Sonic the Hedgehog: Issue 262

Sonic the Hedgehog: Issue 262
Publication Date: July 2014

I’ve had pretty much nothing but criticism for the half-assed way Ian Flynn rebooted the “Sonic” comics’ continuity. However, I’ll give the guy this much. In the past, I’ve bitched that Flynn sometimes prioritized action scenes over anything else. Though the reboot certainly has not been short on robot smashing and punching, Flynn has done an okay job of balancing that with decent world building. Such as in the “Waves of Change” arc. We’re three issues in and just now getting to the fighting. Do you think Flynn really had to restrain himself to pull that off?

Part three of “Waves of Change” totally whiffs on the cliffhanger promised by the last issue though. Sonic, Razor, and Amy fight their way through the group of monsters invading the temple within one page. The issue is actually about two things. Amy and Razor stay in the temple, protecting Pearly and the Chao and helping Coral summing the magic dome to protect the city. Sonic and Rotor, meanwhile, head out to protect Meropis’ residents from the attacker. In their haste, they grab faulty air charms, which becomes a problem pretty quickly.

As I said above, “Waves of Change” has reached the point where it’s finally become an action story. There’s several pages devoted to Sonic and his associates fighting the Dark Gaia monsters. The monsters are not difficult to kill, as they dissipate into smoke after a few hard hits. However, their seemingly endless numbers makes them more dangerous. Mildly entertaining spin-dashes and walrus punches compete with more character-oriented moments, such as Razor’s continued loyalty to Coral, Coral’s self-doubt, and Amy’s surprisingly sweet role as a motherly confidence booster. I guess Flynn does a decent job of servicing both of these elements.

I’m obviously a little more enamored of the character development side of things. If I wanted to see Sonic smash some neon colored monsters, I’d just pop in my disc of “Sonic Unleashed.” (I’m absolutely not going to do that.) What’s more compelling is the little nuggets we get of some of the new characters’ personalities. Pearly’s phobia of Chao plays out in a pretty funny and cute scene. Her willingness to get over her fears and help others marks her as a likable young hero. Captain Striker is revealed to be not really an asshole. He’s just really invested in protecting his city. He’s willing to let bygones be bygones with Sonic. Because this is what the comic is now, Striker also has a superpower. He uses his totally real mantis shrimp super-pinchers to create a shockwave, decimating a giant Dark Gaia creature in seconds. Which is pretty cool, I guess.

The cover story works fine enough, I suppose, but I’ve got one problem with it. Air charms apparently work like cellphones. If they aren’t charged, they will stop working at the most inconvenient times. This, in of itself, is pretty silly. How it’s set up – with Pearly announcing to Amy that Sonic and Rotor grabbed weak charms after they’ve left – is such an obviously hollow attempt to build suspense. That just doesn’t work, because the focus is more on Sonic and Rotor smashing monsters than their impending lack of oxygen. (It also ignores that, as a walrus, Rotor is probably pretty good at holding his breath.) This misunderstanding sets up a cliffhanger at the end and I think that was honestly the only reason it was introduced in the first place. It’s an example of Flynn valuing comic book mechanics over actual narrative flow.

The back pages are devoted to the conclusion of Aleah Baker’s “A Light in the Dark.” Having made the decision to defend the crystal cave from Robotnik’s forces, Sally, Tails, and Antoine fight off a horde of robots on their way out. Along the way, Nicole rises to the occasion to defend her friends. They escape safely, Chaos Emerald in hand. Afterwards, aboard the Sky Patrol, Sally and Nicole have a heart-to-heart.

While Flynn did a theoretically good job of balancing action and characters in the cover story, Aleah Baker proves more adapt at this than her husband. There’s a few fun action beats here, like when Sally skewers an E-1000 with her laser swords. Baker, however, manages to include many small personable touches. Such as Antoine bragging about his swordsmanship before worrying that the robots will mess up his hair. The epilogue on the Sky Patrol is where this really shines. Bunnie and Antoine have a cute exchange about the Chaos Emerald, comparing it to her wedding ring. More importantly, Sally and Nicole’s talk is touching. The A.I. admits she was wrong, that she’s still learning about the natural world. By focusing on the cast and their relationship, Baker turned what could’ve been a standard fetch quest story into something a lot more meaningful.

