Megathread IDW's Sonic the Hedgehog - Megathread

[Eurisko]

WHAAAAT!! I tweeted how much I loved the art last week at Tracy Yardly and it gained a bit of traction. They've actually made it an alternate cover? wow

[Marco9966]

Where can we watch SAGE's interview with Ian Flynn??

Edit: Found it! 

 

[Red Hot Jack]

1 hour ago, Marco9966 said:

Where can we watch SAGE's interview with Ian Flynn??

Edit: Found it! 

 

Does it say anything interesting? It's 2 hours long...

[Marco9966]

1 hour ago, Silent Jack said:

Does it say anything interesting? It's 2 hours long...

Ima watch it and then come back.

-Favorite game story: Sonic & the black knight.

-He was pitching the IDW plot in the Sonic Team headquarters to Iizuka, and they loved the story.

-He thinks TMNT crossover would be good (not a confirmation at all)

-He'd like to do a spinoff comic which adapts all the games in one timeline if possible

-Sonic's world is one planet/dimension and the human world is another planet/dimension (In Archie they just sent "Sonic meets humans" to SEGA  not "Sonic goes to the human world" maybe SEGA assumed they jumped between the worlds, so in Archie it was one world, but now SEGA is more involved so it's 2 worlds).

-He thinks Babylon Rogues are underused because they are only in Riders games. He thinks Jet is a worthy rival of Sonic only because of his extreme gear. He thinks it's nice that he's a villain (other than Eggman) that did not die nor become Sonic's friend/

[Shadowlax]

Listening to that interview. Ian says a thing that makes me think that my theory about issue 6 is true. Sega is apparently a lot more uh...involved with the script and dialog parts of the book now and kind of is cool with the over arching plot stuff for now. Now I super believe sega was like

" Don't reference sonic 06, don't reference shadow in forces, "

" Then what is shadow supposed to do " 

" figure it out " 

Deep Sigh

The specific language he uses to correct the guy of " Its not easier... its uh different " and I get it, there are things that happened in the previous comic that you probably want to make sure.... never ever happens again. Hopefully this leads to more good stories than bad. Apparently he has to pitch the stuff to like sonic team dudes directly this time. So uh... gods speed

Also nice to see hard confirmation that sega just... doesn't like referencing side material outside of the games that's old. Outside of the the things they lift from it, its a done deal. 

[PublicEnemy1]

Another interesting thing that Ian said was that he's going to do something with Neo that would have never flown by in the Archie book.

[Kazhnuz]

Nice.

5 hours ago, Marco9966 said:

-He'd like to do a spinoff comic which adapts all the games in one timeline if possible 

Did he precise "Classic + Modern" (something that won't be possible for a while TBH), or just some kind of taking every game he can use and make something with it and explaining/correcting some of the difficulties with the current canon ? (like Echidna's on Sonic's World, or things like that)

5 hours ago, Marco9966 said:

-He thinks Babylon Rogues are underused because they are only in Riders games. He thinks Jet is a worthy rival of Sonic only because of his extreme gear. He thinks it's nice that he's a villain (other than Eggman) that did not die nor become Sonic's friend/ 

And that is the sound of a meme that died (the "Flynn hates the Babylon Rogues" meme). More seriously, I hope it means that he will use more them, and makes some things with them, because they have potential.

8 minutes ago, PublicEnemy1 said:

Another interesting thing that Ian said was that he's going to do something with Neo that would have never flown by in the Archie book. 

That makes me curious. I kinda think that there are some thing yet to discover, as we have to understand how

Spoiler

we can get from "I am taking leadership to find my master and get him back to the throne" to "everything alive have been eradicated and replaced by robotic life".

 

I'm pretty impatient to see Battle for Angel Island, and what Flynn have in reserve for Neo.

[Dash Speed]

On 8/24/2018 at 4:45 PM, DaddlerTheDalek said:

Very cool.

Yeah who ever drew this needs to stop believing Knuckles is more important or popular than Shadow is as the co rival/hero of the franchise. 

[Ryannumber1gamer]

4 minutes ago, Dash Speed said:

Yeah who ever drew this needs to stop believing Knuckles is more important or popular than Shadow is as the co rival/hero of the franchise. 

Yes, how dare Knuckles be a prominent character in the arc revolving around his emerald, on his island, that's currently under siege by the main villain of the current story.

