Archie Sonic Boom Issue 6

Archie Sonic Boom Issue 6 is the sixth issue in the Sonic Boom comic series published by Archie Comics.

Official solicitation

 * What…What is that sound? No, really—what on earth is that noise? Waitaminute… is that the sound of go-karts??? IT… IT—IS! LET THE RACE BEGIN IN “EVERYBODY’S SUPER SONIC RACING” PART ONE! (IS THE CAPS LOCK STILL ON, OH WAITAMINUTE, there we go. Much better.) When Dr. Eggman sponsors a go-kart race around Sonic’s Island home, you know that dude is up to no good. The rules are as follows: no special powers, no weapons, and everyone has to drive a kart to keep things fair. Since when does Eggy care about “fair”? What will happen to throw this race into a SPIN? How many rhetorical questions can we ask in one paragraph of solicit text?? Find out in this hyperbole-packed issue! Featuring cover art from Sonic comic extraordinaire Tracy Yardley, plus a new BOOM-Crew Sega art variant!

Featured stories

 * Writer: Ian Flynn
 * Pencils: Ryan Jampole, Jennifer Hernandez
 * Inks: Rick Bryant
 * Colors: Matt Herms
 * Letters: Jack Morelli
 * Assistant Editor: Vincent Lovallo
 * Editor/Executive Director of Editorial: Paul Kaminski
 * Editor-in-chief: Victor Gorelick
 * President: Mike Pellerito
 * Publisher: John Goldwater
 * Special thanks to: Tyler Ham, Anthony Gaccione and the character business and licensing department of Sega

Summary
On Bygone Island, Sonic is being pursued by Dr. Eggman's Courier Robot which Sonic is impressed with since it has kept up with him for the past twenty miles. Just then however, Sonic trips over his introduction card and takes a nasty fall, much to his dismay. Before the Courier Robot can assault him though, Tails, Knuckles, Amy and Sticks arrive to Sonic's defense, making it birefly retreat.

The robot starts transforming, which Team Sonic remains vigilant about, but are surprised to see it has just become a video phone which Dr. Eggman contacts them through. Eggman brags about his robot, but Sonic just mocks Eggman, so the infuriated doctor gets to the point: he is challenging Team Sonic to the first Go-kart Pan-island Grand Prix. Sonic is not interested, but Eggman lures him into competing by teasing him with how the hedgehog is scared of losing. Sonic demands the time, place and location, which Eggman says will be tomorrow in the heart of the Village and that weapons, powers and robots are not allowed. As the Courier Robot departs, Amy asks Sonic if it he is sure about this, which he admits he is not, though it keeps things fair that he too has to drive. Meanwhile, just as Tails "discuss" with Knuckles over making a robot that can keep up with Sonic and not equip it with a bomb, Sticks exclaims that they can count her out of the race. Sonic tries convincing Sticks that it will be fun, but she is certain the race is an evil scheme. Tails believes otherwise since Eggman's rules prohibit him from it, but Sticks is sure the go-karts will have Bio-scanning Who-za-ma-whats-its that can copy their beings into Eggman's machines and that Eggman's cart will transform into a giant "mecha-dragon." Ever skeptical about Sticks' paranoia, Sonic, Tails, Knuckles and Amy head home to get ready while Sticks looks around in suspicion.

At the day of the race, all the participants have met up and are ready at the finish line in go-karts. While Eggman endures teasing from Sonic, Tails tells Eggman that it was nice of him to supply them with go-karts to race with, though he worries if they are structurally sound, which Eggman nervously assures him they are. Other participants in the race also include Comedy Chimp (who is participating for the sake of publicity), Orbot, Cubot and the mysterious Bomb Driver, whom Cubot ponders on his identity, though Orbot silences him for the sake of Eggman's secret plan...

With everyone ready, Fastidious Beaver, who fills the role of flag marshal, gives the signal for the race to start. Taking off in a huff, Team Sonic quickly takes the lead, which Eggman claims he had planned for. Up ahead, Amy is forced to stop when several baby ducks start to cross the road. Unbeknownst to Amy, a bio-scanner appears from the rear of her go-kart and scans her from behind. As the other racers race by her, Amy threatens them for endangering the ducks, but then notices that they are actual volatile robots which attack her, forcing her and her go-kart into the water. Meanwhile, as Tails notices Amy's absence, he is nearly run off the road by Orbot and Cubot (on purpose) as they overtake him. However, the robots end up scraping each other and they start blaming each other for sloppy driving and endangerment of Eggman's plan. Engaging in a slap-fight while driving, Orbot and Cubot fail to notice where they are going and comically crashes (with Cubot's airbag deploying too late). This display makes Tails suspicious and he halts to investigate his go-kart, unaware that he is being scanned by another bio-scanner on his go-kart's trunk. Tails finds nothing out of the ordinary, but realizes too late that his go-kart has been rolling towards a cliff (under the guidance of the bio-scanner). As he falls off the edge, Tails insists he was just being careless instead of stupid.

