“A Matter of Self Interest” Negative Relations II - Sonic the Hedgehog #89
Last we left off, Antoine, Bunnie, Knuckles, Amy Rose, and her cousin Rob O’the Hedge had met up in Mercia. All trying to find their missing families. Knuckles believes that answers can be found in the ancient home of the echidnas, Albion.
They all take a row boat out to the hidden island where the city can be found. However while they bring each other up to speed on past adventures, they’re being monitored by the echidna council. Who seem to know more than what they’re letting on. As is the way with echidnas.
Once more Ant is compared to his father. I’m guessing he didn’t get his good looks from his mom then.
Also, poor ‘Twan must be worried sick. He finds out his dad is really alive after years of thinking him dead, only to find out he’s an evil robot, only to then find out he might not be alive after all. Man, his stress levels must be through the roof right now.
They’re greeted by the head of the echidna council and are offered accommodations for the night. With promises that their questions will be answered upon the morrow. While everyone beds down for the night, Knuckles broods for a bit and has this rare insight.
No, Knuckles, yours isn’t the priority here, and that’s the main problem with this crossover (that’s not actually a crossover). With the Knuckles the Echidna book gone, Knuckles is no longer the star of the show, or at least he shouldn’t be. I get that the writers are trying to reincorporate him back into the main comic proper and that as a Sega character he still needs to be present, but Antoine’s story is the one that has the most pressing and immediate drama to it. He’s the one that needs to be center stage here. And that’s not just my inner fangirl talking either, that’s just basic storytelling 101.
And I honestly think Penders knows this. That’s why this scene is here. As if addressing the fact that he’s not following basic storytelling convictions somehow excuses him from not doing so. Just because you acknowledge what you’re doing is bullshit doesn’t make it any less crap, Penders. In fact it makes it worse when you go forwards with it anyways and never correct the problem. Which is why we get this scene.
Once again, Knuckles is right. This should be Antoine’s story. He should be the one here reacting to this. But nooooo, Kunckles is too much of Penders special baby to be left out of the loop so, Ant’s gotta get the shaft instead.
And here’s the thing. This plot point still could have worked. It could have presented a moral dilemma for Knuckles. Yannar, (the tribe leader) goes on to inform Knux that Armand is sentenced to be dismantled so that Eggman won’t be able to use him as a weapon against the people of Mercia.
You could have had Knuckles choose between the safety of his people versus the emotional well being of his friend. It would have provided conflict for both characters without having to sacrifice the core focus of the story. But nope! Armand wakes up and escapes his bonds, conveniently allowing Knuckles to ignore the questionable morality of his kind yet again.
And then everything explodes. The End.
Meanwhile, in the continuing chronicles of King Max the Douche, Sonic figures out that the Sword of Acorns has the ability to restore Robians minds, Mina starts to grow a crush on him, Queen Alicia is cured, and Sally finally, finally opens up to someone and talks about her shitty home life.
On the one hand it’s good that she’s opening up to her brother, since he’s going through the same abuse that she is, he can understand how she feels. On the other hand, because he is trapped in the same abusive relationship as she is , he therefore can’t give her the help she needs. In fact he should be seeking help as well.
This is slowly turning into “the many ways in which Max is awful and Sally is an abuse savior” retrospective isn’t it?
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