I think I've made this point over and over again the last few months but seriously: 2022 is going to go down in history as one of the best years to be a “Sonic” fan. We got a new movie, which was generally agreed upon to be an improvement over the first and another box office success. We got a new game, which has been fairly well received and strong sales. A new animated series has started. While it's a bit too soon yet to judge fan reaction, I've seen more people liking it than not. If you ignore the minor debacle that was “Sonic Origins,” 2022 was nearly an entire year without the “Sonic” franchise embarrassing itself!
In all seriousness, it was a great year for hedgehog fanatics everywhere. The IDW comic book also had an especially good year too. In fact, after nearly five years, I think this was the year where I finally decided that I actually really like this comic book. When at its best, IDW “Sonic” is a well-written and character-driven series. Which isn't to say there aren't some flaws here, as there are with anything. Yet I think I can easily say 2022 was my favorite year for IDW “Sonic” yet.
It was also a prolific year for the comic. We only got eight issues of the main series but the sher volume of other stuff more than made up for that. All of these issues came out in the last twelve months. That's a lot, right? That left me with plenty of material to assemble for this year's Best/Worst List. So let's get into it.
The issues covered in this retrospective are:
Sonic the Hedgehog (IDW): Issue 48-55
Sonic the Hedgehog: Imposter Syndrome: Issue 2-4
Sonic the Hedgehog: Scrapnik Island: Issue 1-3
Sonic the Hedgehog 2: The Official Movie Pre-Quill
Sonic the Hedgehog (IDW) Annual 2022
Sonic the Hedgehog: Tails' 30th Anniversary Special
Sonic the Hedgehog (IDW) FCBD 2022
BEST COVER STORY:
Ian Flynn, “Escaping the Empire” (Sonic the Hedgehog (IDW): Issue 51)
Evan Stanley, “Wound Up” (Sonic the Hedgehog (IDW): Issue 49)
I wouldn't normally do this because even I admit it's cheating but... Fuck it, right? This is my award show and I can do whatever I want. So, here, we have the VERY FIRST EVER tie on one of my Best/Worst lists. If I'm being honest, issue 49's “Wound Up” was probably my favorite story of the year. The early scene where Belle attacks her friends is suspenseful but it proceeds an emotional moment for her, loosing her precious MotoBug friend and finally finding emotional solace with her creator, “Mr. Tinker.” This was the moment of tear-filled catharsis that Belle's entire character arc was building up to and it was well executed.
Yet “Escaping the Empire” from issue 51 was also excellent. That was such a beautifully paced issue, that stuck our heroes in a tight situation and had them running for their lives. Sonic and Tails had to out-think their opponents and escape their pursuers. This was an action-packed issue that kept the readers' blood pumping the entire time. There were some surprises too, that satisfactorily followed up on the events of the previous issue. Pretty good for an issue that fans will probably most remember for that fuckin' “Big Oof” panel.
Anyway, both these issues whip ass.
WORST COVER STORY:
Ian Flynn, “Imposter Syndrome: Part 4” (Sonic the Hedgehog: Imposter Syndrome: Issue 4)
As previously established, this was a really good year for IDW's “Sonic” comic... But there was one issue that genuinely pissed me off. After three issues of build-up, of uneven quality, “Imposter Syndrome” ended with a great big stinkin' cliffhanger designed to bring us right into issue 50. Essentially, the entire mini-series was just a long-winded advertisement for the latest landmark issue. The conflict this whole story was building towards was never intended to play out in this mini-series. How frustrating is that? This incomplete status was most obvious in the final issue of “Imposter Syndrome.” Bogus, man.
BEST BACK STORY:
Ian Flynn, “Guardians” (Sonic the Hedgehog Annual 2022)
Choosing “Guardians” as the Best Back Story is also a bit of a cheat, as it's the first story in this year's annual. However, the annuals are kind of made up entirely of back-ups, when you think about it? Well, regardless of how you classify, “Guardians” was definitely the highlight of this year's annual. A character-driven story focused on the particular dilemmas that Knuckles and Blaze share, it really probes into the characters' motivations and personality in a nice way. It also had a really cute conclusion, proving that Blaze does appreciate her friends even if she sometimes puts her job first.
WORST BACK STORY:
Ian Mutchler, “Another Grand Adventure for Jet the Hawk” (Sonic the Hedgehog Annual 2022)
It's just the nature of the beast that each year's Annual tends to have one stinker.. “Another Grand Adventure for Jet the Hawk” was undoubtedly the low-point of 2022's annual. Jet, not the most complicated guy to begin with, is reduced to a whining, entitled, obnoxious little brat. Essentially listening to Jet bitch and moan like a spoiled rich kid is the main joke of this thin, largely annoying story. When Whisper screams at him to shut up, the reader understands exactly how she feels.
