IDW's Sonic the Hedgehog

[Zaysho 10,819]

I sorta like the new design, but god damn could they have given her a different hairstyle at least. It actually kinda bugs me that, sans tail, she looks close enough to Sally and how that could throw off people. I know I say Archie fans aren't really in consideration with this book to begin with (as I'm about to at the bottom) but no one should be surprised that Archie fans saw this differently than what was intended.

Also neat to see Blaze. I guess she's tied to comic launches now. Sonic Universe #1, Sonic Universe #55 (one of the first issues of Archie's reboot), and now she's in the first arc of this new series.

While I think I'll be picking this up and checking it out, I'm not terribly excited about it. I think it's in good hands, but I honestly don't think this is going to be for me.

 

 

4 hours ago, RaginRonic said:

And I'm here to say that having zero involvement of the Freedom Fighters in this new comic series is like having James Ellsworth be the WWE World or Universal Heavyweight Champion....it is NOT. GOOD. BUSINESS.

Frankly, it's not a money maker, and the dis-inclusion of the Freedom Fighters from the Sonic franchise is NEVER a good move to make if you want to make money. Simple as that.

 

I say this as someone whose favorite incarnation of this franchise is the Archie comic and wanted Sally and crew back, but this is patently false with even a brief look at this franchise's history. The Freedom Fighters have only ever appeared in a single cartoon series and kept alive in a comic book series that didn't have that far of a reach outside its initial market for years, both products of American companies who bought a license from Sega, that were never the face of the franchise. They don't matter any more in the grand scheme of things to Sega than Tekno the Canary, Chris Thorndyke, Sonia and Manic, or that annoying bitch from the OVA. This is not to downplay their importance in any way, but I honestly don't believe they were ever important enough to Sega (which is actually kind of sad when you consider their strong ties to the series history in the west).

At worst, Sega's only burned off people who also liked those versions and those same people were never going to buy IDW anyway and were never going to be a threat to their bottom line. It sucks, but even I have to admit excluding the FF was never going to make or break this book. I'd rather that wasn't the case, and if it were up to me, the Archie book would return in full, but I don't think those fans were ever even in consideration.

 

 

3 hours ago, metalplix said:

This is why I bailed. I knew some of you guys were gonna show you true colors. All this celebrating "it's not sally get over it archie sonic fans stop talking about it".

I used to believe we sonic fans were closer than that but the past year has woken me up. I bet some of ya'll who keep acting like the freedom fighters are some horrible disease when sega owns them and penders can't do jack about it want the partially ran-dumb Sticks involved in the main series when sonic boom is dead, you should totally forget about her.

What kellan posted leads me to believe this is for game purist/sonic forces fans only. sega/idw may not owe me an answer but if they want me buying this comic then stop leading me on about the FFs, tell me if they're in or not so I can prepare to buy this comic or ignore it.

Oh, since I missed this. No duplicate accounts, least of all duplicate accounts that are created for the express purpose of sniping at members. Bye.

[Kuzu the Boloedge 15,859]

51 minutes ago, Kellan said:

Detailed? Maybe not. An answer of any kind? Yes, because they said there would be more information later.

And the information is that they're not here. There's really not much else to discuss and you only seem hung up on this because you're clinging to the tiniest bit of hope that the Freedom Fighters will appear.

[Your Vest Friend 14,797]

18 minutes ago, Marcello said:

I'm sure the Freedom Fighters will return in some way eventually. SEGA owns them and someday they'll want to bank on the nostalgia.

They have never shown a desire to bank on the nostalgia of alternate media, especially that made outside Japan. That's why they've always brandished that stuff as "irrelevant to the current image of Sonic", not just Sonic's old stuff. 

[DabigRG 2,421]

Really thinking about it, this whole reaction wouldn't be [as much of] a thing if they didn't intentionally hype up Tangle so brazenly.

 

The fourth issue really should've just been an pleasantly surprising team up between Sonic the Hedgehog and Blaze the Cat.

[Your Vest Friend 14,797]

Also no-one has pointed out that Scratch and Grounder are also effectively dead and buried then. Honestly, that affects me more than any of the FF.

[Meta77 1,086]

10 minutes ago, metalplix said:

This is why I bailed. I knew some of you guys were gonna show you true colors. All this celebrating "it's not sally get over it archie sonic fans stop talking about it".

I used to believe we sonic fans were closer than that but the past year has woken me up. I bet some of ya'll who keep acting like the freedom fighters are some horrible disease when sega owns them and penders can't do jack about it want the partially ran-dumb Sticks involved in the main series when sonic boom is dead, you should totally forget about her.

What kellan posted leads me to believe this is for game purist/sonic forces fans only. sega/idw may not owe me an answer but if they want me buying this comic then stop leading me on about the FFs, tell me if they're in or not so I can prepare to buy this comic or ignore it.

Well if my true colors are to move forward with a new cast of characters in a brand new comic and a brand new studio well gosh darn it I'll carry them strong.

