In the mid-1990s, Sonic the Hedgehog was at the peak of his popularity on the Sega Genesis. Many fans looking to get more time with the Blue Blur went on to check out Sonic’s comic books published by Archie Comics, a series that ran for over two decades. In 2018, it was announced that IDW Publishing made a deal with Sega of America to produce a new comic series on the iconic blue speedster, which continues strong to this day.
IDW is re-publishing the first twelve issues in a new paperback edition, which makes it a great time for longtime fans to revisit the series and hopefully new readers to jump on board. In the aftermath of his latest battle with Dr. Eggman, Sonic notices that his nemesis’ rogue robots are on the loose, wreaking havoc in numerous towns. When Tails suspects that someone else is coordinating these attacks, Sonic reluctantly returns to the resistance comprising of allies old and new, as well as some shocking additions.
One thing that becomes very apparent when reading the first few pages of IDW’s Sonic series is that there is a great deal of respect towards the source material. Even the most die-hard Sonic fans would agree that most video games after the Genesis era are lackluster to say the least, writer Ian Flynn – who previously wrote during the Archie era – embraces the continuity from those games and attempts to make sense of it. This comic takes place after the events of 2017’s Sonic Forces, which was about Sonic joining a resistance movement formed by his friends to stop Eggman, who conquered most of the world.
IDW Publishing
The lore is surprisingly deep, to the point that non-gamers may be baffled by a story steeped in a well-established continuity with an array of characters, some of which were introduced in obscure handheld games. The storytelling can feel like a classic Sonic gaming scenario where our titular hero speeds from one town to the next resolving some robotic conflict with the help of one of his friends.
While the characters and story beats are literally lifted from certain aspects of the games, Flynn’s writing shines brightest is in the spot-on characterization with some interesting swerves along the way. Sonic will forever be defined by his ’90s attitude, but he is presented as a hero who will defend the helpless, whilst having plenty of banter with his friends, whether it’s the headstrong echidna Knuckles or Sonic’s will-they-won’t-they flame, Amy Rose. The most surprising interaction is when Sonic is reunited with his greatest enemy as the Dr. Eggman has lost his memory and ended up in a remote village where he has taken on the more friendly moniker of Mr. Tinker. This oddly touching moment not only presents a new dynamic between the two, but also shows how Sonic sees the good in everyone, even his arch nemesis.
Sonic as a franchise connects as much with a younger audience as it does older generations who have nostalgic memories playing the classic video games, and you can see that childlike adventuring throughout these twelve issues. Although you can see the subtle differences between the art styles of Tracy Yardley, Evan Stanley, Adam Bryce Thomas and Jennifer Hernandez, they all capture the simplistic designs of the expressive anthropomorphic animals who get to show off their moves in kinetic action sequences, particularly in the volume’s second half. You may have your favorites popping up throughout these issues, but new creations like Tangle the Lemur and Whisper the Wolf leave enough of an impression on where the creators can take them next.
Your experience reading this may vary based on how well-versed you are in Sonic lore, but the first twelve issues of IDW’s Sonic the Hedgehog run is a fun entry point to get into the comic adventures of the iconic blue speedster.
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