Sonic The Comic - Online!

[Tani Coyote]

Scuse me good sir, did you say there are two fan continuations of Sonic the Comic? Pray tell what's this other continuation you speak of?

 

Correct.

 

Deviantart user Okida has launched what he calls Sonic the Continuation, which just concluded its first issue. I'm not sure how long he'll be able to keep it up singlehandedly, but apparently Evan Stanley (of Ghosts of the Future/Archie fame) helps him with it.

 

It sounds (I did a really brief interview with him) like a primary reason for starting it, besides the opportunities for artistic improvement, was dissatisfaction with Sonic the Comic Online's direction.

Edited November 7, 2013 by Ogilvie

[MamboCat]

That like is for his work; it's pretty good but there's still room for improvement. I believe he also helped to co-write the current GOTF issue and it's bloody great!

 

Obviously I disagree with the dissatisfaction part. Sure, everyone has an opinion and there have been some dodgy moments in STCO (Tekno's actions, for example were met with varied responses!) but overall I like what they're doing.Their interpretation of Sonic '06 is actually interesting, building on the evil Super Sonic story and bringing in Silver and Blaze without being annoying and just there, respectively.

 

Also Amy continues to be a badass. :B

 

 

The new Anniversary Zone additions include a panel by Richard Elson.

Richard Elson!

 

 

With colouring by Pete Murphy.

 

My new favourite, for sure!

Edited November 7, 2013 by MamboCat

[Tani Coyote]

That like is for his work; it's pretty good but there's still room for improvement. I believe he also helped to co-write the current GOTF issue and it's bloody great!

He's actually helped Evan co-write all the GOTF issues; he was just formally credited in the most recent one.

 

Obviously I disagree with the dissatisfaction part. Sure, everyone has an opinion and there have been some dodgy moments in STCO (Tekno's actions, for example were met with varied responses!) but overall I like what they're doing.Their interpretation of Sonic '06 is actually interesting, building on the evil Super Sonic story and bringing in Silver and Blaze without being annoying and just there, respectively.

The main dissatisfaction was that due to the timeframe STCO operates in, he felt it probably wasn't as suited for random stories as the original run was; with the biweekly format that StC possessed, random stories were very easily pressed in between the main plotlines. As STCO only updates about four times a year on average, it naturally has less page time to split between serious and silly stories; from what I can garner, his view is that STCO should shift the focus towards stories with more intensive plot development entirely given the new format.

As for me myself, I've never been much of a critic; loads of folks called the Iblis Super Sonic device predictable and bland but I felt it was neat and clever. I'm following both continuations regardless of any artistic differences they take as I like to soak up Sonic fancomics like a sponge, especially ones that intend to be long-running.

I'm doubly supportive of the artistic differences since it makes for a different story with its own appeal. Let us take, for example, the case of Ebony.

In Sonic the Comic Online, she is questionably sane and doesn't make much use of logic in her quest to regain her friend (how many times is she going to almost get killed by Super Sonic before she realises charging Sonic up with energy isn't a good idea?). STCO seems to have established that the good Super is gone for good (and based on my prior conversations with some of its writers, that's not going to change any time soon) and that Ebony is up there with Sonic Adventure 2 Shadow in terms of psychotic devotion.

By contrast, in Sonic the Continuation, she is definitely much more savvy about her mission and already found a tool that could bring the good Super Sonic out - if only for a few moments before the normal Sonic would take over, and with a shaky memory. This is a great source of conflict since while Ebony has found a method of bringing him out, it's very faulty and is comparable to the defective deroboticisers of SatAM and Archie. It goes beyond that as well, in that it also creates a different sort of conflict: not only is Ebony proven right about the good Super still existing, but Sonic himself is forced to rethink the nature of the beast inside him as a result. Even moreso when he finds out that it was the good Super Sonic's plan in the first place to make Ebony merge him with Sonic in case anything went wrong; whereas STCO's Sonic remains firm in his belief Super is pure evil with no exceptions, Sonic the Continuation's Sonic is forced to get over his delicate ego and realise he might just be wrong on this one.

