As someone who grew up watching Super Mario Bros Z, seeing Mecha Sonic canonically say “I’LL CRUSH YOU!!!” was a surreal experience.

The fact that SEGA even let this happen is insane. Also, mecha sonic canonically saying "ILL CRUSH YOU!!" is so fucking awesome

“Say the line Mecha” Mecha Sonic: “I’LL CRUSH YOU!!!” “YAAAAAAY!!!”

"Sonic can't cry" 'Fine, I'm gonna make Mecha Sonic cry through Sonic. That's totally not the same thing.'

Just now realizing that an E-Series robot being the one leading the Skrapniks makes total sense, as they seemed to get the poorest programming when it came to y'know, actually following Eggman. Love that!

I really like how Barnes plays into the contrast between Mecha and Metal even more. They were already strikingly different from an aesthetic perspective, with one being large and bulky while the other is small and streamlined, so it makes sense to keep the dichotomy going by evolving Mecha into a gentle giant who is actively resisting the urge to give in to his original directives as opposed to Metal, who willingly embraces his. It's a pretty ingenious way to essentially explore what a reformed Metal would be like without betraying who that character is. I especially like how he plays with the fatherly bond that Eggman has with Metal in IDW by showing the resentment of the Sonic bot that was left behind.

I think it's interesting that this was the first IDW story with classic characters in a modern setting. Ian Flynn said he was blown away that Sega let Barnes do that. I'm hoping there's more to come.

I shouldn't be surprised that Mecha Sonic survived the wrath of Knuckles. Mecha has proven to be the toughest of the robot doppelgangers, further proving his dominance by beating down Mecha Knuckles.

It took hearing 'Scrambled Egg Carrier' 3 times before the pun set in for me. Amazing naming choice by the writers.

God i still remember the day Mecha said the line we are all thinking of, "HE SAID THE THING" was trending on Twitter that day.

My Dad had passed away during this stories run. He was my inspiration, my motivation, my best friend. I was surprised how much I resonated with Mecha's monologue in that last issue. It would be no exaggeration to say the loss of my Dad left me purposeless.

I love how Sigma uses super advanced technical jargon to describe basic things like an alternator, and that Tails understands him perfectly regardless.

I absolutely adore this characterisation of Mecha. I just wanna protect him :(

I like how sigma's cape looks like Eggman's mustache from certain angles. It's a nice touch as the machine is acting like a mini good eggman.

I hope one day there’s a surprise reveal of the old Egg carrier flying onto the scene when Sonic and the gang are in trouble or something and the Scrapniks help

I literally cried at the OVA reference there towards the end.

The fact that they managed to take the lyrics from Waking Up, the ending credits song from Shadow the Hedgehog's stupid-ass Neutral ending, and turned them into an _actual_ motivational speech says a lot about the writers of this miniseries.

I really appreciate how Mecha was saved in the end, how he accepted Sonic's help. Not only is there the OVA Metal comparisons, but much more recently, the scene with Surge in issue 50, where she refuses Sonic's "10 second truce" and decides she'd rather die and get the last hit in instead of surviving by Sonic's help.

Mecha Sonic looks so cool with the cloak tbh. Also, A STORY THAT DOESN'T KILL THE "ANTAGONIST" OFF FOR HIS WRONG DOINGS. That in itself is great, especially since Mecha redeemed himself. I was ready for the moment where Mecha sacrificed himself to save Sonic and I could not be more happier that it did not happen.

I’ve had a hard time with depression and other things for a long time. Life having no purpose has always been a hard concept for me. A few days before the 4th issue came out I had a really good conversation with my best friend and was starting to really feel like I’m moving forward. Then I read those last few pages and they felt so targeted and relevant to what I needed to hear. I really want to print them as posters. I haven’t had myself feel anywhere near as bad since then and have been feeling better overall.

I love it when Sonic's "Nature vs. Machine" theme rears its head up and presents a nuanced examination of concepts in the real world. I can see the idea of Scrapnik Island being loosely based on the real Trash Island, a spot where the waves intersected with floating trash and lost belongings. Turning that into a story of finding value in a life made of definitive garbage is touching, and it helps make the black and white nature of "Nature vs Machine" feel more gray.

