Sonic Universe: Issue 22

Sonic Universe: Issue 22
Publication Date: November 2010

Archie's “Sonic the Hedgehog” series provided a very full toy box for Ian Flynn to play with. Sometimes, I fear, a few toys too many. Not too long ago, he wrote a story called “Hedgehog Havoc” which messily threw together practically every hedgehog in the book for a big and mostly pointless fight. Just judging by its cover, “Sonic Universe's” “Treasure Team Tango” arc is heading towards a similar area. In its second issue, the conflict between Amy's ragtag Team Rose and Shadow's more organized Team Dark gains a third corner, in the form of the so-called Hooligans. Oh boy, here we go.

The second half of “Treasure Team Tango” is subtitled “The Cruzada” – are we sure Ian isn't making these dance words up? – and begins with Amy's team and Shadow's team butting heads. They are fighting over the control of the Sol Emerald. Cream's Chao, Cheese, grabs the jewel and zips out of the cavern the teams are fighting in. This seems to conclude the conflict... Until Team Rose discovers that Nack the Weasel, Bean the Duck, and Bark the Bear – otherwise known as the Hooligans – are also after the Emerald and successfully snatch the Chao and the jewel.

The prophecy has been fulfilled. Last time, I recalled this story moving towards another one of Flynn's undistinguished fight-fests. And so it does. Most of this issue is devoted to scuffles between the various groups. What makes this especially perturbing is that the fight scenes really have no reason to be happening. Before Team Rose and Team Dark comes to blow, Blaze outright questions Shadow about the previous time they worked together. That they've been allies in the past. Shadow shrugs this off, insuring the fight scene will follow. How or why the Hooligans are after the Sol Emerald isn't even expanded on. Flynn just wanted to throw in as many competing teams as possible.

This sloppy writing would at least be justifiable if the fight scene was sort of cool. Sadly, “The Cruzada” does not represent Flynn's best work. The comic seems a little too enamored of Blaze the Cat's pyromaniac superpowers. She blocks a barrage of E-123 Omega's fire power with a wall of flames. She then scoops up the robot up with a spinning spiral of fire. She turns into a burning battering ram, tossing Nack's bike into the air. In an especially incoherent panel, she apparently seizes one of the Sol Emeralds with a lasso of flame while setting Team Dark ablaze. I have no idea if this stuff is adapted from the video games, as I've never played any of the games Blaze appears in. Moreover, none of it is especially interesting to me.

Like I said, the comic does not reveal why Nack and the Hooligans are after the jewel, though presumably they've been hired by Robotnik to retrieve it. Whatever the reason, the characters don't really contribute much to the narrative. After his recent treatment in the book, it's hard to believe that Nack the Weasel was ever anything like a serious threat, who nearly assassinated Mina and poisoned his former partners-in-crime to death. When paired with the utterly farcical Bean the Duck – whose totz rAnD0m dialogue is starting to loose its novelty – the character has become a complete joke. The Hooligans are not threatening enemies nor intended to be. They are just another obstacle thrown into the story, to keep the heroes from retrieving the MacGuffin.

If “Treasure Team Tango” contributes anything to the book's overall world, it's fleshing Cream the Rabbit's personality out a little more. Yes, she's still established as a perfectly pleasant little girl, very polite to everyone. Yet this comic does show that she's capable of more. When the Hooligans threaten Cheese the Chao, Cream launches into a violent rage. There's an obvious joke here. “Oh, look! The nice little girl is attacking a grown man!” Yet it also shows that Cream, no matter how polite she may normally be, doesn't appreciate people harming her best friend. Which is something, I guess.

There's also one or two smaller moment that makes this issue mildly amusing. Upon witnessing Blaze's ability to dismantle heavy fire with a different type of fire, Omega immediately asks if they can be friends. Maybe even more than friends. That's not the only time Flynn uses the giant murder-bot as a comedic straight man. Later, when attempting to shake Cream down, the little girl starts screaming and crying. The robot is confused and annoyed by this, politely asking her to stop. That stuff made me chuckle.

