see a villain that clearly, directly goes after his goal.

Kragok is after the Master Emerald, naturally, yet the back-story makes it clear that this is an older conflict. This is a centuries old blood feud, playing between two branches of the same family. The flashback sequences show that the Dark Legion have never been afraid to dirty their hands. While Edmund races to rescue his son, a Legionnaire sneaks up and shoots him in the head. (We don’t see a gaping head wound but we do see Edmund’s glasses, the right eyepiece shot out.)

These flashbacks also make it clear why the Fire Ants give a crap about the Guardians. Realizing the echidnas will fuck up the Island if left on their own, the Fire Ants agree to steward the Guardians, guiding them and teaching them. Christophelies, a ridiculously named ancestor of Archimedes, appears to Steppenwolf seconds after his father is slain. The Fire Ant teaches the echidna combat, science, magic, and reveals Haven to him… Because that whole “abandon advanced technology” thing apparently doesn’t apply to the Guardians. Anyway, it’s nice to see these points clarified and Penders handles it in a clear fashion.

As for the present story, it continues to bring the action and stays in a vaguely James Bond mode. Like a Bond villain, Kragok stupidly leaves his henchmen to finish off Knuckles. He quickly disarms the guys and, just as Bond did in “Dr. No,” slips on one of the enemies’ outfits. After freeing the Chaotix, Knuckles drops a tank on some Legionnaires hulling explosives, which then blows up in spectacular fashion. That’s a body count of five thus far, for those keeping track, showing that the “Knuckles” book was definitely going to be heavier then “Sonic.”

There’s a little bit of a cheat here. As Knuckles slips on a robe, he notes that all echidnas are about the same size. That’s convenient. Meanwhile, Vector the Crocodile continues to be entirely useless. While fleeing from the Dark Legion, he notes that his feet are tired and he wants to stop running. Penders continues to think that “It’s crunch time!” is a clever catchphrase for Knuckles. It’s not. Still, “Sins of the Fathers” runs smoothly, establishing the past, introducing a viable threat, and featuring more then enough action to satisfy. [7/10]

Knuckles: The Dark Legion: Issue 1

Knuckles: The Dark Legion: Issue 1
Publication Date: January 1997

Out of all the “Sonic” spin-offs Archie would test-drive in the mid-nineties, only one was popular enough to warrant a follow-up. The “Knuckles the Echidna” mini-series would produce a second three-issue mini called “Knuckles: The Dark Legion.” Before 1997 was over, these three comics would be rolled into an on-going “Knuckles the Echidna” series. Though far more short-lived then the “Sonic” book it sprang from, for a time the “Knuckles” series was better regarded then the main book. (These days, due to the Frightful Pendering, the opposite is true.) That Knuckles would get his own series isn’t shocking. For many years, he was easily Sonic’s most popular supporting cast member. Within the pages of this comic, Ken Penders and his team would latch a deep, complex mythology to Knuckles. For better or for worst.

“The Dark Legion” begins not long after Knuckles’ first solo adventure wrapped up. (How this ties into the “Knuckles Quest” story arc, I don’t know. Presumably, this takes place after it.) Knuckles and Archimedes are chillin’ on the island. This is interrupted by a salvo of tanks, floating platforms, robots, and black robe-clad villains breaking through the underbrush. Knuckles and the Chaotix attempt to defeat these newly appeared bad guys but still wind up captured. What Archimedes doesn’t tell Knux is that these men are the Dark Legion, a long thought vanished secret cabal of echidnas that embrace technology to tyrannical levels.

This first issue is entitled “Army of Darkness” and, sadly, Bruce Campbell is nowhere to be seen. In the past, Penders has felt the need to heap exposition on the reader, awkwardly explaining events that happened in the past. Even his flashbacks sometimes felt like info-dumps. “Army of Darkness” rather cleverly incorporates flash-backs into the main story. While Knuckles is tangoing with the Dark Legion in the present, we see the organization’s origins in sepia-colored pages. The book cleverly contrasts the events of the distant past with the present. As Dimitri angrily storms out of the meting with the echidna counsel, Knuckles angrily storms towards his mysterious new opponents. As Steppenwolf dodges laser fire from the Dark Legion, Vector does the same some four hundred years later. “Army of Darkness” is a straight-forward action story but, by criss-crossing back and forth in time, it makes it a more interesting read. At the very least, this is a more elegant way to give the readers’ backstory then a wall of text.

