Archie Sonic Restored 292
This fan comic can be read here! If somehow you stumbled on this blog, go read it first! It's free and worth your time.
Though Archie Sonic has officially ended, the story itself is not fully over thanks to fans. This is no the first fan made comic we talked about on this blog (that was actually the final part of Genesis of a Hero), but is the first we will be talking about on its own. Also, much like Genesis of a Hero, this comic includes some of the pencil work of Tracey Yardley that was completed before the series was ultimately cancelled. As we specified before, we do want to be mindful that this was a fan made project made and released for free, given to us by fans who have a passion for this comic. That does not mean that we can’t be critical, but I do think that should be kept in mind moving forward.
That being said, I do think that anyone who is concerned that a fan project will feel “lesser” than the previous work may be pleasantly surprised. The ASR team clearly has high standards for their team and puts a lot of time and effort into making their comics feel like the real thing, and in that regard, had I bought this issue in a comic shop, I would be satisfied with what I got and feel that it feels like an official product. Really, one could construe this as not the comic ending, but much like when Flynn took over in reboot, a change in the team continuing the story. And considering the love they clearly have for the Archie Sonic comics, I consider that a high compliment.
Ironically, there really is not a better issue I can think of to start with for a fan relaunch than this one. In an ideal world, we would have gotten even more official stories with these characters, but in the world that we are forced to live in, 292 really feels like a reset after the events of Dark Gaia, with the cover by Yardley himself making it clear that we are at a crossroads, and our characters are wondering where to go next. The fan covers are also great, but for me the highlight was cover C, clearly inspired by the Lord of the Rings.
For the first twelve pages, the pencil work is done by Yardley, and similar to how I felt with his work in Genesis of a Hero…something feels off. I want to be very very clear that even Yardley’s worst work is still quite strong, especially with the depictions of Nicole and Cream, but something feels like it changed. And to be clear, I am not talking about things the fans handled, like the colors and other parts, but stuff that he created in his original work.
Some stuff just feels inconsistent, almost like Yardley decided to change how he drew certain characters, or as if his style itself shifted. Rotor is one who stands out. Here is an image of Rotor from the Countdown to Chaos arc. More rounded head. More muscular looking. The rotor here looks notably softer, a more friendly face, and oddly claw-like hands compared to his original design. Now to be clear, I quite like how Rotor looks in 292. It feels a little closer to his classic look without quite giving up on the powerhouse appearance he had in Reboot. Yet he undeniably looks different, which has always been a problem for Rotor as far back as SATAM.
And then there is stuff that feels like it was rushed. An easy example is Amy on both the cover and in this panel. What is up with her eyes? I know that Yardley can make Amy look more consistent than this. I don’t know why his work just feels…different from before. I don’t quite know what adjective to describe it with. I will defer to someone who is themselves an artist to explain, but it undeniably feels different than it was before.
That being said, it’s not all negative, so let’s start reviewing the plot because there were parts where I felt even this iteration of Yardley’s style shined. We start our adventure with Sonic, running through a field of lava, as one does, reminiscing about Chip and his sacrifice. I appreciate the fact that we are allowing Sonic to show more emotion this way, and how Chip’s absence is treated like a true loss. I don’t think we are going to get much out of it long-term, but I appreciate the fact that we are not immediately moving on.
Our scene changes to Rotor and Tails, working on the very important task of bringing fan-favorite Nicole back to the physical realm. Her holo projector, powered by a crap ton of rings, has not been fully operational since the battle with Phage and the attack on the Sky Patrol during Panic in the Sky. And her return…is really quite perfect, with Yardley’s art capturing the joy she feels and her love of life. He draws Nicole very well. All of the artists do.
Anyway, on to business, as Tails explains. Repairing the sky patrol will require a ring energy converter. Where can one of those be found? Arktika, where Rotor’s dad, whom we remember he does not get along with, will likely be. And Rotor doesn’t want to go, trying to use morals like not wanting to steal from Eggman’s goons as an excuse. Nicole manages to convince him that taking from him may, in its own way, provide a form of closure.
In case it is not clear where we are going with all this, the setup, with Rotor being just one example, is that we are getting individual quests for each of the Freedom Fighters. And frankly, I could not be happier with that premise. Only two of said stories have been completed so far, but considering how great these characters are, it often feels like their characters (outside of Sally) took a backseat in the main comic themselves. I am overjoyed to get to see more of them, and would imagine fans who finished these comics a long time ago are even happier. It really is almost the perfect starting point for a fan continuation considering the absence of these characters in the modern stuff.
Anyway, continuing on, we get some girl time with Sally, Amy, and Cream. They are packing to meet Dr. Ellidy, aka Nicole’s “father” figure introduced in Spark of Life, setting up what will likely be their eventual adventure. Amy is overpacking because she needs the right outfit for every situation. The whole scene is very cute, with Cream being her adorable little self, but the real standout moment is Sally saying “I would be lying if I said my true intentions for seeing Nicole again weren’t more selfish in nature.” Amy even compares her desire to why she follows Sonic.
