SONIC THE HEDGEHOG #200
200th ISSUE SPECTACULAR
"Turnabout is Fair Play": The epic anniversary issue you've been waiting for is finally here! Back in Sonic #50, Sonic managed to win against his arch-rival, Dr. Robotnik. In Sonic #175, the doctor got his revenge! Now they duel for the fate of the world! Will freedom come to Mobius? Or will the Eggman Empire rule forever more? Place your bets - but be ready for the startling conclusion! Don't miss this cranium-creasing, brain-bending, mind-blowing saga!
SCRIPT: Ian Flynn
PENCILES Tracy Yardley!
INKS: Jim Amash
Dimension-crossing cover by Patrick "Spaz" Spaziante
Shipping Date: May 6th, 2009
On Sale at Comic Specialty Shops: May 13th, 2009
On Sale on Newsstands: May 26th, 2009
32-page, full color comic
$2.50 US

...Not even a joke. I must own.

Sonic owning up to losing and not throwing a temper tantrum-Plus

Sonic's Ego saying he'll win again and again and again- double plus.

This is an issue I actually wish I could read right now.

Love it already. This issue is going to be amazing.

Eggman fall down the hoooole ...

Yep. Why there's a hole big enough for the Egg Tarantula's cockpit is in that room is what we call one of them there design flaws that we love coming from the Doctor. Kind of like putting a big, obvious, glowing weak point on your machine. I think Otacon explained the method behind that madness quite nicely. While you could build a machine right with no weak points it's a lot more fun to make an exploitable one just to see if anyone manages to hit it. And there's also the scenario where your super special machine might be stolen by a traitorous member of your team (read Snively) and it must be destroyed ... preferably with said traitor in it.

Those crazy scientists.

Nice preview. However I notice some inaccuracies in the dialogue. Robotnik keeps saying he been fighting Sonic for 15 years yet last time I checked Sonic was still 16 and not 20. There also the fact Robotnik keeps reference himself as if he was Robotnik Prime when he actually the alternate version of him . Other than that the preview looks pretty cool.

16? Was he de-aged somewhere, because I distinctly remember one issue revolving completely around his 18th birthday?

Shadonic: Eggman is basically Robotnik Prime from an alternate future, so in a way he IS Robotnik Prime, at the same time he's not.

Psxphile: That issue actually revolved around his sixteenth birthday, I think it was #68. Issue #160 was another birthday story, but Ian has mentioned several times on his message board that SEGA doesn't want the comic referencing Sonic's age anymore, or something to that effect.

Even if he hasn't been fighting him for 15 years, Eggman is basically crazy so he's prone to exaggerations.

I thought he was referring to Sonic's entire life and not just the time he was fighting against the empire.

Which was just about Sonic's entire life, give or take, lol.

Doesn't every villain need to hear this speech. At some point, the bad guy just need to have pointed out to him how badly he's messed up. Now if someone can just manage to crush the bad guy and make him stay crushed, I'll be happy.

Don't hold your breathe. =p

Robotnik will never really die, Ian said it himself, Sega wouldn't let him.

Robotnik will never really die, Ian said it himself, Sega wouldn't let him.

True, Sega needs to reconsider that and let Robotnik die if/when the series does end. They need to realize that some fans want to see closure eventuaally and see justice done. It is dumb for Sonic to have to fight Robotnik forever.

I wouldn't like that outcome since it goes against everything Sonic and the other Freedom Fighters believe in. Not only do they go out of their way to keep from killing anyone (usually at their own expense and safety) but they also try to keep from seriously injuring anyone, either. If Eggman dies it won't be by their hands. He might die of old age or an illness.

Besides ... something seems to happen to Dr. Eggman during M:XYL. It seems they solve the problem eventually.

I wouldn't like that outcome since it goes against everything Sonic and the other Freedom Fighters believe in. Not only do they go out of their way to keep from killing anyone (usually at their own expense and safety) but they also try to keep from seriously injuring anyone, either. If Eggman dies it won't be by their hands. He might die of old age or an illness.

