Sonic the Hedgehog (IDW): Issue 71

Sonic the Hedgehog (IDW): Issue 71

Publication Date: July 31st, 2024

The internet moves so fast these days. The biggest movie of the summer comes out and, two days later, clips of it from shaky cellphone bootlegs are all over social media. A new installment of a comic book drops and the fandom is already overturning all its events within a few hours. All the surprises get spoiled immediately. If you don't read the book the minute it comes out or see the movie the day of its release, all the cool shit is going to be ruined for you. People used to care about spoilers around here! This is a long winded way of me saying that I didn't get a chance to read issue #71 of IDW's "Sonic the Hedgehog" comic until today, two days after it was released, and I already felt like I was massively behind. I don't know what this says about fandoms in the year 2024, that nobody can wait to discuss things politely, all of us operating under the assumption that everyone has immediate access to everything. Perhaps it speaks to the unrelenting speed with which all aspects of our culture move in a world where the internet rules our lives...

And you know what else is fast? Sonic the Hedgehog! Let's talk about his comic book! The Clean Sweepstakes race continues, the participants moving through a misty valley full of dangerously steep mountaintops. To add to the danger, participants can now sling dodgeballs at each other. Naturally, the Phantom Rider makes an appearance, acting even more antagonistic than usual. This is a surprise for Sonic, who is in disguise and lurking on the sidelines. Yes, Mimic is trying to add to the confusion and chaos. The shifty octopus ends up revealing Sonic's identity to Tangle, Whisper, and the Babylon Rogues. The groups consider what to do with this information. Meanwhile, Surge and Kit continue to ponder their newfound popularity while Tails and Amy come uncover the truth. 

Issue 71 is one full of action and incident. The meat of the comic is occupied with all the contest, the Phantom Rider's appearance once again immediately causing chaos and violence on the track. This guy is so distracting that his appearance instantly draws attention away from the race itself. Who cares about that when we have a masked villain creating mischief? The high stakes lead to a number of dramatic reveals, Sonic's cover being blown. Meanwhile, Amy and Tails rescue Belle, who accidentally reveals that Clutch orchestrated this entire event for shady reasons. What I'm saying is there's a lot of stuff happening in this issue. 

You would think the suspenseful action/adventure antics would be what is driving fandom discussion around this issue. That is not the case. Instead, it is some quiet character interactions that prove to be the most compelling aspect of this comic. When Tangle sees Sonic's face behind the Phantom Rider's mask, she's stunned. How can the Restoration's greatest hero be secretly operating as such a public nuisance? That's when Whisper shows her some video she recorded with her mask – a very convenient development, I'll add – that reveals there are two Phantom Riders. Tangle is overjoyed, since this suggests Sonic might not be a crook after all. Even though this conversation is largely plot focused and centered around another character, Tangle and Whisper's closeness makes this moment so much more interesting. It feels like Whisper is, once again, showing her vulnerability and Tangle, like always, embraces her. That gesture makes it clear that Tangle accepts her, no matter what, and that is fucking adorable. I love these lesbians. 

As utterly endearing as that moment is, another scene is even better. After the action is over for the day, Surge and Kit are approached by an adorable moppet. The kid fangirls all over Surge in that adorably kid-like way. Once again, it gives Surge pause. This is what Evan Stanley is good at as a writer: Showing the little ways characters can evolve and grow. Surge has built her whole life around this image of herself as a ruthless bad-ass with no use for society's rules. She's the definition of "acting out for attention" taken to supervillain extremes. Now she's getting praised for being a good guy. She's learning she doesn't have to settle for "If you don't love me, you'll hate me instead." Quietly, she's starting to question her whole personality. Character development happening, right before our very eyes! That this is spurned in by a child – who is as friggin' cute as they could possibly get them – makes the interaction more precious. Acts of unprompted kindness mean a lot to someone bred for cruelty.  

If Stanley has a real talent for characters interacting, her plotting still feels a little obvious and slapdash at times. From the moment "Duo the Cat" showed up at Restoration HQ, I've been waiting for someone to point out how suspicious he is. This has been followed by Jewel letting barely reformed criminals Surge and Kit into the club, before participating in a public event orchestrated by obvious criminal Clutch. At the very least, our heroes seem to be catching on to what is happening. Belle helps confirm Amy's suspicion that Clutch – who looks and acts like a child's cartoon imagining of what a crime boss looks like – might actually be a crime boss. Mimic mucking about with the Phantom Rider is a plot point I don't feel entirely satisfied about. However, it does feel like a step towards that particular storyline reaching a head. Hopefully we are getting there soon. 

The strengths of this issue cover up its biggest flaw, which is that this arc hasn't been much more than a chaotic jumble of subplots. Stanley is doing a much better job at juggling the large cast amid elaborate action scenes here than she did in "Urban Warfare." If only because the rest periods between races allow for a natural breathing room. However, we are still being asked to follow, by my count, between four and six different storylines at this moment. All of these divergent plot points are obviously being set up for a bigger resolution, within the next issue or so. Yes, this is another comic book primarily about setting up future comic books. It's not bad, necessarily, but sometimes you can feel the gears moving a little more than perhaps you should. 

With so much going on, some storylines will clearly be focused on over others. Sonic got some juicy emotional scenes last issue. In #71, he doesn't do much of anything because get punked by Mimic while buzzing around on his floating cheese wheel. Though there is a neat panel, where we see half of his face through the Phantom Rider helmet, that reminds me of a trick they would pull in old Spider-Man comics any time Peter Parker felt his secret identity was in trouble. 

I also question the timeline here a bit. Issue 71 picks up immediately on the cliffhanger issue 70 ended on, with Tails and Amy discovering Belle bound and gagged in a locker. After that initial moment, the other tendrils of the story continue. Which makes me wonder how long Any and Tails have been on the supply ship? It sort of seems like two days have passed in-between scenes there. Further more, how much longer are they going to be stuck up there? All the other plot threads are advancing at a normal rate while Tails and Amy are moving in snail time. 

Temporal paradoxes aside, Stanley continues to successfully chip away at my indifference towards Jet and the Babylon Rogues. I still don't think I'm particularly invested in this trio. However, playing up the burning jealousy Jet feels towards Sonic is a compelling angle to explore. When he discovers that the person he considers his greatest rival is behind the mask of this wanted menace, Jet goes into a more scheming mode. He clearly has his eye not just on defeating Sonic on the racetrack but also torpedoing his public reputation. If the focus continues to be on Jet's obsessive desire to be better than Sonic, he might become a genuinely interesting villain yet. Anybody else imagining some Robert DeNiro-esque backstory for Jet now, where he is a former Sonic fanboy whose admiration turned to a dangerous fixation? Just me? Alright, good to know. 

