Sonic the Hedgehog: Bad Guys Issue 4
IDW Publishing
Story: Ian Flynn
Art: Jack Lawrence
Colours: Leonardo Ito
Dr. Eggman vs. the Bad Guys! Astonishingly, Dr. Starline’s managed to hold together his motley crew of criminals long enough to almost achieve his goal and see his plan to fruition. Unfortunately, when Dr. Eggman gets wind of their activities, he sets his sights on them. Will the Bad Guys stay together to scramble Eggman or will they crack? Find out in “No Honor Among Thieves,” the thrilling conclusion to Sonic the Hedgehog: Bad Guys!
My local comic shop was kind enough to deliver my backdated comic order to me, which means I finally managed to catch up with the Sonic Comics. That also means the reviews are back! So, I wanted to start with this final chapter in the villain spin-off, Bad Guys.
We have covers to suit all tastes this time around. I got Cover A by Aaron Hammerstone and Matt Herms, which is a nice, action-packed piece. Diana Skelly’s Cover B is a little more twisted, with a focus on Rough and Tumble, drawn in an edgier style. Finally, Cover RI by Jack Lawrence and Leonardo Ito is a more minimalist one, featuring Dr Starline with Eggman’s shadow looming behind him.
Moving onto the story, Dr Starline continues to be a joy to read about. He goes through a bit of a transformation here too. Having been caught by his comrades, he gets to test his new Tricore, and in doing so, is able to show off his combat prowess when assisted by his own tech. At the same time, when Zavok points out how similar he is to Eggman in terms of weaknesses, it gives Starline a way to push forward and adjust his goals to something more self-serving.
The other villains were also happy to do their thing here. Rough and Tumble were perhaps the weakest of the team in this regard, serving purely as fodder for the powered-up Starline. Mimic didn’t stick around long, but his natural tendency to betray at least came into play, and he also made it clear that he’s not done with Whisper. Finally, Zavok continued to view himself as an alpha villain and utilised his powers to tackle Eggman, albeit unsuccessfully. He too made his goals clear: find his Zeti comrades and take revenge.
This story has been a lot of fun from start to finish, but make no mistake, it was absolutely the Dr Starline show. It feels like it exists primarily to set the mischievous mallard up as a high-end villain. With his new sense of drive, he certainly seems likely to stand shoulder to shoulder with Eggman in terms of potential threat, so that’s no bad thing. It’s a strong finish to a good arc, and well worth grabbing. This gets 4 out of 5 from me.
Matt Doyle Media 