Meanwhile, Comedy Chimp sees Tails' fall and wonders if he should pull over and help. However, Bee Bots appear above him and create talking holograms of Comedy Chip's shoulder devil and shoulder angel who convince him to crash his go-kart to create a spectacle for the viewers. As Eggman passes by Comedy Chimp's wreckage, he notices with glee that his bio-scanners are nearly done getting bio-data from Team Sonic, which will let him move on with Project Hodge Podge, and sends Bomb Driver forth to do its job.

While Bomb Driver moves ahead, Knuckles notices it and tries to have a pleasant small-talk with it, unaware that a bio-scanner on his go-kart is scanning him. However, Bomb Driver ignores Knuckles, something that the latter does not take kindly too and tries to get him to notice him. When Bomb Driver keeps ignoring him though, Knuckles loses his temper and punches him, which reveals Bomb Driver to be a bomb, just as it detonates, which send Knuckles flying into the water. Passing by, Eggman does not mind that Bomb Driver was wasted on Knuckles instead of Sonic, as he has the data he needs, and thus signals with his horn to take care of Sonic.

Meanwhile, Sonic arrives at a narrow bridge over a deep chasm just before the home stretch. After a bio-scanner on his go-kart scans him in secret, Sonic notices to his confusion that his friends are gone. Then, as he is enters the bridge, Eggman's horn is heard which make the mechanized planks on the bridge flap up and causing Sonic to fall into the chasm. The planks then folds back down as Eggman crosses the bridge, confident of his victory, while Sonic is plummeting into the chasm in his go-kart.

Characters

 * Sonic the Hedgehog
 * Miles "Tails" Prower
 * Knuckles the Echidna
 * Amy Rose
 * Sticks the Badger
 * Comedy Chimp
 * Fastidious Beaver
 * Dr. Eggman
 * Orbot
 * Cubot
 * Courier Robot
 * Bomb Driver
 * Bee Bot (multiple)

Continuity

 * Dr. Eggman challenges Team Sonic to the Go-kart Pan-island Grand Prix, an idea he got from Comedy Chimp in Sonic Boom #5, "Eggtoberfest!".

Trivia

 * The name of this story is a nod to one of the lyrics in the song "Super Sonic Racing" from Sonic R.
 * The go-karts driven by Orbot and Cubot have the same color as their driver's counterpart; Orbot's is yellow like Cubot, while Cubot's is red like Orbot's.
 * Sonic calling Eggman "Egg Benedict" just before the race is a nod to the dish Tails served Egman when Eggman lived with him in "Can an Evil Genius Crash on Your Couch for a Few Days?."

Off Panel

 * Script: Bill Freiberger
 * Pencils: Lamar Wells
 * Inks: Rick Bryant
 * Letters: Jack Morelli
 * Colors: Matt Herms

Synopsis
In a three-panel Off Panel strip, Sonic is playing a go-kart racing video game with Knuckles, saying that he will from now on stick to this form of go-karting instead of the real thing since it is much safer. However, Knuckles swings his arms around as he turns with his controller, accidently hitting Sonic and sending him flying over a cliff. As he falls down, Sonic remarks that he spoke too soon.

Characters

 * Sonic the Hedgehog
 * Knuckles the Echidna

Quotes

 * Sonic: C'mon! It'll be fun! We'll go fast, tour the island, make Eggman eat our dust and exhaust...
 * Sticks: And those both sound delicious--But!--It's clearly all a sinister egg-scheme!
 * Tails: But he said it himself--no weapons and no robots. If he's going that far, its sounds like he just wants a race.
 * Sticks: No way, man! The go-karts will have some sort of bio-scanning who-za-ma-whatsits that'll copy your very beings into one of his machines! And then his go-kart will turn into a giant mecha-dragon-thingy!


 * Orbot: You're running the plan!
 * Cubot: You're running the plan!
 * Orbot: Stop copying what I say!
 * Cubot: Stop copying what I say!


 * Tails: I guess Eggman knew better that to try to sneak something past a genius like me! Ha-ha-ha-haughk?! For the record: This isn't stupidity on my part. Just carelessness.


 * Knuckles: I'm warning you! You're gonna show me some common courtesy or so help me--!


 * Dr. Eggman: Everything's coming up Eggman!

Trivia

 * The variant cover of this issue is taken from the front cover of Sonic Boom: Rise of Lyric, except with a couple of changes:
 * Tails is holding a wrench instead of throwing a bomb.
 * Sticks is included in the group.