episode one addendum

Hello there my dear Boomers!

With every episode of Speed Reading, we will have a little blog post featuring some panels from the issues we spoke about, along with some notes.  The aim is to have one of these released alongside each Podcast ep, (Megadroidcast ep maybe?), but sometimes there will be a little wait between the two. 

Without further ado, Let's get into it!

issue 1 -
Script: Alan McKenzie
Art: Anthony Williams

Whilst not on model as you may have guessed, Robotnik's not far off here, Unlike Sonic, Robotnik and his machines / area give off a very 2000AD vibe, whilst Sonic himself looks verymuch coloured by pastels.

ISSUE 2-
Script: Mark Millar
Art: Woodrow Phoenix

It hurts me to say that this isn't the worst these first 5 issues have to show off...


Sonic is waay off model here, though the backgrounds seem to be quite nicely rendered at times.

ISSUE 3 -
Script: Mark Millar
Art: Casanovas

Sonic is so far off model here, it's ridiculous.... but in a good way. Sonic and Tails are instantly recognisable, but have an odd "disney" look to them. The badniks however, are excellent renditions, full of character and menace

issue 4 -
Script: Nigel Kitching
Art: Ed Hillyer

This is one that I find very hard to judge... the isnt great, but it gets right, it utter hits out the park.

Badnik Sonic is a masterful creation, spikey and manic, all crazy angles and staring eye (the one eye shut really sells the monster), and the Ringmaster Robotnik, while never appearing before or since, really does look like something that could have originated in one of the Master System or Game Gear games of the era.

One thing about this story that has to be mentioned is Stripes and Ruff.


I goddamn love Stripes and Ruff

Nigel Kitchen starts setting up his version of the world here, Robotnik's base in the Special Zone, the Organic Batteries being front and centre, we discussed more of this in the full show, so go and have a listen to that if you want to know more.

ISSUE 5 -
Script: Mark Millar Art: Woodrow Phoenix

I have nothing good whatsoever to say about this. From Mark Millar's wierdly cruel script (we can see where his later work got started), to the quite frankly, bafflingly awful art, nothing works here. it's a simple A-B story, but has nothing in it to make it worthwhile.