What’s interesting about the Dark Legion is that they aren’t totally wrong. After the defeat of Enerjak, the first Guardian Edmund decided that all echidna-kind most abandon technology. However, not every citizen was willing to do this. Part of the flashbacks are devoted to scenes of government enforcers entering private homes and taking people’s stuff. That’s kind of fucked up. Edmund points out that democracy has spoken on this matter but it still seems like a draconian, tyrannical step for a government to stand against its own people. No wonder a revolt would arise.

I’m not totally sure this complexity was intentional on Penders’ part. The Dark Legion are obviously bad guys. They meet in secret while wearing dark robes, looking like cultist in a seventies horror movie. When Steppenwolf investigates what’s going on, he is immediately shot at, a race above the city starting. Luckily, the story also adds a personal aspect to this conflict. The founder of the Dark Legion was Menniker, Dimitri’s son. He was there to witness his father’s death, shocked by what happened. This is almost a mission of personal revenge, rooted in all-too-real feelings of loss. Menniker and Steppenwolf are cousins and were best friends as kids. Seeing the family turn against itself is the kind of mythic storytelling the writers frequently aimed for and only sometimes got.

In the present, Knuckles is mostly busy smashing heads. But that’s okay too. The present portion of the story is a simple, captivating action adventure. Knuckles and Archimedes attempt to avoid detection by the Dark Legion, creating some okay tension. When he gathers the Chaotix, each team members use their special abilities to fight back against the attackers. Espio sneaks onto one of the floating saucers and disables the pilot. Mighty tosses Legionnaires around like bowling balls. Knuckles cracks lame puns and beats the shit out of people. Vector does nothing of importance while speaking in badly mangled hip-hop slang. And like the middle of a James Bond movie, the story ends with the heroes captured by the villains. Good stuff and good fun.

Last time we saw Manny Galan, in issue 46 of the “Sonic” book, his artwork had improved some. Here, Galan finally comes into his own as an artist. Everyone is on-model. The faces are expressive and memorable. The action is fluid and flowing. The panels are clear to follow. I like the Legionnaires looking like red faces inside their hoods. Unlike Ken Penders, Galan also knows how to visually distinguish each echidna. Even the random citizens in the flashback have their own visual personality. The lay-outs are still slightly bland but overall this is a good looking book.

Though it’s just starting, it seems like Knuckles’ mini-series got off to a much stronger start then his first. Let’s hope it can keep it up. [7/10]

Sonic Super Special: Issue 1 - Battle Royal

Sonic Super Special: Issue 1 – Battle Royal
Publication Date: April 1997

For a while, Archie had been publishing 48-page “specials” that tied into their flagship “Sonic the Hedgehog” series. These books were even published on a roughly quarterly basis. When “Battle Royal” was first published, it was released as just another one of these specials. Later in 1997 though, Archie had a thought. Why release the specials as just stand-alone comics? Why not tie them together as an on-going series of quarterlies? I don’t know why they didn’t come to this conclusion sooner. Eventually, the company would re-release “Battle Royal” as the first issue in the Sonic Super Special series. Sonic Super Specials would run for 15 issues, ending around the same time Archie was cutting down many of their other series. The series’ debut was so haphazardly tossed together that it was published in April of 1997, despite being set between issues 46 and 47 of the main series, published back in February.

None of that really mattered to me as a kid, as I was unaware of the changes that would soon be affecting the series. All I knew is that a new comic devoted to Sonic and Knuckles beating the shit out of each other was coming soon. “Battle Royal” actually doubled up on the gimmick. After all, Sonic and Knuckles had beaten the shit out of each other plenty of times. In “Battle Royal,” we would see their respective teams pound on one another. As a kid, I often wondered who would win in a fight between the Freedom Fighters and the Chaotix, even though the latter was still a relatively recent addition to Sonic lore. Never let it be said that Archie didn’t know their audience. Along came “Battle Royal” to answer that question… Sort of.