It's a good looking issue too! Min Ho Kim on pencils and Reggie Graham on colors are becoming a very reliable team. Belle's flashback have a cool, gritty filter over them. The use of mist and shadows during the mountain chase sequence are especially nice. Adds a fittingly spooky vibe to that sequence. Kim's facial expressions are very strong too. The little look Surge gives Kit after the kid talks to her conveys a lot of conflicted emotions. (Though the Babylon Rogues going full Big Mouth Billy Bass every time they are shocked is perhaps a bit much.) The issue also ends with a surprisingly creepy close-up on Clutch's face. I do wish the fight scene between Tangle and Whisper and Surge and Kit – oh yeah, that's a thing that happens too – was a little clear. There's a few too many blue, translucent superpowers in that scene. Gets a tad confusing. 

While I don't think this issue is as strong as the proceeding one, the parts are greater than the whole here. The page devoted to Surge and the kid, or Tangle and Whisper's cuddle time, are absolutely precious. They are so good that they elevate the rest of the book around them. Whether Stanley can carol this collection of subplots towards a satisfying ending remains to be seen. Honestly, I'm skeptical if she'll be able to. However, this particular arc has been worth it solely because of smaller, touching moments like those. [7/10]

Sonic the Hedgehog (IDW): Issue 64

Sonic the Hedgehog (IDW): Issue 64

Publication Date: September 13th, 2023

IDW's “Sonic the Hedgehog” series does, for the time being anyway, seem committed to the structure of a cover story and a back-up story in each issue. That worked out nicely for the book last month, so let's see how issue 64 did... The cover story, “Misadventures, Part 2,” begins with Silver and Whisper spying on “Duo,” looking to see if their suspicion that the new recruit is actually Mimic will be fulfilled. Lanolin quickly sees the two sneaking around and blows their cover. Silver and Whisper decide to go on the offensive then, chasing after Duo. All they manage to do is sprain the cat's ankle, turn everyone against their mission, and get Silver kicked out of the Diamond Cutters. Afterwards, in “Two of a Kind,” Blaze and Sonic are returning to Restoration HQ when they notice Silver sulking out by the victory garden. The pyrokinetic cat and the telekinetic hedgehog have a heart-to-heart, realizing they have a lot in common. 

In my review of issue 63, I commented that Mimic/Duo didn't strike me as a very talented or patient assassin. Maybe this was fitting, as issue 64 reveals that Whisper and Silver are not very talented or patient spies. Instead of carefully watching Duo for days on end and gathering evidence, they immediately get their cover blown. Alright, Silver sucks at sneaking. Sure. Yet instead of staying committed to a stealthy approach, the two go from zero to sixty in the opposite direction. Silver chases Duo down and threatens him, in hopes that this will force Mimic to reveal himself. That does not seem like the most sensible decision. 

I suppose you could say that Silver isn't in a sensible mood, after almost getting killed last time... But why doesn't Whisper – the epitome of a calm, watchful combatant – ever tell him to cool it? Instead, she ends up fighting Lanolin while Silver takes chase. Alright, I guess Mimic is a sore subject for Whisper as well, prompting her to act rashly. To me, however, it really seems like both characters are blundering into this mission, totally convinced of what they must do, instead of acting reasonably and making absolutely sure Duo is Mimic before striking. Whisper even says they have to be certain before going right along with Silver's crazy plan. 

If you have to resort to the explanation of “The characters are acting like jack-asses because they are upset,” you should definitely emphasize that this is what's happening more keenly. Otherwise, it just makes our heroes seem like impulsive dimwits. However, it's not like Silver and Whisper are the only ones acting like damn fools here. Once again, I must ask the question: Why does Lanolin trust Duo so much? She doesn't know this guy! Does the Restoration even do background checks on their new recruits? The fact that Lanolin is willing to go fisticuffs to defend this guy, against a friend and team members of her's that she's fought alongside, makes this entire sequence of events rub me the wrong way. Everyone is acting like a moron in this issue. 

This story reflects on everyone poorly, honestly. We, the reader, know for a fact that “Duo” is Mimic. Lanolin going to bat for this guy makes her seem like an idiot. The final sequence has Jewel apologizing to Duo as he recovers from, I don't know, a sprained ankle or whatever. I guess she's fooled too, even offering him a job in her office. This doesn't make Mimic look like a cunning strategist or master manipulator. It makes him look lucky, to stumble his way into a better position like that. To be surrounded by people who so totally uncritically buy his deception. The longer this particular arc goes on, the more I think it would've been a lot better if it hadn't been revealed that Mimic is Duo before things got rolling. 

But, you know, characters acting ridiculously head-strong and not thinking things through, falling into contrived events just to facilitate an action sequence... That is a proud tradition in comic books. “Misadventures, Part 2” seemingly even sets up such a big fight. Whisper and Lanolin are going to duke it out, right? Well, they do... For about four panels. Whisper grabs Lanolin's wrist, she gets tossed tot he ground, there's some kicking and punching. That's it. Come on, Evan, if you're going to stretch this dumb-ass plot out for multiple issues, at least have the good sense to give us a pulpy fight scene between two established characters! 

Of course, the back-up story makes it clear why this rather weird, off-center cover story plays out the way it does. By the end of “Two of a Kind,” Silver and Blaze have run off together. Silver leaves behind the Restoration and decides to go on a seemingly unrelated adventure with Blaze. That's kind of annoying, if only because the previous few issues have been trying to make a point about how Silver belongs in the Restoration. Seems to kind of defeat the purpose, doesn't it? Why do all that development about Silver trying to fit in with the Diamond Cutters just to break them up? 

Then again, Silver and Blaze being paired up is not without precedent. Not within this comic book, where they haven't interacted much outside of the “Victory Garden” story a few annuals back. (Which this issue references extensively.) In the fandom, however, Silver and Blaze are an incredibly popular ship. With the exception of insanely common ships like Sonic and Amy or Rouge with anyone, I think “Silaze” is probably the match-up I see the most frequently in artwork and fanfics. I think this is probably just because “Sonic '06” paired them up or they are both from alternate timelines or whatever. Yet they do have a cute chemistry here. Silver is shy and awkward. Blaze is also awkward, though for totally different reasons. Both characters are looking for their purpose in the world, or the present anyway. 

Even Sonic agrees that they are a cute couple, more-or-less telling them that's exactly what they are. Which is about as explicit a ship-tease as I think we're likely to see in this comic book. Ultimately, “Two of a Kind” isn't much of a story. Almost the entire thing is devoted to Blaze and Silver's little conversation. I support small scale, character-driven stories like this. I think I like the back-up story last month, if only because Sonic and Blaze have a better rapport. Yet I must, philosophically, support this story exist. Even if the seams of the plot here – pairing these two up for an adventure for some reason – is showing very obviously. 