I'm glad they gave Mecha a voice and distinct personality from the usual robot imposter

I met Mecha Sonic through Mario Bros Z. So seeing this Badnik who completely dominated every scene he was in now in his present state. Seeing his mindset and what has happened to him since his last in game appearance is. What the defeat by Sonic and Knuckles did to him. Its super interesting

This might be the best Sonic story we've had since the Metal Virus Saga. It has me wanting so much more from the Scrapniks.

I don't know what almighty power Barnes had to convince SEGA to accept this pitch (with using characters and designs once thought off-limits and them having lived through the whole thing and even having the potential to be fully good, proving Sonic's philosophy for once has merit, which could be a massive status quo change if, y'know, SEGA lets them fucking STICK to it), but I really hope he does it more. Every story from this miniseries to his story in the annual was pure gold, some of the best storytelling we got not just in IDW, but in Sonic comics in general. I hope we see the Scrapniks again and get a true happy ending for all of them.

Great video, man! Glad you liked the comic!

Can you imagine that for Mecha's return, Sonic just heard a voice in his head and excitedly runs off without explaining anything? Just happily sprints in a direction to greet one of his robot counterparts with a smile.

This is one of my new favorite comics from IDW so far. It’s so cool to not only see Mecha Sonic in official media again, but to finally have official 2D artwork of him. I’m so used to how he’s portrayed in the fan community as a huge threat, that I wasn’t expecting him to be a victim himself in this story. The fact he felt forgotten and abandoned by Dr. Eggman and the world is honestly very sad. No one, not even him, should ever feel that low about themselves. If only he knew that in our world, he is a anything but forgotten. But, like what Mecha learns in the end, what matters is having the courage to keep moving forward. I’m so glad to see Mecha ultimately get redeemed and have a happy ending. As well as looking as cool as always. He’s personally my favorite of the Robot Sonic copies. I really hope to see him again along with SIGMA and the other Scrapniks in the main comics going forward. Definitely going to pick this up when the volume drops. Edit: I can’t ignore E117 SIGMA either, he was a great new character to introduce in this story. Plus, he’s British which is just charming.

Seeing Mecha Sonic say *"I'LL CRUSH YOU!!!"* Had me gushing and when they started the fighting all I could here was his theme "SMBZ BLASTING"

I really hope Tails comes back to the scrapniks. Helping them out could be a great solo adventure for him and would be right up his alley

It's also neat that the first issue quickly answers a question a lot of people had about the first Death Egg. That being: what exactly was it supposed to be? The Death Egg in Battle had a massive planet busting laser on it. Death Egg Mk.II from S4 was obviously just a battlestation, mass manufacturing platform and staging ground. The Death Egg from Forces was being used mostly as a prison. But we never really knew what the original Death Egg was supposed to be. Was it just a battlestation or staging ground? Did it have some kind of superlaser a-la Death Star? Was it just a massive Disco Ball? Well, Scrapnik answers that. The Death Egg had a climate disruptor. It can manipulate the weather to create massive nigh-impenetrable storms. Not a major issue for Eggman in the original games, the majority of his forces were grounded badniks and he would've stayed aboard the Death Egg unless necessary. But a huge issue for any organics that may be looking to stop or resist him. Someone sending in the Airforce? Make a tornado and force them to land or risk crashing. Navy or sea-based headquarters? Hurricane and sink them all. Hiding in a forest? Burn it down with a precision lightning strike. It's actually a really smart tool given Eggman's old badniks.

"I'm done being controlled by yesterday. I'm going to live for tomorrow." that's an amazing line to end on

Seeing the I'll crush you, that brought me with laughter and tears of joy and nostalgia. I also love how they cheat the Sega mandate, with Sonic crying, but not crying since he feels Mecha Sonic emotion. I love it and it was nice to see.

I like the implication that up until the trauma-induced regression, Mecha Sonic could've spoken through the Miles Electric at any time, he just didn't know what to say to Sonic or Tails because this was an INCREDIBLY awkward reunions and like, what would YOU say to the guys whose last meeting involved you trying to kill them?

