comic book
A comic book, comic-magazine, or simply comic is a publication that consists of comics art in the form of sequential juxtaposed panel (comics), panels that represent individual scenes. Panels are often accompanied by descriptive prose and wri ...
series based on the
Sega
is a Japanese video game company and subsidiary of Sega Sammy Holdings headquartered in Tokyo. It produces several List of best-selling video game franchises, multi-million-selling game franchises for arcade game, arcades and video game cons ...
video game franchise
This is a list of video game franchises, organized alphabetically. All entries include multiple video games, not counting ports or altered re-releases.
0–9
*''1080° Snowboarding''
*''1942''
*''3D Ultra Minigolf''
*'' 3-D Ultra Pinball''
*'' ...
, published by
IDW Publishing
IDW Publishing is an American publisher of comic books, graphic novels, art books, and comic strip collections. It was founded in 1999 as the publishing division of Idea and Design Works, LLC (IDW) and is recognized as the fifth-largest comic ...
.
It is the second U.S. licensed comic book adaption of ''Sonic the Hedgehog'' after
Archie Comics
Archie Comic Publications, Inc. (often referred to simply as Archie Comics) is an American comic book publisher headquartered in the village of Pelham, New York. The company's many titles feature the fictional teenagers Archie Andrews, Jug ...
' ''Sonic the Hedgehog'' series, and the franchise's third overall licensed comic book series after the British ''
Sonic the Comic
''Sonic the Comic'' was a British children's comic published by Fleetway Editions between 1993 and 2002. It was the UK's Sega comic, featuring stories about its mascot Sonic the Hedgehog and related characters, as well as comic strips based on ...
'' series by
Fleetway Publications
Fleetway Publications was a magazine publishing company based in London.
History
It was founded in 1959 when the Mirror Group acquired the Amalgamated Press, then based at Fleetway House, Farringdon Street, London. It was one of the companies ...
. Unlike those series, which had their original story, IDW's ''Sonic the Hedgehog'' is set in the same continuity as the ''Sonic the Hedgehog'' game series.
Publication history
On July 21, 2017, IDW Publishing announced a deal with Sega of America to produce a new series of ''Sonic'' comics after the cancellation of the ''
Sonic the Hedgehog
is a video game series and media franchise created by the Japanese developers Yuji Naka, Naoto Ohshima, and Hirokazu Yasuhara for Sega. The franchise follows Sonic the Hedgehog (character), Sonic, an anthropomorphic blue hedgehog who battle ...
'' comic series by
Archie Comics
Archie Comic Publications, Inc. (often referred to simply as Archie Comics) is an American comic book publisher headquartered in the village of Pelham, New York. The company's many titles feature the fictional teenagers Archie Andrews, Jug ...
after a 24-year run. The new series began with a four-week long event where the first four issues were released each week in April 2018, followed by a monthly release of subsequent issues starting in May 2018. Archie ''Sonic'' writer
Ian Flynn
James Ian Flynn (born May 31, 1982), also known by his Internet pen name Ian Potto, is an American-Canadian comic book writer. He was chief writer for Archie Comics's ''Sonic the Hedgehog'' since issue #160, after the departure of the previous chi ...
was later confirmed to return as the series' lead writer, alongside artist
Tyson Hesse
Tyson Hesse (born August 30, 1984) is an American artist and animator. Hesse is the creator of the webcomic ''Boxer Hockey'' and the graphic novel ''Diesel'' and ''Diesel: Ignition''. He contributed art to the video game ''Dream Daddy'' and the ...
. In an interview with
Game Informer
''Game Informer'' (''GI'' is an American monthly Video game journalism, video game magazine featuring articles, news, strategy, and reviews of video games and video game console, game consoles. It debuted in August 1991, when the video game reta ...
, Flynn established that IDW's ''Sonic'' continuity is separate from Archie's.
During
New York Comic Con
The New York Comic Con is an annual New York City fan convention dedicated to comics, Western comics, graphic novels, anime, manga, video games, cosplay, toys, Film, movies, and television. It was first held in 2006. With an attendance of 200,00 ...
