Sonic Super Special: Issue 15 – Naugus Games

Sonic Super Special: Issue 15 – Naugus Games
Publication Date: November 2000

Times change. This days, the Archie Sonic fandom seems single three Ken Penders’ stories out to piss on the most: “Sonic Live!,” “Endgame,” and the Image crossover. I’m not exempt from this, as I’ve also raked those stories over the coals. Back in the day, though, one particular issue of “Sonic” was the most reviled, one that happened to come from Ken’s pen. And whatever the opposite of hype is isn’t wrong either. The final issue of “Sonic Super Special,” generally referred to as “Naugus Games,” may very well be the worst “Sonic” comic ever published.

Hardcore continuity nerds usually place this story at some point after “Endgame” but before Dr. Eggman seized Mobotropolis again. Sonic runs up to the Southern Tundra solo, to the former spot of Nate Morgan’s fortress. He has returned to this inhospitable location for one reason: To pay final respects to Eddy the Yeti, who sacrificed himself to save Sonic’s life back in issue 66. While approaching the yeti’s final resting place, Sonic falls through the snow. He stumbles upon a cache of Nate’s remaining power rings. Upon picking one up, he accidentally summons Ixis Naugus back from the Negative Zone. The two fight for several minutes before the evil wizard is vanquished once again. That’s it.

The “Sonic Super Special” quarterly has been barely hanging on for a while. Issue 12 had a forgettable cover story. Issue 14 was incredibly lame. Even issue 13, the much hyped “Sonic Adventure” adaptation, was poor. So it’s no surprise that issue 15 would be the final issue in the series. You’d think the company would want to take the series out on a high note. After all, it was called “Sonic Super Special.” The opposite, it turns out, is true. No effort was expended on “Naugus Games.” Nobody gave a shit about this book, pushing out a shoddy product to a faithful fan base, who handed out their money none the wiser.

The bullshit began at the scripting phase. It probably took Ken all of ten minutes to shit out “Naugus Games.” Two whole pages are spent recapping Naugus’ last appearance. Sonic accidentally releases Naugus from his prison. This should’ve been a big deal. After all, the wizard is one of the Freedom Fighters’ most dangerous adversaries. Instead, the two play in the snow for a few minutes, Sonic getting under the wizard’s skin with childish name-calling. At the end, he blasts Naugus back into the other dimension. In other words, there’s no stakes to this story. It ends without exerting any effect on the character’s world. The story might as well have never happened. It comes and goes, without purpose or meaning.

As pure shit as the writing is, “Naugus Games” is most notorious for its artwork. An entity calling itself “Many Hands” – presumably a pseudonym, one hopes – takes credit for drawing this thing. It starts out looking not so bad. That first page of Sonic hanging out on a snowy cliff is mildly striking. The artwork, however, quickly degrades. Sonic goes off-model throughout, becoming taller or skinnier, shorter or fatter, his head and hand changing shape. When Naugus reappears, the artwork totally goes to hell. The wizard looks terrible, a quickly scribbled mass of purple muscles, teeth and claw, cape and horn. Even poor Eddy the Yeti doesn’t escape untouched. He appears in the final panel, a shadow from heaven smiling down approvingly. Except he looks like a hunchback.

Of course, this is discussing the pages when Many Hands actually bothered to draw the characters. On page four, Sonic falls through a hole in the ice, dropping into a pitch black cave. He spends nearly four whole pages stumbling around in the dark. Only his eyes are visible, against solid black panels. After a brief scuffle with Naugus, the wizard casts up a huge snowstorm. Practically every panel on the next six pages are filled up with a generic snow pattern. So half the comic is either pure blackness or looks like Christmas wrapping paper. They charged two dollars and forty nine cents for this. Three dollars of my hard earn allowance went to this. Yeah, I was pissed.

The quality only perks up slightly for the back-up story. “Sonic Spin City” begins with the hedgehog smashing some SWATBots during a rainy day in Robotropolis. From the remains, he grabs a matchbook for Rusty’s, a bar apparently catering to robots. Stepping inside, he finds it full of old enemies. Luckily, they’re distracted when a dancing girl comes out on stage. This girl, however, is Bunnie in disguise. Why Bunnie is undercover, Michael Gallagher’s script never explains. Anyway, Sonic grabs the rabbit, wrecks the machines, and the entire bar blows up. Apparently the entire mission was an ill-planned trap on Robotnik’s behalf.

The plot synopsis above didn’t illustrate the obvious. “Sonic Spin City” is a parody of Frank Miller’s “Sin City.” Miller’s grizzled, explicit, black and white comic series is well known today, thanks to two film adaptations. Back in 2000, the series was unknown outside of comic nerd circles. So it’s unlikely the target audience would’ve been familiar with the R-rated series. I certainly wasn’t. (Though I did get that Gallagher was goofing on film noir stereotypes.) I have no idea why Gallagher targeted the series, though it certainly wasn’t the first time the comic referenced something outside the core demographic’s knowledge.

As a parody, “Sonic Spin City” is fairly shallow. The artwork, provided by Gallagher himself, is pretty damn iffy. The robots in Rusty’s look very sketchy. Gallagher, at least, knows what Sonic looks like. He also does an okay job of replicating Miller’s hard-boiled writing and black and white inking. The story is completely pointless though and Bunnie’s stint as an exotic dancer is not well realized. Nor her proudest moment. It’s dumb, not especially clever as parody, and easily forgotten.

In short, there’s just no reason at all to read issue 15 of “Sonic Super Special.” The cover story is barely a story while the back-up is a relatively useless goof. I am confident in calling it Archie’s worst “Sonic” comic. It’s a shame that the Sonic Super Special had to die such an inglorious death, as the quarterly had promise in the beginning. Following the side series end, Archie wouldn’t publish another one shot special for sixteen years. Then again, a shit sandwich like “Naugus Games” will do that to you. [2/10]

Sonic Super Special: Issue 14 - Sonic Stew

Sonic Super Special: Issue 14 - Sonic Stew
Publication Date: June 2000

When conceived, the Sonic Super Special quarterly was for stories too big, too important for the regular book. We’re talking the grand fight between the Freedom Fighters and the Chaotix, the first major story of the post-Robotnik era, a major battle with Ixis Naugus, the uncut version of Endgame, so on and so forth. However, the book quickly degraded towards another purpose: Stories that Archie felt like telling that don’t fit into the current plot arc. So scripts about Sally Moon, giant robots, and nonsensical crossovers got booted over to the side book. This practice reaches its nadir with issue 14, subtitled “Sonic Stew.” It’s basically Ken Penders’ next big Knuckles adventure and a totally disposable Sonic farce shoved into a book together, no theme or fiber connecting them.

