Become a Creator today!Start creating today - Share your story with the world!
Start for free
00:00:00
00:00:01
Sonic the Hedgehog: Metal Virus Review || Chatsu Shorts
377 Plays2 years ago
In this episode of Chatsu Shorts, Satsu tackles an unlikely spooky combo: Sonic the Hedgehog and robot zombies. After the debut of 2018's IDW Comics, writer Ian Flynn takes us on a harrowing journey where Sonic and co must deal with Eggman's latest threat. What is the Metal Virus? Can the heroes save the day? Or is this something that will destroy them once and for all?
Patrons:
- Battle Toaster
- Sonia
Use my special link zen.ai/chatsunami and use chatsunami to save 30% off your first three months of Zencastr professional. #madeonzencastr
Check out more episodes here!
Recommended
Transcript
Introduction and Halloween Traditions
00:00:05
Speaker
Welcome to Chatsunami.
00:00:17
Speaker
Hallo everybody, and welcome to another episode of Chatsunami. My name's Satsunami, and would you believe it's that time of year again? Witches are leaving their cottages to terrorize villages, hordes of gingerbread men are making their way into people's homes, and it's now socially acceptable to set pumpkins on fire.
Sonic the Hedgehog and Zombies
00:00:35
Speaker
While I'm more at the stage in my life of turning off the lights to hide from costumed children, rather than join their crusade for candy, Halloween is certainly one of those holidays that creeps up on you.
00:00:46
Speaker
As a result, many shows, streamers and even podcasts take us time to switch things up for a more spooky theme. Not being one to break tradition, I thought I would join the trend by talking about two things you normally wouldn't associate with one another. Sonic the Hedgehog and Zombies.
00:01:02
Speaker
Now, zombies are a clear staple of the holiday season. From Shaun of the Dead to 28 Days Later, the Undead Horde are up there with some of the spookiest creatures out there. But next then, with a child-friendly franchise such as Sonic, can such a thing be considered scary? Let's find out.
00:01:18
Speaker
By now, anyone with a minimum knowledge of gaming knows that Sonic the Hedgehog has become a somewhat low-hanging fruit to make fun of. From let's players to fan dubs, jokes range from the surreal aspects of the franchise to the proposed decline of its quality.
00:01:33
Speaker
And while I wish I could say this was hyperbole, there's some nuggets of truth to this. Even in the early days of the franchise, The Blue Blur wasn't just restricted to consoles. A long-running series of comics published by Archie Comics saw Sonic and his friends fight against the forces of the evil Doctor Eggman.
Legal Issues and Comic Reboot
00:01:52
Speaker
But much like any long-running series,
00:01:54
Speaker
The plot started to get, let's say, a bit weird. From a family tree of echidnas to bees taking LSD, there were some pretty wild plot lines, for better or for worse. A long-standing legal battle by former writer of the comics, Ken Penders, also stoked the flames of discontent, causing many of the characters to be written out of the series. Now, whether this saga is a horror story in itself, I would highly encourage everyone to look into this.
00:02:21
Speaker
but the resulting fallout not only led to the reboot of the comics, but eventually Sega would sever their ties with Archie Comics. In 2018, the franchise was brought back under the stewardship of IDW Comics and the new series began, with the game's Sonic Forces left off. Given its poor reception, it was a bold move to be sure, but could it work out? I'd be lying if I said I was an avid reader of the comics.
00:02:45
Speaker
While I was a fan of the games and eventual TV shows, I never had access to the comics bar what I read about them online. As well as bizarre screenshots I would see recoloured every so often. Some examples include Tales punching Sonic for stealing his girlfriend, and a lovely mammoth in a suit. What can I say? It piqued my curiosity. Nevertheless, it's not something that I would rush to the shops to buy. Heck, I was more interested in buying The Simpsons comics at the time. So when I heard they were re-written the series, I thought,
00:03:15
Speaker
Nate, and then carried on with my day.
Episode Sponsor: Zencaster
00:03:18
Speaker
I never even knew what the plot was supposed to be until I caught a video from a channel called The Game Apologist discussing its revival. Out of curiosity, I decided to watch and, to be honest, the plot never really blew my running shoes off. After the events of Forces, the heroes are tasked with cleaning up what remains of the Eggman Empire. But after a rise of coordinated attacks, with no sign of Eggman in sight, our heroes rush to find out who's behind the attacks.
00:03:44
Speaker
Going forward, this episode is going to be diving into spoiler territory, so please be warned. But first, a word from our sponsor.
Neo Metal Sonic and the Metal Virus
00:03:52
Speaker
This episode is sponsored by Zencaster. Zencaster is an all-in-one podcast production suite that gives you studio-quality audio and video without needing all the technical overhead. It records each guest locally, then uploads the crystal clear audio and video right into the suite so you have high-quality raw materials to work with.
