Sonic the Hedgehog (IDW): Issue 78

Sonic the Hedgehog (IDW): Issue 78

Publication Date: May 7th, 2025

I've made this observation often but it never fails to amuse: The "Sonic the Hedgehog" comic book can function perfectly fine without Sonic the Hedgehog in it. For years, I had to hear clueless jack-asses complain about how Sonic had "too many friends." That the games needed to go back to featuring him and only him. Or that the Archie Comics had too large a cast. There might be some valid criticism hidden within these statements but the truth is apparent to "Sonic" lifers like you and me. The hedgehog has a great supporting cast, one more than strong enough to support stories without him, stories that are sometimes all the better because of it. That case is proven again with issue 78 of IDW's "Sonic the Hedgehog." It wasn't until after I was done reading it that I realized the Blue Dude with 'Tude never appeared within its pages. The guy's name is on the cover but he didn't bother to show up this month and I didn't even notice. That definitely says some things about me and this comic. 

So what of this "Sonic the Hedgehog" story that pointedly does not feature its title character? "Shattered Pieces, Part 3" focuses on Tails, Amy, and Blaze as they travel the country and check in on various communities in the aftermath of Restoration HQ's destruction. They find places like Barricade Town and Glass Hill functioning fine on their own, the local Restoration chapters strong enough to support themselves. They don't get a whiff of trouble until arriving in Turtleshell Island, a floating city kept above water by several support buoys. The trio encounter Surge and Kit there, all on friendly terms... Unaware that Kit has planted a bomb on one of the buoys, to create another crisis Surge can play hero in. Soon, the whole gang is running around the island to try and keep it from sinking and rescue anyone who hasn't gotten to safety yet. 

All throughout IDW "Sonic's" run, I've bitched and moaned about the lack of world-building, which I continue to blame on Sega's vague vision for what Sonic's home world is like. 78 issues in and we still don't have a firm idea of how these scattered villages function or how any of these cartoon animals got here. However, "Scattered Pieces" represents Flynn finally fleshing out the setting a little more. Despite all the random sci-fi super-tech utilized here and there, "Sonic's world" seems to mostly be a series of small towns and cities, isolated apart from each other by rural expanses of nature. It increasingly seems as if there was no type of government body or prevailing social structure before the Restoration came into existence. As we discover in this issue, that seems to be because these towns don't need it. All these places seem to be doing fine on their own, operating independently of each other. My needlessly nitpicky brain still has a lot of questions here – where do they get their food? Their building supplies? – but the growing implication seems to be that Sonic's society is practically a utopia. Before Eggman showed up, it seems these little clusters of communities existed largely without conflict or problems, everyone happily functioning. 

I don't find this to be a particularly satisfying answer. Compared to the conflict filled history of Mobius, full of wars and conquests and competing superpowers, this presentation seems... Ya know, boring. All the furry animal people that live on these islands mostly existed in an Eden-like bliss and tranquility with nature – even though they also have cities and infrastructure and cars and shit??? – before the corrupting influence of Eggman entered into their paradise. And if he went away forever tomorrow, they'd go right back to that? I guess that tracks with the depictions in the video games but it doesn't make for an especially compelling setting. There's some cool touches here, such as the aforementioned floating city or an ice-spewing firetruck powered by Wisps, that represents Flynn adding some color and quirkiness to this world. That shows a distinctiveness but does little to make this location feel fully realized. I guess I hoped, by this point in the "new" comic's run, I would have more of an idea of what the hell Sonic and his friends are fighting to protect. 

The book seems to be moving towards something that I have a very bad feeling about. During IDW "Sonic's" entire existence, our good guys have been aligned with the Resistance and then the Restoration. They functioned as something like a replacement for the Freedom Fighters and Mobotropolis, a uniting and centralized force that gave Sonic and friends some sort of motivating goal. They had an objective, of rebuilding society after Eggman's conquest of the globe in "Sonic Forces." Sonic, kind of a capacious hero who simply runs around when left to his own devices, was given direction and a regular supporting cast. All things you need if you want your comic book to feel like an actual narrative and not stuff just happening for no reason. Since the destruction of Restoration HQ, this feeling has crept into the book. This storyline kicked off with everyone going their separate ways, lots of the character seeming dissatisfied with what their lives have become. In this issue, we see that society seems pretty well restored. These towns don't need the Restoration anymore and Ian Flynn seems well on his way of writing the whole concept out of the series. 

Where does that leave "Sonic the Hedgehog: The Comic Book?" Sonic running around wherever he wants, running into disorganized groups of friends that he otherwise doesn't stay in touch with, until everyone has to unite to stop Eggman's next plan for world domination? I think that's exactly what Sega wants this comic book, and the entire "Sonic" franchise to be, a vague collection of mascots in a vaguer world that don't do anything in-between the new mainline video games. Archie "Sonic" was weird. It stood on its own, perhaps as the most fleshed-out version of Sonic and his friends. Should I still be comparing this comic book, 78 issues in, to the one it was designed to replaced? My fear that this comic would exist only as a promotional device for Sega's corporate goals, thoroughly strip-mined of any deeper personality, has never gone away. Are we really headed towards that? What about G.U.N.? Angel Island? Is this series truly going to be a collection of random elements that get thrown together randomly? 

I think I managed to depress myself a little. My growing concern over the Shape of Things to Come has sort of overwhelmed my thoughts on this individual issue. Which, by the way, I did like. The first half feels somewhat uneventful. Amy, Tails, and Blaze are going from town to town, trying to resolve a crisis they then discover doesn't actually exist. Makes you feel a little like your time is being wasted, ya know? However, there is a hang-out vibe to these scenes that has some value. Once everyone arrives on Turtleshell Island, and the entire city is threatened with submergence into the sea, a fire is lit under the ass of this issue. At that point, "Shattered Pieces: Part 3" becomes a compelling and exciting adventure story. We've got our gang, they've got a problem to solve, and the clock is ticking. Let's watch them put their heads together to save the day. The solution that arises – of Kit making a huge air bubble and floating Blaze under the island, where she generated heat vents to hold the island up – is novel. Good shit. I enjoyed that part. Imposing a time limit on our heroes is always a good way to build suspense and the image of an entire town sinking into the sea is dramatic enough to catch the imagination. 

Despite my misgivings about where this is all headed, I do enjoy spending time with these characters. That is despite the book's increasing insistence on reducing everyone to a static series of characteristics. For example: Must we mention Blaze's acrophobia every single time she shows up? Is she claustrophobic now too, as depicted by her nervousness inside the bubble Kit creates? Tails makes sure to point out Blaze is too hard on herself, that she's a good friend and shouldn't spend so much time trying to make up for her self-perceived mistakes. I like that Blaze is anxious about stuff and struggles with confidence and believing in herself. I dislike that being reduced to basically a gimmick that defines her solely, one of set if stats that are never allowed to change. Sure would be nice to know where that anxiety comes from! Or to see her grow and overcome these changes with time! What happened to Blaze to make her like this? Is she always going to be this way? That's depressing to consider! 

