Sonic the Hedgehog (IDW): Issue 29

Sonic the Hedgehog (IDW): Issue 29

Publication Date: July 22nd, 2020

The Metal Virus Saga more-or-less started in March of 2019, after some brief foreshadowing. In July of this year, it finally wrapped up. Fourteen months is, admittedly, less time than the literal years it took Flynn to conclude the Shattered World Crisis. Yet, COVID-related delays aside, I still feel like this story could have been just as impactful as it was during its best moments without feeling like it’s been going on for way too long. But, whatever, issue 29 finally brings the second big saga of IDW’s still young “Sonic” comic to an end. 

“All or Nothing, Part Four” has the Zombot swarm closing in on Angel Island, after Zavok furiously threw a fistful up there. Sonic, Metal Sonic, and Silver do what they can to get close to the last Emerald on Zavok’s chest but it’s a real fight for them. At the grimmest moment, Sonic and Silver get close and transform into their super-forms. The Deadly Six are defeated but the fight is far from over. Super Sonic and Super Silver now focus their attention on pulling the Metal Virus from the planet’s population and using the Warp Topaz to drop it into the sun. But that is easier said than done...

In the early part of this issue, the situation seems grim. The Zombot horde — conveniently containing every one of Sonic’s friends that got infected — corners the last of the Restoration on Angel Island. In quick succession, Amy, Tails, and Knuckles all get infected. Even Eggman looks like he’s in trouble, thanks to Froggy leaping on him. (A well-time bit of comic relief.) One thing this arc has been good at, maybe a little too good at, is conveying a sense of grim desperation. Watching our heroes fight, and fail, is a sight that still packs some shock value. When Zavok smacks Sonic to the ground, his body almost entirely chrome, you do get a real sense that the world is at stake here.

But then Sonic and Silver go Super Saiyan, meaning the fight is pretty much over. Maybe it’s just me but it seems that the presence of Super Sonic used to mean a fight was about to get even more epic. Now, the super forms have gotten so ridiculously powerful, that they can dispatch any threat with ease. That’s exactly what happens here, as Sonic and Silver completely smash Zavok in one page. Once again, this really just seems to be a side-effect of Flynn’s shitty pacing. He has to shove the final fight and the destruction of the Metal Virus all into this issue. Something has to go, so we get a hopelessly anticlimactic face-off with Zavok. Silver even calls it anti-climatic, suggesting Flynn is all too aware of how shitty this is.

It’s a bad habit of Flynn’s that started with the “Genesis” event back in the Archie days. But perhaps he’s at least aware of how boring Super Sonic is. Because the fight with Zavok is not the main conflict of this issue. Instead, the real focus is on sucking every last bit of Metal Virus into space before the Warp Topaz shakes itself apart. Instead of focusing on Super Sonic’s unlimited powers, that provides a very limited time restraint for the story. Which makes for a far more dramatically sound climax, even if Sonic and Silver yanking the Virus away with their omniscient superpowers feels like a bit of a cheat. 

This is an action driven issue, as Flynn has a lot of story to cram into these brief twenty pages. Admirably, he still finds a little room for more emotional issues. As the Metal Virus is sucked away, we get a number of tearful reunions. Whisper glomps Tangle the minute she gets back to normal. There’s a cute joke about Rouge clinging to the Master Emerald — her one true love — in what might’ve been those final minutes. Most touching is Vanilla and Cream’s reunion. Mom bunny and her offspring tearfully hugging one another is adorable and all that. But Gemerl’s reaction, to stand back and let them have this moment, it’s really cute. Awww, you guys, he’s a robot and he’s not good at feelings. 

I would’ve liked it if Flynn had devoted a little more page space to this emotional fallout. And hopefully we’ll get that next time. (Though what I’d really like to see — the populace grappling with what they were forced to do while zombified — seems unlikely to happen.) Yet Flynn has one more dramatic event to deliver: Sonic vanishes after destroying the Metal Virus. Yes, after pulling a quasi-death cheat on nearly the entire planet, Flynn throws in one more. Obviously, Sonic isn’t dead. The comic book is named after him! Mobius “Sonic’s world” loosing its greatest champion after its darkest moment could be set-up for some good stories. Yet we all know that wherever in space Sonic got tossed this time will probably just be a brief pause before the Sega-mandated status quo is re-enforced.

After doing double-duty with Evan Stanley for a while, the book finally hands a whole issue to Adam Bryce Thomas. This was a natural idea, as dynamic and highly dramatic action sequences are exactly what Thomas specializes in. And he certainly delivers some of those. In fact, sometimes the panels are so action-packed, I’m not totally sure what’s happening in them. The series of panels depicting Sonic blasting the Virus into the sun are kind of difficult to follow. But it’s fine, as Thomas still clearly knows what he’s doing and this is another great looking issue. 

As the Metal Virus Saga wraps up, I still have a lot of mixed feelings. It started strong, capturing a sense of panic and bringing a new idea to the comic. It eventually went on too long, repetitive issues draining the novelty from the premise. It was somehow too grim but also not grim enough, as it piled on lots of hopeless scenarios but cheated where it actually counted. As Flynn piled on more characters and plot turns, he lost sight of some things and then had to sloppily wrap everything up too quickly. For what it’s worth, the arc also produced good moments, surprisingly redeeming some lame characters. Where does that average out to? We’ll figure that out eventually but for now Issue 29 gets a [6/10], the only rating I seem to give anymore. 

