Sonic the Hedgehog: Issue 115

Sonic the Hedgehog: Issue 115
Publication Date: October 2002

I don’t remember much about this era of Archie’s “Sonic the Hedgehog” comic. I never stopped reading the book but I wasn’t paying very much attention to it at this time. Issue 115, however, is one I definitely recall. It sticks in my memory for being such a blatant throwback to the book’s earlier, goofier days. The cover story revolves around a fantastical plot development that isn’t really in line with anything else happening in the book at this moment. It’s a totally self contained story, that comes and goes without leaving a lasting effect. Not that issue 115 is a bad issue – it’s passable – but it definitely sticks out for tonal reasons.

Unsurprisingly, this is another one from the pen of Benny Lee, perhaps explaining why it’s a stand alone story. In “Meanie in a Bottle,” Sonic is tossing a stick around with his robotic dog, Muttski. After the pet leaps into a lake, Sonic defies the title of his blog and jumps in after him. From the lake bed, he retrieves a mysterious bottle. The bottle contains a genie. And he’s a real asshole too. Instead of granting Sonic three wishes, he zaps both the hedgehog and his pet. As a result, Sonic looses his speed and Muttski gains it.

This is how inconsequential a story “Meanie in a Bottle” is: The genie that drives the plot doesn’t even have a Mobius Encyclopaedia page, an otherwise comprehensive guide to the book’s universe. There are some things I like about the story. Sonic’s concern for his dog, when he dives into the water and won’t surface, is sweet. Focusing on the relationship between Sonic and Muttski is nice, considering the robot dog doesn’t usually get this much attention. The montage of Muttski experiencing super speed – which involves him stopping a burglary, playing with Tails and Sally, and dragging Sonic around – is funny in a dumb way. Sonic’s disappointment when Muttski grabs the stick right out of his hand, before he even throws it, is amusing as well.

I guess my problem is how immature the story feels. The hero plucking a genie out of nowhere seems like an especially random story turn. The genie just being a prick for no reason happens primarily for plot reason. Sonic defeats the pesky djinn by locking him in Muttski’s belly and demanding he obey his wishes. Considering the genie obviously has magical powers, I’m not sure why this is such a problem for him. It’s not that I dislike the story’s total disconnect with the rest of the book. I’ve praised Benny Lee’s episodic writing before. It just seems to me that the story was conceived and written quickly, without too much thought being put into it.

However, there is one thing about “Meanie in a Bottle” I can praise without reservations. Art Mawhinney shows up again. It’s clear Art is still adapting to Sonic’s post-Dreamcast design. He somewhat awkwardly squeezes the green eyes, buckled shoes, and longer spines onto his classical Sonic design. His design for the genie is quite generic. Yet his strength for expressions still benefits the story. Sonic’s concern for Muttski and his eventual exhaustion, after loosing his speed, are clearly and vividly displayed. Even if this isn’t the best story, it’s still nice to see that Art’s art is as top notch as ever.

Ken’s “Ultimate Power” arc continues in the back. Mammoth Mogul insists Harry, apparently the only cab driver on the Floating Island, take him to see Dimitri. The supervillain proceeds to hold the other supervillian hostage, demanding Knuckels puts in an appearance. Meanwhile, the Guardian goofs around with his friends while Lien-Da continues to plot her take-over of the Dark Legion.

How rarely do we get to see Knuckles kick back and relax? It’s nice to know that, occasionally, the young Guardian feels the need to frolic with his friend. Sadly, Ken can’t let this moment breathe. He immediately has Espio ask how Knuckles got green, which segues into a discussion about his abilities. (He then uses those powers to summon a bouquet of flowers for Julie-Su. Which is sweet, even if Julie-Su doesn’t seem like the kind of girl you get flowers for.) That particular sequence concludes with Knuckles running off to his dad to get some answer. Which is weird, considering Locke has never in his entire life given his son a straight answer about anything.

While this is going on, more plot relevant manners are happening. By now, it’s clear that Lien-Da is using Dimitri’s illness as a way to seize power. Meanwhile, it’s also quite obvious that Mammoth Mogul intends on zapping Knuckles’ power next. I’m not especially concerned with this stuff but at least it’s moving at a decent pace. That’s better than how sluggish the Chaos Knuckles saga had been, up to this point. Dawn Best draws again, though I wonder if Ken didn’t do some uncredited pencils on this one. Knuckles and friends looks a little awkward in a few of the panels.