 

I wonder if well get more reveals when they start the monthly issues

[Kuzu the Boloedge 15,859]

3 minutes ago, DabigRG said:

Really thinking about it, this whole reaction wouldn't be [as much of] a thing if they didn't intentionally hype up Tangle so brazenly.

 

The fourth issue really should've just been an pleasantly surprising team up between Sonic the Hedgehog and Blaze the Cat.

I don't really think the company is at fault here when it was literally a bunch of fervent fans that hyped this up as being Sally :V

You guys only have yourselves to blame for getting your expectations so high, but with literally nothing to go off of.

[SBR2 2,067]

Honestly I'm worried that it won't matter how much focus Tangle gets she'll still be blindly hated on and accused of stealing the spotlight.

[Tangled Jack 1,887]

Uhm... I'm more affected by the loss of Breezie and Von Schlemmer (the reboot versions) and obviously some of Ian's characters than I am with the Freedom Fighters or Scratch and Grounder, except for maybe Nicole.

Hey, what happened to the other covers? Especially issue 3 and some others, they are still missing....

[EmmBee 176]

People's emotions are running way too high over this comic.

[Indigo Rush 39,234]

4 minutes ago, EmmBee said:

People's emotions are running way too high over this comic.

When a 20+ year long comic is cancelled and several of it's key unique characters are left behind, people are reasonably going to be peeved. 

[Jovahexeon Ogilvie Maurice 17,820]

16 minutes ago, DabigRG said:

Really thinking about it, this whole reaction

Which one? There's quite a bit of positivity to the reveal.

16 minutes ago, DabigRG said:

Really thinking about it, this whole reaction wouldn't be [as much of] a thing if they didn't intentionally hype up Tangle so brazenly.

 

The fourth issue really should've just been an pleasantly surprising team up between Sonic the Hedgehog and Blaze the Cat.

Assuming you're referring to negative reactions, specifically those regarding the idea that this character who's not Sally, is supposedly going to be a ripoff of her, which seem to be coming from a more niche audience, why shouldn't they have hyped up Tangle? She's not Sally, they never hinted she was Sally, and we haven't gotten anything of strong merit to think she's a Sally expy.

And let's be honest, talks of a new character got more people talking than the "surprise" of a teamup between Sonic and Blaze for this new comic. A new IP which warrants hyping to plant the seeds for its first foot out the door.

I can understand people being upset, but let's not hate on the character for an idea the fans themselves thought up. I mean, we didn't even get official words hinting at Tangle being Sally in the first place.

 

[DabigRG 2,421]

4 minutes ago, Kuzu the Boloedge said:

I don't really think the company is at fault here when it was literally a bunch of fervent fans that hyped this up as being Sally :V

You guys only have yourselves to blame for getting your expectations so high, but with literally nothing to go off of.

Disregarding that since the most obvious middle point of discussion, they still went through the trouble of teasing people for 6 days about this new character that's noteworthy enough to be exclusively spotlighted alongside Sonic right off the bat and then accompanied the reveal by immediately talking her up on a level of the Classic characters.

 

Again, the fact that she's debuting alongside and seems to be taking design cues from Blaze doesn't help.

[Dee Dude 8,915]

Ok, this is ridiculous, as someone who didn't really give too much of a shit about the FFs until nu252 and wanted them to return, it's pretty much over for them.

I'm not gonna bash on those who are still holding hope for them but you over hyped yourself on the figure being Sally when it was obviously not even her to begin with.

The utter notion that Sonic needs elements of an outdated early 90s cartoon that a few grown adults are attached with in order to sell money makes zero sense especially when you're aiming towards a fresh audience who have experience with the actual games, I'd honestly feel more emotionally sad about any of the forgotten game cast.

Again, I didn't even like the Freedom Fighters that much until they got rebooted and became more appealing characters.

It's ok for them to appear in the IDW comics for fans who enjoyed them, but this isn't about them anymore, they're not the focus anymore, I'd pray for them to become a supporting group at least, but it's no use getting worked up because a shadow wasn't who you expected.

[Kuzu the Boloedge 15,859]

2 minutes ago, Indigo Rush said:

When a 20+ year long comic is cancelled and several of it's key unique characters are left behind, people are reasonably going to be peeved. 

Key word here.

1 minute ago, DabigRG said:

Disregarding that since the most obvious middle point of discussion, they still went through the trouble of teasing people for 6 days about this new character that's noteworthy enough to be exclusively spotlighted alongside Sonic right off the bat and then accompanied the reveal by immediately talking her up on a level of the Classic characters.

 

Again, the fact that she's debuting alongside and seems to be taking design cues from Blaze doesn't help.

Because it's a new IP they're trying to publish and generate interest. Which is ya know, what a company is supposed to do.

The fact they might have gave a few fans hoping for it to be Sally I'm sure was entirely unintentional. So I don't really think it's fair or reasonable to throw blame at a company for something that fans did. 

[MetalSkulkBane 1,461]

15 minutes ago, Swing said:

Really? I swear I can nor remember anything about her. 

