Sonic the Hedgehog: Knuckles' 30th Anniversary Special

Sonic the Hedgehog: Knuckles' 30th Anniversary Special

Publication Date: November 20th, 2024

 

While Sega seems to have tentatively discarded the idea that "Classic" Sonic and "Modern" Sonic are alternate universe versions of the same character that exists in different dimensions, the fact of the matter is that the Classic/Modern divide still functionally exists. Classic Sonic stars in retro-style platformers. Modern Sonic takes hits of the ol' Boost Formula. Classic Sonic has a big head and a diminutive body. Modern Sonic has lankier limbs and a more elongated torso. Most pressingly, it would seem that some characters remain locked behind the Classic Era curtain. It might technically be all one timeline now but, as of this writing, cast members like Mighty, Ray, Fang, Bark and Bean remain isolated to the retro titles while the likes of Shadow, Rouge, Silver, and the rest are confined to the post-millennium style of games. 

This extends to the comics as well. IDW continues to periodically publish one-shots or mini-series utilizing the Classic designs, drawing from the Genesis era and modern spin-offs like "Mania" and "Superstars." There's a definite separation between these stories and the on-going comic, much more entrenched in the current wave of games. (Though the comics still seem to exist in some weird extended grey zone between the events of "Sonic Forces" and "Sonic Frontiers," according to the nerds way too invested in continuity.) It will presumably remain this way until Sega says "fuck it" and let's Flynn sneak Bean into the main book or randomly drops Mighty into a PS5 title. From a commercial perspective, I suppose this makes sense. Golden oldies like me prefer the Classic style while those ten or twenty years younger than me have grown up with the newer stuff. It remains frustrating from a storytelling perspective, that the jerboa bounty hunter or super-strong armadillo ostensibly exists in the same world as Emo Sonic and Bat Tits but they'll never interact for some reason. 

By which I mean it's time for another Classic Sonic style anniversary one-shot. Thirty years ago, Knuckles the Echidna smashed his way into our lives, informing a whole generation of kids that egg laying, spiny "anteaters" exist in Australia. Happy birthday, Knuckles. You are middle-aged now. How's your back holding up? Characters like Tails and Amy feel like they've always existed, filling the stock roles of the sidekick and the love interest. Knuckles is the first time I can remember Sega treating the introduction of a new "Sonic" cast member as an event. He was both a friend and a foe, whose truces with Sonic always seemed to exist on unstable ground. That has changed a lot over the years and Sega has used much of the same marketing techniques every subsequent time they've debuted a new character. A slow path from enemy to ally, a mysterious past, so on and so forth. But Knuckles remains special to me, the first of Sonic's "friendly rivals" and probably my favorite of the franchise's Big Three. 

So how did IDW celebrate Knuckles existing for three decades? The story begins with the echidna. standing by his precious Master Emerald and thinking in very ego-centric terms about his success as a Guardian. This is when Angel Island passes over the Northstar Islands, otherwise known as the setting for "Sonic Superstars." Knuckles gets to thinking about Trip the Sungazer and how she's a guardian, much like him. He stops into the island and decides he's going to train the young lizard girl how to be tough and strong. That's when he discovers that he and Trip live very different lives: She has a community, a village, a family of critters like her and this has molded her into a very different type of guardian than himself. Conflict, of a sort, arises. 

Knuckles is a character of contradictions. He is both rather cunning and very gullible, a hardened warrior and a naïve kid, a punch-happy bruiser and an introspective loner. Ian Flynn's script for this one-shot digs right into these two-fold attributes. The story begins with Knuckles thinking rather gloriously about himself, bragging about his supposed victories in his memory. Later, it's brought up that the Guardian has actually made a lot of mistakes too, that each of those victories only occurred because he had help from his friends. By story's end, he's gone from being tough with Trip to treating her with a lot more empathy. In other words, the echidna gets an actual arc here, starting out believing something else and ending having learned a lesson. This plays into the idea of Knuckles as someone capable of abrasive bluntness that can also grow and learn humility and kindness. 

Sonic has almost always had a sidekick, Tails debuting early enough in the franchise's history that he's practically been there from the beginning. With Knuckles, Sega has always emphasized his status as the last echidna, a perpetual loner. The comics have attempted over the years to give him his own sidekick, usually in the form of Charmy Bee, but it's never stuck. It remains to be seen if IDW will run with this idea, much less if Sega will feel the need to incorporate it into their games, but this one-shot decides to pair Knuckles up with Trip the Stargazer. This thrusts Knux into a new role, that of a mentor to a young, inexperienced hero. That Trip is a little kid and prone to big emotions challenges Knuckles' punch-first-and-ask-questions-later attitude. He learns a lesson that we all have to learn at some point: True strength does not come from your muscles or how hard you can hit. Trip is strong in different ways from Knuckles, capable of things he is not. This forces Knuckles to consider that his ways are not always the best, that he has flaws too. In the final set of pages, Flynn employs the cliché of the Master becoming the student, the mentor learning something from his ward in the course of teaching them. It's earned though and makes for a nicely emotional resolution. 

