Megathread IDW's Sonic the Hedgehog - Megathread

[Bowbowis]

5 hours ago, SBR2 said:

That's because he's got to be serious and Angsty and boring or else Shadow fans will pitch a fit.

Strawman much? Let's break this down:

Serious: Yes. Shadow is a character who takes things seriously and yes, if he didn't his fans would be displeased. People tend to get that way when their favorite character is suddenly changed for no reason, just ask Tails' fans how they feel about Lost World. Moreover taking things seriously is a perfectly valid characterization choice and I have no idea why so many people seem to think otherwise. The only remotely coherent argument I've heard against Shadow being serious is that he can't be also be funny.  Setting aside the absurd notion that being funny is somehow a prerequisite to existing in an action-adventure series like Sonic, there's an entire comedic archetype called the "straight man" (you may have heard of it), which is based entirely on the principle that a character acting deadly serious in an objectively absurd situation is funny,  often more so than it would be if everybody were completely irreverent about everything. Case in point:

Spoiler

 

 

Not only does the straight man work in pure comedies, he also works for comic relief scenes in other genres. Turns out you really can have it both ways. 

This isn't just hypothetical either, there are plenty of examples of Shadow creating humor either through his snark or by eliciting amusing reactions from others:

Spoiler

 

Angst: Again, this is not inherently a negative. Introspection and/or depression are perfectly valid character choices and a dark past tends to be a powerful, interesting, and sympathetic motivator for characters going forward. Angst only really becomes a problem if it overtakes the rest of their character, is disproportionate to their problems, or if they wind up eternally wallowing in self pity. While you can argue that Shadow experienced the first problem in his own game his fans are just as quick to decry it as his haters and he has since, emphatically, moved past it:

Spoiler

 

 

 

 

Boring: 

Seriously though? I've heard Shadow called a lot of things, but you're the first I've seen call him boring. I think you'll find most of Shadow's fans like him because the find him interesting, which, if my thesaurus is correct, is the opposite of boring.

[PublicEnemy1]

2 hours ago, Razule said:

The mandate isn't that they can never wear different clothing ever. Just permanently. Amy wore the Winter Olympics clothes in the issue before the first crossover.

1. That was before the mandates were heavily enforced.
2. TV Tropes stated they couldn't change wardrobe at ALL, under NO circumstances.

[KoDaiko]

1 hour ago, PublicEnemy1 said:

1. That was before the mandates were heavily enforced.
2. TV Tropes stated they couldn't change wardrobe at ALL, under NO circumstances.

Is TV trope that reliable?

I dunno, I want to believe Ian and SEGA's statement of looser mandates and more creative freedom. It's smarter to say nothing than lie (especially when most people won't believe it anyway), or else they're gonna have to keep building up lies and have bigger backlash later on. 

Ian sorta said that (most of) the mandate was to keep conisistency and identity of the Sonic series. Which is reasonable: as long as they don't stray away from what Sonic is supposed to be, there is creative freedom. There is no clear distinction on what can or can't be changed, but for now I'm looking forward to how the series go.

Oh yeah, it was interesting to hear how Ian was sharing and brainstorming ideas together with SEGA. 

[RedFox99]

4 minutes ago, KoDaiko said:

Ian sorta said that (most of) the mandate was to keep conisistency and identity of the Sonic series. Which is reasonable: as long as they don't stray away from what Sonic is supposed to be, there is creative freedom. There is no clear distinction on what can or can't be changed, but for now I'm looking forward to how the series go.

While I will admit that some mandates like the one with Cream does rub me the wrong way, the mandates are meant to help stop another Penders/Boller era from happening again.

[SBR2]

When I said "boring" I meant that some Shadow fans only want Shadow to be "cool". They don't want him showing any emotions other than scowling, he shouldn't have relationshipsbecause they make him seem weak. Y'know that junk.

[dbzfan7]

5 minutes ago, SBR2 said:

When I said "boring" I meant that some Shadow fans only want Shadow to be "cool". They don't want him showing any emotions other than scowling, he shouldn't have relationshipsbecause they make him seem weak. Y'know that junk.

