DC X Sonic the Hedgehog #5 // Review
So there’s this epicenter of dimensional instability. The world is being torn apart by its power. Darkseid and the seventh chaos emerald are somewhere in that epicenter. The Justice League is ready to help a few local heroes set things straight in DC X Sonic the Hedgehog #5. Writer Ian Flynn reaches the final chapter of his crossover epic with the aid of artist Adam Bryce Thomas and colorist Matt Herms. The adventure wraps-up in grand gashion with a well-executed action sequence. It’s been a strange journey, but the series makes it through to a satisfying ending that leaves open the possibility for future crossovers.
The heroes of both worlds had exchanged settings. Things went well, but everyone had to meet-up if they were to save the day. Fully reunited, the heroes of Sonic’s world and the Justice League catch-up a little on their crossover before diving into the epicenter for a showdown with the power that is threatening everything. The heroes have plenty of firepower, but will they be able to defeat the villains before the bring down the very fabric of reality? The heroes can’t stand victorious in the final panel if they completely cease to exist, so they’re going to have to work quickly if they are to save the day.
Flynn juggles a big cast of characters with an impressive efficiency. Everyone in a very large cast seems to have a respectable amount of space on page and panel. In spite of this, the story doesn’t feel rushed or crowded. It all finds the right rhythm with style and poise. There isn’t a whole lot of depth to what’s being explored in the series, but the fusion between worlds feels remarkably well-rendered. There’s a lot of ways that a crossover like this could have gone wrong, but Flynn nails it.
Visually...there is a lot of common ground between the DC Universe and the Sonic universe. In the course of the seeries, THomas and Herms have done an excellent job of leaning-into those elements of DC’s visuals that make it most compatible with the popular video game franchise. The visuals of the final issue feel crisp, vivid and striking on the page. There are a lot of different visual elements on the page that could have easily clashed. Thomas and Herms keep everything distinct as it all comes together at the end of the series.
Sonic is easily the single most popular non-comic book hero. The fusion between Sonic and the Justice League is a very natural one. Given the right kind of momentum, they could easily occupy the exact same multiverse with regular titles that regularly crossover. Theoretically there could be a lot of spillover between audiences of both properties who might not normally be interested in both. If Sonic was to gain just a bit more gravity around the edges of the cartooniness of its conflict, the two would be immensely compatible. That kind of lasting fusion could be a lot of fun.
