Saturday, August 6, 2016

The Antoine and Bunnie Retrospective - 71

“Zoneward Bound” Sonic Kids II - Sonic Super Special #9

Oh, looky there; more flashbacks in a Sonic Super Special. I’m beginning to question my decision of reading this marathon in release order. It makes the chronological placement if things really confusing at times and makes it harder to break down certain important character beats. 

For example, in this story we open up on the kids all gaining up on Antoine. 
Now this behavior is shitty all on it its own, but depending on the placement of this story the behavior can become exponentially worst. 

Because Tails is flying we can deduce this takes place after “When You and I Were Young, Sally”But the real question is weather or not it takes place before or after “Stop…Sonic Time!”Which would dictate weather or not Antoine’s parents are alive or not. Because picking on your friend is already bad enough, but picking on your friend after he’s experienced severe trauma and loss makes you outright dick. And while fully expect young Sonic to to be a little prick, I have a hard time believing the rest of the FFs are as well.   
But the comic does a really poor job of applying context to these events so figuring out it’s placement is tricky. So lets look at the evidence. 

Tails is wearing shoes. He didn’t usually wear any until Sonic gave him some special ones as a gift, back in “Stop….Sonic Time!”. That said it is cold weather and they could just be regular old shoes cause Rosie wouldn’t let him play barefoot in the snow. 
 Specking of Rosie, she seems to be caught between the two extremes of “When You and I Were Young, Sally” and “Stop….Sonic Time!”. She is both stern and disapproving, yet more willing to go easier on the kids.   
I still don’t agree with this portrayal of Rosie, but if you place this between the two previous stories you could argue she’s going through some sort character development. 

I think in an effort to make everyone appear in a better light, I’m going to have to place this before “Stop…Sonic Time!” and before Antoine lost his folks. 

And to the comic’s credit it does take the time to show that Sonic’c behavior can be problematic towards everyone not just Ant, and also takes the time to show the all kids getting along together at least once. 
But enough fluff, lets get to the real point of this story. He kids discover a power ring for the first time hidden in the old well. This causes portals to open up and they all get sucked in. 
Meaning this is the first time Antoine traveled to an alternate zone. 
Oh and he’s met the Ancient Walkers. You know the gods of the Archie Sonic universe. 
Or rather they met him. Weather or not he and the rest of the gang knew of their presence or even remembers them being there is open to interpretation.  

Anyways everyone makes it back again safe and sound. and all agree to put the magic ring back where they found it. 
The rest of the comic covers Sally and Knuckles first meeting and how they became friends, and the birth of Tails on the eve of Robotnik’s coup. 
Look, I know you’re a new to this whole mother thing, Rosemary, but THAT’S NOT HOW YOU HOLD A NEW BORN!!!! 

You know I really need to sit down and write out an actual chronological order of events for the comic when I’m done with all these flashbacks. 

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