Archie Sonic Comic Megathread

Typical suggested starting point is #160, when Ian comes into the writer role. #200 or the #210s are also good.

 

yeah, what the KKM said. That's exactly what I did and I'm not regretting it so far. In the meantime, if you need extra information you can head over to the wiki. That's what I do usually and works like a charm.

 

I just got into reading them from Genesis onward quite recently. I messaged Archie on Twitter and that's where they told me to start. You might wonder who the hell Ixis Naugus is, but honestly with the story and characterization being so strong under Ian Flynn's run you'll work it out and it doesn't really matter after a while. You'll just 'get' it. I'd heavily recommend you just read all of Sonic Universe though, it's heavily self-contained and done in 4-issues arcs so you'll have learned a bunch of stuff about the characters and world in this Sonic's uh.. Universe.

Actually, I wish ComiXology would update Universe already. It's 2 issues behind and I can't get to a comic store that sells Sonic books very actively. What am I missing?

 

I think that's awesome. THEY MADE A VOW THAT THEIR MOTHER WOULD BE FOUND, SONIC UNDERGROUND!!

 

#160 - now is easily your best bet.

I have a soft spot for #1-20, but it's full of really bad puns that probably rub a lot of people the wrong way nowadays. It's also not very serious at all so if you're looking for that, you'll be sadly disappointed.

#21-50 is my favorite era for the comic, personally. Though I won't say it's required reading (The style of this era is pretty different from Ian's current style), I'd say give a shot down the road once you get caught up with the current comic.

#51-80 I still like, especially the Sonic and Tails going on the road around the world and shit. I know some people don't particularly care for this era, but I felt like there were a lot of good ideas presented here, that unfortunately got shafted for the comic's "dark era".

#81-160 is the "dark era" that everyone refers to, and for good reason. If there's any era you want to avoid, it's this one. The art was shit, the writing was all over the place, the ideas where absolutely fucking insane (In the worst possible way) and in general, just pretty bad. That being said, there were some cool ideas in this era I liked, but they're vastly overshadowed by the atrocity of well... everything else. :v:

The art alone makes this era damn near impossible for me to even want to look at. Words cannot express how fucking BAD it is.

Also, do yourself a favor and read Sonic Universe. You can thank me later.

 

I agree with Hukos, though personally I think things get crazy after issue 100, there are things I can look past that dark era but at times the artwork is either bad, very anime-ish looking, or just doesn't make sense for the comic and it's tone (The issue with the story So Long Sally is the prime example of this), and my problem with most of the stories is that the on going ones of that time get WAY too convoluted.

The Genesis Arc or issue 160 is the best way to get into the series, good luck.

Also really like the new issue, things are getting really interesting.

 

I think I'm the only person who actually liked the Brotherhood :v:

Granted, the amount of influence they had on the comic was absurd and absolutely unnecessary. But the idea of the Brotherhood was something I really liked and wished a better writer than Penders could have done something awesome with them.

 

So. The Archie panel at New York Comic Con.

Spoiler

Archie reveals image of deroboticized Sally with an altered design looking similiar to her roboticized changes. I doubt anyone's surprised, but someone owes The KKM a drink.

Also, Editor Paul Kaminski apparently mentioned a Skullegg Zone set to appear in the upcoming Mega Man crossover. I can already tell this will be the best base ever.

EDIT: IGNORE PREVIOUS EDIT. Ian confirmed poster I quoted was making shit up. Only the stuff I still have up under the spoiler tag up there is official. Next time I should probably read ahead to check for confirmation before blindly quoting random things some guy on the internet says.

 

I have to slightly disagree. I wouldn't say the series got insufferable until about issue #97. Before that, Fry was still the primary artist, and was pretty dang decent, and even Ron Lim, who's Sonic art I abhor was still using his previous style, as opposed to this affront to nature:



And issue #86-87 is still the best Sonic and Tails buddy story the series has had since the Search for Naugus arc. A very purely Sonic issue. Not to mention important, if you want to read the Secret Freedom Fighters arc from Sonic Universe, do to it explaining Shard's origin.

As far as the story goes, I consider the story very good up until issue 100, which is where a clear drop in quality was noticed. This is where Ron Lim became the primary penciler, and the stories began to get completely stupid. However, a few scattered issues were still decent, but if you really do just want to get to the consistently good issues, I agree, start reading issues after #160. There's still a lot of bad plot threads left over from previous head writer Ken Penders that are tied for quite some, but #160 is where the upward trend began.

These are the decent stories between #100-160. The ones I don't mention avoid like the plague.

Issues #101 and #102 were both decent, as were #105-107, but be warned, Ron Lim by this point has completely ruined the comic aesthetically. The only merits are the stories alone.

Completely avoid issues #108-123. Despite some pretty decent character development for Mina in issues #120 and #122-123, there is nothing of value here, specifically due to the fact this was when the comic began embracing the 3 story-per-issue format, causing all stories to suffer.

#124-125 may be worth reading due to spectacle alone, and getting to see some good artwork from returning artists like J. Axer and Steven Butler.

You may derive some enjoyment out of the "Tossed in Space" arc spanning issues #126-129, but spotty artwork and story telling (save for #126, which is fairly decent in both regards) may put you off of it, so if it's not your thing, skip right to the "Home" arc, which will set up characters and situations for events that will take place in issues #168-169, which are actually very important to establishing the new continuity for Ian Flynn's run on the comic.