Why do so many Archie issues begin with Sonic and Sally wandering through the woods? Is that where they go when they need some alone time? Anyway, one such walk is interrupted when a portal opens before the two lovebirds. A pair of uniformed echidnas emerge, whack Sally into unconsciousness, and then drag Sonic through the portal. He arrives in Litigopolis, a version of Mobotropolis ruled by a mad supercomputer insisting on super restrictive laws. The citizens live in fear of frivolous lawsuits. Sonic, teaming up with a lawyer version of Sally, discovers that Anti-Sonic framed him and has to clear his name and free the city.

“Law of the Land” is brought to us by Jim Spivey, a writer who did so little work on the book that he doesn’t even have a Mobius Encyclopaedia page. It’s a dire story. An alternate universe of Mobius built around lawyers is a fairly nonsensical idea, seemingly done to spring board off the then popularity of “Ally McBeal.” (I’d ask why Archie would spoof an adult-centric TV series in a kid’s book but they’ve done it before.) Spivey doesn’t present this world in a very interesting manner. Most of the backstory is dropped on us during a multi-page spread, Sally McAcorn – yes, they really call her that – explaining the history of the place.

There aren’t very many jokes. Spivey seems to think the mere idea of contrasting Sonic and lawyers is enough. This results in barely-there gags like Robotnik becoming a computer named J.U.D.G.E. and Knuckles becoming the leader of a fascist police force. The reveal that Anti-Sonic has framed the real deal is presented in a totally off-hand manner, barely influencing the overall plot.

However, there is one mildly funny gag in the book. After a more direct attempt to defeat J.U.D.G.E. goes wrong, Sonic thinks of a better idea. Using his super speed, he performs a series of minor crimes in a short span of time. Such as super-speed jaywalking and the repeated invasion of citizen’s personal space. The overload causes J.U.D.G.E. to explode. It’s not the idea that’s funny. Instead, the glee with which Sonic performs the petty infractions is what makes me laugh. There’s a pretty funny panel of Sonic making goofy faces at an incredulous rabbit, for one example.

Another factor holding “Law of the Land” back is its weak artwork. Suzanne Paddock – also her only Archie Sonic credit – draws this one. She adapts an exaggerated, pseudo-anime style that rarely works. Sonic and Sally have massive heads and needle thin limbs. Their proportions shift from page to page. One panel shows them with giant hands that could easily contain their spindly bodies. The characters’ faces often shifted in hideous, unpleasant ways. There’s seemingly no predetermined layout for everyone’s bodies, as Sonic repeatedly changes shape. Even during the era of Ron Lim, Archie knew not to invite Miss Paddock back.

The Sonic-centric cover story is a complete trifle, especially when compared to the Knuckles back story. We open in media ras, with Knuckles fleeing from a giant fireball consuming the Floating Island. As he lands in the ocean below, he reflects on the events that brought him here. After witnessing Lara-Li’s wedding to Wynmacher, Knuckles and the Chaotix decide to investigate the wrecked Dark Legion base. Inside, the Legion grabs Julie-Su and flies above the Island. The Brotherhood knows Dimitri is up to something and attempt to stop him. Meanwhile, Remington has to prevent another dingo protest from growing violent. All of these stories are interrupted when Dimitri and the Legion opens a massive portal that sucks the entire city into an alternate universe.

“Best of Times, Worst of Times” is the kind of story Ken frequently writes. It’s got a crap load of story lines, each one competing for page space. Not all of these plots, like Remington dealing with the dingos, seem especially pertinent at first. However, by ending the story on a huge cliffhanger, it also gives these other scenes more meaning. It’s just an ordinary day on the Floating Island before tragedy interrupts it. More then that, the writer also doesn’t doodle too long on any one set of characters, keeping the issue moving quickly.

Which isn’t to say there aren’t some disappointments. Seeing Knuckles and the gang banter, leap on those weird horse things, and ride across the Island is fun. Oddly, that moment segues into the heroes exploring the abandoned enemy base. After the dimensional portal starts to consume the island, the Chaotix disappear from the story, leaving Knuckles to save the day solo. Yet considering Penders’ bad habit of forgetting the Chaotix exist all together, it’s nice to see them included.

Disappointingly, Ken also benches Julie-Su in a very cheap manner. She’s immediately captured by the Legion, barely fighting back at all. They take her aboard their Romulan Warbird, Julie-Su just allowing it to happen. Really? My Julie-Su, the same girl who swung into a crime lord’s base and started kicking ass? Seems unlikely. Even then, the panels devoted to Julie-Su and Lien-Da trading bitchy barbs is funny. (Moritori Rex is also in this story, aboard the ship with Dimitri. I had completely forgot this guy was still floating around.)

As always, the Brotherhood’s segments are the least compelling. Mathias, another one of Knuckles’ ancient ancestors, floats in and informs the other Guardians that Dimitri is up to some bad shit. How does he know this? He foresaw it in a vision. Man, as if this book didn’t have enough wise, old mystic characters already. Despite the Brotherhood teleporting in and using their psychic powers to toss some Legionnaires around, they can’t stop Dimitri’s plan.

Stuck in the middle of this, Ken finally reveals the fate of Grandpa Hawking. You know, that old guy that fell into a coma when Knuckles’ book was just beginning? He’s dead now. Please tell me this event actually has some effect on the story. Please tell me Ken just didn't forgot about this plot point and randomly decided to resolve it here. But who am I kidding?

The subplot about Remington trying to quell more dingo unrest probably should be tedious. Weirdly, it proves surprisingly compelling. Once again, Ken unintentionally points out how unfair echidna society treats the dingoes. They still haven’t been set up in the temporary housing the government promised them 73 issues ago! I don’t know how that breaks down in comic book time but it suggests some major mishandling on the Echidnan government’s behalf. Yes, the protestors have their Power Gloves and guns out, threatening violence, but they have good reason to be displeased. Remington, notably, doesn’t immediately start busting heads either, willing to give Stryker and his men a chance to speak their minds. 

