Megathread IDW's Sonic the Hedgehog - Megathread

[Silvereyes]

Just Cover As for me. I don't feel inspired to double dip just for different covers. I also love Tyson Hesse's artwork and love the way the 4 covers form one big cover.

[Marco9966]

We know Tyson Hesse is busy, but why didn't Diana Skelly or Ben Bates return either?? They had great dynamic artwork.

[Big Panda]

Ben Bates had already left the Archie comic to do other things. Dunno why Skelly’s not on board.

[Zaysho]

Bates worked occasionally for IDW (I think the last thing he worked on was the Bebop and Rocksteady mini-series), and I think he's moved on to animation. Skelly may be busy, or perhaps they've already contacted her and whatever she's working on hasn't been solicited yet.

Anyway, I wasn't really planning to post in here, but I was looking around for something and didn't see it mentioned here already, it looks like we have an MSRP for the issue 1-4 box set, for those interested. It will be $24.99.

[PC the Hedgehog]

Looks like IDW Sonic is gonna be represented on Free Comic Book Day this year, courtesy of Spencer's!
 

What exactly the comic is (and how to get one) is anyone's guess at this point, but dig that sweet new Yardley Dubs cover!

[GentlemanX]

The comic is the first issue with art by Jon Gray. It'll likely be available in store.

[PublicEnemy1]

I just wanna have issue 5. Or some new news in general.

[Sonictrainer]

I hope they have the shirt in my size.

[Flame Lance]

Issue 4 was everything I wanted it to be. I so enjoyed seeing Blaze again being epic as usual and I loved Tangle. She's extremely adorable. Neither character stole the spotlight of either one. They both shined and had wonderful interactions with Sonic. Also, Evan Stanley's art was phenomenal. I can't wait to see more from her. Overall, I highly enjoyed Fallout and can't wait for more. Yeah, the issues were pretty samey, but they had a fun Saturday morning cartoon vibe, lots of action, cute moments, and great wit and charm, so I'd say it's a very nice start. 

On the topic of covers, I'm definitely collecting. Here's what I got so far:

Issue 1: Cover A, Cover B, RI-A, RI-B, RI-C, Diamond Summit, WonderCon, 2nd Print, and the More Fun & Games variant. 

I have the GameStop variant pre-ordered, the box set with the sketch variant and virgin covers pre-ordered, and I'll probably snag a C2E2 and Spencer's variant pretty soon. That just leaves the Superstar Edition, and I can't find it anywhere. D:

Issue 2: Cover A, Cover B, RI-A

Issue 3: Cover A, Cover B, RI-A, RI-B

Issue 4: Cover A, Cover B, RI-A, RI-B

Sadly, I missed out on the SEGA shop bundle. 

[SBR2]

Y'know everyone's been talking about whether Tangle is Gay or not but nobody seems to have thought to just ask Flynn himself.

Here's hoping they use this on a future BumbleKast. It'd be nice to know one way or the other.

[Silvereyes]

I've got to be honest, re-reading #4 after reading this thread, I think you have to do a little bit of reaching to pick up any romantic or sexual vibes off of any of the characters. I took Tangle's reactions to just be plain wacky rather than being romantically flustered. I mean, I don't have any issue about Tangle's sexuality, I just don't think anything in #4 was written to give off anything of that impression.

But hey, I could be completely wrong. I guess we'll see. Personally I'll be interested to see how Tangle and Blaze fit in the comic when they eventually return further down the road.

[PC the Hedgehog]

So, you apparently have to buy a $22 Sonic shirt in order to get the "free" comic book day IDW Sonic #1 with the Jon Gray cover.

No thank you.

[dbzfan7]

Seriously who cares if she is or isn't? Why is that the big take away from Tangle? Ugh it's the "Is Tails meant to be a boy or girl" thing all over again. 

[PC the Hedgehog]

20 minutes ago, dbzfan7 said:

Seriously who cares if she is or isn't? Why is that the big take away from Tangle? Ugh it's the "Is Tails meant to be a boy or girl" thing all over again. 

Because we live in a time when the sexuality of every fictional character ever is serious biz.

[Your Vest Friend]

You guys are acting like this is a new thing. In reality, it's basically the modern incarnation of the shipping thing, only now with a better appreciation of sexualities outside of straight. 

[Marco9966]

I want to live in a time where character's sexuality doesn't matter.

An awesome character happens to be gay.

An awesome character happens to be straight.

An anwesome character happens to be whatever age/race/religion you want.

[dbzfan7]

Just now, VEDJ-F said:

You guys acting like this is a new thing. In reality, it's basically the modern incarnation of the shipping thing, only now with a better appreciation of sexualities outside of straight. 

Oh I know, which is why I have a deep hatred of shipping. Because for some reason THAT becomes the big deal over everything else. Who is Tangle? What is she gonna contribute? How will she play off all the other characters? What will be her role in the comic? Nah fuck that is she straight, bi, or a lesbian....ugh for fucks sake....

