Knuckles #22-24 and Sonic #71 The Dark Legion is back and they’re aiming to take over Echidnaopolis! Again. Knuckles is in Haven and confronting his family but the one he wants to talk to the most isn’t there. Typical. And we do a special issue of Sonic that introduces a major design change for the blue blur! Mandated.
Question: If you were an echidna, would you join the Dark Legion?
>>140567907 >And we do a special issue of Sonic that introduces a major design change for the blue blur! Mandated. Is it time?
>Question: If you were an echidna, would you join the Dark Legion? I would specifically look for the inevitable splinter group that wants all the cool tech stuff and cybernetics, but without doing the whole terrorist cult shit.
>>140567907 >The Dark Legion is back and they’re aiming to take over Echidnaopolis Must be a Tuesday. >And we do a special issue of Sonic that introduces a major design change for the blue blur! Mandated. Hey, Sally and Bunnie had also gone through some noticeable "development" recently, make sense the hedgehog follow suit...
>Question: If you were an echidna, would you join the Dark Legion? Of course not, it's not like the Dark Legion was lead by some sort of sexy femme fatale for which I would sell my soul without any second guess or something...
>>140567975 THERE SHE IS! I was wondering when she'd finally show up. And oh the hilarious irony of her very first on-panel action being giving someone shit for their raging hypocrisy.
>>140567975 >ENTER LIEN-DA There she is, one of my favorite Echidnas! >>140568004 >I miss Galan but this artist does a good Spectre. They all look great here, but Spectre is so cool!
>>140568004 Sabre, I know you're usually the reasonable one but never, EVER say you did any of this bullshit "with your best interests in mind". That shit always makes you look like a fucking dick.
>>140568123 I just can't et used to the reoccurring use of asterisk just for the sake of providing definition the writer think their readership won't get.
>>140568123 It's like an episode of Junkyard Wars >>140568137 And now she knows why Knuckles is just as messed up as she is >>140568140 Love that Remy's willing to reason with them. The Brotherhood would just chuck them off the island >Stupid sexy echidnas! They're getting distracting! >>140568169 You take that back! He's doing his best!
>>140568140 >>140568153 I can see why Thirstposter is so obsessed with this dude. Look at him, being all reasonable and respectful of free speech and asking the protestors to protest without blocking the road.
>>140568180 Penders keeps using words children won't understand so the editor keeps having to explain things >>140568197 It apparently makes things easier to read, though I have no idea how >>140568203 He was near-death since he was over 400 years old so they turned him into a cyborg >>140568223 I assume there's weekly JO sessions. Remember, it's not gay if there isn't any eye contact!
>>140568291 Here's Knuckles! And here's Julie-Su! >>140568259 >>140568225 >Love that Remy's willing to reason with them. He really does shine in this arc.
>>140568240 These are cleaned up scans I made instead of the digital release since Penders sued before this volume could come out. The original scans were way worse >>140568248 Damn he's hot >>140568259 Yeah, cops could unironically learn from my husbando
>>140568274 This is so fucked up. Absolute Penderskino >>140568282 It's their home >>140568320 I'm surprised how many people remember these shows >>140568324 Wow, look at the chest on Knux! >He really does shine in this arc. Yeah, he's just the best!
>>140567949 >>140567975 Wait, am I supposed to know who this guy is? For a moment, I thought it was set in the past before the Echidna decided to get back to technology anyway.
>>140568401 >Dimitri sitting at the table for hours obsessively building an exact highly-detailed model of Echidnaopolis out of LEGOs just to show off for his rants
>>140568448 Everyone is freaking out but Lara-Le is happy to see her son and is waving at him. >>140568424 Not really, he's just a new character for this arc.
>>140568123 I wish the art were a bit less hazy for this reveal. In fact the art's been oddly hazy the whole issue, except for that spread of the Brotherhood.
>>140568365 He is suspiciously jealous of Julie-Su >>140568367 >I can't wait for Lien-Da to get her costumed sexed up with the cleavage. She's just waiting for her next round of cybernetic enhancements >>140568397 Bravo Penders! >>140568401 >My model city! I spent hours working on that! That's how you know he's a bad guy!