Trip the Sungazer is still a recent addition to the "Sonic" lore. This is only her second appearance in a comic, outside of a cameo in the digital-only Fang story that was published to promote "Superstars," and her first appearance ever in the IDW universe. She's essentially a blank slate, this comic functioning as basically the first chance for the series to expand on her personality. Trip is clearly derivative of other "Sonic" characters. Her arc in "Superstars" was very similar to Knuckles' in "Sonic 3," as a guardian of a MacGuffin who is fooled by Eggman into fighting against Sonic. She's very feminine, much like Amy Rose, and also young and vulnerable, like Cream. It remains to be seen if Trip will be able to evolve into her own distinct character. Or if Sega will allow IDW to use her more. Either way, I found her to be really adorable here. She's clumsy and eager to please, with big glittery eyes and a tendency towards crying. I don't think Trip fills some essential role in the cast but I do like her. She makes a good impression here and I hope we see her more. 

Pairing Trip up with Knuckles is a good idea and their interactions provide the best parts of this comic. The two are similar but different in a lot of ways too. That Trip has a family, a community of folks like her, strikes the isolated Knuckles as a very meaningful change. He tries his tougher-than-leather routine on Trip but it only ends up making both of them look like fools. Generally speaking, I think the contrasts between these two and their situations simply makes for a meaningful, well realized story. We get many cute, minor interactions like Trip pointing out that it's hard for her to see in her armor. Or her grandfather telling her not to give into her self-doubts. The climax of the story is an emotional one, Knuckles admitting Trip that maybe he's not the best teacher. These two make for a smart pairing. If Trip becomes the Tails to Knuckles' Sonic, that would be a useful and interesting placement for her in the cast. 

While reviewing the IDW Annual for this year, I noted that the one-shots seem to be when the comic can focus on character-driven stories, outside the on-going plots of the main book. That is so very true of this story, which doesn't actually feature any major action at all. I kept waiting for Eggman to show up with an evil robot, for Knuckles and Trip to do some Badniks smashing together. That ends up not being necessary for the story to work, the script pulling tension and resolution simply from the two's relationship. The only editorially-mandated action scenes we get in this issue are in the training Knuckles and Trip undergo. That mostly results in largely comedic scenes of Knuckles trying to pummel the kid and getting his toes smashed by her extra hard armor. In the back half, we get a nice montage of the two running through some ancient ruins, which gives a chance to show off some of Trip's unique abilities and expands on her own lore too. I can't resist the charms of a good training montage, so I thoroughly enjoyed these moments. 

Obviously, being a fairly new addition to the cast, Trip still has the most expansion to undergo. The addition of her village, something we didn't see in the video games, and the idea that her armor is hundreds of years old ate decent ways to add more personality to her background. Ultimately though, this is Knuckles' story and he is central to my favorite scene here. The first few pages, that show Knuckles bragging about his past victories, seems to favor the modern, Flanderized take on the echidna, as a big strong idiot with an inflated sense of himself. However, later flashbacks show that Knuckles' stubbornness and commitment to his own duty is, in fact, a positive element of his personality. We see him showing Amy how to throw a boulder smashing blow. Or standing outside Tails' tent during a thunderstorm, keeping the kid safe. This presents the idea that Knuckles may be a bit of a blowhard, maybe kind of dumb, taking himself way too seriously... But that's part of his charm too. These attributes also mean he's protective, strong, and committed to his ethical beliefs. All good things to be! I like that better than playing his gullibility for laughs. (Though this issue does that too, in a self-deprecating manner.) 

It's a good story and it looks good too. Thomas Rothlisberger is back on pencilling duties. His Classic style artwork remains top-of-the-line. He emulates some of Tyson Hesse's quirks that have worked their way into the Classic games. Such as Knuckles making a goofy face when awkwardly hiding his past mistakes. Whenever Trip turns on the big puppy dog eyes, that is extremely well conveyed too. The action scenes aren't merely fluid and dynamic in their movement but the way these guys move also reflect on their personalities. We can see Knuckles' brashness in how he throws a punch, Trip's timidity in how she holds herself. Also, it's funny to see fans embracing the idea of Trip belonging to a town of people the same color and physiology as her... Ya know, the exact same thing Ken Penders did with Knuckles back in the day but everyone hates and derides now. I doubt this will set-up Trip having an elaborate and convoluted destiny of her own but my point is: A little more creativity could have been shown, perhaps, in the designs of the other Stargazers. But the art is aces. Nothing to complain about there.

