Sonic the Hedgehog (IDW Publishing)

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Sonic the Hedgehog
Promotional artwork from New York Comic-Con by Tyson Hesse (2017)
Publication information
Publisher
ScheduleMonthly
Genre
Publication dateApril 4, 2018 (2018-04-04)–present
Creative team
Written by
Artist(s)
Penciller(s)
  • Tracy Yardley
  • Tyson Hesse
  • Natalie Foudraine
  • Evan Stanley
  • Adam Bryce Thomas
  • Jamal Peppers
  • Jennifer Hernandez
  • Johnathan Gray
  • Kieran Gates
  • Devin Kraft
  • Edwin Huang
  • Lamar Wells
  • Jack Lawrence
  • Diana Skelly
  • Gigi Dutreix
Inker(s)
  • Bob Smith
  • Jim Amash
  • Adam Bryce Thomas
  • Jennifer Hernandez
  • Evan Stanley
  • Tracy Yardley
Letterer(s)
  • Corey Breen
Colorist(s)
  • Matt Herms
  • Adam Bryce Thomas
  • Heather Breckel
  • Reggie Graham
  • Leonardo Ito
  • Elaina Unger
Editor(s)
  • Joe Hughes
  • David Mariotte
  • Megan Brown
  • John Barber

Sonic the Hedgehog is an ongoing American comic book series based on the Sega video game franchise, published by IDW Publishing. It is the third licensed comic book iteration based on Sega's Sonic the Hedgehog intellectual property, after Fleetway Publications' Sonic the Comic and Archie Comics' Sonic the Hedgehog series.

Publication history[]

On July 21, 2017, IDW Publishing announced a deal with Sega to produce a new series of Sonic comics following the cancellation of the previous Sonic the Hedgehog series by Archie Comics after a 24-year run.[1] The new series began with a four-week long event where the first four issues were released each week in April 2018, followed by a monthly release of subsequent issues starting in May 2018. Archie Sonic writer Ian Flynn was later confirmed to return as the series' lead writer, alongside artist Tyson Hesse.[2]

During New York Comic Con 2017, Ian Flynn confirmed that characters old and new would be featured in the series, hinting that characters from the games and the original comics might possibly return.[3][4][5][6] In January 2018, IDW revealed that Tracy Yardley, who originally worked on Archie's Sonic the Hedgehog comics, would be one of the pencillers for the IDW series.

On April 14, 2020, it was announced that Evan Stanley, one of the series' artists, would be writing for the series.[7]

On June 28, 2020, two characters from the series, Tangle the Lemur and Whisper the Wolf, were announced to appear in the Sonic mobile game Sonic Forces: Speed Battle.[8]

Plot[]

The events of the comic begin shortly after the events of Sonic Forces,[9] in which Doctor Eggman has gone missing following his defeat by the Resistance, but the remnants of his Badnik army continue to attack around the world. After the robot attacks suddenly become more coordinated, Sonic, while investigating the cause, discovers that Eggman has sustained amnesia and taken on the friendly persona of "Mr. Tinker" in the village that found him. After observing Mr. Tinker's work, Sonic decides he is truly reformed, although he has to convince Shadow of the same. It is revealed that Metal Sonic is leading the Eggman Empire in his master's absence, intending to eventually restore Eggman to his proper place. He conquers Angel Island, where the heroes fight him. Metal Sonic with the Master Emerald assumes a Super Mode, then uses his biodata to transform into the stronger Master Overlord. Through a combined effort by the Resistance and their allies, Metal Sonic is thwarted and Angel Island liberated. In the aftermath, Knuckles disbands the Resistance, which Amy later reorganizes into the "Restoration".

Meanwhile, Mr. Tinker is kidnapped by two criminals, Rough and Tumble, at the behest of Doctor Starline, a platypus who has become enamored by Eggman's work. With some help from Metal Sonic, Starline restores Eggman's memories, being rewarded with a position as the doctor's head assistant. Eggman then develops the Metal Virus, a contagion that turns organic material to machines under his control, and prepares to unleash it on the world from his new "Faceship" flying base. He tricks Rough and Tumble into infecting themselves during a battle with Sonic and Amy; the hedgehogs defeat the newly coined "Zombots", but Sonic is infected in the process.

