THE 2024 SONIC THE HEDGEHOG COMIC BEST/WORST LIST!

Another year has come and gone. During that time, the “Sonic the Hedgehog” franchise certainly kept on rolling. It was, to this outside observer, quite a successful year for Sega's little blue hedgehog. The year opened with the final third of “Sonic Prime” episode hitting Netflix. This was shortly followed by the debut of the “Knuckles” mini-series on Paramount+ which, love it or hate it, at least started a lot of conversation. The latter third belonged to Sonic's dark-furred rival, as a remaster of “Sonic Generations” was completely overshadowed – if you will – by a new game starring the so-called Ultimate Lifeform being packaged with it. That, of course, proceeded the release of the third big budget live action revolving around the same antihero. As I write this, the news that the film's box office success has pushed the live action “Sonic” series pass 1 billion dollars grossed has just broke. 

In other words, as a multimedia pop culture franchise, “Sonic the Hedgehog” is probably more popular now than he's ever been. While the comic book industry remains always on thin ice, as far as sales go, IDW isn't showing any signs of showing down with their “Sonic” books. The mainline comic crossed 75 issues this year, with another mini-series and three one-shots also gracing shelves in that time. While the series is certainly successful, it is far more debatable whether the quality has kept up in that time. In fact, if you listen to this grouchy old man, it wasn't a great year for the comic! But perhaps I'm getting ahead of myself. Let's look back at what came out and determine what was the best and worst in “Sonic” comic books in the last twelve months.

The issues covered in this retrospective are:

Sonic the Hedgehog (IDW): Issue 68-75

Sonic the Hedgehog: Fang the Hunter 1-4

Sonic the Hedgehog: Spring Broken!

Sonic the Hedgehog Annual 2024

Sonic the Hedgehog: Knuckles' 30th Anniversary Special

BEST COVER STORY:

Evan Stanley, “Clean Sweepstakes: Part Two” (Sonic the Hedgehog (IDW): Issue 70)

Let me preface the rest of this retrospective by pointing out that I'm going to be doing extensive bashing of the “Clean Sweepstakes” story arc that occupied the last seven months of IDW “Sonic” content. That may be true but... The second part, in issue 70, was actually good. This can mostly be attributed to featuring one of the most delightful moments in the comic all year: Surge's realization that she's an actual hero now and that she loves it! While the arc was quickly consumed by a tangled mess of subplots, everything progresses smoothly here. Sonic going undercover as the Phantom Rider and his rivalry with Jet would quickly become tumors but both ideas are made compelling. Either way, Stanley's utterly adorable depiction of Surge's hero moment is what kept me going through the rest of this plot line and that starts here.

WORST COVER STORY:

Evan Stanley, “Clean Sweepstakes Part Six” (Sonic the Hedgehog (IDW): Issue 74)

If the second part represents the Clean Sweepstakes arc at its best, the sixth part is its absolute worst. This issue represent the storyline collapsing into a tangled collection of subplots, the story spread over far too many locations and ensembles. More and more plot twist and major reveals where thrown at the reader, piling one atop the other until they all felt meaningless. Shoved in the middle is an odious moment where Lanolin gets mad at Tangle and Whisper over some of this stupid bullshit, a scene that made me take a break from the comic for a few seconds. I did not like this one, you guys. 

BEST BACK STORY:

Gigi Dutreix, “Shattered Diamonds” (Sonic the Hedgehog Annual 2024)

The 2024 Annual was a breath of fresh air, if only because it was a break from all that hoverboard racing stuff. The stories contained within where mostly good too. The clear stand-out was Gigi Dutreix's “Shattered Diamonds,” detailing Mimic's backstory. I already liked the deceptive octopus, as a strictly ruthless villain. This short story manages to bring a lot more context to Mimic's history of betrayals, showing him as sympathetic to a degree without losing sight of what a monster the guy is. It makes the character a lot more fleshed out and also a bit scarier, as we can understand where the murderer is coming from now. We need more thoughtful character work like this in the comic book.

WORST BACK STORY:

Ian Flynn, “Hero's Calling” (Sonic the Hedgehog Annual 2024)

IDW's “Sonic” series doesn't feature back-up stories the way the vintage Archie “Sonic” books did, as I'm sure you know by now. That means the back story category has to cover the selection of shorter stories from the Annuals. They're all basically back stories, despite “Hero's Calling” being the first one in the issue. Now, I don't think “Hero's Calling” was terrible. It's something of a stiff story though, devoted largely to Surge and Kit talking and their interior thoughts during this conversation. The development the story points towards is not promising either. It's clearly the weak link in an Annual that was otherwise quite good, meaning it claims this category by default. 