Sonic the Hedgehog: Issue 275

Sonic the Hedgehog: Issue 275
Publication Date: August 2015

With the penultimate installment of “Worlds Unite,” the main Archie “Sonic” book has reached a surprising milestone. This is the comic’s 275th issue, its eleventh milestone issue. That’s an amazing run for any comic series and certainly unprecedented for a silly licensed book like this. However, this would also be the last milestone issue of the original “Sonic” comic, making this a bittersweet victory at best.

But there’s no time to talk about that, we are knee deep in a crazy crossover! A bunch of heroes from all over the multiverse are assembled and collected onto the floating “Skies of Arcadia” boat. The 76 member army faces off against Sigma, in his massive planetoid form. He produces an endless stream of minions but the heroes eventually conquer them, Sigma’s body falling to pieces. He’s not dead though, merely changed into an even more powerful form. The good guys have to deploy their final measures...

“Killing the Giant,” that’s the pithy subtitle Flynn cooked up for this one, is devoted almost entirely to action. This issue is the equivalent of the last act in a superhero movie, those climatic half-hour smorgasbords of CGI destruction. There’s actually very little dialogue, most of the pages focusing on our huge cast of good guys smashing the bad guys. (That makes this issue a quick read too.) I don’t hate it. Massive action scenes have their place, in comic books and comic-book-based movies. There’s nothing in the way of emotional pathos. There’s not much else to it besides the satisfaction of watching the heroes tear through an army of robots. But, hey, that is satisfying.

Since nearly the entire issue is focused on action, this becomes more of a showcase for the artist than the writer. Last time, I noted that Tyson Heese’s abilities were slipping a little, under the pressure of adapting to so many different styles. Well, either Ritz was aware of this or he was merely resting his drawing hand to prepare for the big finale. “Killing the Giant” looks pretty fucking amazing. Everyone looks just the way they are supposed to, first off. Secondly, Hesse brings an incredible sense of movement and speed to his action. The over six-dozen characters swing, punch, slice, jump, shoot, grit their teeth and Hadouken in a way that is fun and exciting to look at. This issue's success largely belongs to Hesse.

Flynn and Hesse do make a few moments stand out among the chaotic combat. Amaterasu’s bizarre celestial brush powers come in handle, drawing a shield when the “Billy Hatcher” gang needs it. Nights seems completely delighted by this battle, smiling the entire time. (Much to Reala’s chagrin.) Sally and the Freedom Fighters aren’t even left out. She’s seen slicing bots up alongside Protoman. Rotor is shown lifting up huge part of Sigma’s armor. There’s even some final bits, like Sticks randomly running off with Sir Arthur’s helmet and lance. Or Fastidious Beaver writing up his will as things become more grim,

Through it all, the theme of unity continues to emerge. The heroic Street Fighters and Shadaloo members put aside their differences, allowing Flynn to sneak two more characters – Balrog and Vega – into this. Mostly, the book delights in pointing out similarities among the crossover cast. Knuckles and Ken Shouryoken together. Sticks and Aika throw boomerangs. Bunnie and Protoman shoot energy blasts from their hands. Metal Sonic and Reala swoop through the air. Gillis Thunderhead and Spark Man both shoot lightning bolts. Axel makes bedroom eyes at the foppish shooter from “Skies from Arcadia” while Quake Woman drills a robot alongside another one of the pirates from the same game. My favorite panel has all the swordsman – Antoine, Zero, Ax Battler, the tiger dude from “Breath of Fire,” and that pirate guy – teaming up to slice some baddies. Flynn was clearly having fun with this.

Of course, it all leads up to Sigma pulling a Frieza, revealing a new form that’s smaller but more physically powerful than any of his previous ones. This plot turn feels rather tedious. The villain sweeps through the battlefield, disabling every hero he sees. Sigma can now even do seemingly impossible task, like blocking Amaterasu’s celestial brush. I know stories like this function by constantly upping the threat level but the main baddie just generating himself a Superman-level form doesn’t feel very inspired or interesting. Especially since we immediately figure out that this was done strictly to set up a showdown with Sonic and Mega Man’s Super forms. I guess there’s a rule somewhere that every major Archie “Sonic” event has to end with Super Sonic appearing to fight the final boss.

Because this is a milestone issue, Archie decided 275 had to have an extra long page count.  But they didn’t want to pay anyone to write and draw an actual story, possibly showing what some of the ancillary cast members got up to in all of this. So they just shove a reprint in there. They chose that totally bogus “Sonic Comics Origin” from 2015’s FCBD issue. It seems odd to include what amounts to a prologue to the story arc your reading into its next-to-last part. But I guess the idea was to give readers who don’t visit comic shops a chance to read a thoroughly mediocre story.

