DC X Sonic the Hedgehog: Issue 3

DC X Sonic the Hedgehog: Issue 3

Publication Date: May 21st, 2025

I've spent a lot of words lately describing why corporate crossovers and collaborations are so common these days. Ya see, kiddies, when two massive international conglomerates love money very very much, they get together and have a Fortnite skin or a SquishMellow or whatever. I suppose this raises a second question, of why they used to be uncommon. "DC vs. Marvel" was considered a seismic, once-in-a-lifetime event in 1996. (Though it wasn't and seems unlikely to be the last...) The string of crossover games Capcom made with various Marvel characters were perceived as a weird fluke, not a blueprint for countless titles to come. I suppose the thought was that these companies were in competition with each other. To shake hands on any sort of temporary team-up would compromise market share dominance. In the 21st century, we are long past the point of companies pretending there is anything fair about capitalism. Most mega-corps are now owned by even more gargantuan networks, monopolies being de-facto. DC Comics and Marvel Comics are merely peripheral organs, clinging appendix-like to the bloated monoliths that are Warner/Discovery and the Walt Disney Company. Tossing out a fun little team-up is a mild discomfort now, one that will sell some t-shirts and push a stock margin a teeny tiny bit higher. 

You have to be cynical about this shit because entities like "DC X Sonic the Hedgehog" are determined to flash-bang blind you with the childish joy of seeing your favorite superheroes and your favorite video game stars appearing in a comic book together. Let me point out the obvious then: When this collaboration was first revealed, we knew it wouldn't merely see the Justice League and Sonic and pals hanging out together. From the get-go, we were presented with slick artwork of Sonic dressing up as the Flash, Shadow cosplaying as Batman, Tails partially roboticized into Cyborg, and so forth. Was this an exciting comic storyline or a launch event for exclusive new "Sonic: Speed Forces" skin? You could buy a T-shirt of Shadow the BatHog two seconds after they announced this thing. It's not as if I'm immune to the blatant manipulation going on here. If they do make action figures or plushies or whatever of Knuckles as Superman, I'm going to buy them. Yet it is hard to shake the feeling that "DC X Sonic" exists less because it's a story that needed to be told and more because it served the corporate interests of the cyberpunk dystopian future we are living in. 

That becomes especially obvious on the third part of the mini-series. Not only because it's the debut of those nifty, extremely marketable mash-ups of Sonic and the gang. This comic book also features a notable appearance from Mr. Terrific, as the guy who watches the Watchtower when the rest of the Justice League is out of town. Despite the not-that-impressive on the surface title of being the Third Smartest Man in the World, DC Comics is pushing Mr. Terrific a lot lately. Not the least bit because he's got a plum supporting role in the new "Superman" movie that comes out in a few weeks. Once you notice that, you also notice that Hawkgirl – who is also in the upcoming big budget reboot – is also in this comic book. She appears alongside Supergirl, subject of another upcoming movie forming the foundation for the retrofitted DC Cinematic Universe. These are all long established heroes in the comics, of course, so it's entirely possible that their appearance here is a mere coincidence and not cross-promotional synergy with a movie WB has a lot riding on. At the same time, it wouldn't shock me if Flynn got a decree from on-high to specifically incorporate these characters somewhere in this crossover. Instead of allowing him to give a spotlight role to Zatanna or Plastic Man or Space Cabbie or whatever weird favorites he might have. 

But you are probably sick of hearing me complain about how corporate this whole endeavor is every time I bring it up. Once again, I must ask if "DC X Sonic" can overcome this impossible-to-miss surface level cynicism. Issue three sees Sonic, Tails, Knuckles, Amy, Shadow, and Silver stranded on the JLA Watchtower. Mr. Terrific makes it know that their world seems to have blinked out of existence, taking the Justice League with it. Now that this Earth is without its resident team of protectors and our furry friends don't know the current status of their own home, they decide the best thing they can do is take up the Justice League's mantle for the time being. Silver becomes a Green Lantern, Sonic begins racing through Central City. Knuckles flies around Metropolis in the cape and tights. Shadow assumes the role of the grim guardian of Gotham. Amy dons Diana's tiara and mini-skirt to safeguard Washington DC, because God forbid the woman gets her own cool fantasy city. As they start tangoing with the resident supervillains of this world, they quickly notice that the bad guys have gotten their hands on Chaos Emeralds. They realize this means their world didn't vanish forever, that the Justice League must still be alive... Rescuing them also means bringing Darkseid back, a risk the gang has to take. 

I've been saying the whole time that "DC X Sonic" seems to be getting by on fun factor and novelty alone, not having much room for depth in-between all the crossover crisis confrontations. Issue 3 begins with an extremely depressing bit of news: The world that Sonic and friends have always called home, that they've fought to defend countless times, where everyone they love and care about lives, is seemingly gone. Likewise, Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman and other icons you probably have some attachment to are missing-in-action. Now, Sonic, Tails, and Amy are all too plucky and optimistic to truly believe their world is gone forever. Obviously, we the reader is all too aware that DC Comics didn't kill off their most famous characters in a crossover with "Sonic the Hedgehog." Nor that Sega is giving up their own universe for the sake of this brief mini-series. This lack of stakes and tension is a constant problem in superhero comics, where the status quo is inevitably restored and all drastic losses are merely temporary. Furthermore, despite the "13+" rating on the cover and Mr. Terrific saying "DAMN" in one panel, the target audience for this comic book is most likely within the six-to-ten demographic. Itty bitty little baby children who probably would be overcome with sadness by such irreversible death and destruction. At the same time, it would've been nice if the book could've taken a second to acknowledge what our heroes have lost here. We get one whole panel of Shadow brooding over whether protecting this other world is what Maria would want him to do. Sonic and the others seem to let the news that all their friends are dead slid right off their backs. 

Because that would be sad. And this crossover isn't about being sad, of contemplating loss and the grim inevitability of the end of all things. It's about how marketable cool Sonic and friends look dressed up as the Justice League! Once again, I have to admit to being part of the problem here. Flynn has five brief issues to cram in as many DC Comics cameos as possible. This is presumably how we ended up with Silver talking with Ch'p and Amy doing some mild asphyxiation on Gorilla Grodd. I can't lie and say I don't get a thrill out of this. Of seeing Sonic outsmart Eobard Thawne or Knuckles chit-chat with Lois Lane. It is fun and there is an evident joy in these sequences. 

