Megathread IDW's Sonic the Hedgehog - Megathread

[Zaysho]

1 hour ago, Dr. Detective Mike said:

- I know it's sacrilege or whatever but I really gotta say this; I think I'm done flip-flopping on my opinion of the Deadly Six. I really like them. When it gets to the point where I'm pretending that I am them and reading their lines out loud like a maniac, like I do with Eggman, it's time to settle in on the truth. I'm just a sucker for eccentric villains I suppose. The set-up for what they're doing is actually incredibly brilliant and, once again, I'm left jealous that I didn't think of it.

The fact that all six of them are scattering and using the chaos emeralds to cloak themselves in energy strong enough to control the metal virus and the zombots is cool enough but seeing how they're utilizing their stranglehold on the planet is great. Zomom especially has got this hedonistic, fat king vibe going on where he's demanding food from the peasants in rags and have barely anything they can offer. The instant one tells him he's only got a little bit of food, he feeds them to the zombies.  It's so dark and mean and I love it.

tbh, I think the way Ian handles them is great. The Six themselves aren't particularly complicated or deep characters, and while I don't really care for them (especially in the games), I think where Ian succeeds with them is just adding some bite to their bark and making them feel like an actual team which makes them really fun to see in action. I felt the same way about them in that second Mega Man crossover during the Archie run and the couple of side stories that focused on them (in particular, the one where Zik, Zazz, and Zomom capture Rock) are actually among my favorite parts of an otherwise awful, bloated mess that crossover was.

[Ryannumber1gamer]

I don't know, I didn't really see them as generically doing evil shit in this issue. Their goals seemed very in line with their personalities. Zeena's a drama queen, obsessed with beauty, and utterly vain, so when she's taken control of the Zombots, she's using them as if she's some kind of princess ruling over her subjects, and using them to loot for jewellery to try make herself more pretty. Zazz just enjoys messing around with people and causing destruction, so he's making his Zombots tear down cities, and taking delight in having his zombots beat the virus into any survivors he finds. 

Zavok and Zik are very much about effectiveness, and cutting straight to the chase. Their goals is tearing the world apart in front of Sonic and Eggman before subjecting them to a cruel "death" via infection, and if Zavok is to be believed, it very much looks like he's intending to do it via Sonic's friends, which fits in line with how he roboticised Tails in Lost World, and tried to turn him against Sonic. 

Zomom is a total gluten, and never satisfied, and is so utterly petty about food that he will literally infect people for not having tons upon tons of food stockpiled for him. Zor is probably up there with Zeena as the biggest example of their personalities directly tying into how they control their Zombot legions. They tried to play up the emo aspect for him in Lost World, but IDW so far takes him straight to sadistic levels, where he's taking pleasure in making any survivors fall into despair, before torturing them via slow infection, as well as specifically forcing parents watch as their children are infected and turn. Hell, I wouldn't be surprised if Zor turned the zombot children on their own family members after they turned.

You can even see those kinds of details in the D6's Emerald designs. Zomom and Zazz have sort of just slapped their emeralds slap-dashed on their stomaches without a care, while Zeena took extra time to fashion her Chaos Emerald into a belt that she's wearing as a fashion accessory, and Zik is wearing it somewhat like a sensei hat.

Personally, I'm enjoying the D6 here, so far. Maybe that's just because LW was terrible with them in terms of personality, and this is the first legitimate chance Ian gets to write them properly in a villain role, since they just got brainwashed by Sigma in Worlds Unite.

[Kuzu]

It's certainly more with my personal preference for dynamic and rounded characterization over static and flat ones for why I feel why I do about the Six. That being said, I do agree how they're used here is much more effective than in Lost World. If only because, we can actually see the damage they're doing now rather than it merely being implied. And how each of their respective actions is evocative of their characters. 

So I'll give Flynn points for better showing off their over the top characters better than Lost World did.