BEST STORY ARC:

Ian Flynn, “Fang the Hunter Mini-Series” (Sonic the Hedgehog: Fang the Hunter: Issue 1-4)

On the heels of promoting the December 2023 release of “Sonic Superstars” – damn, that game got forgotten fast – IDW took four months off from the mainline book to publish a mini-series about Nack the Weasel Fang the Hunter. Like most of the Classic Sonic stories IDW has publish thus far, it was a lot of fun. Four whole issues devoted to Fang and the gang on the verge of breaking up, fumbling upon a scheme by the Hardboiled Heavies and tussling with Knuckles, while Sonic and Tails kind of hang out on the margins. A smidge of pathos was mined out of Fang's strained relationship with his co-workers but mostly the washed-up villain's attempt to prove himself was the most compelling thing about this arc. Lots of good comedy bits too. I enjoyed myself!

WORST STORY ARC:

Evan Stanley, “Clean Sweepstakes” (Sonic the Hedgehog (IDW): Issue 69-75)

The “Fang the Hunter” mini-series was also one of two complete story arcs published in IDW “Sonic” material this year. Aside from a one-off issue at year's beginning and the various one-shots, the rest of 2024 was devoted to the “Clean Sweepstakes” saga. As I admitted above, the second installment of this series was good... The rest of it was a fucking disaster. By the time things finally wrapped up in December, I had been ready to move on for at least three months. Building almost a year's worth of stories around a “Sonic Riders'” reference was not a good idea, it turns out! You could also feel some irksome executive meddling further stretching an already belabored plot out, making sure this arc wrapped up in the 75th issue. Can we please do something else in 2025, Evan? 

BEST MAIN COVER:

Sonic the Hedgehog (IDW): Issue 71 – Min Ho Kim

I've said lots of negative things about the story featuring him and everything surrounding the “Phantom Rider” contrivance... But Sonic dressed up like a “Kamen Rider” villain looks cool. Min Ho Kim created a lovely image built around that dynamic design with issue 71's cover. The simple visual of the Rider stepping up on his hovercraft while bracing himself against a wall is further elevated by vague images of the comic's other cast member in the edges and areas around the star character. When IDW's various covers sometimes try to shove in too many characters, this is a clever way to include more faces without sacrificing the stylish central image. Good stuff!

WORST MAIN COVER:

Sonic the Hedgehog Annual 2024 – Jack Lawrence

There were a few covers this year that I felt where kind of ugly or overly busy at the very least. I found the action movie poster style seen on issue 74 to be displeasing to the eyes. The usually reliable Adam Bryce Thomas contributed a muddled and confusing image to the “Spring Broken!” one-shot. However, at least some interesting things were happening on those covers, despite being poorly arranged. Jack Lawrence's cover for the Annual might as well be for any “Sonic the Hedgehog” comic. It shows Sonic and Tails racing through a snowy mountaintop area. Does that relate in any way to the contents of this book? Nope! It's not a badly drawn cover. It's fine. It's also about as generic as a “Sonic” cover could get, showing a serious lack of effort and thought on someone's behalf. 

BEST VARIANT COVER:

Sonic the Hedgehog (IDW): Issue 71 – Cover RI – Natahlie Fourdraine

I didn't plan to give both of the Best Cover Art awards to issue 71 but, well, here we are. I thought long and hard about it, looked at all the other images for a while, and still couldn't move pass how much this particular image charmed me. Natahlie Fourdraine depicts Surge kneeling at her hover-bike and spray painting it, while Kit reclines on top. Both are staring back at the reader, as if they've been intruded upon by the viewer. This cover tells a story in its own right, making you feel like you've stumbled into Surge's personal business and she's about to kick your ass if you don't skedaddle out of there. It also conveys the juvenile delinquent type of energy that radiates around these two. I love it. 

WORST VARIANT COVER:

Sonic the Hedgehog (IDW): Issue 69 – Paper Hero's Comic Retail Exclusive – Jay Kerrick

May of last year must have been the start of convention season. That month's issue of IDW “Sonic” had two additional covers exclusive to two specific comic shops. The first of which was a cover for Big Time Collectables, which appears to be a digital store that gets a lot of exclusive comics. It featured Shadow the Hedgehog and didn't have anything to do with the story inside but wasn't bad by any means. The second exclusive cover was only available at Paper Hero's Comics, a shop in Bouquet Canyon, California. That image was drawn by someone named Jay Kerrick. It features Sonic and a whole bunch of his friends depicted as enormous eyed kewpie dolls, wandering around a weird looking rendition of the Master Emerald Shrine. If I saw this on DeviantArt or whatever, I would dismiss it as the work of a developing artist, trying to define their personal style and still learning how to draw environments, how to color in a way that isn't flat and bland. As a cover for a professional comic book... It simply feels like something that shouldn't have been approved. I'll leave my criticism at that, as I don't want to hurt the feelings of the fifteen year old who clearly drew this.