So it’s fair to say the back-up does most of the heavy lifting here. Flynn’s cover story is fine, a 6/10 on its own, but he’s a little too preoccupied with plot, rules, and fight scenes. Baker remembers that adding a little heart to your cast makes all of the above far more compelling. “A Light in the Dark” bumps this issue’s score up a grade. [7/10] 

Sonic Universe: Issue 65

Sonic Universe: Issue 65
Publication Date: July 2014

Have I mentioned lately that I think the “Great Chaos Caper” arc is dire? Here I am, three issues into this thing, just wishing for it to end. There were very few preboot storylines I felt that way about. “The Good, the Bad, and the Unknown” was probably this project’s previous high-water mark for generating apathy in me. And even that had some truly baffling missteps on Penders’ behalf, making it interesting to read from a train wreck perspective. This is too competently assembled to make you wonder how the hell it went wrong. Instead, it’s just boring.

So, sigh, anyway... Part three of “The Great Chaos Caper” has Knuckles and the Chaotix discovering the spirit Knuckles has been seeking, who also happens to be carrying a Chaos Emerald. The quartet quickly befriends the little guy, Charmy naming him Chip. The Hooligans are still on their trail, however. When they can’t pry the Emerald out of Chip’s hands, they just steal the flying furry thing instead. Meanwhile, Knuckles and the Chaotix are trapped in a flooding room with a big scary Dark Gaia monster.

An issue I have with “The Great Chaos Caper” is its refusal to take anything seriously. As with previous team-based fetch story, “Treasure Team Tango,” Flynn inserts a lot of awkward slapstick. When chasing Chip, Vector tips over a mine cart, Espio nearly falls into a pit, and Charmy just straight up flies into a random metal bar. This sequence did not make me laugh and only succeeded in making the Chaotix look like utterly incompetent idiots. This broad, physical comedy infects all the action sequences, with Bark the Bear tackling Vector in a ridiculous fashion. Which, you’ll notice, drains any tension from the book. Bombs are going off, the room is flooding, characters are in danger, and the fate of the world is at risk. But the tone remains unbearably zany

Primarily, this issue is devoted to introducing Chip. Appearing to be some sort of small canine with fairy wings – Vector compares him to a chihuahua, which is odd since Mobini dogs no longer exist – Chip is another element from “Sonic Unleashed.” He’s also another cute, annoying, small thing that flies. This franchise already has Tails, Charmy, Cream, Omochao, and T-Pup but I guess the powers-that-be decided we needed another one. (More pressingly, this comic book already features Charmy, who remains at maximum obnoxiousness.) In his initial comic appearance, Chip doesn’t make much of an impression. As is typical of aggravatingly “cute” characters, Chip has a lot of enthusiasm but remains skittish about the world around him.

Chip does, however, introduce what could be a possible theme to this story. The squirrel-wolf-fairy thing knows he has some sort of higher purpose but can’t remember what it is. Knuckles recognizes Chip as the spirit he was sent to protect. When Chip discovers what his special purpose is, that he’s some sort of elemental spirit, he’s overjoyed. Knuckles talks a lot about how it’s his destiny to protect this little rat critter. The Chaotix and Hooligans, meanwhile, are focused on the much more practical purpose of getting paid. So there seems to be a deliberate contrast here, between being driven by a need to help the world and greedier impulses. I’m doubt Flynn intended this, since the comic is really running on auto-pilot at this point, but it’s sort of interesting.

In-between the pratfalls and small flying dog introductions, issue 65 of “Sonic Universe” returns to Angel Island. Relic and Fixit continue to snoop around the Island. They eventually come upon some weird plant sprouting out of the ground. Due to its bluish color scheme, I thought this was another Dark Gaia thing but, nah, turns out Eclipse crash-landed on the Floating Island and has apparently planted a garden for his alien little brothers or some shit. This sequence has nothing to do with the main plot but is there to link this story arc to the previous one, setting up the big crossover fight in the next arc. I care for this not at all but it is nice to see Relic again. Her very specific thread of nerdiness remains endearing.