It’s not high art or anything. This book didn’t especially make me feel anything deep. It did make me feel a tiny little rush of fanboy excitement, seeing all these heroes together and kicking ass. And I’m old, so that definitely counts for something. “Worlds Unite” continues to roll along, as a big event that is inevitably reaching its even more action-packed finale. I guess I’m still pretty into it. [7/10]

Sonic the Hedgehog: Issue 251

Sonic the Hedgehog: Issue 251
Publication Date: August 2013

Well, here we are, guys. Issue 251 is the final part of the “Worlds Collide” crossover I’ve been talking about all month. But the comic is even more loaded than that. This is the last issue of “Sonic” connected to the original continuity. Mecha Sally makes a cameo here, alongside a spiffy re-design of Mecha Sonic. I hope you enjoyed that becomes it’s the last time we see that particular iteration of that character. Say goodbye once and for all to the “Sonic” comic we knew and alternatingly loved and tolerated for twenty years, because it’s a completely different animal from this point on.

Flynn giving the last part the super awkward subtitle “Worst of the Worst” is, I guess, somewhat justified as this part is subtitled the complimenting “Best of the Best.” Things are looking grim for our heroes. Sonic and Mega Man are captured, their friends are held back by Wily’s robots, and the mad scientist are about ready to rewrite all dimensions into their twisted vision. Luckily, the friendly Robot Masters arrive on the battlefield, sent by Roll. Knuckles, Protoman, Dr. Light, and Rush are freed up to help the blue guys. Now free, Sonic and Mega Man grab the Chaos Emeralds and go Super Saiyan. But the battle isn’t over yet...

Though it had one hell of a rocky start, “Worlds Collide” does wrap up with a properly cinematic conclusion. A lot is going on in this comic book. Flynn successfully conveys the scope of this story, showing different characters in different locations struggling against the odds. The stakes started too low but they are properly elevated now. Watching the heroes come together to save the day is satisfying. It feels like the climax of a big action movie and that’s nice.

I also like that Flynn doesn’t have Sonic and Mega Man save the day alone. The good Robot Masters make their first appearance in the crossover here, rushing in to give Sonic’s posse assistance. The Mega Man readers probably appreciated that. Without Knuckles, Sonic’s ass would be cooked. Considering the echidna hasn’t been given much to do in this story, that’s a nice turn of events. The rest of Sonic’s supporting cast is sidelined but, considering Sega and Capcom probably would have been fine with just the stars saving the day, it’s nice to see them included at all.

Of course, Sonic and Mega Man are primarily responsible for stopping the bad guys. Inevitably, Sonic transform into Super Sonic. Equally inevitably, Mega Man transforms into a similarly chromatic super form called Super Mega Man. This is absolutely the stuff of fan fiction crossovers, so it’s not surprising. Truthfully, Sonic going Super aboard the Death Egg and crushing a giant robot piloted by Robotnik is something we’ve seen before. It’s almost the exact same ending as the “Genesis” arc. Another problem is, once Super Sonic and Super Mega Man show up, the story’s tension totally deflates. The hedgehog reminds the boy robot repeatedly that they are effectively invulnerable in this form. They can no longer be hurt. Which totally throws the question of whether the heroes will succeed out the airlock. Nothing can stop them now.

By this point, Eggman and Wily’s friendship has completely dissolved. They are now begrudgingly working together, often snipping at one another from inside their death machine. Which is a different dynamic than what we’ve seen up to this point. Equally amusing is the villains choosing to sabotage each other in such a way that it costs them both their victory. It would seem hubris are Eggman and Wily’s greatest flaw. If both weren’t so certain they could outsmart the other, they probably would’ve won this. (Okay, no, they wouldn’t have, because this is a kid’s comic and they’re the bad guys. But you grasp my meaning.)

In the final pages of the crossover, after Sonic and Mega Man send Wily and Eggman plummeting into the planet’s upper atmosphere, they each attempt to Chaos Control their worlds back to normal. Mega Man gets the handle of it immediately and is sent back home. Sonic, however, is attacked by Eggman just as he’s about to reset his world. Thus, the set-up for the reboot is put in place.

I have very mixed feelings about this. I guess if the comic had to be rebooted, this would be the smoothest point to do so. But putting the dividing line in a crossover, in a weird continuity neutral zone, still feels like a cheat to me. Essentially, a different version of Sonic, without any of the history we know, just tossed away the version we do know. And the manner in which it happens – Robotnik tackles Sonic, causing him to fuck up the Chaos Control pattern or whatever – still feels like a desperation, last minute decision.

As you can see, I continue to be way more interested in this crossover’s affect on the main storyline than on its actual plot. Taking “Worlds Collide” on its own, it’s a mildly entertaining event. It had a rough start, a tedious middle section, but came together for an okay ending. But I still have a lot of problems with how Flynn executed this one and still don’t find it to be very satisfying as a whole. I’m giving this specific issue a [6/10] and would probably rank the entire crossover as a [5/10.]

Sonic the Hedgehog: Issue 229

 

Sonic the Hedgehog: Issue 229
Publication Date: September 2011

Here we are, at the end of the “Genesis” story arc. Ian Flynn has, at least once, has talked about how he was not satisfied with how this event turned out, despite its popularity with fans. Over all, I don't totally agree with that. Though not without flaws, “Genesis” flew along pretty decently. However, in its final issue – which ditches the game cover gimmick for a cool pic of Super Sonic – I can kind of see Flynn's point. But maybe I'm getting ahead of myself. Let's talk about the issue itself.