The last panel of this issue suggests that Flynn may be bringing a fourth team into this melee. That's pretty much the worst thing he could do but I honestly don't remember if that comes to past. Either way, I have no idea how Flynn is going to maintain this story line for another two issues. It's already pretty thin gruel. Maybe something will surprised. Tracy Yardley's artwork is pretty good too, at the very least. [5/10]

Sonic the Hedgehog: Issue 218

Sonic the Hedgehog: Issue 218
Publication Date: October 2010

I gave positive props to issue 217 of Archie's “Sonic the Hedgehog” series, mostly because it was pretty well written. However, there was something else I liked about it that I didn't really mention. The story is set in and around the Oil Ocean Zone. I'm sure most longtime “Sonic” fans remember the Oil Ocean Zone from “Sonic the Hedgehog 2.” It's always been a favorite stage of mine. The music is awesome. The stage is full of clever gimmicks and traps, the title lending oil just being part of it. So I was happy to see the stage finally canonized in the comic book.

“Thicker Than Water: Part 2” picks up with Sonic and Bunnie fighting. The conflict between the two friends has come to blows, Bunnie being protective of her uncle why Sonic is incensed that the long time Freedom Fighter has seemingly aligned herself with the Dark Egg Legion. However, the two quickly realize they shouldn't be fighting each other and devise a scheme. They find a way to tear apart the Oil Ocean Zone, fucking up Robotnik's oil supply, while also preventing the Sand Blasters from getting access to the base.

Compared to the usual punching marathons Ian shoves into the book, the scuffle between Sonic and Bunnie is a lot more compelling. First off, we care a lot about these characters. Secondly, this conflict is based in important issues of family and loyalty. Better yet, Flynn doesn't drag things out. Sonic and Bunnie, being long time friends, quickly realize fighting each other isn't productive. The combat scenes are also beautifully rendered by Ben Bates, who seems to relish a chance to portray the heroes smashing through pipes and structures.

The conflict here isn't just between Sonic and Bunnie. Uncle Beauregard's continued role also emphasizes that this is a story about family. After seeing the havoc they've reeked on the refinery, Beauregard becomes enraged at Bunnie. However, as the title indicates, blood is ultimately thicker than water or oil. He forgives his niece, especially after the specifics of the plan is discussed. It's a nice emotional bow on this story. Also floating around the two-parter's familial themes is the introduction of Matilda, a Dark Egg Legion member who is obviously Mighty the Armadillo's little sister. Matilda shows promise as a character but, sadly, that's a plot point Ian wouldn't get to before the continuity reboot.

(Also notable: Matilda's robot arms are patterned after the arms of the titular giant robot from the anime series “The Big O.” Combined with her perpetually droopy eyelids and calm demeanor, this causes me to imagine her voice as the same as Dorothy the Android's dub actress.)

We also learn a little bit more about the Sand Blasters in this one. The bear and lizard characters are still pretty underdeveloped. However, I like that the wolf character is clearly the brains of the team, prone to loquacious English and cooking up various devices. Also, there's the green roadrunner who has an slightly manic, highly energetic personality. You might notice that this is rather similar to Bean the Duck. A similarity that Sonic lampshades. So Flynn is at least upfront about his reoccurring tendencies as a writer. Still, considering Jack Rabbit was the only Sand Blaster that previously had any personality, that's still an improvement.

In the back pages, we are greeted to “Hindsight.” In their secret base, Robotnik and Snively are plotting something sinister. The Eggman decides to rake Snively over the coals, considering his recent betrayal. The mad doctor forces his nephew to cut all ties with the Iron Queen, who he has secretly been communicating with and plotting to free. Even after being forced to say he's done with Regina, Snively has plans of his own.

“Hindsight' isn't a bad little five-pager. It serves a decent narrative purpose. After screwing him over in favor of the Iron Dominion, it makes sense for Robotnik to want pure obedience from Snively. Meanwhile, it's also in keeping with his personality that Snively would have other ideas. His undying love for the Iron Queen, despite how she clearly was just using him, displays how pathetic the little guy is. I'm a fan of Robotnik and Snively's fucked-up relationship so this makes for compelling reading, even if “Foresight” is mostly just a reminder to readers what these guys are up to these days.