2017, Ian Flynn confirmed that characters old and new would be featured in the series, hinting that characters from the games and the original comics might possibly return. In January 2018, IDW revealed that
Tracy Yardley
Tracy Yardley (born July 19, 1979, in Southern Illinois) is an American comic book artist best known for his work with the ''Sonic the Hedgehog'' comics, originally published by Archie Comics.
Career Sonic the Hedgehog comics
Yardley has been ...
, who originally worked on Archie's ''Sonic the Hedgehog'' comics, would be one of the
penciller
A penciller (or penciler) is an artist who works on the creation of comic books, graphic novels, and similar visual art forms, with a focus on the initial pencil illustrations.
In the American comic book industry, the penciller is the first step ...
s for the IDW series.
On April 14, 2020, it was announced that Evan Stanley, one of the series' artists, would be writing for the series.
On June 28, 2020, two original characters from the series, Tangle the Lemur and Whisper the Wolf, were announced to appear in the ''Sonic'' mobile game '' Sonic Forces: Speed Battle'' as part of its events, with them doing so next month. Surge the Tenrec would also join ''Speed Battle'' on November 21, 2023. Merchandise, including a
plush toy
A stuffed toy is a toy with an outer fabric sewn from a textile and stuffed with flexible material. They are known by many names, such as plush toys, plushies, lovies and stuffies; in Britain and Australia, they may also be called soft toys ...
, of the former two have been released also. Tangle was also briefly mentioned in the 2022 ''Sonic'' game ''
Sonic Frontiers
is a 2022 platform game developed by Sonic Team and published by Sega. As Sonic, the player explores the Starfall Islands to collect the Chaos Emeralds, after Sonic and his friends are separated when falling through a wormhole. ''Frontiers'' ...
''. It is confirmed by the Lore Manager Chris Hernandez that the comics are
canon
Canon or Canons may refer to:
Arts and entertainment
* Canon (fiction), the material accepted as officially written by an author or an ascribed author
* Literary canon, an accepted body of works considered as high culture
** Western canon, th ...
to the games.
In November 2023, Sonic editor David Mariotte announced that the series would be taking a hiatus in 2024 until the miniseries ''Sonic the Hedgehog: Fang the Hunter'' is concluded.
On July 3, 2024, a crossover between the ''Sonic'' comics and an unknown third-party franchise was announced to be in the works, with more details to be revealed in the coming months. During the Sonic Central broadcast on September 24, 2024, it was announced that the Sonic franchise would cross over with the
DC Universe
The DC Universe (DCU) is the shared universe in which most stories in American comic book titles published by DC Comics take place. In context, the term "DC Universe" usually refers to the main DC Continuity (fiction), continuity. It contains v ...
in a 5-issue miniseries written by Ian Flynn that would feature Team Sonic teaming up with the
Justice League
The Justice League, or Justice League of America (JLA), is a group of superheroes appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The team first appeared in ''The Brave and the Bold'' #28 (March 1960). Writer Gardner Fox conceived the ...
. The book began publication in March 2025 and will last until July of the same year.
On April 25, 2025, IDW Publishing began releasing the comic series on
Webtoon
Webtoons () are a type of episodic digital comics that originated in South Korea usually meant to be read on smartphones
A smartphone is a mobile phone with advanced computing capabilities. It typically has a touchscreen interface, allo ...
.
Synopsis
Following the war over Eggman's global conquest, the doctor has lost his memory and ended up in a remote village where he has taken on the more friendly moniker of Mr. Tinker. Sonic learns that Neo Metal Sonic is now leading the Badniks, plotting to take over the world in Eggman's stead. While Sonic and his friends fight Neo Metal Sonic and his army on Angel Island, an Eggman admirer named Dr. Starline kidnaps Mr. Tinker and successfully reverts him back to Eggman after a defeated Metal Sonic returns to him.
