A Beginner’s Guide to Sonic in Comics

Sonic the Hedgehog has been an ongoing series for as long as many of our readers have been alive. It’s an impressive feat for any comic, but especially one based on a popular video game. Most adaptations of this sort are produced as a miniseries or collapse due to a lack of plot after a few dozen issues. That was not the case for Sonic the Hedgehog.

The series from Archie Comics ran a total of 290 issues before it was announced that IDW Publishing would become the new publisher with their debut appearing in comics stores this week. That extensive run has made Sonic the Hedgehog one of the longest-lasting and most iconic comics in the American market. If you’re not familiar with the series, this relaunch at IDW Publishing offers the perfect point to check it out, and we’ve assembled a quick guide to catch you up on the series to date.

Creation

The first Sonic video game was released June 23, 1991, and was both a critical and commercial success. It launched a franchise that would outlast the consoles it was tied to, with many people more readily recognizing the name “Sonic” than “Sega”. Colorful graphics and quick gameplay helped to ingratiate the character into a lot of households. That quick popularity also built a demand for more. This would take the form of sequels, as well as cartoons and comics.

The end of 1992 heralded the second wave of Sonic-related stories. Sonic the Hedgehog 2 was released on November 21, 1992, and the character debuted at Archie Comics in February 1993 with an ongoing series launched in May. While the cartoon would not premiere until September 1993, many of the early comics stories were directly tied to the characters and world created on television by DiC. The basic premise was constant with Sonic leading a group of heroes called the Freedom Fighters against villains like Doctor Eggman. It was initially produced as a four-issue mini-series before being relaunched as an ongoing.

A Long Run

Between 1993 and 2017, there would be a total of 290 issues of Sonic the Hedgehog published, as well as various spin-offs, mini-series, and one-shots. This accumulation of material would lead to the series receiving the Guinness World Record for being the longest-running comic based upon a video game. It also features one of the longest runs of any comics writer in the history of the medium. Ian Flynn joined the series on Sonic the Hedgehog #160 and has remained the lead writer ever since. His creations have notably joined the universe of the games, and Flynn was invited to continue writing the series at IDW — at least for now.

As any reader of long ongoing series from other publishers like Marvel Comics or DC Comics knows, that amount of time can lead to some confusing elements. In January 2009, former series writer Ken Penders filed a lawsuit against Archie Comics attempting to copyright his various creations while working at the publisher. This has led to subsequent suits and counter-suits, also involving video game producers EA and Sega. While various characters’ and stories’ legal status became unclear, there was a decision to reboot the series while at Archie Comics. And so, Flynn rebooted all of Sonic continuity in Sonic the Hedgehog #248. Only key characters from the video game and those created by Flynn remained, avoiding any potential legal problems in the future.

Sonic the Hedgehog has been accompanied by a variety of other ongoing series throughout its history. Both Sonic Universe and Knuckles the Echidna focused on supporting characters and their stories. The series also crossed over with Mega Man, another video game-inspired series written by Flynn that began in 2011.

Key Issues

While the new Sonic the Hedgehog series at IDW Publishing promises a fresh start, the series’ history at Archie Comics still offers a collection of great stories worth reading either due to their importance to the series or fun as individual issues:

“For Whom The Bell Tolls”: This issue is an early classic that covers some tough material with a seeming death. It debuted in the anniversary issue of Sonic the Hedgehog #50 and is a perfect example of building stakes in a story aimed primarily at a young audience.

“Order From Chaos”: This two-part story is a sci-fi thriller that uses nanites as a plot device to push both Sonic and his best pal Tails further than ever before. Taking place in Sonic the Hedgehog #168-169, it shows off all of the most iconic characters from the Sonic franchise in a tightly plotted adventure.

“Worlds Collide”: The very first crossover between the Sonic and Mega Man franchises took place in Sonic the Hedgehog #248-251, Sonic Universe #51-54, and Mega Man #24-27. It’s an incredibly fun story that ties all of the best characters and elements of these two video game franchises into a coherent universe. It also officially rebooted Sonic continuity.

A New Start

Given the extensive history between Archie Comics and Sega, it came as a surprise when it was announced in July 2017 that IDW Publishing would be creating a new series of Sonic-related material. They also announced that longtime writer Ian Flynn would remain on the new series — for now — guaranteeing a continuity to tone and style. Artist Tyson Hesse, another longtime contributor to the franchise, will also join Flynn. The new series is prepared to be a starting point for new fans, even with a familiar voice still working behind the scenes.

Sonic the Hedgehog #1 debuts this week and the series will be published weekly for all of April with a total of four issues being released before settling into a monthly schedule. IDW has stated that the new series will be more closely tied to the plot of the video games, with the first story “Fallout” taking place immediately after the events of the game Sonic Forces. It has also been clarified that characters and events introduced at Archie Comics will not be included in the new ongoing series.

The new issue seems to offer a best of both worlds approach. Popular writers and artists who ensured a record-breaking run at Archie Comics remain on the series. The series itself moves closer to the video games that inspire it and provide a better starting point for new readers. With that combination in place, fans should expect that Sonic the Hedgehog will remain one of the longest running series in all of comics.