Megathread IDW's Sonic the Hedgehog - Megathread

[Tornado]

8 hours ago, Shadowlax said:

 This is fairly common and the fact that you can't grasp this baffles me. And it kinda sad that the moderation of this site can't grasp this.

You know what is extremely common and easy for the moderation staff to grasp? You treating people who disagree with whatever dumb take you've decided to pretend you can support like they are too fucking stupid to form sentences. It's so easy to grasp that we've even had members express that they stop being comfortable posting in threads they were active in once you start posting in them.

 

 

So you know what? This is your last warning on this nonsense. Argue the point and not the man, or don't post at all. Those are your two choices from now on when you come back, in any thread you post in; or we'll make it for you.

[Red Hot Jack]

I have to be honest here, I read the issue and I didn't notice the repeated formula at all. Zombots attack, Eggman has his villainous attitude, Sonic rescues villagers, but actually he doesn't here, even more zombots are infected, and obviously new friends are introduced.

So this comic can't have the basics plotlines? It seems like people get tired of everything these days, I'd like to know how they'd write it, for example I would introduce more conflicts on how to deal with this crisis, raise the stakes, but in this particular arc I feel like they are high already, plus there is tension, drama, emotion. It's pretty good to me.

The one thing I didn't like is how Gemerl was handled, really a dull robot character with no personality, just to create a conflict with Sonic, although it was an interesting conflict, because Gemerl sees them as robots to destroy (which is something Omega would do as well, but still), while Sonic and Cream see the zombots as victims.

Oh, David Mariotte said the map will be a regular thing throughout the season arc. Cool!

[caitash]

50 minutes ago, Psycho_Jack said:

Oh, David Mariotte said the map will be a regular thing throughout the season arc. Cool!

He also confirmed he was the one who drew the map XD it didn’t seem like he was trolling at the time either so I’m rolling with it for now.

[LukA8]

While I enjoyed the issue just like the last one, the comic has always felt very formulaic for something with only 18 issues so far. I love seeing the cast handle this dark storyline though, but this one could have taken a bigger risk by infecting

Spoiler

Vanilla

Sonic handling his own infection and being unable to help already feels old to me since it was the exact same as in #17, but Gemerl raised a good point about him being dangerous. Now we're getting two more parts of this with Team Dark, and I'm going to be really annoyed if there's no pay-off and Sonic won't end up turning by the end of it. I'm sure the comic can survive one mini-arc with him as an antagonist. The three-parter starting with Tails will hopefully shake things up, I'd like to see the story used to its full potential rather than "just fighting off Zombots".

For example, have Charmy infiltrate the shuttle and force Vector and Espio to face and capture him. This causes panic to break out among the survivors while Amy, Rouge(?) and Cream try to keep things in control. If you wanna get Knuckles involved, have them evacuate everyone to Angel Island and give us a reason why he supposedly worked as Resistance leader. Heck, let Eggman fall to the virus and have Orbot and Cubot lead Tails to the source of it. With this ending at either #23 or #24, I doubt there will be much place for any of it.

[Ellipsis-Ultima]

8 hours ago, ComeAsYouAre said:

Hi I am new

I am pretty sure the white one is a guy 

 

8 hours ago, PublicEnemy1 said:

Nope. Eyelashes.

The same thread states that the eyelashes were a mistake.

 

[DabigRG]

9 hours ago, ComeAsYouAre said:

Hi I am new

I am pretty sure the white one is a guy 

 

8 hours ago, PublicEnemy1 said:

Nope. Eyelashes.

Yeah, I think it's safe to say it's a guy.

The only thing suggesting female is the eyelashes and that might just be because the only normal cat character is Blaze.

8 hours ago, PublicEnemy1 said:

Yup. Unless that headband is actually a hat with kitty ears that just happens to be her skin color, she's not an echidna.

That's what I was thinking.

Well that or it was supposed to be a different spiky animal.

8 hours ago, ComeAsYouAre said:

It was created by a girl, they usually make their male characters "prettier"

Oh, is THAT the reason?  

5 hours ago, Sonictrainer said:

...or someone forgot to color her pants...

That could've been a case too.

5 hours ago, MetalSkulkBane said:

Maybe she's wearing white pants, like Blaze? I heard some people though at first that Blaze's bottom half is covered in white fur.

Nude colored clothes, eh?

3 hours ago, Psycho_Jack said:

 

So this comic can't have the basics plotlines? It seems like people get tired of everything these days

There's nothing necessarily wrong with basic plotlines. Just the repetition and/or overreliance on them.

I agree with that sentiment though.

1 hour ago, LukA8 said:

 

Spoiler

Now we're getting two more parts of this with Team Dark, and I'm going to be really annoyed if there's no pay-off and Sonic won't end up turning by the end of it. I'm sure the comic can survive one mini-arc with him as an antagonist.

