IDW Sonic the Hedgehog Issue #23 Review

Last week we received Issue number 23 of the IDW Sonic the Hedgehog comics, the plot for the Zombot plague thickens as Sonic encounters Dr. Eggman and Dr. Starline as they discuss their virus.

The virus is now running out of control, Eggman no longer is able to control the Zombots due to a mutation in the virus. Dr. Starline is unenthused about Dr. Eggman’s not taking the situation seriously, especially since neither of them have been vaccinated against the virus, so they both are susceptible to the disease they created. Sonic, who is very ill himself with the Zombot virus, sees the two talking and confronts them, albeit unsuccessfully as Eggman takes nothing regarding the epidemic seriously aside from his “winning” (much to Starline’s dismay).

After some banter back and forth (and a revelation about his idol from Starline), Sonic attacks and knocks the two of them off their floating platforms and down into the Zombot group below. Eggman and Starline retreat with the use of the Warp Topaz back to their lair.

Sonic has now been faced with some serious realizations about the events from the last few issues. He’s realized a lot of the problems the world is currently facing are partly his fault because he believes that everyone has some amount of good in them. He also broke the Data Collector Tails gave him and warned him not to break because that was their last chance at a cure for the virus. Sonic is close to breaking not only physically but emotionally as well; he can’t run from his fate forever, quite literally in fact. He came close to going full Zombot this issue.

Back at Eggman’s base, Starline uses the Warp Topaz to visit the Deadly Six and informs them that their time is coming. Of course, Starline doesn’t know that they’re planning to betray him and kill Eggman and Sonic themselves. However, Starline has a trick up his own sleeve in the form of the cacophonous conch. The issue ends with a hint at the next issue, looks like the final battle is on its way.

Right, well, this issue despite it having some action was much more low key than the previous issues. It very much was one all about the rising action, the climax for the plot building just a little more. It touched in on Sonic and how he’s handling things (he’s not handling things well). And touched on how Eggman and Starline are getting on (also not well). It was kind of a “cleanup the loose ends” issue and I appreciated that because I had been wondering how everyone was doing. The writing handled it well, some small spots where I felt the story of the comic dragged, specifically with Starline and Eggman butting heads, but all in all a solid next instalment.

The art style is good, the coloring is very dark. Stylistically it makes a lot of sense: the story is reaching a much more dark point so the mood is bleak and the coloring reflects that. On a practical stance, well the time in the comic is night time so obviously it’d be dark. Personally I don’t think that it was unplanned for the setting to be in the dark for the reason stated above; the mood is dark and the colors needed to reflect it as such.

Overall, I enjoyed this comic. It was a solid issue, my problems with it were incredibly minor, which is pretty typical whenever I have a problem with these comics, and that seldom happens. As for the next issue, I think it’s already been stated that the final battle is coming in two parts and I think that starts with issue 24. I could be wrong, but that said I think Sonic turns Zombot and his friends have to find a way to save him and all the victims of the virus.

What’d you all think of the comic?

This post was originally written by the author for TSSZ News.