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Sonic the Hedgehog (IDW Publishing)

US comic book series From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Sonic the Hedgehog (IDW Publishing)
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This article is about the IDW comic series. For the Archie comic series, see Sonic the Hedgehog (Archie Comics). For other uses, see Sonic the Hedgehog (disambiguation).

Sonic the Hedgehog is an ongoing American comic book series based on the Sega video game franchise, published by IDW Publishing.

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It is the second US licensed comic book adaption of the franchise after Archie Comics' Sonic the Hedgehog series, and the third overall licensed comic book series after the British Sonic the Comic series by Fleetway Publications. Unlike those series, which had their own continuity, IDW's Sonic the Hedgehog is set in the same continuity as the Sonic the Hedgehog game series.

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Publication history

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2017 Promotional artwork from New York Comic Con by Tyson Hesse, depicting (counterclockwise from bottom right): Sonic, Knuckles, Amy and Tails

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 comic series by Archie Comics after a 24-year run.[1] 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 was later confirmed to return as the series' lead writer, alongside artist Tyson Hesse.[2] In an interview with Game Informer, Flynn established that IDW's Sonic continuity is separate from Archie's.[3]

During New York Comic Con 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.[4][5][6][7] In January 2018, IDW revealed that Tracy Yardley, who originally worked on Archie's Sonic the Hedgehog comics, would be one of the pencillers 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.[8]

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,[9][10] with them doing so next month.[11] Surge the Tenrec would also join Speed Battle on November 21, 2023.[12] Merchandise, including a plush toy, of the former two have been released also.[13][14] Tangle was also briefly mentioned in the 2022 Sonic game Sonic Frontiers.[15] It is confirmed by the Lore Manager Chris Hernandez that the comics are canon to the games.[16]

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.[17]

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.[18] During the Sonic Central broadcast on September 24, 2024, it was announced that the Sonic franchise would cross over with the DC Universe in a 5-issue miniseries written by Ian Flynn that would feature Team Sonic teaming up with the Justice League. The book began publication in March 2025 and lasted until July of the same year.[19]

On April 25, 2025, IDW Publishing began releasing the comic series on Webtoon.[20]

On July 22, 2025, IDW teased the debut of an AI character in January 2026. The next day this character was confirmed to be Sage from Sonic Frontiers.[21][22]

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Synopsis

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Following the war over Eggman's global conquest,[a] 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 life into mindless robots dubbed "Zombots", but it quickly mutates beyond his control. Starline brings in the Deadly Six 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 blueprints while Rouge, Amy, Cream, and Cheese enter a Chao race 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 cyborgs meant to replace Sonic and Tails and end the status quo between them and Eggman. In an attempt to cause havoc, they cause a forest fire near a campground; however, the plan is foiled by Amy, Belle, Jewel and Tangle, who were camping there. Upon learning that he has been conditioning them and wiping their memories to create their personalities and being unable to find any trace of their past, Surge and Kit vow to destroy all heroes and villains. Starline, oblivious, moves to accomplish his vision by conquering the Eggman Empire's new capital, Eggperial City, which is expanding itself until it covers the entire planet, and lures Sonic, Tails and Belle there. However, Eggman defeats Starline and leaves him to die, while Kit flees with Surge in tow after several defeats incapacitate her. Eggman himself is subsequently defeated, and Eggperial City is destroyed by the Restoration and their allies, including the newly reformed Diamond Cutters consisting of Lanolin, Tangle and Whisper.

Clutch, seeking to revive his criminal empire, hires Mimic, Rough and Tumble, as well as Surge and Kit, to infiltrate the Restoration so he can profit off them. Mimic joins the Diamond Cutters as "Duo the Cat", along with Silver, but Silver is forced to leave after a failed attempt to expose Mimic. Clutch hires the Babylon Rogues to distract the Chaotix, who have been investigating him. He sponsors an Extreme Gear race competition and has his workers tamper with the Extreme Gears of Sonic, Tails and Amy, leading to them being disqualified, but the trio grow suspicious and Eggman offers them assistance so that 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 expose Clutch's true colors, and he imperils Central City to cover his escape, only to fail due to the combined efforts of Sonic, Surge, and Eggman. The Restoration, with help from the Babylon Rogues, sacrifice their own headquarters to save the city, while the other villains abandon Clutch and scatter as he is captured by Eggman. In the aftermath, Jewel resigns as head of the Restoration, her aide-de-camp Lanolin temporarily disbands its Diamond Cutters task force, with both of them planning to rebuild Emeraldville together, and Belle departs to see the world. Tails, Amy and Blaze assess the impact on the Restoration's network, while Surge and Kit attempt real heroics to mixed results. Whisper, Tangle and Silver attempt to recapture Mimic, but he is believed dead after a failed suicide attack against them. Meanwhile, Sonic and the Chaotix follow Clutch and Eggman's trail to ascertain the latter's new plan.