It's the dumbest thing to make a big deal about, considering 8/10 times it's practically a surrogate relationship kinda thing for people who don't have one themselves. Especially when shipping boils down to "Let's strip everything the character is as a person/individual, and make them a generic obsessed couple without anything else mattering to them/being inseparable." Can't speak for other fandoms, but when I was deep in the Sonic OC/FC thing, that was all it ever was when it came to shipping. Never organic, always forced surrogates.

5 minutes ago, Marco9966 said:

I want to live in a time where character's sexuality doesn't matter.

An awesome character happens to be gay.

An awesome character happens to be straight.

An anwesome character happens to be whatever age/race/religion you want.

Maybe it's always been like this, but I swear when I was younger no one cared about this crap. It just became a big deal once the PC crowd became a thing. A character should be a freaking character, not defined by what their sexuality and beliefs are.

[StaticMania]

It's a pretty dumb thing to complain about, not even serious.

You're saying who cares about a character's "whatever", but if you really didn't care...this wouldn't bother you.

[Big Panda]

5 minutes ago, dbzfan7 said:

Maybe it's always been like this, but I swear when I was younger no one cared about this crap.

Are you referring to LGBT romance, or romance in general?

If it’s the former, then people cared very much...they just didn’t want to say anything because it was a time where they’d probably get lynched for it.

[dbzfan7]

20 minutes ago, StaticMania said:

It's a pretty dumb thing to complain about, not even serious.

You're saying who cares about a character's "whatever", but if you really didn't care...this wouldn't bother you.

I don't care. I do care however when that becomes the discussion instead of the real point of the comic. Because it's not something the comic even focuses on, and yet for some reason that is what people take from the comic. It'd be like if I went to the Dragon Ball Super thread looking for a discussion about an episode, and then it's all about "Is Dyspo gay?!" If that literally was the point the story was getting across as a focal point fine, but otherwise it's a shallow take away to look solely at sexuality.

16 minutes ago, Ernest-Panda said:

Are you referring to LGBT romance, or romance in general?

If it’s the former, then people cared very much...they just didn’t want to say anything because it was a time where they’d probably get lynched for it.

Oh I mean in general. Straight, gay, bi, doesn't matter. No one ever could write a couple and still can't to this day. It's always throwing away who a character is, and replacing them with something they are not. I think back then the most common trope was a super wimpy crybaby Sonic was like the thing.  Whether they wrote him with Amy or Shadow the fans did the same lame thing. I am not saying crying or being vulnerable is bad, but I mean it was over the lamest of things and all about the couple and nothing else. Dreadful.

[StaticMania]

If it takes over discussion, then sure...

If it doesn't...then interest denied.

[Shadowlax]

While I do think you could write... any sonic character in a functioning relationship. You are correct in the notion that a lot of bad writing consists of changing a character into something they are not to facilitate a ship. And that should not be brought into a comic. Ships are terrible, well thought relationships that form naturally are good and fine wither they are LGBT or not. 

If your ship requires a character to completely change who they are to facilitate its a bad ship. 

[Korke]

So, we're talking about shipping, huh? Interesting. I do ship few stuff.

Shipping among fans is not a well-thought process. I can say with certainty that 95% of the pairs generated around communities are only created to the sake of visual cuteness, without caring about personalities or even if an attraction would even be feasible to being with. Sometimes, even logical morals are put aside, like pairing Shadow with a 6 yr old girl, or having Tails dive in a incestuous relationship with the only parental figure he's ever got in life.

Even writers who were supposed to think differently from fans did commit those sins on the past, making Sonic completely OOC in order to stay with Sally, or creating a bs mystical magic to justify Knuckles and Julie-sue being together. We do have a horrible past, so it's hard to tell if we'll ever get a decent romance at all, just like how Game fans doubt if they'll have a good story in a sonic game at all.

[StaticMania]

5 minutes ago, Korke said:

...for the sake of visual cuteness...

That's the only thing that matters and people still complain...

I bet not all of them even write fan-stories...

[KoDaiko]

I haven't read the comic yet, but how different is Tangle's reaction in talking to Sonic and Blaze? I won't be surprised if Tangle reacted more to Blaze because: 1) magical powers 2)pretty strong 3)cool personality 4)maybe she looks pretty in Sonic standard?

I mean, women in RL would admire someone like Blaze too (even without the fire). And they're not ALL lesbians.

5 hours ago, SBR2 said:

Y'know everyone's been talking about whether Tangle is Gay or not but nobody seems to have thought to just ask Flynn himself.

Here's hoping they use this on a future BumbleKast. It'd be nice to know one way or the other.

I know representation matters, and sure it'll be nice to know as extra info,  but I don't really see the point in confirming it rn. I'd prefer the natural process of Tangle showing hints of her liking girls rather than straightout saying "Oh yeah she's lesbian (or bi)" right from the beginning outside the comic. Especially since romance isn't a focus and little or none of the character's sexuality is shown anyway.

If they debunked their read, I can see a certain group of people be very pissed and accuse IDW and Ian for something stupid. If they did confirm, it'll make the extreme side of the fandom raise it as a reason for "their" ship to be better, or use representation as a sheild to harass other people. Also it will support the  very insulting "showing any type of care or support=romantic interest" belief that the same group of people claim to be fighting against.