Sonic HQ - Archie Sonic Comics Reviews

The third "zine"-style cover. I'll admit I like the way Mina looks. Sonic would be fine if it wasn't for where his hand is since it looks kind of weird there. I love the expression on Sally's face. I still believe Mighty should've been on the cover instead of Julie-Su. The corny factor on the words is pretty low this time around, though it is still there. The frontpiece by Axer is really nice. Mina looks nice in that dress.

"She's Gotta Have Him"
Writer: Karl Bollers
Penciler: Steven Butler
Inker: Jim Amash Mina is watching Sonic and Tails head off for their Freedom Fighting training from her home and starts imagining getting married to Sonic. Her mother walks in and Mina asks her mom how she got her dad's attention. Mina's mom reveals that they met during the Great War when she was being chased by overlanders. While looking at some dresses, Mina figures out how she's going to get Sonic's attention. After a quick shower, she goes to where the Freedom Fighters (Sonic, Sally, Bunnie, Antoine, Amy, Tails) are in a beautiful dress and calls out to Sonic. Just as Sonic is about to compliment her, the Freedom Fighters get summoned as Sonic's wrist watch starts beeping and Sonic runs off with Tails following, much to Mina's displeasure. Later on, Mina turns to plan two. Mina asks to join the Freedom Fighters. After telling Sally that she can contribute with her speed, Mina spends the day training with Sonic (running), Tails (flying), Antoine (swordsmanship), and Rotor (computers).

When Mina returns home, she talks to her mom about how great it is to be spending time with Sonic before going to bed. The next day, Mina and Tails race to the training complex, but Mina's mom asks to speak to Sonic before he goes. Mina's mom doesn't think Mina realizes the risks of being a Freedom Fighter. While Sonic is about to respond, the ground starts shaking. It turns out Robotnik has sent an enormous robot toward Knothole. The Freedom Fighters charge off into battle. Mina runs off to join them despite her mother trying to get her to stop. While the others battle with the robot, Mina finds the three kids that she is normally babysitting. They were in the way of the robot's next stomp and Mina froze. When she woke up later on, she tells us that the four of them were saved by Rotor stopping the robot in time. Mina realized then that she had been trying to be a Freedom Fighter not to save people, but only to be close to Sonic. So she quit the group. Mina's mom advised her to take a bath to cheer up a little. While Mina takes her bath, she starts to sing. As Sonic and Tails are heading to the training complex, Tails says he's going to miss Mina being around. Sonic is in the middle of saying that maybe she'll find something else she's good at when he hears Mina singing. Sonic turns around and starts heading to Mina's place.

Rating: Rings

Great story and Butler's art is nice as usual. Some mistakes with coloring and Bunnie not having a roboticized arm in one pic, but otherwise very solid. For some reason, the ending with Sonic talking about Mina's singing reminded me of The Little Mermaid with Eric being captivated by Ariel's singing. There's a possibly a hidden message with Mina spending the entire story trying to get Sonic's attention, but only truly getting it at the one moment in the story when she's actually not trying to get his attention. Another noteworthy part of the story is despite not having any lines, it was nice to see that Amy Rose is training with the rest of the group now.

"Those Were the Days"
Writer & Inker: Ken Penders
Penciler: Dawn Best At the pier where Julie-Su first kissed Knuckles (back in Knuckles #16), Julie-Su is approached by Mighty who had been looking for her. Julie-Su is thinking about how she doesn't know that much about Knuckles despite everything they'd all been through. Mighty says that Knuckles never did talk about himself much, even when they met. Julie-Su asks Mighty that she'd like to know whatever he could tell her, so Mighty tells her how he met Knuckles. Mighty was 10 and had just escaped Robotnik's prison camp with Sonic's help. Sonic went back to Knothole when they met Rotor. Mighty was now by himself but eventually he heard a sound in the bushes. Mighty was afraid that it was a prison guard, but it turned out to be Knuckles. Knuckles asked Mighty if he was from the area since he was looking for crocodiles. Mighty told Knux that he wasn't and he didn't know anything about crocodiles either. Knuckles asked Mighty about his family, and Mighty told him that everyone was gone, which was something Knuckles could relate with. After a quiet moment, Knuckles asked Mighty if he'd like to hang out on the Floating Island. Mighty wondered how Knuckles planned to get back to the Floating Island. That's when Mighty finds out that Knuckles wasn't alone. Vector was at the controls of a gyro-plane and the three took off for the Floating Island. The trio made it, but Vector crashed the plane. Julie-Su asked Mighty if he ever found out what happened to his family. Mighty said that he hadn't but he still has all his friends.

Rating: 1/2 Rings

I liked this story and except for Ken adding muscles to the characters where it's not needed, the art is nice too. More coloring mistakes as Julie-Su's eyes are blue throughout. You can definitely see that Knuckles' death has hit Mighty and Julie-Su (especially her) pretty hard. My main complaint is in the middle where Ken made Knuckles to be pretty dumb. Knuckles is 10, possibly 11 and has supposedly had an advanced education. He would know what "prison" meant. If Ken wanted to show that Knuckles was naive, which based on Mighty's response seems to have been the intent, Ken should've had Knuckles focus on Mighty's mention of Robotnik instead as that would have made much more sense for Knuckles not to understand.

"The Royal Signet"
Writer: Romy Chacon
Penciler: Art Mawhinney
Inker: Pam Eklund Queen Alicia is admiring a tulip as she and Sally are spending some quality time together out in Knothole. The two are enjoying themselves as the wind picks up causing Queen Alicia to wish she had worn something else. Sally gives her mother her vest to wear since Queen Alicia had just gotten over a cold and Sally doesn't want her to catch another. As Alicia puts on the vest, she feels something hard in the pocket and ends up taking out the Royal Signet. Alicia mentions that she had the ring made right after Sally was born and gave it to Julayla for safe-keeping. Since Alicia never saw Sally wear it, she thought it was lost and wondered if maybe Sally didn't like it. Sally told her that she thinks it is special and that's why it's in her pocket so that she would never lose it during a mission. When Sally thinks about Julayla, she realizes that she forgot something important. The two head over to Rosie's hut where Rosie had been waiting for Sally. Rosie curtsies for Queen Alicia, who tells her that she doesn't have to do that and to call her "Alicia" as Rosie is family in Alicia's opinion for raising Sally all those years. The trio head to Julayla's grave to say happy birthday and to pay their respects. Sally recalls how Julayla helped her become who she is now and thanks Julayla for everything. The three leave while Julayla's image watches from the sky.

Rating: Rings

Another nice story by Romy. I'm glad that Queen Alicia is being fleshed out more and more lately. She's an interesting contrast to Sally. This was an all-around "mother/daughter" issue as Sally spends time with all her "mothers" from Queen Alicia, Julayla (in memory and thought), and Rosie in this story. It works well. The art was nice as well.