Some impossible to please fans will probably bitch that this one-shot focuses on Trip nearly as much as it does Knuckles, betraying the promise made in the title and cover art. I'm fine with it though, as the bond he forms with her provides a new angle to explore the guy from. IDW has already announced that they intend to continue the tradition of 30th anniversary specials. Next year will supposedly see the publication of a Chaotix's 30th anniversary one-shot. I wonder if that will acknowledge Mighty, Heavy and Bomb were founding members of that team? Moreover, does this mean we can expect a Big the Cat 30th anniversary comic in five short years? And a Shadow or Rouge centric book two years after that? Good God, now I feel like I might crumble into dust. Anyway, this comic book is good. I enjoyed it and recommend it. Go out and buy a copy today! [7/10]

Sonic the Hedgehog Annual 2024

Sonic the Hedgehog Annual 2024

Publication Date: October 9th, 2024

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Sonic the Hedgehog (IDW): Issue 70

Sonic the Hedgehog (IDW): Issue 70

Publication Date: July 3rd, 2024

Sometimes it can be hard to engineer a mystery. Comic books being what they are – a monthly publication where new installments are advertised via solicitations sent out months in advance – it's not uncommon for planned secrets and upcoming reveals to be spoiled long before people even have the issue in hand. This is such a common occurrence that I can't blame some writers for not even bothering. When the cover for issue 70 of IDW's "Sonic the Hedgehog" was first shown off, it proudly trumpeted the introduction of this "Phantom Rider." Normally you'd expect the reveal of this masked man to be something held off on... Instead, it was instantly shown that this is Sonic. Now that I've read issue 70, I see that the book wastes no time in confirming this. I mean, we probably would've guessed that was the case anyway. Perhaps Evan Stanley should be lauded for cutting right to the chase and avoiding a tedious Charlie Brown from Outta Town type deal. But I don't know, man. Kind of feels like a missed opportunity to me.

Anyway, issue 70 continues the Clean Sweepstakes racing story arc. On the second day of the competition, the track has been outfitted with a number of deadly traps that seem like they probably shouldn't be legal. Sonic decides to provide a big ol' distraction by swooping down onto the track as "The Phantom Rider," an interloper with a bad attitude that challenges Jet and generally mucks up everything for everyone. The Restoration security team, which includes shifty Duo and enthusiastic Surge, is right on his tail. Speaking of which, Tails and Amy use this chance to sneak aboard the floating gear shop and figure out if their stuff was tampered with. They uncover more than they anticipated. 

In my review of the previous issue, I had mostly negative things to say about Stanley building an arc around an Extreme Gear race and foregrounding Sonic and Jet's rivalry. This was based on my lack of interest in the "Sonic Riders" spin-off series and my opinion that Jet is a rather shallow, uninteresting character. The second part of this storyline – which seemingly doesn't have an official name yet, so I'm calling it the Clean Sweepstakes arc – manages to catch me off-guard by making both of these plot points interesting. Mostly this is thanks to introducing this "Phantom Rider." A guy jumping down onto the track, who races simply for his own glory and doesn't care about respecting the rules, totally shifts the focus away from the droll question of who will win this meaningless race. Instead, now we have a random supervillain speeding through and causing massive collateral damage along the way. And that's way cooler! I might actually watch NASCAR if the Green Goblin showed up in the middle of a race and started blowing shit up. (That's a lie. I still wouldn't watch NASCAR.) 

Meanwhile, Stanley manages to make Jet way more interesting with simply two panels. The first occurs after the Phantom Rider stymies him with a smokescreen. Later, after Surge comes the closest to taking the interloper down and takes attention away from Jet's victory, we see him narrowing his eyes in consternation. This moves past Jet's obsession with beating Sonic on the racetrack, the limitations of which is destined to forever make him the most boring of Sonic's rivals. Now, he's an obsessive glory hound, a narcissistic egomaniac, who can't handle anyone taking the spotlight away from him. That adds more depth, causing the reader to speculate on why Jet is so determined to prove he's the very best, like no one ever was. Nobody is that obsessed with winning unless they are compensating for a lack of self-worth. Has Jet built his entire personality around his status as a "winner?" If so, that status being challenged might as well be a deep personal insult to everything he thinks himself to be. And that raises an even darker question. If he's that obsessed with winning, if it's that deeply rooted in his psyche, he's willing to do anything to do it. I doubt a children's comic will explore any of that but, nevertheless, I'm finding myself interested in Jet for pretty much the first time. 

