ADVANCED REVIEW: Sonic the Hedgehog x Godzilla #1: Kaiju at the Speed of Sound

While not literally sharing a history, I do find there are parallels to draw between Sonic and Godzilla as icons of pop culture, both are Japanese, and both have been interpreted very differently by their western adaptations. Ironically, it seems as though for Sonic, the American version is more environmentally conscious, whereas the Japanese Godzilla films take that route. I am not a Godzilla expert by any means, though I am a big fan of Tokusatsu as a whole, and of Sonic the Hedgehog, so I hope I can give at least a little unique insight.

This issue is a lot of fun, it doesn’t waste time trying to justify anything (yet) and flings us right into the action, with Sonic and Co. having to deal with two fan-favourite movie-monsters almost immediately. What I enjoy about these Sonic crossovers is the effort the writers put in to find common ground between each property involved, and build off that to create the plot. I really hope this run isn’t just punch-ups between the characters, though I understand that spectacle really is the goal when you have Sonic fighting such huge creatures. My wish for this series is that they strike that environmental angle, explore Eggman as a polluter and a creator of monsters through destruction of the Earth, something that the Sonic series hasn’t explored properly in a long time. Except in Sonic Prime, though you won’t catch me singing that show’s praises.

I really love the nice, thick lineart from Jack Lawrence, a mainstay of IDW’s Sonic, and other various IDW books. His work on Scrapnik Island for Sonic was a real stand-out, and one of the best runs to come from the modern era of Sonic Comics. Reggie Graham’s colours also make this comic feel a natural part of the IDW Sonic world, the speckled gradients and unnaturally-hued backgrounds a defining feature of the mainline book. This is Nick Marino’s first time working on a Sonic book, and I think he picks up the character’s voices very naturally, though I think Eggman lands a little more goofy and light-hearted. The Doctor is a character who can be used in both large and small scale stories, and adapts well to different tones, so this isn’t so much a criticism, as a note on the tone the book is taking.

You can feel, somewhat, the lack of history in this issue. In the DC miniseries, the DC characters bring years of context with them, making up for the fact the IDW Sonic history can’t really be referenced without alienating casual readers. Whether or not this is a good thing can be debated, but without any dialogue from any Godzilla characters, it can feel a little hollow to have the most corporate and bland versions of the Sonic characters interacting with voiceless monsters. This is only the first issue, so I won’t go too harsh on it, and I certainly wouldn’t want the mainline book to be derailed by Godzilla shenanigans, I just hope to have a little more to chew on as the miniseries continues.