After defusing all the narrative tension with goofy comedy and light-hearted character interactions, Flynn finally has a monster show up near the end of the issue. You know, the thing he’s been foreshadowing since part one. It’s a big, club-wielding giant creature and the action scene involving it is fairly mediocre. However, it does allow the story to end on a decent cliffhanger. The Hooligans grab Chip and fly off. Bean’s bombs have trapped the Chaotix in a small, flooding room with this big, pissed-off monstrosity. That’s a good hook. With better pacing, a lot of cutting and rearranging, that could’ve been the end of part one and this could’ve been a two-parter.

I haven’t talked much about the artwork in the book recently. Tracy Yardley’s been doing the doodling and I’m pretty much use to all the ups and downs of his art by now. Having said that, issue 65 does look pretty good. Yardley brings a lot more personality and expression to Chip’s sickeningly sweet Sega design. I especially like the moodiness of Relic’s scene. The characters are cast in darkness, with the glow of Fixit’s flashlight eyes adding to that eerie feeling. I do wish Yardley has focused more on making the underground setting seem more cramped and claustrophobic. That would’ve gone a long way towards upping the tension.

So there are some definite pros and cons to this one. Every element that works – the parallels between the heroes and villains, the spookiness of Relic’s scene – are matched by elements that don’t work, like the sloppy comic relief or the need to set up future stories. If nothing else, at least this dragging and out-of-balance arc is almost over. [5/10]

Sonic the Hedgehog: Issue 261

Sonic the Hedgehog: Issue 261
Publication Date: June 2014

From its inception, the “Sonic Universe” spin-off series has revolved around four issue long story arcs. With the exception of the occasional one-off, it’s a structure the series has stuck with. This worked fine for “Universe,” as each story arc focused on a different set of characters. Following the reboot, the main “Sonic” series would adopt a similar structure more often. This resulted in stories that probably only needed to run for two or three issues going on for four. Like the “Waves of Change” arc, which is already starting to wear out its welcome.

In part two of “Waves of Change,” Sonic, Rotor, and Amy are escorted out of the Chao temple by the very grumpy Meropis royal guard. Apparently, outsiders are forbidden from entering the sacred site and Razor and Coral broke a big rule letting the Freedom Fighters in. Sonic tries to make his case to the underwater city’s monarchs but they are unimpressed. Coral is to be exiled from her position. This stresses the young girl out as night falls, preventing her from putting up the magical shield that will keep the city safe from the Dark Gaia monsters.

For whatever reason, pop culture tends to depict underwater cities as being run by assholes. As a long time “Aquaman” fan, it’s something I’ve encountered a lot. There’s even a TV Tropes page devoted to the topic. I guess a society isolating itself on the ocean floor suggests certain things about their rulers. Sonic experiences this first hand here. The royal guard, led by a mantis shrimp named Striker, seems to relish a chance to bully Coral. The boy-king, King Puff, is as immature as his age suggests and often has literally self-inflating temper tantrums. His queen, an unusually attractive angler fish named Angelica, is rather draconian and bitchy. As he learned many times in the prior continuity, the bureaucracy of the royals is one place where Sonic’s speedy attitude is of little help.

It’s a little hard to get too involved in any of this stuff. This issue is our first impression of Meropis as a city and it’s a largely negative one. However, there is one element keeping the reader involved in all this. Coral is such a vulnerable ball of sad emotions that the reader can’t help but feel bad for her. Everyone is determined to protect this sad puppy dog fish girl. Razor’s devotion borders romantic. Sonic is viscerally annoyed by the royals’ treatment of her. Amy is so frustrated by the girl’s firing that she starts Piko-ing trees. Throughout all of this, Coral remains on the verge of tears. The character comes close to being too whiny and ineffectual but we still feel bad for at this point. Being fired from your dream job sucks.

This story is still pretty low on action thus far, which is not a complaint. This allows some decent interpersonal tension to arise. Sonic wants to stay in Meropis long enough to help Coral. Rotor, meanwhile, believes the gang should focus on finding the Gaia Temples. The two old friends nearly come to blows over this. It’s a good depiction of both characters’ attitudes towards saving the world. Rotor thinks the needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few. Sonic doesn’t see in such broad spectrums. He thinks even the smallest injustices deserve to be undone. It’s a good moment of character development that the reboot ‘verse would sometimes lack.

