IDW'S SONIC THE HEDGEHOG, ISSUE #73 - THOUGHTS
You'll never guess what happened.
I've once again waited until a couple hours before a new comic release to write my review of the previous one.
I feel like a broken record at this point, saying that Min Ho Kim is really good at pencils. It's a fact so objective that it's been imprinted on the fabric of the universe at this point. On-model, expressive, excellent conveyance of motion. I hope I keep seeing their art until I'm sick of it. Or I die. Whichever comes first.
Reggie Graham also continues to be really good at colors. More please.
On the story side, Evan does a really terrific job of increasing the tension in the writing, making it crystal clear that we're building up to the climax of this story arc.
There's a sort of static electricity in the way this scene is portrayed, like everybody here knows something is about to happen.
But before any of this, we finally get to see Clutch make his move.
It's amazing how... quietly it all goes down. Verbally, he keeps up the facade, carefully insisting that everything he does is for the good of the event, all while wearing the most obvious shit-eating grin as he makes half-veiled threats and seizes complete control of the entire operation.
There's no sudden, dramatic shift, or grand declaration of his victory. No, that's Dr. Eggman's style. Clutch handles things far more eloquently. Just a quick conversation and it's done. I continue to be amazed at the ways Evan finds to distinguish this character. He's so easy to dismiss early on, he seems like such a small fish in such a big pond compared to the likes of Eggman and Starline, but that same tendency to overlook him is precisely what makes him every bit as dangerous as they are.
And so, with everyone wound around Clutch's fingers, we move into our final, climactic showdown. The Babylon Rogues vs. The Diamond Cutters vs. Surge & Kit vs. the Phantom Rider.
Now, at this point, after everything that's happened, my hot take is that Surge is the true main character of this whole Riders storyline. She has gotten so much to do here. Being yanked around by Clutch, getting her first true taste of heroism, learning to enjoy it not just for the fame, but for the positive impact it makes, trying to break away from Clutch, all to be harshly reigned in and left desperately searching for a way to claim the freedom Sonic has spent all this time telling her she could have.
And this scene shows her, pushed to her breaking point, pulling her last gambit. Relying not on overwhelming strength - that's never worked when dealing with Sonic - but on sacrifice and careful, tactical planning.
Here, Surge throws herself into the fray and willingly lets herself take a beating...
... all to expose Sonic as the Phantom Rider.
This is such a cool move, because it complicates things so badly. For Clutch, it shows the entire planet that world-renowned hero Sonic the Hedgehog has been actively working against Clean Sweep Inc., and many people are going to be wondering why. Surge also calls out to Clutch, saying that she's done her job, and "destroyed the Phantom Rider," which also tells the world that Clean Sweep and it's operatives were actively trying to kill world-renowned hero Sonic the Hedgehog. Even if not everyone puts the pieces together, it still sends a lot of negative attention in Clean Sweep's direction.
Of course, this also has some implications for Sonic - A bastion of peace and harmony, an idolized figure in this world, was kicked out of charity sporting event, and subsequently infiltrated said event in disguise, disrupting proceedings, antagonizing security, and even putting other participants in danger a few times. Throw in the acts of outright violence Mimic committed while disguised as the Phantom, and this could do a lot of damage to Sonic's reputation. Not that he really cares - he said as much last issue - but I think he underestimates how much easier his heroism is due to his nearly-universal positive public reception. It's really interesting to imagine how Sonic will move forward trying to protect a world that doesn't really trust him, especially with his outright rejection of authority.
Then we get one of my established favorite tropes - Main characters meet long-established side characters for the first time! Tails, Amy, and also Belle meet Don, who has snuck onto the Restoration Shuttle looking for the Chaotix. I love Amy's immediate response to Don, it's so nice to see her hot-headed and snarky side in this story.
It doesn't take them long to find the Chaotix, since Belle knows the shuttle inside and out, and knows exactly where they'd be kept.
I do have to say, I love the way all these panels in the engine room are colored. Being inspired by the Sonic Riders games, everything in this arc has looked so clean and futuristic, then you get down here and it's rough, red, musty bolts and steel. It's such a sharp contrast, and it makes me appreciate Graham's colors even more.
The issue ends with Tails, Amy, and co. being confronted by Clutch and his security crew, who have no intent of letting them walk away. Clutch seems absolutely set to throw down, but it makes me wonder: What exactly does he expect to accomplish here? I've made the point so many times over the course of this arc, that Clutch never wins the day with overwhelming force, he does so through cunning schemes and careful manipulations. So how does he expect to fare against Amy Rose and Miles Prower, legendary adventurers known for running around with Sonic the Hedgehog, let alone the Chaotix, Don, and Belle, with only his cane-gun, a couple of bumbling mercenaries, and four run-of-the-mill security goons?
I dunno, maybe he has some grander plan for this encounter, but I just can't see him as a credible threat in an actual face-to-face fight. Who knows, he's definitely desperate, so maybe we'll get a chance to see how far that desperation will push him.
We have two more issues left in the Phantom Riders arc before we finally move onto the newly announced Scattered Pieces. At the risk of spoiling a bit...
Going by the cover art we've seen so far, it looks like Clutch and Mimic will be remaining as focal antagonists for a bit, so it appears that Phantom Riders will not be the end of the overarching Clean Sweepstakes saga. It's possible the solicitations say more, but I don't read those since I often find them to be a bit too spoiler-y for my tastes. Still, I'm really curious to see how this all plays out and what the aftermath will look like.
I combed the letters section for any important info this time around, and nothing really jumped out at me. We did recently see the announcement of an upcoming Sonic/DC Comics crossover, and that could be the crossover that was teased in the letters a few months ago, though it looks like the crossover comic will be published by DC and IDW will not be involved, so it's possible that we may have an entirely separate crossover story coming in the future.
Maybe that's just me coping since, while I like both Sonic and DC a lot, I don't really feel like they work very well as a crossover. Ian's a competent writer, though. If anyone can make it work, it's him. Here's hoping I still get my Sonic/Godzilla crossover someday, though.
Anyhow, as always, thanks for reading! I'mma go get ready for the 2024 Annual to drop, and I'll get that review out... sometime before the next issue releases!
