Sonic the Hedgehog (IDW Publishing) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Sonic the Hedgehog |
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Promotional artwork from New York Comic-Con by Tyson Hesse (2017)
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| Publisher | IDW Publishing (licensed by Sega of America) |
| Schedule | Monthly |
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| Publication date | April 4, 2018–present |
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The Sonic the Hedgehog comic series from IDW Publishing brings the fast-paced world of Sega's famous blue hedgehog to life! This American comic book series is based on the popular video game franchise. It's the third comic series to feature Sonic, following comics from Fleetway Publications and Archie Comics.
Contents
Adventures of Sonic: Comic Book History
How the IDW Sonic Comics Started
On July 21, 2017, IDW Publishing announced they would create new Sonic comics. This happened after the previous Sonic the Hedgehog series by Archie Comics ended after 24 years. The new series kicked off with a special event in April 2018. The first four issues were released every week that month. After that, new issues came out monthly starting in May 2018.
Meet the Creative Team
Ian Flynn, who wrote for the Archie Sonic comics, returned as the main writer for the IDW series. Tyson Hesse joined as an artist. At New York Comic Con 2017, Ian Flynn shared that both old and new characters would appear. This hinted that characters from the games and older comics might come back. In January 2018, IDW announced that Tracy Yardley, another artist from the Archie Sonic comics, would be a penciller for the new series. On April 14, 2020, Evan Stanley, one of the artists, also started writing for the series.
Sonic Characters in Games
On June 28, 2020, two new characters from the comics, Tangle the Lemur and Whisper the Wolf, were announced. They appeared in the Sonic mobile game Sonic Forces: Speed Battle as part of special events. You can even find plush toys of them! Tangle was also mentioned briefly in the 2022 Sonic game Sonic Frontiers. The people who manage the Sonic story have confirmed that the comics are part of the official game story.
What Happens in the Comics?
Sonic's Ongoing Battle with Dr. Eggman
The comic series follows Sonic and his friends as they stop Doctor Eggman and other bad guys. After the big war in Sonic Forces, Eggman actually lost his memory. He ended up in a quiet village and became a friendly person named Mr. Tinker. Sonic soon learned that Neo Metal Sonic was leading Eggman's robots, called Badniks. Neo Metal Sonic planned to take over the world in Eggman's place.
The Metal Virus Threat
While Sonic and his friends fought Neo Metal Sonic, a fan of Eggman named Starline kidnapped Mr. Tinker. Starline managed to turn him back into the evil Eggman. Later, Eggman created a terrible Metal Virus. This virus turned living things into mindless robots called "Zombots." But the virus quickly got out of his control! Starline brought in the Deadly Six, hoping they could control the Zombots. However, they betrayed him. This caused a big fight between Starline and Eggman. Eggman was then forced to help Sonic and his friends cure the world.
New Adventures and New Villains
After the Metal Virus was stopped, Sonic and his team decided to fix E-123 Omega. His body was broken during the Zombot plague. Sonic and Tails looked for blueprints in an Eggman base. Meanwhile, Rouge, Amy, Cream, and Cheese joined a competition to win parts. Sonic and Tails found a kind robot named Belle, created by Mr. Tinker. The other group met a former crime boss named Clutch.
Starline's Dangerous Plan
Starline still wanted to impress Eggman. He created two cyborgs, Surge and Kitsunami, to replace Sonic and Tails. Starline had been controlling them and erasing their memories. When Surge and Kit found out, they vowed to destroy all heroes and villains. Starline then tried to take over Eggman's new capital, Eggperial City. This city was growing to cover the whole planet. He tricked Sonic, Tails, and Belle into coming there. But Eggman defeated Starline and left him to die. Kit escaped with Surge, who was badly hurt. Finally, the Restoration and their friends defeated Eggman and destroyed Eggperial City.
Meet the New Characters
The Sonic the Hedgehog comic series introduces many exciting new characters:
- Tangle the Lemur – An energetic ring-tailed lemur who can stretch her tail to fight. She is mentioned in the game Sonic Frontiers.
- Whisper the Wolf – A quiet wolf who uses a special Wisp-powered rifle. She becomes Tangle's best friend.
- Jewel the Beetle – A beetle who runs a museum. She is Tangle's childhood friend and later leads the Restoration group.
- Belle the Tinkerer – A sweet but clumsy marionette-like robot. Eggman created her when he was "Mr. Tinker."
- Lanolin the Sheep – A nervous sheep who joined the Restoration after Sonic and Amy saved her village.