BEST STORY ART:

Adam Bryce Thomas, “For My Destiny” [Sonic the Hedgehog Annual 2024]

When Adam Bryce Thomas is given some time to truly perfect his artwork, the results are often stunning. The Knuckles centric story from this year's Annual was stunningly pretty. Including a single page spread in the middle that could have passed for a Patrick Spaziante cover back in the day, it's a detailed, emotional, lovingly drawn and painted story that simply looked better than anything else IDW published this year. 

WORST STORY ART:

Thomas Rothlisberger, “Hero's Calling” [Sonic the Hedgehog Annual 2024]

Thomas Rothlisberger contributed a lot of nice art to IDW's “Sonic” titles last year. In fact, his work on the “Fang” mini-series was fantastic, cartoony, fun, and emotive in a way that stuck in my memory. I nearly gave it the above award. Rothlisberger also drew “Hero's Calling” in the Annual and it is assuredly not his best work. I honestly suspect that this might have been a last minute rush job for Rothlisberger. The posing in the story is bland, the colors are flat, the characters are ever so slightly off-model. It's not hideously ugly or anything. However, it's loose and slapdash enough to win this dishonor. 

BEST NEW CHARACTER:

Trip the Sungazer

Trip the Sungazer was “Sonic Superstar's” big contribution to the wider world of “Sonic” lore. “Superstars” might have been a bit of a disappointment that didn't make the impact “Sonic Mania” did. However, it'll never be totally forgotten because it's where Trip debuted. Somewhere, in the fandom, she is someone's favorite character now and will remain treasured by them forever. Because IDW had its hands full with other stuff for most of 2024, it didn't have time to properly adapt “Superstars'” story or anything like that. Considering the weird back-and-forth the comic has with the game continuity, elements from “Superstars” simply popped up in the book, introduced with little warning. That's how Trip made her debut in the “Knuckles' 30th Anniversary” one-shot... 

Luckily, Trip made a good first impression. “Sonic,” as a series, doesn't want for well-meaning but slightly clumsy young women who are still trying to prove themselves. However, this story made the smart decision to play youthful, mistake-prone Trip off the serious, sturdy Knuckles. The result was a delightful story that, most importantly, gave Trip a lovable introduction. She seems nice! I like her. I hope we see more of this little lizard in future installments. 

WORST NEW CHARACTER:

“The Phantom Rider”

Obviously, the Phantom Rider is not a “new” character, strictly speaking. It is merely an alternate identity that Sonic assumes as part of a convoluted plot to get to the bottom of Clutch's criminal dealings. On the surface, the idea of Sonic going undercover as a supervillain that looks like a Japanese superhero isn't a terrible idea. This could have been fun and was, once or twice. Unfortunately, the Phantom Rider soon became representative of the entire arc's problems. The Phantom Rider would do almost the same thing in each appearance, appearing to throw the race into chaos, prompting lots of rushing around from the various factions as part of an on-going scheme that grew blurrier with each new installment. By the end of 2024, I was quite happy to see Sonic discard this alter-ego, the pursuit of the Rider by various people becoming an increasingly stupid plot point in an already overstuffed story. 

BEST IDEA:

Surge Sees the Light

Surge the Tenrec rocks. We love her. She's great. The electric bad girl has been compelling for a while, her broken bird personality growing more vulnerable and sympathetic the more we found out about her. Surge's character arc seemingly came to a turning point in 2024, as her going undercover with the Restoration made her realize she actually likes doing good. Several specific moments – her sheer joy at being received as a hero, her reaction to a little kid praising her as a hero – touched this cold, grey heart of mine. These scenes where the best the comic had to offer in 2024. If we can spin this off into a larger theme, the Mimic centric story that expanded greatly on his personality showed that adding complexity to the adversaries was the best idea this comic's staff had in 2024. 

WORST IDEA:

The Desire to Utilize Every Single Character in the Cast All the Time

I had a lot of problems with the Clean Sweepstakes arc. Please refer to my individual reviews to see my bitching in more detail. However, the longer the plot went on, the more apparent its main issue became. Those critical of the “Sonic” franchise often point out that Sonic has too many friends, too many supporting cast members that strike the casual fan as unneeded. I have never agreed with that assessment... Until Evan Stanley started writing her epic story lines for IDW, each one shoving in as many fucking characters as possible. After a while, it almost felt like the comic was under some pressure to include nearly every member of its cast in this arc. Did the Chaotix need to be involved in these events? Did Don the Rooster and Nite the Owl? Why were Amy, Belle, and Tails off on their own side story for almost the entire arc? Why was so much page space devoted to Lanolin in-fighting with the other Diamond Cutters? What happened to brevity being the soul of wit? 