It's only with a mere minute of reflection that one begins to question why Knuckles had to put on Superman's duds or what benefit Sonic gets by activating the Flash's costume ring. Would the locals be scandalized to see these cartoon animals exposing themselves to the general public? I mean, Mr. Tawky Tawny does wear pants after all. Silver fitting himself into Green Lantern's tights makes sense as those guys Moon Prism Power Make-Up the minute they slip the ring on. What benefit does Shadow get driving around in the Batmobile? Why is Amy's car suddenly able to turn invisible like Wonder Woman's jet? Does Sonic have to wear the Flash's uniform because air friction is suddenly a problem on this world? Professor Zoom wonders if being stuck on this planet somehow gives the hedgehog access to the Speed Force, that plot contrivance that allows DC's speedsters to casually break the laws of physics whenever they want. That remains as a suggestion though. Did Tails willingly agree to turn himself into a Cyborg just so he could hang out with Raven and Starfire? Did I miss the panel last time where Wonder Woman handed Amy her tiara and lasso or are these spares she had lying around? 

I've made no secret of how much I despise the obsession with power scaling that a lot of people have. Having said that... I do think some of the gang are a little in over-their-heads here. Knuckles is not as strong, fast, or overall as powerful as Superman. I'm not sure Amy Rose is capable of doing some of the things Wonder Woman has to do during her daily adventures, such as decapitate a monster or suplex Solomon Grundy. This issue has Tails spit-balling about inter-dimensional travel and string theory, which is quite a leap from him simply being a really gifted mechanic. There's been much debate over the years about whether Sonic is as fast as the Flash or capable of some of the same ridiculous feats. I don't feel like tearing that claim apart but the way he easily defeats Professor Zoom here strikes me as a bit on the unlikely side. Dropping Sonic and friends into the DC Universe is a fun idea and would be a way to explore a lot of the limitations of these guys as crime fighters. Instead, "DC X Sonic" continues to function on cool factor alone, never asking any deeper questions about what would happen from such a switch-a-roo. 

Listen, I'm not saying I didn't have some fun with this. The best thing about this crossover continues to be the parallels and differences the writer has found between these two sets of characters. Yes, the way Superman protects Metropolis can be compared to how Knuckles protects Angel Island. Amy swinging her heart-generating Piko Piko Hammer while dressed as the Warrior of Love is a nice bit of metaphorical symmetry. However, the differences between these guys is also highlighted in ways that prove far more amusing. Lex Luthor, another bald super-genius, attempts to mislead Knuckles and, thankfully, he doesn't fall for it this time. When that doesn't work, the villain produced a Chaos Emerald that he's mistaken for Kryptonite. Obviously used to Superman peacefully flying away after an attempt on his life, Lex is startled when Knuckles swings back around and beats him. Similarly, Shadow the Hedgehog somehow proves even more humorless than Batman by swatting Joker aside the head with a rocket skate without saying a single word. 

Such encounters between our superhero-ified Team Sonic and the various native villains and allies of this world is, in fact, what composes most of this entire issue. Silver clobbers Sinestro alongside some of the better known Green Lantern Corp members. While Gorilla Grodd is the enemy that Amy pummels in the District of Columbia. Tails references fighting off Brother Blood alongside the other Teen Titans but we don't see that play out. That speaks to, once again, the hyper pacing of this entire story arc. The compromise is clear: Flynn clearly had a hundred ideas and scenarios he wanted to showcase during such a crossover as this. He only got five issues to explore them all, forcing the issue to rush through a bunch of scenarios that are clearly only a small selection of what has been going on during this time. 

Honestly, this entire issue feels a little bit like Flynn is simply happy to play in another sandbox for once. Sinestro and his Chaos Emerald charged Yellow Lantern summon some Parallax looking dragons. Gorilla Grodd descends on our nation's capital with a fleet of psychically controlled super-gorillas. The Joker, clearly in more of a wacky agent of mischief than mass-murdering demon-clown mode, rides around on a Joker-Mobile looking go-cart with a matching rocket launcher. Flynn even sneaks in a one-page appearance from Beast Boy and has the good guys hanging out at the Hall of Justice. You can tell that he's truly enjoying the chance to touch on all these beloved characters and elements. In fact, I'm starting to wonder if this entire mini-series wasn't a backwards scheme of Flynn's to maybe get hired by DC and write about something other than blue hedgehogs for once? 

Not that I think Flynn has anything but love and admiration for the “Sonic” cast and universe. He includes his fair share of in-jokes and shout-outs here. After Beast Boy turns into a green echidna to mock Knuckles, Sonic quibs that Knuckles would look awful in green. Yes, there's no way that's not a sideways poke at the much-loathed Chaos Knuckles arc, making this the first time an official piece of “Sonic” media has recalled the Archie series since it ended. The fanboy-ing out is a two way street, as well. You can tell the writer had a good time getting to include outrageous characters like C'hp, Grodd, or have Tails shout “Boo-yeah!” I never detected much influence on Flynn's “Sonic” writing from traditional superhero fair but it's clear he must be a reasonable fan of D.C. Comics shenanigans if he's casually dropping Sojourner Mullein or King Solovar into this crossover. 

If Flynn is relishing the chance to play around with an I.P. bigger than Sonic, you can tell Adam Bryce Thomas is as well. His take on Grodd, the Green Lantern Corps, Supergirl, and Hawkgirl all look pretty damn great. He was clearly especially happy to get a chance to draw the Joker, who is extremely animated and exaggerated looking on his pages. He brings his own approach to Lex Luthor too, who is a bit portlier and more Kojak-looking than he has been recently. Say what you will about the gimmickry of having Sonic and the gang dress up like the Justice League, there's no doubting that the costumes look cool as shit. The scenes of Shadow pursuing the Joker through traffic or the action beat with the Green Lantern Corp and Sinestro are as dynamic and smoothly illustrated as we've come to expect from this guy. IDW clearly did find the right man for this job, one of the few artists out there who can make both Sonic characters and human beings look bad-ass.

