Luke Owen looks at Sonic the Hedgehog #251, the final part of Worlds Collide…
The biggest crossover event of 2013 ends here with the stunning conclusion to Sonic/Mega Man: Worlds Collide (part twelve of twelve)! After an intense battle, Sonic and Mega Man are at the mercy of Drs. Eggman and Wily and, to make matters worse, the evil doctors have set the final stage of their plan into motion: to use the power of the Chaos Emeralds to become unstoppable demi-gods of destruction! But look out bad dudes, our true blue heroes have a plan, too — and it’s ‘super’! The history-making crossover event crashes to a close in the final chapter you can’t miss!
Here we are, the final chapter of what has been an epic crossover event. Worlds Collide part 12 of 12. The final showdown between Sonic, Mega Man, Dr. Eggman and Dr. Wily. But does it live up to the months of build-up and hype?
To a certain degree, yes. But it’s not perfect.
Without a shadow of a doubt, Sonic the Hedgehog #251 is a great comic with some brilliant action, beautiful artwork and clever dialogue. And while the action is thrilling and incredibly gripping, you can’t help but feel a little short changed by the final battle. We spend the first half of the comic with the evil doctors explaining their plan like a bad James Bond Villain and it’s not until the final few pages that we get our last Sonic and Mega Man team-up. In the meantime we’re treated to, admittedly, awesome action with Knuckles, Proto Man and Dr. Light, but you do find yourself wanting to see a grand scale battle. Not unlike Sonic the Hedgehog #251 or Sonic Universe #54, you might say.
Perhaps the first half of this issue should have come in Sonic Universe #54, leaving this final part to be a full scale battle. But while there are some quibbles to be had about Sonic the Hedgehog #251, it must be stressed that this is a brilliant read.
Throughout this series, the dynamic between Dr. Eggman and Dr. Wily has been one of the best aspects. Their ‘best friend’ attitude has been tested in the last few issues and it all comes to a head here in fantastic fashion as both men try to ‘out-evil’ each other. It is the perfect conclusion to their relationship. We also get a wonderful moment towards the end where we see where on the spectrum of evil and desperation both doctors lie. One accepts their fate with grace while the other causes an event that will lead back into their respective series in true cliffhanger fasion.
Plus, Sonic and Mega Man with Super Chaos Emerald powers. Come on.
Ben Bates has done some exceptional artwork across this series, the all-out battle of Sonic the Hedgehog #250 being a highlight, and once again his work here is stunning. There is a beautiful splash page towards the end and every single panel is rife with detail. He compliments Ian Flynn’s writing style very well and the two have a unique chemistry that is perfect for this kind of comic.
It’s actually quite sad to see Worlds Collide come to an end because it has been so much fun. The idea of a crossover between Sonic and Mega Man, two icons of the 8 and 16-bit eras of gaming, was certainly an appealing one but Flynn and his team have pulled out something better than anyone could have thought possible. The scripts have all been superb, the action has always been great and, more importantly, the characters have been beautifully portrayed. Every single issue has serviced the story and, with the exception of one issue, it has been a flawless run. It’s not marketing hyperbole to say that this has been the best crossover event comic of 2013.
If you’ve not read the solo issues, do yourself a favour and pick it up as a trade paper back. You won’t regret it.
Originally published July 30, 2013. Updated November 7, 2019.