Issue 218 is also pretty nice looking too. Ben Bates' pencils on the cover story remain of high quality. Jamal Peppers draws the back-up and its also up to his high standards as well. The second part of “Thicker Than Water” isn't as impressive as the first half but it still provides a solid conclusion to a pretty good story. All in all, this is a solid issue. [7/10]

Sonic Universe: Issue 21

Sonic Universe: Issue 21
Publication Date: October 2010

Over its long run, Archie's “Sonic the Hedgehog” series would often struggle with balancing the book's enormous cast with the characters from the video games. While old-timers like me preferred it when the series focused on the SatAM and comic-exclusive characters, it's not unreasonable to assume that most people who picked up a “Sonic” comic book wanted to see characters from the video games on its pages. Which is how we got stuff like “Treasure Team Tango,” the sixth “Sonic Universe” arc. You'll notice that every single character on that cover originated in the games, especially the ones that were somewhat newer in 2010.

I hope you like annoying naming devices because each part of “Treasure Team Tango” is named after a portion of a tango. Part one is “The Salida.” Picking up from “Sonic” 217's “Welcome Back, Chao!,” Amy Rose is showing Cream and Vanilla around Freedom H.Q. That's when Nicole chimes in, reporting that she's picking up on an odd signal in the near-by forest. Amy investigates and, figuring the mission is pretty harmless, let's Cream tag along. Turns out, a Sol Emerald has fallen in-between zones. This attracts the attention of Blaze the Cat, who is collecting the Sol Stones to protect her world. It also brings Rouge into the fold, who is attracted by her affinity for shiny things.

The purpose behind the first part of “Treasure Team Tango” is evident on its front cover. Cream had just been introduced into the comic while Blaze's previous appearances had been fairly isolated. This issue, and the arc its attached to as well, was designed to integrate the two Sega characters – both fan favorites for some reason – into the book. Let's start with Cream. Flynn's script doesn't expand much beyond the little bunny's portrayal in the “Sonic X” comic. Cream is young and precocious but also unfailingly polite. That precociousness shows in cute panels, like when Cream challenges Amy's assumption that she'll marry Sonic one day. The politeness appears when she treats Blaze and Rouge friendly, despite only meeting them minutes ago. I guess the character is fine but I continue to find Cream an unnecessary, if inoffensive, addition to the book's cast.

Blaze and Rouge's appearances are a little more entertaining, if only because they are more interesting characters. Blaze has really grown on me as a character over her handful of appearances. She has a regal quality to her, being a leader in her home world. Yet she's also young, prone to mistakes and being somewhat headstrong. This makes her a good foil to Amy Rose, who is also very headstrong but more girlish and impulsive. Rouge, meanwhile, has chemistry with everyone, due to her natural flirtatiousness. The bat's entrance midway into the story makes the script pop a little more. The trio – and Cream too, I guess – make for a decent ensemble to build a story upon.

This is best shown in the handful of scenes where the girls begrudgingly earn each others' respect.  Amy and Blaze don't trust each other at first. After Sonic gets name-dropped, Amy immediately decides Blaze must be okay. This surprises and, in an odd way, humbles the pyrokenetic cat. Amy doesn't trust Rouge either. After she helps protect the others, Amy has to admit that the bat/jewel thief/secret agent can't be all bad. These scenes, where Amy has to eat a little crow, are pretty cute.

Of course, that nice bit of character development Amy and Rouge gets immediately goes out the window when it's revealed that Rouge intends to keep the Sol Stone for herself. That's a little disappointing. What could've been a story about these very different characters finding a common ground with each other, then transforms into a simple MacGuffin chase. That the Sol Stone literally falls out of the sky at the comic's beginning doesn't disguise its blatant nature as a plot device. Shadow and Omega showing on the issue's final page seems to point towards this story arc becoming another one of Flynn's uninspired fight-fests.

Indeed, the action scenes are probably my least favorite parts of this comic book. Both emerge rather randomly. Blaze and Amy trade some fisticuffs upon meeting each others as because of a quickly corrected misconception. Later, there's a big tree laid across a gorge, “King Kong”-style, leading to a standard scene of the log nearly crushing the team. Moments like this remind you that this book is still aiming for the seven-to-ten year old boy crowd, even in story arcs primarily focused on female characters. We've got to get those action scenes in there.

