Sonic the Hedgehog: Bad Guys Issue 2
IDW Publishing
Story: Ian Flynn
Art: Jack Lawrence
Colours: Leonardo Ito
From Sonic veterans Ian Flynn and Jack Lawrence comes “Smash & Grab,” an exciting story jam-packed with bad guys and badniks!
Some of Sonic’s worst enemies are back and badder than ever! Dr. Starline, Dr. Eggman’s former-right hand, has brought together Mimic, Rough, Tumble, and Zavok and promised them even more incredible power… if they can stop fighting each other and start fighting badniks to get to it!
The three covers available for this issue are very good again, and really quite varied. My favourite is cover A by Aaron Hammerstrom and Matt Herms and features the lead characters and a robo-T-Rex. Being the same art team, the interiors are consistent with the last issue too. That means some nice, thick outlines, and solid colour work. Oh, and there was something absolutely adorable about seeing Dr Starline sat with his tongue out.
Now, the story is rocketing along here. We get to see the villainous group take on their first real mission, and also set up Dr Starline’s plan. Most important though is the way Ian has presented the cast.
Rough and Tumble are their usual Bulk and Skull-like selves. Their loud-mouthed and brutish, but manage to show some genuine ingenuity here. Zavok also came across really well. It’s easy to forget that he was an effective leader in Sonic: Lost World sometimes, and that shines through here. In particular, he makes an effort to lift Dr Starline and points out his potential.
The Doctor himself is interesting here too. He acknowledges his own habit of being overconfident again, of course. He also finds himself surprised by both Rough and Tumbles actions and Zavok’s encouragement. Despite all this, he still goes back to relying on technology, ending the issue by acquiring his new weapon, the Tricore.
Honestly, there are a lot of good things here. From the abilities that the Tricore gives Starline, to his plan accidentally tipping off Eggman that something is up, there’s plenty of set up. My only real disappointment was that Mimic did very little. I really enjoyed him as a villain in the Tangle and Whisper mini-series, but here, he feels like he’s reduced to just a grumpy guy to make up the numbers.
That’s a minor gripe though. Overall, this was another strong issue, and the portrayal of most of the cast is worthy of praise. I score this 4.5 out of 5.
Matt Doyle Media 