All along, I've been asking if “DC X Sonic” will rise above the novelty of its premise and actually provide a compelling story in its own right. More than half-way through at this point and I'm starting to realize that's not happening. I don't think this crossover is running on any idea deeper than it being cool to see these two universes interact. For sure, it absolutely is cool and I'm enjoying the unlikeliness of that. However, once again, I come away from another issue of this event wishing it was a little less breathless in its approach. Would've been nice to take a little more time to explore these circumstances and root what happens in a bit more heart. At the same time, Knuckles the Super-Echidna punches Lex Luthor through a glass window and across his desk and I'm not going to piss up your leg and claim I don't love that. Smashing your action figures together is fun but I do wish there was slightly more depth than that. [7/10]

DC X Sonic the Hedgehog: Issue 2

DC X Sonic the Hedgehog: Issue 2

Original Publication Date: April 16th, 2025

It must be tricky writing a big, inter-corporate crossover like "DC X Sonic the Hedgehog." You have two sets of characters to balance, both of which have certain expectations fans will want to see met. (And two sets of legal barriers from corporate overlords to obey, which is surely no fun at all.) The DC Universe is a vast and sprawling construct, with established characters and concepts that easily measure in the thousands. The "Sonic" license is also extremely convoluted and huge. How do you begin to narrow down who and what you want to feature? Then you must organize all those ideas into a semi-coherent narrative of some sort, usually within the boundaries of only a few issues too. That's enough to stymie the most hardcore of fan boys. I'm going to have some criticism for Ian Flynn's script for the second installment of "DC X Sonic" here in a minute but, when you consider all of the above, some of the flaws make a lot more sense. 

We pick up where we left off last month, with Sonic and the Flash about to face down Darkseid, who has gotten his ominous mitts on the Blue Chaos Emerald. The tyrant of Apokolips and his Omega Beams prove more than even these two speedsters can handle, the New God of Fascism walking off with the glowing gemstones. He realizes that these reality-altering rocks have more than enough juice to achieve his dimension-shattering goals. He deploys all his henchmen to hunt the remaining six down. The Justice League and Team Sonic do what they can to track down the stones before these villains can. However, the Blue Emerald is enough to start shaking the very fabric of existence up. With an assist from Eggman, both groups of heroes take the fight to Darkseid on his RagnaRock... But is the fate of two worlds already sealed?

Recently, a new bit of Zoomer slang – forged, no doubt, within the darkest depths of TikTok or Roblox or something – has wedged itself into the internet's lexicon. That would be "hype moments and aura." As a geriatric millennial, barely clinging to life by the straps of my JNCO jeans, it's entirely possible I'm misunderstanding all of this. However, as far as I can tell, that string of words refers to when a piece of entertainment – anime, video games, movies, what have you – substitutes exciting moments of action or suitably awe-inducing spectacle for writing of genuine depth. We old folks would refer to this, I think, as "style over substance." The degree to which a story's aesthetic appeal and its actual narrative depth contribute to one's enjoyment of a piece of art is as old as criticism itself. Many have argued that style is substance. There's no doubt, that many illustrators, musicians, and filmmakers have elevated the artificial presentation of their work to such a degree that it becomes an astounding work of art all its own. You can even say that the grasping of the ineffable quality that makes something cool – its aura, if you will – is quite a challenging and precise task of its own. 

At the same time, we do live in an especially distracted time. Many aspects of our daily lives have become far too similar to professional wrestling, where someone very much can mask a lack of technical skill with the ability to excite an audience. There's no easier way to generate a "hype moment" or some "aura" than to nod at something people already know, something they've been waiting for. When Captain America said "Avengers assemble!" in "Avengers: Endgame," it was guaranteed to result in an orgasmic tidal wave of fans finally getting the dopamine they were promised. Marvel is betting a lot of money on a similar reaction to an 84 year old Patrick Stewart croaking out "To me, my X-Men!" against an ashen green screen environment in their next billion-dollar crossover movie. I'm not immune to this. Sonic going Super in the second movie got a similarly oversized reaction from me. However, in a world increasingly driven by corporations mining our nostalgic connection to yesterday's creations for easy buzz amid an ever-more artistically hollow entertainment landscape, we must remain diligent. The term "We've got hype moments and aura" is actually a good piece of pop culture critique. Making the reader cheer is not the same thing as making the reader cry, making the reader think, or changing the way the reader feels about the world or themselves. Style has its place but it's not a substitute for depth, certainly not in a world where the stories we consume – the reflections of our reality that represent us grappling with our existence – are under threat of being replaced by machine-generated dross devoid of any value at all. 

The point I'm making in far too many words is this: "DC X Sonic" doesn't have to actually be good to get people losing their minds. When you are shoving two beloved pieces of pop culture like this together, depending entirely on "hype moments and aura" represents the path of least resistance. Did I get a buzz simply from seeing Sonic the Hedgehog attempt to outrun Darkseid's crooked, hero-seeking Omega Beams? You bet your ass I did. Having an image of Shadow and Batman riding side-by-side or Knuckles and Superman taking to the skies together is an insane dream come true. This comic book contains a panel where Wonder Woman rides around on the back of Amy Rose's pink electric car. How am I to react to that with anything but cries of "This is fucking cool?" Ian Flynn certainly packs the book with these moments. He litters this comic with callbacks to DC lore. Classic Darkseid henchmen like Lashina, Mantis, and Kalibak all clash with our good guys. Steppenwolf threatens to take a bridge Shadow and Bruce Wayne are standing on for a magic carpet ride. Watching Silver the Hedgehog and Green Lantern attempt to combine their powers to stop Darkseid is friggin' exciting. 

As I said before, it's also a lot. If there's any big complaint I have about "DC X Sonic" so far, it's that this comic book is as fast paced as both the Blue Blur and the Scarlet Speedster combined. Those two are fighting off Darkseid for a page or two before we are off on a MacGuffin chase after the Chaos Emeralds. Seeing this unlikely pairing take on a selection of sub-bosses from Apokolips is cool... It also represents only a handful of panels in a brief issue. Batman and Shadow barely get to show Steppenwolf how born to be wild they were before the heroes have to redirect their efforts towards confronting the Anti-Life pusher man directly. That cataclysmic struggle with the bad guy itself only lasts a brief time before the crossover is moving onto its next hype moment, which surely exists to set up more hype moments in the future. I know the fate of two worlds hang in the balance here but maybe a slightly less breathlessly deployed series of incidents would have been nice. 