In either case, I definitely applaud the creativity of both projects as it really shows how different a story can go when imagination is allowed to run wild. It really is a definite perk of being a fancomic over an officially licensed one.

Edited November 8, 2013 by Ogilvie

[MamboCat]

 run wild

 

Oh please tell me that was a well-intended pun!

 

And yes I agree with the latter point; this is a different way of looking at the Super/RegularBlue Sonic duality, and it's nice to see Ebony using the old noodle. This is definitely a comic going on the watch list, for sure. I also like the idea that the Gamma robots were of Kintobor's invention. The only thing that worries me is that I am sure I saw Okida mention he was bringing in Archie elements later in the story. As an STC continuation comic, I would be very wary of this. Not that there's anything wrong with Archie, it's just that STC was very different.

[Tani Coyote]

Oh please tell me that was a well-intended pun!

Ah, sadly, it wasn't. XD I confess I barely remember the names of most stories, compared to what goes on in them. XD

 

And yes I agree with the latter point; this is a different way of looking at the Super/RegularBlue Sonic duality, and it's nice to see Ebony using the old noodle. This is definitely a comic going on the watch list, for sure. I also like the idea that the Gamma robots were of Kintobor's invention.

I definitely liked the direction he took with the Metallix series, too, stating they were all prototypes meant to further refine data on Sonic so that a full Metal Sonic could be developed from it. Seems even the Brotherhood may have all been part of the bigger plan!

Then you had Robotnik showing up and implying his insanity may not even be real, so much as he just no longer cares what happens to Mobius like he originally did. Which makes him 10x more dangerous, naturally!

The only thing that worries me is that I am sure I saw Okida mention he was bringing in Archie elements later in the story. As an STC continuation comic, I would be very wary of this. Not that there's anything wrong with Archie, it's just that STC was very different.

Provided it's done right I think it can work! Though I'm really curious what elements he has in mind... maybe for one issue, he's just planning on bringing to life the Archie/StC crossover we've always wanted?

[Tani Coyote]

And some more "New to STC" strips were unveiled, it seems!

Thalia Evans' work on strip 29 stuck out immediately. She does a lot of work with the good Super Sonic in her personal art, so I think it was an awesome choice that she got the gig.

Strip 33... I don't know why, but I'm getting "bad touch!" vibes from it. That or I'm imagining Roubal donning sunglasses and dancing with them on each arm like that part from Gangnam Style.

[Your Vest Friend]

I don't remember Ebony looking quite like that. Reminds me of NICOLE's holographic form (and I mean the most recent actual holographic form, not the nanite form that proceeded it).

[Tani Coyote]

I think it could just be Thalia's style at work; she looks Ebony enough to me.

...I myself just think about how Ebony's character continues to boggle the mind. How many times does she need a near-death experience before she realises charging Sonic up with energy is NOT the way to get her friend back? There's being naive, and then there's just being well, in a word... dumb. Ebony's a fairly knowledgeable sorceress if memory serves, so I'm amazed she isn't digging through magic texts to find a more reliable method, like her Sonic the Continuation counterpart.

Though if memory serves the writers aren't that interested in bringing the good Super back... so she's kind of stuck this way. If nothing else her persistence could be seen as a metaphor for magic versus science; she is rejecting the scientific method by trying the same exact tactic despite its obvious failure.

[Mogtaki]

I'm not that interested in seeing good Super Sonic back either, especially when the official Fleetway continuation said he'd eventually run out of energy and die, then have to become part of Sonic again so what's the point on making him his own physical being again when that's just going to happen? Ebony isn't that stupid, so I don't know why people insist on making her stupid.

[Tani Coyote]

I'm not that interested in seeing good Super Sonic back either, especially when the official Fleetway continuation said he'd eventually run out of energy and die,

Why couldn't an alternate source of energy be found?