>>140568425 >Are you sure there isn't anything we can do about his stomach? He looks like he's about to go into labor any moment! >We'll say it's a beer belly. Look, what's important is the mind control works!
>>140568482 Real talk, I'm looking forward to when we get to the overlander stuff, because I cannot for the life of me recall what it was Ivo did to make everyone want him dead in the first place. I'd also like an explanation for that hideous jumpsuit he was wearing when he was fleeing the overlander city.
>>140568405 January 1999 >>140568425 I can't believe the Dark Legion got him pregnant! >>140568439 This was the best I could do but you're welcome to try your own
>>140568480 This is a digital upscale and cleanup. I probably should've ran it through a sharpening filter >>140568495 >>140568511 >What speech did he rip off this time He said it was from Mien Kampf, but it was actually from a talking point that inspired Hitler
>>140568076 Even if you leave out the fact that one of them tried to kill him not ten minutes ago, these mooks have been gaslight and gatekeeping him since he was a kid, without even the courtesy of girlbossing. Strictly uncivilized. >>140568181 See, that's a proper girlboss treatment, councilor is eating good. >>140568180 It's generally the Echidnae doing it too, just imagine how many Knuckles fanboys got bullied for throwing around their five dollar words at school whens someone started giving them grief.
>>140568613 >Benedict ... Y'know not even worth ragging on it.
>>140568640 >See, that's a proper girlboss treatment, councilor is eating good. Seriously, Lien-Da might be a fuck up and a gigantic asshole, but, uh... Well I have a pulse.
>>140568679 >Foreground Dude: Can you believe this guy is actually sieg hieling Dimitri? >Other Foreground Dude: Seriously, this comic is laying it on a bit thick.
>>140567926 Hey it's the really small page that people let taint the entirety of the comic run despite them not reading any of the actual issues, you'll see few more pages like this in future
>>140568517 Beautiful! >>140568533 >that Remy crotch shot Plap fucking plap! >>140568537 Ha! >>140568551 >For those that wanted to know what the back of Mighty's head looked like. More staples than I'd expect >>140568558 These were some of the first ones I did so they don't look the greatest. I'll probably redo them at some point >>140568613 >those teeth Horrifying >>140568625 Yeah, he was still putting in some effort at this point >>140568641 Yeah. He actually hands out leaflets for the Democrats on poling day >>140568679 >Subtle. Everyone talks about the Nazi stuff, but completely ignores the mindbroken pregnant dude and that fine Echidna ass
>>140568679 >Benedict: ...and with that out of the way, I want to also mention that I plan to improve the education system and crack down on the recent Lemon Sunshine Dandelion epidemic. I also plan to balance the city's budget and eliminate wasteful spending. The floor's open to any questions
Okay, so what the hell are we meant to take away from all this? Cause the narrative is pretty much equating people who want technology that makes life easier with nazis.
>>140568723 So competent! >>140568770 They actually made the TPB, but Penders had it pulled before it hit shelves. I still remember getting a refund ;_; >>140568818 It's a Bond reference, because of course it is >>140568862 Perfect!
>>140568883 Penders seriously expected us to believe Hawking mistook a Dark Legionaire for his own son?
Even if the injuries were similar and Echidnas don't have much in the way of physical biodiversity, with how much emphasis is put on family and mystical destinies and all that, on top of the fact Moritori Rex wouldn't have the white chest crest thing, that just feels like a lot to ask for.
>>140568883 lmao >>140568929 >Will we be able to find out if an echidna has ears? They do! They're vertical slits on the side of the head IRL >>140568947 It's so dumb
>>140568833 >"Yes, I assure you, in our glorious new future, you will be able to enjoy your Hot Pockets prepared not JUST in your microwaves, but in what our scientists are calling the air fryer!"
>>140567926 Look, all I'm saying is six million robians is way too many. There's no way Robotnik could have roboticized that many in just a few years, it's logistically impossible. It's more likely the mobians became robots due to disease and hunger. You know there's no proof those mass roboticizers existed.
>>140568883 I am sorry, but Morituri has basically spent most of his life with the brotherhood.
Fuck, hasn't he taken over in their weird lineage? The real Tobor was kicked out before he sired a son. And yet he act like none of this matter and the Dark Legion is his true family...