An individual comic book that's part of a limited mini-series leaving you wanting more is not the worst crime. That's kind of the whole point of the medium, right? To get you so hyped up that you can't wait for part three to drop next month? There's a difference between exciting us with the promise of more to come and leaving too many scraps on the plate though. This issue introduces a fun plot point. Darkseid and his minions are going to tear Sonic's world apart. That won't leave much for Eggman to build his amusement park on, so the villain makes a shaky truce with his life-long enemies against a far bigger threat. It's a classic comic book set-up and one we've seen before. However, what we haven't seen before is Eggman badgering the Justice League into taking a ride on the Egg Carrier before slamming point first into the giant eye of Darkseid's personal Death Egg. Eggman's role in the story isn't much more than that and it feels like a waste. That such a juicy idea, as Eggman and Team Sonic putting aside their differences to team up against the new Antichrist in town, is reduced to merely one incident among many is disappointing. 

The Flash points out that Superman also has an egomaniacal balding mad scientist obsessed with defeating him. More parallels like that – otherwise known as the main reason we like to read goofy crossovers like this – were definitely needed. What joy the first part of "DC X Sonic" gave me was mostly born out of Flynn contrasting these two sets of action figures. There's a little bit of that in issue two. Sonic and the Flash continue to banter and bait on another, constantly razing the other about who is faster. The Flash brags about surpassing picoseconds and Sonic quips that it's cute his speed can be measured. That's what we want to see, man. Sadly, in his attempt to shove in as much stuff as possible and fuse the script with the Speed Force, Ian Flynn robs us of more truly fun interactions. These characters probably aren't going to meet each other again. Maybe slow it down a bit? 

Instead, the ways these heroes are similar and different are only highlighted fleetingly. Shadow is bragging about being the Ultimate Lifeform to Batsy for a single panel before they are distracted by the next crisis. Tails and Cyborg techno-babble in a laboratory on the way to inventing a plot saving doohickey. Otherwise, there's disappointingly little of that here. Wonder Woman promises to help take on Eggman next time she's around – is that an Egg-Fu reference???? – which Amy is enthusiastic about. Superman stands back and looks a little embarrassed as Knuckles goes HAM on Kalibak. Otherwise, it's only an action beat here and there. Silver and Jon Stewart get it the worst, not doing much more than throwing some green constructs and telekinetic waves at Mantis. It's cool but is it enough? 

I still don't know but I am sure of something else: Ian Flynn and Adam Bryce Thomas sure are impressed with Darkseid. I never would have guessed that Flynn was such a big fan of Jack Kirby's blending of classic mythology and far-out sixties sci-fi but you can see it clearly here. "DC X Sonic" totally buys into the idea that Darkseid is the biggest threat to the multiverse. He drops that iconic line about how "Darkseid IS," which still ranks among comic-dom's hardest rap brags. The issue emphasizes his grandness, that he truly is a god, and it goes a long way towards making the stakes here feel extra high. You know a comic book has a top shelf bad guy when you feel like the heroes are totally outmatched against him. You can tell Adam Bryce Thomas also had a lot of fun drawing stuff a lot weirder than blue hedgehogs and Chao for once too. He designs a weird cosmos-resetting Fatherbox for the bad guys that reminds me of H.R. Ginger's "Li II" painting. Whether that was an intentional reference or not, biomechanical psycho-sexual vibes are not something I ever expected to get from an officially branded "Sonic" comic. 

This was obviously a dream gig for the artist. The variety of superpowers on display here allow for all the high dynamism we expect from Thomas' action sequences. You often feel the speed and the power of the blows here, of Wonder Woman lassoing Darkseid or Superman trading blows with the New God. Of course, the speed and agility of Sonic and the Flash get some theatrical presentations too. I also really like ABT's decision to often depict Darkseid's face as nothing but glowing red eyes bathed in shadows. If I had to leverage any criticism against this extremely gorgeous artwork, it would be that Thompson makes Superman a little prettier than I like. He gives him feathery eyelashes and a graceful dancer's posture, when I like my Clark Kent to be a little closer to an old time-y circus strongman aesthetic. But that might be strictly a me thing. 

It's cool. No shit it's cool. A comic book with Sonic the Hedgehog and Batman in it would have to be a disaster for it to be anything less than cool. Only someone like Ken Penders could fumble a touchdown that badly and they don't let him into comic shops anymore. Flynn never letting up on the gas is frustrating, especially when what we truly want to see is more of these two teams interacting. There is plenty of hype and aura, no doubt about that, but I do wish it was a little less rushed. The ending – in the tradition of comic crossovers, far graver than it actually will end up being – shows that Sonic and the gang will get to delve more into the DC Universe as this goes on. The Justice League might be getting a bit more unlimited than I initially expected, which hopefully means we Aquaman fans won't be left on dry land here. Whether "DC X Sonic" winds up being a satisfying whole remains to be seen but I guess I'm too big of a nerd not to keep hoping for the best. [7/10]

Sonic the Hedgehog (IDW): Issue 76

Sonic the Hedgehog (IDW): Issue 76

Publication Date: February 5th, 2025

From more-or-less the beginning of IDW taking over the "Sonic the Hedgehog" comics, there's been people out there reporting that the company was on the verge of collapse. Some of this was definitely driven by sour grapes over Archie "Sonic" ending and other weird, anti-"woke" coalitions that I do not care to mingle with. However, the recent Chapter 11 bankruptcy of Diamond Distribution – who, at one point, had a monopoly on comic book distribution in America and remains seriously wrapped up in the industry – seems to have caused serious problems for IDW. The situation has a lot to do with creditors and debt and Wall Street bro shit that I personally don't understand. But the salient part is this: The predicament "may have a significant negative impact on our future financial results and cash position" and cast "doubt about the entity's ability to continue as a going concern," according to a recently released annual investor's report. So, uh, that sounds bad! 