Issue 115 doesn’t feature three stories, as had become common practice. Instead, more of Spaz’s unused designs are shoved into the middle of the book. It’s mostly character and costume designs, loose doodles hardly worth commenting on. What is tantalizing is a page devoted to an anime-style alternate universe story Spaz apparently pitched. The story would’ve featured a weirdo supervillain Snively and very cute versions of Sonic, Sally and Bunnie. I guess it wasn’t meant to be? This mid-book spread may actually be the most memorable thing about a passable if not especially notable issue of the series. [6/10]

Sonic the Hedgehog: Issue 114

Sonic the Hedgehog: Issue 114
Publication Date: September 2002

I have no idea why Archie took a month off to let Many Hands out of his cage, to present us with the totally worthless “Cry of the Wolf.” Either way, things are back on track with issue 114. As the cover promises, Mammoth Mogul returns to the book. This installment has Benny Lee breaking his habit of stand alone stories. Instead, this one is steeped in the series’ on-going mythology. It also, thankfully, wraps up one of the previous year’s dumbest dangling plot lines.

In “Twice Told Tails,” Sonic’s sidekick is being haunted by nightmares about a spooky cave. Sonic and his parents try to assure the fox that these dreams are nothing to worry about. Instead, Tails flies the Tornado away in the middle of the night. Sonic secretly follows him. The two arrive at the cave Tails has been dreaming about. Inside, they meet Mammoth Mogul and another version of Tails trapped inside a bubble. We quickly discover the truth behind Athair’s startling revelation last year.

Obviously, the main purpose of “Twice Told Tails” is to resolve that stupid “Tails isn’t the real Tails” nugget Ken dropped on us. Benny Lee waste no time in revealing the truth. After being released from the Master Emerald during the “Sonic Adventure” prologue, Mammoth Mogul immediately grabbed the real Tails. He kept the true fox locked up in his cave, slowly draining his special “Chosen One” powers, in order to keep himself alive. To keep his friends off the trail, Mogul created the bogus Tails. It’s succinct and – assuming Benny Lee isn’t really Ken, as I’ve long suspected – probably a much more concise conclusion then Penders would’ve delivered.

It’s nice that this dumb plot thread is finally resolved. Disappointingly, “Twice Told Tails” rushes through the story a bit too quickly. Tails shows up at the cave, inexplicably drawn towards it. Mogul barges in and immediately explains what the hell is going on. Sonic and Tails punch Mogul twice in the face. This is enough to distract the elephant, freeing the real Tails, and forcing the supervillain to skedaddle. Afterwards, the fake Tails dissipates into nothingness. It all happens in the space of a few pages. I’m not complaining about Lee’s eagerness to wrap up this asinine plot twist. However, I wish it was done with a little more elegance.

Granted, there are one or two cute emotional moments. The early scenes of the hedgehogs, including Uncle Chuck and Sonic’s robotic parents, showing concern for Tails is nice. Sonic has some amusing battle banter with Mammoth Mogul, proving that Benny Lee occasionally had an ear for dialogue. I wish Sonic’s reunion with the real Tails at the end was more detailed. It only occupies a few panels but I do like the tears welling up in the hedgehog’s eyes, upon seeing the real Tails gain his freedom.

The back-up story, “Ultimate Power: Part 1,” returns us to the Chaos Knuckles saga, a story line I was personally happy to take a break from. Knuckles sets up Julie-Su and her parents with a swanky apartment in Echidnopolis. When asked how he accomplished this, Knuckles flat-out admits that being the Guardian comes with some perks. Meanwhile, Dimitri reveals to Lien-Da that he’s dying, hoping his protégé will be a worthy heir to the Dark Legion leadership.

The first part of “Ultimate Power” is loaded down with plot mechanics. It sets up Dimitri’s declining health and growing distrust of Lien-Da. The short six-pagers also reveals that Mammoth Mogul is on the Floating Island too, presumably up to nefarious things. If there’s anything interesting about “Ultimate Power,” it’s in the little moments. The way Dawn Best illustrates Lien-Da agreeing to Dimitri’s terms certainly establishes that she’s up to no good. The banter between the Guardian and his girlfriend, as she gushes about her new apartment, is kind of cute. Knuckles is finally reunited with the Chaotix, allowing Vector to get back to harassing Julie-Su. (Considering his secret crush Knuckles is the one openly collaborating with the enemy, Vector’s misogyny is even more misplaced than usual.) Amusingly, Julie-Su tosses Vector to the concrete, clearly sick of his bullshit. Which is, you know, nice. These little moments keep you reading through whatever Ken is planning.

