Sonic The Hedgehog #87 Review by Rolland Therrien
"Heart of the Hedgehog 2 Lava Story"
Written by Danny Figeroth
Pencilled by Sam Maxwell
Inked by Jim Amash
We continue this story where we left off, with Tails chained up inside the crater of Mt Mobius, on the verge of erupting, and Sonic still not even half-way there.
He recovers from the sucker-punch he recieved last issue, and resumes running... Unfortunately, he doesn't go far, when he hits another one of Metal Sonic's traps, a large net set up in his path, and he gets entangled in it while Metal Sonic laughs at him from nearby.
While Sonic breaks lose and continues his race, Metal Sonic just keeps trying to pysche him out with his bragging of how he's better then Sonic in every way.
This mind-game continues with a few attacks from Metal Sonic, as the Power-Stone augmented robot keeps trying to demoralise our hero, who just musters up his "Humanity" and manages to hold up the robot for a time, while he quickly races up the mountain to his buddy.
There, He frees Tails, but before they can leave, Metal Sonic shows up again to attack them. After the intial blow, Sonic decides to try and reason with the robot, pointing out that mechanical power isn't everything, and that Sonic's soul and his feelings for his friends aren't weaknesses.
Metal Sonic scoffs at Sonic's words, until Tails rejects the opportunity to escape, and stays with his friend Sonic. This leaves Metal Sonic speechless (for once).
Just then, the Volcanic eruption starts, and to everyone's surprise, Metal Sonic actually SAVES Sonic and Tails, saying that he never realized he could be more then a machine, until now. But the Lava Flow takes him before Sonic can save him as well as he saves Tails.
In the aftermath, Sonic tells Tails that all his words to Metal Sonic were just words, until Tail's dedication to Sonic somehow got to the robot, and made him change, maybe getting a soul of his own.
And we leave on that philosophical note.
Rating:  Rings
Well, this second story was well done, even if "The Evil Robot gets a Soul and turns Good" ending bit was a bit cliched, it was well executed by Danny Figeroth. It was nice to see some emphasis on Sonic's loyalty to his friend Tails, rather then on his "Attitude". The art was excellent too, no problems here. I wish more stories were like this one...
And now, the back-up story.
Monkey Khan in: Against the Haunted Past, part 2. Writer/Penciller: Frank Strom Inker: Vickie Williams
Ok, this story is so simple, I can actually resume it in two paragraphs: Monkey Kahn awakens inside Robotnik's new Kar Leung base, after being somehow captured by General Hunn, Robo's new Robot general. Then, under Robotnik's remote supervision, they try an experimental procedure to try and control Kahn again, but it fails, as Kahn's new Power Ring Headband increases his willpower, keeping him free.
Monkey Kahn then breaks out, and along the way, causes the Base (a former Temple)'s Power Generator to blow up, destroying the Base itself to explode. But it's a hallow victory Monkey Kahn finds he's won, as the Town he lived in as already been destroyed, it's population roboticised, leaving Monkey Kahn alone in his hometown.
Rating: Rings
Ok, this was a disappointing ending to a promising story. Depressing, too. So Monkey Kahn has not only lost his family forever, he has to lose all he's gotten since then, including a new family? Why is it Archie insists on giving Robotnik all these victories? Would it have killed them to let Monkey Kahn save his people, leaving one beacon of life in a dark world? If this keeps up, Mobius is gonna be a ghost-town of a planet. Other then that, this story wasn't too bad. Not too good, definitely not great, but not awful. |
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