In the wake of that news, IDW has already reassured people that the publisher is "not at substantial risk" and seems confident they'll survive up through the end of 2025, at the very least. In other words: The company that publishes the "Sonic" comics might be going out of business. Or, alternatively, it could all work out fine. I imagine none of this news feels great for the freelancers who actually make the books IDW publishes. One has an image of everyone writing and drawing normally, totally unaware if what they are working on will ever see the light of day or if they'll even be paid for it. Probably a lot like what Ian Flynn and the gang went through when Archie's legal clusterfucks led to the abrupt end of the previous "Sonic" comic universe. Is this what life is like in the comic industry, your entire livelihood at risk any minute from byzantine business dealings totally beyond your control? Sounds stressful! I guess we won't know for sure what will happen until something happens. If the books mysteriously start getting delayed, I suppose we'll see the red-inked writing on the proverbial wall. Until then... It's business as usual, the train operating normally while the fear that it may crash into the station remains ever-present in the minds of all aboard. Ain't late stage capitalism swell?! 

That's the macro view and stressing out about things beyond our control isn't fruitful, or so my therapist tells me. Let us instead focus on the matter currently at hand. Issue 76 of "Sonic the Hedgehog" sees the various groups of heroes picking up the pieces – rather literally – in the aftermath of the Clean Sweepstakes disaster. Sonic seeks out the Chaotix, in hopes of finding where Clutch has disappeared. Tails and Amy plan to check on the international branches of the Restoration, to make sure they aren't thrown into turmoil by the destruction of HQ. Blaze, who recently concluded her tour of the globe with Silver, is interested in helping. The Diamond Cutters have a heart-to-heart and go their separate ways. Jewel quits as boss of the Restoration and decides to help Lanolin rebuild the town destroyed in the crash. Silver decides to join Whisper on her quest to hunt down Mimic, with Tangle tagging along to make sure her girlfriend doesn't murder the guy. Belle ventures out with Motobud to explore the world. 

Ian Flynn is back in the writer's chair for Issue 76 and it features him doing something he's made a habit of over the years. The first issue right after a massive event storyline wraps up is devoted to catching up with where the characters are in the aftermath, while also laying the groundwork for the future stories that will lead to the next massive event storyline. This tendency has survived into IDW after Archie and is definitely on-display right here. “Scattered Pieces: Part One” checks in on our major players. Sonic, Tails, Amy, Silver, Blaze, and the Diamond Cutters all get scenes devoted to them, in which they lay down what they plan to do next and put to rest what has come before. When Ian is having a good day, he can make stories like this touching reflections of the emotional states of our heroes and their relationships. On his bad days, this story feel like a mechanical process of standing the dominos back up before they can be knocked over again in a year or two.

The first part of “Scattered Pieces” feels a little bit like both of those instincts are at work. On one hand, Flynn is very focused on preparing the reader for the next fleet of stories. The characters are being broken up and repaired in new combination, with objectives clearly laid down. Sonic is with the Chaotix, Tails and Amy are with Blaze, Silver goes with Tangle and Whisper, Lanolin and jewel are staying behind to plan some urban development, and Belle is off on her own. (Well, she has Motobud, I guess.) It definitely feels somewhat overly structural at times. The worst example of this is Tails' repeatedly mentioning his missing Chaos Emerald, as if to make sure the reader doesn't forget about that dangling plot point. This is obviously an issue about putting every in place for the next motion and, sometimes, that stiffness is keenly felt by the reader.

At the same time, you can feel Ian Flynn specifically addressing some of the concerns people had with the previous arc. The Chaotix interrogate Sonic about his time as the Phantom Rider, with his working with Eggman so willing, which the hedgehog dismisses with a few well placed lines. Meanwhile, the Diamond Cutters get together for a sequence that feels a lot like a group therapy session. Everyone is even sitting in chairs in a little circle! You half expect Tangle to stand-up and admit she's an alcoholic, a clearing in the woods standing in for the church basement. Jewel cries about the pressure she's been under. Most prominently, Lanolin apologizes for the way she acted during the last year of issues. 

I don't know what kind of working relationship Flynn and Evan Stanley have. One would assume they collaborate closely, to make sure all the stories flow together and make sense. However, this issue feels undeniably like a reaction to what Stanley's writing. Here comes Ian Flynn again, to clean up the mess left by the last writer. Let's resolve the tangled morality of Sonic doing undercover as a villain, Lanolin being a hideous bitch to everyone, and Jewel repeatedly fucking up in her leadership role. This is what Flynn has always excelled at... Though it probably doesn't feel great for Evan. To have the next writer come in and sweep up all the changes she made, not many of which were all that well-received by fans. I guess that is what comics are like though. Maybe it was all planned this way and I'm seeing an animosity between the two writing styles that simply isn't there. 

A while ago, I saw a funny image on the hellscape Nazi website. Someone had drawn Sonic responding to Surge trauma-dumping with him saying, bluntly, “I'm not your fucking therapist.” I have no idea if this illustration was made by someone in the pro or anti-Flynn camp. I've seen criticism of the guy's writing that reflects this opinion, that maybe he's double-down on the psychological angst too much. I'm very much in favor of giving your cartoon hedgehogs some mental depth. However, I will admit that Flynn displaying this by having a character drop a massive word balloon, loaded with observations and insight, is starting to show its strain. Having the Diamond Cutters get together in a sharing circle, with Lanolin monologuing about what she's done wrong and how she wants to make amends, maybe makes the therapy parallels a little too evident. 

But it's not bad either! Sure, Jewel crying and yelling about the pressure she's on or Lanolin extensively saying sorry probably is not what I'd prefer to see when I open up a “Sonic the Hedgehog” comic book... However, Flynn does sneak in some good moments in-between the tears and moaning. Sometimes it's as simple as Sonic making fun of Espio using the word “cahoots,” which is brought back in an amusing manner. Other times, it's a big dramatic gesture of Tangle scooping Jewel up with her tail and giving her a big hug. The comic has made these characters fleshed-out enough that moments like this feel like proper pay-off to what has come before. “Scattered Pieces: Part One” is definitely a little too stiff in its structure. Literally having the Diamond Cutters go around a circle and talk stuff out isn't very exciting to watch. It's well enough realized though. 

