Megathread IDW's Sonic the Hedgehog - Megathread

[CrownSlayers Shadow]

17 minutes ago, Sonictrainer said:

1st Issue is perfect.

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Who do you think is controlling Eggman's Empire? My current guess is Infinite although I think the hint is that it's someone from Sonic's past.

 

Eggman

[Razule]

35 minutes ago, Marco9966 said:

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I'm pretty sure it's Eggman

 

It's

Spoiler

Dr. Robotnik

 

[DabigRG]

Spoiler

The Reply button is a thing, people.

 

[dbzfan7]

Now if we can get something akin to Sonic Universe down the line too, that feeling...

 

[DabigRG]

9 minutes ago, dbzfan7 said:

Now if we can get something akin to Sonic Universe down the line too, that feeling...

 

Oh yeah, definitely.

Or peraps at least an occasional half and half.

[Diogenes]

Eh. It's kinda...boring. It doesn't feel like the start of a new series or even the start of an arc, really, it's like picking up an issue at random. It's just so "business as usual".

[Red Hot Jack]

It is boring because it's just 2 characters and there is nothing interesting going on, I expected more sadly. If they threw more mentions of past events it would have been kinda cool... or just... more story I guess.

[Ryannumber1gamer]

Who drew this issue? Looks a lot like Tracy's style.

[Your Vest Friend]

Pretty certain it was Tracy. 

[Zaysho]

Just now, Ryannumber1gamer said:

Who drew this issue? Looks a lot like Tracy's style.

It is Tracy. I think he was confirmed as the artist for the first issue.

 

Issue was alright. Nothing too special, but I wasn't expecting much in terms of a first issue and knowing it was picking up in the aftermath of Forces' events anyway. I expect it'll build up over the course of the first month and lead into Sonic and Eggman's next conflict soon enough. I'm pretty ambivalent about IDW at this point, but I'm sure it'll be in good hands regardless if I'm really part of the audience of it or not.

[Marco9966]

It will have more characters in the future of course.

Guys, we can't have all the lore of the world in the first issue!

Ian is not gonna shoehorn all the past games and comics and TV shows's lore in one issue come on.

It's still the first issue, and it's great in that regard.

[Your Vest Friend]

I wasn't expecting lore in the first issue, I was expecting something more exciting generally given that this is the first issue of the comic. You want to get new readers to stay invested, I'm not sure this one would succeed in that regard. 

[Marco9966]

5 minutes ago, VEDJ-F said:

I wasn't expecting lore in the first issue, I was expecting something more exciting generally given that this is the first issue of the comic. You want to get new readers to stay invested, I'm not sure this one would succeed in that regard. 

The ending got me invested for next issue

[Zaysho]

I think it helps that the first four issues are being released weekly, so even if the first issue is pretty lackluster in terms of action and set up, it will pick up soon enough. I get the feeling this is going to be the kind of thing that'll read better in trade format. Reboot Archie had that quality, too, but there was a problem with the trades being released so far off (when they weren't being cancelled) you might as well have been picking up the book monthly anyway.

 

15 minutes ago, Marco9966 said:

It will have more characters in the future of course.

Guys, we can't have all the lore of the world in the first issue!

Ian is not gonna shoehorn all the past games and comics and TV shows's lore in one issue come on.

It's still the first issue, and it's great in that regard.

I don't think anyone posting expected everything to be handed out in the first issue. They just didn't find the start that strong.

[Ryannumber1gamer]

A first issue is meant to be a hook, to introduce the world and to make you want more.

Let's take another IDW comic as comparison - TMNT.

Issue 1 starts out with a battle between three of the turtles and Splinter against a gang leader named Old Hob. Immediately it establishes the two groups having beef with each other. It introduces their fighting styles and the conflict between the two groups - the main conflict for the year after the Turtle's creation it sets up. A passing comment by Old Hob introduces something else - one of the turtles is missing and has been missing since the night they were created - something that's relatively unexpected for people who only have a passing interest in the turtles who likely knows they'd just always been in a group. Now this group was born with one of them missing?!

We cut back to earlier where we see the creation of the turtles, as well as several characters being established. We get confirmation that the four of them were together before they were mutated, bringing the question of how the missing turtle became missing. Another thing expertly done - while the Turtles retain their weapons and personalities, they all wear the same mask like the original comic. We're introduced to each one through habits their original unmutated versions showed. Then we get the confirmation of who is missing, and the most interesting turtle - Raph.

Any turtles fan knows how Raph is meant to be to the group. He's the tough guy, the angry guy, the guy who's always at conflict with the other turtles. Yet, none of that is present in this version. Because he's been missing to begin with. After mutation, he never had a family, a father, brothers, a home. He's a homeless freak in a world who shuns him. The others search endlessly for him and he has no idea where or who they even are. It's a damn interesting new take on things as well as introducing us to the new versions of these characters and hooks you to find out how this new direction will be taken.