In fact, all of the characters come off as a little one-note in this issue. As Blaze is defined solely by her lack of self-worth and phobias, Kit and Surge are stuck in a specific mode. Kit can't live without Surge and must see her succeed, which he is engineering through clandestine crisis. Surge wants to be a hero now... But she also wants to be better than Sonic and the others, despite her inexperience and natural inclination towards mayhem. The latter element results in her making the situation worse, severing another one of the cables holding the island aloft. I like Surge being well-intentioned but inexperienced, struggling between her desire to be better and her impulsive, destructive nature. And if Kit is a little neurotic and obsessive about Surge, that makes sense. Starline literally programmed him to be that way. The internal battle between these two misfits trying to turn over another leaf and everything about their lives up to now telling them they are villains: That's good! Let's see more of that. 

Unfortunately, there's this frustratingly futile air around this entire issue. Blaze helps save the day but her fears remain. Kit wants to make Surge a hero but these interlopers resolve the disaster he created. If this is building towards a schism between Surge and Kit, the former actually wanting to change and the latter sticking to his programming, that would be interesting... But just as Blaze's fear of heights can never go away, I'm increasingly feeling like none of this matters. These individual events are not building towards something and the comic is merely killing time until the next event kicks in. "Scattered Pieces" is such a cool idea for a story arc but now I'm worried that it's less about growing all of the characters on their own and more about simply keeping the status quo intact until the next anniversary issue. Are we going to see any of these dangling plot points wrapped up any time soon? 

All of this shows the differences between the concerns I have about "Sonic" as a series and what must people seem to take away from this book. When the preview pages were posted on Twitter the other day, everyone got excited about the cute brown bunny girl with glasses working at the public information office in the first village Amy visits. This issue is full of colorful background extras like that. In Barricade Town, we get glimpses of a fox guy with a pierced ear strumming a guitar and a purple cat chick with an umbrella and distinctively cut bangs. On Turtleshell Island, a portly bear dude with a Tom Selleck mustache and red-rimmed sunglasses gets a few choice appearances. Aaron Hammerstrom, whose pencils are excellent like always, clearly enjoys designing these OCs. Since Lanolin rose from peripheral background extras to featured cast member, the book clearly enjoys introducing neatly designed nobodies who could, if picked up by readers and writers, become the next new OC. 

In fact, issue 78 is trying just that. While Glass Hill, a familiar-ish face is found among the volunteer firefighters. It's the monkey guy from issue 22, the shifty motherfucker who hides his infection once he's inside a shelter that is seemingly required in every zombie story. I think Flynn might be trying to redeem this primate a bit. Now that I get a second look at him, I'm even wondering if he's inspired by the random ass monkey that was hanging out with the Freedom Fighters in the "Sonic Spinball" special stage. While a natural growth of the supporting cast like this has its benefits, I'm not begging to find out more about Shifty Monkey here. We did not meet him under good circumstances and that is influencing my opinion of him. I assure you that's the root of my dislike of him and not because monkeys have the ability to scare the shit out of me What about the raccoon girl with the perm and red eyeshadow standing behind him in one panel? She seems cool. Let's turn her into the next Lanolin instead. 

Anyway, this arc continues to feel despondently directionless. Considering Clutch's embrace of loser-dom in the previous issue, I'm kind of worrying about Ian Flynn's health. Somebody check on him, make sure he's alright. I'm not happy at all where it seems the story is pointing either. Having said all that, the action sequence in the second half rocks pretty hard and that makes up for the sluggish first half. Next issue promises to focus on Whisper and Mimic, so hopefully some meaningful resolution will actually occur there. Or maybe I'm hopelessly holding a torch for this series to become something it clearly never will and all the time I spend writing these reviews are a massive waste for both me and anyone reading this. Oh well! See ya next month, disappointing comic book that I'll still read! [6/10]

Sonic the Hedgehog (IDW): Issue 77

Sonic the Hedgehog (IDW): Issue 77

Original Publication Date: March 19th, 2025

 

Issue 76 of IDW's "Sonic the Hedgehog" comic was devoted to sorting the large cast of characters off into new formations and sending them off on some stand-alone adventures. After the exhaustingly drawn-out "Clean Sweepstakes" arc took up most of 2024, I was really looking forward to some episodic adventures around Sonic's world. Part of me wondered if Ian Flynn wasn't recycling some of the general structural ideas he intended to use, all those years ago, in the aftermath of Archie's Shattered World Crisis storyline. The "Scattered Pieces" arc seems to have a similar objective to that unrealized story: A way to touch base on all the characters after some massive world-changing events and to cut loose and have a little fun. That's what I was hoping for from this one anyway, so let's see if I was horribly disappointed. 

Part two of "Scattered Pieces" follows Sonic as he goes off with the Chaotix. Determined to find Clutch and make him pay for his actions during the Clean Sweepstakes, the quartet decides to race over to White Park Chateau, the ski resort the crime-boss-turned-businessman-turned-crime-boss used to call home during his semi-legitimate days. The good guys find the building in surprisingly good condition, despite it being seemingly abandoned. Not so. Rough and Tumble now declare themselves the operator of the resort, using its robotic employees as their physical enforcers. After the required amount fighting and bantering, Sonic demands to know what the hell is going on. It turns out Clutch has signed over his operations to Rough and Tumble, considering himself a thoroughly defeated old man at this point. Sonic and the Chaotix listen to his sob story and try to decide if the notoriously untrustworthy possum can be believed this time. 

Issue 77 of "Sonic" has a good cover. Adam Bryce Thompson drew a very cool image of Sonic and the Chaotix being detectives. Sonic is swinging a flashlight around a dark and dusty room, as he investigates alongside Vector and Espio. Lurking behind them is an ominous, rather skull-like Caterkiller with two shadowy figures atop it. Only Charmy seems to notice the intruder and he's properly shaking in his cute little sneakers. Judging from the silhouettes of the figures perched on the machine, it's not too hard to guess who they'll turn out to be. Either way, it's an evocative cover that promises some lightly spooky, Scooby-Doo-ian atmosphere in this issue. The issue somewhat fulfils that promise. The cool undead Caterkiller is nowhere to be seen but, in its first few pages, "Scattered Pieces: Part Two" does feature Charmy getting spooked by shadowy images in the window of the resort and Sonic rushing around, wondering what is going on with the strangely empty place now. If this had been an issue if Sonic and friends snooping as usual around a "Cold Prey"-style creepy ski lodge, I would have dug that. 