For example, have Charmy infiltrate the shuttle and force Vector and Espio to face and capture him. This causes panic to break out among the survivors while Amy, Rouge(?) and Cream try to keep things in control. If you wanna get Knuckles involved, have them evacuate everyone to Angel Island and give us a reason why he supposedly worked as Resistance leader. Heck, let Eggman fall to the virus and have Orbot and Cubot lead Tails to the source of it. With this ending at either #23 or #24, I doubt there will be much place for any of it.

 

I'd say spoiler you should this, but then the issues have already been solicited and therefore are likely already being completed as we type.

But yeah, this all sounds potentially cool--and likely.

[Meta77]

One thing that both annoys me but its understandable cause they are kids. Charmy and Creams naive but good nature make situations worse for everyone. Charmy while good natured in the reboot just wants to help everyone but like vector tried to get over to him and failed was that they could not help anyone. it was a tough call but they had to save those uninfected which charmy could not understand and in turn was caught cause of it. Cream as well. Although she did use Gmeral as an example her do not hurt anyone command possibly could have been what caused the zoms to get into her house. Had she simply let him continue to drive them by force he could have possibly made it back to her mom instead of trying to subdue the zoms by non lethal "failing" means. But again they are kids .

[ComeAsYouAre]

It's weird to see how Mature Tails is compared to Characters his age , granted he was always a "kid genius" since his first game but his overall personality makes him feel like 10 years older

[StaticMania]

That's how most kid geniuses are.

[MetalSkulkBane]

Sonic's Age Legalization is weird

8 - you're old enough to pilot plane or car (Sonic R, Drift)
12 - you can lead world-Restoring organization
16 - you're old enough to became a ninja assassin
18 - you're old enough to fish

And once you're 20 like Vector, suddenly paying rent exists (unlike Amy who owns at least one flat in Battle, yet never shown to have a real job).

[Kellodrawsalot]

Really liked the lattest issue, Sonic comforting Cream like a big brother was very sweet. Im not the biggest fan of Cream the rabbit but I did liked her inclusion in this issue, and felt worried for the character,

I do hope Starline doesn't doublecross Eggman too fast trough, I got the feeling Eggman might robozombify Starline himself if he keeps up the back-talk

[DabigRG]

3 hours ago, Meta77 said:

One thing that both annoys me but its understandable cause they are kids. Charmy and Creams naive but good nature make situations worse for everyone. Charmy while good natured in the reboot just wants to help everyone but like vector tried to get over to him and failed was that they could not help anyone. it was a tough call but they had to save those uninfected which charmy could not understand and in turn was caught cause of it. Cream as well. Although she did use Gmeral as an example her do not hurt anyone command possibly could have been what caused the zoms to get into her house. Had she simply let him continue to drive them by force he could have possibly made it back to her mom instead of trying to subdue the zoms by non lethal "failing" means. But again they are kids .

I think that's a common thing in horror stories. 

To be fair, she didn't know they could regenerate. Anyway, I was under the impression she left the door open, but maybe they did just open/break the door. 

2 hours ago, ComeAsYouAre said:

It's weird to see how Mature Tails is compared to Characters his age , granted he was always a "kid genius" since his first game but his overall personality makes him feel like 10 years older

When you put it like that, it sounds intentional. 

2 hours ago, MetalSkulkBane said:

Sonic's Age Legalization is weird

8 - you're old enough to pilot plane or car (Sonic R, Drift)
12 - you can lead world-Restoring organization
16 - you're old enough to became a ninja assassin
18 - you're old enough to fish

And once you're 20 like Vector, suddenly paying rent exists (unlike Amy who owns at least one flat in Battle, yet never shown to have a real job).

To be fair, Tails was something of an outcast/orphan iirc and Big is wild. 

Also, Naruto is a thing. 

[PublicEnemy1]

Remember how I jokingly said that the the echidna in issue 18 was wearing a hat?

Well, I was right.

But Tracy got wind of this because of my big mouth, and said this

 Fuck me for tagging Yardley and blabbing my mouth and fuck SEGA for these stupid arbitrary rules.

[Meta77]

Oh sega XD lol so we can no longer have ANY echidna?

Also tails is a kitsune. I know its a topic glossed over my most fans but dont they get stronger and smarter the older they get. Granted they also gain more tails to show this but we all know segas never going to do that to him lol

[DabigRG]

1 minute ago, Meta77 said:

Oh sega XD lol so we can no longer have ANY echidna?

Also tails is a kitsune. I know its a topic glossed over my most fans but dont they get stronger and smarter the older they get. Granted they also gain more tails to show this but we all know segas never going to do that to him lol

Actually, I think he's specifically meant to be a mutant fox. Is there any ambiguity?

[Meta77]

1 minute ago, DabigRG said:

Actually, I think he's specifically meant to be a mutant fox. Is there any ambiguity?

Archie did that but he was originally written as a kitsune with sega japan and tying to japanese folklore a bit.

[Razule]

46 minutes ago, Meta77 said:

Oh sega XD lol so we can no longer have ANY echidna?

I mean.. Knuckles being the last one is kind of a thing, so yeah. There's not just going to be walking around with no acknowledgement.