While Tangle helps Whisper apprehend her former comrade turned criminal Mimic, Eggman hatches a new scheme involving the Metal Virus, which turns organic material into mindless robots dubbed "Zombots", but it quickly mutates beyond his control. Starline brings in the
Deadly Six
The ''Sonic the Hedgehog'' video game franchise began in 1991 with the video game ''Sonic the Hedgehog (1991 video game), Sonic the Hedgehog'' for the Sega Genesis, which pitted a blue anthropomorphism, anthropomorphic hedgehog named Sonic the ...
in hopes that they can control the Zombots, but they betray him. This leads to a falling out between Starline and Eggman and forces the latter to help Sonic and his friends cure the world.
Afterwards, Sonic and company decide to fix E-123 Omega, whose body was destroyed during the plague. Sonic and Tails investigate an Eggman base to find the blueprints while Rouge, Amy, Cream, and Cheese enter a competition to win parts; the former group discovers a peaceful Badnik created by Mr. Tinker named Belle, while the latter comes into conflict with former crime boss Clutch. Meanwhile, Starline, hoping to regain Eggman's respect and rejoin him by proving his own superiority, sets his own plans in motion by allying himself with villains like Zavok and stalking Sonic's friends. Zavok reunites the Deadly Six, and they attack the Restoration's home base, but are defeated and banished to their homeworld of Lost Hex.
From the bio-data he has collected, Starline creates Surge and Kitsunami, two
cyborg
A cyborg (, a portmanteau of ''cybernetics, cybernetic'' and ''organism'') is a being with both Organic matter, organic and biomechatronic body parts. The term was coined in 1960 by Manfred Clynes and Nathan S. Kline.profit off them. To that end, Clutch sponsors an
Extreme Gear
is a 2006 racing video game developed by Sonic Team and Now Production and published by Sega for the GameCube, PlayStation 2, and Xbox. In the game, the player controls characters from the ''Sonic the Hedgehog'' series on hoverboards and compe ...
race competition and has his workers tamper with the Extreme Gears of Sonic, Tails and Amy so they would be disqualified, but the trio grow suspicious and Eggman offers them assistance so they can discover the one using his technology while also mocking him. Sonic disrupts the races as the Phantom Rider to cause a distraction so that Tails and Amy can unravel the mystery. Eventually, a series of mishaps, including Surge's temptation to become a real hero, expose Clutch's true colors, and he puts Central City in peril so that he can escape, but he fails by the combined efforts of Sonic, Surge and Eggman. The heroes, with the help of the
Babylon Rogues
The ''Sonic the Hedgehog'' video game franchise began in 1991 with the video game ''Sonic the Hedgehog'' for the Sega Genesis, which pitted a blue anthropomorphic hedgehog named Sonic against a rotund male human villain named Doctor Eggman (or ...
, sacrifice the Restoration HQ to save the city, while Mimic, Surge and Kit go into hiding and Eggman captures Clutch.
Characters
New characters to the series include:
* Tangle the Lemur – an energetic
ring-tailed lemur
The ring-tailed lemur (''Lemur catta'') is a medium- to larger-sized strepsirrhine (wet-nosed) primate and the most internationally recognized lemur species, owing to its long, black-and-white, ringed tail. It belongs to Lemuridae, one of fiv ...
who can elongate her tail for use in combat. She joins the Neo Diamond Cutters with Whisper, Silver and Lanolin.
* Whisper the Wolf – a reserved
wolf
The wolf (''Canis lupus''; : wolves), also known as the grey wolf or gray wolf, is a Canis, canine native to Eurasia and North America. More than thirty subspecies of Canis lupus, subspecies of ''Canis lupus'' have been recognized, includin ...
who uses a Wisp-powered rifle and becomes Tangle's best friend. She is the last survivor of an anti-Eggman
mercenary
A mercenary is a private individual who joins an armed conflict for personal profit, is otherwise an outsider to the conflict, and is not a member of any other official military. Mercenaries fight for money or other forms of payment rather t ...
group called the Diamond Cutters. She eventually reforms the Diamond Cutters with Tangle, Silver and Lanolin.
