Sonic the Hedgehog #4

Archie's Sonic the Hedgehog #4 (1993) plays the cover tagline — "The All-New, All Different: Grittier, Darker" — completely tongue-in-cheek, as Dave Manak's cover art shows a soot-covered Sonic crouching beside a chimney, looking thoroughly scruffy while a young princess sits primly on her throne reading a "Modern Princess" magazine. The exchange between them ("Some hero — cleaning chimneys!" / "Whadoyou want — a soot sweeper or a sweet suiter?!") sets a cheerfully comedic tone that promises plenty of fun inside. With "The Lizard of Odd Part 1" kicking things off, this issue looks like a delightful blend of fairy-tale parody and Sonic's signature speed-fueled humor.