“Yesterday’s” Comic> Knuckles: The Dark Legion #2

“Wait, what am I doing? This isn’t a ‘loot the body’ type game.”

Knuckles: The Dark Legion #2

Archie Comics Publications (May, 1997)

“Sins Of The Fathers”

WRITERS: Ken Penders & Kent Taylor

ARTIST: Manny Galan & Andrew Pepoy

COLORIST: Karl Bollers

LETTERER: Jeff Powell

EDITOR: J. Freddy Gabrie

In the past we the reader learn how Steppenwolf became the next Guardian after the Dark Legion killed his father. The ants sent Christopeles to be his guide. In the present Athair and the Ancient Walkers pay a visit to Knuckles’ father and Archimedes, revealing there’s more trouble than expected. Knuckles is taken before Kragok, the current leader of the Legion, who wants the location of the Chaos Chamber. Knuckles refuses so he leaves his men to beat it out of him…a mistake because Knuckles is fighter enough to take them out when he’s gone. Using one of their robes, Knuckles frees his friends and they escape into the woods but the Legion follows them and they’re willing to burn the forest and every anthro lifeform living there to find them!

What they got right: The Dark Legion is proving to be a significant threat, and I’m not against the idea of creating a history for the Guardians of the Floating Island.

What they got wrong: It just feels so far removed from the games’ world though. Plus in the back of my mind I can’t let go of how all this backstory eventually led to the Archie Sonicverse being all screwed up after Penders had his legal hissyfit and wanted to use it all for himself minus the SEGA characters. Plus Athair just shows up with the Walkers and leaves, telling his grandson and Archimedes basically nothing, then leaving. What was the point?

What I think overall: Hindsight can ruin a good story when you go back to it. It’s why I warn about misuse of retconning, but here it’s external issues that are hindering my enjoyment, plus it seems like Penders and Taylor are not interested in what the source material, the games, wanted for these characters because it doesn’t match up with their portrayals elsewhere (Sonic Boom aside since it feels like a remake of Sonic’s world). I want to enjoy this but knowing what I know about this continuity and how it was ruined it’s just hard for me to connect to it like I did when it came out.