The Jet Black Hedgehog: Shadow the Hedgehog (Manga)

I dunno, I didn't get quite that same impression. Other than I guess the construction guy, Sonic didn't really give off your "town weirdo" vibe. Most of his antics don't seem radically different from what I could get from IDW, I just like that that comic allows Sonic a modicum of doubt here and there, it makes him feel more real. This is definitely playing more into the "Sonic is an unchanging force of nature whom everyone else is made to reevaluate their own goodness by observing" angle, which I've always thought is completely overrated and terribly boring for an actual protagonist in any case, especially if the stories he's interacting with aren't all that compelling, which they usually aren't. And this "good boy who is slightly scared sometimes" doesn't strike me as much of a break with that.

I dunno. Maybe the coming chapters will change my mind. It's not like it's terrible or anything, I'm already in the minority for thinking Sonic's overall characterization across the franchise isn't as varied as people act like it is, so maybe I'm hunting for differences because I don't see what it is people love so much here that isn't in other Sonic stories.

 

I like what I'm seeing so far. I'm not exactly a fan of how little the setting and the plot has to do with the Sonic IP other than having the blue man himself, but I still like it.

 

I feel like we've been drowning in callbacks to existing stages or random no name Furry creatures so Sonic in a city we presumably never saw before talking to people while still actually being Sonic from the other places is pretty cool by me.
If you want the alternative there's 100s of issues to give it to you.