If we're using official sources, Nigel Kitching said in the Yahoo group, as memory serves, that the good Super's consciousness most likely resides within Ebony now, rather than Sonic. I always liked to imagine that's why she's so insane, actually; he's basically tapping on the walls of her mind to let her know he's there and she's grossly misunderstanding it.

 

so what's the point on making him his own physical being again when that's just going to happen?

Well primarily, it would be kind of awkward to have two people sharing a body. Sonic saves the world, Super Sonic just wants to work in a shop and have a normal life from all I can see. It seems rather cruel to just leave him inside Sonic permanently rather than try to find a way to reliably split them.

For example, here's one idea. She's a sorceress and this is a common trope in fiction, so this isn't too outlandish: she should try and find a way to make him an actual flesh and blood being (rather than what I presume is an energy being who just looks like he's flesh and blood). The joy of being a sorceress is physics, chemistry, etc. can go bite itself. It looks like Super's powers are more a burden than anything since he can't use them, so I don't think he'd be opposed to it.

 

Ebony isn't that stupid, so I don't know why people insist on making her stupid.

What I see as stupid about her is that she keeps trying the same exact tactic of juicing Sonic up with energy and saying "Sonic won't hurt me, he never has before!" I think every time Super tries to kill her, he wipes her memory or something. The evil Super loves toying with her emotions from what I can see and she's fallen for it several times. The reason Sonic so arrogantly presumes Super was never good in the first place isn't hard to see, given that every time Ebony tries to resurrect him it goes sour.

Where's the intensive research? I would think she'd be looking for alternate methods. A simple analysis rather than her insane "let's paralyze Sonic and force him to turn Super" scheme would reveal a good Super is easily created: one merely needs to turn Sonic Super and then hit him with an EMP blast/make him release a huge amount of energy, based on what initially caused the personality change.

[Mogtaki]

That's all kind of bordering on fan-fiction rather than collaborative webcomic, though, while the whole making a body thing is kind of bordering on the beginning of Fullmetal Alchemist type of 'what would probably go wrong' kind of deal. I really don't like how the whole storyline is pressed so hard because it feels like somebody wrote a fan-fiction about the pairing and wanted it in the comic so bad.

[Tani Coyote]

Technically the whole comic already is fanfiction. It's just the good kind.

I would presume any Ebony/Super-centered arcs wouldn't dominate the plot but would be eased in naturally as with other ideas, so as to not feel forced. That's only one possible angle I'm giving; I'm just trying to show they can include the Ebony/Super Sonic plot element in ways that don't involve her being the StC counterpart of the games' Amy Rose in her fanatical devotion.

I trust the StCO staff to make the right choices. But I do know I'm far from being alone in thinking Ebony's deteriorated as a character in that she's not evolving at all, instead merely repeating the same mistakes as before. Any other character would have tried a different tactic by now. If a strategy doesn't work once, you can try again, but if it's still not working, it's best to try a different one.

I'm interested to see what's done with her when the comic gets around to her trial.

[Mogtaki]

I mean a fan fiction that's one person's fantasy like on that fan fiction website, the StC Online has been a collaborative effort.

 

But the thing is, that Super Sonic hanging around with Ebony and depowered lasted so very long in the original StC and continuing it on so much in the Online collaborative is just so...grating. It's like revisiting old plotlines and doing the same thing, it's making Sonic himself into a one hit wonder character with no true fear other than the whole losing his friends thing. My favourite storyline in StC was when Sonic thought he killed Amy and Tails after transforming and with the whole removing Super Sonic from Sonic was just meh. I personally didn't like Super Sonic on his own and seeing it continued just screams 'never letting it go and moving on' to me.