#134 chronicles Sonic's return to Knothole and his and Sally's break-up (which lasts a very long time) after defeating Robotinik's "Welcome Home Present" for Sonic, and is a pretty decent stand-alone. It's Johnathan Gray's first issue, and his art is very stylistic, and you will either love or hate it.

The "Return to Angel Island" arc in issues #138-141 is actually very similar in tone to the current style of the comics now, with a very unique style of illustration by Johnathan Gray. Again, you either love or hate his artwork, but for the story, I'd highly recommend it. It's easily the best multiple-issue story arc between issues #100-160.

The "Good the Bad and the Unkown" arc from issues #145-149 is... okay. Not good, not great, and the whole thing goes nowhere because Ken Penders left Archie before he did what he wanted with it. But it was a decent read, if you like Shadow or Metal Sonic. If not, probably skip it.

Either issue #152 or #153 reveals the unleashing of the nanobots, which is important to know, because that is how the New Mobotropolis from the comic now was created. The story is "eh" and the art uses both Gray (who's style I really enjoy) and Sanford's (who's art is abysmal.) art. You could probably skip the story if you want, but as far as the nanobots go, you may want to read it, as it also sets up "The Darkest Storm" in #162-164 and the final "Tommy" arc in #168-169.

The "Shadow Returns" arc is sort of "eh," generally speaking, but is important due to the fact it shows the traitorous act of someone in Robotnik's upper echelons, which, again, becomes important in #168-169 as well as "Darkest Storm".

Aaaand that's pretty much it. Nearly everything I didn't mention probably just assume are absolute garbage and avoid them. These ones range from really good to okay. A lot of people dismiss the entire comic's run between #80-160 as horrible, but take it from someone who read through it all as it happened: There's good mixed in with the bad, you just have to know which ones. These are, in my opinion, the salvageable stories from that era.

Also, you may or may not like the Mobius: 25 Years Later arc, which is interlaced throughout this era. They have been published in one place in one of the Sonic Super Special issues recently released, so if it interests you, that's your best bet for reading it.

 

Congrats, KKM, on being another example of a pop culture society embracing fan fiction.

/ewarchiesonicispublishedfanfictionbitchingfrommoderngamefans

+ - To be honest, I think they butchered your design with that haircut.  

OH yeah, one more thing. It's kind of funny that KKM is a major user on Bumbleking and then this happens. I guess if you want in the comics, that's the HUB for you.

 

Oh come on guys, it's not like my design was anything original- "grab the same blocks of colour as Mecha Sally, apply to old Sally". If anything, they did it better, it seems. Dunno, working on a sort of clean-up based on that blurry photo.

I'll still take the drink though

EDIT:

Seems to me it's pretty different anyway

 

Well I take back what I said! I don't like it, not at all, not at all! I don't like like like like it!

 

"What's up, Croc?"

<3

 

So... un-robot'd Sally will be... not horribly mutilated? Just a change of clothes?

 

oh but I like it! I see they ditched the whiskers. I dunno, I like it more. About time they gave Sally a redesign.

 

Sally roboticized became a Sally with some lines and chrome effect. Makes then sense that the altered robo Sally becomes a Sally with less lines and chrome effect.

 

How the fuck do you neuter a character design to the point of being even more of the Uekawa template than it was already becoming? That's fucking hideous.

I think E-123 Psi had something to say about this idea of redesigning these characters to fit the modern style. That they'd become more bland and generic and less and less recognizable. Well, here we go. I'm just sorry for KKM that they butchered his superior design to update her (really, it's too clear at the moment and there are way too similarities for it to be a coincidence). I can't comprehend all of this over simplification of a character that was already simplified to begin with (and no less having a design over simplification) after a period of artists drawing her with frighteningly super human FA quality anatomy.

Sheesh, can we ever go back to the comic trying to be its own thing instead of become a better written version of the current games’ storyline and characters? Or at least, handle THAT better? One of the things that, while annoying at times, I liked about the older comics was that each artist had a unique style on the comic. Now we have Yardley and Bates who's styles go hand in hand with each other and allow no room for much more of a different flair. Sometimes we get Stephen Fry Butler, a few times for Off Panel, that one WB styled cartoonist. But gee, if the current art isn't homogenized into a House Style that never existed until Flynn came on as writer. It goes without saying that I want some new talent that's not Evan Stanley (say, what else has he done for the comic since that Naugus story?) to come into the comic again.

But yeah, that head really bothers me.

 

Eh, so they've just made Sally into even more of a Uekawa-style fan character than before. Apathetic to it really since Archie never really got her original design right so they may as well make their own.

 

Looks like I'm one of the only ones who's fine with the design. It's just Sally in new clothes with more interesting hair. Oh well. Moving on to more important stuff, Universe 48's cover makes me happy. But what's the one up there with Classic Robotnik for? Also, you guys missed another cover:


Looks like Sonic Legacy 3 (Which will probably have 37 to 56.)



And here's a full list of the order for the parts of the crossover.



EDIT:

...I really, really doubt they directly stole it. Even KKM pointed out they're only similiar in concept, which is why it reminded me of it. The actual design is completely different.

She did the Harvey Who story in 233.

Apart from the hair, her head looks pretty much the same as always. Well, and the lack of the face-whisker-things. ...Actually, that does look kind of weird.