Archie Sonic Boom Issue 2

Archie Sonic Boom Issue 2 is the second issue in the Sonic Boom comic series published by Archie Comics.

Official solicitation

 * Get ready for the BOOM, baby! The new hit ongoing Sonic comic book series from Archie Comics continues here with issue #2, 'Knuckleduster!' Race along at Sonic speed with the blue blur and his pals Tails, Knuckles, Amy Rose and the newest edition to the team - Sticks! But is there a traitor in our heroes' midst? Say it ain't so! Find out in this sensational second issue, featuring explosive new cover art from Sonic art legend Patrick 'SPAZ' Spaziante, and a super-special 'Sonic Spotlight' variant cover by artist T.REX!

Knuckleduster

 * Writer: Ian Flynn
 * Pencils: Evan Stanley
 * 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 & the character business & licensing department of Sega

Summary
The story opens with Sonic, Tails, Amy and Sticks fighting Dr. Eggman in his Big Boy on a beach. As members of Team Sonic move in for the attack, each helping coordinating the other while saying their names as logos, Eggman demands that they say his name as a logo too. Just as Sonic complies however, he realizes that they already had this fight last issue and Tails recognizes the Big Boy as the same mech, albeit poorly patched up. Eggman denies it and claims it has a secret weapon. While Sonic is undeterred though, Knuckles suddenly shows up and punches him away. In spite of this, Sonic is glad Knuckles has arrived and thinks he is here to help. Instead however, Knuckles traps Sonic in a small cage and proclaims he is working with Eggman. Tails is angry over the betrayal and attacks Knuckles, but lets his guard down and is trapped as well in a small net. Meanwhile, Sticks gets ahead of Knuckles and traps herself in her own cage.

The battle comes down to Knuckles versus Amy, where Knuckles explains to Amy that he teamed up with Eggman because he was tired of her making fun of him and calling him dumb. Amy acknowledges that she got impatient with him, but remarks that teaming up with Eggman and betraying them is no excuse. She also notes that with their matching heavy-hit skills their fight is at an impasse. However, Eggman's Big Boy ambushes Amy from behind by scooping her up and trapping her in a small cage too. With his victory assured, Eggman has Team Sonic (aside from Knuckles) loaded into the cargo hold and heads towards the village, contemplating on whether if he should conquer or destroy it.

In the cargo, Orbot and Cubot have finished loading the prisoners. While Sonic is going stir crazy, Amy expresses her disgust at Knuckles when suddenly the echidna reveals his true plan to his team: he was faking teaming up with Eggman to prove to the team that he was smart enough to fool Eggman. Amy, however, puts him down when she says that by capturing them, he truly was on Eggman's side. Knuckles realizes this, and thinks he had let the team down. Depressed and guilty, he retreats to a corner and will not let his friends out of their cages on the grounds that he will mess this up too. Tails therefore tells Amy that they should talk them through this.

Through secret planning, Tails and Amy eventually manage to encourage Knuckles to fight back, telling him that he has Eggman right where he wants him with his brilliant plan which they did not see right away. Knuckles leaves, determined to set things right, but forgets to let the team out. Fortunately, Sticks unlocked herself (because she was caught in her own cage), due to Sonic's frantic spinning driving her nuts, and Sonic celebrates his freedom by bouncing around all over the place.

Meanwhile, Knuckles confronts Eggman in the Big Boy's cockpit. Eggman orders Orbot and Cubot to defend him, but Knuckles quickly gets rid of the robotic duo before starting to heavily damage the mech with its own arm. Having enough, Eggman retreats just as Sonic breaks the team out of the Big Boy in his rush of freedom, much to Knuckles' jealousy as he glides by. Then, for a last step in restoring Knuckles' confidence, Amy pretends to fall down to her doom so Knuckles could save her. Amy tells Knuckles that while she did not agree with his methodology, she admits it worked and that she was sorry for insulting him. Knuckles accepts her apology and promptly decides to leave the planning and scheming to her as it gives him a headache. Orbot and Cubot then shows up, asking for a lift back home, which Knuckles replies to by throwing them over to Eggman as he flees in the Big Boy.

With the ordeal over, everyone is getting their bearings when Amy suddenly starts freaking out. Sonic wonders what is going on, to which Amy replies in horror that she has lost her piko hammer.

Characters

 * Sonic the Hedgehog
 * Miles "Tails" Prower
 * Amy Rose
 * Sticks the Badger
 * Dr. Eggman
 * Knuckles the Echidna
 * Orbot
 * Cubot
 * Mayor Fink

Continuity

 * Team Sonic previously fought the Big Boy mech in Sonic Boom #1, "Getting a Little Boulder Part One of... er... One".
 * Knuckles' team-up with Dr. Eggman was made in Sonic Boom #1, "Getting a Little Boulder Part One of... er... One".
 * Amy and Knuckles had a series of earlier arguments in Sonic Boom #1, "Getting a Little Boulder Part One of... er... One".
 * Amy looses her piko hammer. She would find it again in Sonic Boom #3, "Hammer Spaced".
 * The Big Boy displays the damage it received in Sonic Boom #1, "Getting a Little Boulder Part One of... er... One".
 * The Big Boy is damaged further. It would be repaired and upgraded from this battle in Sonic Boom #3, "Hammer Spaced".

Trivia

 * The characters still say their names as logos like in the previous issue, despite Sonic saying in said issue that they would go back to regular lettering in this one.
 * There is a running gag that involves the sound "KA" being made before actions. Eggman acknowledges this when he quotes: "You're KA-scratching the paint!"
 * While trapped inside the Big Boy, Sonic quoted "Gotta Go Fast", a reference to the iconic Sonic catchphrase from the name of the Sonic X anime series' English opening theme.
 * Knuckles' demonstration of the ability to glide through midair like his game counterpart is suspected by the penciler of this issue, Evan Stanley, to be a case of lack of communication between SEGA and Archie Comics. Apparently, when this issue was made, the comic staff was not told by SEGA about Knuckles' inability to glide.

Off Panel

 * Script: Aleah Baker
 * Pencils/Inks: Ryan Jampole
 * Letters: Jack Morelli
 * Colors: Matt Herms

Synopsis
In a full-page edition of the Off-Panel strip, Sonic finds Knuckles at a desk, writing down and rejecting a lot of puns on his name. Sonic questions Knuckles of what he is doing, to which Knuckles replies that since Sonic's comic is named "Sonic Boom", he figures he should come up with a name befitting his awesomeness since he believes he will get his own comic soon, which Sonic "astutely" notes. However, Knuckles struggles with ideas, so Sonic teases him by coming up with names like "Knuckle-head" and "Knuckle-dragger" which infuriates Knuckles enough to chase after him in rage. Tails then tells the reader that while Knuckles is not interested, they at the comics are interested in the readers' ideas and asks them to send in their letters and fanart.

Characters

 * Sonic the Hedgehog
 * Miles "Tails" Prower
 * Knuckles the Echidna