[Dash Speed]

Just now, Ryannumber1gamer said:

Yes, how dare Knuckles be a prominent character in the arc revolving around his emerald, on his island, that's currently under siege by the main villain of the current story.

Im just sayin, this looks like a classic sonic and knuckles cash grab and pretty much a marketing push to push sonic mania somewhat. And you know that putting characters on the forfront of sonic covers even if their not the main focus is whats called wolverine publicity, which is strange, Shadow is supposed to be the most profitable nowadays, why wouldn't he be as important in the fight against Neo Metal Sonic?

[StaticMania]

That actually doesn't seem like "just sayin'"...very unfortunate.

Truly...Shadow has brought nothing but Shade to this Silver Age franchise.

[Shadowlax]

I feel like folks are misinterpreting his words on jet a bit. He said he doesn't think jet is a worthy rival, and says he has to use a h overboard to keep up with him, what he does appreciate is jet just kind of being a bad person. So it doesn't seem like he hates jet, he hates that jet has narrative utility but practical story utility he has very little. I feel like personally none of the rogues could talk on.... any sonic character in a normal fight, and couldn't keep up with them really.  And that kind of hampers their utility even more. 

This is where I disagree with Ian though, I think him not having that utility and him being a bit one note is why he's a worthy rival. For me being a rival is meaningless its not why I like, shadow, blaze, knuckles or silver. I like they because I find them a bit interesting, and for some more than others their characters yield interesting things narrative. They are pretty bad rival characters too, Ian mentions this. They either become friends or at least in shadows case... reformed and for the most part live their own lives. And outside of blaze... don't really think or care about sonic that much if it all. Their rivalries are for the most part , happenstance. 

That said, jet could be that rival. A character, narrative who's focus is " I"m a thief, also fuck sonic "  , and no one else gets him and everyone is tired of his shit. He's this immature little shit who rides a hoeverboard who thinks he's hot shit and and everyone else is just tired of him. Like he challenges people and some people don't even remember his name. 

 

4 minutes ago, Ryannumber1gamer said:

Yes, how dare Knuckles be a prominent character in the arc revolving around his emerald, on his island, that's currently under siege by the main villain of the current story.

Yeah, while I like shadow. This is about rescuing angel island so its a simultaneous sonic heroes/ sonic and knuckles reference. So it makes sense sonic and knuckles are up front. Further more, I think the " unthinkable thing " is super neo metal sonic , like when that metal sonic absorbed the emerald energy in sonic and knuckles. Though I could be 100% wrong. 

[Dr. Detective]

I just saw the interview and I'm glad the stories he's done that he doesn't like mirror some of my own.

House of Cards, obviously, but he reiterated an unfortunate situation of editor meddling where he had this idea of a storyline that was supposed to go on for a whole year but the editor said "Nope. No political drama. Wrap it up in two issues and lets jump to Enerjak Reborn". So he was like... I gotta find a way to wrap this break-up and reconciliation between Sonic and Tails in two issues... I guess having it be over something as petty as "You went out with my pretend girlfriend" would wrap up quickly enough.

Sonic Genesis being one he doesn't like surprises a lot of people and he says he wasn't jazzed with the premise or what he did for it. It's just kind of there for him and he feels bad because he gets people at cons saying it's their favorite. But I agree with ian. Sonic Genesis was a waste of time. 

And, of course, he doesn't like World's Unite. He LOVES World's Collide (I do as well), but he owns up to World's Unite. That didn't turn out well.

[Big Panda]

I disagree immensely with the notion that Sonic Genesis was a “waste of time”.

I’d never felt so much suspense reading a Sonic comic arc up to that point.

[RedFox99]

Was Sonic Genesis the arc after Sally got shot and the universe was reset to be like the Classic games?

[Kazhnuz]

Yep, it's that.

I didn't know about House of Cards. It'll make me looks at this arc with another point of view, knowing that.

[Dr. Detective]

1 hour ago, RedFox99 said:

Was Sonic Genesis the arc after Sally got shot and the universe was reset to be like the Classic games?

Yeah, it was that weird interlude where everything went Classic and the characters were just going through classic levels and... that was it. 

Just a lot of walking and talking about stuff. Translating going through levels in the comics has never been the strongest material and I was struggling so hard trying to figure out what the point was or why it existed. 

