Sonic the Hedgehog #134

This 2004 Archie issue sets a genuinely affecting tone right from the cover, where a somber Sonic looms large in the background while Sally Acorn stands small and dejected in the foreground, her auburn hair blown across her face — and the tagline "So Long, Sally…" leaves little doubt that something significant is weighing on these two characters. Sonic's gloved hand, bound with rope, adds another layer of tension to the already charged image, beautifully rendered by cover penciler Patrick Spaziante and inker Nelson Ribeiro. With Karl Bollers writing and Jon Gray on interior art, issue #134 carries the emotional weight its cover promises.