Megathread IDW's Sonic the Hedgehog - Megathread

[PC the Hedgehog]

Nice to see Matt Herms finally getting some line art work for the IDW comics.

[KoDaiko]

They have two more pages for the Bad Guys #3 Preview:

Spoiler

source: ttps://twitter.com/IDWSonicNews/status/1328811168664838146

 

You can read all 5 pages together here: https://tailschannel.com/idw-sonic/updates/sonic-bad-guys-3-previews/

[CrownSlayers Shadow]

I completely forgot how ass Zavok and the Deadly Six were in the games for a while...

I know I’m not the only one. The difference is even more cringe when I watch cutscenes from the games.

[Sega DogTagz]

Hmmm

Spoiler

I wonder if Starline is playing some 4D chess. Leaving a clue like that for Mimic and Zavok to find.

 

 

[DabigRG]

9 hours ago, KoDaiko said:

They have two more pages for the Bad Guys #3 Preview:

  Hide contents

source: ttps://twitter.com/IDWSonicNews/status/1328811168664838146

 

You can read all 5 pages together here: https://tailschannel.com/idw-sonic/updates/sonic-bad-guys-3-previews/

Spoiler

 

Well that sorta justified this turn.

Funnily enough, it sorta makes the fact that we sorta know where this heads more interesting

 

9 hours ago, CrownSlayer’s Shadow said:

I completely forgot how ass Zavok and the Deadly Six were in the games for a while...

I know I’m not the only one. The difference is even more cringe when I watch cutscenes from the games.

Oho?

8 hours ago, Sega DogTagz said:

Hmmm

  Hide contents

I wonder if Starline is playing some 4D chess. Leaving a clue like that for Mimic and Zavok to find.

 

 

Spoiler

Maybe, but I sorta doubt it at this point.

 

[Meta77]

Spoiler

If anything he at least is doubting his admiration for eggman. Starline is a good bad guy. His only flaw is misjudging people. Such as how big a threat sonic can be. He almost killed him but did not account for silver being there to help him. If not for that sonic would be gone. Then there is the group he is with now. He had a plan but zavok planted in his head that he is better than eggman and should not play second fiddle. This caused him a moment to ask if he should keep them around but went against it. the deadly six are written much better here. Seriously wish Sega would hire Ian cause he has done with the characters they haven ot yet been able to. We still have one more issue. 1 of 2 things will happen. They will call him out on this or wait till eggman catches up and toss him away themselves. I honestly would like to see them stick together with how well they have been doing.

 

[Red Hot Jack]

IDW is probably canon IMO, not because of Tangle and Whisper in mobile games, but because SEGA is approving everything and supervising everything here, it's official material and close to being canon at least, I mean events here can or can not be canon to the games, but the characters and their portrayal, the world and the events from the games in IDW are, I believe, 100% what SEGA considers canon in the games.

Example.

Shadow's personality, the planets separation, events like Forces story, little bits of lore like SOL Empire, references to old games like SA2 in issue 6, is basically confirmation to what SEGA considers canon nowadays, despite their usual retcons.

[DabigRG]

With two years, two annuals, and one & a half miniseries under their belt, how do you feel about each of the cast overall?

1 hour ago, Jack out of the comics! said:

IDW is probably canon IMO, not because of Tangle and Whisper in mobile games, but because SEGA is approving everything and supervising everything here, it's official material and close to being canon at least, I mean events here can or can not be canon to the games, but the characters and their portrayal, the world and the events from the games in IDW are, I believe, 100% what SEGA considers canon in the games.

Example.

Shadow's personality, the planets separation, events like Forces story, little bits of lore like SOL Empire, references to old games like SA2 in issue 6, is basically confirmation to what SEGA considers canon nowadays, despite their usual retcons.

I mean, they're directly approving pretty much everything so far, so it stands to reason most of what makes it in is based on their variable collective vision.

[VO.SUPER]

I think SEGA sees the comics as an important branch of branding now vs the Archie/Fleetway days. 

Comics come out regularly while the games can only come out every few years. SEGA sees them as continuous consumer engagement, even when the main series isn't moving.

 

I can't imagine the games following the comics 1-to-1, but I can see them lifting characters. Maybe  they would take loose inspirations from the plots. 