Unfortunately, the issue tosses away that idea very quickly. Not long after stepping inside, the typically ridiculous Rough and Tumble make themselves known in typically ridiculous fashion. After that, things start to get goofy very quickly. The action scene that follows is mostly played for laughs. Charmy is distracted by a board game. Espio and Sonic discuss the merits of mid-melee banter. Vector chews up a wooden queue pole and spits it back out like bullets. All the while, Rough and Tumble insists that the attacking heroes don't ruin their fancy new clothes. Do you find any of that amusing? Playing out in animation, maybe such a sequence might have come off as nicely manic and silly. In the page, it feels a bit stiff. Only a panel where Sonic is nearly decapitated by a tossed roulette wheel managed to make this old grump crack a brief smirk. 

Most of my disappointment with this issue is, I'll admit, totally based on it not following the altogether ooky vibes of the cover and the first few pages. Ya know, I get promised some old dark house antics and the issue takes a hard turn into wacky slapstick instead, it's really going to sour my grapes. If I try to put that very Zack-specific grievance aside, I think I'd still be disappointed with this issue. Over the five years IDW has been publishing "Sonic" books, Rough and Tumble have been around since almost the beginning. In that time, I've never had many strong feelings one way or another about the buffoonish skunk enforcers. They show up whenever the book needs some dumb muscle, filling a similar role to Bark and Bean in the Archie books. They are fundamentally static characters, always destined to remain idiots that are more butts of the joke than actual threats. 

It seems like they've been showing up a lot lately though, doesn't it? The end of the "Clean Sweepstakes" story arc suggested the skunks might try and go straight. That they might actually grow and change a little as characters. Issue 77 backtracks on that immediately. Rough and Tumble return to being rhyming, dim-witted and easily defeated baddies. They exist more for comic relief than to actually move the story forward here. Frankly, I'm kind of bored of them now. Mostly because these two have exactly one joke, which is that they are dumb-dumbs who are always extremely dumb. Maybe it's time for Sonic and friends to have some new brainless mercenaries to smack around. Or, at least, it's time for Rough and Tumble to perhaps get a second joke...

Clearly Ian Flynn does not agree with that assessment, in the sense the book needs some fresh antagonists. After Clutch was the main antagonist for most of the comic last year, he's back in this issue. Not that the possum crime boss does much antagonizing in this issue. What he does instead can be more accurately described as whining. He sits down, feels sorry for himself, swills some non-alcoholic purple drank, and assures Sonic and the Chaotix that he is no threat to them now. That what little remains of his empire is entirely automated at this point and that he has been beaten back down to zero. The suggestion that Clutch is now working for Rough and Tumble is meant to show how utterly pathetic he's current situation is. Weirdly, Sonic and the Chaotix take the bad guy at his word, accepting a deed of employment to the skunks as the sole piece of evidence that what he says is true. They accept that Eggman let the guy slip away and that the ever-scheming Clutch has no villainous plans in mind at all anymore.

It is, simply put, not very exciting to read. The previous issue was characterized by a long sequence in which the Diamond Cutters got in a circle and talked out all their interpersonal strife. It felt weirdly like sitting in on a group therapy session, everybody hugging out their problems without the story being allowed to move forward much. This issue feels a little bit like Flynn is doing the same thing with Clutch. Except, it should be obvious, that the villain is lying. Or, at least, telling a very selective version of the truth. I've noted before that the way the Restoration is always willing to forgive and forget the bad guys they go up against felt weird and unnatural. I know the villains must run away and live to fight another day because this is a comic book and you've got to keep the bad guys around for future use. However, I wish Flynn could find a way to make it feel more organic than this. Clutch says he's not up to anything and tells the Chaotix to walk into this warehouse if his if they don't believe him. It would seem they intend to do exactly that. I don't know, man. I feel like there had to be a more interesting way to get us to that point. 

It's going somewhere because obviously it is going somewhere. The comic wouldn't have Clutch appear again only for him to say he's a big loser now who poses no threat to anyone. The final pages reveal that Eggman has got a new mind-controlling gizmo and Clutch is his first test subject. How this device works and how totally it controls people remains to be seen. How this development will be different from a Roboticizer or a Metal Virus, I guess we have to wait and see. I've said before that, throughout IDW's run, there have been a few times when the comic felt a little directionless. As if Flynn was out of ideas. I feel like we are back in another one of lulls right now. Rather than take a breather with a relaxed set of stand-alone stories, we are merely waiting around for stuff to start happening again. 

You know, I really want to see what Silver and Blaze are up to. How Belle is exploring the world. Hell, Lanolin and Jewel trying some urban planning would be an improvement over this nothing of an issue. Any of those scenarios would flesh out the world, show us how this universe works a little more clearly, rather than merely point out that the people we know are out there already are still out there and they up to stuff. Adam Bryce Thompson's pencils are excellent, like always. Leonardo Ito De Oliveira's colors also do a good job of establishing the mood of the ski lodge early on. There's simply not very much else going on here though, in afraid to report. Maybe next month will be better. [5/10]

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 (IDW): Issue 75

Sonic the Hedgehog (IDW): Issue 75

Publication Date: December 18th, 2024

As 2024 comes to a close, and the “Sonic” franchise hits another big milestone with the release of its third theatrical big budget movie, a much smaller part of the multi-media franchise has another reason to celebrate. The IDW “Sonic the Hedgehog” comic has reached 75 issues, being in publication for over six years. Once you factor in the various mini-series and one-shots, IDW has definitely published over a hundred “Sonic” related comic books. That’s no small feat for a licensed comic book in this day and age, when the non-DC/Marvel publishers can easily go under and books can get unceremoniously canned for whatever reason. In other words: Assuming there are no massive fuck-ups on IDW’s behalf, or the entire American comic industry goes kaput, the “new” “Sonic” comic is well on its way to being as much of a long-runner as the old “Sonic” comic. I can certainly complain about how IDW’s comic still doesn’t seem as fleshed-out or expansive as Archie’s universe did by this point… By now, however, I’m willing to chalk this opinion up to me being old. The kids who are growing up with IDW “Sonic” probably consider this series as beloved and compelling as I did with the nineties comics at that age. 

Issue 75 is also the much long await – by me anyway – conclusion to the Clean Sweepstakes story arc, playing out over a double-length issue. Deep within the heart of Clutch’s air ship, Tails, Amy, Belle, the Chaotix and a few other people attempt to escape the engine room as the entire vessel is on the verge of exploding. Sonic races to the deck of the ship to face Clutch one on one, soon being joined by Surge, Kit, and another unexpected ally. The Babylon Rogues lead an impromptu rescue mission to prevent the massive ship from crashing right into Central City and killing untold numbers of people. The Diamond Cutters, meanwhile, realize that “Duo the Cat” is actually the shapeshifter Mimic, Lanolin finally putting aside her differences with Tangle and Whisper. It all wraps up in a giant fireball at Restoration HQ. 

Issue 75 starts with a decent idea. The self destruct sequence on the air ship has been started. This means all of the heroes aboard the boat have an ever-shrinking window to escape before it explodes. That’s a good way to keep the suspense high in the final leg of a storyline. Unfortunately, Evan Stanley does not stop there. This is a flying ship after all, meaning it’s plummeting towards the city. Before the issue is over, the flying race-track also begins to fall out of the sky. In the last third, the focus turns towards Sonic and Jet racing to get as many people out of Restoration HQ as they can before it also blows up. In other words, issue 75 begins with the characters on one deadline before continuously adding several more. It plays like a desperate attempt to keep the intensity rising. 

