“Welcome to tonight’s meeting of Peeping Toms Anonymous.”
Knuckles The Echidna #16
Archie Comics Publications (September, 1998)
“Reunions”
WRITER: Ken Penders
PENICLER: Manny Galan
INKER: Andrew Pepoy
COLORIST: Barry Grossman
LETTERER: Vickie Williams
EDITOR: Justin Gabrie
Knuckles finds himself in his mother’s apartment on the Floating Island. At dinner, he learns that his mother has agreed to marry her current boyfriend, Wyn, which sends Knuckles running out into the night. Julie-Su talks the other Chaotix out of going to check on him but she goes to sit with him, not sure why she kissed him on the cheek. While this goes on, the Guardians gather from around the planet to discuss Knuckles’ new powers.
I’m not sure what to say about this comic in the usual format. There’s nothing really bad outside of some questions I have about Echidna and Guardian lore, I don’t know why Knuckles left hearing his mom was marrying someone else given his attitude towards his father, and I don’t think the Knuckles/Julie-Su romance that seems to be pushed here was set up as well as it could have (though I’ve seen worse). The comic still does that thing where half a line of dialog continues in the text box in the next scene, but that’s a running problem. The art is good, the story isn’t badly told necessarily, and we see more of why Lara-Le left Locke. It just doesn’t have any stand out moments one way or the other that couldn’t be resolved in a later chapter.
It’s also not a story to come in on. It’s one of those stories that by necessity is for the fans who have been here the whole time and serves as a bridge between events in Knuckles’ life and that of his friends. I can’t really condemn anything, but it’s not an easy comic to recommend, either.
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