* Jewel the Beetle – a cautious and worryful
beetle
Beetles are insects that form the Taxonomic rank, order Coleoptera (), in the superorder Holometabola. Their front pair of wings are hardened into wing-cases, elytra, distinguishing them from most other insects. The Coleoptera, with about 40 ...
museum
curator
A curator (from , meaning 'to take care') is a manager or overseer. When working with cultural organizations, a curator is typically a "collections curator" or an "exhibitions curator", and has multifaceted tasks dependent on the particular ins ...
and Tangle's childhood friend who later becomes the Restoration leader following the Metal Virus plague.
* Belle the Tinkerer – a clumsy but kindhearted
marionette
A marionette ( ; ) is a puppet controlled from above using wires or strings depending on regional variations. A marionette's puppeteer is called a marionettist. Marionettes are operated with the puppeteer hidden or revealed to an audience by ...
-like robot created by Eggman when he was "Mr. Tinker".
* Lanolin the Sheep – an uptight and strict
sheep
Sheep (: sheep) or domestic sheep (''Ovis aries'') are a domesticated, ruminant mammal typically kept as livestock. Although the term ''sheep'' can apply to other species in the genus '' Ovis'', in everyday usage it almost always refers to d ...
who joins the Restoration after Sonic and Amy saved her village. She later becomes the leader of the Neo Diamond Cutters. She has a Wisp companion named Maggie.
* Doctor Starline – a
platypus
The platypus (''Ornithorhynchus anatinus''), sometimes referred to as the duck-billed platypus, is a semiaquatic, egg-laying mammal endemic to eastern Australia, including Tasmania. The platypus is the sole living representative or monotypi ...
scientist who admires Eggman. He dies at Eggman's hands after trying to take over his empire.
* Rough & Tumble the Skunks – a pair of trouble-making
skunk
Skunks are mammals in the family Mephitidae. They are known for their ability to spray a liquid with a strong, unpleasant scent from their anal glands. Different species of skunk vary in appearance from black-and-white to brown, cream or gi ...
brothers and former mercenaries.
* Mimic the Octopus – a
shapeshifting
In mythology, folklore and speculative fiction, shapeshifting is the ability to physically transform oneself through unnatural means. The idea of shapeshifting is found in the oldest forms of totemism and shamanism, as well as the oldest existen ...
mimic octopus
The mimic octopus (''Thaumoctopus mimicus'') is a species of octopus from the Indo-Pacific region. Like other octopuses, it uses its chromatophores to disguise itself. It is noteworthy for being able to impersonate a wide variety of other marine ...
and former comrade of Whisper who betrayed his team to Eggman.
* Surge the Tenrec – a punkish
lowland streaked tenrec
The lowland streaked tenrec (''Hemicentetes semispinosus'') is a small tenrec found in Madagascar. It belongs to the family Tenrecidae in the order Afrosoricida, and more specifically to the subfamily of the spiny tenrecs Tenrecinae. Its natural ...
cybernetically enhanced by Starline to be Sonic's doppelgänger. Like Sonic, she can move at superhuman speeds. Her name also references the electrical powers that she displays. She is deeply traumatized by Starline's experiments and has no memory of her prior life.
* Kitsunami "Kit" the Fennec – a somber
fennec fox
The fennec fox (''Vulpes zerda'') is a small fox native to the deserts of North Africa, ranging from Western Sahara and Mauritania to the Sinai Peninsula. Its most distinctive feature is its unusually large ears, which serve to dissipate hea ...
cybernetically enhanced by Starline to be Tails' doppelgänger and Surge's sidekick. Kit possesses the ability to control water, and his name is a fusion of the word Kitsune, a reference to his powers making it seem as though he has multiple tails which echoes the multi-tailed fox of Japanese myth, and the word Tsunami, which denotes a massive tidal event. Like Surge, he is also deeply traumatized by Starline's experiments and has no memory of his prior life.