Continuing the three story structure the comic was going with at the time, issue 114 also shoves in a third story. Karl Bollers’ “Young at Heart” has Tails and Amy Rose returning to school, much to their chagrin. Both are annoyed that they have to go to school, while the Freedom Fighters get to do fun stuff. Throughout the day, Amy has to find her own ways to pass the time.

“Young at Heart” is a pretty useless story. Karl resurrects the Knothole High concept but at least realized sticking Sonic in school was a dumb idea. The story doesn’t move the plot forward any or expand on the world. It really just exist to establish that Amy is back in school and to fill out the comic. Yet the antics Amy gets up to – making faces at Tails during history class – are amusing. Both the characters’ frustration with going to school, and the matronly way Sally escorts them to class, is cute. Sonic’s disdain for Geoffrey St. John, and the insistent way Sally clarifies their relationship, are also cute. Jay Axer draws this one and his artwork is as excellent as ever.

None of the stories in issue 114 are entirely satisfying. Yet they all have little moments in them that make me smile. The cover story, most importantly, does do away with a lame plot twist, which is certainly appreciated. Where the comic is headed next, I don’t remember. But at least we’ve got the real Tails back. [7/10]

Sonic the Hedgehog: Issue 113

Sonic the Hedgehog: Issue 113
Publication Date: August 2002

When Archie published the final Sonic Super Special, “Naugus Games,” it sent a ripple of revulsion through the fandom. Fans were disgusted that Archie would dare present such a shoddy product and ask us to fork over our valuable money for it. The artwork, the story, all of it smacked of laziness. “Naugus Games,” sadly, is not the sole credit of “Many Hands,” the amateurish artist of that book. Issue 113 of “Sonic the Hedgehog” is Hands’ second, and thankfully last, contribution to the series. Continuing the theme of laziness, Archie’s staff couldn’t even be bothered to write an original script to accompany the shitty art. Instead, this comic is an adaptation of an old SatAM episode.

Which episode? Season two’s “Cry of the Wild,” otherwise known as the first appearance of Lupe and the Wolf Pack. As in that episode, Sonic, Sally and Antoine enter a cave system while on a recon mission. After the entrance is sealed, they encounter the canines. Soon, the two Freedom Fighter groups form an alliance. Afterwards, Snively arrives in a hovercraft, forcing the two groups to work together in order to defeat the enemy.

My primary question after reading “Cry of the Wild” is “why?” Why would Archie publish an adaptation of an eight year old cartoon episode? Moreover, why would they publish such a crappy adaptation? Once again, I have to assume that a deadline had to be met and quickly. This is presumably why they dusted off an old script, which needed little rewriting. This is presumably why they summoned Many Hands from whatever circle of hell it resides in, in order to quickly scribble the pictures. If Archie really needed a comic book on the shelves in August 2002, Jesus Christ, a set of reprints would’ve been preferable to this.

The artwork, of course, is absolutely fucking hideous. The comic lures you in with that spiffy cover and Jay Axer’s nice frontispiece. It then hits you in the face with the horror of Many Hands. The colors are hideously flat and sloppy, often blurring outside the damn lines. Characters frequently bend off-model. In the world of Many Hands, there’s no such thing as “on model.” The characters are shapeless blobs, that can stretch and squish in any direction. Faces morph, arms and legs change in length, and backgrounds are hastily sketched. Sonic and Snively probably get it the worst, twisting in grotesque ways. But at least Many actually draws the entire book. There are no panels composed totally of snowflakes or darkness. That elevates issue 113 slightly above “Naugus Game.” The artwork shits on you but it's not shitting directly in your mouth, is what I'm saying.

Archie doing a direct adaptation of a SatAM episode also strikes me as strange. While the comic has always drawn from the cartoon show, for its world and its characters, the book has never been directly connected to it. The comic is its own thing, sharing attributes but ultimately disconnected. The book would go on to do things the cartoon show never could. It’s tone ultimately became darker, its world bigger, then the Saturday morning cartoon that inspired it. So just sticking an old TV script into the comic universe is a really weird decision.

“Cry of the Wild” ostentatiously serves a purpose though. Lupe and the Wolf Pack never got a proper introduction in the comics. When they first wandered on-panel in issue 46, it was with the presumption that Sonic and the gang had met them before. So issue 114 shows us that first encounter. However, “Cry of the Wild” doesn’t really succeed in that goal. Sonic and the gang fall into the wolves’ powwow room but, instead of getting a proper meeting, they run right off to discuss the plot. There’s no character development for Lupe, as she spends the entire issue detailing Robotnik’s influence on their area. The rest of the Wolf Pack remains as thinly sketched as ever. Honestly, we were just as well off with their prior introduction, wandering out of the woods into a secret meeting.