Stanley might've squandered some intrigue by immediately revealing that Sonic is the Phantom Rider. It literally happens on the first page. However, giving Sonic's perspective as he goes through this deception becomes interesting in its own right. See, Sonic is playing a role here. The Phantom Rider is an obnoxious bastard, who jumps in only to mess up everyone's good time. That means Sonic must cause some senseless mayhem, which goes against his natural instincts as a hero. And if he stops and helps anyone, it'll blow his cover. This might be the same inner conflict that occurs anytime a comic book does a story about a hero going undercover... But it's such a common trope for a reason. Sonic is challenging himself for the greater good, reminding himself several times that he can't help out. This results in an amusing panel where he does save a falling racer, before genuinely asking them not to mention it. This proves Sonic's heroic bonafides – he truly does help people just to help people – while also putting him in the fascinating bind of bit being able to publicly show them That's good storytelling. 

I also whined that the previous issue felt like such a blatant first act, the writer clearly putting all the gears in motion for the story they actually wanted to tell. That's still true but... In this case, anyway, Stanley pulled it off. Everything she set-up last time proves much more compelling now. While Sonic being a very visible public distraction, Tails and Amy sneak aboard the gear shop ship. You know why stealth levels are so common in video games? Simply because the good guys sneaking around, hiding from detection that is always right around the corner is a cheat code for generating suspense. Even if the security guards Tails and Amy are hiding from seem more comical than intimidating – they bicker about their own vigilance and the exploded status of Prison Island – this still manages to build-up some tension of the set-up. (The guards also wear black T-shirt with the word "SECURITY" written across their chest in big letters. I'm aware this is something actual security guards wear but it still reminds me of the henchman on the old "Batman" show.)

That subplot also climaxes in a truly unexpected way that delighted me. Maybe I just have horror movie fanboy brain rot. It's entirely possible. Yet anytime I see a disembodied hand skittering around on its fingers like a big ol' spider, I immediately think of "Evil Dead 2." Or at least "The Addams Family." (Or "The Beast with Five Fingers/"The Hand"/"The Crawling Hand"/"And Now the Screaming Starts"/"Dr. Terror's House of Horror"/that one episode of "Angel." It's a common trope, is my point.) The creepy-crawly hand then leaps onto Amy's face, "Alien" style! Considering this sequence is heavy on the shadowy art direction, features a close-up on Amy's screeching face, and is preceded by a creepy moment is something shifting behind a pile of junk... Yeah, I'm going to say this is an intentional spooky-scary moment. It's July, happy Halloween. 

The scary hand shenanigans quickly get silly, as scary hand shenanigans often do, before revealing a captivating final twist to end the issue on. Truthfully, the final set of pages here present a series of intriguing moments. As soon as Duo showed up, I've had a problem with the Restoration allowing this total stranger into their ranks. Especially since Duo is so obviously suspicious. After a little tea party with Jewel, where the purple cat guy confirms that nobody has seen Amy, Jewel leans back in her chair and furrows her brow, while Matt Froese lays on the shadows. Does She Know? If Jewel has had doubts about Duo all along, it'll go a long way towards redeeming a mildly dumb plot point. 

It's an issue full of interesting events but none of the above are even my favorite. Surge joined the Restoration as a spy for Clutch... Yet, all along, there's been this suggestion that the villain might actually enjoy being among the good guys. Surge is the one who rams the Phantom Rider and seemingly runs him off. After the race, she is praised for her actions. This results in a jubilant panel of Surge, beaming to the point that light is radiating off her, huge smile on her face, as she declares "WE'RE HEROES!" It's been evident for a while that all of Surge's villainous acts have been born out of her traumatic background twisting a basic desire to be loved and accepted. Here, in this panel, we see her getting that validation without setting any fires or blowing something up. She did something right and people love her for it. Gee whiz, you guys, is it dusty in here or what? As a chronic fuck-up myself, I know how euphoric it is to finally feel like you didn't do something wrong, to receive praise and attention, and maybe even love, just for doing something on instinct. 

The result is a memorable issue, brought to life with some lively artwork. This being such an action-heavy installment clearly gives Aaron Hammerstrom to flex a little. There's a lot of really dramatic panels of the heroes crashing into each other or racing around. Sometimes this backfires. One gets the sense that Hammerstrom has been instructed to clearly depict the race track, so as not to confuse the reader. The result are some lay-outs that are a little bland. And I still ended up having to re-read the page where the Phantom Rider/Sonic crashes through a glass tube. Yet any flaws are more than redeemed by those wonderful facial expressions and, as I mentioned early, some very atmospheric ink work in the latter half. 

Being an issue devoted to a large sporting event, with many additional racers and a crowd of spectators, provides another opportunity for the artist. He's gotta fill all the crowd shots and scenes of the Phantom Rider zooming around other competitors with faces. And we all know how much "Sonic" artists love to design some O.C.s. I'm not shocked that fans would latch onto one of these background designs. What I find funny is which one seems to be speaking to people. In just the last three days this issue has been out, I've seen multiple Discord comments and Twitter posts demanding to know more about the black furred racer, wearing visor sun glasses, a puffy red jacket, and riding a red hoverboard. It seems to me that this guy is clearly meant to be a generic figure. Lanolin might've started out as a background extra but a lot of work had clearly been put into her design, making her transition to named cast member easy to understand. I don't get that impression from Red Guy at all. But I guess something about his aura has caught the public's eye. "Sonic" fans are not immune to a bad boy in sunglasses and a leather jacket, it seems. Maybe Aaron should've thrown in a backwards baseball cap, some nunchucks in his pocket, while he was at it... Can we rastafy Red Guy by ten percent? Is this a racer who gets biz-zay, consistently and thoroughly? 

