Sorry I'm so late with this review, but my computer is still down and I'm borrowing my neighbors.

Sonic X #22 "Decoe and Bocoe's not-so-excellent misadventure"

Written by Joe "Pink Slip" Edkin

Art by James "Early Retirment" Fry

Cover by Patrick "Ya' Fired" Spaziante

OVERVIEW:

Eggman is in the midst of attacking Sonic and Captain Westwood with a giant "Robbie the Robot" knockoff. He asks Decoe and Bocoe to fire the laser cannon, but leaves them with about a thousand unlabled buttons. They just decide to chose one, and the arms and legs fall off of the giant robot. Eggman high-tails it back to his base, and because off the droid duos blundering, (actually, if Eggman had labled his buttons there would have been no blundering. Okay, there probably still would have but, you know) he fires the two and decides that he will make two better, stronger robots.

Deccoe and Bocoe are left out on the street, despondant and getting stares from the humans walking by. They realize they need money to survive and decide to do it the honest way, by getting a job.

Days later, Bokkun is seen calling his robot buddies to see how they are doing? They say they are fine and are starting thier new jobs today. Bokkun quickly has to hang up, as Eggman introduces him to his newest robots, the very powerful and tough looking Dukow and Bukow.

It ends up Decoe and Bocoe are working at an ice cream parlor where Chris, Tails, and of course, Sonic are headed after a Soccer match. The parlor is an absolute mess thanks to the duos blundering, but Sonic likes the fact that they are trying to work honestly, so he cleans up thier mess in about a second. Just then, Scarlet Garcia is on the news reporting attack at the army base where the new robots are attacking to get the arms and legs of the old robbie bot back to Eggman. Before Chris and Tails can look down from the T.V. to notice Sonic is gone, he is already in front of the camera and heading over to help defeat the bots. He manages to save Westwood hide from Eggmans onslaught. Sonic goes headlong into a battle with the bots annndd..... gets his butt kicked.

In no time Dukow and Bukow are already back at the base. Eggman is Egg-Static (pardon the pun) at how successful these bots are. Unfortunatley for him, these bots are also alot smater than Decce and Bocoe and realize that conquering the world would be alot more successful without Eggman! They then throw Eggman into a tiny cell while Bokkun makes a run for it.

Meanwhile Sonic recovers and gets back to the ice cream parlor to find it a mess. The owner is sobbing in the corner realizing that Decoe and Bocoe have ruined his business. Just then Bokkun comes through the door (like he wouldn't know where the Ice Cream parlor is? C'mon, it's Bokkun!) and lets D&B know that Eggman is in big trouble thanks to the two new bots. The owner insists they leave, and Sonic goes with them with a can of spinach, errr... I mean, a power ring in hand. (I've been watching too much of that 4-disc DVD Popeye set.)

Back at the base Eggman is still in a cage. Dukow and Bukow tell him that the likelyhood of them conquering the earth is now 98.67594856%, to which Sonic bursts in and tells them that he has a 1.32405144% chance of stopping them, and he likes those odds. However the new robot duo already have a plan. They shoot out the old Robbie bot as a deadly missle aimed at Station Square! Since Sonic can't be in two places at once, he heads for the missle. This leaves Dukow and Bukow to chase after Decoe and Bocoe. In all the exitement Bocoe drops his frozen Banana from the ice cream parlor. This of couse, leads them to slip on it, and smash into a mainframe causing a big enough explosion to rattle Eggmans cage free. Before the new bots can get to Eggman, Bokkun tosses him the remote which he presses a button that causes the evil bots legs and arms to fall off, and for added measure shoots them out the base with a giant cartoon spring.

Meanwhile, Sonic has bareley managed to catch up to the missle. With the help of Tails power ring, he spin kicks the missle in the reverse direction andblows up Eggmans base. Eggman is not deterred however. He is just happy to get rid of those two evil bots, and gives Decoe and Bocoe thier old jobs back, while he plans his next scheme. Bokkun wonders is Eggman has a button that makes thier arms and legs fall off? They may never know.

The morale of the story is, having a button that drops off the arms and legs of your giant robot is not such a dumb idea after all. Just make sure to label it.

REVIEW: WOW!! You see Archie? Do you see why you should leave this comic in the very capable hands of Joe Edkin? This man knows how to make a very fun story, good characterization, and very funny dialouge.

Another shout out goes to James Fry's art. I was blown away at how well he does with this issue. Each page has an almost alive feel to it. The characters and background never seem 2-D or flat. Just brilliant.

By far my favorite thing about this issue is that Joe really nails Sonic character. He's arrogant, but nice, even to his enemies. He's never deterred even when he's defeated. I love the fact that he's actually happy that these robots are tougher as he loves a good challenge. Plus, he gets one of the best lines in the issue. This is the best representation of Sonic I've seen in a long time.

"I never promised you a Chao garden" is still my favorite Sonic X story, but it's not without it's faults. Mainly when Chuck cures the Chao with a short-wave radio, despite the fact that Eggman's long wave radio would take care of that. This issue has no faults at all. No plotholes. No reason any character should not be there. I dare say it's almost the "perfect" issue.

OVERALL: 9/10