Besides ... something seems to happen to Dr. Eggman during M:XYL. It seems they solve the problem eventually.

I understand what you mean, and I believe it could be done they way you mentioned. Most likely, I think that if Eggman did die during a battle if would be while he was trying to run away, something would happen and his luck would run out. The Freedom Fighters wouldn't have to even try to attack or kill him.

Yeah, though sega makes the call to keep Eggman alive, I just hope they don't do one of those things where he returns in the near future. I mean, he was a good character (not literally), and Eggman's been in the sonic comics for well over 100 issues, but I think it's time he gradually steps out of the spotlight and let someone else in (hence the Iron Queen). It's going to become quite interesting how she handles the current situation. As I've said it before, though Eggman can't die, it was smart of Ian to put him in a catatonic state. Above all else, #200 was awesome. A first of seeing behind Eggman's goggles.

Besides ... something seems to happen to Dr. Eggman during M:XYL. It seems they solve the problem eventually.

*coughpossiblefuturecough*

Personally, the idea of it being a big, epic issue on the scale of #50 (or at least SSS6) was watered down for me on the grounds that I've seen too many issues recently - including 'milestones' - either be solely or devolve into nothing more than a big punch-up (yes, I know that action's mostly perceived as better than a lot of talking heads for these things - see Penders' original version of Echidnas: 25 Freakin' Issues Later for a case in point - and that it's hard to get a balance, but I just feel as though we've had one too many issue long match-ups recently).

For me, what happened afterwards was the fun bit (it was a nice reversal of #175 to see Eggman unravel), seeing Sonic's sense of humour vanish as Eggman went downhill and the general feeling that he didn't want to win like that or see Eggy get genuinely hurt, the reactions of the FFs, the actual arrival of RF... Don't get me wrong - the fight was a well-written fight, but these were still things I either hadn't seen before or had been waiting for a lot more.

And even that, with another artist, might've been run of the mill - but the combination of Yardley and Herms in terms of expression and the richness of the colouring really drew me in.

Kudos to all involved.

*coughpossiblefuturecough*

There's a chance, but I'll have to go with the odds on this one. Most possible futures show he isn't around even 20 years from now. It'll suck to be them if they just so happen to be in the future where Robotnik keeps fighting the good fight well into his 90s. Old Age is going to catch up to him and any other organic Robotnik eventually since age preserving technology like robotization is a thing of the past and cybernetics are about as safe for people as drinking a vat of acid.

seeing Sonic's sense of humour vanish as Eggman went downhill and the general feeling that he didn't want to win like that or see Eggy get genuinely hurt

I'd be excited about the possibility of some Sonic focused development at this point if virtually every opportunity I've seen wasn't brushed over in the past 50 issues or so. " Where do I go from here? " and Sally's response to it seemed like a set up for something more. Unfortunately it seems like we'll have to wait a little while longer since someone's attacking Mobotropolis in 201 - 202 ... again.

It was a good issue. Definatly not as Epic as the other 25 issue milestones though. It seems that in every one of these milestone issues they need to find some way to summarize the plot of the whole series into a monolog. (No. I don't know how to spell monolog.) It always seems cheesy and tacked on. however, I loved when Robotnik screamed (Probobly for the last time) "I HATE THAT HEDGEHOG!"

It was a good issue. Definatly not as Epic as the other 25 issue milestones though. It seems that in every one of these milestone issues they need to find some way to summarize the plot of the whole series into a monolog. (No. I don't know how to spell monolog.) It always seems cheesy and tacked on. however, I loved when Robotnik screamed (Probobly for the last time) "I HATE THAT HEDGEHOG!"

however, I loved when Robotnik screamed (Probobly for the last time) "I HATE THAT HEDGEHOG!"

It will be the last time in awhile, but seeing as how this book is still Sega's property, Sega won't allow it to be the last time forever.