But Sonic Boom Shadow said "Friends are for LOOOOOOSEEEEERS" So he's gotta be the right acting Shadow XP

[RustyRick]

I've been out of touch regarding this new comic for awhile but it seems 4 issues in, is it any good? I'd love to get into this if fan reception is pretty great so far.

[PublicEnemy1]

8 minutes ago, RustyRick said:

I've been out of touch regarding this new comic for awhile but it seems 4 issues in, is it any good? I'd love to get into this if fan reception is pretty great so far.

Actually, that would be 5 issues in. It's starting out slow for the first 4. If you like a lot of character interactions, then you might like them. The plot picks up on issue 5, and we'll see how it goes from then onward.

[RustyRick]

Just now, PublicEnemy1 said:

Actually, that would be 5 issues in. It's starting out slow for the first 4. If you like a lot of character interactions, then you might like them. The plot picks up on issue 5, and we'll see how it goes from then on.

I'm all up for character interaction, so I'll definitely give it a read soon then. Thanks for your input.

[CrownSlayers Shadow]

I think Ian has the best understanding of how to write Shadow compared to every current writer thus far.

The guy knows that Shadow is more than just a superpowerful killing machine, Shadow has emotions and compassion as well, and most people know this, he just shows it differently.

I think there’s something else worth criticizing beyond “he doesn’t make Shadow look awesome to me” given that that’s not even writing a decent story, that’s close to writing a Mary Sue/Gary Stu, and if you want that you can stick to Sonic X or Shadow’s very own game.

And I say this as a hardcore Shadow fan myself.

[RedFox99]

Tbh, I'm kind of a little concerned with how Ian will write Rouge. Yes, he did improve on writing her post-reboot, but she still had the tendency to mostly play second banana to Shadow like other writers in the franchise. Not sure if this was a big issue during the Shattered arc.

[DabigRG]

8 minutes ago, RedFox99 said:

Not sure if this was a big issue during the Shattered arc.

I honestly don't remember her doing much of anything aside from being the one negotiating with King Nigel at the beginning and going off with Amy in the Fake Hidden Palace.

[Sega DogTagz]

Rouge has a bit of a new opportunity in the IDW comics. While she still ended up paired at the hip with Shadow in Forces, she did work directly for Knuckles for a stretch there too. While a Knux Rouge story pairing would be the safest step out of Shadow's shadow, it is still a step in the right direction. If she can continue to branch out and interact with the rest of the cast, I think she'll be fine.

[Sonictrainer]

Really cool fan art of Tangle in Riders Style by XP_Omake

[RedFox99]

45 minutes ago, Sega DogTagz said:

Rouge has a bit of a new opportunity in the IDW comics. While she still ended up paired at the hip with Shadow in Forces, she did work directly for Knuckles for a stretch there too. While a Knux Rouge story pairing would be the safest step out of Shadow's shadow, it is still a step in the right direction. If she can continue to branch out and interact with the rest of the cast, I think she'll be fine.

I also kind of hope she doesn't get too stuck to Knuckles since he's also a character she's often pigeonholed with. Granted, she isn't often made to play second banana to him, so that's a plus.

Also, it does seem like Rouge get to be very important during Worlds Collide without having to be with Shadow or Knuckles.

15 minutes ago, Sonictrainer said:

Really cool fan art of Tangle in Riders Style by XP_Omake

Okay, I kind of wish that the style and Battle's style could make a comeback.

[CrownSlayers Shadow]

Who ever did that should do that for the Egg Bosses. It would be awesome seeing someone like Nepthys on an extreme gear.

[Marco9966]

Another question I have why isn't Omega with Rouge and Shadow?

[RedFox99]

23 minutes ago, Marco9966 said:

Another question I have why isn't Omega with Rouge and Shadow?

That's a good question. My best guess is that GUN realized that they would be in a village, so if Omega went wild (especially since Eggman is involved) many people could get hurt or worse.