So “Treasure Team Tango” is off to an okay start. I like the stuff with Amy, Rouge, and Blaze. All of them have developed into decent characters over the years and playing them off each other is a fun idea. However, the script is standard – even boring – stuff. I'm not sure if the interactions with the characters is going to be enough to keep an otherwise uninspired story going for four issues. I suppose we'll find out soon enough. [7/10]

Sonic the Hedgehog: Issue 217

Sonic the Hedgehog: Issue 217
Publication Date: September 2010

Those who were there will remember. Much of the news cycle in 2010 was dominated by the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. From early April to mid September, following an explosion on the Deepwater Horizon drilling station, oil gushed into the Gulf of Mexico. It was the biggest marine oil spill in history, reeking havoc on local wildlife and economy. Separated by eight years, the cover of issue 217 of Archie's “Sonic the Hedgehog” series probably seems innocuous. Back in September of 2010, the timing couldn't be worst. Showing a cartoon character adrift in a sea of oil, when the Gulf of Mexico was actually becoming a sea of oil in real life, was unfortunate, to say the least. It was one of those sad coincidences, planned out too far in advance to change.

“Thicker Than Water” begins with Sonic and Bunnie seemingly fighting each other. Unlike the fake-out cover to issue 203, this conflict is real. The story rolls back, revealing what led up to this conflict. The Freedom Fighters have receive a distress signal from Sand Blast City. Though reluctant to help out the Sand Blasters, considering how many times they've tried to kill them, Sonic and Bunnie head out to investigate anyway. Bunnie immediately falls out while flying over the city. She is recovered by the local Dark Egg Legion chapter, which has built an oil drilling installation near-by. Sonic discovers the Sand Blasters have been warring with the Legion and have armed their city with an EMP. When Sonic rushes in to the fight the Legionnaires, he discovers Bunnie has seemingly taken up with them. It's not a trick either. Her long-lost Uncle Beauregard is the leader of this chapter and the locals have taken up membership more to protect themselves than to serve Robotnik.

During the last two-parter, Ian took the time to develop the Arctic Freedom Fighters. By the end, the team was still composed of barely defined archetypes... Which speaks more to how undeveloped they were to begin with and less to Flynn's flaws as a writer. With the “Thicker Than Water”  two-parter, Flynn focuses in on another underexplored corner of Mobius. Granted, Karl Boller had given Sand Blast City and all its inhabitants more personality than the feebly defined Arctic Freedom Fighters. But Ian gives Jack Rabbit's alligator, roadrunner, bear, and wolf sidekicks names and roles on the team. I'm not sure that was strictly necessary – Jack is still the only important one – but I guess it makes the world more well-rounded.

The previous two issues also expanded on Rotor's back story a little. This story arc is also devoted to another vintage Freedom Fighter. In all her years in the comics, we've never learned much about Bunnie's origins or family. Flynn sets about fixing that in this one. We meet Beauregard, Bunnie's uncle. There are quickly dropped references to the Baronies, presumably an aristocratic portion of the Mobian population, and how they pledged allegiance to Robotnik during his first coup. We also learn that we've been saying Bunnie's last name wrong all these years. Turns out, it's pronounce with a French accent, as Rah-boh, instead of the pun-tactular Rab-bot. This seems to explain why a character from a post-apocalyptic Earth ten thousand years into the future has a Southern accent.

Though he only appears in a handful of panels, Beauregard proves to be a surprisingly compelling character. He immediately has a warm back-and-forth with Bunnie. He explains his colony's backstory – they were the Robians that surrounded Sand Blast City, turned back to organic by the Bem along with every other Robian on Mobius – but this is done in a natural way. Even though we've just met the guy, Bunnie and Beauregard's relationship is such that the story's central conflict seem totally reasonable. Beauregard and the others allied with Eggman not because they support his plans for global domination. They did it because the Sand Blaster's kept attacking them, injuring many and constantly endangering others. Sonic's headstrong desire to attack them simply because they're Dark Egg Legion is maybe a little hasty. That's in-character though. Mostly, this is a story devoted to pointing out how war isn't a clean-cut conflict. People compromise to survive and that's something Sonic's going to have to learn.

After that really strong cover story, we are then greeted with a middling back-up story. “Welcome Back, Chao!” is set a few months back, before the Iron Dominion took over Robotropolis. Snively, inside a giant drilling machine, has attacked a Chao garden. Near-by lives Cream and her mother, Vanilla, making this an especially rabbit-heavy issue. Amy Rose rushes into action, defeating Snively and accidentally crushing the rabbit house in the process. Feeling bad about it, she immediately invites Cream, her mom, and their Chao collection to live in New Mobotropolis.