What it mostly ends up doing is making this comic book feel like it’ll never end. Typically speaking, a dramatic countdown to a big-ass explosion marks the story heading towards its most exciting moment. That’s what it meant in “Alien,” for one prominent example. However, this comic book repeatedly trying to outdo itself mostly means the story feels like it has about three different climaxes. Sonic, Surge, and Kit have a big fight with Clutch aboard the deck of the ship. Would that be where you’d expect this story to end? Instead, the threat of the air ship crashing and exploding takes precedence. Surely, that would represent the end of this particular plot? What’s more exciting than a big-ass thing going up in a big-ass explosion? Instead, the focus then shifts towards the rescue mission of all the Restoration staff, which hits a few snags of its own. 

Maybe Stanley giving this issue multiple logical end points before moving on to another is because issue 75 isn’t only the conclusion to the Clean Sweepstakes arc. In a lot of ways, this installment feels like the writer trying to put as many plot points to rest as possible. After what feels like far too long, “Duo the Cat” is finally discovered to be Mimic. Before we’re done, Evan also has Belle repair her little MotoBug friend. I have the creeping feeling that editorial demands this storyline get stretched out to conclude in the anniversary issue. At the same time, I feel the same force demanding this one feature some big reveals, hence the above events. Obviously, in order to cram all this shit into one comic book, it means Stanley resorts to her worst habit as a writer: Having far too many characters involved in far too many situations, constantly cutting back and forth between them as much as possible. It does not make for the most organized feeling read. 

What further causes issue 75 to feel double-stuffed is that the comic isn’t only resolving multiple plot points across a story that keeps barreling towards bigger pyrotechnics. It also shoves in a few twists and teasers. Eggman inserts himself into this story, after being absent since the first part, in an extremely gimmicky fashion. Yeah, turns out the hovercraft he built Sonic is a fucking Transformer and this was all part of a long con to get back at Clutch. Meanwhile, Surge and Jet both separately promise to Sonic that they’ll resolve their rivalry at some unspoken future date. This occurs after Surge deploys a big special move of her own. Because that’s exactly what this storyline needed: More characters and more superpowers. It’s almost impressive that this particular arc has managed to feel both far too long and not nearly long enough. It’s dragged on for multiple issues while also shoving in one event and reveal after another, none of them feeling properly fleshed out.

At least it has an ending though. As much as the structure and pacing of this issue bugs me, at least we won’t have to deal with a few stupid plot points anymore. First off, all that convoluted Phantom Rider business and the corresponding race is finally, thankfully done for. This issue also puts the extremely dumb Duo the Cat storyline to bed. Not that the Diamond Cutters finally figure out the very obvious deception at play here. “Duo” forgot to turn off his cell phone and Clutch refers to him as “Mimic” in front of everyone, blowing his cover. This sequence also involves Lanolin realizing that she’s been acting like a bitch and apologizing. Whisper apologizes too, though I’m not really sure why she felt the need to. In fact, this comic has Surge and Jet both coming to agreements of sorts with Sonic. Somehow, time is also found her to have the Hippy Orangutan Mechanic be nice to Belle and presumably settle any tension between them. As if Stanley is desperate to have the fandom stop hating these characters that they’ve been trashing lately. (Okay, I don’t know if anyone else but me dislikes “Chief Mechanic” that much but, still, the point stands.) 

The end of the issue also seems to see Rough and Tumble joining the Restoration, or at least promising to be less evil in the future. If Stanley was going out of her way to provide some sort of redemptive moments for characters that have behaved badly, she does not extend that gesture to two other characters. No, Mimic remains as incapable of redemption as possible. Clutch, meanwhile, is painted as more of a bastard than before. He somehow proves to be a physical threat to Sonic and Surge, at least via implementing firearms of varying size. He also references having killed other heroes in the past. IDW has constantly emphasized the idea that nobody is beyond rehabilitation in Sonic’s eyes, to the point that he’s allowed Eggman to escape capture in the past. Surge and Kit are clearly working their way towards heel-face turns too, though they aren’t quite there yet. However, it seems that Stanley considers professional assassins and businessmen/mob bosses particularly beyond redemption. She wants you to know that these two son of bitches are too ruthless to ever change their ways.  

That these two villains are utterly unforgivable does feed into what is, I think, the moral of this particular issue. Jet and the Babylon Rogues don’t move the falling air ship single-handedly. They direct a bunch of citizens to pitch in, using their own flying vehicles to pull the ship out of the path of the city. There is an extremely awkward line of dialogue, where Nite declares “Power to the people!” This goes hand-in-hand with the final sequence, of Jet rushing into the burning base to rescue whoever he can. The obvious idea is, anyone that is willing to help other people can be a force for good. That means the average person can be “powerful” and a former scoundrel can turn over a new leaf. It’s a nice idea and all but feels somewhat shoved into an already overstuffed issue.

Let’s go back to Surge for a minute. Her progression, from villain with a grudge who wants to see the whole world burn to someone realizing it’s possible for them to be loved, has been the brightest spot among all the racing and double-crossing. The payoff to that particular arc ostensibly occurs when Surge helps beat the shit out of Clutch, after announcing that she’s quitting. She’s no longer going to let assholes talk her into doing stuff that’s against her heart, the same conclusion she came to after Starline bit the dust. However, Surge awkwardly exits the story after that incident and she’s not even the one who takes Clutch out. Instead, it seems as if Jet gets the moment that logically should be her’s. He puts aside his own petty goals – of beating Sonic in a race – for the greater good. He leads the charge to redirect the falling, about-to-explode cruiser from above the city. Sonic appeals to his ego and goads him into helping save everyone in the Restoration. In other words: Jet stops acting selfishly and starts doing the right thing because it’s the right thing to do. It feels like that’s the direction Surge should have been going in, instead of limping away half-way through the issue. 

With all the talk of explosions, murder, and possible death, issue 75 strikes me as mostly a fairly grim one. Perhaps Stanley was aware of this too. To counter that, several scenes of wacky comedy is inserted throughout. Rough and Tumble realize they’ve been staying inside a cage that was already unlocked. Sonic splays against the windshield of the air ship. Clutch’s security team insists they are on their break when called to action before abruptly quitting. None of these moments made me chuckle. In fact, they struck me as feeling extremely out-of-place. When things are as intense as they are in this issue, wacky slapstick and jokes about the big dumb guys being dumb do not feel especially needed.  