Last time, I worried that the plot involving Duo/Mimic would get dumb really quickly. Those fears are already starting to show themselves. Admittedly, I do continue to like dividing the issue between a cover story and a back-up. Especially if the back-up stories continue to be more character driven than the more action oriented cover stories. By the way, this is another issue that barely has Sonic in it, which is turning into an interesting trend. [6/10]

Lost Hedgehog Tales

Back when I first started reading Archie’s “Sonic the Hedgehog” comics, there were few ways to contact the creative staff behind the books. Aside from the fan letters column in the back of the book and convention appearances, you weren’t going to get your burning questions about the comic’s lore answered. That all changed with the rise of social media, of course. Ian Flynn has been especially active in interacting with fans, often answering questions through his old forum, Twitter, and now his podcast.

Considering the various legal snafus that have affected the “Sonic” comic over the last few years of its existence, Flynn has gotten a lot of questions. Following the reboot, Flynn decided to put together a document on his website called Lost Hedgehog Tales. This was meant to be an on-going series that would reveal his original plans for the comic, before the Penders lawsuit forced him to almost completely start over. However, the on-going litigation of Penders’ lawsuit, not to mention his other pressing professional matters, ended up intervening.

Only one chapter of “Lost Hedgehog Tales” has been published at this time. It’s composed of four short pages, following a lengthy page of legal disclaimers. It doesn’t even really detail Ian’s unrealized preboot plans, cut short by the Super Genesis Wave. Instead, he spends five pages talking about how he originally planned to kill Antoine during the Mecha Sally arc, how Hershey the Cat was going to be revealed as alive and deep undercover in the Dark Egg Legion, and how editorial demands and corporate mandates interrupted his plans. It’s an admittedly fascinating read, for the insight into Flynn’s writing process, and for proving that working for Archie and Sega was as exactly as maddening as I’ve always presumed.

It does bug me that Flynn promised all these answers to fans only to end up choking after the first installment. He really should’ve published Lost Hedgehog Tales all at once, in one huge burst, so that it wouldn’t interrupt his on-going projects. He continues to assure us that Lost Hedgehog Tales will be completed someday and has even been expanded to include his similarly cut short post-reboot plans. However, it’s become increasingly clear that this won’t happen any time soon. Probably not until Flynn retires from writing “Sonic” altogether.

The sudden cancellation of Archie’s “Sonic” books left a whole other raft of ideas, stories, and concepts unseen. Unlike Flynn’s preboot plans, which only survive as thoughts in his head, fans actually got quite a few peeks at these unreleased issues. This is largely thanks to months-in-advance solicitations, previews, and the artists releasing raw pages through eBay. So, if you’ll allow me, I’ll use Flynn’s title as I take a look at these unpublished “Sonic” comics and consider what might’ve been.

The first unpublished issue I’ll talk about is “Sonic #291.” This would’ve concluded the “Genesis of a Hero” arc and, as you’ve probably deduced, covers events from the “Sonic & Knuckles” game. Unlike most of these other unreleased issues, were we only have plot synopses and cover images to go on, Tracy Yardley released all of his inked pages for this issue. True, there are no colors or dialogue balloons but, comics being a largely visual medium, we still have a pretty good idea of what this issue would’ve been like.

This comic would have specifically adapted the moment in “Sonic & Knuckles” were the echidna realizes Eggman is full of shit. Sonic and Knux’s brawl in the Hidden Palace Zone, Eggman’s thiefing of the Master Emerald, the subsequent trip through the Sky Sanctuary Zone, and the boss battle with the souped-up Metal Sonic would’ve been covered. The issue ends just as Sonic and Tails board the Death Egg.

This is one of the more story-driven moments from the classic Genesis games, so Flynn didn’t have much room for expansion here. The only clever change I can spot is our heroes do not realize it’s Metal Sonic piloting the Egg-Mobile at first, prompting some confusion when he pops out. I imagine the tone here would’ve been similarly light-hearted and comedic as the other “Genesis of a Hero” installments, though Knuckles’ guilt over being tricked by Eggman could’ve provided some pathos. Yardley’s artwork is on the same rushed, sloppy level though. Tails visibly goes off-model at the top of page twelve.

Issue 292 would’ve started a story arc that actually affects the comic’s world, properly beginning the post-Shattered World Crisis era that was sadly never meant to be. It seems the issue would’ve contained a story called “Branching Paths,” devoted to Sonic and the Freedom Fighters going their separate ways on different missions. Yardley has released most of the pages for this issue but it clearly would’ve been more dialogue driven than 291, so the plot is harder to interpret. We see Tails, Rotor, and Nicole discussing something deep in a lab. Sally, Amy, and Cream clearly decide to go on some sort of trip together. Bunnie and Antoine flirt in their bedroom as he shows her his sword... His actual cutlass, I mean. The plot synopsis Archie released says Sonic is running around Westside Island on a mission from an unnamed boss. Yardley’s page shows him zooming through a mineshaft, what looks like the Oil Ocean Zone, and thinking back to his days fighting the Death Egg.

While I question Flynn’s motives in splitting up the Freedom Fighters again, I’m betting I would’ve really liked this issue. It looks like one of those breather installments between big arcs, devoted more to character development than epic struggles or plot momentum. Especially after so much time had been devoted to the Shattered World Crisis, just getting to hang out with Sally and the gang for a few pages sounds really desirable. In fact, you can see how nice this would've been in Yardley's artwork, which is lively and full of detail, especially when compared to the soft and rushed pencils on the "Genesis of a Hero" issues. Sonic going out on his own for a while is an odd choice, as removing him from the dynamic certainly takes away from things some, but this book has also never struggled to thrive without its titular hero.

Issue 291 was also going to set up future plot points. You see, the next "Sonic Universe" story arc would've been devoted entirely to the core Freedom Fighters going on their own adventures. Sort of crazy that "Sonic Universe," in its eight year run, never touched upon that idea sooner, isn't it? It seems the individual issues of the four-part "Freedom Fighters" arc would've focused in on one member of the team, giving us an idea of what an entire series devoted to the individual adventures of the rebooted Freedom Fighters might've been like. The first part, issue 95, would've been about Antoine. As with Yardley's example above, Adam Bryce Thomas sold the penciled pages for this and the next issue on eBay, giving fans a sketchy if fairly clear look at what these stories might've been about.

Thomas' extremely dynamic and action-packed opening pages show Sonic and Antoine fighting a mysterious new villain, some sort of badger-y type guy named Cortez, who wields a magical sword. We then flashback, showing that Sonic and Antoine were visiting the coyote's ancestral home, an elaborate castle. It seems the D'Coolette family belongs to a lineage of knights and his family was entrusted with protecting a magical sword of some sort. At some point, the Eggman Empire broke into the castle and this Cortez asshole started vandalizing things. Antoine then uncovers the magic sword his family was apparently sworn to protect and uses it to subdue Cortez. It seems the issue would've ended with Sonic leaving the coyote at the castle.