I haven’t seen the original “Cry of the Wild” episode in a long time. I don’t remember very much about it. However, I’m sure it handles the action elements of the story much better than this. Part of this can be blamed on the shitty artwork. The scenes of Sonic running from Snively’s hovercraft are so badly sketched that you can barely tell what’s going on. Hard to get excited by that. The entire last act is a repeated series of encounters between Sonic and Snively, each one more roughly illustrated then the last.

There is one thing interesting about issue 113, other then the question of why it exists in the first place. It marks the sole official appearances of Ari the Ram and Dirk the Rhino, two minor but important SatAM characters, in the comic book. Many Hands draws Ari like he’s a bird. Anyway, this is obviously a terrible comic book and I’m ashamed to own it. Archie would retire Many Hands after this, preventing the book from reaching a level this low ever again. [2/10]

Sonic the Hedgehog: Issue 112

Sonic the Hedgehog: Issue 112
Publication Date: July 2002

Here’s something unexpected: An entire issue of Archie’s “Sonic the Hedgehog” devoted solely to character development. And it’s not even Sonic, Tails, or Knuckles getting the development! Instead, the writers turn their eyes on Antoine and Uncle Chuck.

In Benny Lee’s “Mistaken Identity Crisis,” Antoine is feeling a little self-conscious. His newly reintroduced dad is very impressed with Sonic’s courage and heroism. Antoine, probably due to his years of cowardice, feels a little underappreciated. So the coyote and the hedgehog devise a plan. Reality, which includes a guest appearance from Zonic the Zone Cop, has other plans.

Once again, I’ll point out that Benny Lee’s writing feels somewhat disconnected with the rest of the book. For example, he writes Antoine as something of a coward, even though he long ago outgrew that characterization. Yet Lee still ends up adding some depth to Antoine and his father, two frequently neglected characters. “Mistaken Identity Crisis” doesn’t focus on a big action set piece or plot mechanisms. Instead, it’s a simple story about Antoine trying to prove himself to his dad, to win the love of a father that’s been out of his life for the last ten years.

Anybody familiar with literary stereotypes can probably see where this is going. In the end, Antoine proves that he’s actually far stronger then he thought. That this strength was inside him the whole time. Naturally, he also learns that he didn’t have to prove anything to his father, that his dad loves him regardless. This emotional payoff is cheated a little by the short page count but Lee makes his point. Father and son are brought closer, a pay-off the book earns.

What makes this understanding possible is a rather goofy, comedic contrivance. Zonic the Zone-Cop literally drops out of the sky at the story’s beginning. When he regains consciousness, he tells Sonic that Anti-Sonic is loose in this zone. Naturally, Antoine encounters the evil Sonic, assumes him to be the real Sonic in disguise, and cold-cocks him with a single karate chop. Aside from totally nerfing Anti-Sonic – an already comedic villain that is so defanged by this point that a single blow can defeat him – it’s the kind of goofy writing you’d expect from a cheesy sitcom. Yet it lets Benny Lee to tell a pretty sweet story, so I’ll allow.

The second story, Karl Boller’s “Forgiven,” turns the focus towards Uncle Chuck. The Knothole Freedom Fighters gladly welcome back the robotocized Lupe and the Wolf Pack, as their free will was returned along with the other Robians. Uncle Chuck, however, declines the invitation to the party. Chuck is feeling guilty, as he was the one responsible for robotocizing Lupe and the others, while under Robotnik’s control. A heart-to-heart is necessary to work this out.

Lupe and the Wolfpack have been excluded from the book for nearly three years, following her previous appearance in Sonic Super Special #11. I don’t know why Ken Penders wrote her out, considering she was part of the original SatAM cast. Maybe he thought she just wasn’t popular or well rounded enough? Or maybe he just has a boner for killing off strong female characters? Either way, Lupe is back. She’s still a robot but at least she’s got her soul back. It’s a welcomed return, considering she’s always been a potentially great character that’s never gotten her due.

What makes “Forgiven” powerful is how it focuses on Chuck’s guilt. That’s something the book has never really explored, if robotocized Mobians can still feel and see the things their programming forces them to do. It turns out they feel everything... Which is a huge burden fro someone like Chuck. We’re also not used to seeing Uncle Chuck, usually a stable mentor, in a vulnerable state. He’s already feeling guilt for inventing the Robotocizer in the first place. Though it only occupies a few panels, the reader really feels Chuck’s pain. To see him accepted, and loved, by his friends and family at the end is genuinely touching. “Forgiven” is one of Karl’s most affecting and well orchestrated stories in quite some time.