[DabigRG]

I'm sure I said some variation of this at some point, but that's why I was looking forward to the Deadly Six getting to be in the comic hopefully under their own extended terms. The [relevant] problem with them in Lost World was that in contrast to the marketing, the story both really wasn't about them and didn't go quite far enough with most of them either. Yeah, they're rather simple, archetypical characters for the most part, but then so were/are a chunk of the cast before them--the trick is that you give them the appropriate amount of background to drive them and/or present them all in a way that impactfully gets who they are across as they play their parts in the story. And it really didn't on average; not for a lack of trying, particularly with Zazz, Zor, and Zavok, but the oomph wasn't quite there. And that was their debut!

Funnily enough, aside from maybe Zeena, much of what we've seen here isn't really new--just better showcased. Case in point, Zor: as someone who undeniably likes the guy, I know that the bulk of his dialogue in Lost World was laying in the fact that for all his existential moping, he's an smirking sadomasochist that delights in spreading misery & pain. He goes from sleepily encouraging Sonic to just give up in the first boss to expressing disgust in his confidently liberated outlook and musing about hurting him. Combine that with some prose that may be influenced by some lesser emphasized elements of his character and we get him about to make a father watch his daughter turn.

The comics have generally been better about showcasing game characters for a few simple reasons: 1. they have the space to characterize them in fun ways throughout any given scenario, 2. they're being written by people who are admittedly fans of the series, and 3. they have a more frequent yet open schedule than the games do. Lost World, perhaps more than any other game, suffered from not really having that.

[Natie]

Gotta say, the pacing disappointed me in this one, cuz there's a lot of great story ideas all over but they all just happen in the blink of an eye.

Spoiler

You'd think by that one cover that the Eggman joining them thing would have let to a lot of fun and dramatic character responses but he just kinda joins in right away. It's disappointingly easily accepted considering he was just ruining their whole lives a minute ago. The Wisper and Cream part did good with that tho.

 

[StaticMania]

57 minutes ago, Kuzu said:

If only because, we can actually see the damage they're doing now rather than it merely being implied.

It wasn't implied before...we saw that one area on the Sonic planet turning into green dust.

And on the Lost Hex itself, they weren't doing anything but trying to stop Sonic.

[Kuzu]

6 hours ago, StaticMania said:

It wasn't implied before...we saw that one area on the Sonic planet turning into green dust.

And on the Lost Hex itself, they weren't doing anything but trying to stop Sonic.

One nondescript area that can literally be any place on the planet and only affects two characters isn't quite the same as seeing different locations and various citizens being affected by their actions.

[DabigRG]

53 minutes ago, Kuzu said:

One nondescript area that can literally be any place on the planet and only affects two characters isn't quite the same as seeing different locations and various citizens being affected by their actions.

And the mobini.

Lends to the idea that Forces wasn't exactly planned.

[Wraith]

The deadly six still suck even under Ian's pen but at least they actually do what they were supposed to do in Lost World and put pressure on the whole cast. Really liked this issue overall though. Starline getting bodied was cathartic after he had been dead set on fucking up the whole situation for so long. Whisper and Cream's little moment was also a highlight. I think like 90% of the parts of this comic that really click with me involve her lol. They've done such a great job with her. 

 

But yyeah yall know what the best part of this issue was. Real recognizes real: 

 

please never leave me again. 

[Shadowlax]

0I think the d6  function fine. I do not think they are interesting and needed. And I think any praise to just functioning ok,kinda speaks to how dire their situation is as characters.

My issue is they at least in my mind don't feel nessicary but dont feel interesting to have around. IMO the thing that should have messed up egg man's plans is metal sonic or rather neo metal sonic. I think the goopy should have infected him, made him neo again and he takes control of the zombies. I think narratively the story coming back to metal and eggman as the catalyst for what's going kinda would wrap the whole thing up in a nice bow of mayhem. But also would have legit made the morality question somewhat interesting. Could a has characters who never fought neo metal deal with him

The d6 are fine. But that's it. They are...fine. thy just kinda feel like stand ins, I dunno

[DabigRG]

30 minutes ago, Shadowlax said:

My issue is they at least in my mind don't feel nessicary but dont feel interesting to have around. IMO the thing that should have messed up egg man's plans is metal sonic or rather neo metal sonic. I think the goopy should have infected him, made him neo again and he takes control of the zombies. I think narratively the story coming back to metal and eggman as the catalyst for what's going kinda would wrap the whole thing up in a nice bow of mayhem. But also would have legit made the morality question somewhat interesting. Could a has characters who never fought neo metal deal with him

That's kinda around the ballpark of what I'd been saying earlier in the arc.

