REVIEW: DC x Sonic The Hedgehog: Metal Legion #3
It’s truly one of Dr. Robotnik’s finest hours in DC X Sonic the Hedgehog: Metal Legion #3 and we finally learn why this series is called that. It’s always the games that are rated E for everyone that have the dastardliest villains as the difficulty is put on max for our heroes and also the villains.
Pablo M. Collar introduces to the Metal Legion at long last on the regular cover. Eggman leads them on their ascent to greatness. Thing about him is that he’s like Dr. Ivo but instead of creating one Amazo, he makes tons of them –I believe he actually made a robot that copies powers one time too. The Metal Legion is the robotic counterparts to the Legion of Doom, but with Robotnik’s signature style.
Saowee gives us a team we could use more of in this book with her variant –Starfire and Blaze. Both have fire powers and are also princesses. Saowee’s Starfire here is just beautiful with the manga-inspired twist. I don’t think I ever seen her with that type of hair too –it’s a good idea. Here, we also see the Sonic art style once again being a blessing and a curse. It’s so unique that no other medium can mimic it, yet the characters can’t take any other form. Thankfully, they can still be dressed, and Blaze the Cat pulls off Starfire’s look.
Travis Mercer features Sonic, The Flash, Silver, and Green Lantern in his variant with an interesting creative choice of leaving section intentionally white and uncolored. He has done this a couple of times in previous and future covers. It does create an unexpected color dynamic to its credit and perhaps her symbolizes land Sonic and Flash have not yet covered in their never-ending race.
After displacing the Justice League and team Sonic, it was never a question of if Robotnik was going to betray Luthor and vice versa, it was just the questions of when and whose betrayal would be more villainous. As it would happen and against all odds, Eggman would prove to be more than Luthor thought he was –a very common mistake. He unveils the Metal Legion, his robot replacements for the Legion of Doom. The Legions battle as Eggman also reveals that he has turned the Legion’s headquarters into one of his signature orbital stations. Having all their resources commandeered, Lex orders the Legion fall back.
Meanwhile, Sonic, his friends, and the Justice League are stranded in Null Space, a Phantom Zone-like pocket dimension. With nothing for our heroes to do, all they can is wait as the world’s fate now rests in the villains’ hands. Lex Luthor is so funny when he gets mad and that’s what Ian Flynn gets right as Eggman gets the best of him. It’s not outlandish to think that it’s something that could happen. At the same time, I can just hear Mike Pollock in these great Robotnik moments. The biggest, and only, drawback here is that our heroes are sat out for this issue with literally nothing they could do. It’s a good thing that the Legion of Doom and Lex Luthor are able to carry it. With Eggman now with a base and a robot army, the levels are finally all set, and the game can begin. Letters are by Becca Carey.
The more this series go on the more I enjoy Adam Bryce Thomas’ art because he keeps doing something new each issue. This issue’s highlight for me is Lex Luthor reaction panels, some are good enough to be memes. Think about it, the world’s greatest criminal mind got dupped by a cartoonish mad scientist. Thomas also continues to start off the issue showing more DC characters and Sonic ones together, even some deep cuts like Flynn’s Tangle the Lemur. There’s always lots going on in the background with every character doing something. Colors are by Matt Herms.
(7/10) The Metal Legion is finally revealed in DC X Sonic the Hedgehog: Metal Legion #3. While our heroes our sidelined, the villains help carry this issue which could’ve easily been a loading screen.