“Welcome Back, Chao!” really has one purpose: To bring Cream the Rabbit into the comic. Honestly, after her regular appearances in the “Sonic X” comic, I had forgotten that Cream hadn't yet been officially introduced in the main book. Sega considered Cream an  “X” exclusive – you might even say X-clusive – character for a long time, which is why she didn't appear sooner. I've never had much attachment to Cream but Ian at least finds a purpose for the character. Seconds after meeting each other, Cream immediately becomes Amy Rose's sidekick. That's as good a role as any for Cream. It beefs up Amy's responsibilities and keeps Cream's role as a precious kid – something Tails usually does – without making her redundant. As for the story itself, it's a totally passable, utterly unremarkable bit of action. I always enjoy watching Amy smash shit with her hammer but there's not much else to this.

Issue 217 does bring a new artist onto the book. Well, new-ish. Ben Bates has drawn the last few Off-Panels and makes his proper debut here. Bates would immediately become a fan favorite and it's not hard to see why. Bates' style successfully combines the book's by-now standard look with the Sega house style and an energetic, anime-influence design scheme. Bates' ability to bring a new energy to these characters, without loosing sight of their classic elements, has rightly been lauded. It's a great looking story. Yardley draws the back-up and the work is up to his professional standards.

After some lackluster stories, in both the main book and “Sonic Universe,” Ian has finally knocked one out of the park. The first part of “Thicker Than Water” is a really fantastic story, successfully expanding on the comic's world and creating a conflict motivated more by emotion and characters than raw plot mechanics. (Or resolving decades old lingering plot lines, though it does a little of that too.) The back-up story isn't much to write home about but I guess introducing a long entrenched Sega character into the book was overdue. All together, it's one of the best issues we've gotten in quite some time. [8/10]

Sonic the Hedgehog (IDW): Issue 5

Sonic the Hedgehog (IDW): Issue 5
Publication Date: May 30, 2018

Welcome back to my bonus weekend reviews of IDW's brand new on-going “Sonic the Hedgehog” series. I found the month-long roll-out of the new comic pretty underwhelming. The first four issue were overly formulaic, with overly simplistic writing and very little emotional resonance. After the end of April, my question was whether or not the series would ever rise above this level or just continue in this mediocre groove. Now, after almost a month-long break, I can answer this question, as issue five is in my hands.

Issue 5 begins a new story arc entitled “The Fate of Dr. Eggman.” It begins with Sonic and Espio fighting through more rogue badniks as they approach a peaceful village in the mountains. This is where the Chaotix have tracked Eggman. But the mad doctor is not himself. The supervillain seems to have caught a case of amnesia. Now rendered harmless, he's become the town's all-purpose handyman/mechanic. The villagers call him Mr. Tinker. Sonic is not so sure if his archenemy has really turned over a new leaf. Before he can make up his mind, more badniks attack the village.

“The Fate of Dr. Eggman” thankfully shakes up the formula that had set in over the first four issues. Sonic actually has a conflict here that he can't just spin-dash to pieces. The story presents Sonic with an opportunity to forgive his greatest enemy. The drama comes from whether or not he'll be able to. A one page flashback shows some of the villainous deeds Eggman has performed –  events from “Sonic Adventure” 1 and 2, “Sonic Unleashed,” and “Sonic Generations – which reminds us of what a serious threat this guy is. (It also clarifies that the new comic isn't afraid to get serious, which I appreciate.) While Flynn's script mostly plays this for laughs, it puts Sonic in a difficult situation. His naturally altruistic nature is pitted against a well-earned suspicion towards Robotnik.

Of course, there is a question of whether or not Eggman is genuinely reformed. Does he even really have amnesia? Or is this just a scheme?  The book certainly hints that Eggman may just be tricking everyone. His previous appearance in this series was pretty villainous and, at the issue's very end, he mentions “Eggman Land.” On the other hand, the rest of the issue depicts “Mr. Tinker” as timid and kind. We've already seen the covers for the next few issues, so it can be assumed that Eggman will be back to his old evil self soon enough. However, I genuinely hope Flynn has the bad guy attempting to turn over a new leaf, whether it's via amnesia or genuine selflessness, simply because that's more interesting to me them him just pretending to be good.

