Megathread IDW's Sonic the Hedgehog - Megathread

[StaticMania]

1 hour ago, MetalSkulkBane said:

Amy was actually important...

That doesn't seem more accurate...

[DabigRG]

1 hour ago, Sega DogTagz said:

You say that like Ian doesn't have a pretty good track record of taking undesirable characters and flipping them into the best version of themselves. 

If he could take Silver, Big and Omega and get some milage out of them, he can likely do the same for Jackal boy

To be fair, I don't think Omega was ever really hated. Except maybe outside of hardcore Gamma fans.

1 hour ago, Jack the Maniac said:

 

Also better than StC which was basically a fan fiction.

 

A Fan Fiction? Really?

[SBR2]

8 minutes ago, DabigRG said:

A Fan Fiction? Really?

Anything that I don't care for is fanfic. The Fandom motto. Not just this but all.

[StaticMania]

17 minutes ago, SBR2 said:

Anything that I don't care for is fanfic. The Fandom motto. Not just this but all.

Everything that isn't created by the original writer/author/creator is fan...whatever that is.

[Red Hot Jack]

I mean that it's obviously completely different from what Sonic is about, and gives an interesting but unlikely backstory, which is something I could see in the movie.

Anyway, congrats for the success of this comic, I'm hearing kids are happy with it.

[NikoS]

2 hours ago, Fusion-Ellipsis said:

Huh, Jonathan did this variant for the first issue of the series.

Are there any other variants we're missing here?

Ok, now THIS ONE IS THE BEST #1 VARIANT.

[MetalSkulkBane]

A theory about Tangle: she's stand-in/inspired by Werehog.

Look at her tail, it's basically super long (and probably stretchy, seeing how long it looks in preview) super-hairy limb, mostly for grabbing and punching.

[DabigRG]

12 minutes ago, MetalSkulkBane said:

A theory about Tangle: she's stand-in/inspired by Werehog.

Look at her tail, it's basically super long (and probably stretchy, seeing how long it looks in preview) super-hairy limb, mostly for grabbing and punching.

Sounds feasible. She's already incorporating a number of notes from the classic games, so the Werehog angle gives her some Modern vibes as well.

[Diogenes]

3 hours ago, Jack the Maniac said:

I don't think people are hating on the comic or being biased but maybe they set their expectations too high?

Ah yes, my very high expectations of "do literally anything interesting enough to get me to care".

I've read the first 3 issues and so far the best I can say is "sometimes the dialogue is ok. sometimes.". Even though the comic is clearly in an introduction mode (smash a robot, meet a friend, smash a robot, meet a friend, and then you smash a robot, and then you meet a friend) it still feels like I'm expected to already know and care about the world and these characters. And while I am in theory a fan of the series, I don't care about these things by default at this point, and I just don't feel like I'm being sold on a story that is genuinely worth my time and money. I've read comics that have sold me on their premise within the first few pages, so I don't think I'm expecting too much too soon; it's more like this one feels like it's tried to skip that step entirely.

[Red Hot Jack]

10 minutes ago, Diogenes said:

Ah yes, my very high expectations of "do literally anything interesting enough to get me to care".

I've read the first 3 issues and so far the best I can say is "sometimes the dialogue is ok. sometimes.". Even though the comic is clearly in an introduction mode (smash a robot, meet a friend, smash a robot, meet a friend, and then you smash a robot, and then you meet a friend) it still feels like I'm expected to already know and care about the world and these characters. And while I am in theory a fan of the series, I don't care about these things by default at this point, and I just don't feel like I'm being sold on a story that is genuinely worth my time and money. I've read comics that have sold me on their premise within the first few pages, so I don't think I'm expecting too much too soon; it's more like this one feels like it's tried to skip that step entirely.

Depends, where the other comic books for kids? I'm sure this is what Ian is going for, the general audience. I still enjoyed Countdown to Chaos more than this, but yeah it did feel convoluted a bit for different viewers, I've heard of lots of people who couldn't get into the Archie comics for its continuity, big amount of characters, and the sole presence of the Freedom Fighters, Ian is doing things the opposite this time. Maybe too much, I did say it was simple for my tastes, but it's succeeding in doing its job with the audience.

Dialogue is good though, it's serious but quirky like Sonic. I think it's more of a problem of the cast, 2 characters at a time isn't that much, it's why I was more interested in this issue, because things were happening and they weren't fighting generic robots, but things were happening too fast.

[Meta77]

I like it so fsr. 2 being the best. I just want to know when my ccg version of issue one is going to ship

[StaticMania]

Was it necessary to start from Forces...?

 

Then we move on.

[DabigRG]

1 hour ago, Meta77 said:

I like it so fsr. 2 being the best. 

Which is a little disappointing, since 3 technically had the makings of being the best one given it's material, but ah well. I'll take a good Amy story and an okay Knuckles plus two new villains story over a somewhat bad one.

[Marco9966]

Did you like the fight scene in issue 3? It was kinda funny, but I would have preferred something like that with the wisps participating in the battle!

[Badnik Mechanic]

4 hours ago, Jack the Maniac said:

I mean that it's obviously completely different from what Sonic is about, and gives an interesting but unlikely backstory, which is something I could see in the movie.

...But... Fleetways backstory is more in line with what Sega's was at the time? In fact issue 1 is pretty much the Sega of America Sonic Comic from the 1990's.

Anyway... 

Yeah I bought issue 1, and I also got issue 2 sine I've heard nothing but universal praise about it so I figured I'd give it a chance.

Issue 1: Basically what I said a few pages back. It's really not that great.