Yeah, it’s a lot to juggle and not all of it works. However, I suspect the reason “Best of Times, Worst of Times” works for me is because of the small personal moments Ken sneaks in. Lara-Le and Wynmacher’s wedding is sweet, especially the way Knuckles wishes the couple well, despite his ambivalence towards the union. Knuckles and Julie-Su get some cute moments of their own, holding hands and making googly eyes at each other. Even Remington gets a girlfriend. True, the goofily named Komi-Ko isn’t much of a character. Yet seeing the officer outside of a professional context is a nice change of pace. Once again, small character moments like this give the mayhem that comes later greater impact.

So “Sonic Stew” is not an especially tasty stew, few of the ingredients blending in a pleasing manner. That first course definitely leaves a bad taste in your mouth. The second course could have a more even flavor pallet, certain ingredients begging to be more evenly seasoned or more thoroughly cooked. Compared to the first bowl of stew, it’s still a big improvement but the diner is left wanting more. I think I’ve exhausted all my soup puns. Let’s give this a [5/10] and head home.

Sonic Super Special: Issue 13 – Sonic Adventure

(Yes, I have heard the rumors concerning the possible cancellation of Archie's "Sonic" series. I intend to write about this eventually. But until we get more information - or, god forbid, an official confirmation - business will continue here as usual.)

Sonic Super Special: Issue 13 – Sonic Adventure
Publication Date: March 2000

After what seemed like months of build-up, Archie’s proper adaptation of “Sonic Adventure” finally hit newsstand in March of 2000. That’s a full six months after the game was released in America. Like many young Sonic fans, I received a Dreamcast and “Sonic Adventure” as a Christmas present. I’m pretty shitty at video games but even I managed to complete the game by March of 2000. During the seemingly endless build-up to Archie’s adaptation, I became really curious about how Archie would integrate the game’s story into the comic’s world. Even back then, I was disappointed with what we got.

“Sonic Super Special: Issue 13” shoves all of “Sonic Adventure’s” story lines into sixth brief chapters. After Sonic’s encounter with Chaos in issue 82, and Amy’s subsequent disappearance, the Freedom Fighters break into three teams. Sonic and Tails fly across the forest around Station Square, quickly encountering Knuckles, Robotnik, and the evolving Chaos. After a brief fight, the various story threads – including Big the Cat and Amy Rose – converge on Robotnik’s Egg Carrier warship. There, the heroes come together to defeat the villain’s latest scheme… Or, at least, it seems that way.

How many times have I emphasized this? Archie did a pretty shitty job of incorporating the Sega elements into its comic book. After practically, literally shoving Station Square under a rock, the “Sonic Adventure” special barely makes an effort to make the comic’s cast work in the video game plot. See how I mention the Freedom Fighters splitting into three teams above? Yeah, that doesn’t matter. Antoine and Bunnie take a pointless trip around the city, trying to spot any sign of Robotnik. Sally and Nate Morgan shack up in the library, researching information on Chaos. After the first chapter, we never see these characters again. The story turns its focus entirely to Sonic, Tails, and Knuckles. So why bother with this introductory chapter at all?

If we’re being brutally honest, it’s not like “Sonic Adventure” had an especially great story to begin with. The much hyped Chaos isn’t anything more then a series of boss battles, without a lick of personality on his own. The game didn’t even play up the irony of Sonic fighting an enemy made of water, a substance he notoriously has trouble navigating. (See also: The title of this blog.) The video game had to go to lengths to justify the role established characters like Tails and Amy Rose could play in this story. New characters, like Big the Cat and E-102 Gamma, were even more unnecessary additions to the plot. The entire multiple characters aspect of the game was, in truth, nothing but a lame gimmick, an excuse to shove a number of different game styles into one package.

As mediocre as “Sonic Adventure’s” plot was, Archie completely butchers the story to make it fit into a 48-page comic book. Listen, I understand that a video game provides far more time and space to explore things. Yet maybe Archie shouldn’t have tried to shove the meat of the game’s story into one special? Maybe they should have, I don’t know, tried serializing it over several comics? You know, instead of wasting three whole issues on just setting up the damn adaptation? While the game seems to take place over the course of a week, letting its concept breathe a little, Archie makes all the events feel like a few hours. Sonic and Knuckles have one fight with Chaos, blast off for the Egg Carrier, and have their final showdown with the enemy. No time at all passes between these events.

An alternative method to making the story work in so few pages would’ve been to cut the more unnecessary characters all together. Let’s be honest: What did Big the Cat and Amy Rose really add to “Sonic Adventure’s” plot anyway? Instead, Karl Bollers awkwardly inserts the characters into a handful of scenes. As in the game, Big’s plot is entirely superfluous. He never directly interacts with the other heroes and his mission has no affect on the overall plot. Amy, meanwhile, spends nearly the entire issue captured by Robotnik. She appears in a handful of panels and that’s the extent of her involvement.

When it’s not juggling the useless characters or abbreviating the story considerably, Archie’s “Sonic Adventure” adaptation is awkwardly juggling the actual video game mechanics. When Sonic and Tails are flying towards Eggman’s war ship, the Tornado transforms for absolutely no reason. Once aboard the ship, Sonic has to step on a series of buttons on the floor to transform the vessel. During the final fight with Chaos, Robotnik deploys a series of freezing machines to attack Sonic. This is a very poor idea, seeing as how Knuckles and Sonic immediately use the machines to freeze Chaos. Damn, Eggman, you didn’t think that one through, did you? All of these scenes just go to show how very different a media comic books are from video games.

Then again, maybe we can’t blame Karl Bollers too much for the comic’s scattered nature. Reportedly, Sega refused to provide Archie with an actual translation of the game’s script. Instead, Karl and Ken Penders had to play a Japanese version of the game and adapt their notes from that. So it’s no wonder the script is full of gaffs. Multiple references are made to Robotnik destroying the Ancient Ruins. As in, the unoccupied buildings outside the city limits. Wouldn’t you think Station Square, full of people and the current residence of the Freedom Fighters, would be a more dramatically sound place to threaten? What about the way the issue interchangeably uses the phrases Chaos Emeralds, Master Emerald shards, and Super Emeralds? Or that one time Knuckles is literately teleported onto the Egg Carrier’s deck, for seemingly no reason?