The last chapter of “Genesis” is subtitled “Reset,” a cute reference to the reset button on your Genesis or Mega-Drive consoles. After going their several ways at the end of the last issue, Sonic and Sally face off with Eggman in different ways. Sonic races through Metropolis Zone, eventually attacking the doctor directly. Sally and the Freedom Fighters sabotage the Ocean Oil Zone, cutting off the villain's energy source. In the end, Sonic and Eggman both head to the Death Egg to face off for the fate of the world.

Last time, Sonic and the Freedom Fighters splitting up was kind of an odd choice, contrived but in a way that I understood. Sadly, because of the limits of a four-issue story line, Flynn doesn't really have time to pay off. Sonic and Sally are left separated throughout this issue and never come back together. There's no resolution to this emotional fissure. Flynn tries to patch things up as best he can, having the characters speak to each across panels. It doesn't quite work though and the reader is left not entirely satisfied.

Another attempt Flynn makes to add an emotional heart to the story involves the story's status as outside regular continuity. All along, Sonic and the others have been receiving memories of their previous lives. As the world starts to shake apart more and more, more of these memories return. (Interestingly, he includes several shout-outs to “Endgame.” Since this was right before the Pendering started, that story was still pretty well regarded by Archie Sonic fans.) I like this touch, especially Robotnik's growing frustration with memories of his failures coming back. However, Flynn still can't quite sell the threat of the earthquakes tearing Mobius apart. It's mostly a few panels and one or two dialogue balloons that point this at. It certainly doesn't feel like the planet is about to be thrown into chaos.

Being a quickie adaptation of “Sonic 2,” issue 229 concludes with Sonic and Dr. Robotnik fighting it out inside the Death Egg. While Flynn had rushed through the second Genesis game, seeing this final boss battle play out is still neat. Moreover, Robotnik's growing frustration during the fight is a nice touch. He's so close to pulling off his plan and here's the hedgehog, once again, fucking his shit up. And he's pissed about it, letting us all know again how much he hates that hedgehog. Lastly, seeing the “Sonic 2” final boss rampage through the comic is pretty cool too.

Sadly, we conclude with practically a lame deus ex machina. After mentioning that the Death Egg is powered by Chaos Emeralds, Sonic grabs a wire and magically transforms himself into Super Sonic. After mopping the floor with Eggman, Sonic then uses the same power source to reverse the Genesis Wave's effect, returning Mobius back to normal. It all feels like an extremely rushed conclusion. More than ever, it's clear that the Chaos Emeralds can do whatever the plot demands. Lastly, the hedgehog magically turning himself into Super Sonic feels like a cheat. First off, Sonic didn't need to go super to beat Robotnik in “Sonic 2.” Secondly, the transformation really comes out of nowhere. It's a weak conclusion.

The artwork is interesting here. You can still see that Yardley was taking some influences from Spaziante, after working with him on the first parts of this series. Especially in the way he draws Sally or Eggman. However, even this quickly, Yardley is already slipping back into his standard style. Which is not a bad thing! I like Yardley's work, always have, always will. The panels of the Freedom Fighters running in the Oil Ocean Zone are nicely done. Eggman's facial expressions, increasingly annoyed, are funny. The fight with the robot sure is cool. However, the truth is I just prefer Spaz's more detailed, dynamic work over Yardley's cartoony work. Seeing the book slip back into the latter mold is a little disappointing. No offense, Tracy.

Ultimately, I would still qualify “Genesis” as mostly a success. The story line served its purpose, which was to nostalgically remind us of the first two classic games and see them brought to life in comic canon. The conclusion is awkward but I still enjoy this one. I also enjoy the hardcover collection Archie put out, which is handsomely put together and includes some cool extras. Honestly, if you had told kid-me that, one day, Archie's Sonic series would be published in a hardcover collection – like a real book! – I would've shit myself with excitement. So that's fun. [7/10]

Sonic the Hedgehog: Issue 169

Sonic the Hedgehog: Issue 169
Publication Date: November 2006

With issue 169 of Archie's “Sonic the Hedgehog,” it was confirmed that – like God – Ian Flynn is one of us. Goobble Gobble. I mean, that he wrote a fan comic before coming aboard as Archie's head writer probably should've been our first indication. The point I'm making is that, as his first year on the book made clear, Ian was just as frustrated with the mess the book had become as we were. He was tired of all the bullshit plot turns, out-of-character writing, and wasted potential. His biggest objection as the writer was to fix that. He was also sick of Tommy Turtle. One of his explicit objectives was to murder the turtle. See? That's how you knew he was a fan.

“Order from Chaos – Part 2: The Great Harmony” picks up with Sonic sneaking into A.D.A.M's nanite city, checking to see that his dad is okay. After determining that his father is fine, Sonic rushes over to rescue his friends, Tails and Tommy. (And Shadow too, I guess.) With Robotnik's aerial egg-fleet flying in to bomb the Nanite City to ashes, Sonic has to act quickly. A.D.A.M uses his homing rod, powered by Turbo Tails and Hyper Shadow, to draw different colored Chaos Emeralds from all over the galaxy, using the powers to make himself into an invincible super-form. Luckily, Sonic utilizes the same Emeralds to make himself Super Sonic. Ultimately, it's not the hedgehog that saves the day though.