BEST STORY ARC:
Daniel Barnes, “Scrapnik Island” (Sonic the Hedgehog: Scrapnik Island: Issue 1-3)
This story arc hasn't actually ended yet, as the final installment is scheduled to come out this month. Yet I feel confident in saying that “Scrapnik Island” is my favorite long form “Sonic” story of the year. In fact, depending on if they stick the landing or not, “Scrapnik Island” may go down as one of my favorite IDW “Sonic” stories period. Essentially, a horror themed “Sonic” mini-series is so totally in my wheelhouse. It has a really cool setting, switching between a sunny beach and the shadowy depths of the Death Egg. The frazzled Mecha-Sonic is proving to be a compelling villain. E-117 Sigma and his Scrapnik buddies are adorable. The central conflict of the story, that gives Sonic a fucked-up ankle and has him consider the humanity of his enemies, is rich. The use of dialogue-free panels and little moments of character expression have all been great. I just love this comic and don't want it to end. “Scrapnik Island” rules.
WORST STORY ARC:
Evan Stanley, “Overpowered” (Sonic the Hedgehog (IDW): Issue 52-55)
This story arc, which is stretching on for five issues for some reason, is also not over yet. The last part comes out on Wednesday. And giving “Overpowered” the dubious honor of “Worst” Story Arc is pushing it. I actually think the second and fourth entries in this arc are pretty good. The more “Overpowered” focuses on Surge's psychological trauma and weakening mental state, the better it is. Yet there's a few clunkers in here too, that spend too much time on setting up new superpowers for the villain and linger on repetitive action scenes. In a year with very few long story arcs, “Overpowered” definitely feels like it could've been trimmed down to four issues without missing any of the good stuff.
BEST MAIN COVER:
Sonic the Hedgehog (IDW): Issue 49 – Adam Bryce Thomas
I say this every year but IDW's “Sonic” book is really an embarrassment of riches when it comes to cool looking covers. It's hard to narrow it down to just one sometimes... Yet a clear favorite emerge quickly. Adam Bryce Thomas' moody cover art for issue 49 is another all-time-fave for me. Belle brooding ominously, her face in shadows and eyes glowing, makes the cute little puppet girl actually look kind of creepy. That's helped by the green-tinted, spooky forest around her and shimmering Badniks. In a year that has flirted a lot with horror movie vibes, this one goes along way towards capturing that particular feeling while looking gorgeous at the same time.
WORST MAIN COVER:
Sonic the Hedgehog: FCBD 2022 – Adam Bryce Thomas
Adam Bryce Thomas pulls off the rare hat trick in the Covers category, this year. Granted, it's not like this is a particularly terrible cover or anything. It's just generic as hell. The image of Sonic, Tails, and Knuckles posing over what appears to be the “Get Blue Spheres” special stage, in front of a generic synth-wave backdrop, tells us nothing about the story inside this comic. This feels like a placeholder image that just ended up going to press. It's also fair to say that Thomas was clearly having an off-day in general here, as the heroes' hands and feet seem unusually large even by their typically exaggerated standards. Plus, emphasizing the bottom of Sonic's shoes was a weird decision. You get the impression that this was a cover that was quickly thrown together with minimal effort, IDW deciding not to expend too much effort on a comic that would be given away for free.
BEST VARIANT COVER:
Sonic the Hedgehog (IDW): Issue 55: RI Cover – Nathalie Fourdraine
There were so many bitchin' variant covers this year. I was really torn between the winner in this category and Adam Bryce Thomas' retail incentive cover for issue 2 of “Imposter Syndrome.” Yet I guess I'm feeling drawn to the moodier images tonight, as I just couldn't deny the power of Nathalie Fourdraine's cover for issue 55. Surge looking so small and tormented as the shadows of her imaginary oppressors appear large on the wall behind her is a very compelling image that tells you everything you need to know about this plot point. Her harassers aren't real but the effect they have on her mind and soul are very serious indeed. It's nice when a single image conveys so much meaning and emotion.
WORST VARIANT COVER:
Sonic the Hedgehog: Tails' 30th Anniversary Special: RE Cover – Stan Sakai
Stan Sakai is a beloved and influential artist, for his long-running and critically adored “Usagi Yojimo” comics. He is also, notably, not a “Sonic the Hedgehog” artist. We've seen this happen before, where talented artists are hired to draw “Sonic” work and their inexperience with the styles and quirks of this series become immediately apparent. Sonic looks off-model as fuck here, appearing more like a comic strip character with strangely knobby elbows. The squirrel type animal he's rescuing is very odd looking, with asymmetrical eyeballs. The positioning of the lake and Badnik in the foreground seems misaligned with the tree as well. Also, it's a bit weird that this cover, for the Tails' 30th Anniversary Special, doesn't feature Tails at all! It really feels like an image Sakai was commissioned to draw at a convention, that he dusted off during a lunch break, that somehow ended up on the cover of the comic.