[Diogenes]

1 hour ago, Shadowlax said:

IMO the thing that should have messed up egg man's plans is metal sonic or rather neo metal sonic. I think the goopy should have infected him, made him neo again and he takes control of the zombies.

Literally the only other major arc this comic has done so far ended up being about fighting Metal Sonic, we don't need the same thing twice. And unless they were going to immediately contradict his established character here this wouldn't have ruined Eggman's plans since Metal is fully loyal to him.

[Ryannumber1gamer]

4 minutes ago, Diogenes said:

Literally the only other major arc this comic has done so far ended up being about fighting Metal Sonic, we don't need the same thing twice. And unless they were going to immediately contradict his established character here this wouldn't have ruined Eggman's plans since Metal is fully loyal to him.

Besides that, we already know he was infected at some point with the virus, IIRC, one of the annual stories is about Metal and how he deals with it.

But even that said, him going zombot would be contradictory to the story, because otherwise Omega and Gemerl should be shambling zombots by now, since they were fighting them head on.

[DabigRG]

1 minute ago, Ryannumber1gamer said:

Besides that, we already know he was infected at some point with the virus, IIRC, one of the annual stories is about Metal and how he deals with it.

But even that said, him going zombot would be contradictory to the story, because otherwise Omega and Gemerl should be shambling zombots by now, since they were fighting them head on.

Isn't he capable to emulating the biological abilities/traces of other characters or creatures that copying their data, including Chaos?

[MetalSkulkBane]

BTW, did anyone realize that Heroes have incredibly easy way to beat Deadly Six?

Spoiler

1)  Open portal to all the Zeti

2) Sonic runs at full speed towards them

3) He gently pokes each of them with infected finger

4) Call Zavok and demand Emeralds before he turns into mindless zombot.

5) Party at Knuckles' place.

If diplomacy fails, wait for Virus to do it's magic. Then using superior intellect, warping portals, Metal and Gemerl and maybe just Silver's telekinesis, take Emeralds and do the thing.

(Or you know, screw Emeralds and power Warp Topaz with Master Emerald. A little anticlimactically easy, but works too).

 

[Razule]

5 hours ago, Ryannumber1gamer said:

Besides that, we already know he was infected at some point with the virus, IIRC, one of the annual stories is about Metal and how he deals with it.

But even that said, him going zombot would be contradictory to the story, because otherwise Omega and Gemerl should be shambling zombots by now, since they were fighting them head on.

I thought machines weren't able to be affected at all.

[Ryannumber1gamer]

2 minutes ago, Razule said:

I thought machines weren't able to be affected at all.

We don’t know if Metal is affected or not, all we do know is one of the variant covers has him covered in it, implying something involving him and the Virus.

[NoKaine]

2 hours ago, MetalSkulkBane said:

BTW, did anyone realize that Heroes have incredibly easy way to beat Deadly Six?

  Hide contents

1)  Open portal to all the Zeti

2) Sonic runs at full speed towards them

3) He gently pokes each of them with infected finger

4) Call Zavok and demand Emeralds before he turns into mindless zombot.

5) Party at Knuckles' place.

If diplomacy fails, wait for Virus to do it's magic. Then using superior intellect, warping portals, Metal and Gemerl and maybe just Silver's telekinesis, take Emeralds and do the thing.

(Or you know, screw Emeralds and power Warp Topaz with Master Emerald. A little anticlimactically easy, but works too).

Spoiler

Alternatively, the Deadly Six get infected, turn out of spite, now the Emeralds are in the hands of incredibly powerful Zombots who may or may not have the power to control other Zombots.

 

[Shadowlax]

Ian Flynn has a bit of a balancing act coming up due to sega's weirdness. I hope he pulls it it off

[DabigRG]

So what encounters/interactions are people looking forward to?

1 hour ago, Shadowlax said:

Ian Flynn has a bit of a balancing act coming up due to sega's weirdness. I hope he pulls it it off

In what sense?

