Dr. Eggman is back and he is already up to evil. He and Dr. Starline have unleashed his metal virus that turns organics into glistening zombies. Worse yet, Sonic may have been infected! Can he and Tails come up with a cure before Eggman and his new partner unleash the virus on an unexpecting world? Find out in Sonic the Hedgehog #16 from IDW Publishing!

SONIC THE HEDGEHOG #16

Writer: Ian Flynn
Artist: Jack Lawrence & Diana Skelly
Inks: Priscilla Tramontano
Colors: Matt Herms
Letters: Shawn Lee
Cover: Evan Stanley
Publisher: IDW Publishing
Release Date: May 8th, 2019
Cover Price: $3.99

Previously in SONIC THE HEDGEHOG: After losing his memory, Dr. Eggman surfaced in a quiet village with a new identity, Dr. Tinker. All was fine, and Sonic and friends were content to leave Eggman to his new existence. That all changed when Eggman was tracked down by Dr. Starline, a fan and follower of Dr. Eggman, and brought back some of the evil which had been buried in Eggman’s psyche. Now Dr. Eggman has returned with a weapon more frightening than any other he has produced.

SOME WITTY OR DRAMATIC REMARK

Tangle has decided to embark on an adventure trail to visit her friends Sonic and Tails. Mounting her bike, she takes off across the landscape in search of the duo, and finally comes across them at Tail’s workshop. She walks in on a predictably bizarre scene as Tails is running tests on Sonic to see if he has any residual effects from his contact with Dr. Eggman’s metal virus. It does not seem to have done any lasting damage, and Tails surmises that the run from the mine may have driven it into remission. Tangle, clueless, has questions, so Sonic fills her in on the saga of Eggman and his loss of memory, Dr. Starline brings those memories back, and the substance that turns living creatures into “Zombots”. During the telling, Tangle e asks if Sonic is contagious still, and while Sonic this he is not, he realizes he might want to go tell Amy, whom he left back at the mine during the battle. Tangle has news of her own, and relays a tale to the duo.

In Eggman’s secret lab, he and Dr. Starline are inspecting the new flying fortress. As the “faceship” launches, Eggman and Starline inspect the in ship factory where the contagious metal gunk is made, Questioning his techniques, Starline does not see how he will be able to make enough of the gunk to turn the whole world. Eggman explains that the virus in contagious, and will move from infected to non-infected, eventually taking over everything, whereas he will then move on to conquering other dimensions and eventually the whole of everything! First, he targets a location close to his own heart, Windmill Village. His time as Mr. Tinker had no bearing, and he intends for the villagers to be the first mass-scale carriers of the virus.

A REMARK ABOUT THE BOOK, POSSIBLY A DESCRIPTION

Writing a story based on an existing license with a large publishing history and keeping it fresh can seem like a daunting task. However, Ian Flynn (Sonic Universe, Mega Man) achieves that effect and makes it seem almost effortless. A fan of the game before writing the comics, he has a long history with the franchise at other publishers, and has established himself as one of the go-to people for the adventures of the blue blur. His writing is age-friendly while keeping the identities and voices of every character separate and unique. This storyline, while almost a troupe if done in another title, seems fresh and new. This adds to the momentum of the story as it races along, and race it does. Flynn keeps up a good pace while at the same time keeping the reader informed about past events without performing (much of) an info dump. He does a nice job of foreshadowing the upcoming events, and overall has written an excellent story which Sonic fans should love.

Artists Jack Lawrence (The Transformers: Lost Light, Darkham Vale) and Diana Skelly (Sonic Boom, Sonic the Hedgehog) bring a great look to the issue. The style of the games is captured, but with enough of a unique look that it moves beyond that standard. Emotive faces, great panel design, and energetic sequences make for a visually pleasing book. Add to all of that the inks of Priscilla Tramontano (Godzilla: Rulers of Earth, The Transformers: Robots in Disguise) and you have a solid team which adds to the enjoyment of the book.

BOTTOM LINE: 100% FUN, 0% SCARY TEETH

The Sonic line has had a long history of comic book publication, and IDW is doing a great job of carrying through the feel of the gams and adding a level of narrative storytelling to it. While the stories may be a little derivative, they entertain and keep you waiting for more. Also, with all the drama which arose when the trailer for the upcoming movie dropped, it’s good to see that there are still creators out there who just get the little blue hedgehog.

SONIC THE HEDGEHOG #16 is fast, fun and most importantly, entertaining. Drop a few coins and get a copy for yourself.

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