By this point, Ian's task of cleaning up the mess Ken and Karl left behind was just about wrapped up. I mean, he would continue to tidy up remaining plot points and expand on neutered characters. Throughout his next year, he would really focus on making the comic his own. With “Order from Chaos” - again, I don't think that title was picked just because it was catchy – he was really sweeping the debris under the rug. By the end of this story arc, the Nanites and Tommy and Tails' prophecy as the Chosen One would all be gone for good.

I know I've talked shit about Tommy Turtle pretty much non-stop since he was brought back to life. Back when the comics were new, I remembered Tommy Turtle being shoved into everything, just interrupting the flow of the book and annoying the hell out of everyone. Re-reading these issues, the turtle was present a lot less then I remembered. Though still annoying, still a symptom of the book's worst year, Tommy was less of a tumor than I recalled. Still, after considering it (and notably leaving the reptile out of most of his issues), Ian decided that Tommy must die. And I still consider it one of his best decision. All Flynn did was right what was set wrong previously. Tommy was never suppose to survive past his initial appearance.

Most surprising of all, Flynn even manages to somehow redeem Tommy Turtle in his final appearance. Fans were annoyed by Tommy but he was still Sonic's childhood friend, making him reluctant to beat his face in. (This makes A.D.A.M a better villain, as he takes advantage of that.) Tommy's final act is to seize control of his body long enough to end his life, flying into the Egg Fleet's cannons, destroying A.D.A.M and saving the world. After he's gone, Sonic and Tails reflects on the courage, determination, and willingness to protect others that was needed to do that. It's... Poignant? Surprisingly so! That's some ace writing, taking one of the book's most despised characters and making us kind of sad to see him go.

Tails being the Chosen One was a plot point that was more-or-less resolved already, save for one point. Tails was supposed to bring about the Great Harmony. That, by all appearances, didn't seem to happen. I mean, it's not as if Tails could remove all the conflict from the book. So Ian changes the meaning of the Great Harmony. After Tommy drawls all the Chaos Emeralds from the galaxy to Mobius – a nice callback to the Tossed in Space arc – Tails spills the emeralds into the Zone of Silence. We'll soon discover that this'll fuse the thousands of Emeralds into seven, while transforming the Zone of Silence into the Special Zone. Which makes the comics a little bit more like the games while clipping away at some confusing aspects.

Another interesting aspects of “Order from Chaos” might have been unintended by the writer. The issue begins with Sonic discovering Jules inside the Nanite City. (A nice touch: A.D.A.M told the Robian to self-destruct but didn't specify a time. So Jules set his countdown clock for forty years.) Later, while fighting with A.D.A.M/Tommy, the computer program claims that all his chaotic antics were done to emulate and impress Robotnik, his quote-unquote father. All along, Anonymous was trying to stand up to Daddy. This draws a parallel between Jules and Robotnik as dads, the effect their parenting has had on their respective sons. It doesn't solidify into an actual point, which is why I don't think Ian did it on purpose. But it's certainly interesting.

If “Order from Chaos” can be said to have any problem, it's being a little too plot heavy. The first half was, indeed, a bit heavy on the exposition. This second half is so focused on resolving its point that it doesn't find time to return to Knothole, letting us know what happened with Bunnie. It would've been nice to get a follow-up on that. In truth, Tommy's death is the only time this issue pauses to feature some real emotion. Shadow doesn't have much any reason to be in the story, after A.D.A.M utilizes his abilities. These are the kinds of things Dan Drazen would complain about. The second half isn't as solid as the first but it's still pretty great.

Despite being pretty front-loaded, issue 169 still finds room for a back-up story. “...For a Friend” focuses on the Chaotix. While Knuckles and Julie-Su are on a double date with Charmy and Saffron, the others focuses in on the still-Robotnik-controlled Golden Hive Castle. Otherwise known as Charmy's childhood home. Espio sneaks inside, discovering that there's no chance on saving the hive, that it's been totally assimilated by Eggman. Determined to save his friend the grief, he blows the whole thing way the fuck up.

Plot wise, “...For a Friend” resolves a pretty minor previous point. I can't say I really cared about Charmy being a prince much. It was always a kind of pointless development. Thanks to this story, we don't have to worry about that any. What makes this story worth reading are the smaller, character-oriented moments. There's a cute character beat where Espio spies on an Egg Drone playing Solitaire on his computer. This leads to the chameleon talking with Nicole. She appears on a computer screen in her lynx form, a cute foreshadowing of that becoming her default appearance soon enough. Even by focusing on Ray's stuttering, Flynn finds some minor character developed for the often neglected squirrel. Of course, Espio blowing up the building to save his friends' grief is interesting too, playing into the chameleon's developing personality as a stoic ninja.

Interestingly, Ken Penders did the inking and lettering for this story. I wonder how that worked out, the guy returning briefly to the book following his not exactly mutual separation? Anyway, Steven Butler handles the pencils. While usually reliable, Butler is having a slightly off day. Espio's limbs appear a little too noodly and angular at times, almost as if Ron Lim did some uncredited clean-up on this. Luckily, Butler still packs in some memorable images, like Espio rushing into the castle.

