“Mogul Rising, Part 2: Devil’s Due”

With Tails, Mighty the Armadillo, and Mina Mongoose under the psychic spell of the immortal Mammoth Mogul, Sonic has a decision to make: Does he try to free his friends from Mogul’s control, knowing that at best he can save only one of them? Or does he hand the Chaos Emerald over to Mogul?

“Devil’s Due” is one pleasant surprise after another. I kept expecting certain things to happen – and they didn’t. Writer Ian Flynn takes the opportunity to masterfully turn reader expectations on their head, while showing how Sonic’s character has matured over the last year. While the Blue Blur is still a fast moving, wise acre, he’s gained some perspective and learned to think before he runs. Though his plan might not be the best plan, it’s the best he can come up with at the time. And he doesn’t waste time beating himself up over the results. He just gets ready for what’s coming next. Flynn has subtly built Sonic into a hero worth emulating.

On the villain side of things there’s Mogul. He’s arrogant, condescending, and vindictive, but he has a certain awesomeness that sets him apart from Sonic’s other opponents. His reaction to Sonic’s choice is totally unexpected and yet it’s a decision that an immortal sorcerer would make. “You may call me “petty” or dismiss me as a nuisance. I can endure such small barbs knowing you will not rest easily from this day forth.” Can’t you just hear Patrick Stewart declaiming those lines? It’s not on the level with Richard III’s “I am determined to prove a villain,” but it’s majestic in its own way. Mogul’s not quite a Darkseid level villain yet, but in Flynn’s capable hands he could become one.

With only fourteen pages to work with, Mina’s boyfriend Ash doesn’t have much to do but it is nice to see him put aside his former animosity toward Sonic and work with the hedgehog.

Tracey Yardley!’s layouts, Matt Herms’ pencils, and Jim Amash’s inks combine for a great looking book. The first page splash is a perfect example of the thoughtfulness that goes into this series. The top two-thirds show Sonic running uphill, pursued by his ensorcelled friends, which literally gets the book off to a running start and foreshadows the kind of problem Sonic is dealing with all issue. The bottom third shows the credits and headshots of the main cast. And here’s where the art team gets clever. The headshots are in an inverted “V” shape. At the top of the V is Mogul, which puts him right underneath his puppets on the top portion of the page. It’s a cool way to show the connection between the characters right at the start so that readers are immediately clued in to what’s going on. It’s little touches like this that make Sonic one of the most accessible comics around.

Herms and Amash delineate characters who are lean and active, who burst from the panels with acrobatic grace. In a beautiful two page silent spread, the action cuts quickly between characters, creating a sense of speed and tension. The portrait of Mogul in this section is particularly chilling. Herms and Amash evoke his menace and strength with a single wide grin. And Josh Ray’s colors shouldn’t be ignored. The subdued palate on display during the nighttime battle between Sonic and his friends has a lush, richness, while his shading gives each page a textured look.

“Honor Bound” by Flynn, Yardley!, Amash, Ray, and letterer Teresa Davidson follows Knuckles as he tours Angel Island after Enerjak’s rampage. While dealing with his guilt over the destruction, he encounters a strangely supportive Rouge.

This seven pager sets up a new storyline for Knuckles and allows readers to see the aftermath of the Enerjak saga. While this material could have been integrated into the Mogul plot, setting it aside this way gives it more of an impact. The scene showing Knuckles’ meeting with General Von Stryker is a masterpiece of understated emotion.

Fans of superheroic action and drama won’t want to miss this issue of Sonic.

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