Sonic the Hedgehog Issue 38
IDW Publishing
Story: Evan Stanley
Art: Evan Stanley & Bracardi Curry
Colours: Matt Herms
Houston, there appears to be two hedgehogs and a fox floating through space… Sonic, Amy, and Tails are stuck in a mysterious new Eggman base. Each room holds a challenging surprise and the hallways don’t make any sense! Can they find out how to escape unharmed? Meanwhile, Tangle and Belle sneak in to find the bots running the show and stumble into some trouble!
Cover A by this issue’s colourist, Matt Herms, is by far my favourite. It features the full main cast for the issue in a nice action shot that portrays what we get to see well. Cover RI by Nathalie Fourdraine is also worthy of note, giving the same sort of kinetic feel but in a very different art style. Cover B by Thomas Rothlisberger (with colours by Bracardi Curry) is my least favourite of the three. It’s generally fine, and I like the layout, but there’s something about the facial expressions that feel slightly off to me. Amy Rose does seem to be sporting a very Knuckles smile for example, and Tangle seems differently serious if that makes sense?
As far as the internal art goes, I am happy to see Matt Herms on colour duty again. He has been consistently great from the get-go and was a big part of what made the early issues pop for me. Meanwhile, Even and Bracardi mesh well with the linework. They both really nail the characters’ personalities when it comes to body language and facial expressions. It all comes with the added bonus of featuring some classic badnik designs and the characters adopting some classic poses too.
The story itself is moving along nicely too. When it comes to Sonic, Tails, and Amy, the hero team are placed in some peril. From spatial warping to overwhelming numbers, the threat feels real, and they respond appropriately. Meanwhile, Belle and Tangle have their own issues with Belle confirming she is, in essence, a badnik, and Tangle dealing with this with her usual frenetic flair.
The issue is well-paced, moving quickly but giving us enough information to not feel deflated in terms actual story. That means we get a decent balance of fun, excitement, and the sense that there’s a tale to tell. The interesting thing is, we are getting two stories again here, one being a classic hero versus villain arc and the other being focussed a little more on self-discovery. The two run side by side without interfering with each other. I’m hoping that, when they do inevitably intersect, they come together well too.
Overall, this was an excellent issue. Evan has done a great job with making the characters feel like themselves and letting that shine in a balanced, exciting story. For Sonic fans, this should be a lot of fun, and I don’t hesitate to give it the full 5 out of 5.
Matt Doyle Media 