46 minutes ago, Meta77 said:

Also tails is a kitsune.

He's based off of kitsune.

1 hour ago, PublicEnemy1 said:

these stupid arbitrary rules.

It's a lore thing, how is that abitrary? Should there be 8 Chaos Emeralds just because "screw Sega"?

[Meta77]

9 minutes ago, Razule said:

I mean.. Knuckles being the last one is kind of a thing, so yeah. There's not just going to be walking around with no acknowledgement.

He's based off of kitsune.

It's a lore thing, how is that abitrary? Should there be 8 Chaos Emeralds just because "screw Sega"?

WHEN was the last time sega even brought up that fact? I mean this is Sega, i doubt they even know there own lore and story even more. Remember that horrible reason the moon is not blown up anymore in games I mean it still is but their answear was just dumb.

[StaticMania]

1 hour ago, PublicEnemy1 said:

...arbitrary rules.

Knuckles being the last Echidna isn't exactly arbitrary.

[Heckboy]

Yeah man fuck Sega for establishing that Knuckles is the last echidna 25 years ago and then it turns out that a random background character in one issue of the comic that vaguely resembles an echidna WASN'T an echidna! Damn mandates!

[PublicEnemy1]

Screw the lore, I want to see other echidnas. I don't care what's "canon" BECAUSE THE BOOK IS FUCKING NON-CANON. Why not go a little more wild with the source material? Why keep treating as if it's canon when it's not? The book in general suffers from this. IDW Sonic should've been what it was first advertised: a fresh start. I was hoping that it would stray away from the previous comic, but also the games.

Remember Archie? It had it's OWN thing going on, even in the post-reboot, while this is mostly banking off the games. Year 1 felt like Heroes, except with a slightly different cast. Year 2 is just a generic zombie plot.

Y'see, there's a difference between comic and game. A comic needs, NEEDS to have an ongoing story with some depth. These stories feel more like cutscenes to a game that I could be playing. There are no sub-plots, there are no other perspectives other than Sonic, and it's incredibly formulaic.

At least change the foundational lore up a bit, give it more deeper explanation, or just do something completely unexpected and fresh. This does not feel fresh, it feels too similar to the games. 

Take the Mega Man comics for example. Yes, they stuck close to the games' plots, but they changed things up. They added new characters, backstories, and twists to keep the formula fresh. This comic, I feel, does not achieve that.

Yes, the premise of the Zombot Virus is fresh. However, the infected act like regular zombies, there's not really any Sonic-y twist other than the metal.

Issue 15 showed us how much body horror they could have. Since they are virtually invincible, they should be showing the harming effects. But they only do that on Issue 15. Potential is being wasted here. 

Sorry if I went on too much of a tirade here. I really want to care about this comic. It's the only piece of Sonic media since Mania I find decent. But it needs to be more fresh in order for it to interest me more.

[Razule]

1 hour ago, Meta77 said:

WHEN was the last time sega even brought up that fact? I mean this is Sega, i doubt they even know there own lore and story even more. Remember that horrible reason the moon is not blown up anymore in games I mean it still is but their answear was just dumb.

Apparently they do know their own lore and care about keeping it consistent to an extent. Maybe more general character and setting things than game-to-game stuff. 

[Diogenes]

11 minutes ago, PublicEnemy1 said:

Screw the lore, I want to see other echidnas. I don't care what's "canon" BECAUSE THE BOOK IS FUCKING NON-CANON. Why not go a little more wild with the source material? Why keep treating as if it's canon when it's not?

Because it exists as a relatively direct companion to the games, unlike a lot of other Sonic media being weird offshoots. The series has suffered a lot due to a lack of a consistent identity, and having a new comic run off and blatantly contradict important parts of the setting just for the sake of it wouldn't help with that.

[StaticMania]

Knuckles being the last of his kind is literally the only consistent part of the series in the past 2 decades.

That's quite unfortunate.

[Heckboy]

Mega Man added and changed things but didn't change fundamental aspects of the characters. Proto Man had his backstory and motivations fleshed out but it didn't completely change him. It didn't make Mega Man an upgraded version of Proto Man, who is actually a cyborg made from the corpse of Dr. Light's son.

Why, of all the things they can possibly do, should they need more echidnas? What would that actually add? Would it somehow make Knuckles more interesting? There's other angles you can explore with Knuckles, like, say, his treasure hunting or knowledge of various ancient cultures and shit.

Yeah, the comic is bland, but there's a million better things you can do with a new setting - even one heavily based on the games - that doesn't involve echidnas. People are so fucking hyper-focused on THE MANDATES all the time that they can't conceive of all the shit that can be done even within those guidelines. 

Also reminder to read StC's Knuckles stories. There was only one echidna (a villain) added that appeared in one or two stories, but most of it just involved Knuckles becoming acquainted with the world outside the Floating Island, occasionally pondering his lost people and learning about their past sins (which is by far a better approach than Ken took). No need to add in a bunch of other OCs.