[Hedgehugs]

17 minutes ago, DabigRG said:

So what encounters/interactions are people looking forward to?

Spoiler

 

of the zombot/still alive variations;

Tangle/Whisper, the want i want to see most tbh.

Shadow/Rouge, if rouge isn't too busy being the beautiful spy she is ofc, but idk if itll happen.

Vanilla & Chao/Cream, which I feel like is most likely going to happen if the other two don't happen. she is with gemerl too, soo... happy family reunion??

Vector & Charmy/Espio, which I feel will be the most heartbreaking for me.

outside of those;

More interaction between the D6, considering how everyone wants them to be better characters they have to do this. I personally want more Master Zik/Zavok interaction.

Jet/Wave/Storm interaction, because it'd be a sin not to do so after introducing them.

In one of Evan's Interior Page artworks, Sonic looks hella pissed off lmao, so if it's at someone (probably eggman) i want to see where that goes.

 

 

[Shadowlax]

36 minutes ago, DabigRG said:

So what encounters/interactions are people looking forward to?

In what sense?

Endings are hard man.

Gotta end it a way in which it can't probably effect too much of the future , but is satisfying. The last bit concerns me , because i'm concerned due to the success of the film, he might be advice to stay away from stories in the future. Stay closer to lighter fare. Hope he pulls it off really.

Then there's like the rouge sonic thing. Two people while not directly responsible, are due to the weird morality story are the most indirectly responsible for what's happening. And they kind of have to talk about that. But is it worth talking about , when the 3rd party has been acting like a whole ass? Is that even a story worth doing at this? And that isn't even Ian's fault that's all on sega.

I just hope whatever interference is run by sega and all the moving parts this story has it ends in a place that is satisfying. It doesn't ease my fears of editorial in future. But I would at least like to see this story turn out as ok as it can be. I'm not a huge fan of the story and I don't think they should be doing something like this in year 2. But that doesn't mean I want it to fail. Ian Flynn has a challenge ahead and I hope he meets it. Because if i'm being honest, I don't think Ian has a history of ending stories well. I don't think he ever has and that's also kind of my concern.

 

[DabigRG]

7 minutes ago, Shadowlax said:

Endings are hard man.

Gotta end it a way in which it can't probably effect too much of the future , but is satisfying. The last bit concerns me , because i'm concerned due to the success of the film, he might be advice to stay away from stories in the future. Stay closer to lighter fare. Hope he pulls it off really.

Then there's like the rouge sonic thing. Two people while not directly responsible, are due to the weird morality story are the most indirectly responsible for what's happening. And they kind of have to talk about that. But is it worth talking about , when the 3rd party has been acting like a whole ass? Is that even a story worth doing at this? And that isn't even Ian's fault that's all on sega.

I just hope whatever interference is run by sega and all the moving parts this story has it ends in a place that is satisfying. It doesn't ease my fears of editorial in future. But I would at least like to see this story turn out as ok as it can be. I'm not a huge fan of the story and I don't think they should be doing something like this in year 2. But that doesn't mean I want it to fail. Ian Flynn has a challenge ahead and I hope he meets it. Because if i'm being honest, I don't think Ian has a history of ending stories well. I don't think he ever has and that's also kind of my concern.

 

Oh yeah, the ending can certainly be weird to pull off.

Personally, I'm worried a little less about that compared to what will come after it and how do you follow up off of that.

[Shadowlax]

11 minutes ago, DabigRG said:

Oh yeah, the ending can certainly be weird to pull off.

Personally, I'm worried a little less about that compared to what will come after it and how do you follow up off of that.

I am also concerned, how do you follow it up. What does sega want right now. What does IDW want right now, where do we go. I'm concerned.... but curious. I wouldn't say the future is bright. But its weird.

[DabigRG]

4 minutes ago, Shadowlax said:

I am also concerned, how do you follow it up. What does sega want right now. What does IDW want right now, where do we go. I'm concerned.... but curious. I wouldn't say the future is bright. But its weird.

Especially when you remember SEGA, including Iuzuka himself, loved the concept and added more stuff to it.