Weirdly, the moment that works the best in issue 76 are the ones that are a little less heavy. I was hoping we'd see Silver and Blaze's world tour actually play out. Instead, they are back at the Restoration hub, their vacation already having come and gone. I have no idea if this was intentional but the conversation the two have ends up having a romantic tension to it.I mean, the idea that they spent several weeks together on a trip brings certain connotations with it. There's some meaningful glances here, as Blaze says she admires Silver. A flashback of Silver munching on two apples has Blaze looking over at him in a somewhat suggestive manner. I know Silver and Blaze is a popular ship – with a cutesy couple name of their own, the only mildly awful sounding “Silvaze” – so I doubt these panels weren't assembled without that idea somewhere in the creative team's minds. 

It's not exactly an action packed issue, leaving little of the flash-and-bang that allows artist to truly show off. Despite that, Aaron Hammerstrom contributes some very nice looking pencils. Espio scooping Sonic up in an office chair and Vector shining a lamp in his eyes are still really good looking, with the same sort of dynamic movement Hammerstrom brings to action sequence.  Drawing characters making sad faces and looking at each other aren't very exciting on their face. However, Hammerstrom does a good job of making these glances properly expressive and meaningful. Valentina Pinto's colors are nice and warm too, giving a further sense of emotional resonance to these pages.

It's a transitional issue in a very obvious sense, transitioning us from the last arc to the next one. The rest of “Scattered Pieces” seems like it well devote an issue to each of these separate story threads, perhaps another direct reaction to Stanley leaping back and forth between groups of characters within one story. I think that's a much smarter idea of how to handle things going forward. As for this particular issue, it's a bit dull in spots. The script can't quite make these emotional moments as important feeling as he probably wanted. Still, it's not all bad either, with one or two little touches making this one worth reading. A very mixed bag, this one. Hopefully it doesn't end up being the last issue IDW publishes, he says morbidly chuckling in a joking-but-not-really way. [6/10]

Sonic the Hedgehog: Spring Broken!

Sonic the Hedgehog: Spring Broken!

Original Publication Date: June 26th, 2024

I don't know about you guys but, here in my corner of the world right now, it's way too fuckin' hot. It's actually been hitting 100°F and up lately which, no, is not normal. Thanks, climate change! Despite it obviously being summer now, IDW has just published a comic book called "Sonic the Hedgehog: Spring Broken." Aside from being a pun that took me way too long to process, the comic is also wildly out-of-season. Of course, that's because the issue was supposed to come out back in April but suffered another one of IDW's famous last minute schedule slips. And then another and another, the issue finally working its way out in June. I guess it must be spring somewhere in the world. Let us dive into "Spring Broken" then. 

It's certainly spring in the world of Sonic the Hedgehog as this comic book opens. Tails is super excited to attend the Spring Festival, a local carnival and event that arrives every year. Among the attractions is the Annual Flower Frolic Festival, where the community's best gardeners gather to present their most beautifully groomed and grown flowers. Amy is acting as a judge this year, with Silver, Espio, and Jewel in competition. Also Rough and Tumble are there. Silver is very nervous to show off a flower he's worked extra hard on growing but, when it's unveiled on-stage, the plant is on fire. This is the beginning of a mystery, Tails and Vector following a convoluted series of clues to figure out who sabotage Silver's carefully grown flower.

As with last year's Halloween special, "Spring Broken" sees a new writer entering the IDW "Sonic" fold. This story was penned by Josh Trujillo, who has worked on some fairly high-profile DC and Marvel titles. He's currently writing the latest "Blue Beetle" on-going, for one example. Trujillo is also quite experienced with licensed books, having worked on tie-ins for "Rick & Morty," "Adventure Time," "Dream Daddy," and "Bill & Ted." He should be used to playing in other people's sand boxes. This is his first "Sonic" comic, however. Much like Mark Bouchard's "A Very Chaotix Halloween," it seems Trujillo took the idea that "Sonic" is an all-ages, kid-friendly title a little too far. "Spring Broken" is another story that seems aimed at the youngest of fans. There's no fighting and very little action. No one's lives are threatened. No egg-shaped robots are deployed. 

This is, in and of itself, not necessarily a problem. I'm fine with a "Sonic" story just being a fun little hang-out piece. Yet the low stakes pair with a childish tone, that features simplistic takes on the cast. Amy is upbeat and girly, the moment when she reveals Silver's burning flower and gets high-strung being the only colorful moment she has. Vector is defined solely by his status as a detective. Rough and Tumble are simple-minded bad guys which, okay, fine. Charmy is reduced to being such a little kid that he comes off as kind of dumb. Tails being super excited for the Spring Festival is fine, though it would've been nice if his sudden interest in botany was explained in some way. I found myself feeling that way about how a lot of the heroes are written. Silver has shown an interest in gardening in a few IDW issues but mostly of produce and not fancy flowers. Espio and Jewel being into this hobby comes out of nowhere. In general, the script makes the characters feel less like fully fleshed out living beings and more like pawns for a story the writer wanted to tell. 

The only character here that seems truly himself is Sonic... And he doesn't have much to do. In fact, during the presentation of the different flowers, Sonic yawns. The only exciting moment the hedgehog receives is to chase after a possible suspect, a moment that lasts for two whole pages. Instead, the meat of the story focuses on Tails and Vector, working together to solve the mystery of who killed Silver's flower. I like it when characters that don't interact often are paired up. Brainy Tails is certainly a fine pick to work as a detective anyway, with his attention to detail and talent for brilliant solutions. Still, it does feel a little weird that the best thing Sonic does is scarf down a jumbo sized chili dog. 

The kiddie tone is really noticeable in the central mystery. I don't expect the Chaotix to be investigating homicides or drug smuggling operations. The days of their cases starting with a kid dying of an overdose are long since gone. However, there's no denying that the stakes here are as low as possible. "Someone ruined my fancy flower!" sounds like the kind of thing Sherlock Hemlock should be looking into, not the Chaotix. As the end of the story reveals, it's debatable whether a crime was even committed. I can't help but feel that, if you're going to involve the Chaotix in the story and frame your narrative as a mystery, you should probably have something a little more exciting than a dead plant be the kick-off to the investigation. 

