As the basic world building continues to develop, Ian Flynn continues to gradually re-introduce more familiar characters into the Sonic mythos. This time we get our first look at the Chaotix Crew (Espio the Chameleon, Vector the Crocodile and Charmy Bee) and what could be our first meeting of this version of Dr. Eggman.
We’re five issues in now, and the pacing issues that were starting to show by the last edition are still cropping up. The “Sonic goes to a new place and meets someone else” formula is beginning to show cracks in its own sense of story-telling. There are also some story decisions that might pay off in the future, but seem confusing at first.
By this decision, I’m talking about the apparent amnesia that has hit Dr. Eggman. Considering he’s been an off-screen presence in every issue so far, to have his appearance be as “Mr. Tinker”, a cowardly farmer, feels like it sells the menace of the character a bit short. Especially when the issue includes many references to previous events of a lot of the other games.
In an earlier review, I praised the comic and looked forward to seeing the new interpretations on a wide scope of characters that Flynn can tap into. But as we’re gradually seeing more exposition on what exactly has happened in the past, it’s beginning to feel as if this doesn’t want to spin some new twists on Sonic lore and take established backstory in a new direction. At least Sonic doesn’t seem to fully believe that Eggman is a completely different person. There’s a brief moment where the comic looks to spring on the surprise that this is a complete doppelganger, but it also suggests the other thing.
Chaotix don’t really do much here either, being there to give Sonic a sounding board on whether Mr. Tinker is really Eggman and aiding in nearly changing Sonic’s mind about him. Their stock characteristics are all there (the leader, the fun one and the mysterious dark one) but they’re just more faces to remember in an ever-growing mythos that the reader is being asked to remember. By the end of the issue, they don’t really stand out.
There’s the appreciation that the target audience is those who are already fans of the franchise who may not want to revisit similar stories or wait for their favourite character to show up; but it feels as if a creative opportunity for some reinvention has been lost. The last page sees that we’ll be dealing with Shadow and Rogue – meaning more elements to be introduced.
This comic book might be exciting, but it really could do with going back and fleshing out of the characters we’ve already seen instead of trying to being in every character in the Sonic canon as quickly as possible.
