When reading DC X Sonic the Hedgehog #1, there was one thought that kept racing, so to speak, through my head: “How does this work so well?” Both DC Comics and Sonic are obviously no stranger to crossovers, but it turns out that pairing the two – especially when it comes to certain characters – results in a zippy read with a compelling hook.
That hook involves none other than Darkseid breaching into Sonic’s dimension to harness the power of the Chaos Emeralds. But the malevolent New God isn’t alone; it turns out that he was followed by the entire Justice League! The League soon encounters Sonic and his friends, forming fast friendships while also planning to stop Darkseid from getting his hands on the Emeralds.
DC X Sonic the Hedgehog #1 comes courtesy of Ian Flynn and Adam Bryce Thomas. The duo have long been a part of bringing Sonic’s comic book adventures to life during the Archie Comics era and the current Sonic the Hedgehog comic at IDW, so Sonic fans shouldn’t be worried about the visuals or the characterization of Sonic and his friends. Since the comic takes place entirely in Sonic’s world, you can expect Thomas to draw cool imagery of Sonic zipping through vast landscapes or Flynn giving the Blue Blur some well-timed wisecracks.
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What’s surprising is how well the Justice League fits in Sonic’s world. Thomas’s approach to the DC superteam hews fairly close to their DC Rebirth era looks, yet still keeps a touch of the fluid motion that’s inherent in a Sonic comic. Darkseid and his minions remain fairly terrifying, with the Lord of Apokolips shrouded in darkness save for his burning red eyes. That visual is only eclipsed by the Ragna Rock, a massive space station bearing Darkseid’s visage and eye beams that cover the pages in red thanks to Matt Herms.
The true joy is in watching the Justice League interact with Sonic’s friends. Again, I’m surprised by how well it works: Tails and Cyborg bond over inventing, Wonder Woman is a fan of Amy Rose’s flying car (and Amy is shocked to find out the Amazonian princess has an invisible jet), Knuckles approves of Superman’s strength. Flynn’s dialogue pops the most whenever Batman and Shadow share the screen; the Dark Knight and the Ultimate Life Form have a surprisingly touching moment where they bond over their past losses. That’s only matched by Sonic and the Flash trying to one up each other in terms of speed. After all, would it really be a DC/Sonic crossover if you didn’t throw out the question of who’s the fastest man alive?
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Perhaps my favorite part of DC X Sonic the Hedgehog #1 is a pair of pages that showcase one member of Team Sonic with one of the Justice League. Each one of these has a simple panel featuring one of the pairings, yet it feels like it’s constantly in motion, befitting the way Sonic’s world works and the urgency our heroes have in stopping Darkseid. Thomas does a great job conveying various expressions and power sets, while Herms’ colors range between vibrant or balanced depending on what character’s in the forefront.
DC X Sonic the Hedgehog #1 is a great start to a crossover that works unexpectedly well. Not since Ultraman X Avengers have I read a crossover that’s this fun, this action packed, or this amazing. DC fans and Sonic fans alike need to race to their comic shops to pick this up.
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