It’s a frustrating end to what has been a frustrating storyline. Min Ko Him’s art is good, with lots of flowing action scenes and expressive faces. You can tell he really loved to draw that giant robot that randomly appears for a few pages. He also includes what I assume are more fan-made O.C.s in various crowd shots, including one that looks an awful lot like Old Man Owl from the OVA. The final page sets up events for the next issue to follow, presumably setting up the next storyline. Hopefully that one won’t stretch on for six issues nor be bogged down by the need to both include as many characters as possible and have them all contribute to the story somehow. We know “Sonic” has a hundred characters. We don’t need to see them all! Frankly, I’m glad to be done with the Clean Sweepstakes. Let us put away our Extreme Gear for a while, please. [5/10]

Sonic the Hedgehog (IDW): Issue 74

Sonic the Hedgehog (IDW): Issue 74

Publication Date: October 30th

In various places around the internet, both here and elsewhere, I've talked about the benefits and detriments of serialization in storytelling. In the modern age of comic books, serialization is the rule of the land. Few stories are allowed to stand alone and every comic connects to the next one. Telling a story across multiple issues is usually a good thing. It is certainly healthier for world-building and character development. However, sometimes you truly do feel the weight of someone Writing for the Trade doing a disservice to the monthly installments. 

We see that keenly in issue #74 of IDW'S "Sonic the Hedgehog." The tangled mess of incidents and subplots that comprise the Clean Sweepstakes arc battle for dominance here. Amy, Tails, Belle, and the Chaotix fight with Clutch's forces deep within his ship. Charmy manages to get away from the fight and hand Nite a thumb drive full of incriminating evidence against Clutch and Clean Sweeps. He broadcast it to the public and Clutch, in desperation, looses his damn mind and decides to crash his massive flying fortress into the stands full of people. Sonic races off to save the day while everyone else argues among themselves. The issue then ends abruptly. 

Do you see the problem here? This is not a satisfying comic book to read on its own. This is a graphic novel chopped up into chapters, ending at almost random points. I certainly don't expect this comic book to tell a whole story in each issue but it would be nice if so many of IDW's individual floppies didn't feel like advertisements for the next installment. #74 is made up entirely of connective tissue between story beats. We're transferring from the end of the second act to the third here and, boy, can we feel it. Rather than a natural evolution of the story so far, this plays like a prologue to the next episode, when the really exciting stuff is going to happen. It says a lot about how out-of-whack the pacing for this arc has been, when an issue full of as much action and dramatic reveals as this one still feels so narratively inert. 

I know I ranted about this for most of the last review but the point still stands: Cutting back and forth between a bunch of different subplots does not a compelling story make. Evan does a slightly better job of juggling all these balls this time. Mostly because she focuses on one story strand for the majority of the issue. That would be the Chaotix and the others fighting Clutch and his eventual public exposing and breakdown. If the issue has been only about that, it probably would have made for a much more satisfying read. Instead, Stanley feels the need to check in on what everyone else is doing too. The race is seemingly called off but Jet refuses to let go of his petty rivalry with Sonic. Lanolin wants to bring Sonic to justice for his crimes as the Phantom Rider, while "Duo" reveals that Tangle and Whisper knew about it for a while. That happens solely so Mimic can cover his shifty ass, because the good guys still haven't noticed how obviously suspicious this dude is. Every time the story starts to build up a little momentum, it stops to give us a momentary update on some other thread. 

The biggest example of how badly this effects the overall flow of the comic is that Surge and Kit get a showcase scene, to remind us they still exist, where they don't actually do anything. They banter ominously with Duo/Mimic before staying in place, commenting on the action as it happens. Considering Surge's slow embracing of her better nature after becoming a fan favorite has been the best thing about this arc, it's frustrating that Stanley devotes a scene to these two that does nothing meaningful to move their development along. You do not get extra points simply for putting the good characters on the page! They have to actually do something for their appearance to mean anything. We all know Surge is a bad bitch who doesn't care what anyone thinks about her. (Despite actually really caring a lot.) Her picking her teeth and sitting around on her hover-bike while Clutch attempts a Colony Drop on the spectators doesn't add anything. This scene did serve one purpose though: It reminded me that Surge and Kit know "Duo" is Mimic, which I had forgotten about with everything else going on. She does this by calling him the humiliating nickname "Tentacles." Aww, I love it when Surge bullies the other kids. 

Let us step back and discuss another aspect of issue 74 though. From time to time, you see some jack-ass on social media claim that the "Sonic" franchise isn't politic. This is in defiance of the obvious environmental and anti authoritarian subtext that has been there since the first game. Evan Stanley, whether intentionally or not, does provide a big "fuck you" to that corner of the fandom with this scene. When the drive full of dirty laundry on Clutch and Clean Sweeps Inc. is revealed to the public, is it info about how Clutch is a former crime boss and has committed kidnapping, illegal imprisonment, and attempted murder within this issue alone? Not so much! Instead, the infodump focuses on Clean Sweep Inc. improperly dumping toxic waste, poisoning groundwater supplies and the air people breathe. Falsified records, extortion, and silencing whistleblowers, and using all their funds to manufacture weapons. In other words, it is revealed to the public at large that Clutch and his company have been participating not in comic book bad guy crimes but in regular, real world, corporate crime. That's right, kids. Clutch isn't a supervillain. He's something much worse: A capitalist! Maybe the Restoration should work on restoring some government agencies to provide regulations and laws that big companies are forced to follow...

I'm slightly surprised that a comic for little kids would go in this direction. I think it's great to teach children that corporations are not your friend. However, IDW "Sonic" isn't prepared to grapple with the real world ramifications of events such as these. If the post-Trump era has taught us anything, it's that a lot of people don't give a shit about corporations doing horrible things. Some people actually make excuses for such events! Clutch refers to this breaking news as a "smear campaign" and that the amount of money he makes justifies whatever crimes he's committed. That it is "good business" and that "nobody cares about a few sick kids." The comic has Clutch do this on-camera before a crowd, who boo him immediately. He sees the consequences of his criminal disregard for the safety of the world right away. Here in reality, when evidence that CEOs have committed serious crimes leak to the press, the execs lawyer up. Usually, they have enough cash to pay whatever fines exist for their infractions, meaning the bad guys see no consequences for their actions and the infrastructure that allows them to do these things never changes. This is a comic book for little kids. After being exposed, Stanley has Clutch loose his mind and immediately become homicidal. This is either the author realizing that corporate criminals like Clutch rarely pay for their actions, causing her to write him immediately doing something obviously and blatantly evil to remove any doubt in the public's mind... Or this is merely a funny book for grade-schoolers and that much thought was not put into it. Either way, Clutch's mental breakdown is probably the best moment in this issue. 