A familiar name returns to illustrate both stories. Art Mawhinney defined the look of the book in its early years but hasn't drawn an issue in a while. There’s some growing pains here, as Sonic’s new anime-inspired look is an odd fit for Art’s more traditional style. Yet it’s still great to have the guy back. (I also missed Mawhinney’s habit of adding personality to the background characters, making Knothole seem like a more populated place.) His cartoon cuteness is well suited to the opening story, with its goofy humor. Meanwhile, his ability to convey feeling is well utilized in both stories. Even Lupe, as a robot, gains an extra level of expression. So Art hasn’t lost any of skills in the time since he last drew the book.

In order to pad the issue out to full length, Archie sticks some more of those Sega Data Files in the middle of the book. Even though Ken has been doing these for a while, he’s just now including biographies for Sonic, Knuckles, and Tails. (And Amy Rose too, who is still just a supporting player right now.) Penders being Penders, he also throws in a detail genealogy of the Brotherhood of Guardians. All this really does is draw attention to how similarly Ken draws his echidnas. It certainly doesn’t distract from issue 112’s overall quality, which is one of the best comics the series has seen in quite some time. [8/10]

Sonic the Hedgehog: Issue 111

Sonic the Hedgehog: Issue 111
Publication Date: June 2002

First thing first, I want to talk about that cover art. It’s pretty good but that’s not my problem with it. Issue 111 would begin a strange trend with Patrick Spaziante’s “Sonic” covers. Most of the cover would be devoted to the main story, while a large image in the corner would feature the duel leads of the back-up story. I don’t know if this was Spaz’ decision or something ordered from on-high by Archie. Thankfully, this would only happen four times over the next year. It, however, seemed to point the way towards the lame “magazine cover” gimmick Archie would adopt in December. Mostly, it just distracts from the main image so I wonder why the decision was made.

With issue 111’s cover story, Karl Bollers continues to clean up dangling plot thread from the previous year. In the genuinely kind of cleverly entitled “Kids of the Spider Woman,” Uma Arachnis’ brood of ninja spider hatchlings attack Castle Acorn. At first, Sally and Sonic believe the royal family is endangered. Soon, they learn the truth. Driven by their mother’s genetic memory, the spiders are after the Sword of Acorn. Since the Sword has been getting increasingly clingy, Sally decides to just let the arachnids have it.

I’m not sure how to feel about Sally’s continued feeling towards the Sword of Acorn. It seems like Karl isn’t sure either. At first, Sally doesn’t want the Sword removed, thinking it’s possession is her destiny. This seems to contradict last issue’s “All for One.” Later, she’s afraid to let the Sword take control of her, resisting her destiny once again. In the end, she decides to ditch the blade, figuring the spiders are a better caretaker anyway. Giving Sally some doubts and uncertainty is fine, good even. Yet it also seems like the writer is uncertain of how to approach her.

Bollers attempts to build some suspense around the ninja spiders’ impending attack of the castle. Sally informs the King of her vision last time. As a precautionary measure, guards are stationed all around the kingdom. This leads to some mildly atmospheric panels of beefy soldiers standing around, probably some of Ron Lim’s best work. However, we already know from Sally’s vision last time that the spiders are going to attack Sonic and Tails. Which kind of drains any of the tension. Naturally, the ninjas get in with ease and start to tear shit up.

Uma’s kids also beat Sonic up really easily. I mean, I guess there are six of them and one of him. By the same accord, letting fresh characters wack the hero so easily seems like a lame attempt to boost the new additions. Sally just letting the ninjas walk away with the sword makes sense, from a narrative perspective. It disposes of that pushy plot point, at least for a while. Yet it’s not the most satisfying ending. Either way, we hopefully won’t see an obsessive magical sword and spider ninjas for a while.

During the cover story, Amy Rose and Rob O’ the Hedge return to Knothole. This wasn’t given much attention, because of ninjas, but Karl devotes a backstory to their arrival. Rob decides to stay in Knothole for a while. Not to watch out for Amy but because he spots Antoine’s Dad. That is, the robot general that Rob had been fighting for years. Except now the General’s free will has been restore. After some spying and snooping, Rob and the elder D’Coolette get to know each other, overcoming their differences.