In the Tangle & Whisper miniseries, Tangle finds Whisper chasing after who appears to be Sonic, revealing to be a shapeshifting octopus named Mimic. She offers to help her track down Mimic, in which Whisper reluctantly accepts. After being nearly killed by Mimic's bombs while investigating, Whisper shares her backstory and explanation of her trauma in which she and Mimic were part of a mercenary group named the Diamond Cutters, and Mimic betrayed and helped Eggman kill the rest of her team in a trap. Tangle and Whisper then find and successfully defeat Mimic, but Tangle dissuades Whisper from killing him, not wanting her to do what Mimic has done to her team. After imprisoning Mimic, Tangle and Whisper separate paths, but promise to meet again soon.

As Eggman spreads the Metal Virus across the world, it mutates beyond his control while infecting and Zombot-ifying most of Sonic's allies, prompting Knuckles to shelter the demoralized survivors on Angel Island. Meanwhile, a disillusioned Starline recruits the Deadly Six to help control the wayward Zombots, only for them to chase him, Eggman, and Metal Sonic out of the Faceship. Stealing the Chaos Emeralds aboard, five of the Deadly Six set out to terrorize the world while their leader, Zavok, commandeers the Faceship. Rouge witnesses this and informs the Restoration, who have captured Eggman and his henchmen. Forced into a truce, Eggman and Metal Sonic fire Starline and confiscate his portal-generating Warp Topaz, insisting its power can be combined with the emeralds' to eradicate the virus. While Sonic staves off his near-complete infection using a treadmill, the other survivors split up to retrieve the emeralds from the Zeti, and Rouge crashes the Faceship just as Zavok arrives at Angel Island. An enraged Zavok morphs into a giant and sets Sonic's infected allies on the survivors, but Sonic and Silver manage to claim the final emerald, and their transformation into Super Sonic and Super Silver cures the former. After defeating Zavok, Sonic and Silver cure the world and destroy the Metal Virus by sending it through a portal to the sun. This overloads the Warp Topaz as Starline forewarned, causing it to explode and teleport Sonic to Blaze's realm, the Sol Dimension. In his absence, Silver returns to the future and the world starts to recover from the plague, while Eggman and his robots return to their normal plans of villainy. Eventually, Blaze restores an amnesiac Sonic's memories and sends him home.

In the Bad Guys miniseries, Starline, planning to conquer the world and surpass Eggman to regain his respect, breaks into a prison and frees Rough, Tumble, Mimic, and Zavok to recruit them for his plan.[10] As part of the plan, they raid one of Eggman's bases for the Power Cores, artifacts which amplifies one's ability and are used once. Fearing the other villains are too dangerous to let free, Starline plans to kill them after he has finished using them, but Mimic and Zavok learn of his deceit. After raiding another Eggman base, the two turn on Starline, expose him to Rough and Tumble, and force him to erase Mimic's Eggnet data, removing Eggman's means of tracking Mimic.[11] Starline escapes using his new Tricore, which can amplify more abilities and be reused, and the villains part ways as Eggman attacks. In the aftermath, Starline disavows Eggman and resolves to conquer the world for only himself.

To rebuild E-123 Omega, who was nearly destroyed while fighting the Zombots, Sonic and Tails search one of Eggman's abandoned bases, while Amy, Rouge, and Cream compete in Chao races to obtain parts from a champion Chao racer known as Clutch.[12] Shadow discovers that Clutch is abusive to his losing Chao, locking them up in a cage, prompting Rouge's team to devise a rescue plan. Meanwhile, Sonic and Tails come across a wooden marionette-like robot named Belle, who accompanies them to Clutch's residence at a mountain chateau. As Clutch unleashes his collection of Badniks on the group and escapes, a hooded figure, who turns out to be Starline, kidnaps Tails and Rouge for experimentation and triggers an avalanche to distract Sonic and Shadow. Belle frees the captive Chao, who help the girls and Gemerl defeat the Badniks, while Rouge and Tails escape and Starline is buried by the avalanche. Back home, Omega is successfully fixed thanks to Belle's reading of Eggman blueprints. Unknown to Sonic and company, Starline has survived and taken a sample of Tails' fur.

Seeking a new home for Belle, Sonic and Tails introduce her to the Restoration, now led by Tangle's childhood friend, Jewel the Beetle. Thereafter, Sonic, Tails, and Amy get stuck in an Eggman base, but Tangle rescues them and the base is destroyed. After the group escapes, Belle, who accompanied Tangle, confesses that she is a Badnik, created by Eggman under his Mr. Tinker persona. Later, Belle is kidnapped for research by Starline when the now-reunited Deadly Six attack Restoration HQ. Sonic and Tails defeat the Deadly Six and deport them back to the Lost Hex, but Starline escapes after copying Belle's personality data, leaving her to be rescued by Team Chaotix. Whisper later learns of Mimic's jailbreak and leaves the Restoration, much to Tangle's dismay.