 

I really hope StC Online continues with original storylines rather than revisiting old ones like that, and I completely agree with you. Ebony's deteriorated as a character, she was supposed to be so much more before Fleetway. She wasn't supposed to want him as a physical being because Nigel's plans had been that Super Sonic was to be within her too rather than the evil form of him that's inside Sonic, she was supposed to be at peace with that but nope, somebody had to fan fiction that right out and make them a pairing. I would much rather her be her own character, not attached to something that should had been part of her already.

[Adamis]

All I can say is that Ebony's trial will be adressed, as I've been assigned to draw it.

And Super Sonic ? Soon, soon. (relatively)

[Tani Coyote]

I always liked the idea the Good Super's basically become a "familiar" of sorts to her now, like a spirit that's attached to her. Can't do much else when you're bodiless, after all.

Now, how his personality would attach to Ebony rather than getting sucked into Sonic with his body, I do not know, but that's always one possibility I've liked. I presume Nigel had an idea on the matter, given his suggestion, but I guess he wasn't able to develop it since Egmont discontinued original stories right after.

The best part is it allows her to work on getting him back (as in, getting a body for him; yes it'd be difficult but hey, that's how conflict comes into a story, as obstacles pop up that you eventually overcome) behind the scenes, thus avoiding the need to take over more of the story to do so. Given StCO's much, much shorter page space compared to the original comics, what stories are picked is a very big opportunity cost indeed. StC was published biweekly if memory serves, and so had plenty of space available to tell several stories at once, whereas StCO comes out about every three months and so is basically working with 1/6 as much space as its original counterpart.

It also avoids her basically becoming only slightly ahead of an axe murderer in sanity. She can pursue getting her friend back with as much fanatical devotion as she does now, but she's locked up in her shop and so it can happen behind the scenes, thus allowing the comics to focus on the main story.

[Your Vest Friend]

So after a year of anniversary stuffs, that StC summary is finally completed. What a nice journey, with plenty of memories to relive, and with pedigree fan artists, StC artists and even Archie artists to bring it to us.

Speaking of bringing it;
 

 

Tekno and Shorty clearly had a thing...

 

Keheheh.

[Tani Coyote]

Deliciously trollish ending there.

This was a beautiful side project all around! It's a nice way to bring people up to speed in the event they don't wish to read the whole original run (a sad decision but to each his own and all). Great work to all involved.

[Big Panda]

"Tekno and Shorty clearly had a thing"

Pfft! Nice try, but we all know Tekno only has eyes for Amy.

...right? ...guys?

[Tani Coyote]

It shows how much of a newb I am to STCO culture, but where exactly did the Tekno/Amy joke come from? I see it around a lot... unfortunately I can't remember any part of the comic where it might have come from... I know they went on their little adventures together, did something happen there that became memetic?

[Big Panda]

They're both strong, independent, tomboyish females who often teamed up in stories.

[MamboCat]

IIRC it comes from STC itself, how they went on adventures together without the boys.

 

And then there was Tekno Porn in the 'Ave an STC Butchers' at this...

[Tani Coyote]

Well I s'pose if I can give Super and Ebony a romantic relationship Tekno/Amy isn't that far fetched either!

I found it rather ironic that the death of Johnny is depicted as a sad event by Megadroid, when out of universe Mr. Kitching said something along the lines of Johnny being killed for the simple fact he was boring and would be of more use as a martyr.

[Big Panda]

I believe Mr. Kitching was joking.

[Tani Coyote]

That's the tough part - was he?

As far as I remember Johnny really was kind of a bland character. He really DOES work better as a martyr from what I remember, since his death convinced Sonic to grow up while also establishing just how high the stakes were in their fights against Robotnik and whatever other threats come their way.

[MamboCat]

Well I s'pose if I can give Super and Ebony a romantic relationship Tekno/Amy isn't that far fetched either!

 

It's more a running joke than anything serious in the comic.

 

I'm pretty sure the Johnny comments are Nigel joshing around as well, but yeah I do agree that he's become a great "martyr" character than acts as a source of inspiration for the Freedom Fighters and ordinary people alike.