For the record, I think the monkey we see riding a nimbus cloud in one of the race scenes is a cooler design. Then again, maybe one Sun Wukong homage is enough in the world of "Sonic" comic books. Stanley has written compelling middle chapters in longer stories that had middling starts and go in to lame endings. She could still fumble this. Yet the improvement seen from the first part to the second is impressive. The teases here for future events get me excited, not bored. Most importantly, a surprising amount of character development is sneaked in between action beats, which makes them all the more involving. I may not care about "Sonic Riders" but I do care about these characters. Emphasizing the latter is all you really need to make any idea into a good comic book. [8/10]

Sonic the Hedgehog: Fang the Hunter: Issue 4

Sonic the Hedgehog: Fang the Hunter: Issue 4

Original Publication Date: May 1st, 2024

Audiences, as we know, are impatient. In our world of streaming and social media, everyone demands instant gratification from everything. Corporations have totally rewired their release strategies to feed this ever-constant demand for new dopamine hits among the phone-addicted populace. TV shows seasons are dropped all at once. The release of any big movie is proceeded by a constant drip-feed of new clips and trailers. Updates on upcoming video games appear regularly, lest players forget they exist. That's just the world we live in now. Yet the comic book industry, being typically behind the times, mostly sticks to the same old monthly schedule as always. This truth in hand, I'm intrigued to see how IDW deciding to put the "Sonic the Hedgehog" on-going on hold for four months to make room for a miniseries starring a bunch of C-lister baddies worked out for them. "Sonic" fans are psychotically loyal, so I have no doubt that the hardcore readers have stuck around. Yet what of the casuals? Did they feel the need to pick up all four issues of "Fang?" Or will they forget about the "Sonic" comics during this brief hiatus in the storyline? I know I've already forgotten but I'm old and my memory ain't what it used to be, ya whippersnappers. 

In fact, what was I supposed to be reviewing? "Finnegans Wake?" Oh no, it says issue 4 of "Fang the Hunter" here. Easy to mix those two up... Anywho, we begin with Fang's gang surrounded by the Hard-Boiled Heavies. The trio of flesh-bags make a run for it, Warp Topaz in hand. The robots pursue, the team splitting up and confronting each of the Heavies on their own. The tide really turns when Fang's Marvelous Queen is called in and the weasel/jerboa/"Hunter" incorporates the Warp Topaz into his hovercraft. Things play out chaotically, with Sonic and Tails arriving on the phantom warship eventually too. 

When introduced in "Sonic Mania," the Hard Boiled Heavies got a lot of hype. Which is funny, as they operated in game as not much more than level bosses. It's not like any of the individual bosses in "Sonic & Knuckles" have ever gotten much attention. I suppose the Heavies have a little more personality than a generic rock guy or a floating red eye. The egg-shaped mini-boss squad have remained fairly well-liked in the fandom, as far as Eggman's henchmen go. Maybe that speaks more to recency bias and how Sega promotes their games today versus how they did in the nineties. Still, here in 2024, I think your average "Sonic" player would deem the Heavies more memorable than Hei-Ho or whatever. 

You can see that aspect in the prominent role they're given here. Each of the Heavies get a little action scene to showcase their special abilities and personalities. Heavy Shinobi swings his freezing katana and throws some Asteron shurikens. Heavy Magician creates an illusion of Fang, in the issue's best surprise. Heavy Gunner fires missiles, Heavy Rider swings his mace. These scenes go a long way towards establishing more quirks for each of these guys. Heavy Rider speaks in grandiose Ye Olde English, to match his knight persona. Shinobi performs a haiku in the middle of battle. Gunner is trigger happy. Magician is crafty. It's nice that these guys are more than just generic goons, that they have individual thoughts and feelings.

Whether you think the Heavies are neat or interesting here, I guess, depends on how much a villain's competence level matters to you. Despite being introduced as formidable foes, the Hooligans take them all out fairly quickly. One assumes that's because they are the stars of this book. Yet these scenes have an unexpected side effect: Guys, are Fang and Bean... Cool? When Fang grabs Shinobi's sword and quickly turns the robot's freezing power against him, I thought to myself "Damn, that was slick." As any long time "Sonic" fan artist can tell you, nothing makes a character instantly look like a bad-ass like handing them a katana. Likewise, Bean producing a massive bomb, exploding Heavy Magician, and walking out wearing her snazzy top hat... Kind of makes the wacky duck look like he actually knows what he's doing. Meanwhile, Bark goes toe-to-toe with Heavy King for far longer than expected, making him at least a fraction as powerful as Sonic according to the power scaler loonies. This is supported by a rad panel of him superhero posing. 