And none of that is really present here. We don't know a lot about the world, or the characters. Sonic runs in, snarks for a bit, beats up robots, and Tails feels sad for a bit. And yeah, those are decent establishment moments for the characters...but that's just what I expect from them. Snark and fighting skills. The mobians in the comic don't seem very unique - are based off the generic OC styles from Forces, and on top of that, their agency is somewhat hindered by them basically geeking out at Sonic's mere presence and saying an attack that could very much destroy their lives is worth it because Sonic winked at them.

It establishes a tone for the next arc, and it isn't a very good tone. It's similar to Countdown to Chaos more than anything. Instead of introducing us to a unique new world with new takes on characters and interesting things - it's just Sonic running around and beating robots with his friends one at a time, meanwhile Eggman pretends to have a plan when it's really just him attacking things. Countdown did the same thing - Sonic runs around the world, beats robots with Freedom Fighters, the end. Even that is more interesting because we at least had the different histories and versions of the FF to look forward to. We don't have that here. We just have SEGA characters behaving as we expect. Even Mega Drive does a better job hooking the reader - because with the different art style being a lot more varied and filled with expression, characters displayed a lot more goofiness too. We had the likes of Knuckles on top of his usual grumpy and gruff attitude also being an egotistical megalomaniac who had imagine spots of him being a glorious friend and leader. That's interesting because it's something not usually seen with the character. Here? It's Sonic and Tails being themselves. Big whoop.

Tbf, Tails is at least a lot more tolerable so there's that.

[Marco9966]

After Sonic Forces, Eggman is supposed dead in the null space. We're not gonna see Sonic fighting him in issue 1. (But ge got Egg Hammers and many homages to the previous games.)

That's the reason the first issues are released weekly!

Our mistake was to read the first issue too early, the world of Sonic, we're gonna see it in the first four issues.

[Diogenes]

Just now, Marco9966 said:

After Sonic Forces, Eggman is supposed dead in the null space. We're not gonna see Sonic fighting him in issue 1.

There's no reason they couldn't have started telling the story after he got out and built himself a new mech to ride around in or something.

[Marco9966]

Do you guys prefer if we have no game adaptations, and only new stories?

Because I think in the world of IDW all the events (OR versions of the events) of the games happened.

 

[Ryannumber1gamer]

On 24/03/2018 at 7:38 PM, Marco9966 said:

Do you guys prefer if we have no game adaptations, and only new stories?

Because I think in the world of IDW all the events (OR versions of the events) of the games happened.

 

Depends. I'm fine with game adaptions if they actually add meaningfully to the story. Unleashed and Fighters' adapts in Archie Sonic did just that.

[dbzfan7]

17 minutes ago, Ryannumber1gamer said:

Here? It's Sonic and Tails being themselves. Big whoop.

That's just it for me. They are themselves. For the longest time I just saw a bunch of unlikable bastards standing around or being annoying. Them being themselves and feeling like the characters IS pretty much the big whoop for me at least. Though my standards here are low because I hate the writing of current Sonic, and this feels much more like Sonic than Sonic has been in years. A low bar yes, but a welcome relaxing start. Not a great one mind you, but just kind of has a welcome home feeling. Kinda like DBS episode 1.

[Splash the Otter]

1 hour ago, Sonictrainer said:

1st Issue is perfect.

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Who do you think is controlling Eggman's Empire? My current guess is Infinite although I think the hint is that it's someone from Sonic's past.

 

Spoiler

Despite what others are saying, I have my doubts that it's Eggman. There's no reason to keep him hidden from readers, and as Tails pointed out he isn't one to keep a low profile. I'm thinking it's a new character that Ian doesn't want to reveal yet working on his behalf.

 

[Marco9966]

21 minutes ago, Splash the Otter said:

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Despite what others are saying, I have my doubts that it's Eggman. There's no reason to keep him hidden from readers, and as Tails pointed out he isn't one to keep a low profile. I'm thinking it's a new character that Ian doesn't want to reveal yet working on his behalf.

 

Spoiler

I think you may be right!! Who could be taking Eggman's place?

Now I'm even more excited for issue 5.

But who could it be?

Spoiler

Who wants to hunt down Amy as much as Sonic?

 

[LukA8]

1 hour ago, Marco9966 said:

But who could it be?

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Who wants to hunt down Amy as much as Sonic?

 

Oh my god...Could it be?

 

Spoiler

He was real after all!?

 

[Razule]

I mean.. it's a been a while, but it's nothing I didn't expect from Ian. He can write Sonic guder than the actual game writers, that' been established.  Great first issue and reintroduction to what Sonic and Tails are portrayed as with good writing, can't wait for more

 

 

[Shaddy Zaphod]

The only character I know of who's interacted specifically with both Sonic and Amy is Metal Sonic. I feel like it's probably Infinite though.

 

Anyway, cool first issue. It's nothing revolutionary, but it was fun. Considering we're supposed to get a total of four issues over the next month, I'd rather judge it by the whole first arc than just this one chapter.

I do think it could have used maybe one more character though, less random civilians.