Sonic the Hedgehog: Issue 44

 
Sonic the Hedgehog: Issue 44
Publication Date: December 1996

When Ken Penders first introduced the Mirror Universe idea back in issue 11, Knuckles wasn’t a part of the book yet. Occasionally, the series would bring back Anti-Sonic and his team of Anti-Freedom Fighters, just to remind us that they still existed. The gears were surely turning in fans’ brains: Where’s the Anti-Mobius version of Knuckles? As the cover for issue 44 announces, it was time to introduce Knuckles’ dimensional doppelganger. Anti-Sonic would continue to float around the book for years, eventually developing into a major villain. Knuckles’ alternate self, on the other hand, would only appear one more time, in a single panel, twelve years later. This is likely because issue 44 is kind of a crappy story.

While Rotor is showing Sonic the BFG he invented, an alarm rings throughout Freedom HQ. Turns out there’s some commotion on the Floating Island. Sonic and friends leap in a plane and fly off to the island. There, they discovers Knuckles brawling with Anti-Sonic and Knuckles’ equivalent from the alternate zone, O’Nux. After scaring the villains off, the Freedom Fighters take chase after the villains. On Anti-Mobius, they discover that O’Nux is not as bad as he appears and that Robotnik has devious plans for the other world.

“Black and Blue and Red All Over” squanders two interesting ideas. First off, it introduces O’Nux. Once you look pass the character having an embarrassing Irish accent for no particular reason, the book proceeds to subvert audience expectations. See, O’Nux is not simply a thuggish, evil version of an established hero. Instead, he’s a pacifist who hates fighting. (Despite him and Knuckles smacking each other around after meeting one another.) Furthermore, he doesn’t guard a Floating Island but a sunken city, surrounded by a Chaos Emerald-powered energy dome that keeps the water out. O’Nux never really gets a chance to grow as a character but he’s got an interesting idea behind him.

The second cool idea the comic doesn’t utilize is what Robotnik’s up to. By this point, Robotnik has made a hobby of crossing dimensions. The second half of “Black and Blue and Red All Over” reveals that Robotnik has traveled to the other world to experiment with his evil schemes. In a world where Ivo Robotnik is a peaceful veterinarian and the Freedom Fighters are a band of buffoonish thugs, the prime Robotnik can freely test out his latest weapons unopposed. It’s a clever idea and one that the book would never revisit. (Probably because it makes too much sense. If Robotnik can easily conquer some other world, it cheapens the on-going conflict he’s had with Sonic and the Freedom Fighters.)

Unfortunately, the actual story structure of issue 44 is a mess. The Freedom Fighters head off to the Floating Island, despite knowing what kind of conflict they’re running into. While knowing that some other worldly villains have already tried to steal the Island’s Emerald, Knuckles follows the Freedom Fighters to the other dimension. O’Nux later reveals he’s a pacifist yet he still fights with Knuckles. Sonic and Anti-Sonic fight while the other Freedom Fighters stand back, bored and disinterested. The story totally falls apart when the team reaches the sunken city of Atlantinopolis. Robotnik betrays Anti-Sonic and O’Nux, which you think they would’ve seen coming. His attempts to kill the Freedom Fighters, by shooting them out into the ocean, is immediately forgotten. Robotnik somehow opens a portal back to the Prime Zone. He’s then defeated when he shoots his laser cannon at Knuckles’ Chaos Emerald. Instead of exploding the emerald, Robotnik explodes. Yet he’s not dead. Instead, he leaves behind a pile of Chaos Emeralds.

Wait, what? See, the script is just a mess full of half-formed ideas, sloppy writing, and things happening for no sensible reason. The story ends without Sonic or Knuckles really gaining anything. I half-way suspect this was an old story, that had been left over for a while. It doesn’t really fit in with the book’s current story arc. There’s one tossed off reference to Knuckles’ quest for King Acorn’s sword, which I suspect could’ve been quickly added in. About the only thing this issue really contributes is finally explaining the connection Knuckles and Sally have. Turns out, King Acorn used to vacation on the Floating Island. Sally and Knuckles met when they were little kids, neither of their parents aware of their secret friendship. Other then that, Issue 44 adds nothing to the overarching mythology.

