Reviews of Sonic #129
As we continue the from last issue, Sonic's ship was damaged by E.V.E and he had to take a pit stop nearby. Sonic has to take part in the Bems' race to have his ship repaired. If he loses, the Bems get to keep his ship. The race was alot shorter than I expected. Just as Sonic is abot to win the race, Scarabb speeds by him using a micro-rocket booster. Scarabb is disqualified for cheating, which makes Sonic (or as the aliens call him, "SONICTHEHEDGEHOG") the winner.
With his ship repaired, Sonic heads to Wheel Whorld. Wasn't that a
compound word? Oh well... While in Wheel World/Argentium, Sonic is sent to
trial. While there, he encounters Amadeus Prower, Tails' father. Sonic hasn't sen him since he was 4. With him is Rosemary Prower. Amadeus was captured and roboticized sometime ago, but even though this wasn't mentioned, he became de-roboticized due to the unsolved miracle in Sonic #123. CENECA-9009 was given a direct order to roboticize all living Mobians who inhabitted Mobius. She disobeyed and did the direct opposite. As a result, CENECA-9009 is to be executed at the start of the nextt planetary roll. Sonic and the Prowers came up with a plan to clear their situation up. Sonic reports the Prowers in on how Tails is doing and checks on his ship, which is being disassembled by the aliens! Just when they think they're stranded, CENECA-10050 says that near Argentium is an artificial wormhole of Bem design that can take Sonic anywhere in the universe. CENECA-10050 makes a vessel for the trip. Sonic takes CENECA-9009 with him for her survival. There's just one problem: the ship has room for only one. This was due to limites time. CENECA-9009 takes the vessel along with Sonic to the wormhole. CENECE-9009 escapes and the moment we've all been waiting for for 4 months is finally happening...
Sonic returns to Mobius at last! Or at least he's on his way there because the planet is in plain sight along with the 70% Mobian Moon. It's been a great sci-fi story, but now it's over.
Very nice art as usual. Not a single flaw I can see. The cover is good
due to the brilliantly shiny color on Sonic! Brilliant! I could stare at it all night, but I don't have the time. Rosemary and Amadeus look different on the cover than they do in the issue. Thank god the magazine covers are gone! They were good, but lacked aa background image in each one! Speaking of which, this cover has no background! This is the only thing keeping this issue from reciening a perfect score. The story was swell as well. Sonic-Grams mentions that the comic soon will adapt on Sonic X like it did on AoStH SatAM. Sounds great! At last, Cream and Cheese will appear soon! Horray! |
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Long overdue (I've been addicted to Jak II lately and still am), but I finally manage to get #129 reviewed. Apologizes to people who give a darn about my reviews:
COVER: Pretty standard. Standard enough to remind me of those awful, awful magazaine covers. The whole background being completely white except that blue blurry thing which I don't see it as very good use, and the words on the sides, they remind me of the texts used in the magazine style comic, except without the corny jokes. I don't like it very much. Maybe if they killed to put a background or the trial itself or something, I would have liked it. Sorry, SPAZ, doesn't do it for me. You're just lucky you can draw Sonic and the others so darn well.
5/10
FRONTIPIECE: Personally, it's a simple one ( compare to most of Axer's work), but it's a nice piece overall. You can sense the fear and anxious mind on Cencea-9009 and I love the aliens in the BG. I also like the somewhat worm's eye view that's been given to her. Nice. Simple, but nice.
8/10
"TOSSED IN SPACE: Part 6 - "SPACE GAMBLE"
WRITER: Romy Chacon
ARTIST: Dawn Best
Basically Sonic winning a race against other aliens on foot to win his spaceship back which he gave up as a prize. An alien beats him, later found out he was cheating, so Sonic wins. The End.
STORY: Romy Chacon is an EXCELLENT writer. Her first piece in #117 was BRILLIANT, a story that I thought would suck, which ended up being the best main story of 2002, in my opinion. She succeeded even more in #120's backstory, involving Sally and her mentor, Julaya. I was expecting this one to be just as good as the others, but sadly, it isn't. Nope, not at all.
