“Yesterday’s” Comic> Knuckles The Echidna #21

“That’s a lot more grape soda than we need.”

Knuckles The Echidna #21

Archie Comics Publications (January, 1999)

“The Forbidden Zone” part 3: “The Many Facets Of The Truth”

WRITER: Ken Penders

PENCILER: Manny Galan

INKER: Andrew Pepoy

COLORIST: Barry Grossman

LETTERER: Vickie Williams

EDITOR: Justin Gabrie

Locke brings Elias and Geoffrey’s team to Haven before having to fly off to another distress call, with Lara-Le jumping aboard hoping to talk about their son. Instead they end up rescuing Remington and Wyn. Back at Haven, Elias brings the others to see his mother, comatose after the crash and put in a stasis tube until a way to restore her could be found, but the trip is interrupted when Knuckles gets Moritori Rex to expose himself by trying to kill the Guardian. His plans all now ruined, Moritori swears revenge.

What they got right: The summary doesn’t do the story justice. The pacing is much better in execution and many revelations are given to the lore being established, whether it matches the games or not.

What they got wrong: This is the first time I’ve seen Bomb speak in the comics I own. I wasn’t even sure he could. If he can’t, that’s a mistake right there. Lara-Le’s attempt to talk to Locke about Knuckles needing his father is a plot that goes absolutely nowhere outside of an excuse to reunite them and put Locke in a position to rescue others and not be here when his son arrives.

What I think overall: Too many plotlines going on, lore that has to be seriously retconned away later, and only Moritori’s reveal and his fight with Knuckles being the closest thing to interesting in this story. Overall it’s not terrible but not that spectacular.