In the back pages, “A Light in the Dark” continues. Instead of finding a monster at the end of the tunnel, Sally, Tails, Antoine, and Nicole discover a cavern full of gorgeous crystal. Using Nicole’s tracker, Tails flies deeper into the cave and easily finds the Chaos Emerald. The gang is ready to leave, knowing Eggman will then fruitlessly search the precious cave for something that isn’t there. Sally is having second thoughts though. She doesn’t want such a beautiful place destroyed just to spite their enemy. The Freedom Fighters decide to stay and battle the reactivated robotic forces.

I probably should’ve mentioned this last time. “A Light in the Dark” was not written by Ian Flynn but was the debut of Aleah Baker, who is Mrs. Ian Flynn. Why you may be tempted to shout nepotism, Baker would prove herself to be a strong writer in her own right. The second half of “A Light In the Dark” is clearly the middle chapter of the story. The conflict is set up, leading us towards the next part’s resolution. However, Baker shows a strong grasp on the characters. Sally standing up for something, which may not be practical but is undoubtedly the moral decision, is a nice sight to see. The Freedom Fighters defending a natural wonder from Robotnik’s industrial exploitation also recalls “SatAM” and you know I like that. It’s an uneventful story but one that seems to understand the cast, their world, and their feelings about it.

There’s a lot of strong character development in this issue but it still ends up feeling somewhat listless. I generally like both stories but neither exactly moves. Which seems counter-intuitive for a “Sonic the Hedgehog” comic book. The ending of “Waves of Changes: Part Two” sets up a fight with the Dark Gaia monsters next time, which also doesn’t seem very promising. It’s a weird case of a comic book I like but still feel like I can’t give it anything above a [6/10].

Sonic Universe: Issue 64

Sonic Universe: Issue 64
Publication Date: June 2014

We’re nineteen issues into the reboot and, guys, I’m tired. It was around this point in 2014 that it really dawned on me that we weren’t getting the preboot universe back. Back then, I felt like the comic I loved was stolen and replaced with a more mediocre product. Four years later, I still more-or-less feel that way. In my eyes, the original continuity is the real Archie “Sonic” comic. The rebooted ‘verse is a facile replacement that feels empty and dead behind the eyes in comparison. But I’m almost done with the whole retrospective, so I’ve got to power through. Onward with the review.

Part two of “The Great Chaos Caper” is subtitled “The Usual Suspects.” No, Keyser Soze does not put in an appearance. Instead, Knuckles and the Chaotix are cornered by the Hooligans. Both parties believe the other has the Chaos Emerald each are seeking, leading to our obligatory fight scene. After both groups realize the Emerald is in the mines underneath Pumpkin Hill, they each go searching for it.

The first part of “The Great Chaos Caper” felt aimless. It was mostly composed of Knuckles and the Chaotix goofing off around the Pumpkin Hills, the objective feeling lost. The second part at least introduces some urgency to the story. The Hooligans don’t just provide the corporate mandated fisticuffs. They also put a time limit on Knuckles’ quest. The good guys have to find the Emeralds before the bad guys do. In theory, this should provide a little dramatic tension, some narrative drive.

In theory. In execution, “The Great Chaos Caper” still feels listless. Upon arriving in the underground mines, which feel very shiny and modern for something that’s ostensibly hundreds of years old, the pace grinds to a halt again. As the foursome explores the area, Knuckles feels the need to explain every facet of the location. There’s these magic switches here, and this tunnel there. And here’s some ghosts and the different types that exist. Suddenly, the script feels less like a proper story and more like a guided tour. And not an especially enthusiastic or interesting one.

If the last “Universe” issue introduced us to the new versions of Knuckles and the Chaotix, this issue introduces us to the new Hooligans. Out of all of the cast members to survive the reboot, the Hooligans are among the least changed. Flynn basically created Bark and Bean and would continue to write them how he always wrote them. Nack is reduced to their level. And, yeah, Nack has frequently been written like a buffoon. But he would also do shit like successfully disable Sonic and murders his former partners in cold blood. I’ll miss that occasional and unpredictable ruthlessness.