The only thing I wish for is that they'd include Tails Doll in there somewhere, hah. I mean if there WAS an opportunity to reference it, it would be now. I could just imagine a gag that Tails Doll is like a creepy kid just standing on the side, expressionless, staring, not saying a word. But then at the end, Tails Doll would be helping everyone pull Mecha out. His plushy limbs just hanging around, not really helping but doing his best heheh

This story has a wistful, philosophical feel to it. Doubt it will happen but I'd love to see more from this Mecha Sonic.

A like 3D first person Egg Robo game would be sick as hell. Like imagine being able to customize your Egg Robo with different paints and stuff.

Mecha Sonic That's just it. Just celebrate his return in glory

Part 3 reminded me of an episode of Dexter's Laboratory, the one where he accidentally flew into the oldest part of his lab and got confronted by his abandoned creations. I also like the basic retelling of the OVA when they're linked, "you might know what I'm going to do, but it won't help you because I know what YOU'RE going to do, STRANGE isn't it?" and "There is only one Sonic..." but then the comic outright REJECTS the tragic ending and says "NO! It doesn't end this way, just this one Rose, EVERYONE LIVES!" I feel like it's inevitable that Belle the Tinkerer will eventually meet the Scrapniks, especially since she told Eggman that she would make it her mission to care for the robots that he abandoned, of which this island pretty much the definition of what she said.

I giggled with glee when I saw the motion tracker in Issue 3 and realized we were going to actually do an Alien scene. I'd also initially assumed that the furnace bit at the end was an oblique reference to Toy Story 3, but I didn't have the context of Mecha in the OVA.

Imagine if they make an annual story or an entire annual for Scrapnik Island that explores more of the island, including maybe the history of it.

God I love IDW man. So many emotions come out when reading these comics. So refreshing to see good writers now a days writing for sonic.

I was never a Sonic & Knuckles fan, but this story still was wonderful, so it definitely isn't all nostalgia. I love how Mecha basically has a PTSD flashback, even if it's couched in the language of programming and computers. I like how Sonic IS willing to trust Mecha, even if he's a little wary, and his trust isn't actually misplaced. Visually, the story is incredible as well, with the art direction, and of course, everything you said about the color palettes. And I love Tails standing up to Mecha Sonic... and was that a reference to the Spartans at Thermopylae? "Come and take them." Just beautiful.

38:50 that's actually a really good thing to bring up since because of that mind link that also opens up opportunities to bring him back, I think it's incredibly likely that the scrapniks will be able to get off the island and they can use that link to help sonic and his team when they have a situation on the scale of something like the metal virus or some other world destroying force. i think it would be awesome to see scrapnik mecha sonic in the sonic forces mobile game like what we got with tangle and whisper, honestly kind of surprised we haven't gotten surge and kit in that yet

That was an awesome callback and redemption of the Metal Sonic death in the OVA. Damn those feels.

29:43... damn the 1 time he's been able to save a Sonic copy, not just in general but... FROM A FIERY DOOM. After watching the Archie review of Shard, being a mecha/metal Sonic going the same way as OVA Metal Sonic, and then well the very same OVA Metal Sonic smacking Sonic's hand away saying there is only one... this is cathartic, cool, nice to see one of these situations, one of Sonic's (especially despite his failed attempts in these comics to convert Metal and Mr Tinker to their side) trust in people or machines... actually pay off. Edit: Holy crap glad you covered that, and yeah I super love this story, I like Metal Sonic more too, but as I said in the shard video you want more... but without them deviating too much from Metal himself, and these other robot douples are a perfect way to do this. To show growth in character, to veer away from the trope of AI becoming evil taking over our fleshy world ruling over us making us into slaves, blah blah Terminator etc sci fi movies. I love this, and it does give us a chance to see... mmaaaaaybe Metal vs Mecha Sonic? Be super hype. Be cooler in a game but doubt Sega would ever do that, the IDW though, I feel like it is inevitable, and can't wait for it. Heck not just the Sonic robots, what about Metal Knuckles vs Mecha Knuckles? Shadow Androids? Let's go crazy AND WILD WITH THESE!!!

This really needs to get pitched to Sega " Tails in Scrapnik Island" the fox hasn't had his own spin -off game since the 90s. It would be a great follow-up to Sonic Frontiers. Tails said it himself, he's going off on his own adventure. It would make perfect sense.