Something else this issue got me thinking about... Isn't it funny how, when Lanolin was nothing but a background character, when we knew nothing about her, she was beloved by the fandom with multiple people demanding more appearances from her? Now that she has become a featured player and been gifted with an actual personality, she has quickly become one if the most loathed characters in the book? Almost as if deciding you like someone based solely on their outward appearance is shallow or something. Anyway, considering the production cycle for comic books, I assume Stanley was not aware of the fan reaction to Lanolin when she wrote the script for issue. At this point, however, it feels a bit like the writer is actively trying to make us dislike Lanolin. When Duo reveals that Tangle and Whisper knew Sonic was the Phantom Rider, the sheep gets extremely offended. She attempts to track down Sonic and arrest or something, I guess, when he's in the middle of saving the day. It's only after Tangle and Whisper talk her out of it that she changes her mind, deciding to put this debate on-hold until after the crisis is resolved. And so Lanolin is revealed to reside on the most annoying corner of the Character Alignment Chart: Lawful Neutral, the designation for people who think the law – or, at least, their personal interpretation of it as it aligns with their own morality – is an inflexible facet of the world and that any violation of it must be immediately and swiftly punished. 

In effect, this accomplishes two things. First off, Tangle's defense – that Sonic was doing the wrong thing for the right reason and we should just trust the guy the comic book is named after – does not feel like a justifiable position. "He's my friend, my friends are good and would never do anything bad, therefore my friend doing a bad thing must be good" is not the ethical position you think it is, Tangle. Generally, the comic acting like Sonic can do whatever he wants and not face any consequences for it is, makes our hero look like an unaccountable vigilante who can do no wrong. And that's not compelling. More pressingly, all of this makes Lanolin look like a bitchy straw man. She has a good point. 

We should hold those we have designated as our defenders to a strict set of rules! However, Lanolin reacting to this information in a moody, impulsive, and frankly illogical fashion makes her seem like, ya know, an idiot. Obviously saving the lives of thousands of innocent civilians is more important right now, lady. Which raises the question of if we are supposed to dislike Lanolin, of this is building towards some sort of growth or change for her. Or if we are heading towards a tedious courtroom arc where Sonic is put on trial for crimes that he will obviously be cleared of, because he's the default good guy of this universe. I don't know if that would be better or worse than the comic simply moving on past these events and hoping we forget they all happened. 

In general, it's another very frustrating issue. I've already pointed out how frequently any tension or momentum the script builds up is immediately undermined by switching focus to something else happening, usually via slow dialogue scenes. We see this in the action sequences too. The opening rumble between Clutch's goons and the Chaotix is decently executed, mostly thanks to Aaron Hammerstrom's bad-ass pencils. However, there is a moment that bugs me. Clutch grabs Charmy, puts his cane-gun to his head, and demands the Chaotix hand and the thumb drive get back in their cage. At this point, I would imagine Clutch would simply kill these guys – which he was attempting to do only a few panels earlier – rather than imprison them again. But, okay, whatever, this is a G-rated comic book. What happens instead is much more depressing. Vector pretends to concede, only for Espio to toss a shuriken into the debate and Charmy to sting his way out of Rough's grasp. What was the point of this moment? We already know that Clutch has no qualms about hurting children, as he's already tried to shoot Charmy. It adds no suspense to the sequence, as the situation is immediately resolved without any stakes being raised. This sequence simply makes the heroes look like they can easily wiggle their way out of any dilemma or makes Rough look like a bigger joke than he already is for forgetting that bees have stingers. 

I'm not convinced that this beat wasn't inserted strictly to make the comic book longer, in order to guarantee that this arc wraps up in the big anniversary issue next time. The awkward, stop-and-start feeling this entire arc has had makes me suspect that is the case. That action scene wraps up with Clutch running after Charmy as he flees the room and, right as he leaves, the villain perfectly shoots the control panel. Which means a not-small portion of the sprawling cast are, once again, stuck in a fucking boiler room. Throughout this storyline, Stanley has become obsessed with inventing these contrived reasons to keep the teams apart. Before, it was Tails and Amy being stuck on the other ship, looking for Belle. Maybe this story shouldn't have had twenty-one central characters? You don't have to include everybody in the team in every story, Evan. You don't need four or five dramatic things happening at once. "Urban Warfare" had this same problem, this need to shove in as many of the beloved cast members as possible and march each of them through constant action scenes and contrived subplots. That's not how you write an epic. It's how you write a shitty epic. Wasn't this storyline supposed to be about hoverboard racing???

People seem to like this on-going story, so I guess that problem must be with me. Still, I've seen this comic book, this exact same writing, do things in a much smoother and far more satisfying manner. In her Archie days, Stanley would shove in random events without setting them up. Now, she feels compelled to create these elaborate and unbalanced soap operas that weave through far too many characters and shove in far too much unconvincing action scenes. All of which ignores Stanley's strengths, which are in character interaction. A little aside here where Amy points out that both her and Don have a hammer for a weapon, and he cracks a joke about the boots she's wearing, will stick in my memory far longer than any of the other bullshit that happens in this issue. That's the benefit of having a big group of characters to draw from, seeing these different personalities bounce off each other, not insisting that every single one of them must participate in this meandering narrative. 

A simple two or three issue race story line, focused on Surge learning to be loved, would have been a great idea. A three issue plot focused on the Chaotix exposing Clutch's crimes to the public probably would've been fun. Giving Jet some much needed character development by centering in on his obsessive desire to beat Sonic would have made for a solid one-off. Even Sonic cosplaying as a Psycho-Ranger or melodramatic in-fighting among the Diamond Cutters, by far the least interesting part of this saga, could have been redeemed. Instead, all of these ideas were rammed together and the result has been, unsurprisingly, a mess. At least it'll be over next month, right? Sorry to be so negative, as I know some folks have been enjoying this one. I swear, I never set out to be a humorless, pretentious old man that hates everything because he holds a book for little kids to too high of a standard. What do you expect this middle-aged man to do, not review the "Sonic the Hedgehog" comic book? Anyway, I'm really looking forward to this series moving on to something else soon. [5/10]

Sonic the Hedgehog Annual 2024

Sonic the Hedgehog Annual 2024

Publication Date: October 9th, 2024

As IDW's on-going “Sonic the Hedgehog” comic book is currently wrapped up in an unending story arc that I can't say I'm a big fan of, I found myself looking forward to this year's annual more than usual. In the past few years, the annual has been where the character-driven “Sonic” stories have truly been allowed to pop up. I suppose, due to the individual segments being fairly short, there's not much time for traditional action theatrics, forcing the writers to actually focus on fleshing out the cast members. Whatever the cause, it's a much-needed respite from the rumbling behemoth of plotlines that the current story has become. Let's not delay any longer and dive into the “Sonic the Hedgehog 2024 Annual.”