Given the simplicity of the story being told, it will not surprise you to read who exactly is behind this quasi-crime. From all of the characters gathered together, which is the shiftiest and most underhanded? Trujillo's script is seemingly aware of how foregone this exact conclusion is. In order to further delay the inevitable, a bunch of goofy twists and false leads are thrown in. The mystery seemingly solves itself twice before the heroes come close to uncovering the actual truth. The result is a seemingly simple event being the result of a rather convoluted series of events. Whether you find that to be a compelling conclusion I guess depends on whether you prefer these stories go in a straight line or a series of zig-zags. I, personally, found it a bit irritating. 

My biggest problem with "Spring Broken" is not the kids-glove tone, the simplistic take on the cast, the non-mystery or the attempt to make that more interesting. All of this would be acceptable if this light-hearted and ostensibly amusing premise actually had some... Ya know, jokes. The only laughs to be found arise from the oversized reactions the characters have to the various not-so-exciting events. Otherwise, there aren't any gags or one-liners. Comic books like this really needed Sonic being a smart-ass, to bring along some of that nineties 'tude. Instead, he grabs a broom and cleans up some trash, doing his civic duty as a superhero. What an inspiration to the kids. Sonic Says Don't Litter! 

The issue features a few cameos from established "Sonic" characters. Big the Cat shows up briefly, having gotten some ice cream flipped on his head. Nite the Owl is the co-presenter of the contest and Don the Rooster pushes the prize – a humongous gemstone – on-stage. Cream and Vanilla have cameos. I gotta tell you, sometimes I have this fear that the "Sonic" comics will eventually become only an excuse for the most dunderheaded fans of this franchise to point at a page and say "There they are! My favorite character! Yay! Serotonin activated!" You must do something with these guys if you actually want to get a pop out of the reader. Having them appear on-panel is not enough. That kind of thinking is how we got a 200 million dollar "Flash" movie seemingly built around a twenty-second cameo from a CGI Nicolas Cage. 

Also, you're telling me that there's a big shiny rock in this story and Rouge didn't show up? Not a single glimpse of Tangle and Whisper? And during Pride Month too... For shame! If you're going to pander to the reader with cameos of random cast members, at least include the random cast members I like! I'm joking but also I'm not because the reveal that Rouge was the one behind poisoning Silver's plant just so she could get her hands on a super-duper geode, only to get talked out of being villainous and giving the rock to Jewel's museum at the end, would be a way better story than this! That's a character arc, guys. Or maybe the gem is secretly some power source that Eggman is after... Not to dissuade anyone's interest in slice-of-life plots involving these characters but so much more could have been done with this set-up. I can't avoid the conclusion that Trujillo's heart simply wasn't in this one, due to either a lack of interest in this world, a lack of time, or weird editorial demands. 

The more I write about this comic, the less I like it. Here, have some positivity. The artwork is great! Adam Bryce Thompson is back on pencils and, as we've come to expect from him, his work is excellent. It's entirely possible that the best moments in this issue – Amy clenching her teeth, Silver's freakout, Vector invading Tails' personal space, Sonic's spit bubble – were entirely his work. Artist add details like that of their own volition sometimes. Obviously, ABT's talent for hyper-expressive faces and his ability to add a dynamic sense of movement to panels where not much is happening are the highlight here, outshining the script. Thompson's obsessive attention to background detail is nice too. The various crowd scenes are full of lovingly designed characters. I know Thompson has a habit of sneaking his friend's OCs into crowd scenes. I suspect that's what some of these faces are. A fox-like female wearing an Egyptian headdress of some sort definitely feels like one of those. As self-indulgent as you could call this tendency, I think it actually adds a lot more color to this world, allowing us to imagine that even the random critters on the street have their own histories and complex personalities. 

Ultimately, "Spring Broken" doesn't have any punchiness as a comedy. No intrigue is produced by its goofy, simplistic mystery. The characters are so reduced to their basic attributes that you don't get much joy out of watching them interact. This produces the most important question of all: What was the point? IDW using these seasonal one-shots as a testing ground for new "Sonic" writers is a good idea. However, this is the second time a newbie has produced mediocre work. Where's Daniel Barnes when you need him? I mean, "Spring Broken" isn't the worst thing. It's too harmless for that. However, it's been a while since I've read a "Sonic" comic so easily forgotten the minute you closed the back cover. [5/10]

Sonic the Hedgehog (IDW): Issue 67

Sonic the Hedgehog (IDW): Issue 67

Publication Date: December 6th, 2023

Is an action/adventure comic book only as good as its villains? The obvious answer is "no" but the thesis does have some compelling evidence. At least as far as IDW's "Sonic the Hedgehog" comics are concerned. While the series has always been uneven, the presence of Surge and Kit really energized the writing. Dynamic baddies with strong personalities of their own, I felt like the book had finally found its footing once they struck out on their own. And I know I've said that IDW has "found its footing" roughly fifty times since the comic started but I think it's clear that exclusive-to-the-comics characters like these two, Belle, Whisper and Tangle, or Scrapnik Mecha Sonic are the true life blood of this series. Further evidence for this theory occurred when the book's quality started to get really bumpy after Surge and Kit were put on the shelf back in January. There's been decent issues published in that time but the series has felt largely directionless since then, putting out arcs that truly operate like filler. 

Well, I'm still not convinced that the current arc, of Clutch trying to infiltrate the Restoration, is going anywhere especially interesting. But, at the very least, we've got Surge and Kit back. The teenage mutant super-powered tenrec and fennec arrived back on the series with issue 67. Will they actually get some cool shit to do or will Ian Flynn's creative slump continue? Let's look closer and find out. 

The internet tells me that this story is entitled "Second Chances," information that I feel like should really be contained within the comic book itself! Anyway, Sonic is shocked when he sees that Amy is apparently giving a guided tour of Restoration HQ to none other than Surge and Kit. It's soon explained to the blue hero that these two villains showed up at the front door, asking to be forgiven and allowed onto the side of good. Everyone is pretty skeptical but hoping the effort is sincere, as they show the two misfits around the base and expound on their philosophy of forgiveness to them. Of course, this apparent shift in morality is not for-realsies. Surge and Kit are here on a mission of insidious undermining, on the behalf of Clutch. Who promises to reveal information he has on their past if they distract the good guys while Duo/Mimic continues to set-up a hostile takeover from within. 