As I said, we know Eggman will become a villain again soon enough, through one means or another. Sega will demand it and the fans will expect it. Which is sort of a shame. Retiring to a scenic alpine village, living out the rest of his life as a kindly tinkerer, unaware of his evil past, would be a legitimately poetic final fate for the fat man. (By the way, Eggman's former city of operation is now called Imperial City, which is giving me some delightful Robotropolis vibes. Now if only Flynn would cook up an ersatz Knothole.)

There's another reason to like this one. While there was plenty of humor in the first four issues, I found a lot of it to be subpar. Issue five, on the other hand, is surprisingly funny. On their way into the village, Sonic chastises Espio for being so mysterious about Eggman's current whereabouts. Espio responds by admitting he just wanted Sonic to know how hard they work. Sonic's immediate reaction to meeting “Mr. Tinker” is one of stone-faced disbelief and curt dismissal, which is pretty funny. When Sonic questions Eggman about his past crimes, the doctor's baffled reaction are also authentically funny. Sonic makes a surprisingly good straight man in this situation.

Issue five also re-introduces us to the Chaotix. Or, rather, introduces us to this continuity's version of the Chaotix. In some ways, this is surprisingly freeing. Completely removed from years and years of being a dorky, misogynistic asshole, Vector can now be reconsidered as an actual decent character. They've even dropped the faux hip hop slang. Charmy is no longer the annoyingly child-like character he became in the old comics. He's still pretty childish but also displays a more serious side, like when he single-handledly smashes a flying badnik. Espio is just as mysterious as usual but maybe a little funnier and looser than you'd expect. Flynn still has them as detectives – the only detectives Sonic knows, Espio dryly notes – but they seem less incompetent then the video games or “Sonic X” depict them as. So that's promising.

Tracy Yardley is back on penciling duties this month. Yardley's best work is during the action scenes. The opening panels of Sonic and Espio diving through the corkscrew-like mountain paths,  concluding with them swinging on a huge rope, is neat. I also like the panel devoted to Charmy taking down a flying badnik. Yardley still seems to be slightly rusty though. Sonic and Espio look seriously off-model on the first few pages. Eggman looks a little too silly in a couple of panels. I do, however, like the mountain goat mayor of the village and the new badniks we see in this one. Yardley also sneaks in a cameo from “Sonic Adventure's” Zero and a giant snake that seriously reminds me of “Sonic Spinball's” Rexxon.

The question of Robotnik's future is not the only plot point still up in the air. Shadow and Rouge make a last page appearance, demanding Eggman's head, which is a really good cliffhanger to go out on. There's still the question of who the mysterious new villain, organizing the badniks, is. (My current guess is Omelette.) Issue five still technically meets the formula laid down in the first four issues. Yes, Sonic still runs into a new village, meets some old friends, and smashes some robots. The big difference is this story is actually about something a little more complex than that. That easily makes it the best issue of the new series so far. Let's hope this is a step in the right direction and not a temporary fluke. [7/10]

Sonic Universe: Issue 20

Sonic Universe: Issue 20
Publication Date: September 2010

I'm going to be upfront about something: I don't love Tails. I don't dislike Tails and, yes, I acknowledge that he's the staple glue. Yet the undying devotion certain corners of the “Sonic” fandom have towards the two-tailed fox gives me pause. In the video games, Tails was often nothing more then a preferential player two character. His flight abilities were cool but that was about it. In the early cartoons, he was too often depicted as a whinny, tag-along kid sidekick that contributed little to the plot. The comics ran with this characterization for years before Tails finally developed a personality outside his bro-tastic love for Sonic. All of that's fine but there are other supporting characters in the “Sonic”-verse, both the games and comic books, that I'm way more interested in. Still, it was inevitable that Tails would get a second shot at his own story, which finally wraps up in issue 20 of “Sonic Universe.”

