“Yesterday’s” Comic> Sonic The Hedgehog #60

Monkey Khan’s BBQ had a few crashers.

Sonic The Hedgehog #60

Archie Comics (July, 1998)

INKER: Jim Amash

EDITOR: J. Freddie Gabrie

Sonic & Tails: “Arsenal Of The Iron King”

WRITER/ARTIST: Frank Strom

COLORIST: Barry Grossman

LETTERER: Vickie Williams

Tales Of The Freedom Fighters: “Princess Sally: The Ultimatum”

WRITER/COLORIST: Ken Penders

PENCILER: Manny Galan

In the main story the search for Ixis Naugus is delayed again when Sonic and Tails find a whole mountain on fire. The locals tell of a magic fan that can put the fire out, but it’s held by the Iron King and Iron Queen. The Queen also has Monkey Khan under her power, and sends her to attack Sonic, but Tails manages to destroy her staff and remove the Power Rings that boost her “magic”, freeing Monkey Khan. The trio then go after the fan, defeating the guardian. The Queen tries one last time to stop our heroes, but Sonic uses the fan to blow out the temple. And yet it’s Monkey Khan who is the prophesized king.

Yes, this is a reenactment of one of the adventures from Journey To The West, though some of you may remember it more from the original Dragon Ball, which was also inspired by the tales of Monkey and his friends. That’s probably why they used this to bring Monkey Khan back, but Goku and company did it better. We have Khan under enemy control, again, and what follows just feels by the numbers. I haven’t read the original book or seen one of the adaptations outside of a handful of episodes of the Monkey Magic anime so I don’t know how closely it resembles the inspiration but the overall tale just feels…there. Also, not a fan of the art style here. For example, Tails’ eyes are way too big. It’s like trying to draw characters in an unfamiliar style. Keep an eye on the Iron Queen, by the way. She becomes a major antagonist later on, but she’s kind of lame here. I’m not even sure what her motivation is for any of the stuff she and her burning bull husband (she’s human/Overlander by the way) do in this story.

In the back-up story, King Acorn brings Sally down to the pool that ties to the Source Of All. He tells her that by bathing in the pool her royal ranking would be official, and she would be the first female to do so…but she can’t choose who to marry. The Source actually chose Antoine, but Sally refuses to go along with that. When the King says she’ll be stripped of her duties and title, she has a lot to think about…but what is this other option Acorn mentions in his head?

I know where this is headed and I have mixed thoughts with all of it. I also know the story gets undone at some point because a future story showed Sonic as king and Sally as his queen. It’s one of the Sonic Universe storylines I’ve already covered back when it came out. I’m also not sure why Antoine. Yes, he did have a crush on Sally (and at this point in the story might still, since I don’t know if he and Bunnie have yet become an item), but while he is a loyal attendant and Freedom Fighter he really isn’t royal material. Perhaps if Robotnik hadn’t shown up to mess with everything Antoine would have grown up under his father’s tutelage and become worthy, but for those you haven’t read pass this point, I won’t spoil why that wouldn’t have worked out, either. Point is, I wonder if maybe the King needs to go back in there for a destiny update. What was true then definitely isn’t true now due to how different everyone’s lives are. My issue with King Maximilian Acorn is that he tries too hard to restore what was lost rather than forge a new world. That really comes into play here.

Overall the issue is kind of in the middle. It isn’t necessarily bad, but it isn’t necessarily good.