Last time, I was talking about how Manny Galan’s artwork had gotten a lot better. The artist has another backslide with issue 44. The artwork in the first half of the book is really not good. Everyone is off-model. Sonic is too lanky, Knuckles’ head is misshapen, Sally’s face is too boxy, Tails has a weird pencil neck. Things get a little better in the second half, with Galan’s ability for expressive faces showing up. It’s still doesn’t look very good, I’m afraid. I recently found an old interview with Galan, where he admits that he didn’t know how to draw the characters when he first got hired at Archie. It’s good that he’s honest about this. An uncredited Spaz pencils the flash-back scene which is immediately apparent.

It’s not an all-time worst story. Archie would publish some plots that had no interesting ideas in them. This is a story with an interesting idea but an awful construction. No wonder O’Nux would be a no-show for years afterwards. [4/10]

Sonic the Hedgehog: Issue 43

 
Sonic the Hedgehog: Issue 43
Publication Date: November 1996

The King Acorn saga rolls on with issue 43’s only story, “The Dream Zone.” In Knothole’s medical center – a thing that apparently exist – the quickly crystallizing King Max is in Dr. Quack’s feathers. When an attempt to reconcile his cellular changes fail, Quack cooks up a crazy plan to contact the King mentally. Using a device he’s created, Sonic enters King Max’s dreams and memories. There, he finds a strange world, an amalgamation of the Zone of Silence and the King’s last memories of Mobotropolis. (That’s right, kids. It’s Soniception.)

“The Dream Zone” is not a big action-packed story, though there’s some obligatory combat. Instead, it’s a story focused on characters and relationships. As much as a kid’s book from the mid-nineties could, it also explores memories and regrets. While Sonic, Sally, and Dr. Quack debate about what to do with the King, he’s haunted by his memories. In sepia-toned flash backs, we see the last days of Mobotropis, before the rise of Robotnik. The comic thankfully devotes a page to King Max playing briefly with Sally and Sonic when they were little kids. It’s a small moment, made more important by the inevitable events that are coming next. This is the last time King Max is going to see his daughter. The flashback still moves too quickly, cutting directly to Robotnik’s take-over. Yet even during that sequence, there’s a small emotional moment. Julayla and Rosie gather the children, trying to get them out of the city before it’s too late. For all we’ve heard about Robotnik’s take over of Mobius, actually seeing it play out is surprisingly touching.

 
Truthfully, emotions is what “The Dream Zone” is focused on. Sally’s anxiety over her father’s fate is played up throughout the story. Every line of dialogue she has in this story skitters with concern and fear over her beloved dad’s fate. Moreover, while King Acorn is unable to express his feelings, the comic frequently focuses on his eyes, silent tears welling up inside as he reflects on his failure and exile. Finally, “The Dream Zone” reminds us why Sonic is a hero. When a dangerous situation is at hand – mentally linking with King Max in hopes of waking him back to reality – Sonic is the first one that signs up. Doing dangerous things in order to protect the people he loves: That’s what a hero does.

For all the honest emotion “The Dream Zone” is invested with, it’s still not a flawless story. The book introduces Dr. Quack. While I don’t have any ill-will against the guy, the doctoral duck is unlikely to be anyone’s favorite obscure Sonic character. Weirdly, in his first appearance, Dr. Quack is introduced as a variation on Telly Salavas’ Kojak. He sucks a lollipop throughout the story and says “Who loves ya, baby?” Later, he cracks a really badly timed joke to the Princess about her father.

The comic relief in “The Dream Zone” truly doesn’t work. Sonic’s distrust of the doctor could’ve built into something deeper but, instead, the script just makes the hedgehog look pointlessly skeptical. Truthfully, Sonic’s snark and sass in this situation seems uncalled for. Maybe it’s a defense mechanism. Mostly, it seems like the writer was afraid to let things get too serious and injected some uneven comic relief. (Geoffrey St. John is also in the story, mostly to further bump up his rivalry with Sonic. Still, it leads to one funny scene, when Sally leaps into the skunk’s arms, much to Sonic’s incredulity.)

The best thing about “The Dream Zone” is that it maintains that emotional investment even as the story heads off for far-off places. In the last act, Sonic enters Max’s mind. Among the surreal landscape, we get introduced to Kodos – the savage warlord that will be more important later – and Feist – a giant panda that controls the Zone of Silence and wouldn’t be mentioned much afterwards. This adds some bizarre action beats to the story but it’s ultimately not important. Sonic uses his words, not his fists or speed, to connect to the King. The dialogue can get a little overdone but it’s impressive that the story ending this way doesn’t feel like a cheat.

