Sonic the Hedgehog IDW/Current Western Comic Megathread

New issue is out. There was also a Bad Guys spin off that I found out about after the fact, so I'll have to pick that up another day.

I'm enjoying the world building and callbacks to previous games, but overall the plot was alright. Not really interested in the new character introduced, but we'll see how it goes.

 

Whoever they are, they have pointed shoes and I think high-heels, as well as a relation to Rouge, who knows them. Most likely negative since they have her wrapped in a carpet under their arm. Kinda gives that away.

They also have Sonic Heroes powers. Yellow to get them on the roof, Blue to dash away from Shadow, and Red to rip the log from the hotel and smack Shadow with it. Perhaps there's some relation?

Most likely, it's a new character. Though I kinda want to place my bet on it being Infinite, attempting to replace the Phantom Ruby with some other powerful gemstone and requiring Rouge, the world's greatest treasure hunter, to locate one 'worthy' enough to take its place since the Phantom Ruby was shattered at the end of Sonic Forces, and making use of other, less powerful gemstones to get the job done in the mean time. More than likely not, though, as apparently SEGA don't want Infinite used.

 

These are some really good observations. They do seem to be chasing an Infinity Stones idea, they may be taking a more structured universe seriously now. Hm. I'm starting to bank more on the IDW characters and their fleshed out world being the future of Sonic.

 

The best part about this arc is that it seems like Rouge, Amy, and Cream are gonna be the main focus of it, and I'm all for that shit. Obviously, Sonic might be coming in later, but I'm very glad Evan seems willing to tell a story without him being the primary POV character as Sega mandates.

 

https://xcancel.com/IDWSonicNews/status/1319444487261818881

"Sonic The Hedgehog: The IDW Collection, Volume 1. Set to release on June 8, 2021. Hardcover. Collects the first 12 issues of IDW Sonic."

And the textless cover art: https://xcancel.com/SpiritSonic/status/1319458431644790784

 

So the Bad Guys comic

Spoiler

is bringing back Power Cores from Sonic Heroes:


Which is interesting since, as I noted earlier in the thread:

Think it might be cross-story plot-lines in play?

 

Didn't realize, but Starlene is carrying Rouge at the end of Issue 34

 

I recently checked out volume 1 of the comic from my library to read it for the first time. I'm not sure how I feel about it yet, but I'm gonna keep reading more.

 

The first arc is more or less just standard Sonic fare, so its nothing really special.

Things don't start to escalate until the second arc. First arc is only about 12 issues are so, which translates to three volumes.

 

Bad Guys #2 is out.

Spoiler

Looks like it is Dr. Starline in Sonic the Hedgehog #33, using a new construction called the Tricore. The Tricore could possibly fall into the hands of another, but Dr. Starline is the most likely user for it.

It's an interesting idea, a character able to use all three 'aspects' in Sonic's World, so I'll be interested in seeing how they go about it. Most likely he'll need to keep recharging the core, and Zavok's suggesting he move beyond trying to be Robotnik might put him in that third party foe that we would have thought the Deadly Six could fulfil: constantly raiding Robotnik's supplies for Cores to resupply the Tricore while trying to deal with the supersonic hedgehogs that cause Robotnik so much headache.[/quote]

 

I know I've already said this before, but what if one of the next original villains is modeled after Satan? Sure, we've already had guys like Mephiles, Black Doom and the Deadly Six, but two of those guys are dead, and the third don't really fit the criteria. A Devil-type villain in Sonic would probably be more among the lines of Mephisto from Marvel.

 

https://www.comic-con.org/wca/2021/athome/complete-programming

Had that Free Comic Book Day comic been announced?

https://xcancel.com/IDW_David_M/status/1370157406609494016

 

There's a graphic novel incoming to celebrate the 30th anniversary of Sonic: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/...the-deluxe-edition-by-ian-flynn/9781684058655

The hardcover version is $19.99 and it's releasing on October 5.

 

Free Comic Book Day 2021: https://freecomicbookday.com/Article/250303

SONIC THE HEDGEHOG 30TH ANNIVERSARY
IDW Publishing

Textless cover art: https://xcancel.com/yardleyart/status/1372313407710453760

(Check out the Post-It note.)

 

I came here to say I am beyond hyped to start the IDW series! I have been buying and holding onto them since the start waiting. This is because I have been trying to finish the Archie series for years and I finally did that today. It's been a long time coming.

 

I usually read the series through the ComiXology app (seems I can't fully avoid giving Amazon money huh), but I'm thinking I'm going to chuck in for that hard cover version; if nothing else, I expect it to be worth a pretty penny a few years from now.

Also, really hoping feedback sways the licensing team to let Mighty, Ray, etc. pop up in the main book. I've said before that I think the limiting of such characters to classic setting is stifling, and that still holds true.

 

WonderCon@Home panel:


Some details about the 30th anniversary specials, with very minor spoilers:

* The 30th Anniversary special's lead story, "Seasons of Chaos", is tonally similar to Sonic Mania Adventures. No melodrama.

Spoiler

* A bunch of characters will show up in Seasons of Chaos. Ian didn't know if they'd ever get another chance at the classic material, so he pitched a lot of characters and they got approved.
* Each Zone in Seasons of Chaos is based around a different season. Preview art shows a spring themed Zone, with Badniks based upon the Nightmaren from NiGHTS' Spring Valley level.
* One of the those Zones reappears in Gale Galligan's story, "Dr. Eggman's Birthday".

* The 30th Anniversary Free Comic Book Day issue is a separate story, also written by Gale Galligan.
* The 30th Anniversary deluxe hardcover will feature all 3 stories from the special, plus the Free Comic Book Day story, a cover gallery and bonus features.

Ongoing series:

* Evan Stanley is the lead writer for "season 3", but Ian and Evan have been communicating, so their story arcs mesh together well.
* Plot points from Ian's arcs and Evan's arcs will come together for the lead up to issue #50.
* Issues #49 and #50 are a lot more personal and focused than their previous season finale milestones.
* Ian mentioned a "thing" planned as part of the big push to issue #50, but they can't talk about it yet.

Also lots of talk with the writers and artists about their history with Sonic and working on the comics.

 

I wouldn’t be surprised if that “thing” Ian mentioned tied into whatever games are coming out during the anniversary year. I’d be equally unsurprised if they didn’t, but it’d make sense for something he’s not able to talk about.

His statement on being unsure if he can use the classic materials again kinda validates my point made a few posts up tbh. What’s the point in letting specific characters languish out of focus in a setting which the writers can’t even reliably bank on being able to use? The philosophy on the classic setting since 2017 has been baffling, and it frustrates me that whoever’s responsible for this doesn’t seem to be receptive to fan response on it.