While his Sonic Comic Origin story gave us a look at his immediate past, it seems this issue would've explored the history of Antoine's family more. I guess Flynn decided to make the D'Coolette members of or at least in league with an order of magical knights. It's pretty evident that some of the mythology from the misbegotten "Sonic and the Black Knight" video game was going to be woven into the book. The knights we see Antoine or someone who looks like him interacting with are clearly based off characters from that game. Cortez' big-ass anime sword, meanwhile, is similar to the weapon wielded by that game's main enemy. I have no idea where Flynn was going with this, especially since the issue ends with Antoine apparently staying behind in the seemingly abandoned castle for whatever reason.

While incorporating "Sonic and the Black Knights" into the comic's history strikes me as a terrible idea – the reboot was suppose to be a chance for Archie Sonic to break away from magical bullshit – this also seems like it might've been a fun issue. Sonic and Antoine get a couple of pages devoted to just talking, in what would've hopefully been character expanding banter and not just exposition. It's hard to get a bead on what Cortez' whole deal is, other than his obvious dislike towards Antoine and his family, but the idea of giving the individual Freedom Fighters' arch-enemies of their own is pretty cool. That panel of him walking down the stairs and clapping is neat. If nothing else, Thomas' raw pencils are electrifying to look at. It's clear other people inking and coloring his work actually drains it of some of its power. The issue also gives Antoine a slight redesign at the end, with that new sword and a fancy new cloak of some type. It's a bit of an improvement over his standard reboot look.

As issue 95 saw Antoine heading out on his own, issue 96 of "Sonic Universe" and the second part of "Freedom Fighters" would focus on Bunnie having a similarly solo adventure. Thomas' raw pages are more action driven than his pages for issue 95, so the plot is a little harder to decipher this time. The issue, however, seems to be about this: Bunnie either randomly encounters or intentionally meets up with Marine the Raccoon, who has traveled to Sonic's world using the Jeweled Scepter. After several pages of discussion – imagining the dueling annoying accents is giving me a head-ache, so I'm actually grateful I don't have to read them – Marine takes Bunnie to Blaze's world. Her home base is under attack by mysterious, shadowy creatures capable of infecting people and multiplying with ease. Bunnie quickly joins the fight, just as the leader of these entities pulls himself together. The creature is called Null and seems impervious to Bunnie's attack... That is until the rabbot is infected with some sort of magical energy, which is enough to either destroy the bad guy or beat him back. Bunnie is quickly curled of this power-up before she talks with Blaze and Marine some more and then heads home.

The second part of "Freedom Fighters" definitely seems like it was more full of magical MacGuffins and bullshit. Null seems like kind of a cool enemy. An amorphous villain with the ability to split into lesser beings and absorb people is a neat idea and a style of adversary the book hasn't really featured before. Where Null comes from and why he's so pissed at Blaze is a mystery we'll probably never discover the answer too. So it's hard to know if he would've been a compelling enemy outside of his superpowers. It seems this issue also would've featured a lot of magical plot devices as well as Bunnie getting a super-form of some sort, which I have little interest in, as well as far more combat than the previous issue. So it's hard to tell if this one would've been good or not. Still, Bunnie, Blaze, and Marine is an interesting team-up and the rabbot getting a chance at her own rogue gallery is a tempting proposition. And, once again, Thomas' pencils look fantastic. You can tell he clearly enjoys the chance to draw Bunnie and her shape-shifting opponent.

After that, it becomes harder for us to know what the future of Archie Sonic might've entailed. No interior artwork is available for the remaining issues, as the artists probably hadn't even started working on them yet. So all we have to go on are the cover images and the official solicitations Archie sent out to retailers. From this information, we can gleam this much about issue 293 of "Sonic:" It would've been set in "Sonic Mania's" Studiopolis Zone. The plot apparently would've involved Sonic appearing on the set of a Super Sentai-style TV show called "Sonic Man." Inspired by a meme-y supporting bozo from "Sonic '06" that was previously a one-panel gag during the "Champions" arc, it seems the show is about an entire team of superheroes based on Sonic and his friends. Honey the Cat would have also been there, I guess as a sponsor for the show. According to the solicitation, a "ranting and raving" Eggman motivated by "creative differences" then crashes the set.

So this probably would have been a pretty goofy issue. Honestly, only two things out of the few things we know about this particular adventure excites me. Firstly, Studiopolis is definitely my favorite of "Sonic Mania's" exclusive stages and it's cool that the comic was incorporating elements from that game so soon after its release. Secondly, it would've been nice to see more of Honey the Cat.

Otherwise, a comic largely devoted to Sonic Man doesn't really inspire much enthusiasm. If it turned out Sonic Man was some sort of vein actorly type who is not as heroic or strong as the character he plays on TV, that might've been funny. But I'm doubtful Flynn would've indulged in some showbiz satire. Instead, he probably would've more closely adapted Sonic Man as he appeared in the video game, where he's a strange, adult man who isn't just dressed as Sonic but seemingly believes himself to be Sonic. Where Flynn was going with a ranting and raving Eggman, I don't know but it sounds like the type of aggressively wacky and annoyingly consequences-free comic relief the writer was indulging in too much at this point. Maybe we would've gotten lucky and this issue would've turned into a big and crazy parody of tokusatsu shows.

Though "Genesis of a Hero" ended only two issues prior, it seems Flynn was ready to return to retro-game homages by issue 294. From what we can gather from the limited information available, this issue would've been an adaptation of the obscure "SegaSonic the Hedgehog" arcade game. It would've depicted Sonic, still traveling around the world for whatever reason, meeting back up with Mighty and Ray. The two then get to recalling their first adventure together. The plot synopsis says "Can their friendship survive their egos’ revisions?" Suggesting there would have been some "Rashomon"-style interplay between the three, each one imagining something different. And that is always a decent premise for a story and can be good grist for comedy. (Archie did something similar before, with solid results.) While I doubt this would've been an essential issue, I did enjoy the interaction we got between Sonic, Mighty, and Ray previously. So maybe this one would've been fun too. Despite that spiffy Tyson Hesse cover, it sounds like Yardley would've actually provided the interior artwork.

This issue was also going to include a back-up story called "Baking Bad." This would've been about Antoine and Bunnie having a cooking competition. (As far as I can tell, no artist was ever announced for this one and one might not have even been assigned at the time.) That sounds like an even goofier trifle, which might've been either a cute story full of flirty interaction between the married couple or a disheartening collection of lame attempts at jokes. It did prompt a variant cover from Jennifer Hernandez, which features not-so-great visual gags like Bunnie using her robot hand as a wisp and Antoine accidentally throwing a pie into Sonic's face.

