Episode 4 is here, and wow—this one hits. We finally get the return of Knuckles, and man, it’s so good to see him again. Ever since Sonic 3 & Knuckles (still the best Sonic game, don’t @ me), Sonic and Knuckles have had that classic brotherly rivalry, and that dynamic shines here. The original comic issue this is based on was great, but Episode 4 of Rebound? It goes beyond.

You’d think we’d be getting the same formula again—Sonic rolls into town, links up with a buddy, takes down some Badniks, then dips. But this episode finally breaks the cycle. Sonic shows up in a new town, sure, but this time he meets Knuckles, who’s already there investigating a missing shipment of Wispons. Turns out the town’s basically being held hostage by two over-the-top mercenaries who give off Dr. Seuss villain energy with their weird rhyming introductions. Naturally, Sonic and Knuckles team up, take them down, and free the town. But the real twist? Sonic actually sticks around to celebrate with the townspeople, and the mystery villain makes an appearance at the end—totally unexpected and way more interesting than the comic version.

This was the change I was hoping for. It still follows the structure, but it finally feels like we’re going somewhere. The villains weren’t just more Super Badniks—they had personality and actually pushed back a little. Seeing the mystery villain this soon was the cherry on top, and I’m genuinely excited to see where they go with it. The moment added real weight and opened the door to something much bigger than just “bad guy of the week” energy.

Now let’s talk about the visuals: this is how it’s done. Everything looked clean from start to finish. The animation was smooth, the pacing was tight, and even though the episode was twice as long, there was no dip in quality—which is impressive, especially after Episode 3’s rougher spots. I was NOT expecting Spark the Electric Jester to make a cameo, but I’m never gonna complain about fan service inside fan service. And shoutout to whoever added that punch Knuckles throws—if you know your anime, you caught that Tournament of Power reference from Dragon Ball Super. Loved it then, love it now.

Voice acting was mostly on point again. I’m really glad they gave Knuckles a voice closer to his Adventure era. It might not be my favorite version of his voice, but at least he sounds serious and not like a complete goofball. Not a fan of Tumble’s voice, though—it was just a bit too extra for me. But that’s personal taste, and it didn’t hurt the episode at all. The real MVP moment? Seeing Whisper Wolf animated for the first time. She’s one of the best characters introduced in IDW Sonic, period. I haven’t kept up with the comics, but Whisper still ranks high on my list and I can’t wait to see her in action when Episode 7 drops Saturday.

This is one of those episodes where there’s really nothing to complain about. Sure, I’ve got personal preferences, but there’s nothing wrong with the episode itself. It’s just straight-up good. Resilience expands Sonic’s world in a way that reminds me of the Archie days, and it sets the stage for something way bigger than anything we’ve seen so far. The multiverse is coming—and I hope GamerGuyd7Aces sticks the landing. Episode 5 review drops tomorrow—don’t miss it.