I will take that ship bait.
Cream gives a rabbit ear salute before leaving without grabbing her suitcase, allowing Aunt Sally to make an appearance when she reminds her to think and move at the same time.I do like how the reboot allowed Cream to play the role that in SATAM fell to Tails.
The next page focuses on the only confirmed couple in all of reboot, Antoine and Bunnie, preparing for their own respective journeys. Antoine needs to revisit his family home and is getting packed. We will talk about Antoine’s comic soon, but his knightly tale and the burden of familial obligations are well portrayed here. Bunnie has a journey of her own (soul searching as she describes it), but the highlight of this scene is when Antoine takes her in his arms and says that when he returns he will sweep her off her feet. Reboot Antoine has plenty of swagger for a bottom.
Our transition to the next scene involves Sonic, searching for an oil sample for Uncle Chuck, reminiscing about Chip and past adventures, specifically Eggman and his old sidekick, Snively. Page thirteen on is actually done by a member of the ASR team, and Yardley’s contribution is over. You may expect it to be a jarring switch, but in truth it’s not, and the art team deserves a lot of credit both for the quality and their ability to emulate Yardley’s work.
Surprisingly, Snively and Eggman, despite their relationship, have not interacted at all for the entirety of reboot. Outside of his origins, we really have only gotten snippets of the relationship between Snively and Eggman. In this world, Snively left Eggman behind to work for G.U.N., and is feeling underappreciated in his role as one of their scientists, when his old boss gives him a call.
Eggman wants Snively back. And in pretty epic fashion, Snively laughs him off, having seen the old man fail one too many times to want to go back. It is such a…logical dynamic between the two that I really love this new role for Snively, as not just a lackey, but a rival, for Eggman. The encounter ends with Snively proudly displaying a Phantom Ruby. A fascinating setup for another villain.
Our next scene takes us back to Castle Acorn, where Sally, Antoine, Rotor, King Max, and Uncle Chuck are discussing their next ventures. The team deserves a lot of credit for the art and the backgrounds. Reboot generally had great art, but there were some stories (the second part of Worlds Unite and Wings of Fire) where they seemed to just…not care. We also get a lot of great expressions, particularly from Antoine, who goes from taunting Sonic to hating him once again in moments.
The highlight is Uncle Chuck demonstrating how he could create Chaos Orbs, a possible energy source, from something as gross as a clump of oil. In reboot, Uncle Chuck may rise above many of his competitors when it comes to science. I look forward to his experiment being warped by Eggman for evil (a fear, understandably, Uncle Chuck has). Sonic and Antoine then discuss their “date” where they will be going to Antoine’s home, with some fun banter between the odd couple.
The highlight for me, however, of the entire comic is page 18. This was the emotional high of the comic, and honestly one of the better moments in all of reboot. King Max returns to his chambers, looking back proudly at his daughter as she issues orders to her team, a really cute picture of baby sally, and the reveal of what Sally’s mother looks like in this timeline. I know the backstories of the Freedom Fighters don’t gel with every Sonic fan, with the war torn backdrop of their world giving them darker pasts.
It is also notable that a big change from the preboot is that, for the most part, the parents of these characters are gone. King Max and Rotor’s dad being exceptions. And here we get the reveal of another loss, Marianne Acorn, whom I hope we will get to see more of (perhaps in flashbacks) in the future. But it is moments like these that make the Freedom Fighters just feel so much more…relatable and well-rounded compared to some of the main Sonic characters. Ten-outta-ten page. Sonic and Antoine fly off (and in our last page we once again get great art and detailed backgrounds) before our story ends on an awesome splash page, reminding us of the individual stories about to start.
So obviously, this story was intended, even before becoming a fan project, to be a transition issue, helping to show a little bit about what comes next after the long Dark Gaia arc. And it is setting up individual stories focused on many of the individual Freedom Fighters which, from my perspective, is overdue and I am excited to see. We also set up future plots with Snively and, by the looks of things on the last page, Eggman is going to visit the world of the Zeti.
One thing that stands out from this issue, beyond the great fan-made art, is that the focus is not on action. Despite being an “action” comic, I always felt that the cast of Reboot was strong enough that it does not always need to have a big fight to remain interesting. But maybe that is just my preference and my own personal comfort with slice-of-life stories. That being said, one of my criticisms of Flynn is that he often shoehorned in action, especially early on, when we really needed more time to introduce the rebooted cast or to see them process emotional situations. So for me, 292 was a great, and intriguing, issue.
To be honest…I am still processing my feelings towards SEGA, Archie comics, and the unceremonious end this story has, and I still feel a lot of anger frankly towards the entire franchise for the situation these characters are currently in. But I find that situation is helped by the fact that passionate fans are still continuing the stories for free out of passion. And that has to be respected, even if Archie Sonic is not your personal cup of tea.
I still hate SEGA though.
Anyway, we have one more set of ASR stories to go before I do some wrap up blogs for Reboot. See you next time! For a full list of my blog posts, you can go here.