“I’ll Shoot the Sheriff” is primarily a comedic story and mostly amusing. Rob’s hostile attitude towards the General actually makes a lot of sense, considering the characters’ history. A series of goofy panels are devoted to Rob spying on Antoine’s dad. By, for example, popping out of a lake or peering into his window. This turns on the next page, when D’Coolette promises to show Rob he’s not evil anymore. What follows is a montage devoted to the two becoming friends. By playing cards, telling ghost stories around a fire, and practicing archery. It’s silly but cute, addresses a viable plot point, and gets the job done in just a few pages.

Archie continues to stick Jay Axer with the back-up story. The artist makes the most of it. “I’ll Shoot the Sheriff,” typically, looks gorgeous. Part of the reason those silly panels devoted to Rob and D’Coolette bonding work is because the amount of expression Axer adds to his artwork. As always, the detail Axer brings to the character designs and the background are impressive. He's also good at emphasizing action, with speed lines and color circling the General slamming his fist on a window seal or Rob revealing a winning hand. Compared to Lim’s work on the cover feature, it’s like night and day.

Issue 111’s third story continues the character-focused but slightly comedic atmosphere. In “Trouble with Grrrls,” Sonic is pursued by a mob of wild fangirls, eager to get his autograph. The hedgehog and Tails retreat to the forest, where the young fox asks his idol about his feelings towards the female gender. Sonic admits that he doesn’t want a steady relationship, believing it’ll hold him down.

This isn’t the last time Sonic would be characterized this way. In an especially reviled future arc, Ken Penders would write the hedgehog hero as a serial dater, eager to abuse his fame to get with different girls. It’s never felt right for Sonic, considering he’s obviously been in love with Sally for years. Sonic’s reasoning to Tails just ends up reducing his personality. He doesn’t want to demystify his “cool” image. That she would slow him down or insist on eating first. Jesus Christ, Karl! Sonic’s a child soldier, not a rutterless teenage boy. (The story also suggests that Sonic does have some feelings for Mina, a plot point I thought had been buried.)

That aside, I don’t totally dislike “Trouble with Grrrls.” The opening scene, with Sonic running from the eager fan girls, is funny. (Though, once again, Archie forgets about Amy Rose, Sonic’s number one fan girl.) Sonic and Tails having a heart-to-heart is certainly appreciated, even if I’m not a fan of their conversation. Lastly, Steven Butler returns to draw this one. Seems like we haven’t seen his work in a while, doesn’t it? It’s as high quality as usual. Considering his strength for drawing sexy females, he was a good choice to draw a mob of horny fan girls. His character work on Sonic and Tails is valuable too.

The cover story of issue 111 has a good idea but isn’t executed perfectly smoothly. The second story is cute. The third raises some questions that I’m not sure needed asking. Overall, it’s yet another mixed bag. But let’s look on the bright side. At least we won’t have that dumb sword to kick around for a while, right? [6/10]

Sonic the Hedgehog: Issue 110

Sonic the Hedgehog: Issue 110
Publication Date: May 2002

During 2002, my fandom for Archie’s “Sonic the Hedgehog” comic did not burn its brightest. I was still reading the book, because I really do love the characters and their world. But, I’ll admit, I was having a harder time caring about what was happening during this period. My passion would ebb and flow wildly during the long Dork Age. The only thing I remember about issue 110 is how much I didn’t care about it, how inconsequential the story seemed.

So what of that story? “Station Square Attacks!” follows up on the events of the “Crouching Hedgehog, Hidden Dragon” arc but in the least interesting way. After giving Station Square some vital information on Robotnik, the city’s computer system decided the best way to handle the mad doctor is to nuke him. The Royal Family realizes that the fall-out from a nuclear blast that size would destroy the continent’s ecosystem. (Never mind that Robotropolis was already nuked once before.) Sonic and Tails ran into the doctor’s city, hoping to reason with him. Instead, he threatens to put up the city’s shield, protecting Robotropolis while screwing the rest of the area.

“Station Square Attacks!” leaves me with a lot of questions. Where did Station Square, a city hiding inside a mountain for centuries, get nuclear weapons? How do they have access to uranium, much less a factory to manufacture the warheads? Did they take the missiles with them over 10,000 years ago? If so, why? Up until recently, the city had no enemies, much less anybody they needed to wipe off the map. Moreover, the computer system launching weapons of mass destruction without the president’s approval seems unlikely. You’re telling me there’s no fail safe, nothing to prevent Station Square’s insane super computer for dropping nukes on a foreign power? 