I've read through Megadrive. Now that was good. Ian says he likes Megadrive as well. A lot of people do. If it had been more like that, I'd have gotten more out of it probably. Genesis was a slog. Going through some very arbitrary and samey motions. It felt more like a template for a story to me.

[Big Panda]

10 minutes ago, Dr. Detective Mike said:

I was struggling so hard trying to figure out what the point was or why it existed. 

It made plenty of sense in context.

Eggman reset the world to a different, more vulnerable state that was easier to conquer. That state just so happened to bare a striking resemblance to the classic games.

I will admit it was not perfect (the amount of game stuff they had to leave out, and the Freedom Fighters just being sort of there), but I still loved it.

[Dr. Detective]

1 hour ago, Ernest-Panda said:

It made plenty of sense in context.

Eggman reset the world to a different, more vulnerable state that was easier to conquer. That state just so happened to bare a striking resemblance to the classic games.

It felt like an excuse to just plod around in Classic Sonic times. I wasn't entertained by it and whether or not he found a way to have it "make sense" within the story's context doesn't really mean much.

Plus, that's kind of a dumb plan when you think about it. Resetting it to a more vulnerable state that's supposedly "easier" to conquer doesn't mean much when he still couldn't conquer it back when it was in that state. Maybe if the current Eggman had gone back to the past to do so, sure, but it was Classic Eggman they were facing. Not only that but he even states in it that he doesn't even really remember everything about the former reality.

I was honestly confused by why this was his big master plan. When they got out of it in the next issue and he had that droopy mustache with his champagne glass in hand, it was funny, but it was also giving me a sense of... "What was the plan again?" 

It failed rather fast and the issue before it began had such a promising, dramatic note. I understand that the only reason it existed was to promote Sonic's 20th Anniversary and Ian was definitely working to fit it in for that. The next issue even had a Sonic Generations side-story in it but... it really did feel like a needless detour. I'm certain there was a better way to write it, if it truly was necessary. Perhaps maybe it would have sold itself to me better had it been shorter and felt less like a promotion that was interrupting the plot rather than strengthening it.

[Big Panda]

Agree to disagree I guess.

...

Anyway, something I forgot to bring up was the first graphic novel release, which I picked up a couple of days ago.

Ehhh...I knew before going in how IDW usually did their softcover graphic novel releases, but damn, after being so used to how Archie did their graphic novels, this is just so...bland in comparison.

It’s just the four stories and a cover gallery. That’s it. Nothing more to see.

Still, it does its job (actually collecting the stories in a single book), so it’d be unfair for me to write it off completely. I’ll just have to get used to the fact these releases are more for the casuals rather than the collectors.

...would it kill them to make the spine a bit more interesting though? It looks so boring on my shelf next to my Archie books

[Tailikku]

Not one to add more fuel to the dying fire between you two about the Genesis arc, but I will say that Sonic X did it to a better degree back in 2006, seeing as it was Eggman pulling a Sword Art Online and trapping Sonic and Co in a virtual recreation of the first game, with his "grandfather" antagonizing them.  Only Chris and Chuck are able to help them out finding them and the Master Emerald in Eggman's beachside base with the comic noting that the storyline continues into the Eggmoon episodes of the anime.

I'm not joking about that grandfather bit. Decoe makes an offhand comment about the Green Hill Boss being Eggman's grandfather, to which Eggman retorts with an equally snarky comment saying that it's just a sprite made to look like his grandfather.

Sure whatever you say, Eggman...

[Razule]

46 minutes ago, Tailikku said:

I'm not joking about that grandfather bit. Decoe makes an offhand comment about the Green Hill Boss being Eggman's grandfather, to which Eggman retorts with an equally snarky comment saying that it's just a sprite made to look like his grandfather.

Classic Eggman is Gerald Robotnik and Sonic is over 50 years old confirmed

[CrownSlayers Shadow]

4 hours ago, Dr. Detective Mike said:

I just saw the interview and I'm glad the stories he's done that he doesn't like mirror some of my own.

House of Cards, obviously, but he reiterated an unfortunate situation of editor meddling where he had this idea of a storyline that was supposed to go on for a whole year but the editor said "Nope. No political drama. Wrap it up in two issues and lets jump to Enerjak Reborn". So he was like... I gotta find a way to wrap this break-up and reconciliation between Sonic and Tails in two issues... I guess having it be over something as petty as "You went out with my pretend girlfriend" would wrap up quickly enough.