The Freedom Fighters receive a message from Knuckles and the Chaotix, letting them know he’s retrieved the legendary Sword of Acorn. Meanwhile, Knuckles and the Chaotix receive a message from the Freedom Fighters, saying he’s had the Sword too long and they intend on taking it. When Sonic and friends arrive, Knuckles and his gang attack them. Later, the Chaotix are surprisingly attacked by Sonic’s team. Soon, both heroes are actively clashing. However, Princess Sally and Archimedes suspect that they are being manipulated by a greater villain.

For a while, Sonic and Knuckles usually ended up fighting whenever they met. By this point in the series’ history, both heroes should probably be over that. Moreover, there’s really no reason for their teams to join the fray. Luckily, “Battle Royal” thinks up a fairly clever way around this issue. Both teams are seemingly attacked by the other, prompting a conflict in the middle of the book. Of course, it turns out neither team was the aggressor. In both cases, the villain Mammoth Mogul magically disguised his minions, the Fearsome Foursome, as the other team. It was all a distraction, so that he could the Sword of Acorn. It’s a mildly clever variation on the classic comic book rule of “First they fight, then they team up.” First, the Freedom Fighters and the Chaotix wail on each other. After realizing they’ve been deceived, they team up to take down Mogul. That way we get our big fight scene but in a way that makes sense.

Or mostly makes sense. “Battle Royal” is slightly bogged down in mythological goofiness. The heroes realize they’ve been duped through an extended sequence of nitpicking. Bunnie lifts a heavy object with her organic hand or the number of Freedom Fighters is off. (Midway through the book, the nugget that Sonic and Mighty already know each other is casually dropped. This is a reference to the obscure “SegaSonic the Hedgehog” arcade game. Penders would eventually get around to clarifying this plot point.) One especially baffling moment has the teams being teleported by Archimedes’ powers, after Dulcy and the ant spray fire at one another. Mogul, of course, has to explain his scheme in detail, because that’s just the kind of villain he is. The script also awkwardly re-contextualizes Mogul’s first appearance in the “Mecha Madness” special. See, he was just pretending to be incompetent. It was all a test to study the Chaotix’ abilities. Uh huh.
 
Illustrating “Battle Royal” is Sam Maxwell, yet another new artist brought into the Archie fold. Maxwell’s artwork won’t be for everybody. It’s incredibly abstract at times. The bodies of the heroes bend in all sorts of odd directions. He’s also quite fond of drawing panels from unexpected angles. Such as when Mighty dives through Bunnie’s legs or Dulcy breathes fire directly at the reader. Despite its apparent looseness, there’s an internal logic to Maxwell’s artwork. The characters look extremely different but stay on-model. Truthfully, only Archimedes looks weird in his style. There’s an incredible expressiveness to their faces, Maxwell gifting the characters with a vibrant anime-like style. Most importantly, his incredibly energetic style and sense of motion is extremely well suited to an action-based story like this one. Every panel Maxwell draws leaps off the page. I can see readers being put off by this off-beat or abstract artwork but I’ve always loved it.

The fight scenes are the main attraction here and they’re lots of fun. “Battle Royal” does a good job of showing off the unique abilities of each teams' members. Mighty tosses around trees. Charmy flies circles around Tails. Sally performs a number of powerful flips and kicks. Bunnie tosses huge boulders. Rotor – feels like its been a while since Rotor has been in a fight scene – produces a number of trap capsules from his utility belt. The only team that truly gets the short end of the stick is the Fearsome Foursome, who have yet to be clearly defined as characters.

When the book shifts away from the action, it’s less successful. The ending is a real head-scratcher. King Max is suddenly de-crystalized. Meanwhile, Mogul reappears on the Floating Island, holding the real Sword of Acorn over his head, claiming the good guys went home with a fake. That kind of devalues the entire adventure, doesn’t it?

Also included in “Battle Royal” is “The Map,” one of the odder Sonic stories Archie would ever published. “The Map” revolves around Antoine discovering part of a map left to him by his father. He’s determined to track down the other half of the map. This takes him directly into Robotropolis. There, Snively is devising a new plan to undermine Robotnik’s authority. Using his new wave of machines, called Eggrobos, he plans on digging up the Krudzu (the cybernetic plant species last seen in Sonic #1) and unleashing it on Robotnik. The two characters cross paths and Antoine is soon fighting for his life.

