Megathread IDW's Sonic the Hedgehog - Megathread

[Shadowlax]

1 minute ago, thumbs13 said:

They compared the most common criticism of both and called them both invalid. The series dont need to be equally good for that to happen.

The common criticism on one might be seen as ridiculous given the level of writing generally displayed and their ability to have entire films and projects in different tones. The complaints lodged at sonic stories isn't that the funny is there, is that the writing is so bad the funny is grating,

 

[Ellipsis-Ultima]

Two covers for Tangle and Whisper #2

[StaticMania]

Concerned Tangle face.

The Sequel.

And...

The Alternative.

I accept this because it's cute.

[Splash the Otter]

13 hours ago, SBR2 said:

I mean except for how Sonic being gone after that scene is what leads to the world going to hell but sure it didn't matter after it happened. 

That's another problem! What makes Sonic so damn important that his presence is required for the heroes to have a fighting chance? And before any of you say "he's the main/title character" I mean in--universe.

[Big Panda]

14 minutes ago, Splash the Otter said:

That's another problem! What makes Sonic so damn important that his presence is required for the heroes to have a fighting chance? And before any of you say "he's the main/title character" I mean in--universe.

Because he has the one power/quality they need to turn the tide. Something contrived like that.

[Razule]

53 minutes ago, Splash the Otter said:

That's another problem! What makes Sonic so damn important that his presence is required for the heroes to have a fighting chance? And before any of you say "he's the main/title character" I mean in--universe.

Because he has player character powers. The others are restricted to cutscenes, but he's able to warp reality into one where it's like a track made for him to overcome.

[Kazhnuz]

8 hours ago, Kuzu the Boloedge said:

Ok fine, they exist.....So what now....

So we can drop a bit the "SEGA's evil mandates are restraining the poor Flynn by making him unable to make Sonic really loose or be wrong" when the reality is more complex that that. (I personally don't care about the rest of "how much Flynn's writing is better than Sonic's"). Just a note : I'm not saying that you, as a person, said that (If I wanted to be totally honest, I would say that I don't really remember what message you wrote, I'm that bad to remember people), I'm just using that to ramble about a subject that is often… quite badly handled by fans. And I didn't say that EVERYTHING that have been said about that is what I'm rambling about. And I've written more disclaimer than actual post content.

 

But anyway, I've read the new Whisper and Tangle #1, and… it is pretty cool. Sure, it doesn't have the tension and the "how they'll overcome that" that I think that the Metal Virus have, but it's interesting nevertheless. Mimic have quite an interesting concept, and we have the first clues about Whisper. I'm interested to see how it'll play out.

[Shadowlax]

1 hour ago, Splash the Otter said:

That's another problem! What makes Sonic so damn important that his presence is required for the heroes to have a fighting chance? And before any of you say "he's the main/title character" I mean in--universe.

Yeah  , and I think speaks to how much they didn't even try to explain it that they confine everyone to a room, have one person just not fight correctly and remove another person from the narrative. Its like a script screaming at you its plot instead of trying to relay it to you in a way that gets you invested.

And not to go too off script myself, in era where protagonists are more humble, down to earth , and flawed for kids than ever before. Sonic is yelling at you about how cool he is in a game no one liked and sega subsequently buried. I think that speaks volumes.

Back on topic though what's worse is that you could tell a pretty good story about what makes sonic important. If they would have used infinite's powers to produce other people instead of just bad guys. You could have had a story where like infinite just impersonated everyone and then got them to not work together and that be the cause of eggman winning. And then you find sonic and various other characters, peace together that mystery and showed that the friendship sonic has showed everyone is sort of the connective tissue they have. Sonic could have been the key to them remembering that or something. You can show that sonic has a lot more value than just hero man.

 

3 minutes ago, Kazhnuz said:

So we can drop for once the "SEGA's evil mandates are restraining the poor Flynn by making him unable to make Sonic really loose or be wrong" when the reality is more complex that that..

That doesn't mean that at all

What are you even talking about?

[Kazhnuz]

11 minutes ago, Shadowlax said:

That doesn't mean that at all

What are you even talking about? 

About something that is quite annoying in many discussion about the comics book each time the question of "SEGA's influence on the comic" come. Each time, it'll have a lot of this vision everywhere and I've seen a lot of that in the last pages : the vision about the "mandates", often with a lot of lack of basic understanding. And as I'm an old man that yell at cloud each time I can, I took the opportunity to be angry because even if it wasn't 100% here last page, we were pretty close to it and it was enough to ramble about.