The script is a mess, perhaps inevitably so. Somehow, the artwork is even worst. “Sonic Super Special: Issue 13” represents the beginning of my least favorite period in Archie Sonic history. Rom Lim, a Marvel artist apparently of some acclaim, draws the issue. Soon enough, he would become the regular artist for the series. This is despite Lim’s complete inability to draw Sonic and friends. The Sega characters frequently have overly spindly bodies, with noodle limbs and insanely huge hands and feet. Lim’s facial expressions are hideous. His mouths are always angular, his faces blank, and his eyes perpetually stuck in stink mode. Often, his characters are making expressions totally at odds with the script, such as when Knuckles smirks evilly when encountering Sonic. A few times, Lim draws Robotnik as just a floating head.

As bad as the Sega crew looks, the Freedom Fighters somehow look shittier. Lim’s Sally is composed of jagged, furry edges. Her face bends into deeply unflattering shapes. Antione also has noodle legs but a weirdly weaselly face. Bunnie gains a strangely shapely, human-like body but has a face that wouldn’t pass muster among Bugs Bunny fan artist. A flashback to echidna history has Lim drawing the Knuckles Clan as indistinct blobs. Maybe Lim hadn’t adapted yet to drawing furries. Then why do his humans look equally generic and off-model? It’s absolute shit and, for some reason, Archie would invite Lim back to draw roughly a hundred other issues.

If it isn’t readily apparent, I’m not a huge fan of the “Sonic Adventure” adaptation. The story is a hack job. The pacing is abhorrent. The comic does a terrible job of balancing the different plot threads. The artwork is garbage. (Spaz contributes two whole panels and they're better then everything Lim would draw during his entire tenure on “Sonic.”) Archie has bungled some big events, before and after, but few were as poorly handled as “Sonic Adventure.” And get used to it, because things are going to stay this way for a while. [4/10]

Sonic Super Special: Issue 12 – Turnabout Heroes

Sonic Super Special: Issue 12 – Turnabout Heroes
Publication Date: Janaury 2000

We interrupt you’re regularly scheduled Sega Dreamcast adaptation for something completely different! While Archie’s main “Sonic the Hedgehog” comic was knee-deep in the “Sonic Adventure” adaptation, a new Sonic Super Special quarterly dropped with no connection to anything happening in the main book. This suggests one of two things. Either Archie’s interior scheduling is horribly haphazard or Sega demanded the “Adventure” adaptation to roll out at a certain date. Probably both, if we’re being honest. So let’s just forget about Station Square and Chaos for a little while and focus on something else entirely.

The majority of the Sonic Super Specials had some sort of gimmick that separated them from the standard book. Such as the all female led stories in issue 11 or the ill-fated crossovers in issue 10 and 7. What number twelve offers us is a cover story that turns the page sideways, the panels being read from the bottom to the top. “Turnabout Heroes” matches this visual gimmick by turning its heroes around too. Dimitri has seemingly teamed up with Dr. Robotnik, despite the former character being dead. Their fiendish plot involves swiping Sonic and Knuckles’ minds and bodies, leaving the hedgehog in the echidna’s body and vice versa. They attempt to blackmail the heroes into stealing the Master Emerald, in order to power a new super weapon. It doesn’t work.

“Turnabout Heroes” is said to take place between issues 71 and 72 of “Sonic” and issues 28 and 29 of “Knuckles.” However, as the Mobius Enclopedia is all too eager to point out, this doesn’t make a lot of sense. There’s a reason for “Turnabout Heroes” seemingly existing outside canon. The story line was originally published as a reoccurring comic stripe in Comic Shop News, a multi-page newsletter and sales flyer sent out to comic shops. This is also the reason for the vertical page construction. The change of format also explains some other things about the story. “Turnabout Heroes” opens with Sonic and Knuckles flatly discussing their recent history. Each of the characters are simplified and there are few references to either Sonic or Knuckles’ convoluted series. Presumably, this was done so as not to loose new and inexperienced readers.

On top of these issues, “Turnabout Heroes” is also Ken Penders’ take on the well worn body swap story line. Sonic and Knuckles do not reach a “Freaky Friday”-esque new appreciation for each other after their experience. Instead, “Turnabout Heroes” mostly plays the body switch up for humor. Knuckles, in Sonic’s body, does a belly flop while attempting to glide. Both the hedgehog and the guardian’s supporting cast seem very confused by the switch-a-roo. More definitely could’ve been done with the premise. Because this is a Penders, the story also a hell of a cheat for an ending. After touching the Master Emerald, Sonic and Knuckles’ minds are restored. The con they pull on the villains at the end is also barely coherent.

Despite these many setbacks, “Turnabout Heroes” works okay as an action story. Both Dimitri and Robotnik are on the offensive, sending heavy SWATBot and Dark Legion forces after the heroes. The Freedom Fighter Special crashes on the Floating Island, a decent action beat. The high-light of the story is the Freedom Fighters teaming up with Knuckles and Julie-Su to wreck the shit of their mutual villains. (The Chaotix, presumably, were on vacation during all this. Or Ken just forgot about them.) Amusingly, Nate Morgan is seemingly involved in the combat, which is likely a result of Penders not caring what Bollers was up to at the time.

Simplifying the personalities of the cast for an audience outside the usual book doesn’t mess with things too much. Sonic and Knuckles pepper their speech with more catch phrases then usual but everyone is more-or-less in character. Except for the villains. In the story, Dimitri threatens to use a Master Emerald-powered cannon to robotocize the Great Forest. This is unusual for a villain who has mostly been concerned with conquering the Floating Island and inflicting revenge on his enemies. And what is the original Robotnik doing in this story, considering he died in issue 50? Turns out this Dr. Robotnik is a robotic double. Where did it come from? You probably already guessed that no answer is provided, either in these pages or outside the comic.

Sonic Super Special #12 has two stories, both loosely linked by the concept of different personalities inhabiting our established cast. In “Zone Wars: Giant Robotno,” Sonic gets another visit from Zonic the Zone-Cop. Initially apathetic, the Zone Cop talks the hedgehog into tagging along on another adventure. He’s taken to an alternate Mobius were giant, monstrous versions of the Freedom Fighters attack a peaceful Overlander city. Sonic leaps into a giant robot designed by a benevolent version of Robotnik, searching for a fuel source for Kintobor’s robotic protectors. This puts Sonic in the path of grotesque versions of his friends, forcing him to fight.