I loved this story, partly because it finally gave Sonic a win. Sonic has not been having a good time with giving villains mercy lately, but finally his way of life has reached someone and a robot copy of himself no less! I also loved this story for the character they gave Mecha, now that he's good I got some really strong mature older brother vibes from him and it would be amazing to have him show up sometime in the main story. A Metal vs Mecha fight would be amazing!

I had the absolute dumbest smile on my face when I first saw that SMBZ reference come up. The little flash animation series that could has directly been referenced in official media. That is beyond awesome.

I can deny it no longer. I think Scrapnik Mecha might be my favorite Sonic character. Thanks for your killer video essays as always Nick😎👍

I absolutely adored this miniseries. Now I don't know what IDW has planned for the future, but I really hope we get to see the Scrapniks again, & given that Belle made a promise back in issue 50 to help all of the robots that Eggman abandons/has abandoned, I really hope that we'll get to see a story where Belle meets, befriends and grows close to the Scrapniks and helps them out in whatever way she can!

24:00 "Lock on" is likely a reference to the lock on technology of Sonic and Knuckles, as that is the game where Mecha Sonic originated from.

I love how the broken Death Egg @ 7:12 looks like a cracked egg with the yolk running out the visual egg pun kills me

Oh my God, I loved this comic! I especially love all the attention they give to the OVAs! Everything from Mecha Knuckles hat to the mirrored climax with the OVA and the comics. I'm not the only one who got that, right? Mecha slowly slides into fire with Sonic, trying to save him just how in the OVA metal slides into lava, and Sonic tries to save him? My God, seeing that scene again gave me tingles! And they topped it off by actually rescuing him! Sonic Ova is love, Sonic Ova is life!

The artwork of this comic it´s so good! I love the colors

28:25 I think this quote from Sonic Boom really puts it in perspective. "I guess when you get tired you can just recharge, that's the difference between you and me metal I don't get tired"

I've only just noticed this now, but one of the three egg robos looks like they're wearing Sonic's favourite hat from the ova.

I love this comic for making me go woobifying baby boy over Mecha Sonic. Redemption Mecha Sonic is a very cool idea that is executed well by this comic, and it makes for a very neat distinction between him and Metal Sonic. It makes Mecha Sonic look like a distant and reflective family member that wants to establish his own free life like Sonic.

you know shit's going down when mecha sonic shouts *"I'LL CRUSH YOU!"*

The sonic OVA metal sonic reference brought a tear to my eye, the original scene was so beautiful

While I hope that they bring the scrapnick guys back for a mainline story of some kind, I'm glad to see my boy back in action and still alive to tell the tale

Wouldn't mind seeing later short stories or at least a mention of Tails returning there to help rebuild/clean up the scrapniks. Like a vacation/entertainment thing for him.

I love how Mecha Sonic is simultaneously IDW Metal's bad ending and his good ending. I really hope the Scrapnicks come back if they ever get the Egg Carrier working I mean just imagine a bout between the 2 robo hogs. (Although I think Metal would win).

Nick never disappoints, Happy Mecha March Madness!

YESSS i love this comic so much i was waiting for a video on it. it baffles me so much it's really cool seeing all these classic elements in a modern era setting, being all broken down and abandoned. it communicates really well all the time that's passed and how much things have changed in the series but still fitting so well with sonic UGH i love everything about it. the characterization is great too of course, sonic and tails are top notch as always i need to fangirl over how precious they are while also getting to be their best, badass selfs ever. jack lawrence's art is so so cute which might be a weird fit for a story that's supposed to be creepy, but i think the "cuter" style for the characters really helps bring out how vulnerable sonic is in this situation (he's so small ajsjajbdsjdkdj), and natalie is my favorite ever in the entire idw run her colors are stunning and complement the art and tone of the story so well i just AAAH (i haven't finished the video yet sorry i needed to scream a little)

I'd love to see mecha get fully repaired and the interaction between him and Omega lol

“I’ll crush you” Is the Sonic fandom’s “FIRE IN THE HOLE”

"I'm done being controlled by yesterday, I'm going to live for tomorrow" Dang what an ending line

You have to wonder if outside of general sonic heroism, he didn't wanna find out what happens if something he is telepathically linked to melts to death in an incinerator. Mentally feeling something else's death probably is an extremely unpleasant thing.

