Editorial team: Richard Goldwater (Editor-in-chief), Victor Gorelick (managing editor), Justin Freddy Gabrie (editor), and Mike Pellerito (assistant editor).
SONIC AND SALLY BREAK UP! NO!!! SAY IT AIN’T SO!!! * cough * -ahem-
Pencils by Patrick Spaziante (after Romita), inks by Nelson Ribeiro, colors by Jason Jensen.
"So long, Sally…" NO, NOOO!!! (This is almost as bad as when she died in issue 47!)
Written by Karl Bollers, penciled by Jon "WB" Gray, inked and lettered by Michael Higgins, and colored by Jason Jensen.
SONIC AND SALLY—no, wait, I’ll get to that in its proper place. First…
Doc Quack (who now sports an eye-patch, due to a… landmine?! Shouldn’t that have got his leg, not his eye…?) examines Sonic, after treating Sonic’s arm.
Quack says that the alien translator has bonded with Sonic, making it impossible to remove. (This causes Sonic to swear. Guess it really bugged him… --Oh, wait, it's his arm hurting him again that makes him swear!)
Sonic reunites with his parents, and with Sally, who clings to him for most of the rest of the issue…
The next morning, Sonic greets Muttski, only to understand the dog’s response! (The scene is hilarious, and WB’s cartoony art compliments it perfectly.)
Sonic explains to his family that Jules couldn’t be deroboticized because of his injuries prior to roboticization. (Yes! I guessed right! …Wait, was that what I guessed…? …More importantly, why couldn’t they have mentioned that back when Sonic met the Bem?! Oh well…)
Sonic heads to "Frederick Airbase" to catch up with Tails, and deliver Tails’ parents’ gift—a watch with a holographic message from them.
Later, Sonic attends a celebration of his homecoming. Mina starts things off with a song, then King Max takes the stage and announces he and Alicia are off on a world tour, and Sal will be in charge in their absence.
Sonic meets Mina's manager and possessive boyfriend, Ash.
Sally tries to talk with Sonic, but just then their friends catch up with them. (Incidentally, the Chaotix are now sporting their Sonic Heroes garb—let’s pretend they were in the past few issues, as well.)
We learn that Tails has fallen for the real Fiona (Sonic’s not too sure about the wisdom of this move, and frankly, neither am I)… We learn Rotor has retired from active missions, and now just invents things—like the holographic generator he uses to shine fireworks and pictures of Sonic and Sally making out over the city.
Geoffrey and Hershey announce that they’re heading off on their honeymoon, and Sonic learns from Bun that no one knows how Ant got his scar, except Quack. She further reveals that Ant’s attitude change was, in fact, the reason she broke up with him. (Can I call ‘em, or what?)
Sonic asks, "What about old times?" and Bun replies, "Ah guess they’re gone." …Talk about foreshadowing…
Aaannnddd, on the next page… Sally asks Sonic to rule by her side while her father’s away. She lost him once, and she doesn’t want to loose him again; thus she doesn’t want him on the front lines anymore.
She really, really should have known better. Fighting Robotnik is Sonic’s life. Unlike Sally, he knows better than to try to adapt to a life not lived on the edge.
..Not that he says all this… He simply replies, "I… can’t."
Needless to say, Sally doesn’t take that too well.
She slaps him, calls him selfish; he tops her outburst with one of his own, asking how doing everything he can to end the war is selfish. Her reply answers many questions I’ve had about the "Home" story-arc, so I’ll quote it verbatim:
"Do you know what it was like believing you were dead? It completely broke my heart. Watching Mecha hurt you brought it all back… And I refuse to have my heart broken again, Sonic.
"What’s more important to you, anyway?! Punching out Robotnik’s lights, or being with me?"
Sonic pauses, tears in his eyes. He doesn’t have a ready answer, and Sally takes that in the worst way…
"Then he can have you all to himself!" she shouts as she runs away.
…
Next issue, Sonic and Robotnik reveal their love for one-another, and begin planning a wedding! (They’ll have to go to San Francisco for the wedding, but Sonic has plenty of frequent-flyer miles after the Tossed in Space arc.) Of course, considering the fact that Sonic’s favorite pastime is beating up Robotnik, the marriage will doubtlessly have a heavy S&M element to it; but, hey, someone with the responsibilities of Robotnik needs to take the submissive role from time to time, right?
…What?… (*Chronos looks around in confusion at people staring at him.*)
…Umm… Moving right along,
Written and inked by Ken Penders, pencilled by Steven Butler, colored by Jason Jensen, and lettered by Vickie Willaims.
As he flies home, Rote gives a review of last issue’s story, as well as Knux noticing Rutan and Salma run off. (Rote mentions that he and the echidna scientist Cobar share "a close personal relationship"… Either Ken’s getting really daring, or I’m too used to trying to figure out what’s being hidden in edited Manga and Anime… probably the latter…)
Knux heads to Haven 2, where he says hello to the catatonic Sabre, and chats with Sojourner. We learn that Julie-Su has forbidden Knux from spying on the "family" (the Dark Legion), so he wants the Haven crew to do it for him. (J-Su’s not gonna like that one!)
Rotor and Cobar tap into the Haven systems, and watch along with the Brotherhood as Rutan tries to explain his being out so late (and thus is unable to share what he overheard Knux and Rote talking about).
Finally, Rotor’s transport reaches Castle Acorn, and we reach the end of this chapter.
Off Panel by Michael Gallagher and Dave Manak
Sonic finds a magic ring… which Gandalf confiscates, for Sonic’s protection.
Coming Attractions: Sonic chases after Gandalf. (Well, the cover does show Sonic reaching for a cloaked figure…)
Mike Pellerito finally has a chance to introduce himself, then he goes on to answer the letters, butchering them as always. (Though, I must admit, he does have a humorous writing style.)
Sonic and Shadow (in well-shaded color) by Stefanie Dao, Shadow by Patrick Borger, Sonic by George O’Connell, and Knux and Julie-Su (mostly Julie-Su) by Nola Lacey.
NO!!! Can I cancel my subscription? This is just too sad… * boo, hoo * …
Then again, Superman and Lois split up not long before they got married, so all is not lost. And in the mean time, we have M25YL to tide us Sonic/Sally fans over…
…Gee, got so caught up in the story, barely even noticed WB’s art! Did notice it’s very cartoony, combining the cartooniest elements of the cartooniest Japanese and American cartoons… Counter-intuitively, this actually works well with this story, as it shows off the extreme emotions at the end beautifully.
I still think Axer is the Sonic Art god, but I’ll take WB over Lim any day!