Art wise, Issue 43 is interesting. Manny Galan draws the events in the present. It’s been fun to watch Galan grow as an artist. His first appearance back in issue 38 was awful. He got slightly better over the “Sonic Quest” mini-series. Here, Galan’s artwork graduates to competent. His strength for creating expressive faces makes him a good pick for a story like this. Sonic appears on-model throughout the whole story. Disappointingly, Sally and King Acorn still look slightly off-model. Galan’s work is decent but Patrick Spazinate, who draws the flash-back scenes, totally outclasses him. Considering Spaz’ specialty is hyper-kinetic action scenes, getting him to draw a mostly character-based story is an interesting move. His talent for extreme detail and anime-esque character design works for this kind of tale as well. One panel shows the King’s fearful face reflect in Robotnik’s cybernetic eyes, which is really interesting. I especially like his design for a prototype SWATBot that we see in one panel. Spaz also contributes a really gorgeous opening splash page, showing Sonic, Sally, and St. John standing in the remains of her father’s palace.

 
Though far from perfect, issue 43 is a touching and interesting story. When the book has been so preoccupied with mystic fetch quests and out-there mythology, I’m glad the story paused to focused on its characters and their feelings about what’s been happening. [8/10]

Sonic Live!

 
Sonic Live!
Publication Date: November 1996

Sonic the Hedgehog fans of all stripes and types don’t agree on much. Fans of Archie’s “Sonic” series are no different. However, the comic’s fandom generally has reached a consensus on a few things. The lawsuit sucked. Tommy the Turtle was a mistake. “Sonic Live!” is the worst story ever to be associated with the character. As a kid, I thought the story was kind of weird but never outright dismissed it as terrible. Kids are open to all sorts of things, you know. When time came to revisit “Sonic Live!,” I found myself wondering. Will it be as bad as everyone says?

Well, it’s certainly not good. In “The Last Game Cartridge Hero,” Robotnik has seemingly gotten Sonic right where he wants him. Princess Sally has some personality-voiding device on her head and the other Freedom Fighters are imprisoned. The villain encircles Sonic with SWATBots, the machines zapping him all at once. Sonic the Hedgehog is dead… Or so it would appear. The hedgehog is teleported to a weird alternate universe between zones. Outside, Steve and Jessica play a “Sonic the Hedgehog” video game. Spotting the kids, Sonic yanks them through the screen and into his world. The kids provide enough of a distraction for Robotnik, leading to his defeat. Yet another portal opens, the hero, villain, and kids ending up in another strange world.

There have been some pretty great stories with meta devices, with fictional characters interacting with the “real world.” “The Last Game Cartridge Hero” is not, uh, one of these. The plot lurches from bizarre point to the next. Why does getting zapped by the robots transport Sonic to a place between his world and the human world? How can he just pull the kids through the screen? Why does another portal open, tossing Robotnik and Sonic into another alternate zone? In this zone, the game developers of the Sonic series (notably, none of whom are Japanese) have been kidnapped by an army of robotic Robotniks. Where the hell did these guys come from? What’s their final plan? Sonic then opens the portal back to Mobius by tapping the stage select code on a giant Genesis controller. After sending everyone back to their proper worlds, the plot point of the other Robotniks are forgotten.

 
The incredibly dumb, senseless story is a problem but I don’t think that’s why people hate “Sonic Live!” so much. Instead, the story’s nepotism is what offends readers. See, the real life human kids Sonic interact with aren’t just any kids. Kevin is directly based on Ken Penders’ son while Jessica is directly based on his niece. So how the fuck did Ken convince Archie to publish a comic book where his own son and niece interact with Sonic the Hedgehog? I can’t imagine the pitch but I can imagine the Christmas or birthday wish that birthed this awful idea. “The Last Game Cartridge Hero” would still be senseless if the kids were purely fictional characters. Penders passing a piece of self-insert fan fiction off as a real comic book pushes the story over the edge.

