Comics Bulletin logo
Search
  • Columns
    Random
    • All The Rage: Load Your Bibles

      Penny Kenny
      April 16, 2006
      All the Rage
    Recent
    • The Full Run: Usagi Yojimbo – The Wanderer’s Road Part 2

      Daniel Gehen
      December 4, 2020
    • The Full Run: Usagi Yojimbo – The Wanderer’s Road Part 1

      Daniel Gehen
      October 30, 2020
    • Comictober 2020: DRACULA MOTHERF**KER

      Daniel Gehen
      October 27, 2020
    • What Looks Good
    • Comics Bulletin Soapbox
    • The Full Run
    • Leading Question
    • Top 10
    • The Long-Form
    • Jumping On
    • Comics in Color
    • Slouches Towards Comics
  • Big Two
    Random
    • What Looks Good for the Week of November 13th, 2019

      Penny Kenny
      November 11, 2019
      Boom! Studios, Columns, DC Comics, Image, Marvel Comics, What Looks Good
    Recent
    • 4.5

      DCeased: Dead Planet #7 Presents a Hopeful Future (Review)

      Daniel Gehen
      January 22, 2021
    • Retro Review: Detective Comics #826 Remains a Holiday Classic

      Daniel Gehen
      December 3, 2020
    • Stan Lee

      nguyen ly
      November 7, 2020
    • DC Comics
    • Big Two Reviews
    • Marvel Comics
  • Indie
    Random
    • article placeholder

      SIngles Going Steady 11/16/2016: Do The Right Thanos

      Penny Kenny
      November 19, 2016
      Big Two, Image, Indie, Marvel Comics, Reviews, Singles Going Steady
    Recent
    • Review: The Loneliness of the Long-Distance Cartoonist

      Daniel Gehen
      December 14, 2020
    • The Full Run: Usagi Yojimbo – The Wanderer’s Road Part 2

      Daniel Gehen
      December 4, 2020
    • 4.5

      TMNT: The Last Ronin #1 Lives Up to the Hype (Review)

      Daniel Gehen
      October 29, 2020
    • Reviews
    • Archie Comics
    • Boom! Studios
    • Dark Horse
    • IDW
    • Image
    • Oni Press
    • Valiant
  • Reviews
    Random
    • 4.3

      Sunday Slugfest: Saga #26

      Penny Kenny
      March 8, 2015
      Reviews, Slugfest
    Recent
    • 4.5

      DCeased: Dead Planet #7 Presents a Hopeful Future (Review)

      Daniel Gehen
      January 22, 2021
    • Review: The Loneliness of the Long-Distance Cartoonist

      Daniel Gehen
      December 14, 2020
    • Retro Review: Detective Comics #826 Remains a Holiday Classic

      Daniel Gehen
      December 3, 2020
    • Singles Going Steady
    • Slugfest
    • Manga
      • Reviews
    • Small Press
      • Reviews
      • ICYMI
      • Tiny Pages Made of Ashes
  • Interviews
    Random
    • Classic Interview: John Calnan - Cartoonists Work Long After They're Dead

      Penny Kenny
      July 31, 2015
      Classic Interviews, Interviews
    Recent
    • Interview: Jon Davis-Hunt Talks SHADOWMAN

      Daniel Gehen
      June 8, 2020
    • Interview: Becky Cloonan talks DARK AGNES and Her Personal Influences

      Mike Nickells
      March 4, 2020
    • Simon Roy

      Interview: Simon Roy on His Inspirations and Collaborations on PROTECTOR

      Mike Nickells
      January 29, 2020
    • Audio Interview
    • Video Interview
  • Classic Comics
    Random
    • The New That Never Was: The Golden Age #2

      Penny Kenny
      July 31, 2015
      Classic Comics Cavalcade, Columns
    Recent
    • Countdown to the King: Marvel’s Godzilla

      Daniel Gehen
      May 29, 2019
    • Honoring A Legend: Fantagraphics To Resurrect Tomi Ungerer Classics

      Daniel Gehen
      February 15, 2019
    • Reliving the Craziest Decade in Comics History: An interview with Jason Sacks