THE 2023 SONIC THE HEDGEHOG COMIC BEST/WORST LIST!

For years, the “Sonic” franchise continued on almost on auto-pilot, it seemed. We got new games on about a yearly basis but rarely did people like them. The comics continued to be cranked out but nobody but hardcore fans were reading those. However, it definitely feels like things have changed somewhat in the last few years. The movies have been box office hits with wide audience appeal. The new cartoon has generated a fair share of new merchandise. In fact, new merch is all over the place now. While I'm not sure a new “Sonic” game is exactly an event, it does seem to attract more attention now than it used to. 

You can see that this renewed interest in the franchise is having an effect on IDW's “Sonic” comics. This year, the publisher really started pumping out a lot of “Sonic” comic books. In addition to the twelve standard issues of the on-going series, we got five separate one-shot specials, the last issue of a mini-series, and a reprint of the first issue with a bonus story attached. Really took me back to the hay days of the Archie comic, when all sorts of bizarre “48 Page Specials” were coming out all the time. Where any of these comic books especially good? Well, that is what we have gathered here to decide, isn't it? Assuming my opinion means anything to ya...

The issues covered in this retrospective are:

Sonic the Hedgehog (IDW): Issues 56-67

Sonic the Hedgehog: Scrapnik Island: Issue 4

Sonic the Hedgehog: Issue 1 – 5th Anniversary Special

Sonic the Hedgehog: Endless Summer

Sonic the Hedgehog's 900th Adventure

Sonic the Hedgehog: Amy's 30th Anniversary Special

Sonic the Hedgehog: Halloween Special

Sonic the Hedgehog: Winter Jam

BEST COVER STORY:

Daniel Barnes, “Scrapnik Island, Part 4” (Sonic the Hedgehog: Scrapnik Island: Issue 4)

"Scrapnik Island" really feels like it belongs to 2022, since that's when the bulk of the minute series was published. Yet the final issue did come out back in January. And issue 4 of "Scrapnik Island" remains the crowning achievement of IDW "Sonic" thus far. Daniel Barnes' script manages to confront such weighty themes as finding self-worth, fighting through the pain of feeling like a failure, and learning that those who love you are there to help you get pass that. Yes, a comic book about a blue hedgehog fighting a robot hedgehog really did handle some complex, touchy ideas that I think everyone grapples with. And it did it well, being emotional without being mushy and still functioning as an action-packed finale to a compelling story. Through it all, Barnes manages to keep Sonic and Tails in-character, make them interesting, and create one of the book's best cast members in Scrapnik Mecha Sonic. Sorry to the "Endless Summer" one-shot, a really clear runner-up in this category, but issue 4 of "Scrapnik Island" is the best "Sonic" comic IDW has ever published. 

WORST COVER STORY:

Evan Stanley, “Urban Warfare, Part 5” (Sonic the Hedgehog (IDW): Issue 61)

The "Urban Warfare" arc clamors to a noisy smear of various incidents in issue 61. This climax is overly reliant on technobabble-fueled plot points colliding with each other and our heroes stopping the bad guy with special moves. Sonic is sucked into a pocket dimension and then freed a few pages later, off-panel. Shadow just gives himself a power-up and Chaos Controls the problem away. Sonic talks big and dive-bombed Eggman but then just let's him get away. Any sense of heart or character development is lost in this barrage of action beats and plot points, one plot device after another pushing this arc through to its conclusion. 

BEST BACK STORY:

Ian Flynn, “Speed Sightseeing” (Sonic the Hedgehog (IDW): Issue 63)

A pairing we don't see very often in this book is Sonic and Blaze. Yet "Speed Sightseeing," from issue 63, is entirely devoted to the two hanging out. There's not much to the idea of the two speedsters running through a scenic area and talking out their feelings. Yet it ended up working really well. Sonic's philosophy to life is expanded on and we get more insight into Blaze's on-going struggle with work/life balance. There's even a smidge of romantic chemistry here, destined not to go anywhere but adding a little spice nevertheless. 

WORST BACK STORY:

Ian Flynn, the B-plot of issue 62 (Sonic the Hedgehog (IDW): Issue 62)

This is a complete cheat on .y behalf but one I feel justified in pulling. This was right before IDW brought the back-up stories, um, back, but issue 62 already neatly breaks itself into two halves already. Knuckles and Amy returning an ancient Echidnan relic to its proper resting place occupied the first half, even being the plot that inspires the cover image. The second half, meanwhile, deals with the totally unrelated plot point of Clutch talking Mimic into going undercover with the Restoration and everyone just immediately accepting this mysterious "Duo" fellow right into the inner circle. Revealing to the audience that Mimic is Duo, before we even meet Duo, defuses any suspense from that particular plot point. Meanwhile, everyone immediately accepting this new dude into the Restoration without even doing, like, a background check or whatever makes our heroes kind of look like idiots. Do you want moles? Because that's how you get moles. 