>>140568972 It's fine. These are some of the first ones I did so I'm planning on redoing them >>140568978 Hawt! >>140568980 Someone's gonna get canceled!
Y'know, I would love to ask Penders why he thought it was a good idea to make the Dark Legion nazi analogues. There's just so much wrong with that idea, I don't even know where to start.
>>140569021 He already had a son (Spectre), who somehow never suspected anything. This is despite Spectre being captured and partially legionized >>140569026 Tee hee, penetrated!
>>140569044 Nope. I don't see any ears on Julie-Su or Knuckles. >>140569021 Tobor had a wife and kid before he disappeared. Even says so. He did get cucked though.
>>140569076 Yeah, it's not really covered in the comic but is in the encyclopedia. From the wiki: >At some point during his time as Guardian Spectre was kidnapped by Moritori Rex and turned over to the Dark Legion as part of a plot to convert one of the Guardians to the Legion's cause. Spectre refused to join the Dark Legion however, and managed to expel them back into the Twilight Zone. However, he was left permanently altered by Dark Legion cybernetics, and presumably remained unaware of Moritori's role in his kidnapping
>>140568947 Yeah, you would think that Hawking or Tobor's wife and son would have noticed something was up. Did Rex have to play like an amnesiac retard for a few years until they let their guard down?
>>140568902 Where's Hawking. Is he still hooked up to the life support in his bedroom?
>>140569044 >Cut to the Emergency Room >Hawking: So which of you motherfuckers got the balls to kill me? Rex? The cunt?! >Lien-Da: YOU SON-- >"Tobor": No, don't. His suffering lies in letting him live.
>>140569015 It's just a matter of scaling and industrialisation. Once the first Robians start helping in the roboticization, it increases exponentially.
>>140569117 Yeah, you can tell he's a fan >>140569121 BACK OFF BITCH HE'S MINE! >>140569125 Yeah, I really should've done a better job of the pre-filtering >>140569131 >What is Remington hiding? Thirstposter, no! Remy's a good boy!
>>140569131 Remington is Kragok's son, which makes him both Lien-Da and Julie-Su's nephew, which makes past scenes between him and Julie-Su feel awkward.
>>140569096 Even Knuckles is pointing out how full of shit Dimitri is.
Also, we met these "creationists", and they were just people who wanted to evacuate instead of going airborne. The split was a peaceful parting of ways.
>>140569047 Well, they want to use force to impose their way on all Echidna and then use technology to make Echidna the dominant race of all of Mobius (curiously not too far off from the project of Patchapamac), so I'd say they are not too far off and effectively qualify as fascist.
Where Penders completely drop the ball is this whole "anti-technology" thing, which as an ideology on its own, never make sense as, nor to how it came to be, or even how it's actually getting respected by the echidna who supposedly rejected it.
The Whole Knuckles Series actually read better if you chose to simply ignore the whole "anti-technology" stuff and relegate it to background noise.
>>140569182 You know whats fucking crazy now that i think about it? They're using chaos powers and shit like chaos spear, blast, etc. all before shadow. so crazy and cool
>>140569172 He doesn't know any of that though, thanks to the memory neutralizing chip >>140569203 It would probably help if Penders explicitly covered all this in the comic >>140569207 He's so hot when he's angry! >irregardless Remy no! And after you corrected Knuckles' grammar a few issues ago ;_; >>140569213 And one of them's a decade younger than he is >>140569226 Poor Harry
>>140569275 >spaz rulz He sure does! >>140569265 Spectre really is Shadow before Shadow. I'm surprised Penders never tried to sue over that. It would end with a shirtless fight to the death with Iizuka.
>>140569182 >yet again pointing out that the good guys are hypocrites >but also still making the bad guys nazis What the fuck is Ken going for with this? The theming is confused as fuck.
>>140569182 I kind of like seeing the henchmen having banter and dialogue outside of being ordered around.
>Two Legionaries joke that if Lien-Da's suit gets any tighter, they're gonna have to cut her out of it. >A Legionary sees all of the modern-day tech of Echidnapolis and wonders if the Dark Legion is approaching this issue from the wrong angle >Some Legionaries running tests on new limb enhancements
>>140569264 They're technically a social-Darwinist techno-cult but you could easily read them as fascist. They are authoritarian, have a huge military focus, are ultra-nationalist and have cool uniforms >>140569289 He did, which was probably why they were able to capture him. What a jerk!