It is said that this little story was taken from a plot from Star Wars, Espiode 1, namely, the Pod Racer scene (which I thought was a cool scene, yes, I liked that movie, if not just to see adorable little Anakin, forgive me, I ain't no big Star Wars fan). The storyline somewhat mimics it well, except no Pod Racers, but that's all that there is.
Romy succeeds in making Sonic...well...Sonic, but the story was utterly pointless and did nothing for me. Nothing. The folks at Archie could have used the time to make a full issue on #129 (which could stand a few pages, which I'll get to later), but no, they dwiddle it with this.
I will let Romy of the hook since this is her first "blunder". I still respect her writing skills. The next time she writes, I have a pretty good feeling it'll be good, but my judgement will be withdrawn until I see another story from her.
5/10 ( She manage to keep Sonic's personality good)
ART: Dawn still delievers the good since last issue which I loved her art in. Her drawing of the female alien is very intriguing and I love that big, puffy lips she has. Personally, I think her Sonic is topnotch here. The second panel on the first page of Sonic looking out with his hand to his forehead is well done, plus, the goggles are a nice touch. Panel 4 in page 4 shows Sonic in shadow form with his goggles. Reminds me of Dib from Invader Zim, but the real point is that I like how it's drawn. I also like that two headed elephant thingy creature, especially it's droopy ears.
10/10
TOSSED IN SPACE: Part 7 - WELCOME TO WHEELWORLD
Sonic is about to enter Argentium, home of the Bems which is basially a giant donut-shaped planet...literally. One Bems comes through Sonic's communicator in his ship, asking if he's here to enter the trial of Ceneca-9009, if not, he's gotta leave. Having no other alternatives, he takes the trial business and he ends up in Argentium.
After a few looks at the residence here (composing of many different aliens), he makes his way to the trial where it's just starting.
Another set of High Councils (what's up with Archie and High councils...then again, the better question is, what's up with me and monarchy?), 3 in their membership, start asking if Cenceca-9009 is guilty ot not for disobeying High Commander's orders. Obviously, she pleads not guilty. Apparantly, all the Bems here are named Ceneca with numbers to tell their difference. Makes me wonder how many Bems exist in their world. Now the High Council go into a little history to back up their evidence to accuse Ceneca-9009 some more.
8,000 years ago (whoo, that's a hefty load), the first Bem scientists set up to explore the stars. Upon their travels, they wondered upon Planet Biotex, where smogs of clouds cover every atomsphere of the world. The dominant species are composed of living metal people. The Bems turned into a pity party and asked the council to change them back to flesh. Approved, they built a machine able to turn metal into flesh for half a century. When done, they used it on the Biotex and changed them back into flesh. Big mistake since they're metal for a reason: to protect them from microbes. Result: the entire speices dies out before the Bems could reserve the affect. Derobtizing was outlawed that day. So, what did the Bem scientists do? Why, Universe trotting! For thousands of years they did. Yep.
And of course, they saw Mobius and in their distant spy-cams, they witness Amadeus Prower (Tails' pops for those who doesn't know), getting robotized by Robotnik, otherwise, this whole plot wouldn't have come up, I suppose. Sonic is awfully shocked at this point, now that he knows what has truly become of Tails' dad. Nice set of emotions here.
The Bems saw more species turning into robots. One of their captive was Rosemary (Tail's mom) who was about to be next to turn into scrap metal until Ceneca-9009 beamed them up (Beam us up, Scotty...sorry), and reversed the effect so Amadeus could return to normal. Of course, Cececa-9009 made a rather, not-so-smart decisions by going to the High councils to help the robotized people of Mobius. Denied, she ends up in jail.
At this point, Sonic interuppts, thinking this is a load of crock. Now we see Amadeus and Rosemary who also entered the trial. Sonic and the two have a short reunion. Sonic asks the all important question of why the Prowers didn't bother returning home. Simply put, they couldn't...after Ceneca-9009's robotizing boo-boo, living the planet was forbidden. Sonic still sees this as more loads of crocks, though the High Councils, simply put, tells him to shut up or leave.