If you hadn’t guessed already, “Giant Robotno” is another Dan Slott joint, the sometimes writer returning to his beloved “Zone Wars” concept. (Slott plotted out the story with Karl Bollers doing the actual writing.) Like Slott’s previous stories, this one is full of weeaboo pop culture references. The story begins with Sonic encountering versions of Sally and his friends from a universe patterned after anime series “Gatchaman.” Amusingly, Sonic is totally disinterested in this event, the action playing out in the background while he talks with Zonic in the foreground.

Once Sonic is guilted into leaping dimensions, “Giant Robotno” reveals itself as a pastiche of kaiju movies and giant robot animes. We get to see a mash-up of Bunnie and Godzilla. The Tails kaiju, meanwhile, features Devilman’s bat-wing ears. The plot also resembles (and obviously predates) “Pacific Rim” and any number of Japanese shows about giant robots fighting giant monsters.

A combination of Sonic and a kaiju movie probably sounds like a terrible idea but “Giant Robotno” is surprisingly willing to play the premise for horror. The giant, mutated versions of the Mobians are visually unnerving. The Bunnie/Godzilla combo has a disturbingly scaly tail and scutes growing from her back. A giant monster version of Uncle Chuck, frozen in place, looms over the city, his face locked in a scream. We see, in flashback, versions of the Chaotix mutated into deformed monstrosity by Chaos Emerald radiation, their bodies twisting against their wills. Seeing our beloved Freedom Fighters transformed into ugly giants is an unexpected sight, at the very least. Knuckles’ dreadlocks have become tentacles. Amy gets hideous vampire fangs. Rotor and Sally are freakishly buff. It’s not exactly Junji Ito but is still surprisingly twisted stuff for a “Sonic” comic book.

The anime references and zone hopping are obviously the work of Slott. However, “Giant Robotno” also has an interesting emotional component, which I’m willing to credit Bollers for. While piloting the Eggman resembling machine, Sonic lands down on the island populated by the kaijuized Freedom Fighters. Sonic finds the sight of his friends, mutated not-quite-beyond recognition, very disturbing. Moreover, he’s forced to beat them into submission, which also upsets him. The emotional turmoil reaches its peak when Sonic is forced to fight a giant, monstrous version of his father, a Chaos Emerald embedded in its chest. During the fight, he accidentally yanks the emerald from Monster Jules’ chest, killing him. This, understandably, upsets the hedgehog. He exits the alternate dimensions not feeling like a hero but greatly unnerved by the experience. Bollers stays on just the right side of emotionally overwrought, managing to find some actual heart in an outwardly ridiculous story.

James Fry provides the pencils for “Turnabout Heroes.” Fry’s work is solid, with Sonic and friends looking on-model, bright and colorful. Robotnik and Dimitri, meanwhile, look slightly off. Nelson Ribeiro does the artwork for “Giant Robotno.” It takes some time to adapt to Ribeiro’s work, which is a little more exaggerated then regular Archie artwork. However, once it wins you over, Ribeiro’s pencils prove effective for this story.

Sonic Super Special issue 12 is an odd collection of stories. “Turnabout Hereos” is a decently entertaining if unremarkable tale. “Giant Robotno” is a very odd scenario but the creative crew manages to make it work, somehow. I’d like to say that the two stories combine to make this one of the weirdest Sonic books but this comic got fucking weird at times, so who knows. We now return to your corporate mandated video game adaptation, already in progress…[7/10]

Sonic Super Special: Issue 11 – Girls Rule!

Sonic Super Special: Issue 11 – Girls Rule!
Publication Date: October 1999

Here in 2016, the big comic companies have gone out of their way to introduce new major female characters or slot other women into more prominent roles. You wouldn’t think anyone would have a problem with simple inclusions like this… Actually, if you do think that, welcome to the internet! I’m very flattered you chose to visit my blog first.

Anyway, by 1999, Archie’s “Sonic the Hedgehog” series had amassed a decent sized female cast. The company had even already attempted a woman-led series, with the ill-fated “Princess Sally” mini-series. For the eleventh Sonic Super Special, Archie decided to try out a similar tactic. All five stories featured in the issue revolved around the women in Sonic and Knuckles’ lives. (No, Amy Rose isn’t featured. The comic wouldn’t give her a bigger role for a few more issues.)

The first story revolves around Sally, still the most important lady in the comic at this point. “Ascension,” set before Robotnik’s reemergence and subsequent take-over of Mobotropolis, has Sally facing her destiny as future monarch of Mobius. She crawls into the Source of All, that weird golden pool in the basement of Castle Acorn. A direct conduit with the forces behind the universe, the Source shows Sally visions of her past and her future. Afterwards, it’s her decision to accept her fate or not.

Every story in Sonic Super Special Issue 11 was written by Ken Penders. By giving Ken so many pages to express himself, we get the full run of his talents and flaws as a writer. In “Ascension,” for example, we see the Penders obsessed with self-involved mythology and cosmic malarkey. The Source of All is an especially dopey plot element I’ve never liked. Literally making the House of Acorn divinely attuned seemed like a heavy-handed attempt to justify why an advanced civilization like Mobius still has a monarchy.

Having Sally directly interact with the Source doesn’t make it seem any less pushy. It shows the Princess her past, appears as her father and brother, before showing her a glimpse of the future. That is, the same future first introduced in “Sonic: In Your Face,” where Sally and Sonic are married with kids. What purpose this has on the wider story – beyond setting up the “Mobius: 20 Years Later” story Ken had been wanting to tell – I don’t know.

Somehow, this all amounts to the Source hoping Sally becomes Queen. She decides to ignore the comics puddle and follow her own path… Which was what she wanted to do all along. So what was the point of this journey again? At least “Ascension” isn’t too visually unpleasant a story. Jim Valentino, after drawing some seriously ugly stories for Archie, finally seems to grasp these characters. Sally, who spends the whole story in the quote-unquote “nude,” is mostly on-model. The use of shadows and lightning are fairly evocative. Some of the effects are cheesy and Valentino’s work is occasionally rather flat. Still, it’s easily his best work for Archie so far.