- Doctor Starline – A platypus scientist who looked up to Eggman. He died trying to take over Eggman's empire.
- Rough & Tumble – A pair of trouble-making skunk brothers.
- Mimic – A shapeshifting mimic octopus. He betrayed Whisper's old team to Eggman.
- Surge the Tenrec – A punk-style cyborg lowland streaked tenrec. Starline created her to be like Sonic. She is very hurt by Starline's experiments.
- Kitsunami "Kit" the Fennec – A sad cyborg fennec fox. Starline created him to be like Tails and Surge's helper. He is also very hurt by Starline's experiments.
- Clutch the Opossum – An opossum crime boss. He collects Eggman's technology for his own gain.
Comic Book Publications
Main Series and Spin-offs
| Title | Issue(s) | Start date | End date | What it's about |
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| Sonic the Hedgehog | 1– | April 4, 2018 | N/A | This is the main series! It started weekly in April 2018, then became monthly. Sonic, Tails, and friends fight Doctor Eggman and other bad guys. The story takes place after the game Sonic Forces. |
| Sonic the Hedgehog: Tangle & Whisper | 0–4 | April 24, 2019 | December 11, 2019 | A short series about Tangle the Lemur and Whisper the Wolf. They are two popular new characters from the main comic. |
| Sonic the Hedgehog: Bad Guys | 1–4 | October 7, 2020 | December 16, 2020 | This short series focuses on Dr. Starline and his team of villains: Zavok, Mimic, and Rough & Tumble. |
| Sonic the Hedgehog: Imposter Syndrome | 1–4 | November 17, 2021 | May 11, 2022 | A short series about Dr. Eggman and Dr. Starline. It also introduces the new bad guys, Surge the Tenrec and Kitsunami "Kit" the Fennec. |
| Sonic the Hedgehog: Scrapnik Island | 1–4 | October 19, 2022 | January 18, 2023 | This is a scary short series. Sonic and Tails get stuck on an island filled with old, broken robots called "Scrapniks." |
Special One-Shot Comics
| Title | Publication date | What it's about |
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| Team Sonic Racing | December 5, 2018 | This comic tells a story that happens before the 2019 Team Sonic Racing game. |
| Sonic the Hedgehog Annual 2019 | May 1, 2019 | A special yearly comic with 5 brand new stories. |
| Sonic the Hedgehog Halloween ComicFest 2019 | October 26, 2019 | A special comic for Halloween, which includes a reprinted story. |
| Sonic the Hedgehog Annual 2020 | July 8, 2020 | Another yearly comic with 6 new stories. These stories take place during the Metal Virus Saga. |
| Sonic the Hedgehog 30th Anniversary Special | June 23, 2021 | A special comic to celebrate 30 years of the Sonic the Hedgehog series! |
| Sonic the Hedgehog Free Comic Book Day 2021 | August 14, 2021 | A special comic given out for Free Comic Book Day. |
| Sonic the Hedgehog 2: The Official Movie Pre-quill | April 5, 2022 | This comic tells a story that happens before the Sonic the Hedgehog 2 movie from 2022. |
| Sonic the Hedgehog Free Comic Book Day 2022 | May 7, 2022 | Another special comic for Free Comic Book Day. |
| Sonic the Hedgehog Annual 2022 | August 17, 2022 | A yearly comic with 6 new stories, featuring unusual character pairings. |
| Sonic the Hedgehog: Tails 30th Anniversary Special | November 16, 2022 | A special comic celebrating 30 years of Tails from the Sonic the Hedgehog series. |
| Sonic the Hedgehog: 5th Anniversary Edition | April 5, 2023 | A special comic celebrating 5 years of the IDW Sonic the Hedgehog comic series. |
| Sonic the Hedgehog: Endless Summer | August 30, 2023 | Part of a special "IDW Endless Summer" event. |
| Sonic the Hedgehog's 900th Adventure | September 13, 2023 | A special comic celebrating the entire history of Sonic the Hedgehog comics, including older series. |
| Sonic the Hedgehog: Amy's 30th Anniversary Special | September 27, 2023 | A special comic celebrating 30 years of Amy Rose from the Sonic the Hedgehog series. |
Graphic Novels
| Title | Publication date | What it's about |
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| Sonic the Hedgehog 30th Anniversary Celebration: Deluxe Edition | October 6, 2021 | A special graphic novel starring Classic Sonic, celebrating the franchise's 30th anniversary. |