Story continued in that after 6 years (6 cycles in their world), Ceneca-9009 was broken free and AGAIN, she wishes to help the Mobians. I bet in her lifetime, she spent a lot of time doing charity works. The High Councils, who still manage to put up with her, demands that they test the Mobians to see which is superior, Mobians or Robians. So, basically, the events of #118 happens at this point and seeing the Robians were superior, Ceneca-9009 was ordered to turn ALL Mobians into robots. Being the purehearted alien that she is, she did the exact opposite and thus, ends up in court and jail...again, and thus, this issue starts off with that very court. Got it, good, because I ain't repeating myself. Since she did do the opposite of what she was commanded to, she's to be executed. Jerks.
Minutes later, Sonic and the Prowers walk together. Sonic is obviously pissed about all these, but he takes the time to hold his anger long enough to tell the Prowers of Tails. They make their way to the ship to see his ship being tolled away. Turns out it's simply because Mobius is a no go in the Bem's world due to the war the Xorda has made. Stranded, a Bem in a blue hood comes their way. One of the High Councils, namely, Ceneca-10050, has the levelheaded...umm...head, to get a ship to get Sonic and the rest outta here. Ceneca-10050 explains there's a hole of some sort built a while back that can take the riders anywhere they wish. That's good enough for Sonic (though he had some relunctanct to trust him or her), and goes off and frees Ceneca-9009.
Once back, Ceneca-10050 finds a ship...which can only hold one people. Sucks, don't it. Sonic offers it to Ceneca-9009 after all, she's the one in execution.
Scene changes to the ship taking off and the Bem police force trying to gun the driver, Ceneca-9009, down. Of course, the ship goes through the warp gate thingy, which the Bems fear to go in (because of the Xordas), though it ain't Ceneca-9009 who was in it. And I'm pretty dang sure you know who is in it. Seems like Ceneca-9009 had a better plan to let Sonic go instead (which he did, after he tried to make efforts to let the Prowers go instead). The Prowers talk about Tails and stuff and their love for each other and stuff, and of course, a package that the Prowers gave to Sonic to give to Tails to show their love.
And of course, Sonic sees Mobius...FINALLY.
STORY: I loved this issue. I'm glad Archie didn't wait for 3+ plus years waiting to explain how the Robians became Mobians again. The storyline definitly worked for me. I loved how Benny Lee portrayed Ceneca-9009. Unlike Commander I-still-won't-pronouce-his-name from last issue, she was a useful character and a highly likable one also. I was actually touched by her nevergiving spirit and pureheart. I like that in females, the power to never give up and to have an independent mind. Benny Lee also manage to squeeze in several scenes of emotions, such as Sonic reuniting with the Prowers, the ending with the Prowers, Ceneca-9009's pity for the Mobians, etc. It was all well done and presented with good timing. Inpressive for only 16 pages. But with the good comes the bad, namely, the Jules plot.
We STILL do not know why the Bems didn't change him back. Some theorize because of the injuries he suffered, his reserve effect will only cause him to die since his injuries were never healed to begin with. Others say they simply forgot him, the latter which I'll stick to. They could have used the extra pages to delve on that then that pointless story of racing. But this is still a good story and I loved it. Now, I must wonder what that package the Prowers have is...
Oh, did anyone notice the small thing that Benny Lee said in the end, "So long Sonic-Fans-what a strange trips it's been." Hmm, wonder if he's leaving?
ART: Art is still dominant in his position as artist. His dealings with emotions and character poses are uncannily good. Top that of with Jenson's brilliant colorings, it's a keeper. Personally, I like his rendition of an alien in the BG in page 10, panel 4, it amuses me.
10/10
EDITORS/LETTER/NEWS: J.G talks about Sonic X and we see the cover of #130. I'm really no fan of long haired Sally, doesn't look good on her.
-Neo |
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