HOME, Part 1: THE BLUE BLUR RETURNS!
Writer: Karl Bollers
Pencilers: J. Axer (pgs 1-3) & Steven Butler (pgs 4-24)
Inkers: Michael Higgins (pgs 1-12) & Jim Amash (pgs 13-24)
Colorist: Jason Jensen
Letterer: Michael Higgins
Editor: Justin Freddy Gabrie

As Sonic returns from space (Sonic #126-129), Sonic crash lands on Mobius. He's so happy to be back that he's kissing a tree, but then Sonic sees "thick black smoke" rising. So, he goes to check it out and finds a crowd of terrified Mobians. Two of them aren't showing any fear though--Hershey & Geoffrey--as they're getting married! We soon find out that Robotnik is granting the two their final wish before executing them. Robotnik also had the homes of the other Mobians burned to the ground for hiding Hershey & Geoffrey. The two had discovered something that Robotnik doesn't want King Max to know yet. Before the two can be killed, Sonic totals the Swatbot about to do the honors. This, of course, is met with complete utter disbelief by everyone present. As the other Swatbots now turn their attention to Sonic, Sonic makes short work of them all. After Sonic is done, everyone is just staring at Sonic in complete silence. Sonic breaks the silence by saying "I'm home!" Now everyone cheers, while Hersh hugs Sonic and Sonic & Geoff shake hands. Sonic says he'll explain his survival later as Geoff & Hersh explain that Robotnik declared war on all of the Kingdom of Acorn and has an atomic arsenal now. Sonic says that he'll go warn Knothole for them and runs off before he can be told anything else.

In "New Megaopolis--capital of the Eggman Empire," Robotnik wants to know what happened. A female robot called "M" (standing for Mecha) states the obvious in terms of losing their video feed of Geoff & Hersh. A computer called "A.D.A.M." informs them that the phalanx was destroyed and shows the last video image: Sonic standing on top of the first Swatbot he destroyed. Robotnik did not take seeing that Sonic is alive very well. M asks who is the hedgehog and Robotnik tells her that he's Sonic. It turns out that Robotnik deleted all his records on Sonic since he thought he was dead and mentions how he hates Sonic more than anything.

Meanwhile, Sonic has finally reached Knothole and he is just as shocked at how the place looks as the Mobians he saved were to see him. Knothole is now a more modern-like city while still keeping its forest-like identity (it's also called Knothole City). Sonic now wonders how long he's been gone since he was in space for 6 weeks, but the way Knothole currently looks couldn't have been completed in 6 weeks. Sonic asks a random little girl (she's cute) how long it's been since the Xorda battle and finds out he's been gone a year. Sonic is surprised by this bit of info and after being pointed in the direction of the castle by the girl, he runs off. I found it fitting actually that Sonic said "thanks."

Sonic reaches the castle (which looks the same on the outside) and the guards are surprised to see him, but they let him in with no problems. Inside, surprisingly, we find Knuckles, Julie-Su, Espio, Vector, & Mighty talking to King Max & Queen Alicia. Knux wants to go to Angel Island to free it from Robotnik's forces. The royals say that they can't allow it because they still need their help, especially since they only know that Robotnik is up to something--not what the something happens to be yet. Sonic just says "Oh, yes we do" to interject into the conversation--and of course surprising everyone by being alive. Knux & the Chaotix run to greet Sonic. Sonic & Knux have a quick convo about hearing that the other was dead. Next surprise, is that King Max can now walk as he & Queen Alicia approach Sonic in a stately manner--hey, they are royals. After the customary kneel, Sonic tells everyone that Robotnik has atomic weaponry, but has no idea how much. This bit of news is interrupted as Uncle Chuck (who's wearing some new clothes) comes in to see if what the guards had said--that Sonic is alive--was true. The two hedgehogs hug and Sonic asks about his parents. Uncle Chuck says that he'll get them, so Sonic turns to the royals and asks them, "Where's Sal?"

It turns out that Sally is sitting by Sonic's memorial/grave. Sonic approaches her from behind and we "see" from Sonic's perspective. Sonic hesitates to touch her from behind (you could actually treat the cover as a "cut" panel from this scene), but eventually Sally turns around. The two share a kiss, but the moment gets ruined by paparazzi (that's right, there's paparazzi in the comic now) snapping a ton load of pictures. Eventually, some guards stop the photographers, who are from the "Knothole Associated Press" according to Sally. While the duo walk back to the castle, Sonic asks Sally is she's going to ask how he survived or say how she thought he was dead. Sal tells him that she won't because she knew that he'd come back eventually no matter how long it took. Arriving at the castle, Sonic is pounced by Tails while Amy, Rotor, and Bunnie surround them. Jules helps Sonic up after Tails' "attack" and Bernie hugs him. Rotor and Bunnie have new outfits as both have brown jackets (Rotor's has a white collar unlike Bunnie's and has shorter sleeves). Rotor also has glasses and Bunnie has an Indiana Jones-like hat. Antoine gives Sonic a salute and to Sonic's surprise has a scar by his left eye and is EXTREMELY serious. Ant's uniform looks slightly more official, too.

After reuniting with the FFs, everyone goes to Command Central, which has Rotor's Technolo-Tree. It's a tree that has global video communication capabilities. As the group assembles, King Max talks with the President of Station Square. Anyway, G.U.N. wants the Pres to do a pre-emptive strike against Robotnik, which Queen Alicia comments is "unacceptable" due to thousands dying. The Pres says that G.U.N. is calling them "collateral damage" and Sonic says that there has to be another way. The Pres welcomes Sonic back to the action, but says that Sonic is "out of the loop" and since Robotnik is "playing hardball" that they should do the same. On that note, the Pres' signal is overridden by Robotnik. Robotnik says that he's happy to see Sonic alive so that he can kill him. Robotnik's message: 1) He's sending a horde of robots (one of them looks like a E-1000 series bot) to destroy the force field around Robotropolis to release the radiation it contains (which would make the Great Forest & Knothole in particular uninhabitable); 2) he has an atomic missile aimed at Knothole City; 3) he has another atomic missile aimed at Station Square--a.k.a. "Operation: Triple Threat." The issue ends with Robotnik saying, "Can you tackle it?"

To Be Continued in SONIC THE HEDGEHOG #131