BEST STORY ART:
“Scrapnik Island: Part 1” – Jack Lawrence (Sonic the Hedgehog: Scrapnik Island: Issue 1)
In addition to being really well written, “Scrapnik Island” just looks fucking cool as well. The combination of Jack Lawrence's dynamic, fluid artwork with Nathalie Fourdraine's atmospheric colors has created some of the prettiest “Sonic” comics I've ever laid eyes on. I high-light issue one mostly because its images of Sonic being chased through the Death Egg by the hodgepodge Scrapniks, zombie movie style, scratched a very specific itch for me. Yet really the entire mini has looked fantastic so far. I'm glad this book exist for many reasons but Lawrence and Fourdraine being allowed to cut loose like this is a big one.
WORST STORY ART:
“Hero Camp” – Abby Bulmer (Sonic the Hedgehog Annual 2022)
Considering the Annuals often exist to allow artists who haven't worked much with these characters a chance to play around with them, it feels a little mean to give “Hero Camp” the Worst Art award. Yet Abby Bulmer's work here just really wasn't working for me. Everyone looks a little too round, a little too cute in this particular story. All the facial expressions look kind of the same and you never get much of a sense of what anyone is thinking. It's not a terrible looking story by any means but I think Bulmer needs a little more time drawing these characters before she gets the hang of it. .
BEST NEW CHARACTER:
Scrapnik Mecha-Sonic
2022 technically, I think, had the most new characters introduced out of all of IDW's run so far. Yet the majority of those were random Badniks and their more fucked-up but cuddlier cousins the Scrapniks. Not exactly fully developed and complex characters... Though a malformed robot ended up being my favorite new addition to the cast this year anyway.
Mecha Sonic, as he is now known, has been around since “Sonic & Knuckles.” In all that time, the robotic villain never got much in the way of character development. He was just another mechanical copy of Sonic, a big scary robot to fight, that was totally overshadowed by the original Metal Sonic. Yet the character being resurrected as a mismatched Scrapnik in IDW has added unexpected complexity to this tin can. In “Scrapnik Island,” Mecha Sonic has developed a love for agriculture and a desire to move past his destructive programming. Yet the sins of the past linger, his mind corrupted by his mixed-up state and the memories of what Eggman built him to do. The result is a scattered villain that endears both sympathy while never loosing his intimidation factor. Plus his little buzz saw leg reminds me of a TMNT action figure and that's cool.
WORST NEW CHARACTER:
Witchcart
When obscure Sega villain Witchcart was redesigned for Archie “Sonic” as “Wendy Naugus,” she wasn't the most compelling or deep character. Yet at least she had a decent gimmick going for her, of being Naugus' older, teasing sister that frequently out-schemes him as much as she works along side him.
2022's Tails Anniversary Special saw the original Witchcart being introduced into IDW canon and she couldn't even achieve the limited characterization that the previous iteration had. The new-old Witchcart leans hard on the annoying gimmick of rhyming all of her dialogue. This grows old immediately. And that's pretty much the sole feature she has, aside from being a cackling cartoon witch! I get that there was limited space to devote to her in this one-shot and that such a simple character doesn't present too many opportunities to begin with. But I was hoping Flynn and the gang could have done a little bit more with Witchcart. It's weird that her trio of henchmen are more interesting than she is.
BEST IDEA:
Psychologically Complex Villains
Four years into this comic's existence, it seems a compromise has finally been reached. The Sega-created characters are never going to be allowed to get too complicated or angsty. They remain as archetypes. The cast created for the comic, meanwhile, are allowed to be as conflicted and multi-layered as the writers want. The dynamic between these two standards has actually led to many good moments, especially in 2022.
Undoubtedly, my favorite manifestation of this has been the character development given to Surge. She's gone from a one-note bullying tomboy character in her first few appearance to probably the most complicated villain in the book's history. Surge is lashing out at the world that hurt her. She wants to burn it all down because, as long back as she can remember, she's been manipulated and abused. Yet the longer she fights to achieve this goal, of being the most powerful bad bitch around, the more her constructed persona starts to crack up. It's only a matter of time before the barely concealed trauma that drives Surge bubbles totally to the surface and I can't wait for that.
To a lesser degree, this year also delved a little more into Starline and Mecha Sonic's mindset, suggesting that gifting their villains with some real psychological depth may be an instinct going forward for this series. I hope so!
WORST IDEA:
Promotion Over Pacing
The editors and execs at IDW really wanted issue 50 of IDW to be an event. It seems like promoting the anniversary issue became the main purpose behind the comic for about six months. This desire ended up ruining the “Imposter Syndrome” mini-series, which was revealed in his final issue to be an extended set-up for the pivotal issue. Now, #50 was a good issue but that doesn't change how diverting all the needs behind the series towards promoting one singular installment of the series fucking wrecked the pacing for a while. This kind of “writing for the trades” style narrative is frequently a problem in superhero comics and it seems the infection has now spread to IDW “Sonic” as well.
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