Further proving that “Last Game Cartridge Hero” was purely a misguided vanity project of Ken’s is that he also drew it. The artwork is only occasionally as grotesque as Pender’s worst pencils are. The kids frequently look weird. The robo-Robotniks that show up look awful. The backgrounds lack totally in detail. Naturally, Penders’ worst attribute is his total inability to convey any movement or speed when action scenes crop up. The final insult occurs early, when actual photographs of Kevin and Jessica are used in the book. This is not only weird, it’s off-putting. Seeing an animated Sonic interact with flesh-and-blood children is just… Creepy.

Though it gets the cover, “Last Game Cartridge Hero” is only one of three stories in “Sonic Live!” “The Substitute Freedom Fighters” is written by Rich Koslowski and drawn by Art Mawhinney. Running parallel to the main story, it involves Larry the Linx and Cyril the Eagle grabbing Sally’s recruits and going to rescue the main team. Digging up Larry and Cyril, two characters that had already been forgotten, was an odd decision. They’d be mostly forgotten again after this, for years. However, this is a straight-ahead action story and works all right in that regard. Seeing Dylan pick a lock or Hamlin smash into a squad of SWATBots at least shows the characters can be useful. Mawhinney’s artwork is, naturally, extremely good. There’s not much to this story but, compared to the atrocious title story, it comes off way better then it would’ve otherwise.

In the very back of the book is the second part of the “Knuckles Quest” story arc. The Ancient Walkers’ vague hints sends Knuckles to a strange building in an obscure part of the Great Forest. There, he battles a series of bizarre monsters. Knuckles notices that the creatures are from fairy tales and that they fade into nothingness upon defeat. He realizes a sorcerer is at work here. The hunch is right, as Merlin Prower is responsible for this. He sends Knuckles on the next step of his quest.

Scripting wise, there’s not much to “Knuckles Quest 2.” The echidna shows up, whoops some monsters, makes friends with the man responsible, and gets sent on the next section of his fetch quest. The story’s not even that exciting as an action piece, as Knux makes short work of each monster. One factor saves the story entirely. Patrick Spazinate provides pencil. And, holy shit, is this an awesome looking story. Spaz’ work is, as expected, incredibly detailed, stylish, dynamic, and action packed. He’s pretty much the perfect guy to draw a story about Knuckles punching out a series of monsters. For the record, he fights a critter that looks like a Cacodemon from “Doom,” leopards with fiery whips growing from their backs, an ogre, a Chinese dragon, and the Grim Reaper. I want this story painted on the side of my van.

Neither of the back-up stories are great but they are mildly entertaining. This stands in stark contrast to the title story. “Sonic Live!” is not so much bad as it is deeply miscalculated in every conceivable way. The story was a mistake. It never should’ve been written, much less illustrated and printed. Archie has buried the story, refusing to re-publish it. Who can blame them? [3/10]

Sonic the Hedgehog: Issue 42

Sonic the Hedgehog: Issue 42
Publication Date: October 1996

By this point, it’s clear that Archie’s “Sonic the Hedgehog” comic is focused on the King Acorn plot point. For a while, Sally searching for her missing father was a plot point that took a back seat. Now, the series is bringing that to the forefront. Reading these books as a kid, I remember King Acorn being half-crystalized for a long ass time. While the storyline would arguably take up way too much time, issue 42 also continues to forge a weird, large mythology for the comic book.

Issue 42’s cover story, with the overly verbose title of “In Every Kingdom There Must Exist a Little Chaos!,” begins with Sonic and Knuckles beating the shit out of each other, as usual. Sonic wants to borrow Knuckles’ spare Chaos Emerald and the guardian is reluctant to hand it out. Rotor and Sally hope a Chaos Emerald will help reverse the King’s condition. When Knuckles won’t hand it over, the Freedom Fighters seek out the Ring Grotto to grab more Power Rings. This turns out to be an ambush, one of Knothole’s Spy Network being a double agent.

Issue 42 features another script from former editor Scott Fulop, going under his pen name Kent Taylor. As his last writing credit showed, Fulop didn’t have the best grip on the Freedom Fighters’ personality. In this story, Sonic is a prickly dickhole. Instead of peacefully approaching Knuckles – which he should really be doing by now, as the echidna has long since been proven a hero – he goes looking for a fight. Twice in this story, Sonic belittles Tails. He forces his hand over the kid’s mouth in one panel. In another, he condescendingly pats Tails’ head. At one point, Sonic calls his closest friend a “dumb-o.” Maybe his treatment of Tails is understandable, since Fulop writes the young fox as a blabbering, juvenile fool. Under Fulop’s pen, Sonic seems especially obnoxious.