* Clutch the Opossum – an
opossum
Opossums () are members of the marsupial order Didelphimorphia () endemic to the Americas. The largest order of marsupials in the Western Hemisphere, it comprises 126 species in 18 genera. Opossums originated in South America and entered North A ...
crime boss
A crime boss, also known as a crime lord, mafia don, mob boss, kingpin, or godfather is the leader of a criminal organization.
Description
A crime boss has absolute or nearly absolute control over the other members of the organization and is ...
who collects Eggtech and uses it for personal profit.
Publications
(Publications marked with * take place in a separate continuity from the main series)
Series
One-shots
Reprints
* ''Sonic the Hedgehog Volume 1: Fallout!'' (September 18, 2018) (reprint of #1–4)
* ''Sonic the Hedgehog Volume 2: The Fate of Dr. Eggman'' (February 19, 2019) (reprint of #5–8)
* ''Team Sonic Racing Plus Deluxe Turbo Championship Edition'' one-shot (May 22, 2019) (reprint of the story featured in ''Team Sonic Racing One-Shot'' and bonus features)
* ''Sonic the Hedgehog: Bonds of Friendship'' (2019) (a Scholastic-exclusive collection of several reprinted issues in the Sonic the Hedgehog comic series)
* ''Sonic the Hedgehog Volume 3: Battle For Angel Island'' (July 23, 2019) (reprint of #9–12)
* ''Sonic the Hedgehog Volume 4: Infection'' (September 3, 2019) (reprint of #13–16)
* ''Sonic the Hedgehog: Tangle & Whisper'' (April 14, 2020) (reprint of ''Tangle & Whisper'' issues #1–4 and the 2019 Annual)
* ''Sonic the Hedgehog Volume 5: Crisis City'' (February 11, 2020) (reprint of #17–20)
* ''Sonic the Hedgehog Volume 6: The Last Minute'' (June 23, 2020) (reprint of #21–24)
* ''Sonic the Hedgehog Volume 7: All or Nothing'' (December 8, 2020) (reprint of #25–29)
* ''Sonic the Hedgehog Volume 8: Out of the Blue'' (March 30, 2021) (reprint of #30–32 and the 2020 Annual)
* ''Sonic the Hedgehog: Bad Guys'' (May 11, 2021) (reprint of ''Bad Guys'' issues #1–4)
* ''Sonic the Hedgehog Volume 9: Chao Races & Badnik Bases'' (January 11, 2022) (reprint of #33–36)
* ''Sonic the Hedgehog Volume 10: Test Run!'' (March 22, 2022) (reprint of #37–40)
* ''Sonic the Hedgehog Volume 11: Zeti Hunt!'' (June 7, 2022) (reprint of #41-44)
* ''Sonic the Hedgehog Volume 12: Trial by Fire'' (September 13, 2022) (reprint of #45–49)
* ''Sonic the Hedgehog: Imposter Syndrome'' (October 11, 2022) (reprint of ''Imposter Syndrome'' #1–4)
* ''Sonic the Hedgehog Volume 13: Battle for the Empire'' (February 7, 2023) (reprint of #50-51, the 2022 Free Comic Book Day and the 2022 Annual)
* ''Sonic the Hedgehog Volume 14: Overpowered'' (June 20, 2023) (reprint of #52-56)
* ''Sonic the Hedgehog: Scrapnik Island'' (August 29, 2023) (reprint of ''Scrapnik Island'' #1–4)
* ''Sonic The Hedgehog: Seasons of Chaos'' (October 10, 2023) (reprint of ''Sonic the Hedgehog 30th Anniversary Special'' and ''Free Comic Book Day 2021'')
* ''Sonic the Hedgehog Volume 15: Urban Warfare'' (October 24, 2023) (reprint of #57-61)
* ''Sonic the Hedgehog Volume 16: Misadventures'' (April 23, 2024) (reprint of #62-66)
* ''Sonic the Hedgehog Volume 17: Adventure Awaits'' (October 22, 2024) (reprint of #67-68 and the Endless Summer, 900th Adventure, and Halloween Specials)
