Sonic X

Publisher
Archie Comics
Writer
Joe Edkin
Artist
Tim Smith III
Country of origin
US
Year
2005

Sonic X #17

By David Rasmussen
28th Apr 07

Let’s see… so far Sonic X has managed to butcher Christmas, and mutilate Valentine’s Day… yeah, there’s a ton of holidays left to be spun under the speedy blue one’s feet until it’s pulverized into itsy bitsy nothing. Like this holiday, for instance, from the month of March comes the holiday best associated with the color green, pubs, drinking and parades -- and no I don’t mean March Madness (though sadly that is exactly what this issue is called, “March Madness”). I mean the issue that should irritate the Irish-man (or woman) in you… the butchery of St. Patrick’s Day issue.

All the gold in Ireland, and all the kissing of the blarneystone won’t make this issue not suck, which it does.
Returning to Chris’ mansion (did I mention that human pal of Sonic and company Chris was rich), Sonic finds that little guy “Cheese” (a “chao” who rode with him on his run) has turned green, which is supposed to be a trait of the “run-type” trait… unless you live in the DC Universe, then the “run-type” trait is actually the color red (that’s how the Flash dresses). Anyway today’s St. Patrick’s Day and the deviously brain damaged Dr. Eggman has got it into his crazed head to hunt down a leprechaun for his pot of gold… well one thing leads to another and he ends up making this giant “leprechaun” mecha to hunt down his target (which ends up crashing a St. Patrick‘s Day parade). Sorry, Doc Scrambled Egghead, all the Leprechauns live in the universe made by Antarctic Press… where all your readers should go, while I’m at it.

Next time will end the butchery of holiday themed issues, as Sonic X #18 seems to be a crossover with Sonic the Hedgehog (the original series title) called “Rouge Gone Rogue”… I guess that means no more butchery of holidays, sure, but… well, let’s hope that this marks an actual upturn of the fortunes of Sonic X, and that for once it gets a score ABOVE 1 out of 5 (which it hasn’t had in months). But, for now, Sonic X gets 1 Irish protest march out of 5.

Now some Archie Comics news that might mean a better score, for once.
Coming in May (which will probably be June here in the stores that time has left one month behind) it looks like Archie is taking one of their old faithful series (Betty and Veronica) and giving them a brand new coat of innovation with new artists (Steven Butler) and writer Melanie J. Morgan. I have the cover art right in front of me, and this looks good (it seems to me that this might be part of the “revamping” of Archie Comics (which started with the manga-fication of Sabrina the Teenage Witch) which may bring new scores to the series of Archie, and hopefully higher scores).

Stay tuned for a review of Betty & Veronica Double Digest #151 (featuring the first revamped and revisioned Betty & Veronica story from new artist Steven Butler) entitled “Bad Boy Trouble” coming soon.

First Look at Betty & Veronica Double Digest #151 (“Bad Boy Trouble”)
So far if we’ve taken the last several Sonic X reviews as a sign of what Archie has up their sleeves… well, if Sonic X is any indication then you should tie off Archie Comic’s sleeves before something crawls out of them. Hurry. After watching Sonic X butcher THREE holidays in a row (Christmas, Valentine’s Day and St. Patrick’s Day) you wouldn’t think something of note would be combined with the words “Coming Soon from Archie Comics)… well, that may change with the next phase of Archie Comics’ revisioning of their series’ line with the all new revisioning of Betty & Veronica in this first look at Betty & Veronica Double Digest #151 featuring the new duo’s first story “Bad Boy Trouble”.

If you know Sabrina the Teenage Witch, as opposed to knowing Melissa Joan Hart and her onetime dream to train wreck the Anime series Real Bout High School with her attempt to direct a “Real Bout High School” movie by starring as the lead Japanese female character (when she is so not Japanese), then you know it’s just gotten a brand new coat of innovation with the manga-fication of Sabrina the comic from Archie Comics. Now, after awhile of waiting, the next coat of innovation has struck the female staple of the Archie line-up, Betty & Veronica, as new series’ Artist Steven Butler mans the series giving it a fresh crisp artistic look that really should ramp up the series dynamics (if this cover image is any indication of what we have to look forward to in the new “look”). Of course unless this was a pin-up issue then there’d have to be a story to go along with the new coat of artistic style, and that is provided by writer Melanie J. Morgan in the story “Bad Boy Trouble”.

And for once the bad boy isn’t that Archie dude who once spent quality time with that Castle dude from the MARVEL Universe… another one of MARVEL’s legendary failings to go along with their slice of “Oh dearie let’s see what happens when we cross the Avengers (pre Civil War slash LET’S KILL CAPTAIN AMERICA!) with The Guiding Light (pre long long drawn out shooting of Alan Spaulding where he is put into a coma, visited by the visage of Uncle Ben Buzz, and had the shortest conversion from good to evil before realizing he was the only evil in the “universe” and had to go back to being evil again).“

The bad boy factor comes in the form of one Nick St. Clair, but he is no St. Nick (nor is he a gift you want under your Christmas tree) as he comes into Riverdale (the anti-Quagmire) on his motorcycle (and probably his high horse), where he gets the motor running on new look Veronica. She likes his “air of assurance” (toxic air, lady, cough cough -- vog alert) and his knack for getting noticed… bad news, especially since he seems to attract attention for doing the wrong things. Before you can say “gee Veronica looks hotter than ever before now with her new Artist” she’s quickly alienated from her friends, including on and off again rival Betty (does this mean she’s going to make a beeline for that Archie guy now?)

So is this cup of arsenic and poison Nick St. Clair the boy of Veronica’s acidic dreams, or just plain trouble slathered on a big old slice of burnt toast? Guess! Also does this mean 10,001Betty/Veronica lesbian erotica slash fics have to be thrown to the virtual dumpster now is the “friendship” (cough cough) of the dynamic duo comes crashing down over a bad slab of boymeat like the Anti-St. Nick?
I doubt it, but tune in for the full review to find out as a full review should be in x amount of weeks.

-- David Rasmussen 28th Apr 07