The script doesn’t get any less convoluted once Sonic and Tails get to Robotropolis. The idea of the heroes willingly coming to Robotnik and attempting a truce is interesting. Yet far too much time is devoted to the characters arguing about the position of a force field. It’s all set up for another underwhelming Ron Lim action scene, where Robotnik chases Sonic and Tails, each trying to prevent the other from reaching the force field controls.

The conclusion of the story also raises some questions. Sonic gets the timing just right, so Robotnik puts the force field up right after the missiles have flown inside the city limit. But if all of Robotropolis goes up in a mushroom cloud… Wouldn’t the shield generators get incinerated too, causing the fallout to affect the local area? I also dislike how casually Sonic allows his greatest enemy to get nuked. I mean, I know Robotnik’s evil but Sonic shouldn’t have made that decision so lightly. After Tails points out that Mobius’ capitol city has been destroy, Sonic laughs it off, pointing out Knothole is better anyway. The whole story is poorly organized, to say the least.

Ken Penders takes this month off, as issue 110 only contains two stories. The second of which is another Bollers’ joint, focused on Sally. “One for All” has the Princess being possessed by the Sword of Acorn. While in a trance-like state, Sally communicates with the Source of All. Robotropolis getting nuked has apparently evaporated the Source, leaving the Sword and Crown of Acorn as the last link between the monarchy and God, I suppose. Whoever is speaking for the Sword tries to convince her that she’s destined to take her father’s place but Sally isn’t having it. At that point, Queen Alicia snaps her daughter out of the trance, ending the story.

It’s all a bit of (hedge)hogwash. Back in Sonic Super Special 11, Sally told the mystic forces behind the Source of All to get bent. Whoever controls such things clearly didn’t get the memo. Once again, the Source tries to push Sally around but the Princess remains uninterested in someone else controlling her fate. Considering how inactive Sally was in 2001, it’s nice to see her being tough and not giving any fucks. Maybe the mystical pool of molten gold is just desperate, since the near-by nuclear blast dried it up, somehow. Which may be the entire point of this story, for Karl to kill off another ill-conceived plot point. Considering I’ve always thought the Source of All was dumb, I’m not going to miss it.

The story is a bit of nothing but the artwork is awesome. I don’t know why Archie let a chump like Ron Lim draw the cover story and stuck the clearly superior J. Axer on the back-ups. This might be Axer’s best work, thus far. Sally and the others look incredible, with the right balance of detail, expression, and proportion. Axer is the first person to draw the Sword of Acorn like an actual magical relic, by detailing strange runes on its blade and handle. The story also allows Axer to draw some trippy visuals. The shot of Sally standing before a streak of space looks like something Steve Ditko might’ve drawn. The same effect is utilized for the talking sword, which helps sell a ludicrous premise. So, mildly dumb story but boss artwork.

Benny Lee’s run of mildly good story breaks with 110’s seriously lame cover story. The back-up story isn’t much better, falling back on the book’s weakness for mystical bullshit, but at least the artwork is great. So it goes. [5/10]

Sonic the Hedgehog: Issue 109

Sonic the Hedgehog: Issue 109
Publication Date: April 2002

Boy, that’s an eye-catching cover, isn’t it? Disappointingly, Archie’s cover designers have lied to us once again. Sonic experiences no “ice-solation” in issue 109. He does travel to the frozen north but the Freedom Fighters are there to keep him company. He doesn’t float on an iceberg at any point. I swear, I think Spaz sometimes just drew what ever he wanted. Anyway, on with the adventure.

If you thought the pun on the cover was bad, check out the title. “I Herd It Through the Pipeline.” Oy vey! Sonic walks in on Rotor crying over a photo of his family. Apparently because he forgot – he has a busy life – Sonic asks for a reminder about what happened to Rotor’s herd. They are still in the frozen Arctic, under Robotnik’s control. Sally quickly surmises that the Sword of Acorn may be able to reverse the mind control. The Freedom Fighters leap into Rotor’s upgraded bathysphere and track down his walrus family.

If his first two issues are any indication, Benny Lee’s writing has a strong episodic quality. Both the last issue and this one were relatively stand alone stories. I’ve actually got no problem with this, as it keeps the book from feeling like a soap opera. If it wasn’t for the obvious comic book attributes, this would feel like an episode of SatAM. In the first chapter, the Freedom Fighters decide to rescue Rotor’s family. They then proceed to do so, among lots of action. It is simple writing but satisfyingly so. Considering how convoluted the book has gotten over the years, it’s nice to see the heroes gain an objective and succeed at it, in the space of one issue. It’s also way pass time for the series to resolve the plot point of Rotor’s family. They’ve been floating out there – both literary and figuratively – for far too long.