00:04:11
Speaker
For more information on how you can get 30% off a Zancaster professional account, please check out the code in the bio. As it turns out, the army is being controlled by Neo Metal Sonic, essentially the same version who was the primary villain in the game Sonic Heroes.
00:04:26
Speaker
What follows is a nice homage to heroes as everyone bands together to try and stop him from both conquering the world as well as finding Eggman. As for the mad scientist himself, it turns out that Dr. Eggman has lost his memory and has assumed the personality of a male-mannered mechanic called Mr. Tinker. During the story, everyone argues with one another about what should be done about him since Eggman has lost his memory.
00:04:49
Speaker
Is he accountable for the crimes he's committed, or should he be pardoned and given a second chance? Unfortunately, while Sonic and Cole are fighting Metal Sonic, Eggman is kidnapped by a group of thugs who deliver him to Platypus. God, I can't believe I just said that. By the name of Dr. Sterling, this perilous Platypus plans to not only restore Eggman's memories, but also stands by his side in the next plot for world domination.
00:05:14
Speaker
And while all turns out well in the end, I just expected things to go back to the way they were. Eggman creates and or unleashes giant creature. The heroes run around for a bit, and eventually all was well with the world. There's always that sense of resolution by the end.
00:05:30
Speaker
However, as I started the next video, I noticed that the upcoming saga was about to take a turn for the sinister. Written by Ian Flynn, the metal virus story centers around a new bio-weapon created by Dr. Redman, which turns organic matter into metal. The idea is to override the whole's brain functions, so that they are essentially turned into what characters refer to as robot zombies, or zombots for short.
00:05:55
Speaker
Aided by newcomer and Eggman fanatic Dr. Starline, the duo set to work spreading the virus as fast as possible throughout the planet. And for a somewhat all-ages tale about metal zombies and talking hedgehogs, I found myself hooked on what was going on, as well as how they would actually resolve the issue.
00:06:13
Speaker
Right off the bat, I absolutely love the relationship between the two dastardly doctors. Dr Eggman, while brilliant at causing utter chaos, proves to be impulsive and reckless with his plan to infect the world, with no real contingency plan. On the other side, Dr Starline proves to be a lot more methodical in calculating
00:06:32
Speaker
is his admiration for Eggman devolves over time. This in turn will eventually lead to their downfall, but the fact we have another villain who isn't your typical smashy robot or biblical air laser really makes a nice change. Even in issue 14, we see Starline nearly kill Sonic by blowing up a base with him and Silver inside of it.
00:06:52
Speaker
After giving himself a proverbial pat on the back, he's reprimanded by a man who claims that if he wanted Sonic gone, then he would have him carpet-balled his words, not mine. Instead, his egotistical need to prove that he is better is what drives him to concoct these insane
00:07:07
Speaker
I must say, it's refreshing to see the side of Eggman again. From Sonic colours onwards, Eggman is portrayed as a comic relief villain. Someone who's just there to get beaten up by Sonic, and then shake his fist yelling about how next time things will be different. But here,
00:07:23
Speaker
Things are probably the darkest the series has gotten so far, without straying too far into Shadow the Hedgehog game territory. So what is it that makes this particular arc so dark? When we're introduced to the virus, it's portrayed as being this metallic gloop that is ungracefully dumped over test subjects. Initially, we see how it reacts to plant life as they're turned into sharp and metallic versions of themselves afterwards.
00:07:48
Speaker
We see a couple of the cute and cuddly creatures were so used to freeing in the games, being exposed to the virus, and over time, their bodies start to change until their mindless drones. We're also told that the longer one is exposed to the virus, the faster it spreads. Of course, in typical Eggman fashion,
00:08:06
Speaker
He builds a ship shaped like his face, dubbing it the face ship of course, and from its toothy ground spews the virus onto the unsuspecting citizens below. Throughout the story we see that no one is spared from the virus, as parents are unable to protect their children.
00:08:22
Speaker
helpless as the Zombots break down their doors and infect them. It's surprising how effective this is without the need for any graphic violence, after all as a Sonic comic. Nevertheless, things become even bleaker when Sonic himself becomes infected with the virus, and his usual chirpy demeanor turns into one of self-doubt, with only his speed being able to fight off the virus.
00:08:43
Speaker
I was also shocked to see how not even characters like Charmy the Bee made it out unscathed, as his desire to be a hero leads him to be dragged into a horde of Zombots, his last words being a cry for help to his friends. As for Cream the Rabbit, god where'd I even begin with this? Someone on that writing team must have watched Watership Down before penning this story, because she goes through so much from watching a child get turned to being forced to leave her mother behind,
00:09:09
Speaker
It's a pretty rough journey for a character that they constantly remind you is still a child. One particular scene that also stood out to me was Flynn's spin on the Zombie Infecti trope in issue 22. The survivors are placed into the headquarters of a hero's further safety. It's cramped and overcrowded, but the villagers are grateful for the respite. Unfortunately, despite knowing he's infected, one of the survivors huddled in a blanket, lament about how he didn't want to be left alone.