The flaws of “Order from Chaos” are really just nitpicks. Honestly, my biggest problem with this comic book is the eleven page ad shoved in the middle, advertising some long defunct, kid-centric social network called SparkTop. They dragged the Teen Titans into it, which was just rude. Anyway, while “The Darkest Storm” was supposed to be Ian's first big event as a writer, this is his first really great story arc for the book. He managed to take a disorderly, messy world and reorganize it in such a natural way, that makes so much sense. The result is so very satisfying. Tracy Yardley's artwork is pretty solid too, it must be said. While the first half of the story was superior, “Order from Chaos” still wraps up on a pretty great point. [8/10]

Sonic the Hedgehog: Issue 126

Sonic the Hedgehog: Issue 126
Publication Date: August 2003

When Knuckles died a while ago, Archie's “Sonic the Hedgehog” series sent the echidna on a wild trip through the afterlife. Or, at least, that's what was supposed to happen. Similarly, after Sonic “died” in issue 125, editorial decided to send the hedgehog on a similarly unexpected journey. The “Tossed in Space” story arc saw Sonic bouncing around bizarre alien planets, having adventures among extraterrestrials. This decision was not well received, many “Sonic” fans deciding explicit science fiction was a poor fit for the series. Well, this is Hedgehogs Can't Swim and I'll be the judge of that!

For as yet unexplained reasons, causing the Quantum Dial to collapse in on itself tossed Sonic across space. He awakens on the planet of the Blodex, psychic, insect-like aliens. Aliens that are currently at war with another insect like race, the Bzzzz. Sonic, being who he is, decides to help the underdog. When he grabs several red Chaos Emerald-like jewels that decorate the city, something unexpected happens. Super Sonic emerges... As a separate entity from Sonic. And he's kind of an asshole.

The sci-fi stuff seems especially poorly regarded by Sonic dorks. A lot of people considered the Xorda reveal trite. I guess several issues of similarly themed, alien-filled adventures weren't very exciting for those people. I, however, don't mind the Xorda. Moreover, I'm a fan of trippy, European sci-fi comics. “Tossed in Space” seemed like an opportunity to bring some energy like that to this book. Archie “Sonic” series has always been kind of weird anyway, after all. The series has been slightly directionless for a while. Maybe an experiment like this could've righted the ship?

“Red Chaos,” the first part of “Tossed in Space,” fulfills a little bit of that possibility. Steven Butler is no Moebius but the Blodex, Bzzzz, and their asteroid-like world is an interesting sight. I like the little amoeba like plants that decorate the surface and the insect-esque vehicles the Blodex travel in. However, the alien culture ends up being thinly developed. The Bzzzz are simply described as fascist shitheads, wiping out any race they feel is inferior. The Blodex don't even get that much development. They communicate telepathically, live in cities, and don't have space travel capabilities. That's all we learn about them.

Ultimately, “Red Chaos” is not about the Blodex or Bzzzz. The story is more about the “Sonic vs. Super Sonic” fight the cover promises. As a likely homage to DC's Red Kryptonite, the Red Chaos Emeralds split Sonic in two. The Super Sonic that emerges isn't as virtuous as our hero. Instead, he's an amoral asshole. He declares himself beyond good and evil, before deciding to destroy the moon for some reason. This, it turns out, is also a homage to another comic book. In the British “Sonic the Hedgehog” comics published by Fleetway, Super Sonic is not just a super-charged version of Sonic. Instead, he's a separate personality, power hungry, chaotic, and very dangerous. Introducing an equivalent to this Super Sonic is a random idea but a potentially interesting one. What will Sonic do, when forced with a more powerful, more unhinged version of himself?

Disappointingly, he does what he always does: Run real fast, crack corny jokes, and punch things.  The fight between Sonic and his chaotic neutral other half is real underwhelming. They tussle for a page and a half. Sonic tackles the gold version of himself, before receiving a series of blows to the face. Right when Super Sonic is preparing to deliver a killing blow, he fades out of existence. Turns out, he could only sustain himself for a short while. Which doesn't make for much of a climax. Instead of outwitting his foe, Sonic survives because of dumb luck. This Super Sonic would never return, probably because the comic already had an abundance of evil Sonic clones, but I sort of wish he could've been developed further.

The cover story is flawed but at least it had an interesting idea at its center. The back-up story, “Better Read Than Dead,” was never a good idea. The tale is set in the world of Off-Panel, the gag stripes that conclude nearly every issue of “Sonic.” These stripes function on the premise that Sonic and friends are just actors, interacting with the writers and editors of the book. In “Better Read Than Dead,” Sonic and editor Justin Gabrie comment on Off-Panel getting a back story to themselves. This conversation is interrupted by Deadline, a grim reaper-like spectre that reduces Sonic to a line drawing, threatens everyone, and then pitches a bunch of lame story ideas. Gabrie's super-duper editor powers is enough to defeat him.

“Better Read Than Dead” is best described as a pointless act of self-indulgent, auto-fellatio for editor Justin Gabrie. In this story, Sonic isn't the hero. The hedgehog we're all here to read about is sidelined early into the story. Instead, it's up to Gabrie to save the day. This kind of writer is even worst then when Ken Penders or Frank Strom introduce their pet heroes that are never wrong or challenged. At least Penders thought up Locke and the Brotherhood. At least Strom created Monkey Khan. Here, Mike Gallagher just drops Justin Gabrie himself into the story, making this a very literal bit of self-insert fiction. Gallagher either did this to flatter his boss or Gabrie insisted the idea go to print.