Recently, in issue 46 of the main “Sonic” book, Antoine received some much needed character development. We learned he wasn’t always a putz. In fact, he was secretly a badass solider this entire time. It was a somewhat sudden reveal but one the book would run with. “The Map,” meanwhile, takes Antoine’s new status and pushes it way too far. Here, the French coyote is coldly focused on his mission, even bluntly dismissing Bunnie when she enters his hut. He loads himself up with a sword, a backpack, camo-print pants, a beret, combat boots, and a bunch of pouches. He sneaks into Robotropolis, determined and serious. Later, he’s dodging gun fire and slicing robots in half. Antoine was still a total clown just a few issues ago so it’s a jarring transformation.

The weirdest part about “The Map” is that it still occasionally goes for humor. Tom Rolston, an author who has never worked on “Sonic” before, wrote this one. While most writers only half-way use Antoine’s accent, in order make his dialogue readable, Rolston goes full force with the weird French thing. Every one of Antoine’s sentences is peppered with “zat,” “za,” “dere” and “non.” It’s incredibly distracting. Moreover, the coyote still fouls up. He alerts Snively’s Eggrobos after stumbling on some piping. Later, he survives being shot by the robots through pure, dumb luck. The story ends without him grabbing the other half of the map, making this entire mission pointless. Dave Manak does the artwork. He doesn’t ditch his inherently comedic style but instead tries to make it work for this grim story. The result is Antoine and Snively, looking jagged and cartoony in the typical Manak way, grimacing and gritting their teeth. It’s surreal.

Through it all, “The Map” is still a pretty decent action story, nicely paced and featuring plenty of exciting moments. Antoine hiding in the sewers from the Eggrobos generates some decent suspense. The new robots actually prove to be competent threats. It would’ve been easy to fix too. Just recast the main role with Geoffrey St. John, a more serious character with a para-military background, and “The Map” makes way more sense.

Though flawed, I still get a kick out of “Battle Royal.” The main story thinks up a novel solution to getting the heroes to fight and features some extremely interesting artwork. “The Map,” meanwhile, is pitched at a totally different level then most Archie stories, making it a bizarre curiosity for fans. To an old time fanboy like me, that equates to a good time! Now if only they had stuck an “e” on the end of that title… [7/10]

Sonic the Hedgehog: Issue 46

Sonic the Hedgehog: Issue 46
Publication Date: February 1997

As I said last time, with the resolution of the King Acorn story arc behind them and “Endgame” looming ahead, Archie’s “Sonic the Hedgehog” series was mostly just spinning its wheels for a few issues. Issue 46 gives a long overdue introduction to some important supporting cast members, stirs the dramatic pot a bit, and resolves the “Knuckles’ Quest” back-up storyline. On the other hand, it still ends up being a disappointing issue.

Uncle Chuck doesn’t feel too hot. He reflects on his past, how Robotnik turned his Robotocizer – intended as a tool to help the injured – into an object of slavery. More recently, he’s feels like he’s failed the rebellion, not spotting Sleuth Dawg’s treachery or Robotnik’s plans for the Death Egg. In hopes of cheering Chuck up, Sally and the Freedom Fighters invite him to a midnight camp fire retreat. The retreat is interrupted twice. First by Lupe and the Wolf Pack, allies of Mobius. Secondly, by Geoffrey St. John, who begins throwing around some wild accusations.

The inevitable fist fight between Sonic and Geoffrey St. John got the cover but “Countdown to Armageddon” is more about character development. We learn about Uncle Chuck’s past, how he invented the Robotocizer. He details how he went from being a knight of the King to being a lowly chili dog stand purveyor. The book at least acknowledges the weight of his failures and the guilt he feels. Meanwhile, Antoine gets some serious character development too. We learn that his father was a general in the King’s army and trained Antoine to be a cadet. We discover that Ant’s cowardice has been born out of his frustration over failing to rescue his dad from Robotnik and his heart being broken by Sally. Antoine started out as comic relief on “SatAM” but would eventually develop into a brave warrior in the comic. This is the issue where that transition begins.