BEST STORY ARC:

Evan Stanley, “Dinner at Cream's” (Sonic the Hedgehog (IDW): Issue 65-66)

Well, this is a silly one but ya know what? Sometimes that's what you need. Building oversized action scenes around the utterly mundane task of preparing dinner is a good shortcut to comedic potential. Watching Cream react in horror to Rough and Tumble's break-in also got me to chuckle. Vanilla scolding the villains into repenting is the ideal ending. Yet what makes this bit of slapstick more meaningful is that Stanley makes sure to bake in – pun intended – some touching moments between Cream and Gemerl. Her emotionless robot dad really does love her and wants her to believe in herself! These nuggets of warm-and-snuggly meaning made this bit of fun a stand-out last year. 

WORST STORY ARC:

Ian Flynn and Evan Stanley, “Urban Warfare” (Sonic the Hedgehog (IDW): Issue 57-61)

Considering “Urban Warfare” occupied five complete issues and was, by far, the most action-packed story of the year, one assumes that this was meant to be The IDW's “Sonic” Event of 2023. The story arc has all the makings of a blockbuster, throwing together a large swath of the comic's ensemble into a plot about Eggman's newest, vilest superweapon. And there was an issue, right in the middle, when it seemed like “Urban Warfare” might live up to that hype. Unfortunately, the story totally collapse into sci-fi gimmicks that are rarely justified yet take up far too much space anyway. So stuffed with incident and action scenes, there wasn't much room for the characters or the plot to breathe. 

BEST MAIN COVER:

Sonic the Hedgehog (IDW): Issue 63 – Gigi Dutreix

There weren't too many bad covers this year but there also weren't too many that stood out in a big way. Really nice looking covers like the Amy special, issue 57, or issue 65 were notable more so for their lush coloring than anything else. However, at least one issue really decided to mix things up. Gigi Dutriex's cover for 63 goes in a totally different direction than your standard “Sonic” comic. I mean that literally, as the title runs down the right vertical side of the cover. This, when combined with the visual of Sonic and the gang running down some fire escapes, creates a wonderful sense of motion that draws the eye and gets the reader excited. How expressive everyone's faces are, and the graffiti-style images of Chao and Wisps painting on the wall, add more sugar to the pudding.

WORST MAIN COVER:

Sonic the Hedgehog's 900th Adventure – Tracy Yardley

I almost gave this particular “honor” to the 5th anniversary special for literally just reusing Tyson Hesse's first four covers for the entire series. That is shows some sheer lack of creativity but I guess it gets a pass for mostly being a reprint. What is “900th Adventure's” excuse? Again, a serious lack of creativity is shown in this simple image of Sonic running across a yellow, checker board pattern void. The trails from his legs forming the zeroes in 900 was mildly clever but I still feel like, if you're commemorating nearly a thousand “Sonic” comic books, you could have come up with something a little flashier than this.

BEST VARIANT COVER:

Sonic the Hedgehog (IDW) – Issue 59, Cover B – Natalie Haines

We had a whole precession of gorgeous or adorable variant covers this year, most of them being Nathalie Fourdraine's retail incentive covers. Yet as soon as I saw this one, I fell in love. Natalie Haines' Cover B for issue 59 has got to be one of the most striking images to ever grace any “Sonic” comic book. There's a stillness, a repose, to Shadow as he crouches, an insolent fury burning in his eyes. The vista of androids bearing his likeness stretching out around him, reaching out and bounding him, is given a suitably otherworldly feeling. When contrast with the barren landscape around them and the painterly, detailed colors, it really gives the impression of an ancient, religious fresco. 

WORST VARIANT COVER:

Sonic the Hedgehog (IDW) – Issue 66, Cover B – Abigail Oz

There was a certain temptation to award the Worst Variant Cover title to Jon Grey's alt cover for the “900th Adventure” one-shot. It certainly has the searing colors and colliding together of far too many characters and scenarios. Yet Grey didn't fall upon his usual strategy of sticking ten thousand faces on one cover, showing a great deal of restraint on his behalf. 

So, instead, I turn my critical eye on Abigail Oz' Cover B for issue 66. This simple image of Cream fleeing from Rough and Tumble fast enough to cause her gelatin monstrosity to start to tumble over is rather awkwardly framed. Everyone's poses seems just a smidge unnatural. The proportions seem slightly off, most noticeably in the snow shovel sized area in Rough's groin. There's an overall kind of flat, overly smooth look to everything here, creating a rather bland sight.