She was quite an important character.... in Sonic The Comic. A British series published by Fleetway.

It's quite possible you just never heard about it. Only British and hardcore Sonic fans read this thing.

[Meta77 1,086]

11 minutes ago, EmmBee said:

People's emotions are running way too high over this comic.

They will get over it. Or just not read the book. I still have my issue 0 framed from my baby years and I'm noting but stocked to see a new story unfold

[Diogenes 41,793]

2 minutes ago, Indigo Rush said:

When a 20+ year long comic is cancelled and several of it's key unique characters are left behind, people are reasonably going to be peeved. 

Sure, but I wouldn't have expected it to have mostly petered out after...what, about half a year? Plus the writing was on the wall long before it was officially declared dead.

Certainly I wouldn't have expected a character teaser not giving what it never promised to whip up this much controversy.

[MetalSkulkBane 1,461]

"IDW defenders", you do realize that the best way to calm "Archie-forever-fans" is to not question them?

Silently let them express their disappointment and they will move on. Try to push them into it and they can push back because you gave them an enemy to fight.

 

[Indigo Rush 39,234]

Just now, Diogenes said:

Sure, but I wouldn't have expected it to have mostly petered out after...what, about half a year? Plus the writing was on the wall long before it was officially declared dead.

Certainly I wouldn't have expected a character teaser not giving what it never promised to whip up this much controversy.

Oh, I'm not speaking for the characters reveal. If you honestly thought that was Sally, you deserved to be burned. I'm just speaking generally here. Chances of the FF returning were quite slim, and I respect that; what I'm saying is from my perspective (and I'm assuming most others who are upset) this cast of characters I've grown to love since I was a youngin' are now effectively dead until further notice, and the new comic not ensuring their survival is just another grim reminder that they're probably going to stay dead.

I don't particularly care to pay heed to the rhetoric that they weren't relevant to anyone but people who watched the cartoons, because there's absolutely no way a little child walked into a bookstore, saw Sonic, asked their Mom to buy the comic and not have been introduced to these guys. 20 years is a long time for a bunch of nobody fancharacters from a dead 90s cartoon to leave an impression, ya feel?

[Swing 237]

5 minutes ago, MetalSkulkBane said:

It's quite possible you just never heard about it. Only British and hardcore Sonic fans read this thing.

Yeah, truth is I'm not really a Sonic fan. I only keep up with Sonic because of the Game Grumps. Their Sonic let's play are the funniest stuff they ever made. 

[DabigRG 2,421]

10 minutes ago, VEDJ-F said:

Also no-one has pointed out that Scratch and Grounder are also effectively dead and buried then. Honestly, that affects me more than any of the FF.

7 minutes ago, Jack of Tangles said:

Uhm... I'm more affected by the loss of Breezie and Von Schlemmer (the reboot versions) and obviously some of Ian's characters than I am with the Freedom Fighters or Scratch and Grounder, except for maybe Nicole.

Hey, what happened to the other covers? Especially issue 3 and some others, they are still missing....

Yeah, that sucks almost as much. 

8 minutes ago, SBR2 said:

Honestly I'm worried that it won't matter how much focus Tangle gets she'll still be blindly hated on and accused of stealing the spotlight.

People do that regardless.

The only reason I don't think Sticks got caught in [as much of] it is because she was advertised as a new member of Team Sonic(with the honors/credit going to the revised version of Amy) in a spinoff that takes place in a different subseries entirely. After her concept image had been circulating for quite a while alongside other originals and the game portion of Team Sonic had been revealed for a while beforehand.

 

2 minutes ago, Jovahexeon Sonic Tangle said:

Which one? There's quite a bit of positivity to the reveal.

 

The negative, mixed, and otherwise aggrieved and argumentive reaction, of course.

2 minutes ago, Jovahexeon Sonic Tangle said:

Assuming you're referring to negative reactions, of which seem to be coming from a more niche audience, why shouldn't they have hyped up Tangle? She's not Sally, they never hinted she was Sally, and we haven't gotten anything of strong merit to think she's a Sally expy.

 

Then why wasn't it done on [what should have been] the alternate cover?

The Sally stuff is the primary horn of the backlash, true, but I'm mainly criticizing the rest of it.

 

 

 

[Jovahexeon Ogilvie Maurice 17,820]

2 minutes ago, DabigRG said:

Then why wasn't it done on [what should have been] the alternate cover?

Is there some reason why it should've been on an alternate cover?

[Zaysho 10,819]

Okay, let's ignore the obvious ban-dodger and actually move on.

[DabigRG 2,421]

12 minutes ago, Kuzu the Boloedge said:

 

The fact they might have gave a few fans hoping for it to be Sally I'm sure was entirely unintentional. So I don't really think it's fair or reasonable to throw blame at a company for something that fans did. 

'With Archie Alumni Ian Flynn, Tracy Yardley!, Evan Stanley, and Adam Bryce Thomas...!'