“Yesterday’s” Comic> Sonic The Hedgehog #58

Apparently I missed a Sonic Super Special somewhere along the line. My Sonic section is apparently still a mess. This will factor in the back-up story. Also the credits are a bit messed up in this issue. Both sets are credits are listed in the first story, one at the beginning, one at the end. So these are the people who worked on the comic, but I don’t know which story they’re attached to for certain. Even the Grand Comics Database wasn’t helpful. Sorry.

Saving the world is a very hands on job. (Sorry, it’s all I could come up with.)

Sonic The Hedgehog #58

Archie Comics Publications (May, 1998)

WRITERS: Ken Penders; Clayton Emery

PENCILERS: Manny Galan; Art Mawhinney

INKERS: Jim Amash; Ken Penders

COLORIST: Ken Penders

LETTERER: Jeff Powell

EDITOR: J. Freddy Gabrie

“Friendly Rogues & Foul Villains”

Continuing from Knuckles The Echidna #11, Yanar wakes up near a chained-up Sonic and Tails. During the Day Of Wrath, Tails’ plane was forced down and they were captured by the High Sheriff’s men in Mercuia. Meanwhile, Knuckles meets up with Rob O’ The Hedge, a rebel whose team were captured and roboticized. With Yanar’s help, Sonic escapes and rescues Tails from the torture rack, but discovers that the High Sheriff is a roboticized General D’Coolette, Antoine’s father, who apparently hasn’t heard Robotnik is gone. Sonic and Tails manage to escape and accidentally meets up with Rob and Knuckles, who was joined along the way by Mari-An (who forms an instant mutual liking to Rob, which we also learn is Amy’s cousin who sent her to Knothole). Together they see Yanar about to be executed in the town square as a warning to the other lost Echidnas. Continues in Knuckles The Echidna #12.

A bit heavy on the coincidences and I wasn’t aware Amy living in Knothole needed to be explained, but otherwise I think it’s all the back and forth that takes time away from the story, or at least gave me that impression while I was reading it. They also keep doing that bit where the dialog in one scene finishes in a caption box in another scene. It’s rather annoying. Overall it could have been worse but it’s not terrible.

Tales Of The Freedom Fighters: “The Living Crown”

Here’s that part that gets lost because the corresponding Sonic Super Special is out of place in my library. King Acorn is back to normal, and Quack is checking for residual effects of the crystallization and Ixis Naugus’ possession. He tells Quack about a pool underneath the castle that connects the bather to  the Source Of All, the liquid metal also where his crown and sword come from. Now that the two items are back together, thus freeing the King from his prior situation, he is back in tune with the Source and believes events must now change, even if Sally won’t like it.

In other words it’s just one big lore dump for things Penders wanted to add to the Sonic universe. The concept is fine but we’re seeing the story really depart from the video games or even the SatAM series that is now the heavier influence on this comic. Given what we’ve seen in the Turtles comics from Archie that was supposed to be a tie-in to the cartoon is nothing new.

Overall, the comic is kind of there. I didn’t find it very exciting but I didn’t find it terrible either. I’m not sure it needed all of this new lore and Penders is just trying to put his stamp on it rather than continue the characters’ story. You can do both but in this case I’m not sure he’s concerned as much on the continuing narrative so much as his ideas.