The second story, “Solo,” revolves around Hershey the Cat. Geoffrey St. John and Hershey sneak into Robotnik’s compound. While St. John is on the look-out, Hershey investigates Eggman’s computer. After discovering that her former teammate Valdez has been robotocized, as revealed in Issue 30 of “Knuckles,” she sneaks out and sets off an explosion.

Ken also draws “Solo.” While I’ve said lots of shit about Penders’ artistic abilities, “Solo” actually doesn’t look too bad. It’s a story devoted to stealth and investigation, which means there’s none of Ken’s static action. Robotnik’s new design looks fairly awkward and Hershey’s proportions are often off-center. Still, it’s definitely one of his better illustrations. As for the story, there’s not much to it. Hershey, hardly the most loved female Freedom Fighter, hasn’t had much development since her introduction in “Endgame.” At least she actually shows some confidence in this one, managing to go the whole story without being betrayed or screwing up. (Though St. John still needs to help her.) It’s a pretty forgettable story but not terrible or anything.

The third story, “Family,” centers around Lupe and the Wolf Pack. The wolves return to their home town, to find it wrecked by the new Robotnik’s forces. Soon, the wolves are taken hostage by a team of Robians led by a still brain-washed Uncle Chuck. After robotocizing Lupe’s children and one of her teammates, Lupe herself is ushered into the robotocizing tube. With her last ounce of free will, she clears the way so the rest of the Wolf Pack can escape.

“Family” should be an upsetting story. Uncle Chuck acts out-right evil in it, making cruel and sadistic statements on the behalf of his new master, Robotnik. Lastly, the story concludes with Lupe effectively being killed off. As a character that dates back to the SatAM series, Lupe’s exit from the series shouldn’t have been made lightly. And “Family” does feature some effective, powerful moments. Lupe’s response to seeing her kids roboticize is anguished rage. Yet Lupe, a born leader, is also pragmatic, always thinking of ways out of this situation. Even after being turned into a robot, her force of will is so strong that she can hold off the process’ mind control for several minutes, allowing the rest of her family to escape.

All of these events should impact readers greatly. There’s a few problems though. First off, “Family” takes up only six pages, which is hardly enough space to properly explore the emotions at play here. The perhaps bigger problem is that Lupe and the Wolf Pack, as they exist in the comic, haven’t gotten much character development. Though Lupe is a character we’re attached to, because of the cartoon, her comic counterpart has never been well utilized. Ultimately, “Family” is well intentioned but underdeveloped. Colleen Doreen is officially credited with the pencils but I suspect Art Mawhinney performed some uncredited clean up. Several panels closely resemble his work, which is quite different from Doreen’s other art we’ve seen.

Fourth in the book is “Upgrade,” revolving around Bunnie Rabbot. While working outside in Knothole Village, Bunnie collapses. Dr. Quack quickly checks on her. He deduces that her biological body parts and mechanical robot parts are in conflict with each other. The two components are rejecting one another. Her options are limited. Her choice is a risky de-robotocization process or upgrading her parts, preventing her from ever being wholly organic again. During this difficult time, Bunnie and Antoine comfort each other.

“Upgrade” reaches the emotion that “Family” couldn’t quite grasp. Unlike Lupe, Bunnie has been thoroughly developed as a character. This is a story totally focused on characters. Bunnie is frightened by the possibility that she might loose her abilities and usefulness to the team. Or she most face the fact that she’ll never be wholly organic again. Ultimately, the heart-to-heart with Antoine is the climax of the story. He lets her known that he’ll always love her, no matter what. It’s a really sweet moment.

And one slightly undermined by the story’s conclusion, where Bunnie happily accepts her sleek, new robotic parts. For such an emotional tale, a conclusion this gung-ho strikes the reader as slightly insincere. Still, “Upgrade” is definitely the stand-out story in this collection. (James Fry’s artwork, by the way, is serviceable, if a little too loose.)

The last tale here focuses on Julie-Su, Knuckles’ much beloved but often sidelined girlfriend. “Shadows” has Julie-Su exploring her past. After riding her bitchin’ hover bike back to the Dark Legion base, destroyed all the way back in issue 3 of “Knuckles the Echidna,” she encounters a man who claims to have raised her. What follows is an extended flashback, detailing Julie-Su’s origins and her time in the Dark Legion.

“Shadows” is, if nothing else, gorgeous to look at. It’s one of the all too few times Patrick Spaziante actually drew a whole story. In his style, Julie-Su’s grace and badassery is fully illustrated. Such as the scenes devoted to her exploring the broken down base, weapon drawn. Spaz’ work is, of course, insanely detailed. Every nook and cranny of the destroyed base is shown in vivid, rich detail. The few action beats in the story are brought to life brilliantly, leaping off the page. Framing the flashbacks in pink neon lines makes the story easier to follow too.

“Shadows” looks great but I wish its script was better. The story is designed to fill in Julie-Su’s back story. The best sequence is devoted to her own recollections as a Legionnaire, as she reflects on the militaristic routine she lived through and the cruel treatment from her superiors. Once Julie-Su encounters the elderly echidna Simon, he totally takes over the story. Penders enters full-on exposition mode. We learn that Julie-Su is the half-sister of Kragok and Lien-Da, the off-spring of former Dark Legion leader Luger. Following both of her parents’ deaths, Julie-Su had her memory wiped by her half-brother. (This event perhaps explains Julie-Su’s sometimes inconsistent motivations. It’s also lazy, another example of a Penders’ protagonist being manipulated by other, grander forces.)

In other words, Ken falls back on his awful habit of telling, instead of showing. He shovels a crap ton of character information on us, loosing the emotional bead of Julie-Su learning about her past and being reunited with her foster parents. Her reunion with her foster mom, by the way, happens entirely off-panel. The story ends before she can meet her again. I really wish Ken could’ve expanded “Shadows” into a story arc in “Knuckles,” allowing more room for the emotional aspects and letting the flashbacks play out in a more natural fashion. But, no, we had to get that storyline about Knuckles fighting a gorilla instead.