But maybe if “Better Read Than Dead” was funny, it wouldn't matter. The likes of Charlie Kaufman and Dan Harmon can get away with meta bullshit like this because they're clever and insightful. Gallagher's story, meanwhile, is mostly set up for some extremely lame jokes. The villain's name is a pun. He wields an hourglass called the “horror-glass.” He pitches extremely dumb story ideas, like Knuckles' dad being Elvis or Mammoth Mogul getting flees.

Gabrie defeats Deadline by calling on all the talented writers and artists who have worked on the book. Considering Archie has published things like “Sonic Live!,” the Image crossover, and the works of Many Hands, this conclusions comes off as pompous, if not delusional. (Hands, notably, is left out of the list of names.) It's likely “Better Read Than Dead” was created to defeat a real life deadline. And because this is a Mike Gallagher joint, it ends by asking the reader if they want to see more stories like this one. I suspect that question was met with a resounding “no” but we would get a few more extended Off-Panel stories anyway.

This is not the most promising start, is it? The cover story has potential and proceeds to waste most of it. The back-up story was just a bad idea. At least the artwork is pretty good. Butler does solid work as ever on the first story and even Dave Manak does alright during the Off-Panel thing. If only the script was up to that level. Once again, I must emphasize the patience of we Sonic fans. [5/10]

Sonic the Hedgehog: Issue 56

Sonic the Hedgehog: Issue 56
Publication Date: January 1998

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Sonic Super Special: Issue 3 - Sonic Firsts

 
Sonic Super Special: Issue 3 – Sonic Firsts
Publication Date: November 1997

These days, it’s very common for popular comic series to collect their issues in trade paperbacks. For a while there, the comic industry was counting on the popularity and sales of trade collections to save the industry. This is a habit that really picked up in the nineties, right around the peak of Sonic’s popularity. Despite this, Archie was very slow to catch onto this trend. They released the original “Sonic the Hedgehog” mini-series in trade in 2003. It wasn’t until 2006 that Archie started publishing the series in collected, chronological releases, with the “Sonic Archive” series. These days, there’s at least three on-going series of paperback collections, printing stories in color, black and white, from the distant past and the recent present. All of this is excluding digital reprints, which is the real future of comic book publishing.

Today, those older stories are very easy to find. When I first started reading the series, the only way to read those older “Sonic” stories was to dig up the original comics. That’s why the publication of “Sonic Firsts” was a big deal to me, back in 1997. Originally released as a proper trade paperback, loaded up with extras and goodies, the release was slimmed down for the third Sonic Super Special. It included the first appearances of Sonic the Hedgehog and the Freedom Fighters, Bunnie Rabbot, Super Sonic, and Knuckles the Echidna. In other words, stories from issue 0 of the original “Sonic” mini-series and issues 3, 4, and 13 of the on-going series. “Sonic Firsts” is how I first read these stories.

 
“Sonic Firsts” is not a perfect re-print. A few minor changes are made. Sally’s hair, blonde or brunette in the original printing, have been re-colored to the canonical red. Rotor, referred to as “Boomer” at the time, is called by his correct name. Other then that, things are the same. Instead of retracing familiar ground, writing new reviews of stories I covered just a few months back, let me take a different approach. Let me instead chronicle how these characters and their world changed between when these stories first appeared and when they re-appeared in 1997.

In “Don’t Cry for Me, Mobius!,” Sonic’s world is so much brighter and simpler then it was in 1997. Just the other day, when reviewing issue 54, I was noting how moody and complex Sonic had gotten. In this first appearance, he’s still a total joker, cracking puns at every oppretunity. Sally comes off as a comical straight woman, honestly a bit on the bitchy side. This is in contrast to the concentrated but conflicted leader she was, post-“Endgame.” Antoine, developing into an honorable solider, was the butt of Sonic’s pranks and jokes, remaining a wet blanket. Robotnik, a comic relief villain who posed little in the way of serious threats, was dead by '97. Rotor and Tails haven’t been changed too much, though everyone’s less sarcastic then they were back then. The story is awfully goofy. Though dated, Scott Shaw’s artwork is still appealing.

In “Rabbot Deployment,” Bunnie was mostly characterized by bad jokes about wanting to be a hairdresser. Thankfully, the book would drop that aspect of her personality quickly. Disappointingly, Bunnie still remains underutilized in the main book. She’s developed a romance with Antoine and has gotten a few stories to herself. Yet the defining Bunnie story still hadn't come along. Though a rightly beloved member of the Sonic’s universe, it would take a while longer for Archie to truly do anything with Bunnie. As for “Rabbot Deployment,” it’s still a very silly but mildly fun story. That scene of Bunnie dropping the BurroBot on its head remains amusing.

I’m not sure why Archie felt the need to high-light Super Sonic’s first appearance. Since “Lizard of Odd” first ran in issue 4, Super Sonic had only appeared one more time, in the “Super Sonic vs. Hyper Knuckles” one-shot. (Though his third appearance was just around the corner in issue 56.) In later years, Super Sonic’s appearance would signal that shit had gotten really bad. He was the nuclear option, a form so powerful that he was only called on when essential. UniverSalamander is such a silly threat that it’s hard to get too worried. Nevertheless, I still kind of like “Lizard of Odd,” just because its silliness is rather endearing. Super Sonic does boost Sonic’s already smug behavior to almost unmanageable levels.