Narratively, "Second Chances" is a very simple story. In fact, there's almost no narrative here at all. Instead, nearly the entire comic is devoted to Sonic and Amy leading Surge and Kit around Restoration HQ and showing them the various areas and amenities. We get lots of scenes of our heroes taking the Imposters to a different area of the head-quarters, being told what the purpose of each quarter is. While this happens, they also interact with the established cast members of the comic, most of whom are suspicious of the Imposters' professed attempt to turn over a new leaf. This doesn't sound like an especially compelling story and, in execution, it barely is... 

Yet I do think "Second Chances" works, largely by skating by on the built-in personalities of its cast. Watching everyone's reaction to Surge and Kit just showing up like this is fun. Everyone is rightfully suspicious. There's a lot of side-eyeing. Belle comically freaks out and Silver is shocked by their presence too. This is amusing but it's more than a one-note joke. These interactions allow us peeks at everyone's personalities. Belle quickly accepts them, realizing their story has certain parallels to her own. Lanolin is very skeptical but willing to give them a shot. Most everyone recognizes that the Restoration is a volunteer program that functions on giving people second chances. Throughout nearly the entirety of IDW "Sonic's" run, the series has returned to this idea of forgiveness. Sonic even holds out hope that Eggman will someday see the error of his ways and start fighting the good fight. This issue continues that stance, while also creating lots of opportunities for the lovable cast members to be all lovable and shit. Only Whisper refuses to accept Surge and Kit, which matches the grumpy turn she's taken here of late. 

Of course, Whisper is completely right too. Surge and Kit, much like Duo, are here as double-agents. Also like Mimic's deception, this is something the script wastes little time revealing. A few pages in and we know these two are here on behalf of Clutch, intentionally planning to cause trouble. By the end, they are conferring with Mimic in secret, outlining their plan of espionage. Surge and Kit will be constant distractions for the good guys, while Duo continues his operation in secret. Essentially, these two are here to take the heat off the mole Clutch already has within the Restoration. 

While I still think that's sabotaging a potentially decent narrative surprise, Surge and Kit work a lot better in this role. Mimic is never going to sincerely switch sides. He's a cold-blooded murderer and has shown nothing but self-interest in all his previous appearances. Surge and Kit, on the other hand, are more complex. They both have sympathetic backstories. The more we've gotten to know them, the clearer it is that these two really just need some love and kindness to overcome the malicious programming Starline brainwashed into them. Considering Clutch seems to promise that a reveal concerning the Imposters' origins is coming soon, the two finding their way over to the side of the angels through an undercover operation would be a good conclusion to all the building the comic has done on them before. 

Call it the Vegeta Precedence. As this issue points out, "Sonic" is a franchise that largely operates on shonen fighting anime rules, where enemies are often humbled and then join up with the good guys. For a while now, the series has been pointing towards Surge and Kit eventually making heel-face turns. That makes their fake alliance shift here a prelude, one assumes, for a genuine alliance shift further down the line. Will Kit realize that being good feels good, forcing a wedge between him and Surge? Will the acceptance Sonic gives Surge make her question her desire to pummel him into a bloody smudge on the floor? Will the villains become so competent at being Fake Freedom Fighters, that they decide they might as well become Real Freedom Fighters? Or will the comic do something altogether lamer than any of those options? We can't say yet but, at the very least, the foundation is built here for something interesting to happen later on. 

This issue also makes an effort towards correcting a problem I've had with IDW "Sonic" pretty much from the get-go. Namely, the lack of – or perhaps even a stubborn refusal to engage with – world-building. Archie "Sonic" was full of backstory and environmental details, to the point of sometimes smothering the actual characters and stories. IDW has had the opposite problem, where the world Sonic and friends are fighting to defend has been so vaguely defined that you kind of wonder why we give a shit if it's saved or not. At the very least, "Second Chances" provides us with some insight into how the Restoration is actually going about restoring things. The base has a mall and food court, which seems ridiculous. Well, it is ridiculous but Flynn immediately follows this moment up by revealing that everything at the base is supplied by a warehouse. And before you question whether Jewel is a mini-Bezos running her own Amazon sweatshop, it's revealed that all the workers of the Restoration are volunteers. Everyone is doing this out of the goodness of their hearts. It turns out this warehouse is even part of an entire supply chain, distributing goods and necessities to the rest of the world, presumably free of charge. 

This explains some things about Mobius Sonic's world Earth, I guess. Namely, how a culture seemingly made up of small villages with little in the way of industry still has things like cars and chili dog stands and coffee shops. Sonic's world operates on some sort of egalitarian logic, everyone working towards the common good of the rest of the world strictly because it's the best thing for them to do. They manage to do all of this while living in relative harmony with nature, staying in humble communities and not bulldozing forests to make way for massive urban sprawl. 

This goes along with the environmental subtext that has always characterized the franchise, while also making the distinction between our heroes and Eggman more obvious. Eggman is bad because he destroys the world to build his massive cities and engines of conquest. Sonic and his furry friends don't need any of that shit. They can compromise between the needs of the people and the needs of the planet, satisfied with living simple lives. I'm not going to go so far as to call this an actual political statement. It's far too naïve and simplistic for that. Eggman still isn't a capitalist – it's unclear if capital even exists in this world – and that means Sonic isn't actually a socialist either. (Even if that suggestion is still kind of implicit.) I don't think Sonic is going to start wearing a black mask and begin smashing the patriarchy and seizing the means of production. However, it does extend the hedgehog's philosophy of kindness and forgiveness to the entire Restoration. It fleshes the world out some. Even if I'm doubtful this book will get around to providing an actual history, to explain why society is like this, any time soon. 

Alright, I'll stop reading way too much into a children's comic, like I always do, and wrap things up. This is a slower issue but a fairly rewarding one, if only because it can skate by on interactions between the characters. I mean, look at that panel of Kit giving the Orangutan Mechanic the stink-eye! That's priceless. Thomas Rothlisberger's art is strong, the guy giving a lot of opportunities to draw colorful facial expressions and cute little background details. Whether this actually goes anywhere good or not remains to be seen. The book has let me down plenty of times in the past. But, taken on its own, this is an alright issue. I'm going to wait and see. [7/10]