Luke Owen reviews Sonic Super Special Magazine #7...
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Celebrate 20 years of Sonic the Hedgehog Comics with this very special edition of the SONIC SUPER SPECIAL MAGAZINE! Join the party and grab yourself a front row seat to this collection of Sonic-comic firsts, greatest moments, and highlights from the longest-running video game-inspired comic book series in history! Over 100 pages of comics, news, and features, available for the first time in one place in this deluxe, magazine-sized, quarterly collection! Also featured is an exclusive interview with the longest-running artist still working on the Sonic comics today — inker Jim Amash!
Sonic has been celebrating this 20th birthday of his for quite some time now...
As someone who grew up a ‘Sonic Kid’ in the early 90s Mega Drive vs. SNES War, these Sonic The Hedgehog comic collections have a certain appeal to me. But I could only ever recommend them for hardcore fans and collectors as there is nothing new for a first-time reader.
Sonic Super Special #7 is a collection of a Free Comic Day issues as well as some classics from the Archie back catalogue that you’ll either look back with fondness or chortles of laughter at how cheesy they are. Also included is an interview with current inker Jim Amash, a cover gallery and character profiles. You could make the argument that it’s a good introduction, but I don’t think this is the best way for someone to get started on their Sonic The Hedgehog adventure.
The first story is a short from Sonic The Hedgehog #230 entitled Sonic Generations that was used to promote the video game of the same name. While you’d think it would be cool to see a prelude to a game that united Sonic with his classic Mega Drive counterpart, there really isn't much to see. It's only two pages and it doesn't do anything for the game's story - or the game for that matter.
From there we get a very average Free Comic Book Day issue entitled Unburying The Hatchet (although the gag about bad game design is pretty funny) before moving into a run of classic Archie Sonic comics. And this is where the "fun" really begins.
And I do put "fun" in quotations because you'll either scoff at the dialogue or embrace it's awfulness. To see if you're on board, here are a selection of groan-inducing quotes to put you in the mindframe of what an old school Sonic Archie comic would provide:
"I'm a speed reader, what a novel idea" - Sonic while running through some giant books
"Gulp! Sounds like a drilling experience!" - Tails before being attacked by a Burrobot (a robot with a long dill nose)
"You shouldn't stick your nose where it doesn't belong - or it won't be long anymore!" - Sonic to the same Burrobot
"Ooze responsible for this?!" - a Badnik when he gets trapped in ooze
"It was mighty slick of me to use oil spill to escape" - Sonic while sliding down an oil slick
"Another de-feet at the hands of Sonic" - a Badnik when they realise they treasure they've stolen is really just bronzed Sonic shoes
"Looks like a poor-trait to me" - Sonic commenting on Robotnik's drawing of him
And that's just from one comic! If you read those and got a chuckle from them, you'll have a lot of fun here.
Fans of the series could get something out of Sonic Super Special #7, but outside of some cheesy one liners, there isn't much to see for new readers. If you're looking to get into Sonic comics, I'd recommend picking up the last couple of issues of Sonic The Hedgehog and Sonic Universe to join in with the crossover with Mega Man entitled Worlds Collide - it's a lot better than this.
Luke Owen is one of Flickering Myth's co-editors and the host of the Month in Review show for Flickering Myth's Podcast Network. You can follow him on Twitter @LukeWritesStuff.
Sonic has been celebrating this 20th birthday of his for quite some time now...
As someone who grew up a ‘Sonic Kid’ in the early 90s Mega Drive vs. SNES War, these Sonic The Hedgehog comic collections have a certain appeal to me. But I could only ever recommend them for hardcore fans and collectors as there is nothing new for a first-time reader.
Sonic Super Special #7 is a collection of a Free Comic Day issues as well as some classics from the Archie back catalogue that you’ll either look back with fondness or chortles of laughter at how cheesy they are. Also included is an interview with current inker Jim Amash, a cover gallery and character profiles. You could make the argument that it’s a good introduction, but I don’t think this is the best way for someone to get started on their Sonic The Hedgehog adventure.
The first story is a short from Sonic The Hedgehog #230 entitled Sonic Generations that was used to promote the video game of the same name. While you’d think it would be cool to see a prelude to a game that united Sonic with his classic Mega Drive counterpart, there really isn't much to see. It's only two pages and it doesn't do anything for the game's story - or the game for that matter.
From there we get a very average Free Comic Book Day issue entitled Unburying The Hatchet (although the gag about bad game design is pretty funny) before moving into a run of classic Archie Sonic comics. And this is where the "fun" really begins.
And I do put "fun" in quotations because you'll either scoff at the dialogue or embrace it's awfulness. To see if you're on board, here are a selection of groan-inducing quotes to put you in the mindframe of what an old school Sonic Archie comic would provide:
"I'm a speed reader, what a novel idea" - Sonic while running through some giant books
"Gulp! Sounds like a drilling experience!" - Tails before being attacked by a Burrobot (a robot with a long dill nose)
"You shouldn't stick your nose where it doesn't belong - or it won't be long anymore!" - Sonic to the same Burrobot
"Ooze responsible for this?!" - a Badnik when he gets trapped in ooze
"It was mighty slick of me to use oil spill to escape" - Sonic while sliding down an oil slick
"Another de-feet at the hands of Sonic" - a Badnik when they realise they treasure they've stolen is really just bronzed Sonic shoes
"Looks like a poor-trait to me" - Sonic commenting on Robotnik's drawing of him
And that's just from one comic! If you read those and got a chuckle from them, you'll have a lot of fun here.
Fans of the series could get something out of Sonic Super Special #7, but outside of some cheesy one liners, there isn't much to see for new readers. If you're looking to get into Sonic comics, I'd recommend picking up the last couple of issues of Sonic The Hedgehog and Sonic Universe to join in with the crossover with Mega Man entitled Worlds Collide - it's a lot better than this.
Luke Owen is one of Flickering Myth's co-editors and the host of the Month in Review show for Flickering Myth's Podcast Network. You can follow him on Twitter @LukeWritesStuff.