This is why i appreciate the team behind these comics sticking with the games and the media surrounding them, there’s so much potential with any of them that trying to make a whole world from scratch just makes it bloated which was my issue with the Archie comics, and even when they did, it felt very hand fisted, just shoved in for the sake of it without any consideration of what this means in story.

Man this miniseries was so good. Sigma is a top 5 sonic character for me honestly

Honestly with the last image of Mecha Knuckles having him standing off to the side away from all the other Scrapniks, it feels like his story isn’t over, like he doesn’t feel like he should be a part of their group hug. I wouldn’t be surprised if we saw him again in a future comic

I like how in these stories, you can almost say Eggman is a stand in for Sega. Has a new great toy, gets bored with it and trashes it. Forgotten by the creator.

the thing with all of eggmans robotic sonics is that once they fail he ditches them to rust

I will forever feel bad beating mecha in s3&k

I know someone who does modelling of different robots relating to the early 2000s period of the sonic series, and he's absolutely livid we don't get a back reference for Mecha Sonic so he can create a model for its jet engine.

36:13 I just noticed this, but the middle Egg Robo’s legs resemble heavy’s, mostly because of the springy legs he usually has in other sonic media.

So far, best series in IDW, it had many references, nostalgia, character development, and even character redemption, best story, can't tell me otherwise

I love all the little touchs, like making Sigma cape looks like Eggman moustache or the homenage to the end of the Sonic OVA

12:55 as an avid Heavy & Bomb fan, it brings me much joy that the middle Eggrobo's legs reference Heavy's silly springy metal slab feet

I remember when the last issue came out for this story, and Twitter lost it because of the SMBZ meme becoming a reality. It was a good day to be a sonic fan, and this whole mini series is simply fantastic. We need more Mecha Sonic now that this has happened.

A lovely arc for "mecha march madness" X3

39:05 Mecha Sonic by a failed plan became a full and complete Sonic Doppelganger, ascending beyond the one part where Eggman with every single version fell short: Sonic's thought process and feelings.

I like how Spindashes have always been cought by enemies in this series like

Nick!!! You had one job, say it with feeling, “I’ll CRUSH YOU! “ hehehehe Also really like how you narrated this. It added something extra hearing someone who loves Mecha Sonic. Thanks!

Mecha Sonic’s story Arc is amazing, they made a ROBOT go through past stress about being called trash, almost destroy everybody before almost letting himself die, then be saved and go on a redemption arc

Big props to Tails for actually standing up to Mecha

This is hands down my favorite Sonic story of all time. Well placed nostalgia, my favorite Sonic robot back after almost 3 decades, and I never expected to relate that much to my own favorite Sonic robot, struggling with self worth. All three had such a major impact that I don’t think any other story could top this for me.

Mecha sonic dropping lines as deep as mewtwo.

They ong made him say the line, incredible

Honestly i loved this story. It was really well done, both character designs and colouring was fantastic

I also like the whole lava scene being a reference to the OVA

The last few pages of the comic broke me. I don't think I have ever necessarily cried or resonated with such a story like this before. I had been struggling with depression and self worth, and Mecha's whole talk about how life wasn't determined by successions and failures was something I needed to hear. 💜 Thank you for reviewing this story, it's so beautiful.

Truly one the best idw sonic story yet

The BEST IDW story ever written.

THE SONIC CRYING RULE HAS BEEN BROKEN BY TECHNICALITY THE BEST KIND OF ALITY

I guess IDW Mecha Sonic will be getting its own video this March based on your comment. Fun fact: all the Scrapniks have names according to the concept art sheets - like the little one that relays the news to Tails is called Ben. Also the scouter on Tails’ face reminds me of that scouter scope from the second episode of Sonic X.

Wow this got me. 🤧 Wow. This story was beautiful. Those final pages were words I needed.

THis was indeed a great story, and I really enjoyed it. This might be as close to official art we will ever see, but at least we have it now. :)

My favorite part about the brief confrontation between mecha sonic and tails, was that tails was fully prepared to devise a counter to Sonics speed. Like a Batman contingency plan