Fulop’s script is inelegant in other ways. He begins the issue with some heavy-handed narration about tyranny, war, neutrality, guardians, and invasion. These passages are so overdone and circular that I can’t help but read them as Charles Gray from “Rocky Horror Picture Show.” The first half of “In Every Kingdim There Must Exist a Little Chaos” is strictly devoted to action. Fulop cleans up some cast members he created. Sleuth Dawg is revealed to be a traitor and Fly Fly Freddie is revealed to have been robotocized. Considering nobody has ever cared about these characters, it’s not exactly a huge lose.

As an action story, this story mostly benefits from Art Mawhinney’s typically fantastic artwork. It’s nice to see Sally and Tails getting into the action, kicking and smashing SWATBots. It always pleases me when a writer acknowledges that Sally is a total bad ass able to tear robots apart with her bare hands. When Bunnie shows up, she gets to use her telescoping legs in effective ways. I’m not a super huge fan of Sonic spinning his arms to create many cyclones, like the Flash. Mawhinney isn’t just great at action. He also sneaks in some emotion. In the last act, Mawhinney doodles in tears dripping from Sally’s eyes. This situation with her dad is stressing her out, you guys.

 
For all his flaws, Fulop at least knows how to give his characters stable goals. Issue 42 introduces the quest to retrieve King Acorn’s magical sword and crown, which will restore him for good. Yeah, some of the script’s exposition is a little flimsy. Uncle Chuck just yanking out a scroll that informs the characters is inelegant, to be sure. All the talk about the Halls of Limbo seems like it belongs to another book. Still, it’s an interesting idea. Once again, I’m happy to see a writer expanding on the comic’s mythology. This book, for its many problems, would set up the magic foundation of this universe.

The back-up story shifts its focus to Knuckles and Tails, the echidna setting out on a quest to retrieve the King’s sword, out of loyalty to Sally. (Presumably the Chaotix are doing Knuckles’ actual job of watching the Floating Island.) In this story, the book heads out into further cosmic territory. Knuckles encounters his great-grandfather Athair before he’s launched on a nutty journey through the cosmos, meeting the Ancient Walkers. They present six individuals that Knuckles must encounter if he hopes to recover the sword.

 
The back-up, entitled “Knuckles Quest,” was co-written by Fulop and Ken Penders. Say what you will about Penders but he’s way better at this shit then Scott. With Ken’s help, even the mystic mumbo-jumbo of the Ancient Walkers becomes somewhat poetic. Mostly, Penders tosses some character development in this story. When Knuckles encounters Athair, it becomes clear that he doesn’t think much of his great-grandfather. He’s annoyed by the old man abandoning his post as Guardian of the Floating Island. He also doesn’t have much patience for Athair’s mystical rantings. Tails and Knuckles also make an interesting team. Unlike Sonic, Knuckles doesn’t use kid’s glove around the boy. All the set-up is deployed all right. Art Mawheeny’s pencils are still top-notch, especially since this story allows him to draw some wild things.

So there you go. Issue 42 has its flaws and its pros. [6/10]

Sonic Quest: Issue 3

 
Sonic Quest: Issue 3
Publication Date: November 1996

As in the first issue, the second issue of “Sonic Quest” ended on a big ol’ cliffhanger. The Death Egg had squatted itself on the Floating Island and, using its powerful engine, was determined to sink the entire landmass into the sea. And just as it did last time, the book quickly resolves that cliffhanger. Sonic and Tails fight with Robotnik, eventually wrecking the Death Egg’s control panel, sending the war ship higher into the sky. Determined to salvage his evil plan, Robotnik takes the fight straight to Sonic.

Issue 3 is probably the best chapter of the “Death Egg Saga” if only because it’s the one that screws around the least. For one, it’s set mostly within the titular warship. Primarily, the story is focused on heroes wrecking the bad guy’s shit. Sonic and Tails team up to dislodge Robotnik’s scheme, truly working together in what feels like the first time in a while. The mad man and the hero have a one-on-one fight. The bad guy’s evil plot is defeated, his war machine squashed, and the book even remembers to throw some lip service towards the King Acorn subplot. This is easily the smoothest script to emerge from this mini-series.