Three stories are contained within, two shorter ones and a longer one. Ian Flynn's “Hero's Calling” must take place after Surge and Kit decided to join the Restoration as undercover agents but before everyone got caught up in hoverboard racing. It begins with the two stopping a runaway trolley train from squishing a parade of Chao and I guess the people inside too. A minor comment from one of the rescued people about how Surge still isn't as fast as Sonic causes her to reflect on what motivates her. This, unwittingly, changes Kit's sense of himself as well. “For My Destiny” by Iasmin Omar Ata involves Knuckles chilling on Angel Island, staring at the Master Emerald. This creates a vision of sorts, where he considers his fate as Guardian and his connections with his friends. Who then show up, following a crash landing in the Tornado. “Shattered Diamonds,” from Gigi Dutreix, takes place around the Eggperial City arc, when Tangle, Whisper, and Lanolin where waiting for Sonic and Tails to show up. Mimic lurks in the shadows, planning to pick Whisper off once and for all, as he reflects thinks back on his past and how he met the quiet sniper.

The previous IDW annuals have all had themes connecting their different stories, I suppose. 2022's installment was about unlikely partnerships. 2020's annual focused on side characters reacting to the Metal Virus outbreak, while 2019's annual was connected by the idea of friendship. 2024's annual delves into a deeper theme than I expected. Essentially, it's about the way different characters negotiate with their own loneliness and how that keeps them going. Surge lets go of her resentment of the world in a very Surge-like manner, while Kit gives us an idea of how far he's willing to go to make sure he's never separated from Surge. Knuckles finds himself being thankful for the bonds he has and the destiny that has brought him to this life. Finally, Mimic's story sees the octopus grappling with a need to discard other people's validation and connection. He wants to be so strong that he doesn't need anyone and Whisper is the last reminder of that. For a kid's comic published mostly to remind people to go out and buy video games, this is surprisingly deep stuff.

I don't know if Flynn's story did this intentionally or not but it shows Surge growing as a character in a way that is so uniquely her. She has come to the grim realization that Starline was right about something, that the world is trapped in a cycle of Sonic and Eggman fighting for control. Surge previously wanted to burn that all down but now she sees the non-superpowered citizens of the planet as so inept and helpless, that she can't hate them anymore. She calls them “morons” and says “they can't do anything.” Keep in this mind, this happens right before she declares a lingering a desire to crush Sonic while also looking sadly out the window and concluding that everyone else in the world aren't “bad.”

What is happening here is the same development the comic has been building towards all year: Surge is letting go of the pain that forged her. She's letting go of her desire to be hated because it's better than being nothing. She is realizing her own worth, coming to understand that she deserves love. The tenrec with an attitude can't simply say that though. As introspective as Surge obviously is, she's too proud to let a chink in her bad-ass persona show. She has to find a way to angrily declare that she doesn't hate everyone anymore and wants to be praised by them. When looked at from this angle, it's actually quite a funny story. Surge is slowly developing into a fully formed, kind person but she can't, like, act that way because it would mess with her bad bitch status. She has to declare herself superior to all the fumbling idiot masses to disguise the fact that she actually wants to protect them out of the goodness of her heart.

What of Kit though? Surge has been able to break through the psychological conditioning Starline programmed into her. Her sidekick, on the other hand, hasn't been able to do that. His only desire in life is be with Surge and keep her happy. He remains her biggest fan and desperate, needy simp. When Surge presents the possibility that the world can exist without Eggman, it causes the fennec to have a crisis. If there's no Eggman, there's no threat for Surge to challenge, and no reason for people to praise her. And if there's no reason for Surge to be praised, there's no reason for Kit to be around. In his head, he quickly concocts a scheme to engineer threats for Surge to grapple with, in order to maintain his own purpose in life.

It's a far more duplicitous moment than we are used to seeing from Kit. It's also the only part of an otherwise good story that makes me pause. The earlier scenes, where the two are interacting, show Ian Flynn's strength. He has a clear grasp on these two and watching them bounce off one another is delightful. The panel where Kit asks what's wrong with Surge before becoming fearful that she's mad at him is hilarious and sad. Hilarious because it's such a cute, mundane discussion and sad because it shows how totally and completely Kit's self-worth depends on Surge needing him. I'm not entirely sure how the little guy makes the leap from “if people aren't praising Surge, she won't need me... Therefore I must become death, the destroy of worlds.” Feels like we, the reader, missed a step.

Unfortunately, I think I know why these handful of panels are inserted into this story. “Hero's Calling” ends with a promise that its story will continue in issue 75 of IDW's main “Sonic” book. The second story has a similar cliffhanger, promising readers that they'll discover why Sonic, Tails, and Amy had to crash land on Angel Island in issue 80. One of the unfortunate truths you have to swallow as a comic book fan is that stories are rarely allowed to end. New issues must always be forthcoming. Superman must always have a reason to fight Lex Luthor. Batman must always have something to protect Gotham from. In other words, writers crafting a satisfying story is often hampered by another need: To set up the next thing down the line. Ian Flynn is a comic industry veteran at this point. He knows what he's doing. Which is why a story that otherwise might have been about Surge slowly realizing she doesn't need to be a villain has to pause to set up the idea that, somewhere down the line, Kit will become a greater threat. It's nice that this idea is based upon his psychological hang-ups and massive neediness. It also would've been nice if “Hero's Calling” didn't feel the need to remind us that the show must go on, even to the detriment of telling a proper tale.

There's something awkward about the second story too, that I couldn't help but notice. This is Iasmin Omar Ata's second IDW “Sonic” credit, after writing the “Winter Jam” story. “For My Destiny” is this comic book, once again, grappling with an obnoxious Sega mandate that they seemed legal-bound to follow: Knuckles can't spend too much time away from the Master Emerald. The echidna has to toil away the majority of his life looking at a big green rock and Sega isn't interested in hearing justifications for why he might want to do something else. This has led to multiple awkward moments in the comic, where the reader ends up asking “Hey, why isn't Knuckles helping his friends out during this crazy, difficult time?” I guess he can't build a wall around the Shrine or have Tails create some robots to guard it or whatever. No, no, Knuckles must always be on Angel Island.

Ata has been tasked with the thankless job of cooking up a reason why Knuckles willingly waste his entire life standing next to the Master Emerald. Ultimately, he comes to the conclusion that this is his destiny and every good thing he had in his life – his friendships, the adventures he's had – are because of his duty as guardian of the Master Emerald. Every minute spent standing guard has been worth it, he seems to conclude. And that's bullshit, right? Since the Master Emerald seems to manifest a vision quest for the echidna when he's having some doubts about his role in life, it truly feels like an abusive parent saying "Think of how much worse you'd be without me!!!" If Knuckles can be said to have a "relationship" with the Master Emerald – which this story certainly implies – any therapist would classify it as toxic. This is "The Giving Tree" except Knuckles is the tree. Yes, Knuckles has met all his friends because of his job but... Wouldn't a life with supportive parents and normal relationship have been better, instead of carrying out an ancient destiny set in motion eons before he was born? Having the echidna take what he's been given and say "Thank you, sir, can I have another" feels colossally unfair to the guy. 