My main issue with “The Great Chaos Caper” continues to be the comic relief, which is poorly handled. Any tension the story might have had is constantly torpedoed by the characters cracking quibs or performing goofy slapstick. As always, Bean is totz random which is fine, as that’s how Bean is. But Nu-Charmy remains a real pain in the ass. Original Charmy was youthful but this was tempered by his backstory, as he was running from royal responsibility. After Robotnik fried his brain, he became a tragic character, reduced to childish blabbering. Reboot Charmy is just an obnoxious brat, jumping in fear at every noise and teasing everyone when he’s not doing that.

Knuckles introducing all these elements in the mines feels like a desperate attempt to expand the mythos. Someone put these powerful doo-hickies here but we don’t know who. And we’ll never know, as Flynn has no intention of explaining that. He’s just taking Sega’s lead, by introducing these mysterious elements as if they’re meaningful, even though they aren’t. (As that would interfere with Sega’s weird mandate of never giving their characters proper origins.) We can also see this in Relic’s subplot, which involves her attempts to further decode the technology on Angel Island and damaging Fixit in the process. It’s artificial depth, backstory without backstory. And that’s lame.

The issue ends by introducing Chip and throwing some more Dark Gaia monsters at the heroes, further drawing this weak story into the even weaker “Sonic Unleashed” bullshit. I’m increasingly feeling like I’m no longer invested in this comic book I’ve spent the last three years writing about. I don’t know, I guess the artwork is good and the fight scene is pretty amusing. Meh. [5/10]

Sonic the Hedgehog: Issue 260

Sonic the Hedgehog: Issue 260
Publication Date: May 2014

With “The Chase” two-parter wrapped up, Ian Flynn has set-up the new MacGuffin Chase that will occupy the comic for the reminder of its life. The threat of the Shattered World was established and so was the plot device that could reverse it. Now, Flynn could get down to the business of actually building up the post-reboot world. He would primarily do that by expanding the comic’s cast, once enormous but now greatly diminished. We’re going to see a ton of new characters over the next few months and this - if you’ll excuse the pun - wave of introductions began with issue 260.

The issue begins the story arc “Waves of Change.” (See, that pun has two meanings now.) After watching some spooky found footage of Dark Gaia monsters crawling out of the Earth at night, the Freedom Fighters track a possible Gaia Temple down to an isolated beach. There, they discover Meropis, an underwater community. They meet a boisterous shark named Razor and Coral the Beta, the young and inexperienced mystic that oversees the civilization’s Chao garden. But is this peaceful location as friendly as it seems?

Fish are now people and they have their own culture, which is mystical rather than scientific
As seen with Muttski, Ian Flynn has really changed the biological layout of Sonic’s world. Previously, Mobius’ aquatic residents had the same human-like intelligence of the surface dwellers but mostly maintained their animal-like appearance. This was presumably because their bodies had already evolved to live underwater, so they stuck with it. (And also because the artists probably didn’t think about it that hard or at all.) Now, post-Super Genesis Wave, all Mobians have cartoony, humanoid shapes. So fish like Razor, Coral, and Pearly the Manta more closely resemble Sonic and his Sega-ified friends. This does streamline the universe so it doesn’t bother me too much.

In fact, the new characters are pretty likable. Razor is professional to the point of being gruff but his soft side is evident in how much he cares about the cute little things around him. Coral is inexperienced and vulnerable, making her likable. (Though Pearly is just another cute little girl character, which the book didn’t need more of.) Moreover, I like how Meropis citizens are a mystical people. Their lives are govern by magical rituals, with what the Chao in the temple get up to being especially important. This contrast nicely with the more scientific Freedom Fighters. This is even visualized, when Rotor uses his little handheld computer to study the ancient temple. This is world-building that feels natural and expanding.

The issue is also full of little moments between the characters that I like. Aboard the Sky Patrol, Antoine gets nervous about the potential end of the world. Meanwhile, Sonic continues to secretly fret about his exposure to the Dark Gaia gas. This concern is defused by some quasi-flirting with Sally. On the beach above Meropis, there’s some cute razing between Sonic and Rotor. Later, when Sally informs Amy to keep an eye on Sonic, she enthusiastically agrees. It all leads to a touching conversation between Amy and Coral. The pink hedgehog sees a lot of herself in the insecure girl. It’s nice to sit back and watch the comic’s cast just interact, to remind us why we care about them in the first place.