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Characters

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Main article: Characters of Sonic the Hedgehog

New characters to the series include:

  • Tangle the Lemur: an energetic ring-tailed lemur who can elongate her tail for use in combat.
  • Whisper the Wolf: a reserved wolf who uses a Wisp-powered rifle and becomes Tangle's best friend. She is the last survivor of an anti-Eggman mercenary group called the Diamond Cutters.
  • Jewel the Beetle: a cautious and worryful beetle museum curator and Tangle's childhood friend who later becomes the Restoration leader following the Metal Virus plague.
  • Belle the Tinkerer: a clumsy but kindhearted marionette-like robot created by Eggman when he was "Mr. Tinker".
  • Lanolin the Sheep: an uptight and strict sheep who joins the Restoration after Sonic and Amy saved her village. She later reforms and becomes the leader of the Diamond Cutters. She has a Wisp companion named Maggie.
  • Doctor Starline: a platypus 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 brothers and former mercenaries.
  • Mimic the Octopus: a shapeshifting mimic octopus and former comrade of Whisper who betrayed his team to Eggman. He assumes the form of "Duo the Cat" while infiltrating the Restoration. He is believed dead after a failed suicide attack against Whisper, Tangle, and Silver when they try to recapture him.
  • Surge the Tenrec: a punkish lowland streaked tenrec 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 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, echoing 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 crime boss who collects Eggtech and uses it for personal profit.
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Publications

Series

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One-shots

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Reprints

Trade paperbacks

  • Sonic the Hedgehog, Vol. 1: Fallout! (September 18, 2018): Reprint of #1–4
  • Sonic the Hedgehog, Vol. 2: The Fate of Dr. Eggman (February 19, 2019): Reprint of #5–8
  • Team Sonic Racing Plus Deluxe Turbo Championship Edition (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, Vol. 3: Battle For Angel Island (July 23, 2019): Reprint of #9–12
  • Sonic the Hedgehog, Vol. 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, Vol. 5: Crisis City (February 11, 2020): Reprint of #17–20
  • Sonic the Hedgehog, Vol. 6: The Last Minute (June 23, 2020): Reprint of #21–24
  • Sonic the Hedgehog, Vol. 7: All or Nothing (December 8, 2020): Reprint of #25–29
  • Sonic the Hedgehog, Vol. 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, Vol. 9: Chao Races & Badnik Bases (January 11, 2022): Reprint of #33–36
  • Sonic the Hedgehog, Vol. 10: Test Run! (March 22, 2022): Reprint of #37–40
  • Sonic the Hedgehog, Vol. 11: Zeti Hunt! (June 7, 2022): Reprint of #41-44
  • Sonic the Hedgehog, Vol. 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, Vol. 13: Battle for the Empire (February 7, 2023): Reprint of #50-51, FCBD 2022 and the 2022 Annual
  • Sonic the Hedgehog, Vol. 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 the 30th Anniversary Special and FCBD 2021
  • Sonic the Hedgehog, Vol. 15: Urban Warfare (October 24, 2023): Reprint of #57-61
  • Sonic the Hedgehog, Vol. 16: Misadventures (April 23, 2024): Reprint of #62-66
  • Sonic the Hedgehog, Vol. 17: Adventure Awaits (October 22, 2024): Reprint of #67-68, Endless Summer, 900th Adventure and Halloween Special
  • Sonic the Hedgehog: Fang the Hunter (November 19, 2024): Reprint of Fang the Hunter #1-4
  • Sonic the Hedgehog, Vol. 18: Extreme Competition (April 22, 2025): Reprint of #69-71, Winter Jam and Spring Broken
  • Sonic the Hedgehog, Vol. 19: Collision Course (August 19, 2025): Reprint of #72-75
  • Sonic the Hedgehog, Vol. 20: Cause & Effect (December 2, 2025): Reprint of #76-78 and the 2024 Annual
  • Sonic the Hedgehog, Vol. 21: Reprise (April 2026): Reprint of #79-83 and Chasing Shadows

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, the 2019 Annual and Tangle & Whisper #0-4
  • Sonic the Hedgehog: The IDW Collection, Vol. 3 (March 14, 2023): Reprint of #21–32 and the 2020 Annual
  • Sonic the Hedgehog: The IDW Collection, Vol. 4 (March 12, 2024): Reprint of #33-40 and Bad Guys #1-4
  • Sonic the Hedgehog: The IDW Collection, Vol. 5 (March 18, 2025): Reprint of #41-50 and Imposter Syndrome #1-4
  • Sonic the Hedgehog: The IDW Collection, Vol. 6 (May 26, 2026): Reprint of #51-56, FCBD 2022, the 2022 Annual, and Scrapnik Island #1-4

On The Go

  • Sonic the Hedgehog: On The Go, Vol. 1 (September 30, 2025): Reprint of #1–12
  • Sonic the Hedgehog: On The Go, Vol. 2 (February 10, 2026): Reprint of #13–20, the 2019 Annual and Tangle & Whisper #1-4

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 concept art of IDW original characters
  • Sonic the Hedgehog Boxset: Contains #1-4

Other

  • Sonic The Hedgehog: Sonic Prime, Vol. 1 (May 13, 2025): Contains adaptations of Sonic Prime episodes 1-2
  • Sonic The Hedgehog: Sonic Prime, Vol. 2 (October 21, 2025): Contains adaptations of Sonic Prime episodes 3-5
  • Sonic The Hedgehog: Sonic Prime, Vol. 3 (April 2026): Contains adaptations of Sonic Prime episodes 6-8

Cancelled

  • Sonic the Hedgehog: Tangle & Whisper Boxset: Would have contained issues #1–4 in a collectible slipcase
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Reception

Joshua Davison on Bleeding Cool 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."[27]

Dustin Holland's review of the first issue of the Imposter Syndrome miniseries on Comic Book Resources praised the personalities of new villains Surge the Tenrec and Kit the Fennec, action-filled plot, and appropriately expressive art.[28]

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Notes

  1. Depicted in Sonic Forces
  2. Classic era
  3. Separate continuity

References

External links

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