Sonic The Hedgehog #64

Official Solicitation

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Writer:
Penciler:
Inker: Pam Eklund

You’ve been waiting for this moment and now it’s finally here… IXIS NAUGUS!!! Sonic and Tails confront the sorceror savant to the treacherous regions of the Southern Tundra. Have our freedom fighting duo reached Ixis in time? What secrets lie within its icy wake? Whatever it is, Ixis has travelled the world to find it and he won’t let anything get in his way.

"Tales Of The Freedom Fighters – On His Majesty’s Secret Service – Part IV – The Mission"

Writer and Inker: Ken Penders
Penciler: Art Mawhinney

St. John’s team are instructed on their first assignment.

Cover by Patrick Spaziante & Harvo Mercadoocasio

Sonic The Hedgehog #64 Review by Jonathan Gray

Reviewer: Jonathan Gray
Rating: 4/5 Rings

"The Naugus Trilogy - Part One: In Search Of..."
On His Majesty's Secret Service - Part Four"
Karl Bollers And Ken Penders(W)
Steven Butler And Art Mawhinney(A)
YES! A pickup like this was SO NEEDED. It took forever and then some, but lo and behold we're finally here - And oh what a strange trip it was....I must first commend Karl Bollers. There was a time I couldn't stand his writing as I found him teeter tottery. 63 did NOTHING to help this image. But as of late he's done what no other writer has been able to do other than Penders and that is weave a good story. In a storyline that was just going absolutely nowhere he's managed to finally make a linear plot - dealing with Naugus, which is what SHOULD have been done in the first place. Going back to Sonic 50 and 53 and even going as far as to introduce new readers to characters detrimantal to the plot (ie Rotor and Uncle Chuck) hes finally maged to do a decent plot. lets hope this doesnt end with the plotholes Sonic 63 gave us....Sonic and Tails have landed in the southern tundra and are busy preparing to infiltrate the castle. Whatever's here better be good cause their power ring source just went screwy and there's NO way of getting home....To top all that off here comes ( AFTER A LONG TIME) drum roll please - IXIS NAUGUS !!!!!!! Now before we go on any further I'd like to state that some have said Ixis is a menial villian compared to Botnik. Keep in mind we all know Botnik is the main man but Ixis Naugus - after we finally learn the extent of his powers - is looking to come up quite a bit on the villian scale...It seems everyones favorite hunchback gremlin can control the 4 basic elements - earth, water, wind, and fire! And he puts them to good use as Sonic does a spin straight through him and off a cliff. And then as Tails does a horrific scream ie a cheesy horror movie Sonic jumps up to see the impossible - Ladies and gentlement, boys and girls of all ages - In the words of Dan Drazen meet - Eddy the Yeti!!!!! Dare I say that i laughed my a** off at this name! The abominable snowbot, Ixis Naugus, along with Sonic and Tails are then buried in an avalache as all goes white....Later on the snowbot decides to up the ante - Grabbing Sonic and Tails (with Ixis no longer in sight) Eddy jet packs himself to the castle on the hill and there we meet the charachter who will become a MAJOR supporting player - Nate Morgan - who as we find out has a connection to Sonic's parents, but before Sonic and Tails can do anything out comes Ixis Naugus in a burst of fire as the story is to be continued!!!! this story deserved all 5 rings it got !!!!!!

"On His Majesty's Secret Service" was a HUGE improvement from last issue IMHO. Like I said last time - when Geoffrey St. John has more clout than the daughter of a king you KNOW someone is NOT happy....And Sally is not happy! But the reason for the kings mistreatment of his daughter.....QUEEN ACORN!!! After a St. John "Ten-Hutt" and a King Max "as you were", the King goes on about how he's impressed with the Secret Service's performance, and gives them their first mission in the form of a royal flashback.......King Max starts on about on how hard times were 15 years ago during the Great War. He mentions how Geoffrey's own father who's the commander came in and alerted him on how the castle was under attack by Overlanders. The King wasn't giving it up! Then his wife, Alicia, told him that he must take sanctuary considering they couldn't "lose his wisdom". King Max told her that she belongs "in the bunkers" in the Knothole caverns with Julayla, Rosie, and the kids (Sonic and company...) King Max tells the commander to send the Queen and the boy to Knothole. Commander St. John mentions that they're cut off! King Max tells him that he wants him and a team to send them to their home on.....The Floating Island!!!! He was victorious in his fight, but St. John's pop and his team weren't since some overlanders attacked his wife's convoy when she got there. This was the last time he heard from her. He sent a team there later but they found nothing.....Lately some evidence was found that could reveal her whereabouts. So the mission is plain and simple. Go to the Floating Island and find out what happened to her. "Whatever Happened to Queen Alicia? The answer awaits you in within the pages of Knuckles #19! All in all a terrific issue with a terrific start!

Rating: Rings

AMEN AND PASS THE MUSTARD! We FINALLY get a GOOD story out of the schlock we got from before to 59. Lets hope Bollers doesnt flub the ending miserably like he did to the "Icon" arc. I cant speak for everone else but I KNOW WHAT I LIKE. And it was this issue. But what makes this even better is the fact that THIS LAME STORYLINE IS FINALLY COMING TO A CLOSE! And for that I shall be ever greatful...