I wish it was handled better. Instead of letting this information grow organically out of the story, it’s dumped on us over the course of several heavily narrated pages. We get a little bit of Uncle Chuck feeling bad for himself. Antoine, on the other hand, suddenly leaps into action in the second half. After so many issues of being a joke and a fool, it’s a sudden change to see him throwing punches and drawling his sword. Also popping out of nowhere: Bunnie’s romantic feelings for Antoine. Though hinted at before, it springs up suddenly here. With little build-up, she plants a big kiss on him. Even ‘Twain seems surprised. (I guess it’s okay though, seeing as how Antoine and Bunnie would eventually develop into the comic’s most stable romantic couple.)

People who probably have never even read the “Sonic” comic like to refer to it as furry melodrama. The book’s reputation for this stuff is over-exaggerated but issue 46 does, indeed, feature a little too much romantic hand wringing for my taste. Geoffrey St. John drops into the story half-way through. He immediately plants a big, sloppy kiss on Sally’s face, not asking permission first. He then accuses Uncle Chuck of being a double agent. Not shockingly, this royally pisses Sonic off and the two get into a fist fight. In the course of the fight, he points an arrow at the hedgehog and threatens to kill him. Afterwards, he trades fisticuffs with Antoine. Amazingly, after this, Sally is still willing to defend St. John. It’s surprising that Ken Penders, who wrote St. John as a relatively compelling character in the “Sally” mini-series, would write him as such an abrasive dick here.

With everything else going on, the story barely has room to introduce the Wolf Pack. Indeed, Lupe and her clan show up suddenly, making their first appearance in the book. They chat around the camp fire a little. Out of all the wolves, only Drago gets any personal page time. He’s introduced being kind of a jerk, blatantly foreshadowing his eventual betrayal. Lupe doesn’t get to do much and the other members of the pack aren’t developed at all. Considering Lupe is an important member of the Sonic universe, it’s kind of a bummer to see her introduction being slightly half-assed.

Archie continues to bring new artists into the fold. Issue 46 introduces Nelson Ortega. Ortega is capable of some moody artwork. The first page, which shows Uncle Chuck testing his Robotocizer and a character that will soon be revealed to be Sonic’s father, is dramatic enough. However, it’s clear he doesn’t entirely grasp the cast’s designs. Sonic’s hands seem freakishly small in one panel while his head will be hilariously huge in another. The contours of Sally’s face shift throughout. There’s a weird focus on Geoffrey St. John’s teeth, giving him a permanent shit-eating grin. In a few panels, the perspective is seriously off and St. John looks like he has only one eye. Ortega’s stuff is generally a bit flat, lacking flair and emotion. Despite this lackluster debut, he would become a regular artist for at time. Spaz did some clean up in a few panels, which is fairly clear.

Issue 46 also features the conclusion to the “Knuckles Quest” sub-arc. Exploring the secret inner caverns of the Floating Island, Knuckles discovers Mathias Poe and Damocles the Elder, the last figures he was foretold he’d encounter on his quest. The sorcerer doesn’t take kindly to his intrusion and sics a robot on Knuckles. Luckily, Archimedes shows up and helps him out.

“Knuckles Quest” has generally been a disappointing story but it at least ends on a focused note. Mathias Poe is the first villain Knuckles has encounter during this story that isn’t a complete joke. He actually does something threatening, attacking the echidna with a robotic golem. Even then, he’s easily defeated. Knuckles at least uses his wits here, realizing the machine is controlled by magic. The reveal of the Sword of Acorn is mildly clever, though anyone familiar with the origins of the name Damocles could probably guess it. Manny Galan provides the pencils and it’s the first time his artwork actually works. It’s clear he’s taken some lessons from Art Mawhinney, as he begins to bring the same cartoony but appealing element to his work. Everyone is on-model the entire time, if nothing else. Mostly, I’m just glad this story is over.

Issue 46 juggles a lot of stuff and doesn’t really handle it all successfully. It has to develop Uncle Chuck and Antoine, introduce the Wolf Pack, suggest that there’s a traitor on the hero’s side, and bring the Sonic/St. John rivalry to blows. Though it’s a commendable effort, it does not truly work. [6/10]