Issue 260 also contains a back-up story, something we haven’t seen in a while. “A Light in the Dark: Part One” begins just as Sonic, Amy, and Rotor leave for Meropis. Sally, Antoine, Tails, and Nicole leave the Sky Patrol to investigate a Chaos Emerald signal deep underground. Apparently Eggman was mining in the area but stopped for mysterious reasons. As the team searches the underground tunnels, they increasingly unsure about the reason why.

There’s not too much to “A Light in the Dark: Part One” but it functions well enough. It’s a mildly suspenseful story. As the trio (plus Nicole) step through the mind shaft, they get more nervous. Antoine is worried about cave-ins and poison gas. Without Sonic around to lighten the mood, Sally and Tails start to get nervous too. This mood is emphasized with some excellent art by Evan Stanley. The shadows on everyone’s faces makes the location fittingly mysterious. The sights of various deactivated Badniks littering the tunnel is effective. It feels a bit like a precursor to a horror story. You expect the Freedom Fighters to find a monster at the end. (Spoiler: They don’t.)

The artwork is pretty good in the whole book, by the way. After toiling away at Off Panels and mobile game adaptations, Jennifer Hernandez makes her proper debut with “Waves of Change: Part One.” Her stuff is pretty good, especially the amount of personality she manages to give the Chao just with their facial expressions. After so much upheaval and action, a more slow paced issue like this is really appreciated. We’ll get back to awkwardly fusing Sega and comic lore and video game derived bologna soon enough, making this little breather more appreciated. [7/10]

Sonic Free Comic Book Day 2014

Sonic Free Comic Book Day 2014
Publication Date: May 2014

In 2014, Archie would begin to publish short comic stories called Sonic Comic Origins. These would detail the backstories of the established cast members, as they exist in the rebooted universe. (Pointedly, characters that originated in the video games would be left out of this, as Sega refuses to let Sonic and his friends have an actual origin, as this would interfere with his status as a highly marketable corporate mascot.)

Despite this being fairly vital information, that informs this world and its characters, Archie and Ian Flynn did not see fit to include these stories in the actual on-going comic book. I guess they didn't want to interrupt the flow of the narrative, which is obviously much more important than knowing who these characters actually are and what they're about. Right? Sure. Anyway, the first of these Origins stories were published in 2014's Free Comic Book Day special. The second one would later be re-published soon afterwards in issue 7 of the “Sonic Super Digest.”

The first story is called “Sally – The Exiled Leader” and, obviously, revolves around Sally, the exiled leader. While the Freedom Fighters are working through a training simulation on the Sky Patrol, Sally thinks back on how the team was formed. She remembers her happy childhood days in the Acorn Castle, with her father. How he and Naugus were exiled to the Special Zone during Eggman's coup. How she fled to the Wood Zone, found Knothole Village. How Sonic inspired her to form her own team and fight back. How they've been fighting for years, rescuing her dad, winning the kingdom back, but still going forward to save the world and defeat Eggman forever.

Sally's backstory, as presented in “The Exiled Leader,” is not too different from the previous continuity. However, there's one really big difference. King Nigel Acorn is much less of a prick than King Max Acorn. The flashbacks emphasizes how much Sally loves her Dad, showing them playing when she was tiny. After rescuing Nigel and reinstating him as King, Sally asks her dad if she can forego her royal duties and continue to lead the Freedom Fighters. The King gives her his enthusiastic support. It's hard to imagine the old King Max doing either of those things. The preboot constantly mined Sally's struggle to balance her life as a Freedom Fighter with her life as a Princess. So that's one obvious way the reboot 'verse is superior to its predecessor. This is a King Acorn you can imagine people actually being invested in enough to want to rescue.

The training simulation set-up continues with “Rotor – The Exiled Inventor.” While building a rocket launcher to take down their digital adversary, Rotor recalls his own childhood. He grew up among a warrior walrus tribe in the frozen north. Unlike the rest of his family, he was more interested in technology than anything else. This caused him to run away from home and head towards the Kingdom of Acorn, supposedly a technological wonderland. Instead, Rotor arrived to find a conquered city. He soon met up with Sally and the Freedom Fighters, who quickly found a use for the walrus' inventive mind.