BEST STORY ART:

“Urban Warfare, Part 3” – Adam Bryce Thomas (Sonic the Hedgehog (IDW): Issue 59)

Adam Bryce Thomas is reliably one of the best “Sonic” artist around. With the third part of “Urban Warfare – the only part of that arc I actually liked – he really outdid himself. Thomas really adds an epic scope to many of the action scenes here, such as Shadow opening up some Whoop-Ass on his enemies or Eggman making a villainous proclamation. Yet the little character details he includes are also excellent, the looks people give each other or their body language really adding so much detail and richness to this world. 

WORST STORT ART:

“Sonic the Hedgehog's 900th Adventure” – Abby Bulmer (Sonic the Hedgehog's 900th Adventure)

About eight different people did the art for “Sonic's 900th Adventure,” making it by far the most schizophrenic looking “Sonic” comic last year. But most of the artwork was fine, even pretty good. However, Abby Bulmer's six pages really stick out in the worst way. Her characters all look really blobby and cartoonish. As if she's going for maximum cuteness when drawing every single one, even bruisers like Storm or Shadow. Bulmer's backgrounds also seem kind of bland, usually composed of one type of color. I'm not sure Bulmer is the right artist for “Sonic” though she would do great drawing a “Bluey” comic. 

BEST NEW CHARACTER:

Hammer Guy

Once again, IDW “Sonic” is stingy with its new characters. Really, the only notable new character introduced this year was Maggie, otherwise known as Lanolin's purple wisp. And I can't say I really count wisps – or the dozen different Badniks that appeared in the book for the first time this year, according to the Sonic News Network Wiki – as distinct characters in their own right. 

So, in order to find something to qualify for Best New Character, I have to cheat. Because the still unnamed character I am calling Hammer Guy wasn't technically introduced this year. After all, the entire point of his appearance in “Familiar Territory” is based on the brief interaction he had with Sonic all the way back in issue one. Yet Hammer Guy actually got a personality in his second appearance here, getting to detail his history and showing the effect Sonic's one act of heroism had on his life. There's something touching about that idea. That Sonic does shit like this all the time, to the point where it doesn't make much of an impact on him. Yet, to the people he saves, their lives have been changed forever. It's like a positive version of M. Bison's “For me, it was Tuesday” speech. This book doesn't exactly need another fawning Sonic fanboy so who knows if Hammer Guy will appear again. (And if he'll ever get an actual name.) But he definitely ended up with one of the best actual bits of character development this year.

WORST NEW CHARACTER:

Herschel

The only other proper new characters we got in IDW “Sonic” last year were the mischievous pranksters in the Halloween special. The names Brady, Noah, and Rowdy aren't likely to make much of an impression on any “Sonic” fan... But I'll remember Herschel. First off, because he's named fuckin' Herschel. Secondly, because this asshole in a Dracula costume is probably the main reason I didn't like the Halloween Special more. How do you do a Halloween special and make the villain a dweeb like this? We could've had Sonic fight a real vampire! Or literally anything cooler than some theater kid jerk-off who folds the minute the good guys get their hands on him. Disappointed! 

BEST IDEA:

Return of the Back Stories 

Outside of the annuals and the rare one-shot, IDW “Sonic” almost never featured back stories before this year. This year saw the tradition of a “Sonic” comic containing more than one story return for several issues. And do you know what I like about this, aside from it giving buyers more bang for their buck? If gives the characters and their world a little more room to breath. I don't think it's a mistake that the back-stories tend to be more character-driven than the cover story, allowing for slower conversations between our heroes and more chances to flesh out their interior lives. That's always a welcomed addition and I hope the book makes a habit of including back-up stories going into 2024.

WORST IDEA:

Filler

Throughout IDW “Sonic's” entire run, it has been fairly easy to break the series down into various sagas. Metal Sonic, the Zombot crisis, Starline, and now Surge and Kit have emerged as the central antagonist throughout the years. 2023 was not so focused and it let to an unfortunate side effect: Most of the comics published last year felt like filler, stories without too much of a meaningful impact on the book's world, published to pad out the series before it's time to launch back into the next proper arc. The entirety of “Urban Warfare” was very much an example of a standard Sonic vs. Eggman story. It remains to be seen whether Clutch sending Mimic to infiltrate the Restoration will amount to much. Yet, in-between Surge disappearing at the start of the year and returning at the end, it really felt like the comic was just doing whatever the hell it wanted. That's never a great feeling for an on-going narrative to have and left most of last year feeling directionless and unfocused.

THE 2022 SONIC THE HEDGEHOG COMIC BEST/WORST LIST!

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.

THE 2021 SONIC THE HEDGEHOG COMIC BEST/WORST LIST!