Some wacky comic relief might've been what we needed after three years of globe-hoping adventure. But it seems like "Sonic Universe" would have been a much more interesting book in the first half of 2017. Issue 97 of "Sonic Universe" would have focused on the trio of Sally, Cream, and Amy. Some very rough preliminary sketches from Adam Bryce Thomas exist, giving us a vague notice of what the story might've involved. (Which is helpful, since the cover does nothing but have Sally, Cream, and Amy recreate the cover of "Sonic Jam.") It looks like "Sonic Universe" was returning to "Spark of Life" territory here, with Nicole being threatened by Phage again and Sally tracking Dr. Ellidy for help once more. The pages would've feature lots of dialogue, so it's extremely hard to know exactly what the plot was. The remains of a Titan Metal Sonic put in an appearance, along with an adorable panel of a reprogrammed Moto-Bug polishing a car of some sort.

While "Spark of Life" was quite good, I don't know how I feel about the comic returning to that well again so soon. I imagine the finished product probably would've been less similar than these sketches make it look. Especially since, I'm sure there would have been some sort of connecting fiber between the "Freedom Fighter" episodes. I'm glad Phage was returning, as she was definitely among the reboot's most promising villains. I'm really not sure what dynamic was left to explore between Sally and Dr. Elliday though. Hopefully, Aleah Baker was working on this story too, as I don't entirely trust Flynn to handle Sally and Nicole's relationship on his own.

Last among the unreleased Archie Sonic titles is the "Sonic: Mega Drive - Overdrive" one-shot, which probably would've come out before most of the stuff I've talked about above. Though no interior artwork for this comic has been released and Archie's solicitation doesn't tell us much, it's pretty easy to figure out what "Overdrive" would've entailed. Considering how committed to the "recreating a non-existent classic "Sonic" game" formula the first two parts of "Mega Drive" were, it's hard to imagine the conclusion would've shaken things up too much. As the cover indicates, this story would've been devoted to the Super Sonic, secret boss battle portion of the fan game that only exist in Flynn's head. So we can guess that Eggman would've used the Ancient Gear to activate some sort of superpowered weapon, that Sonic would've gotten a hold of the Chaos Emeralds somehow, transformed into his super form, and then curb-stomped Eggman's latest scheme into dust.

While that is a dramatic scenario, I'm betting this would have continued the "Mega Drive's" series mood of aggressively goofy comic relief. I don't see any reason for this version of Robotnik to stop acting like a total fool at this point, nor for Sonic and the gang to stop snarking at each at every turn. Once again, I'm sure Tyson Hesse's artwork would have been fantastic and the main reason to read this. I don't know, maybe Flynn would've really turned things around at the end. "The Next Level" was better than "Mega Drive," so maybe. But after being so disappointed with the first two installments, it's hard for me to get invested in what-might've-been with this particular comic book. While "Mega Drive" had a great premise – a retro Sonic adventure with art from Tyson Hesse! – the scripts really did not live up to that potential. And, also, why the hell was it advertised as a series of one-shots instead of just the mini-series it actually was?

Flynn's endgame with these issues is hard to guess. I suppose it's even possible, after three solid years devoted to an on-going arc, he was taking an intentional break from any sort of heavy plotting... But I'm pretty familiar with the dude's style, so I have no doubt he was already planning for the next big event. I’m sure Robotnik was plotting something, that the Naugus siblings, the various Egg Bosses, and the Deadly Six were all going to have roles to play in whatever was next.

Even if some of these issues look better than other, I do wish all these comics could’ve been published. Mostly because it would’ve been cool if the main “Sonic” book had made it to the 300 issues milestone and “Sonic Universe” to 100. Just for synchronicity, ya know? Anyway, this concludes my look at the Archie Sonic content that was planned but not released.

Sonic Archives: Volume 5

Sonic Archives: Volume 5
Publication Date: September 2007

In the four years it took me to read and review all of Archie’s “Sonic the Hedgehog” comics, I didn’t talk about the Sonic Archive series much. The digest-sized reprint collections were kind of a big deal for Archie fans in 2006, because it was the first time many of those early stories were being republished. However, nowadays, this means a lot less, as the individual issues were available as digital purchases for many years. (And now available forever as illegally pirated scans.) Since I reviewed the issues on a one-by-one basis, I figured there was no need for me to ever talk about the Archives. Even a “Sonic” reviewer as obsessively comprehensive as I figured that unnecessary.

But, it turns out, I should’ve been paying a little more attention to the Archives. Long after I was knee-deep into this project, I discovered the fifth Archives volume featured an exclusive “lost” story. Yes, a story that was written and illustrated circa 1995, but never published, was dug back up and shoved into this collection. Due to the aforementioned obsessive comprehensiveness, I knew I was going to have to look this story up and tag it onto the end of the entire retrospective.

And how did I discover the existence of this missing story? It was because, naturally, I was looking up UniverSalamander on one of the “Sonic” wiki. Yes, “Everything Old is Newt Again” features the second (and last) appearance of the giant, invulnerable, amphibious android. It seems the story was originally planned for inclusion in issue 20, as it begins with Robotnik bemoaning how Sonic’s apparent death was less permanent than initially assumed. While yelling at his army of Badniks, the not-so-universal salamander demands to be put back into the fray. Robotnik pumps the little lizard back up, this time giving him a new ability to reverse any shrink ray’s effect on him. He immediately tracks down the Freedom Fighters, kicks Sonic into the middle distance, and starts to wreck havoc.

UniverSalamander is a very silly character I have a bit of affection for, if only because he’s basically a giant robot dinosaur that Sonic could fight. I always thought he had a little more potential, outside of what we saw in his first appearance. Sadly, “Everything Old is Newt Again” doesn’t exactly deliver on that promise. His threat level seems to have been downgraded. Last time, only Super Sonic was enough to stop him. This time, the combined efforts of regular Sonic, Bunnie, and the other Freedom Fighters is enough to hold him off for a while. The shrink ray having the opposite effect this time is an easily reversed plot dilemma, as Rotor quickly deduces an embiggening ray will have the intended effect and proceeds to build one. Apparently even Mike Gallagher thought the character was played out after its second appearance, as the end has UniverSalamander being shrunk down to microscopic size. A fate he could potentially return from, I suppose, but one that seems pretty final nevertheless.