 

( Basically, I wasn't discussing about the "Flynn is writing better than SEGA" parts - I don't care about that kind of discussion - but more about the "he won't be able to really do that because SEGA". I've added yet another disclaimer if it wasn't clear enough )

[Meta77]

I mean he wont? Wants there a panel in the old archie book of sonic crying but sega had them edit it back so it just looks slightly discomfort.

 

Hopefully the whisper and tangle book is out today lunch time

[DabigRG]

9 hours ago, Shadowlax said:

No actually? Infinite looks way cooler when he's using his powers.. so doe silver. Them throwing shit at each other showing each other how powerful they actually are at least IMO would have been way cooler. But what's done is done.

 

True. 

What I was really trying to get across is that since Sonic is about speed and there's apparently some prohibition against having most of the cutscenes be longer than a minute or two, that gave them reason to have them just Super Sonic at each other.  

Though it being easier to animate probably helped as well, given what we've heard about the possible production. 

[Kazhnuz]

2 minutes ago, Meta77 said:

I mean he wont? Wants there a panel in the old archie book of sonic crying but sega had them edit it back so it just looks slightly discomfort. 

If it was the "Mobius 25 Y.L." panel, after the edit, in the first one he looked way more in shock, and the second he looked kinda depressed, especially in context. It's a tad more for me that just "slightly discomforted". Sonic have shown in the ArchieComics a lot of different emotion, especially during the Mecha Sally arc (that was way after that panel edit). That's why I'm criticizing the "mandates" stuff, tbh, because a lot of time, it's just using one or two big symbolic example instead of looking at the whole comics and it's history.

[Shadowlax]

48 minutes ago, DabigRG said:

True. 

What I was really trying to get across is that since Sonic is about speed and there's apparently some prohibition against having most of the cutscenes be longer than a minute or two, that gave them reason to have them just Super Sonic at each other.  

Though it being easier to animate probably helped as well, given what we've heard about the possible production. 

Oh yeah that game wash rushed out the door faster than, ken penders if he ever shows up at IDW. But I have to judge it for whats presented. I also do not think more time woul have fixed any version of that narrative. In all stages of development  , it sounded incredible dated and derivative

[DabigRG]

1 hour ago, Meta77 said:

 

Hopefully the whisper and tangle book is out today lunch time

I read this as, "I'm gonna eat the shit outta that comic."

1 hour ago, Shadowlax said:

Oh yeah that game wash rushed out the door faster than, ken penders if he ever shows up at IDW. But I have to judge it for whats presented. I also do not think more time woul have fixed any version of that narrative. In all stages of development  , it sounded incredible dated and derivative

Dated and derivative?

[Big Panda]

Mimic has the ability to shape shift into other individuals, and his true form has been strongly implied to be an octopus/squid-like creature.

[Meta77]

1 hour ago, DabigRG said:

I read this as, "I'm gonna eat the shit outta that comic."

Dated and derivative?

Lol if it has the nutrients I would.  I meant I wanted to get it on my lunch break

[Shadowlax]

2 hours ago, DabigRG said:

I read this as, "I'm gonna eat the shit outta that comic."

Dated and derivative?

The games narrative seems to be going backwards in terms of quality and every element of that game seems to be derivative of another era of sonic with out actually understanding why those things worked. From classic sonic just existing and his levels actively making the game worse than it already was effectively adding nothing if not taking away., to the characters being around yet doing nothing for the sake of being around , to Infinite being " Mephilies 2: Shadow's derivative boogaloo a copy of a copy " , to trying at serious stories and just not getting the narrative ques that got us to fall in love with those silly stories of last decade even the bad ones.

Its just a smorgasbord of " remember this " but instead of repackaging and making it better for those who remember and for a new generation to experience its a mash mash of past things people liked into a gross mess that not only turns off the people who do actually remember doesn't show newer folks why they should care.

I don't think there is enough time in the world to fix a premise that cynical. You can polish it up, but it is what it is. Shadow being playable and Character customization are the two gains from this. Everything else was a step backwards.

[Dr. Detective]

Today I read a Sonic the Hedgehog spin-off comic that showcased someone who looked like Sonic brandishing a knife and leering at me menacingly.

