Issue 71 came out a week ago, so I'll jump right into it!
Tails and Amy have just found Belle tied up in a closet aboard the Restoration's ship where their extreme gear was being held, and she reveals that it was Clean Sweep's security as well as Clutch who tied her up because of something she wasn't supposed to see.
Also, something I was wondering about while I was reading this part is why Belle didn't remember or recognize who Clutch was despite them being in the same place during the Chao Races and Badnik Bases arc, so I looked back at a couple of it's issues and found that the closest interaction they ever had was this one panel in Issue 35...
...so I guess it makes sense that Amy would remember who Clutch is, but Belle wouldn't.
Anyway, another competition has started in the Clean Sweepstakes, and Sonic arrives to cause a scene as he's been doing, but Mimic shows up disguised as a second Phantom Rider and knocks Lanolin out of the arena before making everyone else fight each other, and amidst the chaos, he sneaks up behind Sonic and removes his disguise, revealing his identity to Tangle and Whisper, Surge and Kit, and the Babylon Rogues.
Mimic later goes and tells Clutch about Sonic being the Phantom Rider, but only Tangle and Whisper finding out about his identity while Lanolin wasn't there puts them in a difficult position where they want to tell her but also don't because they know Sonic is probably doing it for a good reason, and Whisper reveals that she was recording the whole event with her mask and noticed that there were in fact two different Phantom Riders at the scene.
And that's about it for Issue 71!
We also got covers and solicits for Issue 74, which is set to come out in October, as well as both the Knuckles 30th Anniversary Special and this year's annual, which are set to come out in September and October...
With everyone trying to discover the Phantom Rider's identity, will Sonic, Tails and Amy be able to fly under the radar and find the info they need to topple Clean Sweep Inc.? Some secrets should stay buried, so if they fail, they will be trapped forever! Is this really it, or will our heroes find a way out of Clutch's, well, clutches? Sonic and his friends are racing to the finish of the Phantom Riders arc, which concludes with the double-sized issue #75, and things are about to get dire... Hang on tight!
There's trouble brewing on Angel Island and there's only one hero who can stop it... Join Knuckles for an all-new Classic adventure to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the world's most famous echidna! This is an addition to Knuckles' history that you won't want to miss!
The Sonic the Hedgehog Annual is back for 2024! Join Sonic and his friends in four exciting stories as they adventure together across the world in this 40-page anthology!