2021 was a year that definitely happen. I've got no pithy insights into that. I am, like everyone else, simply exhausted. But it was, in a strange way, a good year to be a "Sonic" fan. It was the 30th anniversary of the entire franchise and that brought with it a boatload of goodies. The pandemic delayed the new game and cartoon show but that didn't stop us — and the corporate overlords at Sega who feed us — from having fun.

And the comic kept on rolling along too, of course. This was IDW "Sonic's" fourth year in existence. Issue fifty is fast approaching. It's inevitable that a life long Archie "Sonic" like myself would still see IDW as standing in that monolith's shadow, But I think I officially stopped referring to this comic as "the new one" this year. IDW has successfully ingrained itself into the wider world of "Sonic" lore. We know this is the case because its characters have now been transformed into adorable plush toys and the introduction of new villains made "Sonic" Twitter loose its mind.

So let's look back on the Year That Was (at least, so far as the "Sonic" comic is concerned) one last time. In this retrospective, I will cover:

Sonic the Hedgehog (IDW): Issues 37-47

Sonic the Hedgehog: Imposter Syndrome: Issue 1

Sonic the Hedgehog 30th Anniversary Special

Sonic the Hedgehog: Free Comic Book Day 2021

BEST COVER STORY:

Ian Flynn, “Seasons of Chaos” (Sonic the Hedgehog 30th Anniversary Special)

I guess there's no way to know until the book has been running for many more years but, it certainly feels this way to me, that "Seasons of Chaos" is the first stone cold classic to come out of IDW "Sonic." Every single page of this story is delightful. We got the reintroductions of beloved characters like Nack, Mighty, Bark and Bean. The Hard Boiled Heavies were given a decent role in the story. The interaction between Sonic, his friends and enemies, was often hilarious. Yet the stakes weren't sacrificed for the sake of comedy. Building the story around the four seasons insured the visuals were lively and colorful. Why can't the book be this good all the time?

WORST COVER STORY:

Ian Flynn, “Zeti Hunt: Part 1” (Sonic the Hedgehog (IDW): Issue 41)

The first part of "Zeti Hunt," meanwhile, represents Ian Flynn's writing at its most mechanical. Issue 41 was devoted to passionlessly setting up the rest of the arc. The threat is introduced, in the form of the revenge hungry Zavok. There's several pages of chaos, as the Zetis wreck towns in the most boring and conflict-free manner possible. The heroes trade exposition about what to do with this and then the issue ends. It was the definition of the book "going through the motions."

BEST BACK STORY:

The McElroy Brothers, “Sonic Learns to Drive” (Sonic the Hedgehog 30th Anniversary Special)

It wasn't just the cover story in the 30th Anniversary Special that was a complete delight. The back-up stories were really good too and "Sonic Learns to Drive" was the best. As you'd expect from professional comedians like the McElroy Brothers, the story is full of hilarious jokes. Every single panel has a laugh in it, as Sonic and Kip the Capybara trade specific, comically infused dialogue. The idea of dropping Sonic in a car and forcing him to obey road laws is a funny idea that is milked for every laugh possible here. And if that's not enough for you, this story is also jam-packed full of in-jokes and callbacks to franchise history. 

WORST BACK STORY:

David Mariotte, “Race to the Empire” (Sonic the Hedgehog Free Comic Book Day 2021)

As always, IDW leaves me with few options in the back story category. The anniversary annual was the only issue with real backstories and they were all good. However, I am able to fill this category on a technicality. 2021's Free Comic Book Day issue — another delightful Classic Sonic story — filled its last few pages with a lazy retrospective of the book's first few years. It's really just a promotional blurb for the book's upcoming fiftieth issue, utilizing only archive artwork with trite words by editor David Mariotte. So it barely counts as a story but it did suck, so I'm calling it the worst backstory of the year. 

BEST STORY ARC:

Evan Stanley, “Test Run” (Sonic the Hedgehog (IDW): Issue 37-40)

I'm not sure there was a "Sonic" story arc last year that I loved all the way through. All of them had individual issues that worked okay but none of them held together as a satisfying whole for me. I would say the one that came the closest was "Test Run." I loved the idea of Sonic, Amy, and Tails trapped inside a frequently surreal pocket dimension, which began as a seemingly unending labyrinth before turning into an uncanny recreation of a small town. Tangle and Belle sneaking around outside, trying to rescue the others, was fun too. Especially since it gave Belle more insight into her past. Unfortunately, this degraded into a boring boss fight eventually but it was pretty compelling up to that point. 