 
It still has some pretty serious flaws though. Once again, I don’t know what the hell was going on with Mike Gallagher’s dialogue. His work in the other books wasn’t like this. “Sonic Quest” once again features some painfully heavy-handed, bloated dialogue. Robotnik explains what the Death Egg is doing as it does it. Sonic narrates his combat with the SWATBot and later spells out his fight with Silver Sonic in equal detail. Tails recaps the villain’s plot. Robotnik details every step of his scheme, whether it involves Sonic being smothered with poison gas, the Death Egg’s direction shifting, or the introduction of the book’s big robotic enemy. Every single page in this book is filled with overstuffed word bubbles. Was this an editorial decision? Or was Mike really making sure newcomers understood what was going on?

“Sonic Quest” also has the same problem that all of Archie’s three-part mini-series face. Three issues really isn’t enough space to develop this storyline. After only one issue of actually doing anything, the Death Egg is unceremoniously destroyed. Robotnik’s scheme is deflated before it even really begins. Considering how big a deal the Death Egg is supposed to be, Tails has a surprisingly easy time blowing it up. A few stray shots to the control panel send it soaring into space. A few easy steps, done off-panel, begins the ship’s self-destruct sequence. Despite his prominent placement on the cover, Knuckles plays a small role in the book. (The cover lies. He never teams up with Sonic.) The Floating Island business is quickly resolved. If “Sonic Quest” had just one more issue, it probably could have spread its story around in a more satisfying manner.

As was the case last time, action is where this book truly excels. Throughout the book’s history, it has portrayed Sonic and friends escaping Robotnik’s wrath too easily. This time, the mad doctor traps Sonic in a glass trap and pumps in some poison gas. If Tails hadn’t intervened, our hedgehog hero would be dead as dog shit. I also like that “Sonic Quest” gave Tails so much to do. He successfully infiltrates Robotnik’s warship, rescues his idol, and destroys the Death Egg. That’s a far cry from the incompetent kid he was in his own mini-series. Lastly, the book ends on some pretty big rumbles. Sonic battles Silver Sonic, a giant mechanical version of himself. The Archie version of Silver Sonic is far more intimidating then the goofy looking version from “Sonic the Hedgehog 2.”

Afterwards, Sonic crawls inside the mecha-hedgehog and uses it like armor. This is well-timed, since Robotnik had just slipped into his own battle suit, given the punful name of “The Eggs-o-Skeleton.” The battle between hero and villain is too brief but it’s pretty satisfying to see Sonic and Robotnik battle one-on-one. For arch-enemies, they rarely fight head on. This is usually fine, as Sonic is physically gifted and Robotnik is mentally gifted. However, there’s something to be said for the good guy and the bad guy wailing on each other.

The plot has still got some issues and Gallagher’s dialogue is astonishingly bad. However, part three of the “Death Egg Saga” satisfies in a way the previous two issues didn’t. An additional plus is Manny Galan’s artwork, which has gotten more competent with every issue. He’s finally got a solid grasp on Sonic and friend’s anatomy. (He’s also the only person to draw Tails with a neck, I think.) He’s good at action and movement too, which works with this script. I can’t really recommend the “Sonic Quest” series, as its troubled production is all too obvious. Still, it is slightly better then its reputation suggests and wraps up on an okay note. [7/10]

Sonic Quest: Issue 2

 
Sonic Quest (Mini-Series): Issue 2
Publication Date: October 1996

After an underwhelming first issue, “Sonic Quest: The Death Egg Saga” rolls on like some sort of spherical object down a hill. Issue 1 ended on multiple cliffhangers: Sonic had been captured by Condorbot! Tails had been sucked up into the Death Egg! Robotnik had successfully launched his warship! King Acorn’s condition was worsening! Issue two sets about resolving most of those problems. Turns out, Sonic was playing possum with Condorbot. He quickly out-smarts the robot and sneaks aboard the Death Egg. Tails, meanwhile, sneaks inside the remains of a downed SWATBot, piloting the machine like a puppet. He uses this disguise to get closer to Robotnik. The mad scientist has used the Power Rings to form a protective shield around the Death Egg and now targets the necessary fuel to power the ship’s ultimate weapon: A Chaos Emerald. He heads towards the Floating Island, bringing Knuckles the Echidna and the Chaotix into this plot.