      Mark Stack
      January 2, 2019
    • Classic Comics Cavalcade
    • Classic Interviews
  • News
    Random
    • Comics Bulletin Exclusive Preview – Cap Stone #1 from Titan Comics

      Penny Kenny
      November 26, 2014
      News, Previews
    Recent
    • 2020 Ringo Awards Winners Announced

      Daniel Gehen
      October 26, 2020
    • BAD IDEA Announces 2021 Publishing Slate

      Daniel Gehen
      September 29, 2020
    • A Full Replay of NCSFest 2020 is now Available

      Daniel Gehen
      September 15, 2020
    • Press Release
    • Kickstarter Spotlight
  • Books
    Random
    • Preview: 'An Unreliable History of Tattoos' from NoBrow Press

      Penny Kenny
      March 30, 2016
      Books, News, Previews
    Recent
    • Collecting Profile: Disney Frozen

      CB Staff
      November 22, 2019
    • Collecting Profile: NFL Superpro

      CB Staff
      August 31, 2019
    • “THE BEST OF WITZEND” is a Wonderful Celebration of Artistic Freedom

      Daniel Gehen
      September 15, 2018
    • Review: ‘Machete Squad’ is a Disappointing Afghan Memoir

      Jason Sacks
      July 31, 2018
    • Review: ‘Out of Nothing’ is the Antidote to Our Sick Times

      Jason Sacks
      July 23, 2018
    • Review: ‘Bizarre Romance’ Shows Rough Edges in the Early Days of a New Marriage

      Jason Sacks
      July 10, 2018
What's New
  • Collecting Profile: If I win Powerball, I will buy Amazing Fantasy 15
  • DCeased: Dead Planet #7 Presents a Hopeful Future (Review)
  • Collecting Profile: Batwoman
  • Collecting Profile: Daredevil
  • Collecting Profile: Floronic Man
  • Review of Cheetah in Wonder Woman 1984
  • RSS Feed
  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • Google+
  • Contact Us
  • Write for us!
  • Visit Video Game Break!
Home
Reviews

Sonic the Hedgehog #221

Penny Kenny
February 12, 2011
Reviews

The debut of Mina’s new song ruins Sonic, Princess Sally and Nicole’s evening out. Meanwhile, evil wizard Ixis Naugus and his apprentice, Geoffrey St. John, watch from the shadows and plot Naugus’s return to power.

The plots and subplots of the last few issues are starting to come together. The chapter’s title, “Changing Tempo,” refers not only to the change in Mina’s music and the shift to a longer story arc, but also the beat of the issue. After several more action-oriented stories, Sonic the Hedgehog #221 focuses on character moments that establish relationships and define the current status quo. Because of that, this is a great issue for new readers to jump on to the series.

Again Ian Flynn shows that he knows how to write a “mature” superhero comic that’s also all-ages appropriate. In the opening three pages, Sonic and Sally acknowledge their romantic past and issues and their current relationship in an intelligent, fun way that also touches on the fact that they are more than just two parts of a whole; that they have personalities and responsibilities beyond being just a couple. In a later scene Sally confronts Mina over the message her new lyrics send. Mina comes right back, accusing the princess of being irresponsible herself for leaving the city in its time of need during the Iron Kingdom occupation. During their dialog readers get a feeling for the history between the two women and where each one is coming from. Flynn also makes fantastic use of the “man in the street.” Like Stan Lee did at the dawn of the Marvel Age, Flynn uses the generic, non-heroic viewpoint to create a sense of verisimilitude, act as a kind of Greek chorus and move the plot along.

There are also some solid comic moments. One of them occurs when Mina’s manager/boyfriend Ash demands to know how Sonic and Sally got into Mina’s dressing room.

Sally: Princess.

Sonic: Speed of sound? Kinda known for it?

You can’t talk about Ben Bates’ art this issue without mentioning his stunning cover. First off the white background just makes the whole image pop. It grabs the attention. Using Sonic’s quills as frames for the portraits of the issue’s three leading ladies creates a unified look while the individualized symbols around each woman gives readers an idea of what role she plays in Sonic’s life. The whole has a very clean, pop art look to it that’s extremely attractive.