Using Belle's data and the fur sample he took from Tails, Starline creates Surge, a vicious electrokinetic tenrec, and Kitsunami, a somber hydrokinetic fennec fox cub, although he has difficulty controlling them. When Amy, Tangle, Jewel, and Belle go on a camping trip, Starline sends Surge and Kit to kill them via arson, but the heroines manage to stop the ensuing wildfire; Tangle quits the Restoration thereafter with Jewel's blessing. Starline later sends Surge and Kitsunami on a rampage in Central City, prompting the Chaotix to investigate.

Publications[]

Main[]

Title Issue(s) Start date End date Note
Sonic the Hedgehog 1– April 4, 2018 N/A Began weekly publications in April 2018 and then it became monthly in May 2018. Features Sonic, Tails and friends battling the forces of Doctor Eggman and other foes.
Sonic the Hedgehog: Tangle & Whisper 0–4 April 24, 2019 December 11, 2019 Miniseries and spinoff of the main series featuring the adventures of two original fan favorite characters from the main series, Tangle the Lemur and Whisper the Wolf. A prequel comic was released in April 2019 and the series debuted in July 2019 and lasted five issues in total.
Sonic the Hedgehog: Bad Guys 1–4 October 7, 2020 December 16, 2020 Miniseries and spinoff of the main series centered on Doctor Starline and his villainous crew consisting of Zavoc, Mimic and Rough and Tumble.
Sonic the Hedgehog: Imposter Syndrome 1–4 November 17, 2021 TBA Miniseries and spinoff of the main series focusing on Doctor Eggman and Doctor Starline along with new characters Surge & Kitsunami.

One-shots[]

Title Publication date Note
Team Sonic Racing December 5, 2018 A prequel to the 2019 Sonic game Team Sonic Racing.
Sonic the Hedgehog: Annual 2019 May 1, 2019 An annual edition comic which contains 5 new stories.
Sonic the Hedgehog Halloween ComicFest 2019 October 26, 2019 A Halloween ComicFest special edition comic which contains a reprint of Fallout Part 1.
Sonic the Hedgehog: Annual 2020 July 8, 2020 An annual edition comic which contains 6 new stories set during the events of the Metal Virus Saga.
Sonic the Hedgehog: 30th Anniversary Special June 23, 2021 A one-shot comic book special in celebration of the 30th anniversary of the Sonic the Hedgehog series.
Sonic the Hedgehog Free Comic Book Day 2021 August 14, 2021 A Free Comic Book Day special edition comic.
Sonic the Hedgehog 2: The Official Movie Pre-quill April 5, 2022 A prequel to the 2022 film.
Sonic the Hedgehog Free Comic Book Day 2022 May 7, 2022 A Free Comic Book Day special edition comic.

Graphic novel[]

Title Publication date Note
Sonic the Hedgehog 30th Anniversary Celebration: Deluxe Edition October 6, 2021 A graphic novel starring Classic Sonic as part of the franchise's 30th anniversary.

Reprints[]

  • Sonic the Hedgehog Issue 1–4 Box Set (June 27, 2018) (collects issues #1–4)
    • Sonic the Hedgehog Volume 1: Fallout! (September 18, 2018) (a reprint of #1–4)
  • Sonic the Hedgehog Volume 2: The Fate of Dr. Eggman (February 19, 2019) (a reprint of #5–8)
  • Team Sonic Racing Plus Deluxe Turbo Championship Edition one-shot (May 22, 2019) (a reprint of the story featured in Team Sonic Racing One-Shot, which also includes bonus features)
  • Sonic the Hedgehog: Bonds of Friendship (2019) (a Scholastic-exclusive collection of several reprinted issues in the Sonic the Hedgehog comic series)
  • Sonic the Hedgehog Volume 3: Battle For Angel Island (July 23, 2019) (a reprint of #9–12)
  • Sonic the Hedgehog Volume 4: Infection (September 3, 2019) (a reprint of #13–16)
  • Sonic the Hedgehog: Tangle & Whisper Box Set (December 4, 2019) (collects issues #0–4)
    • Sonic the Hedgehog: Tangle & Whisper (April 14, 2020) (a reprint of Tangle & Whisper issues #0–4 including the 2019 Annual)
  • Sonic the Hedgehog Volume 5: Crisis City (February 11, 2020) (a reprint of #17–20)
  • Sonic the Hedgehog Volume 6: The Last Minute (June 23, 2020) (a reprint of #21–24)
  • Sonic the Hedgehog Volume 7: All or Nothing (December 8, 2020) (a reprint of #25–29)
  • Sonic the Hedgehog Volume 8: Out of the Blue (March 30, 2021) (a reprint of #30–32 including the 2020 Annual)
  • Sonic the Hedgehog: Bad Guys (May 11, 2021) (a reprint of Bad Guys issues #1–4)
  • Sonic the Hedgehog Volume 9: Chao Races & Badnik Bases (January 11, 2022) (a reprint of #33–36)
  • Sonic the Hedgehog: Sonic & Tails: Best Buds Forever (February 23, 2022) (a reprint of stories from #1, #13, #34 and #35)
  • Sonic the Hedgehog Volume 10: Test Run! (March 22, 2022) (a reprint of #37–40)
  • Sonic the Hedgehog Volume 11: Zeti Hunt! (June 7, 2022) (a reprint of #41-44)