Issue 2: I loved issue 2, if only for the banter/dialogue/relationship between Sonic & Amy, it was far more interesting and entertaining than the relationship seen with Tails. Whilst my prediction about issue 2 being pretty much issue 1's plot was more or less spot on, the scenes between Sonic and Amy made me forget this and made me felt like my £3.70 had been worth it.

 

Now... I've not bought issue 3.. I've not read much on it.... but I have flipped through the book and.... It didn't grab me, It didn't strike me as a great issue at all, in fact the impression I got from it was that it might even be worse than issue 1.

 

And I think I may know what the problem is.

Basically, I loved issue 2, primarily because of the scenes between Sonic & Amy, the dialogue, the characterisation, the humour even the action.

Now if I think to all the Archies I've read, even the Fleetway's I've read, and gosh darn even those weird french comics... There has been NOTHING like that in Sonic comics before. The closest thing was Mega Drive 1 & 2, certainly not done as well as issue 2 did it.

What I think... and I know this is going to trigger some of you...

This comic becomes stunning... when it's not trying to be Archie. There's so many scenes so far, especially in issue 1 which just feel like it's ripped from Archie comics, When the comic is able to be it's own thing, or does something that we've not seen before it's fantastic.. but otherwise, it just feels like I've read this story before.

 

And the problem with this is... I cannot afford to keep giving it chances on the hope that issue 2 will come again... these comics cost nearly £4 each from my local comic book guy... who is the only store for miles that sells them. They're not cheap and... it's really not justifiable given the quality so far.

[Marco9966]

Issue 2's great advantage was also the art! ABT's expression were flawless and added to the emotion!

 

[Badnik Mechanic]

1 hour ago, Marco9966 said:

Issue 2's great advantage was also the art! ABT's expression were flawless and added to the emotion!

Yeah that as well. 

 

....Actually... could we get a full credit list for issues 1/2/3? Would be interesting to see the comparison.

[Marco9966]

Issue1: Pencils: TY, Ink: Jim Amash, color: Matt Herms

Issue2: Pencils,inks&color: ABT

Issue3:Pencils & inks: JH, colors: Heather Breckel

[Korke]

9 hours ago, MetalSkulkBane said:

I think most newcomers can enjoy IDW Sonic just fine. But archie veterans just have higher expectations, knowing what Flynn is capable of. (and I do mean Flynn, most artists work just fine).

And just to be fair, Archie Preboot took forEVER to click with me, somewhere to 264 (Werehog debut). Sonic Universe had to pick up the slack.

Actually, I'd say it is the reverse. The comic is fine for veteran fans, especially the post-reboot ones, since I'm noticing a trend: the same people who did praise it on the past is being mostly positive, and the ones who preferred the pre-reboot are being more critical about it.

As for newcomers? I'd say that the comic is pretty much hostile towards them. The comic expects you to be a Sonic fan and already know about many things. Some scenes seemed bizarre like that wisp exposition from #3.

Game fans are mystery. They have been yelling about this plot layout [Sonic goes to a place, beats problem of the day, leaves, wooo i have no roots] for some years and it seems this formula is going to stay. I wonder if they are happy now.

--

And, for the record, #264 is postreboot, not prereboot. And personally, it was around that time when I began losing my interest on the book.

[DabigRG]

1 hour ago, Marco9966 said:

Did you like the fight scene in issue 3? It was kinda funny, but I would have preferred something like that with the wisps participating in the battle!

That's where I thought they were going, honestly.

1 hour ago, SaberX said:

I do believe Knuckles issue was really meh, but because of a couple of things that happened in there. Like, the art is unattractive(compare that with the last one and you gonna keep thinking about the big gap between those 2), the interaction between Sonic and Knux wasn't very well explored and the introduction of those 2 antagonists were pretty bad. They're were supposed be like what? Are those the same "fishy" enemies that took over a city? Doesn't looks convincing.

I for one would be totally ok(more than ok tbh) if Knuckles was right about the coordinated thing, just to make Sonic stop understimate his opponents. In the end they just showed how of low level tier of enemies they are.

This, pretty much.

 

[Shadowlax]

6 hours ago, Sega DogTagz said:

You say that like Ian doesn't have a pretty good track record of taking undesirable characters and flipping them into the best version of themselves. 

If he could take Silver, Big and Omega and get some milage out of them, he can likely do the same for Jackal boy

I doubt it

Infinite is an entirely different and much shitter situation than everyone you named. 

[Multikaris]

6 hours ago, MetalSkulkBane said:

Actually, Fleetway was way more accurate than early Archie.

Amy was actually important (rather than FF), Metal Sonic was on model, there was no city of echidnas, zones and badniks were much more recurring. Even badnik organic bateries are more accurate than turning into robots.

But, it also had FFs as highly important rather than Mighty and Ray, no Heavy nor Bomb whatsoever, the Echidnas were implied to have left for space rather than died out, Super Sonic... 

[DabigRG]

12 minutes ago, Miragnarok said:

But, it also had FFs as highly important rather than Mighty and Ray, no Heavy nor Bomb whatsoever, the Echidnas were implied to have left for space rather than died out, Super Sonic... 

Ray was in STC?

[Big Panda]

14 minutes ago, DabigRG said:

Ray was in STC?

No? He has many, many cameos in StCO, but he never appeared in the official run.

[Your Vest Friend]

20 minutes ago, DabigRG said:

Ray was in STC?

Nope. Unlike Chaotix, SegaSonic the Hedgehog was never adapted. Probably because the arcade cabinet was way harder to get hold of in mid-90s London than the 32X game. And StC was dead before the age of information being more freely available really took off.