Sonic Super Special #14 Review by Rolland Therrien
In this issue of "Sonic Super Special", we get a Sonic "Zone Wars" story, "Law of the Land" and a new Knuckles story, "Best of Times, Worst of Times".

The title of the Knuckles story in this Special seems to fit the entire issue: there's an awful Sonic story, and then a great Knuckles Story after it.

First, the mediocre (at best) Sonic story.

"Law of the Land"


Plotted by Evan Skolnick and written by Jim Spivney, this isn't a very impressive story...

Sonic is walking in the forest with Sally, complaining about how quiet things have been lately (so this is outside of normal continuity, or else Sonic wouldn't be bored, what with Dr Robotnik having come back and all). Of course, Sonic complaining about boredom automatically summons trouble from a Zone, which comes in the form of 2 Echidna Cops who grab Sonic, knock out Sally and drag the Hedgehog into their Zone, Ligitopolis.

There, Sonic finds out he's been charged with "Extreme Emotional Anguish and Permanent Mental Scarring" In other words, he's being arrested for insulting someone. He's brought before this world's version of Robotnik, the J.U.D.G.E. (Judgemental Unrelenting Digitized Government Enforcer), a tyrannical computerised Judge who, aided by his DA Johnny Snively, enforces a ridiculously harsh number of laws over the city.

Sonic fortunately gets bailed out by his defense attorney, Sally McAcorn, who also explains the situation: in this world, King Acorn was having trouble with law breakers, so he toughened up the laws. Toughening up the laws, however, leads everyone to sue everyone else, so the courts couldn't keep up. So King Acorn has the J.U.D.G.E. built to handle the workload, but it takes over everything and has the king arrested for letting the situation get out of hand... A vicious cycle indeed. which gets worst since everyone's now afraid of getting sued or arrested for breaking one of the J.U.D.G.E.'s new laws.

Sonic, wanting to help, first tries the direct approach (full frontal assault to shut down the J.U.D.G.E.), and fails at that, nearly getting a charge of High Treason added to his crimes list. He finds Sally, who shows him an amateur tape of Evil Sonic performing the crimes Sonic was accused of, before escaping into a Zone Portal. So Sonic was actually framed (once more) by his Evil Twin. Surprise, surprise...

Fortunately, Sonic finally comes up with an idea to get rid of the J.U.D.G.E. once and for all: Perform countless minor crimes until the J.U.D.G.E. gets so overloaded with them it blows up... which it does, freeing everyone from it's tyrannical rule, allowing the people of Ligitopolis to create a new, more fair legal system.

But, just as Sonic is gonna get a kiss from the girl (so much for loyalty to the original Sally), Zonic comes around and warps Sonic back home first. Just goes to show you folks: You shouldn't cheat on your girlfriend, not even with her outer-dimensional counterpart.

Rating: Ring

This wasn't a very good story: the story concept was wierd, the story was cheaply executed, and the art was terrible. Not much else I can say here, except I hope to forget this terrible story existed...

But fortunetly, we are then given another story which gives us hope for the future:

Knuckles, in "Best of Times, Worst of Times"


The story begins with a teaser scene of Knuckles trying to outrun what seems like an explosion/energy wave, before getting blown off the Island and into the ocean below, where he emerges and collapses on a piece of driftwood.

Flashback to the scene of Lara-Le and Wynmacher's wedding a few hours before, where Knuckles and friends were guests. There, he also sees Constable Remington, who doesn't stay long, as he's suddenly called on duty.

Jump to Haven, where the Brotherhood gathers to meet yet ANOTHER long lost member, Grandfather Mathias, who's left the normal plane of existence to live in another dimension. He warns his descendents that Dimitri has gathered his forces and is preparing for a new battle. The Brotherhood decide to do something about it...

We skip to Knuckles, who's taking a horse ride with his friends, trying to relax for once in his life, as they ride out of the city, going somewhere...

Cut again to Remington whom, after escorting his date home, gets a ride and some info from Harry the Dingo cabby, who tells him that General Stryker's gotten tired of Echidna politics and has decided to lead his troops against the Echidna government, to make their "demands" clearer. As Remington walks back into his station, we get the feeling violence is gonna brew up...

From that point on, things begin to speed up: We cut back to our boy Knux, who has lead his friends to the old Dark Legion compound, which they've decided to investigate for clues...

...While, back at the old Grand Conservatory, the Brotherhood have discovered the Dark Legion is looting the old Technology depository. They attack the Legionnaires to teach them a lesson...

...Meanwhile, Lara-Le and her new husband arrive at a mountain retreat to enjoy their honeymoon, oblivious to the violence that begins to rock different parts of the Island...

...Back in Echidnapolis, Von Stryker leads his forces in insurrection, against Remington and his police forces...

...Back at the DL Compound, Julie-Su gets kidnapped just as Knuckles and the Chaotix get attacked by Legionnaires, keeping them from saving her...

...Back in Haven, Hawking finally leaves this mortal coil, rejoining his ancestors...

...Julie-Su is brought to a DL ship flying near the island, confronts her evil half-sister and is put in a cell with Simon and Floren-Ca, her previous surrogate parents. There, Dimitri wants her kept safe, as she's as much a part of her family as his more evil kin.

But the moment she's safe, Dimitri has his forces execute a new plan: his ship fires a Quantum Beam at the island, which creates the Energy Wave we saw earlier, apparently desintegrating everyone on the Island, but actually, as Dimitri claims, sending them into another Zone, much like was done to the DL before, leaving the Island itself without any opposition for the Legion's conquest.

...Except that, floating on the Ocean underneath the island, one lone Guardian is floating on a piece of driftwood...

Rating: Rings

This story quite simply ROCKED! In one story, Ken Penders shakes up the Knuckles with such an impact, you can't help but want to read more! In one story, Knuckles' continuity has been cleared of Echdinapolis, The Brotherhood, and the annoying bit of Knuckles no longer being the only Echidna on Mobius. And Knuckles will now have the long term goal of bringing back his people from that Zone... a Goal which should prove elusive at best, if this story is any indication.

Well, I'm looking forward to reading more Knuckles stories now. Maybe we should ask Ken do write a story like for Sonic, huh?