>>140569367 Little Timmy is now scarred for life. >>140569331 Seems he's mainly seething over Knuckles surviving and somehow coming back from being disintegrated.
>>140569247 >Knuckles is der uber-chidna Remember how a few issues ago, this book was actually pretty good, and was a fun adventure serial that explored some interesting politics? I do. That was nice.
>>140569286 >It would probably help if Penders explicitly covered all this in the comic All those cutaways to the brotherhood doing fuck all might've been a good time to actually tell us more about them.
>>140569286 >Remy no! And after you corrected Knuckles' grammar a few issues ago ;_; Irregardless is grammatically correct, but not very much used, especially now.
>>140569293 Spectre has absolutely no issue killing anyone in the Dark Legion >>140569313 That's our Penders!. We'll make the bad guys Nazis, but we'll also give them some sympathetic traits and justifiable reasons for what they're doing >>140569327 >especially Spectre Probably shouldn't have pretended to be his father. He's going to outright murder you >>140569398 This comic man, this comic...
>>140569264 The whole anti-tech thing would read better if it was focused more on controlling the Chaos Emeralds instead of technology
>After Dimitri becomes Enerjak, the Council agrees that Chaos Energy is far too dangerous to be used so carelessly and it should be highly regulated and kept away from the public >To ensure that someone will always be there to protect and study the emeralds, lest they fall into the wrong hands, the Guardians are appointed >There's a group of scientists and zealots who believe that Dimitri evolved into godhood thanks to the emerald and seek to take the emerald's powers and use them to advance the whole Echidna race into gods. >This later becomes the Dark Legion
>>140569207 >You can't stop me cause I will win the elections >actually you just admitted to election tempering and coup attempt, which disqualify you as a candidate. You are under arrest. Too real. Didn't knew Penders could predict the future.
How did spectre end up so cool? Yes, he kinda did nothing like the rest but always called them out but in this is actually willing to do shit. How did penders write a cool character like that?
>>140569434 You'd think so! Or at least put it in the WORDS page instead of Holocaust poems >>140569435 I hate it! Just use regardless! >>140569476 >that bulge on knuckles OWO >>140569501 Such a weird issue
>>140569528 >tails and amy hanging out like that So fucking OOC. They should be jerking off how great Sonic is. How could archie disrespect the way they should really be?
>>140569506 It's even more fascinating since regardless of your political beliefs, Penders' political tweets are the most dogshit of takes >>140569533 He was doing shady deliveries before he went straight >>140569552 lmao >>140569600 Oh boy, it's time for Penders to continue writing about his crush on Kirby!
>>140569649 Waaaaaaaaaaait a minute. Did we go from prehistoric times to medieval with a hint of modern times? And following the same guy that still looks young?
>>140569600 It's a damn shame that it was already too late at the time, but I would've committed crimes to see a Jack Kirby penned Sonic the Hedgehog comic. Fucking imagine.
>>140569623 Remember kids, Echidnas are simply superior to all other races! >>140569637 It's so fucked up >>140569649 Hedgehog butt! >>140569679 >Waaaaaaaaaaait a minute. Did we go from prehistoric times to medieval with a hint of modern times? And following the same guy that still looks young? Let's just assume they had knowledge from the humans and were able to speedrun the tech tree >>140569682 Yeah, that would've been so cool
>>140569451 Nazi poems, face-melting robots, Hitler references, lobotomies, race riots, election rigging, BDSM wine aunts, and some poor dude becomes a vegetable.
Insane how a few issues ago we were reading Sonic Babies
>>140569682 >TFW there's alternative universes where the likes of Jack Kirby, Grant Morrison, Stan Lee, Garth Ennis, Jim Shooter, Christopher Priest and Chris Claremont wrote for Archie or Fleetway Sonic.
>>140569702 ... We didn't really need a whole ass story to explain why Sonic's eyes are green, and his shoes have buckles. Pretty sure even children understand that changes in character designs happen.
