"Troubles by the Dozen"

It's Sonic against the Iron Queen and her minions. Wanna guess who's outmatched?

Ian Flynn and company produce another excellent issue. This one has it all: There's a fast paced (naturally!) battle; Princess Sally and Monkey Khan flirting; the Freedom Fighters flaunting their stuff; the Iron Queen going ballistic; a touching scene between Sonic and Eggman; and an absolutely wonderful moment featuring Sonic and Monkey Khan that not only provides some insight into the Blue Blur's personality, but also manages to be both heartfelt and amusing.

The dialog, always sharp, is especially noticeable this issue. It shows Sonic's brash confidence while his sighs over Eggman reveal his more contemplative side.

Although a casual reader who'd never read a Sonic book or played the Hedgehog's video game could pick up this issue and enjoy it, Flynn also provides subplots for long time readers. Snively and the Iron Queen's "romance" looks to be taking a turn for the worse, while Sally and Monkey Khan seem to be growing ever closer. Meanwhile supercomputer Nicole's problems suggest some nasty tech problem is about to arise.

Steven Butler and inker Terry Austin do a fabulous job on the book's art. The action scenes are well choreographed with the one between the Iron Queen and the Freedom Fighters being especially dynamic. The detail the artists give to expressions is also worth noting. The play of emotions across Sonic and Monkey Khan's faces during their discussion about Eggman changes from panel to panel, mirroring their words and adding depth to the exchange. Background characters also display an impressive range of expression. Snively's body language in his scenes is just beautiful. If you couldn't read the dialog, his anxiety and despair would still be evident.

The issue's backup feature, "Birthright: Part 2" has Lien-Da confronting Dmitri. Her actions are truly chilling. It's probably one of the darkest things I've seen in the Sonic comic. It's completely in character, but still--brrrrr! Artist Jamal Peppers brings her self-congratulatory smirks and smugness to life.

If you want a good, action, hero-type comic to read, look no farther. Sonic the Hedgehog #206 is the book to pick up.

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