[Salamander]

Alternatively, he's just off-screen; or lagging behind, to enter the fight a little way into the next issue.

[RedFox99]

51 minutes ago, Celestia said:

Last time Omega went on a mission it went disastrously. Would kinda make sense if he got punished for it (I mean, assuming being nonoperational for a few months wasn't considered enough).

I never understood why Omega went on the recon mission to Eggman's base in the Forces comics rather than Rouge. I mean, looking at the two's appearances and their skills, Rouge was more fit for the mission than Omega.

[Zaysho]

7 hours ago, RedFox99 said:

I never understood why Omega went on the recon mission to Eggman's base in the Forces comics rather than Rouge. I mean, looking at the two's appearances and their skills, Rouge was more fit for the mission than Omega.

I imagine there's a practicality of what Sega will allow. Using Omega means they can show just how dangerous Infinite is with the Phantom Ruby without resulting in what could potentially be a permadeath for another character. Though, realistically, if another character had been sent instead of Omega, they might have just written them as captured or brainwashed under the Ruby's illusions.

But it's Forces, so ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

 

---

5 hours ago, Shadowlax said:

He doesn't. 

The master emerald shouldn't by pass that. 

Shadow's powers is to manipulate chaos energy to do stuff. 

Reboot Archie Shadow doesn't have access to a "Chaos Force" like the original Archie Shadow. Rouge mentions that his powers have some range on their own (which is what Eclipse is able to block), but they're better with a Chaos Emerald handy, which seems to be something the games support too. Eclipse was created to be capable of neutralizing Shadow's powers, but it's pretty clear in that comic that if Shadow has access to a power greater than Eclipse's, like the Master Emerald (which overrides the Chaos Emeralds), he can get just enough of a power up to turn the tables. It seems like a fair check. It's even mentioned in "Shattered" when Team Dark was hunting Eclipse (only to find Naugus) they were concerned about Shadow falling under Eclipse's power again, and when the team splits up, he's sent off with Knuckles since he can at least hold his own against him if that happens.

EDIT: ^ This part of the discussion was moved over to the Archie thread. Please continue all discussion related to Eclipse and the Archie version of Shadow there. The only reason I'm leaving this post is because I commented on something different and then got caught up in everything else.

Edited June 6, 2018 by Zaysho

[RedFox99]

So, going back to Omega: I'm not sure if he'll appear in the next issue given that it wasn't confirmed yet by any news source when the issue was announced.

[Zaysho]

23 minutes ago, RedFox99 said:

So, going back to Omega: I'm not sure if he'll appear in the next issue given that it wasn't confirmed yet by any news source when the issue was announced.

Is Omega officially part of GUN? Gamesverse feels like it operates a bit differently from other takes, and I've always gotten the impression that Omega is mostly off on his own until Rouge and Shadow recruit him. He could just be saved for a later appearance and they may have not bothered to call him in since Eggman, currently, isn't a big threat. Alternatively, he's having the time of his life with all the Eggman robots being deployed.

[RedFox99]

Just now, Zaysho said:

Is Omega officially part of GUN? Gamesverse feels like it operates a bit differently from other takes, and I've always gotten the impression that Omega is mostly off on his own until Rouge and Shadow recruit him. He could just be saved for a later appearance since they may have bothered to call him in since Eggman, currently, isn't a big threat.

Ian did say that for the most part the games would be canon, which I would assume would include the prequel comics for Forces, which implies that Omega was a part of GUN. Granted, Ian could take liberties and change some aspects about the games for this comic, so who knows.

[Celestia]

21 minutes ago, Zaysho said:

Alternatively, he's having the time of his life with all the Eggman robots being deployed.

Now I'm hoping that the next issue addresses his whereabouts, and when Shadow or Rouge explains ("There's badniks everywhere, what do you think he's doing?"), there's a panel drawn in a crude crayon doodle style of Omega skipping through a field merrily, blowing up badniks along the way.