00:09:37
Speaker
before turning into a zombot. Panic erupts and the survivors try to flee, but ultimately, most are unsuccessful. There's even one panel I notice where a background character is cradling her baby. I don't think we ever see that character again, but good lord is that implication grim. Well, I eventually knew the story would come to an end and the status quo would be established again.
00:09:59
Speaker
I never quite predicted how things would play out. This in itself is both a positive and a negative, but we'll get into that soon enough. As expected, mistakes are raised with every issue as a potential solution for the heroes are thwarted, whether that be by accident or malicious intent.
00:10:15
Speaker
Every character has a role to play, from Amy coordinating the Resistance efforts to Tails desperately coming up with a cure. Even newcomers such as Tango the Lemur and Whisper the Wolf feel natural in this setting, and less like an itchy, scratchy and poochy scenario. I feel old admitting this, but growing up with the franchise, I still remember when the games were criticized during its dark age by claiming that the games focused more on Sonic and friends rather than Sonic himself.
00:10:44
Speaker
And while the games would later reflect a more Sonic-centric narrative, it's nice to see they aren't necessarily depending entirely on that route again. We're even given some minitales in between issues, such as the surprisingly poignant story of how Big the Cat becomes infected looking for Froggy, Metal Sonic's identity crisis when he realises he can't get infected by the metal virus, and the story of a radio station providing hope and an otherwise helpless situation.
00:11:11
Speaker
My brief summaries don't do these tales justice, so I would highly recommend them if you haven't read them already.
World-Building and New Characters
00:11:18
Speaker
Unfortunately, while I do love this entry into the series, its setting leads to a few problems. While Sonic canon has always been loose at times, there's a few issues that aren't addressed. From around Sonic colours onwards, the game begins to present Sonic's world more like it did in the old Saturday morning cartoons.
00:11:36
Speaker
with Eggman being the only human to exist. Since his carries on from the world established in forces, many of the characters are anthropomorphized. While this direction makes sense, it makes you wonder where all the human characters are. The reason I bring this up is because one of the more prolific and slightly controversial groups missing here are the Guardian Units of Nations. Whether you call them G.U.N. or Gun for short, these shitty boys have always been at the forefront when these types of things happen.
00:12:04
Speaker
While not overtly mentioned in the story, it's implied through spin-off material that Eggman, quote-unquote, dealt with them in the forces game. Whether that means he crippled their forces so bad that they weren't in the position to help is unclear. Then again, given everything that's going on, the inclusion probably would have bloated the story. It's not a massive thing, but at the same time, it definitely makes the world seem a little bit smaller.
00:12:29
Speaker
Another thing that Arked fans was the portrayal of Shadow the Hedgehog, whose whole decline in characterisation would fill a whole episode in itself. But to keep it brief, Shadow debuted as an anti-hero, an overall foil to Sonic in Sonic Adventure 2. As the games went on, so too did Sega's portrayal of him as an angsty and brooding antagonist. This unfortunately results in Shadow seeming rather stupid by punching highly infectious zombies in the face, all the while yelling,
00:12:58
Speaker
I can't be infected! When Big the Cat is making more strategic moves compared to you, you know something's gone horribly wrong. In a Q&A in his podcast Bumblecast, Ian Flinn actually pointed out that this was a way to get rid of Shadow in the story, since he would have easily resolved things with a Chaos Control or two, but it definitely makes sense from a writing standpoint. It's still left fans a little annoyed that Shadow was barely in the story to begin with, and as soon as he appeared, he's infected with the virus.
00:13:26
Speaker
Unfortunately, this leads me to one of my major gripes with the saga. That of course, being Starline's contingency plan for the metal virus. Around issues 23 and 24, Starline decides to dig into the files of Eggman's past exploits and comes across the Deadly Six. Fans of the game will know them from the game Sonic Lost World, a race of creatures known as the Zeti, who can control mechanical beings. While the characterisation is miles better than in the game that introduces them,
00:13:55
Speaker
It does feel a little rushed in last minute, plus it probably doesn't help that aside from Zavok, I'm really not a huge fan of this particular set of characters.
Climax and Resolution
00:14:06
Speaker
In turn, this allows for an epic showdown as our heroes fight this 80 and retrieve the Chaos Emeralds. On the one hand, it felt a little predictable for them to use the Get Out of Metal virus card with the Chaos Emeralds, which brought the story more in line with previous works.