The final part of “Trouble in Paradise” doesn't get a pithy subtitle for some reason. Anyway, the issue begins with Tails, Antoine, and Bunnie facing off against Dr. Fukurokov's Mole Mech, a drill-nosed killer robot armor. After an extended fight with the machine, it's defeated. Only for Tails to discover that Speedy pilots the device. Afterwards, the bombs planted earlier begin to detonate. Tails, Bunnie, Antoine, and the rest of the Battle Bird Armada scramble to evacuate the island before it sinks into the sea... Or, at least, that's what it looks like is going to happen.

In his (negative) review of this story arc, Dan Drazen noted that Ian Flynn came dangerously close to writing Tails as a hyper-confident Gary Stu here. In my previous review, I also noted this, suspecting Flynn was making up for Tails' wimpy portrayal in his previous mini-series. I dismissed it then but I'm officially sick of this now. Tails absolutely comes off as a cocky asshole here, the plot bending in odd directions in order to show off his skills. Tails is never really challenged in this issue. Everything goes more-or-less according to his plan. He defeats the Mole Mech without breaking a sweat, the mechanical beast going down after a wrench is thrown at it. While Bunnie and Antoine are panicking, hoping to escape the island before it sinks, Tails is casual. This is because he knows they aren't in any real danger, that the island is actually a secret airbase. Flynn did a better job of noting Tails' adolescent insecurities in the previous issues but not here. It drains the tension out of the story when the hero is this certain of his victory.

Further affecting the issue's quality was Ian's decision to devote the entire first half to the fight with the Mole Mech. Visually, the machine is quite goofy looking, not making it the most intimidating threat. Flynn's choice to stick close to the original video game design may also be questioned. Giving the robot arms made of orbs, connected by an electrical signal, doesn't seem very practical. This is proven when the machine gets its arm tangled in a chain, another element that doesn't make it seem like a very serious threat. As I mentioned above, after plenty of build-up, the machine goes down very easily. Yardley's artwork crosses into incoherence, as Tails and T-Pup fly around the robotic armor, eventually causing it to fall over. In short, the Mole Mech isn't an effective villain, is thwarted too simply, and takes up far too much of this issue.

Following this disappointment, the comic finally reaches a few interesting tidbits. After besting the Mole Mech, Tails hears the pilot crying for help inside. It turns out to be Speedy. Tails puts aside their differences, in order to rescue his rival. For a second there, it seems like the two have gained some mutual respect for each other. Considering what a bully Speedy has been previously, that would be a big step and a compelling change. Instead, Flynn immediately tosses this point away. After a few short panels, Speedy slaps Tails away, calls him a name, and flies off. So much for character development.

Throughout this story arc, Bunnie and Antoine's rapport has often been more compelling than Tails' upsetting this little corner of the Battle Bird Armada's minor empire. We get some of that in this issue too. Bunnie casually correcting her husband's somewhat mangled English is cute. When the situation seems to become grim, Bunnie reassures her husband that Tails knows what he's doing... Before snipping at Tails, asking if really does know what he's doing. As the island reveals its status as an airbase and floats away, Bunnie and Antoine rise out of the rubble, sharing a rocket-booster assisted smooch. Honestly, I kind of wish Bunnie and Antoine had been the stars of this arc from the beginning.

The story is more-or-less wrapped up at that point but Flynn sticks in a brief resolution. He uses this extra space to gratuitously sprinkle some sequel hooks on the audience. The connection between the Battle Bird Armada and the Babylon Rogues are made more explicit. Some sort of conflict between the two is set up for a future encounter. Considering I care about the Rogues even less than I do the Armada, I am not looking forward to that particular arc. Nevertheless, it is nice to have Tails, Antoine, and Bunnie back in Mobotropolis by the end.

“Sonic Universe's” “Tails' Adventure” arc started off strong, with some light-hearted adventure and solid character work. By the end, it collapsed into underwhelming action scenes, sloppy plotting, and an overemphasis on Tails' skills and abilities. That's just how it goes some times, I guess. I'm sure we'll get all-the-way through satisfying “Sonic Universe” arc again some day. [5/10]

Sonic the Hedgehog: Issue 216

Sonic the Hedgehog: Issue 216
Publication Date: August 2010

August of 2010 wasn't a very good month for me. In fact, that entire summer was a hellscape of depression and misery for me. By this point, I was beginning a downward spiral that I wouldn't even begin to pull myself out off for several years. During this really shitty period of my life, one of the few things that genuinely gave me pleasure was reading Archie's “Sonic the Hedgehog” comic every month. In fact, I'm sometimes certain that my nerdy passions were the only thing that kept me going during that dark time. So that's where my mind was when this comic book was new.