[MetalSkulkBane]

Bad Guys #3 The weakest one so far. First kinda unfinished artwork, but more importantly I realize this series greatest weakness: it's too predicable:

From the moment Starline decided to make this team and betray them later, we had 90% of the picture, this story. But at least Issue 1 surprised us with Zavok's role as a "leader". Issue 2 gave us Tricore. Issue 4 will have conclusion (and possibly reveal of those mysterious robots). What has this issue?

Spoiler

Bad Guys finally turn on Starline. Even if  bloody cover didn't reveal it, it was still obviously going to happen. I like Zavok in this story, but just like last time, he didn't had to do that much thinking to get what he wants. Starline almost handed him the victory, which makes for interesting character profile of starline, but bland story.

Lastly I really wish the group got to something else than just smash robots. Why even hire Mimic when all needed was muscle? Flynn never bothered namik this group and I won't cry when it disbands.

And BTW how Mimic got both passwords???

[VO.SUPER]

I'm still engaged in spite of the predictability. I just like seeing the characters bouncing off each other. 

You have Zavok's warrior code vs Starline's Eggman wanna-be personality. Mimic is cut throat (both literally and figuratively) which makes him like a time bomb to Starline.

The two skunks are just fun.

You know, its funny. I think all the other villains except Starline have something straightforward to gain from all this.

Starline doesn't really seem like he does other than to get back in Eggman's good graces. I think seeing Starline trying to play as a power when he clearly isn't is a fun concept. 

After all, how would he have even gotten rid of the other four anyways? As far as things go, the other four are clearly stronger, and wiser than he is.

 

I mean, it doesn't change the fact that the story is predictable, but I think it helps balance out.

[Dr. Detective]

This is all just good fun. The scrambling of everyone's motives and how their clashing is very entertaining. I delight in seeing how the Eggman intervention comes into play seeing as how it stands as a surface level excuse to see the plan go awry but with the plan already ruined it can now circle back to being in Starline's favor.

This feels like the story about an evil Tails. A scientist whose not quite all there and is developing towards either being better at what he does, or losing himself entirely thanks to his poor life choices.

Its fascinating seeing how he felt so much more right about his method of handling things than Eggman before but Eggman's flare for the dramatic and his willingness to take risks is what ended up working to stop the virus in the end. 

Hopefully the Ian problem of the rushed finale doesn't plague this story because its been a really nice surprise.

[EmTiven01]

Since SEGA is so dead-set on turning Shadow into Vegeta (as seen in the Metal Virus arc), what if in the future there's a scene where Shadow gets the absolute crap beaten out of him by a new villain in the same manner as Frieza torturing Vegeta to death? Just for shits and giggles?

[KoDaiko]

2 hours ago, EmTiven01 said:

Since SEGA is so dead-set on turning Shadow into Vegeta (as seen in the Metal Virus arc), what if in the future there's a scene where Shadow gets the absolute crap beaten out of him by a new villain in the same manner as Frieza torturing Vegeta to death? Just for shits and giggles?

Idk if this is supposed to be a joke but that sounds very unlikely. Sega (at least SoJ) seem to see Shadow as the "edgy cool strong darkhero" so they wouldn't treat him like crap for "sh*ts and giggles".

 

Reminds me. I'm still wondering how much of Shadow's treatment was Ian's idea and how much was Sega's. 

Iirc Ian only said his original idea was shot down because "inhibitor rings don't work that way". From what I could gather from the Bumblekast...Sega only seem to say "don't do this" but doesn't ask/order specific plot points, and is usually fine with whatever the writer does as long as it's not too OOC. I agree some mandates are questionable, but when I heard the Ian really wanted/needed Shadow to be infected at that specific issue and had to roll with it, it felt more like Ian's problem and not Sega's. Idk I'm sure there were better ideas or alternate story direction he could've taken instead of having Shadow act stupid.

There's also that people are praising/okay with Evan's portrayal of him (or at least, compared with the Metal Virus version). Which means a decent Shadow can be written with Sega's regulation.

[StaticMania]

Shadow's not a Vegeta type character rival, him getting beat up all the time wouldn't work since he doesn't deserve it.

And it'd be nice to think they at least understand that part, since Shadow's story was a tragedy after all.