In my review of this mini-series' first issue, I said Fang's status as a constantly foiled chump made him a lovable loser. The successive issues have increasingly shown the trio as actually not bad at their jobs. Was part of the purpose of this mini-series to rehabilitate Fang's image among fans, to make his transformation into a creditable threat in "Superstars" plausible? Or is this just a natural aspect of shining a spotlight on them? Obviously, Fang had to level-up if he's going to be the protagonist of his own series. Whatever the cause, Flynn and his team get major points for actually pulling this off. By the end of this series, my perception of Fang has gone from thinking of him as a springy simpleton to acknowledging that he's an occasionally skilled warrior. If nothing else, this series has gone a long way to bringing IDW's Fang closer to his pre-reboot Archie Comics "Nack the Weasel" characterization. (Though I doubt he'll be murdering anybody again anytime soon.)

None of the above invalidates Fang and the Hooligans as comical figures. This is still an issue full of wackiness. Bean remains a snark-ass who sarcastically rebounds many of the things Fang says. Bark scolds his tush on one of Heavy Gunner's rockets and Bean's tail feathers casually burn at one point. Once Fang installs the Warp Topaz into his hovercraft, we get multiple panels of the trio being rendered dizzy and nauseous by the teleporting process. The most obvious humorous element remains Fang's fixation on the Marvelous Queen. He hugs the bike, praising it like it's his girlfriend and giving it the Topaz like he's feeding a beloved dog. I'm on record as thinking that the people who baby-talk their vehicles are a little weird. Ian Flynn at least thinks that the same habit is funny. Does Fang fuck his bike? We can only speculate... And envision the horrifying fan art I'm projecting into your mind's eye by writing these words...

Aside from turning these three into something like action heroes, this mini-series also had the running arc of Bean and Bark threatening to walk out on Fang. I expected this to lead to an ending about the bounty hunter learning to appreciate his team a little more. How the real Eighth Chaos Emerald would be the Friends We Made Along the Way. To this prediction, Ian Flynn responds "lol no." Fang is lackadaisical about reaching Bark after powering up his hover-bike. Bean talks him into saving the mute polar bear, though the weasel is still pretty nonplussed about it. Upon defeating the Heavies and escaping the aircraft, Bean gets pissed at Fang not caring that the eighth emerald turned out to be a fairy tale. The duck and the bear storm off in their cute little rocket-powered side cars, feeling unappreciated and ready to seek out greener pastures. Fang has learned nothing from this experience. If anything, having a magic teleporting rock has now made him more of a conceited asshole than he was before. 

One could read this as a subversive flipping of the expected ending moral. He might have been the protagonist of these four comics but, at the end of the day, Fang is still basically a mercenary. He'll work for whoever will foot his bill, few questions asked. The jerboa is ballsy but that doesn't mean he has any moral scruples. He doesn't actually care about Bean or Bark. As he said over and over again: They are just mooks to him, disposable and interchangeable. I doubt Fang can care about anyone besides himself. (And his bike, an inanimate extension of his own pride.) That this fundamentally selfish, greedy person ends the story unchanged – just as if not more rotten than he was before – is pretty funny. And good on Bark and Bean for having the strength to leave an abusive relationship. You go, duck friend.

But I think there's another explanation for this ending that isn't based so much on Flynn intentionally upending our expectations. IDW "Sonic" is still operating under the somewhat hopeless delusion that it can be canon to the video games. The comics can do a lot of things but they can never directly contradict the video games. And, in "Sonic Superstars," Fang is ridin' solo. These three being a trio is still technically a factoid relegated to the B-Tier canon of the comics, that Sega's actual game developers are free to ignore. From the beginning, I assumed this mini-series was an extended ad for "Superstars." It ends by directly prompting the reader to pick up that game, promising the story continues there, proving my suspicion correct. Flynn handled it in a funny, interesting way but I imagine that "Fang must break up with Bark and Bean by the end, in order to lead into our recent game" was a direct order from his corporate overlords. 

Another obligation, one assumes, is that Sonic had to appear in this comic book too. The subplot of Sonic and Tails investigating the vanishing warship has been farcical from the beginning. That continues here, the duo showing up and not actually doing anything but taking credit for saving the day anyway. As it was last time, Sonic is depicted as a whiny teen eager for action and movement. I actually like Sonic being depicted this way, as a hyperactive kid. If his need for speed isn't being fed, he gets a little bitchy and melodramatic. If we are to assume that Fang starring in this comic redirects its perspective to his values, this makes sense too. Fang is more competent, even cool, in his story. Sonic, as Fang's rival, is depicted less heroically than usual. I'm sure the prickliest of fans, who demand Sonic's personality constantly matches a set of pre-determined attributes, will object to this. But I like it. It made me chuckle. 