The IDW Collection[]

  • Sonic the Hedgehog: The IDW Collection, Vol. 1 (June 8, 2021) (a reprint of issues #1–12)
  • Sonic the Hedgehog: The IDW Collection, Vol. 2 (March 15, 2022) (a reprint of #13–17, including the 2019 Annual and the Tangle & Whisper miniseries.)

Reception[]

Joshua Davison on Bleeding Cool gave the first issue a score of 6.5/10, praising the art and creativity of the story but criticizing Sonic's characterization: "Sonic is an insufferable character... He's smug, annoying, and radical in that 1990's sense."[13]

Dustin Holland's review of the first issue of the Imposter Syndrome miniseries on Comic Book Resources praised the personalities of new villains Surge and Kit, action-filled plot, and appropriately expressive art.[14]

References[]

  1. ^ "SEGA® and IDW Publishing Dash Forward with Partnership Deal". IDW Publishing. July 21, 2017. Archived from the original on September 30, 2017. Retrieved November 24, 2017.
  2. ^ "New Sonic the Hedgehog™ Series Will Launch in April 2018 with a Four-Week Event". IDW Publishing. October 8, 2017. Archived from the original on February 13, 2020. Retrieved November 24, 2017.
  3. ^ Johnston, Rich (October 9, 2017). "Sonic Finds A New Home In IDW At NYCC With Ian Flynn". Bleeding Cool. Retrieved June 13, 2021.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  4. ^ Bonomolo, Cameron (January 22, 2018). "New 'Sonic The Hedgehog' Comics Revealed". Comicbook.com. Retrieved June 13, 2021.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  5. ^ Ching, Albert (January 23, 2018). "EXCLUSIVE: Sonic the Hedgehog Speeds Into the IDW Era with Two New Covers". Comic Book Resources. Valent Inc. Retrieved June 13, 2021.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  6. ^ Marnell, Blair (January 23, 2018). "Sonic The Hedgehog Returns to Comics in 2018". Nerdist. Archived from the original on June 16, 2018. Retrieved June 13, 2021.
  7. ^ Jennings, Collier (April 14, 2020). "Sonic the Hedgehog Gets New Writer, Miniseries". Comic Book Resources. Valent Inc. Retrieved April 15, 2020.
  8. ^ Deschamps, Marc (June 28, 2020). "Sonic Fans Are Thrilled That Two IDW Characters Are Coming to the Video Games". Comicbook.com. Retrieved June 29, 2020.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  9. ^ Prell, Sam (February 17, 2018). "What the new Sonic the Hedgehog comic pulls from the blue blur's history, and what it leaves behind". GamesRadar. Retrieved June 13, 2021.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  10. ^ Meyer, Evelyn (October 20, 2020). "Sonic the Hedgehog Unleashed the Most CHAOTIC Villain Breakout Ever". Comic Book Resources. Valnet Inc. Retrieved 25 October 2020.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  11. ^ Foster, Devon (November 28, 2020). "Sonic the Hedgehog's Biggest Wild Card Is Finally Back on the Loose". Comic Book Resources. Valnet Inc. Retrieved 30 November 2020.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  12. ^ Meyer, Evelyn (October 22, 2020). "Your Favorite Sonic Adventure Mini-Game Just Made an ADORABLE Comeback". Comic Book Resources. Valnet Inc. Retrieved 25 October 2020.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  13. ^ Davison, Joshua (April 5, 2018). "Sonic the Hedgehog #1 Review: Creative Action Scenes Make Up for an Annoying Lead". Bleeding Cool. Retrieved 6 April 2018.
  14. ^ Holland, Dustin (23 November 2021). "IDW's Sonic the Hedgehog: Imposter Syndrome #1 Comic Review". Comic Book Resources. Valnet Inc. Retrieved 14 January 2022.

External links[]

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