For that split second I felt like I fell into the Twilight Zone.

[Multikaris]

7 hours ago, Shadowlax said:

The games narrative seems to be going backwards in terms of quality and every element of that game seems to be derivative of another era of sonic with out actually understanding why those things worked. From classic sonic just existing and his levels actively making the game worse than it already was effectively adding nothing if not taking away., to the characters being around yet doing nothing for the sake of being around , to Infinite being " Mephilies 2: Shadow's derivative boogaloo a copy of a copy " , to trying at serious stories and just not getting the narrative ques that got us to fall in love with those silly stories of last decade even the bad ones.

Its just a smorgasbord of " remember this " but instead of repackaging and making it better for those who remember and for a new generation to experience its a mash mash of past things people liked into a gross mess that not only turns off the people who do actually remember doesn't show newer folks why they should care.

I don't think there is enough time in the world to fix a premise that cynical. You can polish it up, but it is what it is. Shadow being playable and Character customization are the two gains from this. Everything else was a step backwards.

Even Lost World, for all of its childishness, was a bit more natural in feel.

[DabigRG]

3 minutes ago, Miragnarok said:

Even Lost World, for all of its childishness, was a bit more natural in feel.

 ...Are you feeling alright?

(Also, I just realized that rabbit character is using an Asteron and the head of those seahorses as armor. Fuck I'm slow.)

[StaticMania]

Annoyed Whisper.

1 step above Concerned Tangle.

Art is a fantastic thing, needs only to be appreciated by someone who can't do it.

I accept this as the current reality.

[MetalSkulkBane]

Tangle & Whisper #1! (of thanks god, change of subject)

I would start with my mandatory complain how people talking about solicits totally ruined any surprises this comic has (I'll stop bringing that up, when it stops happening), but answer why Whisper chases Sonic is given so extremely fast, so whatever.

With that said this issue is 'obligatory prologue' incarnated. Tangle talks how she misses actions, something resembling action scene and then few pages of exposition and emotions (which aren't bad, but surprisingly long considering how little we still know). Overall I feel like pacing could been improved, at least one more thing should happen.

Everything else? Is good enough. Dialogue lacks great jokes, but feels natural, Stanley's art is great but doesn't have any opportunities to shine (save for one 'geez, that's creepy' panel) and exiting revelations and twists are definitely 'coming soon, buy next issue'.

Also calling it now

Spoiler

Mimic can't hide that strange hole (sucker?) on his hand. Look at that one panel where he waves to female civilian, it's still there.

 

[PhantomFox]

I'd say Tangle & Whisper #1 was pretty good. It was kinda what I expected for the first issue, but I wish there was more action in it. Nothing too spectacular, but it seems like the following issues will be more exciting based on the solicits and covers.

I am pretty excited to see what Whisper's backstory is. Seems really interesting so far, I hope it's good. Mimic also seems like a pretty interesting character.

[Red Hot Jack]

I liked the issue, mostly for the portrayal of Tangle and Whisper, as I already said, I hope it won't suffer due to being a 4 parter short story...

Anyway, I'm really a lot more excited for the main book, Crisis City as of now is my favorite mini-arc of this season, because of 2 reasons: we are finally into the core of the arc, and obviously I'm biased as I love Sonic vs Shadow, their interactions and fights.

So, who do you think is gonna be infected next? According to Ian in a recent interview, the arc "only gets worse" (somehow), so I wonder what's gonna happen, the only thing I can think of is… well, Sonic becoming a full Zombot, is that possible though? I mean, considering it will expand over next year too, I highly doubt Sonic will be a villain for too long (SEGA won't allow it), so I was thinking Rouge gets zomboticized, although that will not make it worse than the Zombot Shadow situation. 

Then there is the "hint" of Sonic being a Zombot because he's not mentioned any of the "Last Minute" arc solicits. That's kinda concerning...

[MetalSkulkBane]

42 minutes ago, Tangled Jack said:

Then there is the "hint" of Sonic being a Zombot because he's not mentioned any of the "Last Minute" arc solicits. That's kinda concerning...

Well if you want to be surprised best to avoid solicits, just little idea.

With that said, maybe Restoration will go down. Rather than picking specific characters, just sheer number of Zombots will be higher than escaping fleshlings. I mean, Sonic keeps finding survivors so far. That can change.