Mostly, reading “Everything Old is Newt Again” made me appreciate how much the comic evolved during its twenty-four years in print. As you’d expect from an early Mike Gallagher story, this comic is goofy as hell. Over the course of twelve pages, there's a lot of silly gags. Robotnik's Badniks treat their job like it's some sort of menial office work, softballing compliments at their boss and planning an office party. Later, Robotnik breaks the fourth wall to describe his new plot device as if it was a televised medication advertisement, with a list of side-effects at the bottom of the panel. During an inexplicable game of flag football between the Freedom Fighters, Sonic snatches Antoine's boxers. After being kicked into the desert by the salamander, Sonic lands face-first in an anthill, disrupting the place's very annoyed insectoid resident. The characters largely talk in puns and one-liners. All of this was standard practice for the book's early days but revisiting it after finishing up the book's entire run does leave the reader with some whiplash.

The artwork belongs to another era as much as the writer does. We are looking at some Dave Manak pencils, the first we've seen in quite a while. I highly suspect Manak only had loose sketches of this story laying around, forcing him to actually finish the illustrations in 2005. And you can tell he was rusty. His Freedom Fighters have overly long limbs, the angles of their faces looking incredibly jagged even by Manak's standards. Even UniverSalamander is off-model, appearing lankier than before. The panel of Sonic landing nose-first in the anthill is among the ugliest Manak would ever draw. You can definitely tell the story was hastily colored years after the fact, as the bright and flat digital colors contrast badly against the artwork.

So why did Archie decide to rescue “Everything Old is Newt Again” a whole decade after it was first conceived, other than being a cool extra for long time “Sonic” nerds? I think I answered my own question there but the story is significant for one reason. This story was the originally planned first appearance of Nicole. But don't get too excited there. The computer does not get some sort of epic introduction. While Sonic and the salamander fight overhead, Sally shows Rotor the new handheld computer she recently ordered from some business. Yep, as originally conceived, Sally just bought Nicole from a by-mail store, as if she was an collection of encyclopedias or a Clapper. It's a hilariously anticlimatic introduction for a character that would eventually prove important to the comic's lore.

I initially assumed this story had been shelved for eleven years because nobody was especially eager to revisit UniverSalamander. But that first appearance of Nicole was probably the real reason. It stands to reason Ken Penders already had his origin for the handheld computer in mind for the 'In Your Face” one-shot while this story was in the planning stages. I'm guessing the Archie top-brass decided that was a more dignified introduction for another SatAM element than this story would've been. Interestingly, one of the first things Nicole – who looks more like a ham radio than her usual form - does here is warn the characters that their world is about to get darker and more dangerous. As if the comic was announcing to readers that more serious stories would be coming soon enough. Just going ahead and actually doing that was probably a smoother way to prepare readers for the tonal change though...

So what value does “Everything Old is Newt Again” have? Not a whole lot. It does provide an mildly interesting “What if?” scenario as an alternate origin for Nicole, even if that ends up not being the main point of the story. Beyond that, there wasn't much reason for Archie to dig this up and polish it slightly, even if seeing UniverSalamander again after all these years was sort of neat. Nevertheless, the “Sonic” historian in me is glad this rarity was made available to the public. [5/10]

Sonic the Hedgehog: Issue 290

Sonic the Hedgehog: Issue 290
Publication Date: December 2016

While I have one more issue of “Sonic Universe” and a few odds and ends left to cover, my journey to review every issue of Archie’s main “Sonic the Hedgehog” comic book ends here. The “Sonic” book had humble roots, starting as a sophomorically goofy comedy book, a quickie product churned out to promote a recently released video game. The series ended in a similarly unassuming way, wrapping up twenty-four years of adventures with part three of a four-part retro game adaptation. That’s right. This comic book had been running long enough that the brand new game it was created to promote was now a nostalgia title. But enough about that. I’ve been driving for four years and now I’m pulling into the parking lot. Let’s do it to it.

Ironically enough, the last Archie “Sonic” cover story is subtitled “Sonic’s Cease and Desist” either because Flynn was trying to make a bad “Sonic CD” pun or because he knew more about the book’s future than he’s admitted. Though the third part of the “Genesis of a Hero” arc, Flynn places the events of “Sonic CD” after “Sonic 1” but before “Sonic 2.” (And after the Classic Sonic segments of “Sonic Generations,” because this was before Sega changed their mind about whether Classic Sonic is from the past or an alternate dimension.) Anyway, Sonic stumbles upon Eggman’s plan to chain Little Planet to a mountain and steal the Time Stones. After his no. 1 fan/stalker Amy Rose insists on tagging along, she gets grabbed by the brand new Metal Sonic. Sonic chases his enemy across time.

While parts one, two, and four of “Genesis of a Hero” were devoted to adapting specific moments from classic “Sonic” games, “Cease and Desist” choose to quickly run through most of “Sonic the Hedgehog CD’s” plot. This is probably because not as many people had a Sega CD as a Genesis and Archie’s previous adaptation of the game didn’t touch upon Little Planet or the Time Stones. So we get a quickie run through of the game’s rightfully beloved opening animation, the first level and boss battle, brief peeks at other zones, and then the race with Metal Sonic on Stardust Speedway. It’s a quick summation of a game not every reader has played, a bit too quick to be satisfying.

What’s really disappointing about this is that “Sonic CD” presents so many story opportunities. Where does Little Planet, a moon-sized astral body that appears in the sky once a year, come from? That feels like it would be significant to the history and mythology of Mobius “Sonic’s world.” The time travel element is not utilized in any interesting way. The idea of Eggman appearing in the past to conquer the world before the heroes even know it such a cool one. Imagine, like, two Death Eggs appearing in sky totally out of the blue one day! Eggman could’ve essentially won the war before it even begun. Instead, this comic treats the time travel element as nothing but the gameplay gimmick it was in the game. It’s a total failure of adaptation.

The stuff Flynn adds to the story end up being more compelling. Such as how Amy and Sonic first meet. Right after the recap of that epic opening animation, Amy climbs up the mountain to be next to Sonic. It’s a cute display of her determination. While Flynn rightly points out that Rose’s obsession is a little bit creepy, he downplays the stalker interpretation of Amy in favor of her just being a really fun young lady who doesn’t believe in giving up. It’s a smart reinvention of Classic Amy, who was usually not much more than a girly stereotype fixated on winning Sonic’s love, and lines her up more with the bad-ass hammer swinger she would eventually become.

In the rebooted comic’s world, this is also the earliest-in-continuity introduction of Metal Sonic. As always, the weaknesses of the character are immediately apparent. Much like the Time Stones, Flynn treats Metal less like a character and more like an obstacle. He’s a super fast robot that grabs Amy and races Sonic at the end. He’s only defining characteristics are his special abilities, his super speed and robot powers. It’s the kind of comic writing I hate and all-around Flynn’s worst tendency. This is especially disappointing, since Flynn recently gave the robotic double quite a bit of personality during “Mega Drive - The Next Level,” just through his facial expressions.