“I Herd It Through the Pipeline” is primarily an action story. The Freedom Fighters work as a team so rarely these days, so watching them smash robots together is satisfying. (Even if Tails and Antoine are absent from this adventure and Rotor and Sally mostly sit on the sidelines.) There’s a decent action beat early on, when a robotic sea serpent crushes Rotor’s submarine, forcing them to escape via bubble-shaped pods. Yet all the action pushes the emotional content a little to the side. Rotor’s reunion with his family is covered in one panel. Sally’s increasingly creepy connection with the Sword of Acorn is only hinted at. Robotnik is reduced to a yelling face on a computer screen. The whole thing is a bit rushed, even if the story ultimately gets the job done.

What follows next is “The Crush.” While chasing after Sonic, Mina the Mongoose runs into Princess Sally. The two have a heart-to-heart. Mina picks Sally’s brain for information on Sonic, trying to figure out the enigmatic hedgehog. Through this conversation, Sally learns that the kiss she witnessed wasn’t Sonic’s idea. As the two part ways, they’re no closer to figuring out Sonic but have a better understanding of each other.

Maybe Karl Bollers is giving Benny the action stories, while he handles the emotional beats. “The Crush” is a brief five pages but sneaks in plenty of heart. The story probes the hearts of the young women. Mina is frustrated that she can’t grab Sonic’s attention. Sally, meanwhile, expounds on Sonic’s personality. How she can see through his cool guy antics to the caring, compassionate heart inside. By the end, the two gain a mutual respect for each other. It also successfully buries the Sonic/Sally/Mina love triangle, with Sally understanding that Mina’s feelings for Sonic are simply an unrequited crush. Hopefully, the book’s main power couple can start talking again. No, it wouldn’t pass the Bechdel test but it’s still a touching little tale.

Jay Axer’s artwork is pretty great too. I think he’s the first person to draw Mina without making her look ridiculous. (Though she still doesn’t look much like a mongoose.) Axer shows a great strength for expressions, which is important to a story like this. A beautiful panel shows Sally’s concern, when the topic of Mina and Sonic’s kiss comes up. Her immediate relief, upon hearing the truth, is also well conveyed. The page devoted to Sally’s perception of Sonic is nice too, as it shows the hedgehog goofing around in amusing ways. The final panel, of Sally sweetly smiling to herself, is the perfect emotional bow on top that this story needed. It’s clear that Axer’s great talent for detail and motion isn’t the only thing that makes him a great artist. He understands these characters.

For the final story of issue 108, Ken Penders wraps up the “Reunification” arc. Knuckles leaps between Dimitri and Remington’s pistol, seemingly sacrificing himself… Until revealing a few pages later that he’s fine, as his Chaos powers more then protect him. This diplomatic gesture allows Dimitri to continue his negotiations with the Echidnopolis leaders. Lara-Su, meanwhile, prevents an assassin from taking out Julie-Su before getting zapped back into the future.

I like Lara-Su but I’m not sure why Ken brought her into this story line. Throughout “Reunification,” Knuckles and Julie-Su’s future daughter has mostly been a passive character. This part is really the first time she’s done anything, as she attempts to stop Remington and save her mom. Upon returning to the future, Ken bluntly lays out Lara-Su’s entire history, thanks to some deeply unwieldy exposition from future Julie-Su. Lara-Su wasn’t sent back to save her dad, because her dad becomes a power mad dictator. (At least in this time line.) She was presumably sent back to save Julie-Su, creating something like a stable time loop. The story ends before Lara-Su has any time to react to this news. It’s certainly not a graceful why to get the info out there and does a disservice to the promising young character.

At least the conclusion shows that echidna politicians can occasionally agree on something. Dimitri appears to be turning over a new leaf and actually reaches a peaceful compromise with the Brotherhood. Let’s allow a little technology on the island – which, as far as I can see, has already happened – but maybe not threaten to blow up the city because of it, m’kay? It might still be a smoke-screen. Lien-Da is seemingly planning a takeover of the Legion and there's some rumblings about Remington's actual allegiance. But I’m not real concerned with that plot point. That characters talking things out can actually resolve something on the Floating Island is what interest me.

The cover story wraps up a little too neatly but is still a decent read. The middle story is charming and well done. The final tale is only okay but does feature some very good pencils from Dawn Best. All of that measures out to make issue 109 a solid book. Let’s conclude with an already completed crossword puzzle, the latest in Archie’s bizarre quest to get kids to devalue their comic books. [7/10]