Sega’s nimble mascot Sonic has been carving a considerable legacy in the comic book world for some time now. Alongside the UK’s “Sonic the Comic” published by Fleetway from 1993 to 2002, the writers and artists of the crew that helmed his 250+ issue series at Archie Comics have been acclaimed for their stories that have helped establish a significantly large fanbase around his lore. Early in its run, it was heavily influenced by the ABC television series, only to gradually incorporate more original elements and features from the games.
After a falling out with Archie due to legal disputes with former writers, IDW picked up the license in 2017 and brought aboard many former members of the old staff, including head writer Ian Flynn. In Sonic’s first four issues with his new publisher, the creators are opting for a more basic story than the Archie series started out with.
If you’ve played Mania or even games from the Adventure series onward, there isn’t much you’ll find too unfamiliar. Thankfully, its titular hero is as charismatic as usual, and Flynn writes with trademark quips with a mix of wit and knowing silliness.
The first issue is pretty much Sonic and his iconic sidekick Tails fighting off random Eggman robots from the animal citizens. Even though the evil doctor is missing, they’re still somehow functioning. Before he decides to stay behind and help the village, Tails’ concern over the possibility his friend might get hurt is rather touching. It’s little moments like these that will likely add a sense of weight and concern as they move Sonic and Tails through the Chemical Plant Zone and various bonus stages.
I love how mature and grounded Amy is in this series so far. For years she’s been portrayed as something of a fangirl who constantly chases Sonic around, with her love for the blue blur serving as one of her key character traits in many games, comics, and cartoons.
Gradually she became more assertive and more of a reliable Freedom Fighter as she progressed through the Archie series, and she starts out her IDW run as a key figure of “the resistance”. She still has her usual affection for Sonic but she’s more concerned with protecting the other animals.
The third issue features Sonic getting in touch with his echidna buddy Knuckles, and their team-up against Rough and Tumble- a pair of bully skunks who’ve taken a town hostage for themselves. Their designs are pretty charming and they look like they’d easily fit within a game if Sega so chose, and their general aura reminds me a bit of Bulk and Skull from Power Rangers. That’s a strong compliment, for the record.
So far, the most notable new character on the heroes’ side is Tangle, a lemur with a tail that’s as superpowered as it is long. With the help of Blaze the Cat, her and Sonic are able to counter an increased amount of robot attack waves.
Already Tangle comes off naturally likable, with a clever design I could also envision a player controlling in either a “classic” or modern style game. She’s got nice chemistry with Sonic in battle, and the fourth issue does a lot to put her over strong.
Oh, and thanks to some great artwork from Evan Stanley, she’s insanely adorable.
This new Sonic series so far has a fun tone with an undercurrent of seriousness about it. The sense of urgency isn’t too far removed from SatAM or Sonic Forces, but there’s more emphasis on the adventure and thrill of seeing Sonic do what he’s best at than any sort of heavy twists early on.
So there’s fresh lore being established, which is an understandable decision since trying to incorporate the previous series’ canon all at once would be a lot for new readers. On the flipside, I can also see where older Sonic comic fans would be a bit bothered by how thin the plot is in these first four issues comparison to the grand scale events Archie’s writers crafted.
Where do I stand? Personally, I’m enjoying it quite a bit as of now, and I really like how the new characters come off as well as how the old cast is being presented. This book features some sharp artwork, cool action and charming writing that’s still appropriate for kids, so I’ll gladly recommend it to Sonic fans or anyone who’s looking for an exciting funny animal book.