In general, “Cease or Desist” remains the no-consequences wackiness prevalent in all of the “Genesis of a Hero” installments. You’d think Eggman bolstering his empire with time travel tech would really raise the stakes. But, nah. Sonic still breezes through every challenge he encounters. This includes smashing Eggman’s Level One Boss suit to pieces within seconds. (It’s heavily implied that Sonic pulled some Bill and Ted shit, going back in time after winning and sabotaging all of Eggman’s equipment beforehand. Why he didn’t just end the threat right then and there, I don’t know but it probably has something to do with paradoxes.) The race with Metal Sonic is over so quickly that you wonder why the robot registered as a threat in the first place. Eggman is still a comic relief villain, having catty phone calls with Snively, boasting in a ridiculous manner and acting similarly hammy when Sonic wrecks his shit.

Last time, I said Yardley’s sloppy, seemingly rushed artwork was another indicator that this arc was conceived very quickly and suddenly. That trend continues here. Yardley adopts a more Sega Sonic-style, obviously drawing once again from the “Sonic CD” opening. (That the first two pages of this issue basically recreates that cartoon beat-for-beat is further proof of that music video as the best bit of Sonic media ever...) Sonic’s limbs and general appearance are a little more Mickey Mouse-like, which is a style Tracy obviously enjoys aping. The two page spread devoted to Sonic and Metal Sonic’s race is the artwork highlight of the book. That moment has a lot of details and an appealing Sunday comic stripe energy. But, in general, the composition is still fairly flat, the action scenes are still very loose, and everyone looks a little too silly and stretchy to take seriously.

I want to say something like “You’d expect Flynn to try harder, What with this being the last issue of the series ever” but, of course, he didn’t know this was the end. “Genesis of a Hero” was just suppose to be a light-hearted bit of corporate synergy to unwind with after the end of the three year global crisis arc. This random three-of-four being the end of Archie “Sonic” is somehow fitting, considering how bad overhead decisions, unchecked creative bloat, and a general lack of planning almost accidentally birthed a sprawling comic book universe I loved precisely for its ridiculously nerdy denseness. As a issue, 290 gets a [5/10]. Not really bad but forgettable and kind of frustratingly lazy. But that’s how things usually end, isn’t it?

Sonic the Hedgehog: Issue 289

Sonic the Hedgehog: Issue 289
Publication Date: November 2016

Here we are at the penultimate issue of Archie’s “Sonic the Hedgehog” comic series. The book is racing forward with no idea that its two-and-a-half-decade long legacy is about to crash into a brick wall. Once again, I have so many thoughts and this isn’t really the time to share them. In November of 2016, neither me nor any of the writers and artists working on the series knew that The End was so very Nigh. This makes a goofy and light-hearted classic game adaptation unwillingly tragic in hindsight. Issue 289 of “Sonic” is the equivalent of a puppy happily playing in the road, blissfully unaware of the eighteen-wheeler barreling towards it.

But let’s put the grim metaphors aside for a minute. “Genesis of a Hero” continues to adapt specific moments from the original Sega Genesis “Sonic” games. “Part Two: Coming Back for More” focuses on the end of “Sonic 2.” As in the Sky Chase Level, Sonic perches atop the wings of the Tornado as they chase after Robotnik’s Flying Fortress. After the Tornado is shot down, Sonic leaps aboard the war ship. Fighting his way through the massive air ship, Sonic eventually sneaks aboard Snively’s transport ship, finding his way onto the Death Egg, already in orbit around the planet. Eggman has prepared for this and deploys Silver Sonic, a giant robot modeled after the hedgehog.

Like issue 288, this is another comic book that closely adapts part of a video game. If you’ve ever played your way through “Sonic 2,” you will recognize how closely “Coming Back for More” copies the action beats of the game’s concluding segments. We see all the Badniks from Sky Chase. Tails is shot down in similar fashion as in the game. Individual hazards from the Flying Fortress Zone are replicated, like Sonic clinging to ports outside the airship as he’s blown through the air. The rather improbable way Sonic gets on the Death Egg — clinging to the outside of a transport shuttle as it flies through the upper atmosphere and into outer space? — is maintained. Even though it raises many questions and it would’ve been easy to just depict Sonic sneaking inside a safe part of the same ship.

However, “Coming Back for More” is an improvement over the last issue. As close as Flynn’s script is, at least he’s actually adapting some elements of the game and not merely replicating them. He does not subject us to the repetition of the boss battles and actually shows more logical resolutions to these fights. The sub-boss battle on the Flying Fortress, where Sonic is trapped by two force fields and has to contend with a giant laser cannon and floating spiked platforms, ends when Sonic shoves on of the platforms into the cannon. Instead of Silver Sonic racing back and forth while Sonic wacks him, Sonic quickly assesses his enemy and uses his advantage — his speed — against the machine. And Flynn smartly cuts it off there, as Sonic’s battle with the Death Egg Robot final boss was already covered in “Genesis.”

The issue also earns some points for investing some emotion, no matter how brief and minor, into the proceedings. Infamously in “Sonic 2,” Sonic just leaps off the Tornado and runs away after Tails is shot down, seemingly not showing any concern for his friend’s well being. Flynn at least pauses a moment so Sonic can shout to his foxy friend as he plummets out of the sky. Believing his closest buddy may be dead, Sonic is extra determined to wreck Robotnik’s shit. We don’t really get a sense that he’s motivated by anger or loss, as he’s still cracking jokes and smirking throughout. And Tails, of course, isn’t dead, as he reappears before the issue’s end. But at least some attempt was made to make this adventure more personal.

Part two of “Genesis of a Hero” still shares a major flaw with Part One. Victory still comes much too easily to Sonic. He treats Eggman’s airborne Badniks as a joke that he easily dismisses. He blows through the Flying Fortress’ defenses with ease. He navigates the sub-boss without much trouble, mocking Snively as he goes and undoes the device in minutes. Even the boss battle with Silver Sonic only inconveniences him briefly, as Sonic quickly deduces what he needs to do and then dismantles the machine. It’s thrilling to run through this stuff if you’re playing it as a video game. Watching the hero so effortlessly defeat theses challenges in a comic is much less exciting.

However, this issue is less reliant on intrusive comic relief than the last one, another way it’s an improvement. Aside from Sonic’s snarking his way through his various encounters with hazards and bad guys, most of the humor comes from Snively being a lovably pathetic loser. Robotnik’s former nephew seems utterly terrified and exasperated by the hedgehog’s determination. We see this when he sweats as Sonic breaks into the cockpit and as he panics — shrieking “Flee! Flee!” As he escapes — after Sonic overcomes his trap. He similarly freaks out, and we get an inevitable “Twilight Zone” reference, when he discovers Sonic is clinging to his shuttle. Laughing at Snively’s incompetence is always a wholesome pastime so I’m glad Flynn including this, instead of relying on more aggressively wacky comic relief.