Inside, aided and abetted by inker Terry Austin, colorist Matt Herms, and letterer John Workman, Bates accomplishes the difficult task of bringing a concert to life on paper. A concert works fine in the audio/visual format. On paper, it’s more problematic. The art teams does a more than credible job of creating a sense of movement at Mina’s concert by pulling in for close-ups and back out to focus on the stage or audience, using different shaped panels and tilting them on the page, cutting back and forth to focus on the different characters’ expressions and changing the coloring to reflect the emotions portrayed. Uniting them all is the staff of musical notes curling over, under, around, and through the panels. It’s beautifully done.

In a less showy, but possibly more important, scene, Sally stands after listening to Mina rage. The princess’s back is to the reader. We can’t see her expression, but we can imagine. She puts her hands on her knees and pushes herself up. There’s a sense of resignation and strength about her. Just by angling her torso and arms, Bates and Austin create a feeling of weight and ponderous movement.

In the backup feature, “Second Impressions: Part One,” the distraught Mina receives comfort from the unlikely duo of former Dark Egg Legion Grand Master Dimitri and the Chaotix Espio. Flynn does a solid job of creating a bond between these three characters by portraying them all as misunderstood outcasts. Dimitri in particular has never been so sympathetic. James Fry and Terry Austin team-up to create some beautifully expressive faces.

Sonic the Hedgehog #221 definitely lives up to its tag of “The World’s Most Way Past Cool Comic!”

Archie ComicsBen BatesIan FlynnJohn WorkmanMatt HermsPenny Kenny

Share On:
Tweet
Black Panther: The Man Without Fear #515
Challenge – The History Game

About The Author

Penny Kenny
Penny Kenny

For the past thirteen years, Penny Kenny has been an elementary library paraprofessional in a rural school district. For the seven years prior to that, she headed a reading-math program designed to help first grade students with learning difficulties. Her book reviews regularly appeared in Starlog from 1993 to the magazine’s unfortunate demise in 2009 and she has published several e-novellas under a pen name. She has been a reviewer with Comics Bulletin since 2007.

Related Posts

  • 4.0

    Review: SABRINA THE TEENAGE WITCH #5 Sticks Its Magical Ending

    Jason Jeffords Jr.
    September 11, 2019
  • Archie Comics May 2019 Solicitations

    Daniel Gehen
    February 22, 2019

Latest Reviews

  • 4.5

    DCeased: Dead Planet #7 Presents a Hopeful Future (Review)

    Daniel Gehen
    January 22, 2021
  • Review: The Loneliness of the Long-Distance Cartoonist

    Daniel Gehen
    December 14, 2020
  • Retro Review: Detective Comics #826 Remains a Holiday Classic

    Daniel Gehen
    December 3, 2020
  • 4.5

    TMNT: The Last Ronin #1 Lives Up to the Hype (Review)

    Daniel Gehen
    October 29, 2020
  • 4.5

    Micro Review: Commanders in Crisis #1

    Jason Jeffords Jr.
    October 12, 2020
  • 3.0

    Review: GHOST WRITER Fights the Spectre of Unevenness

    Daniel Gehen
    September 3, 2020
  • 3.5

    Review: Strange Skies Over East Berlin

    Yavi Mohan
    August 11, 2020
  • DRAWING BLOOD: A Hyper-Stylized, Fictional Autobiography

    Ben Bishop, Brittany Peer, David Avallone, Drawing Blood, Kevin Eastman, Tomi Varga
    August 9, 2020
  • 3.0

    Alien: The Original Script #1 – This One’s For The Fans

    Jason Jeffords Jr.
    August 7, 2020
  • Singles Going Steady: Why? Lettering!

    Daniel Gehen
    July 28, 2020
RSSTwitterFacebookgoogleplusinstagramtumblr

Comics Bulletin is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for website owners to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com, audible.com, and any other website that may be affiliated with Amazon Service LLC Associates Program. As an Amazon Associate, Comics Bulletin earns from qualifying purchases.

All content on this site (c) 2018 The Respective Copyright Holders