>>140569778 The whole issue seems unnecessary considering how much of a design change that outfit is. It is a cute outfit though >>140569800 I'm sure we'll be seeing lots of these transformations again!
>>140569830 >"Peh, so what? The boy was and still is just lucky, nothing more. Not like my skilled and loyal Geoffrey who actually knows what he's doing at all times."
>>140569895 Archie changes the rules on Chaos/Super/Master Emeralds all the fucking time. It won't be until Ian comes along that everything about them starts getting consistent (i.e. exactly like the games).
>>140569860 Oh yeah, I forgot to upscale that one. Fun fact: they cut this page from the reprint. Notice how the page numbers are all fucked up? >>140569886 It's pretty cute
>>140569982 >Where on Mobius is our son, Bernie? He's been avoiding us for weeks now. >I'm sure he'll communicate with us when he's ready, Jules, my darling...
>>140569993 Steven Butler is having way too much fun with this. >>140569982 The letters and words are in backward order so you have start at the end and read backwards.
>>140569993 I respect that they're just admitting that they got this from The Flash. No shame, the vibrating trick is a good one. Kinda surprised Sonic doesn't really use it that often, if ever.
>>140570087 If we keep going, we're going to end up back in the last Sonic issue. >>140570070 >>140570085 And to the surprise of no one, Sally is Butler's waifu. A man of culture.
>>140570070 It's a Butler specialty! >>140570087 I like that Elias and Sonic stick up for each other >>140570122 >If we keep going, we're going to end up back in the last Sonic issue. Now repost them all again in the correct order!
>>140570122 And that's the end! Or rather the beginning! Tomorrow at 7pm EST, we have a father-son reunion, Sonic Kids 2, and someone making a very important announcement!
>>140570122 >And to the surprise of no one, Sally is Butler's waifu. A man of culture. And I'm pretty sure he draws Nicole with nearly equal amounts of thirst later.
>>140568636 >>140568659 >>140568679 Swear to god, Leave it to the Dark Legion to be less competent at Political corruption than actual politicians. Like holy fuck. Even David Duke wasn't this fucking dumb.
If you guys think the eye color situation is weird, just wait until they start drawing the game characters with five fingers while everyone else still has four.
>>140570439 It's just an art style change. Look at how the DC cartoons that take place in the same universe and have the same characters appear in other shows slightly change appearance with no explanation because the art style changed, like the Joker at one point had black eyes but one ever commented about it in-universe because for them he's always been like that. Lame answer I know but that's just how it is.
>>140570584 They actually point this out just before the actual adaptation starts.
>>140570631 To be honest, as a kid I didn't register that was blobfeet to begin with, I thought Big was just wearing full shoes for the longest time. Same way I thought the purple borders around his eyes actually were his eyes.
>>140570087 >Nate was the only friend that never betrayed Max and was a genuinely good guy >As Max succumbs to his dementia caused by the Source of All/Naugus' bullshit, he imagines he's talking to Nate again >In between babbling and paranoid cursing about councils and bloodlines and betrayals, he sadly begs Nate for forgiveness and tells him he wishes that he listened to him all those years ago
>>140570839 >In between babbling and paranoid cursing about councils and bloodlines and betrayals, he sadly begs Nate for forgiveness and tells him he wishes that he listened to him all those years ago
One of the most gratifying moments of this piece of shit comic was Harvey Who rattling off Max's numerous and outright ridiculous failures as a king to a desperate Elias towards the end.
>>140570937 We're at the point where Archie cancels the book. What will follow is the last few issues that were already cleared before the axe came down.
>>140570937 Everything happened way too fast and went way too far. Knuckles went from living on an island that's mainly wilderness and ancient ruins to a sci-fi metropolis within the span of a few issues, and now he's dealing with political and family drama. It's completely gone off the rails, never mind the games, this doesn't even look like something that would fit Satam. The occasional mention of Chaos Emeralds is the only thing keeping this book connected to the series it's based on. I don't care what Penders says about not having enough material to work with, this couldn't be further from what a Knuckles book should be about.
>>140571513 Penders just wanted an outlet for what was originally a Star Trek script about Native Americans who survived and adapted to the future as a rip-off of Krypton. Sega wouldn't let him use it with Sonic, but Knuckles was fair game.