In the old continuity, Rotor's family were enslaved by the various Robotniks for more than a decade. Flynn switches this up a bit by having Rotor willingly leave his home. Being rejected by a distant father for being more intellectual than physical is a classic source of teenage angst. It's an okay origin but what's more interesting is the probably accidental connotations. In the old continuity, Ken Penders would reveal that he always wrote Rotor as gay. Assuming Rotor's double-secret closeted status is still true in the new timeline, the scene of the walrus coming out to his dad as a tinkerer, and being harshly rejected, reads very differently. And we already know Rotor's dad is now an Egg Boss. Flynn probably planned for the two to have a confrontation eventually but, naturally, was too busy with this Shattered Earth bullshit.

This issue also gives us a better look at the new continuity's history. It seems Flynn basically came to the same conclusion I did: That combining SatAM with the classic games is a solid decision. So there's lots of little images here that will be instantly recognizable to longtime Sonic fans. Such as the Princess Jasmine costume Sally wears as a little girl. Or the presence of Rosie, who was still her nanny. As a child, Rotor resembled his pudgier animated counterpart, even wearing the yellow baseball cap. And it would seem Eggman assumed power over the Kingdom of Acorn in more-or-less the same way, though the local countryside now features more marbled loops. At the same time, now it's evident Sonic began fighting Eggman before meeting the Freedom Fighters, presumably to make room for the events of the first few Sega games. Still, it works and I wish Flynn had led with this, instead of just dropping us into the middle of the action.

The artwork is by Lamar Wells. Wells previously did the pencils for issues 253 and 254, supposedly working off Tracy Yardley's outlines, in addition to providing a few covers here and there. Wells, working alone this time, does just fine. His Sally looks especially bouncy and cool. He draws good dramatic poses, which works for the highly static flashbacks, and dynamic action scenes, which work for the training simulation presence. He has a good balance of cute and gritty, that this series has always run on. 

I also like the little throwbacks and in-jokes in here. Such as the reveal that Rotor apparently invented the spikes throughout the Green Hill Zone as a trap for Eggman's Badniks. Or the bit of flirty banter Sonic and Sally get at the end of the first story. Most notably, the training simulation also has the Freedom Fighters battling Scorpius, the memorable first level boss from “Sonic Spinball.” The stories are solid enough and will probably make me a little more invested in these new versions of the established cast members going forward. Which makes me really wonder why Archie didn't include these in the main book. This seems like the kind of important information readers would want to know.

Instead, these Sonic Comic Origins were stuck into 2014's Free Comic Book Day release, where they would have to share half a comic book with Mega Man reprints. Not really caring about the adventures of Mega Man X or whatever, I didn't read that half of the book. (Spaz drew that story, so it at least looks snazzy.) Archie would continue to shove the Comic Origins into various Digests and Magazine releases, leaving them out of the regular book for some baffling reason. That makes this Free Comic Book Day release one of the most essential. [7/10]

Sonic Universe: Issue 63

Sonic Universe: Issue 63
Publication Date: April 2014

As I’ve mentioned before, the rebooted Archie “Sonic” comic verse was not really about the same characters as the preboot book. It was about characters that happened to look like the preboot cast but had totally different histories and personalities. (Some of them didn’t even look the same.) The comic now usually defaulted to the Sega versions of the characters. Which were frequently very different. Take, for example, Knuckles the Echidna. The difference between Sega Knuckles and Archie Knuckles couldn’t be more vast.

Archie Knuckles started out as the same gullible brawler as his video game counterpart. Quickly, however, he developed an introspective and even melancholic side. He was among the comic’s most complex characters. He also had a huge supporting cast: friends, a lover, a family, a secret society composed of his nosy grandfathers, and an entire city populated by his race. A fair criticism of the old comic was that it actually made Knuckles too significant to the book’s world. The echidna often threatened to eclipse the blue hedgehog the book was actually named after.

In contrast, Sega Knuckles never grew much beyond that gullible brawler. The games would shrug off the thing many fans were most intrigued by: The mysterious past of Knuckles and the Floating Island. He was tricked by Robotnik so many times that the games eventually began to treat him like a big strong dumb-dumb. Sonic would refer to him as “Knucklehead,” which was increasingly accurate. This continuing Flanderization of Knuckles would peak with the “Sonic Boom” spin-off series, another 2014 debut. That series would turn Knuckles into an utterly moronic buffoon gifted with Hulk-like strength. Meanwhile, Shadow would take over the role of a fan-favorite tough guy with a mysterious past.