Sonic Genesis being one he doesn't like surprises a lot of people and he says he wasn't jazzed with the premise or what he did for it. It's just kind of there for him and he feels bad because he gets people at cons saying it's their favorite. But I agree with ian. Sonic Genesis was a waste of time. 

And, of course, he doesn't like World's Unite. He LOVES World's Collide (I do as well), but he owns up to World's Unite. That didn't turn out well.

Genesis I find to be one of the least offensive out of those three and more.

It had its problems, but I can’t  really find too much out of it to find it a noteworthy point of critique—that few of us bring it up very often really make that point.

Not surprised with Worlds Unite—I think almost everyone aware of the things behind the scenes could tell he hated it or didn’t care for it the moment he killed off Team Dark and how dull the plot writing was before the Sega and Capcom franchises joined in. It kinda spread to the readers.

Same with House of Cards. We all (still) give that one flak, but we still know why.

[Dr. Detective]

1 hour ago, Conquering Storm’s Servant said:

Genesis I find to be one of the least offensive out of those three and more.

It had its problems, but I can’t  really find too much out of it to find it a noteworthy point of critique—that few of us bring it up very often really make that point.

Not surprised with Worlds Unite—I think almost everyone aware of the things behind the scenes could tell he hated it or didn’t care for it the moment he killed off Team Dark and how dull the plot writing was before the Sega and Capcom franchises joined in. It kinda spread to the readers.

Same with House of Cards. We all (still) give that one flak, but we still know why.

I've brought it up often enough myself. It doesn't really matter how often it's brought up though. What's noteworthy of critique differs from individual to individual and that question was about his own personal feelings regarding which stories he liked the least. Everyone's their own worst critic after all. Sometimes the ones we don't like are going to be things everyone else does.

There have been things that I've drawn and written that people tell me they like but I absolutely don't. As well as things that no one remembers that I do and hate that I did.

I actually keep forgetting that Team Dark was "killed off" in World's Unite. It's such a foot note within the story. Everything feels like it was. I don't even remember how Sigma lost. I remember it being quick and weirdly anti-climatic at the very least.

[DabigRG]

8 hours ago, StaticMania said:

That actually doesn't seem like "just sayin'"...very unfortunate.

Truly...Shadow has brought nothing but Shade to this Silver Age franchise.

What kinda thorough deepcut you showin off there?

6 hours ago, Ernest-Panda said:

I disagree immensely with the notion that Sonic Genesis was a “waste of time”.

I’d never felt so much suspense reading a Sonic comic arc up to that point.

 

6 hours ago, RedFox99 said:

Was Sonic Genesis the arc after Sally got shot and the universe was reset to be like the Classic games?

Yeah, I was getting ready to say, that's why.

5 hours ago, Dr. Detective Mike said:

It felt like an excuse to just plod around in Classic Sonic times. I wasn't entertained by it and whether or not he found a way to have it "make sense" within the story's context doesn't really mean much.

It failed rather fast and the issue before it began had such a promising, dramatic note. I understand that the only reason it existed was to promote Sonic's 20th Anniversary and Ian was definitely working to fit it in for that. The next issue even had a Sonic Generations side-story in it but... it really did feel like a needless detour. I'm certain there was a better way to write it, if it truly was necessary. Perhaps maybe it would have sold itself to me better had it been shorter and felt less like a promotion that was interrupting the plot rather than strengthening it.

I think I do recall him saying once that it was more or less requested by SEGA and that Sally seemingly getting shot in 225 may have been added as a hook.

 

3 hours ago, Tailikku said:

Not one to add more fuel to the dying fire between you two about the Genesis arc, but I will say that Sonic X did it to a better degree back in 2006, seeing as it was Eggman pulling a Sword Art Online and trapping Sonic and Co in a virtual recreation of the first game, with his "grandfather" antagonizing them.  Only Chris and Chuck are able to help them out finding them and the Master Emerald in Eggman's beachside base with the comic noting that the storyline continues into the Eggmoon episodes of the anime.

I'm not joking about that grandfather bit. Decoe makes an offhand comment about the Green Hill Boss being Eggman's grandfather, to which Eggman retorts with an equally snarky comment saying that it's just a sprite made to look like his grandfather.

Sure whatever you say, Eggman...

What the fuck...?