Indeed, this whole mini-series made me chuckle. Thomas Rothlisberger's art remained excellent throughout. His big, expressive, cartoony faces sell the comedy while the action is kinetic and coherent. The panel of Heavy King slamming Bark to the floor is especially bitchin'. I doubt Fang the Hunter could support an on-going series. However, as a four-issue long goof, I had a lot of fun with this. IDW's detours into the Classic side of this franchise remain some of their most fleet-footed and joyously composed work. The rename is still some Captain Marvel/Shazam! shit as far as I'm concerned though. You'll always be Nack the Weasel to me, buddy! [7/10]

Sonic the Hedgehog: Fang the Hunter: Issue 3

Sonic the Hedgehog: Fang the Hunter: Issue 3

Publication Date: April 3rd, 2024

As I sit down to catch up with IDW's "Fang the Hunter" mini -series, I noticed that the Hard Boiled Heavies were featured prominently on the various covers for the third and fourth issues. This gave me a thought about the structure of this series that I hadn't thought of before. Would each issue of this comic pay homage to a specific Classic Sonic game? The first issue featured some scenes in the classic Green Hill setting. The second was heavy on Mushroom Hill and Sandopolis, from "Sonic & Knuckles." Since that issue ended by establishing the island from "Knuckles' Chaotix," I figured the third installment would revolve around that. While the fourth would drop us back into "Sonic-Mania" territory. Flynn loves to include references to the classic games, so this seemed plausible. But... Nah. Issue three goes off on its own thing pretty quickly. Probably for the best.

Anyway! Issue three actually begins with Fang, Bark, and Bean trapped in a prison pod by Eggman. He's ready to feed them to some mechanical piranhas but Fang's theory about an eighth Chaos Emerald intrigues the doctor. He explains that he loaned an airship to the Hard Boiled Heavies recently but it literally vanished. A new power source like a previously undiscovered emerald might explain such mysterious powers. The Hooligans are tasked with finding the ship, disciplining the Heavies, and returning whatever magical plot device they find to Eggman. 

In my review of issue 1 of "Fang," I mentioned how the bounty hunter's failure rate has made him something of an admirable loser. Fang is always humiliated by his attempts to be a bad-ass but he keeps trying, yadda-yadda. In the second issue, I noted how Fang actually could be quite competent when not up against a threat greater than him. Maybe he's not a loser after all! In issue three, the jerboa/wolf thing successfully tracks down the vanishing airship, something both Eggman and Tails have failed to do up to this point. He sneaks aboard with his team and, within minutes, they have fought their way into the bowels of the ship without sustaining any injuries. When faced with Heavy Rider, who is guarding the engine's core, Fang even successfully strategizes a plan to quickly disable the robot.

All of this presents a frightening possibility: Guys, what if Fang doesn't suck? What if he's only a complete joke when going up against Sonic? I think the truth is actually way less interesting than that. Fang, Bean, and Bark's competence varies entirely upon how funny it is for them to eat shit in whatever given situation they might be in. If Fang sets up a booby-trap for Sonic and it immediately backfires on him, that's because this is a classic, Looney Tunes, Coyote Vs. Roadrunner gag. If it serves the plot for Fang to go toe-to-toe against Knuckles or fend off a bunch of enemy robots, then that will happen instead. This is why power scalers are the absolute worst, most annoying idiots in any fandom. How strong or weak a character is depends entirely on whatever story the writer is telling at that moment. Fiction is not a list of stats. 

There's another reason why Flynn depicts Fang and his gang as actually semi-confident enforcers in this issue. Remember back in the "Sonic: Mega-Drive" one-shots, where Flynn basically dreamed up a bunch of levels for a 16-bit "Sonic" that doesn't actually exist and then had the cast run through them? He did the same thing in "Seasons of Chaos" too. Well, that trend continues here, albeit in a much briefer capacity. When Fang, Bark, and Bean sneak aboard the ship, we are greeted to a page-long spread of them running through a number of obstacles and taking out a bunch of Egg-Robos. You can tell this is meant to invoke the classic platformers in the series because each panel is framed in a left-to-right, horizontal pattern. The Flying Fortress and Flying Battery Zones are clearly the big inspirations here but, mostly, what we are seeing here comes straight from the writer and artist's imaginations. So maybe that's why Fang is kicking ass in this issue. Somebody who's good at video games is controlling him. 

