Comic Review: Worlds Unite #2

The next episode of the World's Unite crossover picks up in Sonic Boom #8. Fair warning, it's going to get increasingly difficult to avoid spoiler information as I move forward from here. I would advise you to stop reading here if you haven't already read this issue.

The chapter begins with the Sonic Boom crew in the middle of a battle with Dr. Eggman per the norm. Or rather, the end of the battle as we see Sticks get knocked off panel, followed on the next page by a single shot of the group celebrating their victory, where Amy asks "Did anyone see where Sticks landed?"

This is the setup to separate Sticks from the rest of the Sonic Boom cast. If you haven't noticed from the promotional images released by Archie, Sticks is the representative of the Boom universe for this crossover. In my personal opinion, I feel like they could have found a better way to pull her from Boom and introduce her to the crossover.

Since Sticks has the time to conveniently meet Mega Man X and crew, get an explanation of their predicament, recruite Fastidious Beaver and Comedy Chimp, infiltrate Eggman's volcano base, and force Orbot and Cubot to create a new Genesis portal for them, I can only surmise that she was knocked half way around the world back on the first page. Otherwise, wouldn't Sonic had been able to find her in seconds? That or none of her so called friends bothered to look.

Never the less, we now have Sticks teamed up with the Maverick Hunter team and on their way to the next part of the story. Did anyone else think that Orbot and Cubot looked particularly sinister while opening the portal for them? I wonder where exactly they'll end up.

We cut back to the Hex zone to see more of Sigma's ultimate plan unfolding, but not before Eggman refreshes Wily's memory on the events of the Worlds Collide crossover, conveniently told from his point of view. This scene actually acts as a handy catch up for anyone that may be just as in the dark as Wily (his memory was restored and the events of the Worlds Collide forgotten once they returned to the Mega Man universe). Even though Eggman's account of the events are twisted a bit in his favor.

Soon after, we learn that the final two robot masters (or roboticized masters if you will) are none other than Sonic and Mega Man, twisted in favor of the designs of their opposing world's mad scientist. Sonic looks much like Mecha Sonic, with the addition of a Wily "W" on his forehead and arm cannon, while Mega Man dons a darker paint job with helmet trim that resembles the Eggman mustache.

In the final pages we see the corrupted heroes venturing to their opposite worlds to lay waste and set Sigma's plans in motion much to the dismay and terror of the inhabitants. Just what are his plans and will the remaining heroes of either universe be able to stop the corrupted Sonic and Mega Man? We'll have to wait until the next issue to find out.

The story is moving along at a nice pace, though I felt the uniting of Sticks with the Maverick Hunters seemed a bit rushed thanks to the details I mentioned above. As for the art, most of it is great, though you can tell that the Sega universe is definitely Yardley's comfort zone. The Capcom characters just seem a little more off than usual. The color work is excellent though.

Hiccups in this issue aside, I'm still hooked and can't wait for the next issue!

Click here for my review of Issue 1

Click here for Issue 3

Thanks for reading!