The second issue of “Sonic Quest” is fairly notorious among Archie fans. Not because of its plot or artwork. The script is far more focused then the first issue and Manny Galan’s art is mostly okay. No, the comic befell a number of printing errors. About a third of the book’s pages have a washed-out blue coloration overlaying all the art. This unintentionally cast a weird, melancholy, noir-like atmosphere to most of the story. Archie is sometimes noted for cutting corners. That they let an error like this make it to print does not speak well of the company’s overall quality control.

Printing errors aside, “Poached” – all of the “Death Egg Saga” issues have excruciating egg puns for titles – is a big improvement over the first story. Oh, there’s still lots of exposition-heavy dialogue. Robotnik spends many word bubbles describing the Death Egg’s properties and his goals. Tails has an on-going interior monologue from inside the SWATBot suit. He gives lip service towards getting the jump on Robotnik but never does. Sonic breathlessly describes his actions while fighting Condorbot. Knuckles gets the worst of it. Furthering my belief that this mini-series was meant to introduce the characters to new readers, his first appearance here has him explaining his gliding abilities and his duties as guardian of the Floating Island. (Weirdly, the book also has him shouting shit like “By the beads of Athair!” or “By the shadows of Mt. Fate!” or “It cannot be so!” I’m not sure why Mike Gallagher thought he was writing dialogue for a Thor comic book.) Furthermore, the Chaotix and their corresponding super-powers all get pointed out.

Despite these issues, “Poached” isn’t just devoted to laboriously setting out the storyline’s later events. There’s actually some movement to the plot here. Just what the hell Robotnik plans to do with the Death Egg is established. Once he gets a hold of that Chaos Emerald, he’ll robotocize the entire planet. Shit, that’s a big deal! Though disappointingly pushed to the sidelines – our heroes don’t actually know what he’s up to – this at least gives the story some high stakes. It also adds some forward momentum to this plot. Robotnik is on a fetch quest which is more clearly defined then the nebulous evil plot the first issue set up. There’s also some solid action here. I like Sonic’s mid-air battle with Carl Condor and the Chaotix fighting off a pair of giant Burrowbots.

Despite mostly focusing on the plot, issue 2 of “Sonic Quest” also features some okay emotional beats. This story is focused on Sonic, Tails, and Knuckles. This disappointingly sidelines Sally and the other Freedom Fighters. (Bunnie and Antoine don’t even put in an appearance in this issue, though they’re mentioned in dialogue.) Still, Sally gets a moment to herself. The stress of Sonic and Tails’ uncertain fate and her father’s worsening condition gets to her. She actually weeps, crying on Rotor’s shoulder. Unnoticed, King Acorn also cries a single tear, feeling his daughter’s pain. It’s a decent emotional moment, somewhat undermined by Gallagher’s dialogue. He actually has Sally say “Boo-hoo-hoo!” To a lesser degree, Robotnik being so wrapped up in his villainous plot that he doesn’t notice Sonic entering the ship or Knuckles’ threating about the fate of the Floating Island are also decent touches.

Well, it’s getting better. “Sonic Quest” got off to a rough start. Though this issue still has its fair share of flaws, such as Gallagher’s wooden dialogue or some production problems, it’s definitely an improvement over part one. Will the series wrap up on a decent note? I guess I’ll find out soon. [6/10]

Sonic Quest: Issue 1

 
Sonic Quest: Issue 1
Publication Date: September 1996

The “Sonic Quest” mini-series has always raised a question in my brain: Why? Unlike the other Sonic-centric mini-series Archie would launch, “Sonic Quest” did not star a member of Sonic’s supporting cast, functioning as a pilot of sorts for a spin-off series. (I imagine Archie already had plans for their much-desired spin-off series, as the “Knuckles” on-going would debut the next year.) There’s nothing about this three issue mini-series that couldn’t have been told in the on-going book. Much of the story’s plot is deeply entrenched in what was happening in the monthly book. The “Sonic Quest” series would be plagued with production problems and printing errors, leaving it with a poor reputation among Sonic fans. For these reasons and more, it would be the second-to-last mini-series Archie would spin off from the main book. As I look back over these three issues, let me continue to try and decipher why they exist.