Part two of “Family Matters” picks up where the first one left off. Rotor and Silver briefly tussle among the frozen tundra. This goes on until the walrus convinces the telekinetic hedgehog that his aim is true, the two forming a truce. Meanwhile, Sonic and the Arctic Freedom Fighters lay siege to the tower sending the mind control signal. What makes this especially difficult is the army of brain-washed walruses protecting the tower. Sonic and the Arctic Freedom Fighters have to figure out how to topple the tower without hurting any of the innocents involved.

As I mentioned last time, the first half of “Family Matters” was devoted solely to setting up the heroes' plan. The second half of “Family Matters” primarily concerns this plan playing out. Disappointingly, this isn't much more compelling. Sonic and his pals bumble through their plan, generally getting their asses kicked. That is until Rotor and Silver fly in, like a pair of airborne deus ex machina, and resolve the plot in a few panels. During these action scenes, the most Ian does is toss a little character development towards the Arctic Freedom Fighters. We learn that Erma the Ermine can apparently turn invisible somehow. There's some brief, cute interaction between Sonic and Flip the Penguin. Ahklut the Whale, a pretty cool orca sub-boss, gets a quicky introduction. That's about it.

However, there is one thing about “Family Matters: Part Two” that I sort of like. The back-and-forth between Rotor and Silver is mildly amusing. Once again, I enjoy the way Ian writes Silver. The futuristic hedgehog barges in, flinging Rotor around with his psychic powers, acting like he's a big badass. As soon as Rotor points out how stupid the entire basis of Silver's plan – assuming Rotor must be the traitor because people used to call him Boomer – is, Silver's tough guy exterior cracks. He begins to stutter and second-guess himself. Aww, that's cute. No matter how hard he tries, Silver is still an endearing screw-up. For the rest of the issue, he's very apologetic, his obvious lack of confidence showing.

The extended conclusion to “Family Matters” makes the entire purpose of this two-parter clear. As I mentioned during my review of issue 215, the fate of Rotor's herd has been a dangling plot point for years. Silver performs some psychic mojo upon Robotnik's mind-control tower during the issue's climax. Afterwards, the writer makes sure to point out that Rotor's herd can never be mind-controlled ever again. So this repetitive, often forgotten subplot is finally resolved once and for all, never to be mentioned again. Thank goodness for little miracles.

As far as stories go, the “Family Matters” two-parter isn't too exciting. At least it's looks really nice though. Steven Butler's artwork continues to be totally bitchin'. It says a lot about Butler's skills that he can take a nothing character like Erma the Ermine and make her interesting just based on the visuals. The action scenes, such as Rotor tackling Silver or Gunther flipping a walrus though the air, look pretty neat. Butler also manages to sneak some nice character moments in there, like the look of panic on Sonic's face as the gets attacked by Rotor's mom. The underwater confrontation with Akhlut also looks super intense.

Silver the Hedgehog goes back to the future for the second part of “Future Tense.” After his trip to the past, he discovers the future has changed slightly. The guardian, Edmund, recalls events a little differently than Silver does. The hedgehog explains that he's protected from the changes in the timeline, due to his status as a time traveler. The conversation is interrupted when Silver's master telepathically summons him to a meeting.

“Future Tense: Part Two” doesn't have too many story reasons to exist. Primarily, the back-up feature's purpose is to establish some more factoids about Silver's future world. Yes, we learn a little bit more about time travel. None of this is especially pertinent but it's mildly interesting. The big reveal at the end is that Silver's master is Mammoth Mogul, who has seemingly mellowed out in his old age. How or why this happened has yet to be explained. Not too much to discuss beyond that. Oh yeah, Jamal Peppers' pencils are still pretty sharp.

So the “Family Matters” two-parter was a bit underwhelming. I suppose it's not unexpected that a Rotor-centric story arc would be disappointing. Still, at least his herd is protected once and for all, for the handful of people who cared about that stuff. Ian develops Bunnie's backstory next, a story that I remember being way better. Stay tuned for that, faithful readers. [6/10]