Warning! Spoilers ahead for Sonic the Hedgehog #51!
IDW Publishing finally just posed Dr. Eggman‘s robot creations known as Badniks as something wholly unexpected – an actual problem for Sonic the Hedgehog that could even threaten his life.
Like in the video games upon which IDW’s comic is heavily based, Badniks, especially the smaller ones, are pretty much there for one purpose and one purpose only – to get smashed by Sonic. In fact, that’s exactly the premise of the series’ debut issue. Sonic had just defeated Eggman and was now just cleaning up all of the leftover Badniks. He makes short work of them, and then after defeating a much larger, more difficult robot with help from Tails, the smaller robotic minions flee.
But the comic’s tone surrounding the Badniks, even the smaller ones, suddenly shifts in Sonic the Hedgehog #51 by Ian Flynn, Adam Bryce Thomas, Mauro Fonseca, Rik Mack, Heather Breckel, and Shawn Lee. After a slew of simultaneous battles in the now iconic Sonic #50, the Blue Blur and his friends rightfully decide to escape. Sonic suggests taking on the army of rampaging Badniks that is currently after them so Tails can hotwire an enemy plane. But Tails mentions that there are 10 times more than they usually face and wishes that someone could be there to give Sonic support. Even though Sonic proceeds to smash a bunch of these Badniks regardless, the hedgehog admits to himself that he’s running on empty and that it would be a bit much if Eggman joined the Badniks’ assault. The Blue Blur is so overwhelmed that he welcomes Tails’ arrival in the recently hotwired plane to escape.
What’s putting Sonic at a major disadvantage is the sheer number of Badniks, not the quality of them, and the fact that he’s still recovering from his earlier battle against Surge. But it’s still refreshing for readers to feel uneasy when Sonic has to fight alone against mere Badniks alone, regardless of the nuances. Tails’ words definitely helped set the unexpected mood for what would have normally been an entertaining but not a nail-biting beatdown, and Sonic’s private thoughts just confirmed that Tails wasn’t being overly protective. Of course, this isn’t the first time that IDW has portrayed Badniks as being more threatening than they usually are. Earlier, Sonic and his friends stumbled upon a strange tower that Eggman constructed as a means to test his latest inventions, and the most unnerving test site included Badniks that had been reconstructed with different parts from other robots like some freakish mechanized versions of Frankenstein’s monster. Although easily destroyed, the heroes were obviously shaken by the unsettling development. For readers, the eerie setting helped make the scene stand out from just a regular Batnik assault.
Even though fans are especially excited for a prospective rematch between Tails and Kit as well as Belle and Metal Sonic in the upcoming issue, it’s just as thrilling knowing that any one of Eggman‘s Badniks could pose even more of a challenge for Sonic the Hedgehog since he recently broke his leg, and both of his friends will most likely be busy contending with Kit and Metal Sonic to help him. It’s a great time to be a Badnik!
Sonic #51 is available now from IDW Publishing!
