Megathread IDW's Sonic the Hedgehog - Megathread

[Diogenes]

...y'know I did just assume it was Sonic on fire at first, but looking again...it's almost suspicious how well the fire blocks basically every detail that would tell Sonic and Blaze apart. The wrists and ankles, the heels of the shoes, the lower half of the torso, the majority of the head but not an ear...

I'm not making any solid predictions but if it does turn out to be a bait-and-switch of Sonic and Blaze, they certainly didn't take the easy way out with that silhouette.

[Kuzu]

Yea, I was actually caught off guard by that; I was just ready to assume it was Sonic coated in fire. But it's pretty easy to see it's also Blaze. 

[Razule]

Wouldn't it make more sense if they were on fire to trick us into thinking it's Blaze, and then it turns out it's actually Sonic, wrapped in flames because he's been transported by the Sol Emeralds?

[StaticMania]

Nothing's really giving me Blaze vibes, honestly...

Blaze's hair seems like it'd be obvious no matter how engulfed she is, her shoes are pointier than Sonic's, and that just generally seems like a Sonic pose...

But I guess it's up...

[MetalSkulkBane]

4 hours ago, DabigRG said:

In other news, there's a prediction that I think might interest you @MetalSkulkBane

Interesting theory, holds some water on what we seen so far.

Of course when he started talking about covers for future issues I stopped reading, as I try to avoid spoiling myself future events.

[Betz]

So since the Tweet is down now, IDW released a statement saying that May releases are being suspended and that their biggest projects will be compiled into a bigger (graphic novel?) release in July to make it easier on distributors. I'm assuming this is what David Mariotte meant by a surprise for July.

Edit: they took down the tweet and re did it. Why do people do this: https://www.idwpublishing.com/a-letter-to-our-comic-industry-partners-from-chris-ryall-idws-president-publisher-and-chief-creative-officer/

[Razule]

5 hours ago, Betz said:

So since the Tweet is down now, IDW released a statement saying that May releases are being suspended and that their biggest projects will be compiled into a bigger (graphic novel?) release in July to make it easier on distributors. I'm assuming this is what David Mariotte meant by a surprise for July.

Edit: they took down the tweet and re did it. Why do people do this: https://www.idwpublishing.com/a-letter-to-our-comic-industry-partners-from-chris-ryall-idws-president-publisher-and-chief-creative-officer/

Couldn't they release online at least?

[GentlemanX]

Sure, but that risks killing a lot of physical sales - which comic shops across the country depend on for their livelihood. Diamond essentially potentially mortally wounded the direct market for comics so publishers like IDW are scrambling to try and save it.

The situation currently going on is more an issue within the comics industry and it's established system and preserving the status quo.

[Betz]

2 hours ago, GentlemanX said:

Sure, but that risks killing a lot of physical sales - which comic shops across the country depend on for their livelihood. Diamond essentially potentially mortally wounded the direct market for comics so publishers like IDW are scrambling to try and save it.

The situation currently going on is more an issue within the comics industry and it's established system and preserving the status quo.

Also not even mentioning that rumor going around that IDW is on the brink of collapse, they would need to continue to do a sort of digital release to continue to operate. Cutting out both is a death sentence.

[Red Hot Jack]

I still think they should NOT release their comics online, they could technically continue to work on them at home, but still, for sales reasons, it's not worth it for them at all. We should just wait that the pandemic crisis passes.

The sad story here is that the virus plot is put on hold because of a real virus...

[Ellipsis-Ultima]

Two more preview pages!

Spoiler

Also we are getting two more covers (one teased by Evan and the other one by...

BEN BATES?!?!

[StaticMania]

Apparently hanger is infectious.

[PC the Hedgehog]

Yeah! My boi Ben Bates is back, baby!

That's why I love variant covers; it gives past artists who don't work for the book anymore the opportunity to contribute without having to commit to a whole issue. It's like when Dawn Best returned for the cover of one Sonic Universe issue.

[Sega DogTagz]

Sucks that the books is going on an indefinite hold... but at least the reason for said hold was communicated in advance. (Not like we can be miffed either - it was only a matter of time).