[Kuzu]

1 hour ago, EmTiven01 said:

Since SEGA is so dead-set on turning Shadow into Vegeta (as seen in the Metal Virus arc), what if in the future there's a scene where Shadow gets the absolute crap beaten out of him by a new villain in the same manner as Frieza torturing Vegeta to death? Just for shits and giggles?

This doesn't make sense; Vegeta was a villain at that point, and even after that he was still actively selfish. 

As stupid as Sega gets about Shadow, he's still 100% a hero and is, at worst, just a jerk. Being a jerk isn't really grounds for getting tortured. 

[thumbs13]

1 hour ago, EmTiven01 said:

Since SEGA is so dead-set on turning Shadow into Vegeta (as seen in the Metal Virus arc), what if in the future there's a scene where Shadow gets the absolute crap beaten out of him by a new villain in the same manner as Frieza torturing Vegeta to death? Just for shits and giggles?

I doubt any fight in this series would go on long enough for that to happen, but also Vegeta deserved his beatings most of the time. No matter how arrogant Shadow acts, he's still a good guy and doesn't deserve anything that bad.

[EmTiven01]

Yeah, that question was more or less a joke made out of frustration towards Sega's mandates. I doubt they would allow anything like that in any Sonic media without deeming it too graphic or disturbing for kids. Even if there's no blood. (Hell, an entire episode of Ren and Stimpy was BANNED because of this.)

[Zaysho]

Shadow already paid for being a prideful idiot during the Metal Virus arc because it took him out of the fight and put him under the (loose) control of Eggman. He even admits at the end of the arc that Sonic did all right and that he owes him.

[EmTiven01]

2 hours ago, Zaysho said:

Shadow already paid for being a prideful idiot during the Metal Virus arc because it took him out of the fight and put him under the (loose) control of Eggman. He even admits at the end of the arc that Sonic did all right and that he owes him.

And what do you think would be the problem with Shadow suffering a torturous beatdown like the one Vegeta got from Frieza afterwards? Especially if the results are detailed panels of the villain's fist connecting with his face, Shadow screaming in primal agony, Sonic and his friends reacting with horror to the scene, (with Cream possibly being traumatized after seeing the horrific moment), and Shadow's pride being completely shattered and him falling into depression deeming himself a failed experiment?

[Zaysho]

9 minutes ago, EmTiven01 said:

And what do you think would be the problem with Shadow suffering a torturous beatdown like the one Vegeta got from Frieza afterwards? Especially if the results are detailed panels of the villain's fist connecting with his face, Shadow screaming in primal agony, Sonic and his friends reacting with horror to the scene, (with Cream possibly being traumatized after seeing the horrific moment), and Shadow's pride being completely shattered and him falling into depression deeming himself a failed experiment?

It sounds less like some important moment for the character and more like you just want gratuitous violence for the sake of it.

[EmTiven01]

3 minutes ago, Zaysho said:

It sounds less like some important moment for the character and more like you just want gratuitous violence for the sake of it.

Not to mention it would come off as incredibly mean-spirited? Much like those bad episodes of Spongebob where a character is punished despite having not done anything to deserve it?

[Kuzu]

1 hour ago, EmTiven01 said:

Not to mention it would come off as incredibly mean-spirited? Much like those bad episodes of Spongebob where a character is punished despite having not done anything to deserve it?

I honestly have no idea what you're trying to say...

[Meta77]

10 hours ago, Kuzu said:

I honestly have no idea what you're trying to say...

They seem to mean that it be mean to pointlessly beat shadow and compared it to spongebob. But this is sonic......whom characters in this issue tried to kill a character in his slap. slapping around a near immortal hedgehog would not be a bad thing.

[KoDaiko]

2 hours ago, Meta77 said:

They seem to mean that it be mean to pointlessly beat shadow and compared it to spongebob. But this is sonic......whom characters in this issue tried to kill a character in his slap. slapping around a near immortal hedgehog would not be a bad thing.

Based on their devil idea from another topic, I assume they just want a brand new character that can eat him (and Eggman) for breakfast. That and see Sonic characters suffer extremely emotional/physical/psychological damage, and/or have their ideal villain "toy" with the main characters with the same effect.

Have no idea why Spongebob came up tho.