By packing five stories into 48 pages, the “Girls Rule!” special becomes especially uneven. “Upgrade” is very nearly a classic while “Family” and “Shadows” both have good moments, even if they overall fall short. “Solo” and “Ascension” mostly exist to tell us things we already knew. Still, a female focused quarterly is an idea I really like conceptually. If Archie was still doing mini-series in 1999, it could’ve easily broken these five stories up into individual books, which would’ve solved some of their problems. As it is, Sonic Super Special Issue 11 is still a solid read. All the stories are compromised but the parts are greater then the whole. [7/10]

Sonic Super Special: Issue 10 – Crossover Chaos

Sonic Super Special: Issue 10 – Crossover Chaos
Publication Date: July 1999

Archie’s ill-fated attempt to drive “Sonic” readers to their faltering “Sabrina the Teenage Witch” comic continued in issue 10 of the Sonic Super Special quarterly series. I’ve mentioned before how, as a kid, I was susceptible to Archie’s hype. I mean, shit, they even managed to get my pumped for the Image crossover. Yet, even back then, I thought Sonic and Sabrina meeting one another was odd. At the time, I considered the cross-over a nothing story, totally disposable. The cross-over theme of SSS #10 continues in other ways, as the story also features the Archie Sonic meeting up with the “Sonic Underground” universe, a then new series.

“Some Enchantra Evening: Chapter Two” picks up where “Sabrina the Teenage Witch Issue 28” left off. The bewitched Sonic is about to wreck Sabrina’s shit when she teleports the hedgehog to the top of Mount Everest. Before Sabrina and Sally can parse what’s truly going on, Sonic returns. This time, he sets the sights on Sabrina’s high school. The teenage witch zaps herself to that location and just barely defeats the mind-controlled hero. Unconsciousness resumes Sonic’s control over his own mind. Sally locates Enchantra, talks her into leaving Mobius alone, and Sabrina and the super-powered bitch settle their differences.

The second part of “Some Enchantra Evening” is marginally better then the first only because it slows way the fuck down on the lame humor. There’s one or two of Mike Gallagher’s puns. (One of which “I 8 when that happens!,” said while Sonic performs a figure 8, is practically identical to a joke Gallagher used all the way back in “Super Sonic vs. Hyper Knuckles.”) Instead, the focus is more on Sabrina stopping Sonic’s rampage and Sally outsmarting Enchantra. But don’t mistake this for a compliment, as the story is still incredibly lame.

For example, the fight between Sabrina and Sonic, which I guess is the main attraction, is highly anticlimactic. Sabrina literally trips Sonic as he’s running. He twirls her around with the aforementioned figure eight maneuver. Sonic then spins around the witch in a cyclone, sucking away her air. Before passing out, Sabrina magically moves a tree into Sonic’s path. That’s it. The fight last all of two pages. It’s lame.

The resolution of the story isn’t much better. In the last act, Sally finally explains how the hell she got to Sabrina’s world. Enchantra left the portal between worlds open, presumably because she’s an idiot. Sally then yells at Enchantra about all the bad-ass villains that exist on Mobius and how they would totally wreck her shit if allowed. Even though the witch has the ability to open and close the portal at any time, this talk convinces her to cut it out. Sabrina and Enchantra then resolve their incredibly stupid conflict which, if you don’t remember, began over a school history report. “Some Enchantra Evening” is one of those stories that are so bad, they retcon themselves out of existence. At the end, Enchantra zaps Sonic and Sally back to Mobius a second after being taken, removing their memories of these events. I recommend the reader does the same.

Once again, the story continues with the agreement of Dan DeCarlo drawing the Sabrina characters and Dave Manak drawing the Sonic characters. DeCarlo is apparently respected in some circles so I assume his artwork is usually better then the flat, detail lacking work here. As for Manak, it’s very apparent that he’s forgotten how to draw Sonic and friends. Sonic has a giant, bulbous head, his proportions never looking right. Sally’s vest, meanwhile, has fused into a weird low-cut top. As I mentioned last time, DeCarlo and Manak’s work is so similar that I don’t know why one of them didn’t just draw the whole story.

The second story continues the Zone War that began back in Sonic Super Special Issue 8. Zonic the Zone-Cop interrupts a pleasant picnic the Freedom Fighters are having. He’s got another mission for Sonic Prime. After an uprising on the Anti-Mobius, Anti-Sonic has been recruited by an alternate universe of Robotnik to collect the pieces of the Giant Borg. That is, the big ass robot Sonic and his many doppelgangers smashed back in issue 19. Sonic and Zonic team up with the only version of Sonic that hasn’t been convinced to hand over his piece. That version of Sonic is in a rock band with his brother and sister, fighting a war against another version of Robontik. This Robotnik has already reassembled the Giant Borg but, luckily, it only takes two Sonics to defeat it this time.

Ah yes, “Sonic Underground,” the cartoon show that managed to disappointed me even when I was ten years old. The series was similar to “SatAM” on a surface level but lacked the heart and balance of stakes that made that show great. In place of that, it had identical siblings for Sonic, obnoxious comic relief villains, and a fucking terrible musical number each episode. (About the only thing the cartoon had going for it was the first American animated appearance of Knuckles. And, no, he’s not in this story.) There was no reason for Archie to acknowledge “Sonic Underground” existed but, I’m guessing, somebody up the corporate ladder figured the comic should help promote the new cartoon. After all, both the comic and animated series existed, in a round about way, to bring attention to the new system and game created by the SEGA Overlords.

As for “A Tale of Two Hedgehogs,” it’s pretty shitty. The strife among the Anti-Freedom Fighters is mildly diverting. Watching alternate universe versions of Sonic, Antoine, and Sally bitch at each other almost reaches the level of trashy fun. It’s all a bit of a misdirect, as Anti-Sonic’s role in the story is fairly unimportant.

Once the story proper gets moving, the plot falls into lameness very quickly. The Giant-Borg is nothing but a plot device, the pieces being reassembled off-screen. The giant robot rampages through a city for all of one page, barely enough time to establish it as a threat. It takes only a little bit longer for the two Sonics to destroy it. Sonic-Prime distracts Robotnik while Sonic-Underground leads a homing missile back to the robot’s cockpit. There’s an utterly incoherent bit in the middle, where it’s reveal that apparently the Robotnik that organizes this scheme isn’t the Underground version but rather the version that will soon reveal himself in the main comic. This is a confusing sideline and muddles the plot.