It was annoying to see comics constantly delayed under two different companies with extremely little information available as to why it was the case.

[Your Vest Friend]

Well, it's going to really fuck the pacing of the ending over methinks. What was supposed to be drawn out over the next few months to work to that climax is now going to be like "whoops, she's dead, he's dead, Sonic's dead, oh hey wait we reversed it woo".

I mean this is like the one time I'm not blaming the comic for that but it's still a bit of a cherry on top of this whole experience.

[Big Panda]

Evan Stanley’s cover is a convention exclusive. So god knows when that’s gonna release.

Ben Bates’ cover is a “Sega exclusive”, which I guess means it’s available on the Sega shop maybe?

[SBR2]

So...am I reading Chris's statement right because it sounds like the major releases they were planning for July are still happening but in the form of a trade.

[Zaysho]

Quote

IDW will reduce its overall publishing line for products originally scheduled through July, with a focus on releasing our biggest projects in special editions to help drive traffic to stores through the summer.

I'm assuming they're either going to bundle previously planned and delayed issues together into larger issues or just do something to incentivize even shopping at comic stores like colllectibles. If it was just foregoing the monthlies in favor of trades then I don't think they'd have this much of a focus on Direct Market.

Hard to say, though.

[DabigRG]

On 3/22/2020 at 12:52 AM, Diogenes said:

...y'know I did just assume it was Sonic on fire at first, but looking again...it's almost suspicious how well the fire blocks basically every detail that would tell Sonic and Blaze apart. The wrists and ankles, the heels of the shoes, the lower half of the torso, the majority of the head but not an ear...

I'm not making any solid predictions but if it does turn out to be a bait-and-switch of Sonic and Blaze, they certainly didn't take the easy way out with that silhouette.

 

On 3/22/2020 at 1:31 AM, Kuzu said:

Yea, I was actually caught off guard by that; I was just ready to assume it was Sonic coated in fire. But it's pretty easy to see it's also Blaze. 

Spoiler

Could we be looking at a switcheroo between dimensions, with Sonic guarding the Jeweled Scepter for a while so Blaze can go deal with Eggman/Zavok in his stead?

On 3/22/2020 at 4:06 AM, MetalSkulkBane said:

Interesting theory, holds some water on what we seen so far.

Of course when he started talking about covers for future issues I stopped reading, as I try to avoid spoiling myself future events.

Oops. My bad, I forgot you were doing that.

[DabigRG]

5 hours ago, Ellipsis-Ultima said:

Two more preview pages!

  Hide contents

Also we are getting two more covers (one teased by Evan and the other one by...

BEN BATES?!?!

Oh my goodness...

Who is that next to Knuckles?

4 hours ago, PC the Hedgehog said:

Yeah! My boi Ben Bates is back, baby!

That's why I love variant covers; it gives past artists who don't work for the book anymore the opportunity to contribute without having to commit to a whole issue. It's like when Dawn Best returned for the cover of one Sonic Universe issue.

Which one was that?

[Big Panda]

2 hours ago, Zaysho said:

I'm assuming they're either going to bundle previously planned and delayed issues together into larger issues or just do something to incentivize even shopping at comic stores like colllectibles. If it was just foregoing the monthlies in favor of trades then I don't think they'd have this much of a focus on Direct Market.

Hard to say, though.

I bet they’re going to do weekly releases or something.

[Your Vest Friend]

45 minutes ago, DabigRG said:

Oh my goodness...

Who is that next to Knuckles?

That's Whisper dooting along with her gun in hover mode.

On an unrelated note some reviewer just posted one of the panels of #27 outside of the preview.

One showing Cream infected.

[Bowbowis]

So, they specifically say they're suspending the May releases. Should we take that to mean issues #27, #28, and the annual are still planned to release on schedule?

[PC the Hedgehog]

2 hours ago, DabigRG said:

Which one was that?

This one.

[Dr. Detective]

Issue 27 is still out tomorrow. So far the April releases are fine too but since May is out that means the very last issue of the Metal Virus arc is on the back burner which is almost too cosmic and cruel in terms of timing.