I've had more than my share of bad things to say about Ken Penders' "Knuckles" opus. Still, his version of the character – conflicted about his role in life, essentially a victim of a centuries long conspiracy to keep him isolated and in the dark – feels a lot more realistic to me than a Knuckles totally fine with idling away his teenage years glaring at the area around a big ass jewel. (Not that Ken intentionally wrote it that way – his point was "emotionally distant parents that manipulate every facet of your life are doing the best they can" – but that's how it came off.) Credit where it's due: I think Ata does a decent job justifying what continues to be an unreasonable demand from the comic's corporate overlords. All but literally shackling Knuckles to the Master Emerald limits his growth as a character and perpetually keeps a fan favorite on the sidelines. At least this story delves into how he feels about what is obviously a shitty deal. That the conclusion feels false is a result of IDW being forced into a corner over how they can use Knuckles. The echidna must say "this is fine" or else acknowledge that what he's doing makes no fucking sense. Challenging the status quo isn't something IDW "Sonic" is interested in doing and may, in fact, be explicitly forbidden from doing so.

Maybe I'm projecting here but, unavoidably, it seems that Ata agrees that this is bullshit. That's why, in the last third, "For My Destiny" totally shifts direction. Sonic, Tails, and Amy show up on the island as Knux is feeling sentimental. The story concludes with the four spending time together, bantering, simply hanging out. It's nice! Seeing four old friends interact so easily, so casually, is overwhelmingly pleasant enough that you totally forget how the first half of the story makes no sense. Further more, this story feels like a deliberate tease to Sonic/Knuckles shippers. The echidna says he's so grateful to have the Emerald in his life, not noticing Sonic is there. The hedgehog spends the next six panels teasing him. Knuckles basically says "I love you," Sonic says "haha ur so ghey," and Knuckles screams back "NO I'M NOT!" This interaction is, it goes without saying, the gayest conversation two men can have. And I think that's beautiful. What is a man-on-man friendship without an ever-present homoerotic tension? 

The third story is by far the best here and gives us something the series hadn't done before: A deep dive into Mimic's personality. We learned that he wanted to be an actor, found his abilities to copy someone weren't appreciated in the entertainment industry, but was much more valuable during a war. We discover he went from team to team, always abandoning or betraying them eventually. When he met the Diamond Cutters, he found a family that actually accepted him for who he is... Which terrified him. Up until this point, Mimic has been written as a sociopath incapable of empathy. It's a topic of great debate in the psychological community but I personally believe, to paraphrase the late great Dr. Lecter, monsters are made, not born. Mimic had a gift that he craved validation for but it was rejected. This turned him into someone who pushed others aside before they had a chance to hurt him. He then made this callousness the cornerstone of his personality. He says it himself: "Everyone has a little emptiness inside." This is Mimic justifying his own bad behavior. "I'm not a psycho! Everybody is like this and I'm the only one honest about it!" 

Meeting the Diamond Cutters, being accepted into a group and a family, makes him feel empathy, connection, brotherhood. The emotions he promised himself never to embrace, as it only leads to getting hurt. That's the real reason he killed his teammates. Not because he's an utterly cold monster at heart but because he made himself one to protect a helplessly fragile soul. He is evil because of what he does, not who he is. The first word balloon in this story says "Who are you?" We know who Mimic is now: He's sad. He's lonely. He's rejected. He's hurt. And he built a persona of utter selfishness to protect himself from all that. Without downplaying Mimic's status as a brutally effective villain, "Shattered Diamonds" manages to make his character a whole lot deeper and, yes, sympathetic. 

This story is extremely valuable for another reason too. It gives us a look at what Whisper was like before she got traumatized. Apparently, she was a lot like Tangle. She is bright-eyed, excited, friendly, and outgoing. Quite a difference from the muted and shy character we've grown to love. Perhaps the difference is too extreme. However, I do think such a prominent contrast is worthwhile. It draws attention to how much Whisper has changed, how much the loss of her teammates effected her and still effect her. It is also a reflection of Mimic. The octopus lost his team and it caused him to recommit to the idea of being a heartless killer who doesn't need anybody. Whisper loss her team and became emotionally walled-off too. She didn't close her heart off from love, from acceptance, from companionship and the always unavoidable possibility that it might lead to heartbreak. It shows the difference between the two, between engaging with the world with total cynicism versus operating with love and kindness. It suggests, perhaps, maybe Mimic is redeemable too, as unlikely as that is. 

The story doesn't only flesh out Mimic and Whisper though. The original Diamond Cutters were properly introduced in the third issue of the "Tangle & Whisper" mini-series. That book was published in September 2019. In the time since then, the characters have loomed large over Whisper without having that many additional appearances. People far more well-read in video games tell me that the Diamond Cutters are a reference to "Metal Gear Solid" and existed more-or-less to be nothing but an in-joke. Enough time has passed to prove that fans genuinely are interested in these guys. This story gives us some more time with Smithy, Slinger, and Claire Voyance. We see Smithy's warmth and generosity, Slinger's sarcasm and playfulness, and Claire's affection for her friends. In any other setting, it would be silly to think of a group of mercenaries as this lovable gang. In the world of "Sonic," they are sniping robots and not guerillas, so it's easier to buy. Finally making these guys more alive makes what they meant to Whisper all the more meaningful. 

It's easy to take for granted how good these books look now. However, the 2024 Annual has some especially nice art. Thomas Rothlisberger has to draw Surge and Kit talking in a room, not the most exciting possibility. Kit looks a little off in a few panels, perhaps because of this. Matt Froese does the first half of "Shattered Diamonds" and his cartoony style takes a minute to adapt too. It still results in some beautiful panels, such as when Mimic in the guide of a Egg Pawn reflects on his emptiness, painted as a black and white shape surrounded by red screaming ghosts in a black void. Mauro Fonseca gets some prime visuals in the second. The series of panels devoted to Mimic stepping into a lake and washing away his feelings are very intimate and personal. Followed by a cool page showing the shattering alliances as a series of broken masks. Cool. The middle story, drawn by Adam Bryce Thomas, simply looks gorgeous. When Knuckles first steps into the vision provided by the Master Emerald, we get a splash page that easily could've been a Spaz cover back in the Archie days, right down to the way Knuckles holds himself. I have missed "Sonic" comics looking like that. It must always be said that Thomas makes all the characters look utterly cute bright-eyed but Rouge looks especially adorable. 

I have my qualms about the first two stories while still thinking they are good. The third story might be one of the best "Sonic" stories IDW has published. If nothing else, I genuinely appreciate a totally character-focused collection of tales like this. I don't want the comic to be like this all the time but I would definitely approve it if it was like this more often. I don't object to action scenes in my "Sonic" books. I like a good action sequence as much as the next guy! However, action means a lot more if you're invested in everyone. Zeroing in on what maybe makes these guys tick causes all the punching, fighting, exploding, and gotta-go-fast-ing mean much more. The pressure of writing a perpetually on-going comic book that involves licensed characters, beholden to certain guidelines, continues to be frustrating. Art can still emerge in these conditions, as "Shattered Diamonds" prove. I am thus forced to give the 2024 Annual a very high recommendation. [8/10]