As a commercial for “Sonic Underground,” this doesn’t fare very well either. The entire premise of the new series is shoved into a two-page spread in the middle of the story. It accomplishes the same goal as the show’s expositionary theme song. The reader doesn’t get much of a bead on the new characters’ personality. What seals this story’s shitty status is the artwork. Jim Valentino was, for some reason I can’t fathom, invited back to draw Sonic. His artwork continues to be awful. The characters’ facial expressions range from grotesque to comical. Despite being so bad at drawing faces, Valentino often zooms in on them. It’s pretty clear Valentino doesn’t know how to draw the Sonic cast, as they frequently go off-model. The action is not clearly drawn while the backgrounds remain vague and empty.

It sucks. The whole book sucks. The Sonic Super Special series was often unnecessary and this issue is one of the most unnecessary. Which would you prefer? A painfully unfunny crossover with a series you almost definitely do not care about? Or a terribly drawn, weakly plotted crossover with everyone’s fifth favorite “Sonic” cartoon? Ah, I see, this is one of those “rancid milk/moldy bread” dilemmas. [The dreaded 3/10]

Sonic Super Special: Issue 9 – Sonic Kids 2

Sonic Super Special: Issue 9 – Sonic Kids 2
Publication Date: March 1999

1998’s “Sonic Kids” was probably the best thus far of the Sonic Super Specials, which was always an uneven collection of stories. Especially since it easily grew pass the gimmickry of the central concept – Sonic and pals as kids! – to tell a pretty good collection of stories. Though the comic hadn’t made a habit of direct sequels like this, a “Sonic Kids 2” rolled around quickly enough, the sequel coming almost exactly a year afterwards. Equally surprising, the second issue is also pretty good!

As is par the course with the “Sonic Super Specials,” there are three stories in here. The first of which, “Zoneward Bound,” details the Freedom Fighters first encounters with the Special Zones. During a snowy day, the soon-to-be Freedom Fighters hang out around a frozen lake. Soon, the six kids stumble through portals, each exploring bizarre alternate universes. Luckily, the youngsters are smart and strong enough to pull themselves through, returning back to their home world.

“Zoneward Bound” is probably the weakest of the three stories inside “Sonic Kids 2.” However, that doesn’t mean it’s bad. The story has a lengthy prologue, devoted to showing the Knothole gang hanging out on a normal day. Seeing them play in the snow – which includes Sonic and Tails burying Antoine in snowballs and Sonic besting everyone at hockey – is fairly charming. Mostly, “Zoneward Bound” is lobbing a decent amount of foreshadowing at the little adventurers. Sonic stumbles upon the well where he retrieve his first Power Ring, all the way back in “Sonic the Hedgehog: Issue #0.”

Once in the Special Zones, the story lays on the mythology elements. Sally enters a zone that recalls the Carnival Night stage from “Sonic 3.” After riding a roller coaster off the rails, she falls through her dad’s giant crystallized head. While Tails, Antoine, and Rotor float around a zone that is part void and part mechanical jail cells, the Ancient Walkers (or rather, their heads) comment on Tails’ eventual heroism. An especially clever moment has Sonic landing in a Green Hill Zone which happens to still be under construction. After a gratuitous reference to the “SegaSonic” arcade game – apparently Sonic had prior adventures with Mighty and Ray – we get the hedgehog’s first battle with Robotnik, in his classic wrecking ball vehicle. The conclusion, which has the heroes wandering back home, is a bit underwhelming. While not a narratively complex story, “Zoneward Bound” is fun enough. I also Sam Maxwell’s artwork, which is fluid and suitingly trippy.

The second story, “My Secret Guardian,” puts the spotlight on Sally and Knuckles. After hinting at it for a while, the comic finally gets around to exploring the connection the Princess and the Guardian have. During one of King Max’s diplomatic trips to the Floating Island, Princess Sally tags along. While King Max is chatting with Locke, he leaves Sal by the ship. Knuckles soon finds the girl and they spent an afternoon bounding. As soon as both their fathers wander back, the two agree to keep their meeting a secret.

“My Secret Guardian” has some holes in it. King Max leaving his daughter unattended on a strange island seems monstrously irresponsible. There’s a single panel reference to Elias and the Queen already being on the Island, a plot snarl the series still hasn’t reconciled. However, when the story focuses on Sally and Knuckles’ play date, it’s actually pretty sweet. The two immediately bound over having evasive fathers. Likewise, both are young people with a lot of weight on their shoulders.

There’s some in-character rough-housing too, when Sally accidentally kicks the guardian off the Island’s ledge. Luckily, his gliding saves the day. Their parting and decision to keep their friendship secret is bittersweet and oddly touching. Most importantly, this story finally clarifies their relationship, burying all romantic tension. Sally and Knuckles are friends, not lovers. Manny Galan’s artwork is quite good.

“Sonic Kids 2” saves the best for last. “Eve of Destruction” is set on the day of Tails’ birth, which happens to coincide with Robotnik’s take-over of Mobotropolis. While Sonic and the future Freedom Fighters play, Amadeus Prower leaves for official business in the city. Meanwhile, the kids are left to take care of his heavily pregnant wife, Rosemary. In the city, Amadeus stumbles upon Robotnik testing the Roboticizer on an innocent Mobian. After expounding on his master plan, he makes Amadeus his second test subject. Thus, Tails’ father misses his son’s birth, as he’s too much of a robot at the time.

“Eve of Destruction” is a tear jerker. Yeah, there’s some sloppy elements. Amadeus entrusting his pregnant wife’s well being to a group of children stretches disbelief. After Amadeus discovers Robotnik’s plan, the villain explains his master plan. Instead of just, you know, killing the guy.

However, the story all builds up to a masterful scene at the end. After Tails pops out, Sonic and his gang notices that he has two tails. Amadeus – already roboticized, the others unaware – dispassionately walks away from his newborn off-spring. Rosemary is reduced to tears while Tails, despite being literally minutes old, sadly cries out for his father. After that heart-breaking panel, we have a heart-warming one. Sonic nuzzles the infant Tails, promising to be his friend. Aww man, you guys… Excuse me, I’ve got something in my eye. Art Mawhinney’s wonderful, cartoony, but expressive and meaningful artwork is perfectly suited to a touching, character-driven story such as this one.

None of the stories are perfect but they’re all pretty damn good. I’ll take it. “Sonic Kids 2” is even better than the first, which was already a fine comic book. Despite some of the problems, it may be one of the most consistent Sonic comics ever published. [9/10]