Switching to a totally different version of Knuckles so suddenly is awkward to say the least. The introductory text page refers to Knuckles as “the last echidna.” This is a firm refutation of Ken Penders’ mythology, which has been soundly ejected from the comic forever. Angel Island’s Master Emerald shrine is now tethered to the countryside, as in “Sonic Adventure.” Within the opening pages of this comic, as Knuckles watches the world shatter, we see a watery Chaos bail out of the island and Knuckles communicating with the invisible spirit of Tikal. No explanation is provided for either of these events, if you happen to be unfamiliar with game lore. Once again, Ian Flynn’s insistence on jumping right into things gives the reader some serious whiplash. Things aren’t just different. They’re really different. And the book just expects us to roll with it.

I guess I should actually talk about this comic’s plot. This story is entitled “The Great Chaos Caper - Part One: On the Hunt.” What a mouthful. After seeing the globe shatter, Knuckles decides he should investigate. He tells his archeologist friend Relic to watch the Master Emerald. Knuckles’ investigation soon brings him to the Pumpkin Hill Zone. There, he runs into the Chaotix. Princess Sally has hired the detectives to find the seven Chaos Emeralds. Knuckles can sense another Chaos Emerald nearby, which quickly leads him and the Chaotix into trouble.

Issue 63 of “Sonic Universe” also introduces us to the rebooted Chaotix. The book centers in on the goofy Sega plot point of the trio being detectives. However, Vector and Espio aren’t too different. Vector is still a money grubbing, big ol’ idiot. Espio is still mysterious and sardonic. Charmy Bee, however, has definitely been changed for the worst. The bee is now obviously childish. He sings and brags in an overly enthusiastic manner. When Knuckles mentions ghosts, which inhabits the Pumpkin Hill Zone, Charmy freaks out. He nearly kills Espio and Vector, practically dropping them into a canyon. The whimpering bee then has to be coaxed out of a pumpkin patch. Flynn even introduces Charmy by having him quote Scrappy-Doo, which seems to confirm that the bee has been transformed into an obnoxious kid appeal character. Another shout-y character is definitely not something the book needed.

Apparently the only person living on Angel Island with Knuckles is Relic the Pika. (A pika is a short-earred rabbit-like creature that, yes, inspired Pikachu. No, I had never heard of them before either.) An archeologist that’s studying the Island’s mysteries, Relic is one of the few reboot characters I immediately liked. First off, she’s got a really cute design. Secondly, a super nerdy academic like her is something the book didn’t have before. Relic tends to get so excited by her passions that she sometimes rambles, a tendency she’s insecure about. I even like her inexplicable British accent, which Flynn has admitted was inspired by Minne Driver’s portrayal of Jane in Disney’s “Tarzan.” I’m fairly ambivalent to her robot sidekick Fixit though.

Relic also obviously has some romantic tension with Knuckles. When Knuckles asks her to watch the Master Emerald while he’s away, she gets so excited that she basically hugs him. The pika obviously makes Knuckles a little nervous, in a cute and precocious way. When Vector suggests there might be some attraction between Knuckles and Relic, the echidna becomes defensive. Just like a little boy that doesn’t want to admit he likes a girl. It’s cute and represents the kind of personal connection that sometimes felt like it was missing from the rebooted book. She’s might not be Julie-Su but I like her just the same.

Aside from Relic, there’s not too much else I like about this issue. The jokey business with Charmy seems to be here just to pad out the issue’s length. The last minute re-appearance of the Hooligans, and everyone being after a Chaos Emerald, is giving me unfortunate flashbacks to “Treasure Team Tango.” The issue also introduces the Dark Gaia monsters, misty creatures that arise from the shattered earth when the sun goes down and whenever Flynn needs to inject a random action scene. I’m deeply unmoved by this development. Tracy Yardley’s artwork is even a little off. Charmy is introduced diving into a monster, ass first, which looks really goofy. Knuckles and Vector are both kind of shaky in a few panels.

In short, it’s another issue right after the reboot that I don’t like very much. Aside from the introduction of Relic – who, by the way, wouldn’t put in that many appearances before the book’s death – there’s very little that doesn’t annoy me. [5/10]