You’ll have to pardon me. Been doing a lot of snow shoveling the past few days and I really should get in shape. I can’t blame 2016 for my current state anymore, not 10 years later. While I work on that, I’m going to use more of the original review than usual, and maybe just add some updated notes. At least it wasn’t a “speed run” last time, but this time I could use one.
The feelgood buddy cop story of the year?
Sonic the Hedgehog #205
Archie Comics Publications (December 2009)
Main Story> “On The Run” part 1: “All The Eggs In One Basket”
Backup Story> “Birthright” part 1
WRITER:Ian Flynn
PENCILER (MAIN STORY): Steven Butler
PENCILER (BACK-UP): Jamal Peppers
INKER: Terry Austin
COLORIST: Matt Herms
LETTERER: John Workman
COVER: Pat “Spaz” Spaziante
ASSISTANT EDITOR: Paul Kaminski
MANAGING EDITOR: Mike Pellerito
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF: Victor Gorelick
Eggman has escaped his prison, but he’s still insane. Snagging a turtle mecha, he’s off to take down Sonic, but Sonic and Tails have no trouble taking it down. Now can they do the same to the Iron King’s forces when they arrive?
UPDATE: We also see Bunnie and Antoine forgive Monkey Khan and Dr. Quack force him to his hospital room. Lien-Da decides she’s going to lie down, leading to the back-up story, as there may be signs of betrayal all around the Iron Kingdom. Eggman gets to punch Sonic, which makes the madder-than-normal doc happy. The Queen sends one of her agents to the dragon kingdom, which she seems thrilled with (I don’t recognize the character, but I am a mess at the moment), after informing her of Espio’s “failure” to steal the Chaos Emerald. I’m betting she’s going to betray the Queen and I don’t know who to cheer on.
In the back-up story, we get a look into Lien-Da’s days back in the interdimensional prison the Dark Legion used to be trapped in, and how she was betrayed by her brother.
UPDATE: Specifically, Lien-Da thinks back to when she and her brother were going to wipe out the previous Grandmaster, presumably to assume dual leadership, but the weapon backfires, as her brother planned to be sole Grandmaster all along. In the present, Dimitri calls the current Commissar Lien-Da to the lab, but she vows to achieve her destiny as Grandmaster.
What they got right: On the one hand, things seem to be hopping here. Eggman is back (more or less), the characters and art are up to their usual levels of greatness, and I even like the villain focus back-stories lately. It’s nice to see how far beyond the video games this comic is.
What they got wrong: On the other hand, it still feels like more setting up. Maybe it’s just me. Maybe I’m expecting something, but I don’t know what. Every time I think all the players are in place, Flynn starts messing with the board again. If that’s what he’s going for, he is still maintaining my interest, so he has that going for him.
What I think now: I might have been a bit wrong about still setting up, but I do know that the new normal for the Iron Queen period hasn’t hit yet. There just isn’t a lot of action, even with Eggman attacking the forest because he’s still not quite…there. The back-up is definitely leading to something, but we’ll have to wait to see what. Otherwise, my opinion about this not doing anything special for me remains, though I am rather tired at the moment.
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