Plot-wise, “The Death Egg” saga picks up where Issue 41 left off. After rescuing King Acorn from the Zone of Silence, the King has fallen under a strange condition. Mentally, his mind remains scrambled and unresponsive. Half of his body has crystallized into a Chaos Emerald-like material. Tails gets the idea that Power Rings might effect the King’s condition. Sally sends the Freedom Fighters off in different directions, in order to find these rings. Meanwhile, Dr. Robotnik plans to launch his deadliest weapon yet. The Death Egg, a massive air ship, launches into the sky, interrupting Sonic’s plot to rescue the King.

Off all the various other “Sonic” medias Archie’s comic book tied into, the video games have always been the least important. Look no further then the various direct video game adaptations Archie has done. The “Sonic the Hedgehog 3” and “Sonic & Knuckles” adaptations were extremely loose. The “Triple Trouble” one-shot pushed the video game elements into a two-page spread in the middle of the book. The “Knuckles’ Chaotix” adaptation featured about three elements from the game. The comic has generally been too busy building its own weird mythology to focus on the video games. So, on one hand, that might explain why “Sonic Quest” exists. The series is sort of an adaptation of “Sonic the Hedgehog 2.”

Which may reveal the other reason why “Sonic Quest” exist. I suspect this mini-series was meant to introduce new readers to the series. First off, it throws in elements from two of the most popular “Sonic” video games, the product this comic was ostensibly meant to promote. Secondly, the book is packed full of exposition about things regular readers will already know. Sally spends an entire page explaining the events of the last couple issues. There are long word bubbles devoted to explaining King Acorn’s conditions, the function of the Power Rings, the entire purpose of the Pond of Rings, and what the Death Egg is. Then again I may be totally wrong, as this issue is also deeply connected to the other things happening in the universe. So, if it was meant to introduce new readers, it probably didn’t do a very good job of it.

After that previously paragraph suggested, issue 1 of the “Death Egg Saga” features some really heavy-handed dialogue. Mike Gallagher wrote this one but you'd be forgiven for assuming it’s a Penders’ joint. (Though Gallagher still found some room for his trademark puns.) The book is so busy laying down the details of the mythology that it doesn’t have room for natural sounding dialogue. About half of the dialogue here is devoted to blandly explaining the situation. Truthfully, the reveal of the Death Egg is shoved into the back of the book. Otherwise, what does this issue contribute to the mythology? King Acorn’s condition would remain a plot point for a while. Mostly though, it clears up a minor continuity error: That the Pond of Rings shown in “Super Sonic vs. Hyper Knuckles” and Issue 39 aren’t the same place. Gee, thanks for mentioning that.

So what does the first issue, punningly subtitled “Scrambled,” do right? Once all the explaining is out of the way, at least it has a clear plot for the heroes. Sonic and Tails head off to find the Ring Grotto outside Robotropolis, where Tails accidentally ends up sucked inside the Death Egg. Sonic, meanwhile, runs off to meet Carl Condor., the leader of an avian-themed group of Freedom Fighters... A character that has never been mentioned before. I’ve never been entirely convinced that Carl Condor wasn’t meant to be Cyril Eagle, a character introduced back in Issue 12 and rarely mentioned again. Of course, Carl Condor turns out to have been previously robotocized. I’ve always been a fan of the Condorbot, solely because of its pretty neat design. Disappointingly, the robot shows up, catches Sonic off-guard, and yanks him up into the sky. The Death Egg, meanwhile, doesn’t appear until the end of the book.

Manny Galan handles the artwork for this issue. Galan previously did pens for Issue 39 and his work there was pretty terrible. Galan has already shown a lot of improvement. He draws Robotnik, Sally, and Rotor decently. His Sonic and Tails need some work and they occasionally wander off-model. Galan’s Snively just looks weird. His facial expressions are slightly odd too. Still, Galan has a really nice sense of motion and incorporates lots of detail into his work. He’d get better and he’s already not bad as this point.

Maybe “Sonic Quest” will get better? The first issue has a pretty heavy-handed script and pushes the best parts to the margin of the book. Maybe now that the Death Egg has actually shown up, the story will progress from here. [5/10]