It looks like it would be a fun game too! I bet Bean's bomb abilities would make for some interesting mechanics in a classic Sonic game. Of course, watching somebody else play a video game is not so much fun. (An opinion I continue to hold in defiance of the enormity of the Let's-Player/VTuber industrial complex.) Seeing Ian sketch out his dream Genesis game is not what makes this issue fun. Instead, the banter between these three characters really makes it worth reading. Or, really, the banter between Fang and Bean, considering Bark remains as quiet as ever. In the leap from Archie to IDW, Bean really went up a level in his snarkiness. He still calls Fang cutesy nicknames and makes wacky faces, in accordance with his goofball characterization. However, the green duck bites back with a lot more snide comebacks. He mocks Fang saying "mook" so much and makes numerous sarcastic statements about his teammate. It's not bad. Considering Archie Bean's constant kookiness could get irritating, it's not bad at all. I am simply still getting used to Bean being altogether more sardonic than he's been in the past.

Comedy really does seem to be the main goal here. Fang trying to convince Eggman of an eighth Emerald's existence reveals the lack of evidence the Hunter has on his side. The Hooligans threatening Heavy Rider's Motobug steed is obviously a somewhat jokey set-up, playing off the idea of a seemingly heartless robot displaying a pet-like attachment to his ride. The conversation that follows between Fang and Heavy King is similarly full of absurd statements, which follows an earlier bit where the robot attempts to ghost Eggman in the most blatant way possible. We're not meant to take much of this seriously at all. 

That comedic tone is furthered by some likably goofy artwork from Thomas Rothlisberger. Maybe my favorite thing about this issue are the little, physical jokes Rothlisberger slips in, that only work because of the playful quality his art has. Such as Eggman's mental imagining of the eighth Chaos Emerald getting more like a child's scribble as Fang's case for it falls apart. Or a suffering Shellcracker Badnik straining to carry Eggman's golden throne of himself around. Some even add to the character's personalities, such as Bark knitting while the trio waits for the airship to appear. I'm sure some of these were in Flynn's script but most feel like the little jokes the artist would throw in if their own accord. Overall, Rothlisberger's extremely expressive faces and nicely cartoonish sense of motion goes a long way towards making this issue a winner. 

I don't feel every piece of "Sonic" media has to contribute to the overall lore of the universe or anything. I think some people out there do genuinely hold that opinion but it's fine by me if a comic or cartoon episode is just fun. However, the third issue of "Fang the Hunter" does see Ian Flynn expanding the Classic Sonic universe a bit. The big reveal here is that the airship the Heavies stole isn't powered by an eighth Chaos Emerald... It's powered by the Warp Topaz. As in, the same magical rock Dr. Starline used to give himself and the Imposters superpowers. Assuming Sega hasn't changed their minds about the Classic and Modern Sonic continuities existing in parallel universes, I would assume that this is just the Classic version of the Warp Topaz. There's a Master Emerald in both universes, right? But comments from Flynn suggest that this is the same Warp Topaz. Meaning its portal generating abilities means the Topaz has jumped between worlds or the Classic/Modern divide has been done away with... Not that I ever expect Sega, and by extension IDW, to ever fully explain this. But I guess the point is that the Warp Topaz can warp it up anywhere. 

All that is well and good. However, the last third of this comic is kind of a drag. After having a lot of laughs and fast-paced action, Heavy King and the other Hard Boiled Heavies step out and explain their master plan. I can see what you're doing here, Ian. The issue ends with Fang and his gang surrounded by the robots. This is set-up for the climatic royal rumble in the final part of the mini. Yet it also kills the forward momentum of this particular issue. Just hits a wall of exposition and scowling egg robots. Oh well. It was a pretty good comic book up to that point. 

Anyway, this is a Sonic the Hedgehog comic book, right? His name is still on the cover, even if he isn't. It feels like some sort of running joke in this mini, that the creative team has to include at least one scene of Sonic, to justify the book's existence. As if he's contractually obligated to appear. The scene has Tails cooking up some doo-hickey to track the Amazing Vanishing Airship, while Sonic impatiently paces the workshop. This series has really drawn into focus how Classic Sonic is different from his Modern counterpart: His ADHD is worse. He isn't as patient. He doesn't listen as well, giving Tails a blank state when he explains the science behind his latest gizmo. He's more of a smart-ass in general. And I pointed out last time, this definitely lines up with 90s portrayals of Sonic. So I probably like it for nostalgic reasons. Yet I do find a slightly edgier Sonic, who really doesn't do well when he can't Go Fast, a good take on the character. Gives him a little more texture, ya know? 

Anyway, this mini-series is shaping up to be a pretty solid affair. Great art all the way through, a good mixture of comedic shenanigans and an actual forward-moving story, and overall a compelling take on the characters. Having the Heavies show up and take all the credit for the storyline's events is a little disappointing but I'm not going to let it bring me down. Fun comic book! Now, let me go back and re-read this review to see how many times I wrote "Nack" instead of Fang... [7/10]