* ''Sonic the Hedgehog: Fang The Hunter'' (November 19, 2024) (reprint of ''Fang The Hunter'' #1-4)
* ''Sonic the Hedgehog Volume 18: Extreme Competition'' (April 22, 2025) (reprint of #69-71 and the Winter Jam and Spring Broken Specials)
* ''Sonic the Hedgehog Volume 19: Collision Course'' (August 19, 2025) (reprint of #72-75)
* ''Sonic the Hedgehog: On The Go Volume One'' (September 2025) (reprint of Vols 1-3 of the Sonic Trade Paperback series)
* ''Sonic the Hedgehog Volume 20: Cause & Effect'' (December 2, 2025) (reprint of #76-78 and the 2024 Annual)
Compilations
* ''Sonic the Hedgehog: Sonic & Tails: Best Buds Forever'' (February 23, 2022) (reprint of stories from #1, #13, #34 and #35)
* ''Sonic the Hedgehog: Knuckles' Greatest Hits'' (October 24, 2023) (reprint of stories from #3, #10, #11, FCBD 2022, and the 2022 Annual featuring Knuckles)
* ''Sonic the Hedgehog: Best of Shadow'' (January 22, 2025) (reprint of stories from #6, #36, #59 and #61 featuring Shadow)
Collections
* ''Sonic The Hedgehog: The IDW Comic Art Collection'' (October 24, 2023) (collection featuring various art pieces from throughout the comics and including concept art of IDW original characters)
Boxsets
* Sonic the Hedgehog Boxset (Contains #1-4)
''The IDW Collection''
* ''Sonic the Hedgehog: The IDW Collection, Vol. 1'' (June 8, 2021) (reprint of #1–12)
* ''Sonic the Hedgehog: The IDW Collection, Vol. 2'' (March 15, 2022) (reprint of #13–20, including the 2019 Annual and the ''Tangle & Whisper'' miniseries)
* ''Sonic the Hedgehog: The IDW Collection, Vol. 3'' (March 14, 2023) (reprint of #21–32, including the 2020 Annual)
* ''Sonic the Hedgehog: The IDW Collection, Vol. 4'' (March 12, 2024) (reprint of #33-40, including the ''Bad Guys'' miniseries)
* ''Sonic the Hedgehog: The IDW Collection, Vol. 5'' (March 18, 2025) (reprint of #41-50, including the ''Imposter Syndrome'' miniseries)
Other
* ''Sonic The Hedgehog: Sonic Prime, Vol. 1'' (May 13, 2025) (Contains adaptations of the first two episodes of Sonic Prime)
* ''Sonic The Hedgehog: Sonic Prime, Vol. 2'' (October 21, 2025) (Contains adaptations of episodes three, four and five of Sonic Prime)
Cancelled
* ''Sonic the Hedgehog: Tangle & Whisper Boxset'' (would've contained issues #1–4 in a collectible slipcase)
Reception
Joshua Davison on ''
Bleeding Cool
''Bleeding Cool'' is an Internet news site, focusing on comics, television, film, board games, and video games. Owned by Avatar Press, it was launched by Rich Johnston in 2009. Avatar Press also publishes an associated magazine, also called ''B ...
'' gave the first issue a score of 6.5/10, praising the art and creativity of the story but criticizing Sonic's characterization: "Sonic is an insufferable character... He's smug, annoying, and radical in that 1990's sense."
Dustin Holland's review of the first issue of the ''Imposter Syndrome'' miniseries on ''
Comic Book Resources
''CBR'', formerly ''Comic Book Resources'', is a news website primarily covering comic book news, comic book reviews, and comic book–related topics involving movies, television, anime, and video games. It is owned by Valnet, parent of publicat ...
'' praised the personalities of new villains Surge the Tenrec and Kit the Fennec, action-filled plot, and appropriately expressive art.