So 289 is another middling issue to beholden to the game its adapting, with Sonic succeeding far too easily against his enemies. (That ease becomes even more frustrating when you realize this is, in-continuity, only the second time Sonic has fought Eggman. He’s not even an experienced robot smasher yet!) Tracy Yardley’s artwork is also a little too loose and cartoony for my taste. However, at least Flynn expended a little more effort in adapting these game stages than he did last time. We’ve only got one more regular issue of the main book left to go, guys, so get ready to be let down. [6/10]

Sonic the Hedgehog: Issue 288

Sonic the Hedgehog: Issue 288
Publication Date: November 2016

With the Shattered World Crisis put to rest at last, Archie’s “Sonic” comic could move on to other topics. With the new world and extended cast thoroughly established, Ian Flynn could finally go about telling new and exciting stories in the rebooted world. I believe, however, that Sega had other plans. By fall of 2016, the hype train for “Sonic Mania” was rolling along at full speed. Sonic’s 25th anniversary year was about to wrap up but the franchise would remain focused on the retro side of things for a few more months. I suspect Sega and/or Archie editorial was eager to capitalize on this interest. Thus, a four-part arc paying homage to Sonic’s original 16-bit adventures would round out 2016. (Even though the “Mega Drive” one-shots were suppose to be the nostalgia-grab anniversary titles.)

That’s what I think happened anyway. Regardless, Ian Flynn and everyone else actually working on the comics had no idea that “Genesis of a Hero” would operate as the comic’s abrupt series finale. In fact, the arc wouldn’t even get to end, as the “Sonic” books got canned with one more installment left to go. And so it came to past that Archie’s “Sonic” comic would end its twenty-four year run with the wimpiest of whimpers, instead of the bangiest of bangs.

But, as I tend to do, I’m getting ahead of myself. Let’s talk about “Genesis of a Hero, Part One: Where It All Began.” The comic begins near the end of the original Genesis “Sonic the Hedgehog,” with Sonic cornering Eggman (accompanied here by Snively) deep within the Scrap Brain Zone. After being dumped into the labyrinth-like ruins underneath, Sonic fights his way back to the villains. He survives their attempts to crush him but Eggman and Snively still get away. Sonic then returns to Knothole, meeting with the Freedom Fighters and the newly returned King Acorn.

As an old “Sonic” fan, I have a lot of fondness for the trilogy of original “Sonic” games. Flynn, who is similarly old, clearly shares this fondness. The first part of “Genesis of a Hero” gets a lot of mileage just out of reenacting the very first “Sonic” game. Of course, so did the similarly named “Genesis” arc, which had an almost identical premise. In order to keep from repeating himself, “Genesis of a Hero” zeroes in on specific moments from those earliest games. Which is why this issue focuses almost entirely on the last level and final boss battle of that last game. Anybody who has ran through the booby-trap laden Scrap Brain Zone, just to finally catch Eggman and then get dumped into another fucking water stage, can share in Sonic’s frustration here.

Flynn and his team rather faithfully recreates that experience. In fact, they might recreate it a little too faithfully. Sonic diving through the pink mega-muck waters of the last stage or being frustrated by the hedgehog-seeking sparks of the boss battle receives a nod of recognition, a satisfying feeling of understanding-that-reference. Yet this only goes so far and eventually you notice the repetitive game play of that boss battle doesn’t make for a very compelling comic book. Why does Eggman stay in one place why Sonic navigates the water-logged ruins? If he has the hedgehog trapped in a room with crushing pistons in the floor and ceilings... Why doesn’t he activate them all at once and guaranteed Sonic being smooshed? Why use a weapon that leaves just enough room for Sonic to avoid being crushed? For that matter, why does he try to kill Sonic with a device so vulnerable to hedgehog blows? You just accept these contrivances in a video game, cause video games work that way, but in a comic book, they really don’t make much sense. ("Genesis" largely avoided this kind of fidelity and was better for it.)

That is not the only way in which this is a very fluffy, plot-light comic book. With so little actual story to work with, Flynn leans on sophomoric comic relief. I guess Flynn has Snively tag along with Eggman, in order to give the doctor someone to talk with. Mostly, it results in Snively saying dumb stuff, getting Robotnik annoyed with him in an exaggerated manner. Sonic remains quibbier than usual in this environment, cracking jokes both before and after swimming through the mega-muck. The worst humor comes when Snively almost pukes while piloting the pistons. While Flynn writes him as at least being slightly intimidated by the boss fight, everything still seems to come a little too easily for Sonic here. I’ve been reading Flynn’s work long enough to know when he’s phoning it in. Repetitive plotting and lame jokes are the most sure-fire signs.

In fact, it’s pretty obvious that the “Sonic 1” re-enactment is not the main point of this comic book. About half the issue is composed of a lengthy epilogue, where Sonic returns to Knothole and touches base with the Freedom Fighters. What Flynn is doing here is establishing the reboot’s timeline, showing what SatAM and old continuity-inspired events were happening around the time of “Sonic 1.” So we learn Sonic rescued King Acorn from the Special Zone during that time... Or at least someone he thought was the King, as Nigel is either possessed by Naugus or Naugus in disguise. (Sonic clarifies that the rebooted Special Zone is just as psychedelic as we remember it, bringing an image to mind of Max floating aimlessly through spirals of jewels and fish.)

It is nice to get a peek at the slightly younger Freedom Fighters, still carrying the more childish personalities we glimpsed in their Sonic Comic Origins stories. Yet Flynn bogs down even these moments in mechanical plotting. Sonic’s conversation with the King focuses in on the exact number of Chaos Emeralds he was able to retrieve. This heads into the Freedom Fighters volunteering themselves for a mission to look for the remaining stones on Westend Islands. This obviously sets up the team joining Sonic on the next issue’s “Sonic 2l” adaptation. It also boils down to everyone pointing out what their special strengths are, something we are already very aware of. I wish Flynn had focused on the more emotional issues of Sally being reunited with her dad or Sonic making his first great blow against Robotnik.

Tracy Yardley provides pencils and it’s not his best work. He’s operating in a more cartoonish mode, which fits the tone of this comic book. Yet it’s also a little too loose and sloppy. Especially in the scenes of Sonic fighting the boss battle, where the hedgehogs face bends in a few overly cute directions. It looks rushed, which furthers my theory that this comic was a last minute change of plans.

Though not without its moments, “Where It All Began” has a stilted script, too much distracting humor, and slightly shaky artwork. Aside from the novelty of seeing the first game re-enacted, the book doesn’t have much to offer. The end of the series is off to a great start! [5/10]