00:14:22
Speaker
However, I'd be lying if I said I didn't fanboy a little in the finale, with both Metal Sonic and Sonic working together. As well as the return of Super Silver, which hasn't been properly seen since his debut in 06. If I'm wrong in that,
00:14:37
Speaker
please let me know. It was an action packed down to the story, and whether it was a Flynn or SEGA decision, Sonic was once again the hero of the day. The Metavirus is a particularly strange saga. It's a dark and bleak entry into the series, but it's done surprisingly well. As I said,
00:14:53
Speaker
It manages to achieve these tropes without making them feel unnatural within the world. Each issue manages to increase the stakes, leading to a heroic and bombastic finale. The artwork is also stellar in conveying the hopeless situation as normally colourful characters,
00:15:10
Speaker
assume a more muted colour palette once they're turned into Zombots. Furthermore, the introduction of new characters such as Starline, Tangle and Whisper, to name a few, fit the series like a glove, and it's so nice to see them expand into this aspect, to make the world feel a lot more lived in.
00:15:27
Speaker
And even though the story eventually reverts back to a Sonic Saves the Day tale, I like that there's a sense of world building going on here. However, that's not to say it's without its flaws. After all, while I do admire the comic for establishing its own take on the Sonic world, it does feel like the world hasn't been fully realised yet. Of course, the longer the series progresses, the better this will become. But for a world as vast as Sonic's, it did sometimes feel isolated rather than a global catastrophe.
00:15:56
Speaker
That being said, it was one heck of a way to grab the attention of new readers, and it did make sense that for the most part, they weren't trying to rely on the old games overtly so. Another thing is the pacing. As I said before, there's a lot in this story to make it feel fresh and original.
00:16:12
Speaker
However, by the time Nezetti had introduced Last Minute, it almost feels like they needed a hasty resolution. I know it was used as a bit of a twist reveal when focusing on Nezetti would have taken focus away from other important characters, but it still feels like they could have used a bit more time to establish them. Other aspects like characterisation are also a key criticism.
00:16:35
Speaker
I'm not going to act like I was outraged at Shadow acting out of character, or annoyed Sonic did push Mr. Tinker off a cliff, but I can understand why certain fans weren't happy about this. One more thing I thought was a little interesting while researching this were some of the critiques some people had about the rules of the metal virus.
00:16:53
Speaker
The Chaos Emeralds are once again shown as a be-all and then-all plot device, but in the previous arc were shown that Metal Sonic can achieve a super form with the Master Emerald.
Reflection and Conclusion
00:17:03
Speaker
So who's to say the same can't apply for his unmotivated version of Sonic? If you listen to our episode on the Dark Age of Sonic, I did note how the War of Sonic
00:17:12
Speaker
can get a bit iffy, like for example the Chaos Emeralds being able to bring back people from the dead in 06, which as far as I'm aware has been the only instance of this. These powers probably would have been useful for Miriam's shadow when he was terrorising the city in Sonic Adventure 2, but that's a story for another day.
00:17:30
Speaker
And it's the same here, they're just used as magical plot devices to fix things. There's a huge amount of nitpicks that I could levy against the metal virus story, but at the same time, does this make the story any less worth reading? Absolutely not. Again, I'm not going to say it's a terrifying story that will make people run for the hills and fear.
00:17:49
Speaker
but it perfectly establishes a sense of unease. Longtime Sonic fans looking for a more mature take in the series will definitely appreciate this, as will younger audiences. Sure, it's not perfect, but ask yourself this. When was anything Sonic-related perfect? Whether you love it or hate it, this is one story you won't regret reading. Before I finish this episode, I'd like to shout out a few channels. Firstly, to the Game Apologist channel, whose videos made me aware of this in the first place.
00:18:17
Speaker
If you want an in-depth analysis of the saga as a whole, then definitely go check it out. Secondly, to adrenaline dubs who do a fantastic dub of the story over on YouTube. And finally, to Ian Flynn's own podcast Bumblecast, where he hosts a number of pretty entertaining Q&As about his work on the series. All these creators are pretty big in their own right, and probably don't need me shouting them out, but nevertheless.
00:18:41
Speaker
If you still haven't heard of them yet, then by all means, please go check them out. So what did you think of the Netovirus? Was it just what the doctor ordered? Or was it something you'd rather see quarantined? Whatever your opinion is, please feel free to reach out and let us know. And with that...
00:18:56
Speaker
Thank you all so much for listening to this episode of Chat Tsunami. If you'd like to hear more of our opinions, then please check us out on PodPage.com forward slash Chat Tsunami. You can also find us on Spotify, iTunes and all good podcast apps. Until next time, stay safe, stay awesome, stay hydrated and most importantly, watch out for those Zombots.