Maybe the character that had grown the most since his first appearance is Knuckles the Echidna. In the time since “This Island Hedgehog,” Knuckles has gone from the sole echidna on the planet to having a girlfriend, a mom and dad, a bunch of grandfathers, an army of arch-enemies, and an entire city populated with his own species. Knuckles had also lost much of the gullibility that defined him at the time. Now, he’s far more cunning and confused about his world, though still pretty hot-headed. It’s not a high compliment but “This Island Hedgehog” is probably the best story in “Sonic Firsts.”

These days, “Sonic Firsts” is a truly antiquated artifact. If people want to read the first appearances of Sonic, Bunnie, or Knuckles, they can find the digital downloads on an app and have them on their computers, game systems, or phones in seconds. Back then, we relied on reprints like these to find the older stories. Are the older stories truly worth seeking out, for anyone but Sonic completest like me? Well, probably not. Yet just for nostalgia points, I have to give “Sonic Firsts” a [7/10.]

Sonic the Hedgehog: Issue 4

Sonic the Hedgehog: Issue 4
Publication Date: August 1993

Something I’ve always loved about Archie’s “Sonic the Hedgehog” series is how it combined different aspects from all the varied Sonic canons into one. Back then, things were a lot less complicated. Aside from some manga and books not read by many people, the Sonic universe consisted only of a handful of games and two animated series. The comic had the tone of “Adventures of Sonic the Hedgehog” but the characters of “Sonic the Hedgehog.” And, with issue 4, it began to incorporate more concepts from the video games. It would still take a while before the series really utilized them in an interesting way but it was definitely a start.

In the first story, Robotnik has invented a new Roboticizer, that can control the power and size of the machine it makes. An accident causes a lowly salamander to be transformed into UniverSalamander, a badnik so large and powerful Robotnik can’t even control him. Rampaging through the Great Forest, and quickly approaching Freedom HQ, Sonic is forced to transform into Super Sonic in order to defeat the bot. In a back-up strip, Tails learns a lesson about personal responsibility when he tries to take on Robotnik’s forces by himself.

Issue four shows a smidgen of stronger continuity sneaking into the comic. Though she’s not present in the main story, Bunnie Rabbot appears in one of the one-page gag comics. Her career goal of, sigh, becoming a hairdresser is further referenced. Horizont-Al and Verti-Cal also reappear in a one-page gag. The back-up story has Robotnik referencing UniverSalamander’s rampage in the first story. Even Scratch, Grounder, and Coconuts make a brief reappearance, in yet another one-page gag strip. It’s not a lot but it does show that the people making this comic were starting to care more. Slightly more.

The main story is no great stakes but I’ve always kind of liked it. The way UniverSalamander is created – a Buzz Bomber mistaking the machine’s control for the Air Conditioner – is goofy as hell. However, I like the idea of Robotnik creating a henchman too powerful for him to control. The character is also basically a giant robot dinosaur, the appeal of which I shouldn’t have to explain. Though he doesn’t come very close, it’s nice to see a villain in one of these story genuinely threaten our main heroes’ lives. The fight only last a few page before Sonic goes Super Saiyan and kicks his ass. But there is some novelty to devoting most of the issue to a battle between hero and villains. And if I’m being totally honest, I may just like UniverSalamander because of his awesome name. 

Issue 4 also leans heavily on meta-gags. When Sonic first appears on page four, he complains about not getting more screen time in his own comic. After the gang gets a peak at UniverSalamander on their monitor, Sonic mistakes it for the “Jurassic Park” video game. Before belching up the hedgehog, the robotic salamander asks the audience to look away. During their one-pager, Scratch, Grounder, and Coconuts have to compete at a supervillain audition with a bunch of barely disguised Marvel/DC characters. See if you can spot bootleg Dr. Doom, Lex Luthor, and Green Goblin. The weirdest moment comes before Sonic transforms into Super Sonic. Before leaping into the special zone with the seven Chaos Emeralds, a thus-far game exclusive concept never referenced before, Sonic instructs the reader to help him through the special zone with their Genesis controller. I guess this reveals the sad truth that this comic was originally designed to help sell video games. Sonic would also be screwed because I always sucked at those special levels.

Super Sonic is kind of an asshole. Like regular Sonic, he mocks and belittles his opponent constantly. Since he’s in God Mode, there’s no chance for Sonic to get knocked down to size either. He ruthlessly defeats the enemy before pranking Antoine with a woopie cushion. I know Antoine is still characterized as a bit of a weenie at this point but Sonic’s treatment of him nudges up against bullying. Still, it was sort of neat to see his super form during a time when those variations rarely appeared outside of the video games.

The one-page gags are totally disposable, especially the one featuring Antoine reciting poetry. The back-up story gives Tails’ some much-needed character development. He’s not just Sonic’s fanboy but also a precocious kid who can get in over his head. Dave Manaks’ artwork continues to be serviceable, even if UniverSalamander’s appearance seemingly changes from page to page. That character would never appear again until a “lost” story would resurface in 2006, which was published in the fifth Sonic Archives collected volume. That’s a shame, as he had potential. I would’ve loved to have seen the dark n’ gritty Ken Penders version of a wacky character called UniverSalamander. [7/10]