I'm usually into chubby characters, but Stryker is definitely one of the total opposites! You could totally imagine caressing his toned body and feeling every muscle he has. Same with Kodos.
More Stryker, and Harry too! >>140572043 Yeah the nose looks a little wonky there from the foreshortening. Of course I was mostly looking at Stryker and the shirtless dingo in the background
>>140572452 >"See? Look at my echidnas! They're sexy and political and complex and are just full of surprises! Aren't they just so much better than those lame bunches of tree-hugging jungle hippies that Sega's pushing?"
>>140572502 So handsome >>140572520 You could read a lot into the hubris of keeping everything need to know in this comic by those in power. I'm sure it's unintentional, but after all the secrets Max and Locke kept, is it any wonder their kids wouldn't tell them anything and try to solve the problem themselves?
>>140570937 IMO they're very much up their own ass. Penders is just shoving as much fanfiction "lore" into the Sonic comic via Knuckles and his kind as he can as it was mandated that Sonic couldn't receive such treatment. I do very much enjoy Remington and Spectre though. Julie-Su is alright too.
>>140574232 We'll be starting the adaption with Sonic #79, which was released in January 2000. We've still got 20 issues to do before we get to that though >>140574256 I wanted to pick a memorable page to sharpen and what could be more memorable than Hitler references and pregnant dudes!
>>140574336 It was pretty much a way to have Knothole protected from getting blown up but never really got used since Robotnik was dead, Snively was off doing other things and almost everyone moved back to Mobotropolis
>>140570937 it feels like the chaotix are a total afterthought despite being knuckles's crew and the grandpas who don't do anything take up too much time
So trying to start my own re-read of sorts. Two related questions kinda. 1. When do we get the introduction of the Overlanders as a concept? Like what issue? When does Robotnik go from just an unexplained human in furry world to an Overlander and shit? 2. Similarly when do we get Robotnik's backstory as Julian and service to the king, etc etc.
>>140574660 The fuck it was that late for both? I could have sworn I remember reading issue 50 as a kid and - because I did buy them at my local store and sometimes missed issues - thought the Overlanders were introduced/explained in a prior issue I missed. Seriously? That's fucking bonkers.
>>140574687 The entire concept of Overlanders was introduced in 50 when Robotnik vaporizes an Overlander with the Ultimate Annihilator. We see a hot guy with anime hair strapped to a chair and then he gets dissolved a few panels later.
>>140575159 To be fair, given how few people had a chance to play Chaotix as opposed to Sonic 3/Knuckles, I honestly can't blame Archie for not giving them too much focus. Like I was huge into Sonic as a kid and I knew of Chaotix as 'a game that existed' and vaguely knew of the characters, but almost all my actual exposure to them came from their limited appearances in Archie, not anything else.
Honestly makes me wonder how well Chaotix even sold. It's entirely possible more people read Archie Sonic than played Chaotix.
>>140575346 Well the 32X addon itself was a colossal failure so I expect more people played Knuckles Chaotix through emulation then they did actually buying and playing it on a real 32X. It was only when the Chaotix got a refresh via Heroes that they actually got back in the spotlight again and haven't left since.
>>140575365 Oh, yeah, no, now they are definitely more well known and I imagine more people have seen them in games than in comics. But I mean like back in 1998/1999 or whenever these issues were. When these issues were being put out, I'd be surprised if more people did not read Archie Sonic than played Knuckles Chaotix - at least in America.
>>140575365 >>140575381 It wasn't until around late 2004 to early 2005 that we had working 32x emulation so unless you had an actual 32X almost anyone that knew of the Chaotix would've only known about the Archie comics
The Knuckles comic unironically made me like the main comic more. Every time I see Knuckles written in the OP, I feel fatigue, but whenever I see just Sonic written in the OP, I actually look forward to the thread.
>>140575533 Yeah, the Knuckles comics are just "talk talk talk exposition exposition exposition" being said by characters that aren't differentiated enough as they're all basically just Knuckles with different body notifications or fur colors. I actually fell off the Ride for a couple days and got behind because there was *so* many Knuckles issues, though at least I know now that the comic was cancelled recently so now they're just going through back issues till it's done.