WORST STORY ARC:

Ian Flynn, “Zeti Hunt” (Sonic the Hedgehog (IDW): Issue 41-44)

In the past, IDW storylines have felt drawn out or underdeveloped. None of them have ever felt pointless though... Before "Zeti Hunt," that is. This story truly seemed to be a filler arc, designed to give the book something to do in-between major developments in the Starline and Belle plot threads. The meat of the story was devoted to a fight between Sonic and the Deadly Six... Which was then resolved bluntly early on in the final installment, a tactile admission by the series that the fight didn't matter. This arc seems designed to remind us that the Zetis still exist before sweeping them off-panel for the foreseeable future. There were one or two useful moments throughout but, notably, not a single one of them revolved around Zavok and his crew. "Zeti Hunt" might be the low point of IDW "Sonic," so far. 

BEST MAIN COVER:

Sonic the Hedgehog (IDW): Issue 37 – Evan Stanley

As always, there was a lot of good covers this year and you really couldn't go wrong with the majority of them. However, my favorite was definitely Evan Stanley's A-cover for issue 37. Using a spacey, vaguely "Twilight Zone"-y space spiral in the background was an eye-catching. When combined with Sonic and the gang being all transparent and whispy overhead, it nicely established the predicament our heroes are in. While Belle and Tangle running forward in the foreground gives us that splash of "Sonic"-style motion and speed. Good shit. 

WORST MAIN COVER:

Sonic the Hedgehog (IDW): Issue 42 – Priscilla Tramontano

I hate to be a jerk about this but Priscilla Tramontano is probably my least favorite artist to come out of IDW "Sonic" thus far. Her artwork isn't bad but there's a loose, angular aspect to it that I can't vibe with. That alone probably wouldn't be enough to award her the Worst Cover Art distinction this year but issue 42 has, for lack of a better term, a dumb cover. For whatever reason, it depicts Jewel, Tangle, and Whisper jammed into a cramped corner. We only see the sides of Tangle and Whisper's face, while Jewel grimaces in an uncomfortable fashion. It gives the impression of the characters being stuck in an elevator and Jewel doing her best not to fart. Truly, a baffling pick for an image to advertise your comic book with. 

BEST VARIANT COVER:

Sonic the Hedgehog 30th Anniversary Special: Cover RI-A – Patrick Spaziante

Again, IDW gives us a spoil of riches as far as great variant cover art goes. Honestly, you couldn't go wrong with any of Nathalie Fourdraine's retail incentive covers this year. Yet I am, ultimately, a nostalgist so I am forced to go with Patrick Spaziante's happy return to "Sonic" comic cover art. And it's so good that I honestly don't know why this wasn't the main cover for the book. All the characters look amazing, so smooth and polished but also alive with personality. There's so many lovely little details here, like the grin on the front of Amy's car or the way Nack is sliding down a neon light tube. Choosing the Casino Night Zone as the backdrop was a great idea, because it's bright and colorful but also organized, so the cover never comes off as busy or garish. I want this shit framed in my house, it's gorgeous. 

WORST VARIANT COVER:

Sonic the Hedgehog (IDW): Issue 46 – Ryan Jampole

There were a couple of weaker variant covers in the last year. Cover B for the anniversary special was generic, with a weird pixelated effect that didn't really work. Abby Bulmer's B cover for issue 42 depicts Sonic running through a nondescript area while slightly off-model versions of the Zetis loom in the background. And, of course, I'm tempted to once again use this space to pick in Jon Gray, who contributed another fucking hideous B Cover to issue 37. Once again, I ask, what is that dude's obsession with shoving a hundred characters and as many colors as possible onto one cover?

Yet I feel like that would be too predictable, so instead I'll pick in another frequent target of mine: Ryan Jampole. I don't know why publishers keep inviting this guy back to draw Sonic characters when he clearly doesn't know how. Once again, he illustrates "Sonic" cast members — Tangle and Belle this time — with overly long, jagged limbs. And I think this is just a bad concept for a cover. Belle balances atop Tangle's tail in a way that doesn't look possible. The characters are surrounded by a raging forest fire but smiling in a happy, cocky manner. I think Helpful MotoBug is supposed to be narrowing his plain of vision by putting his mandible over his eyes. Instead, he looks like he's charging up Piccolo's Special Beam Cannon. A misconceived image in many ways. 

BEST STORY ART:

“Dr. Eggman's Birthday” - Thomas Rothlisberger (Sonic the Hedgehog 30th Anniversary Special)

There was a lot of really good art in the book this year. In fact, the standard of quality is so high for the artwork in IDW's “Sonic” book, that it's rare for any art to be distinguishable good. But “Dr. Eggman's Birthday,” the final story in the 30th Anniversary Special, has a very distinctive look. This is probably owed as much to Nathalie Fourdraine's colors as Thomas Rothlisberger's line art. Rothlisberg's artwork is excellent, as he makes the characters as expressive as possible. So much of the comedy in this story  comes from Eggman's face responding to the events around him, contrasting with the adoring eyes of his various robot minions. Yet Fourdraine's colors is what really make this shine. Her painterly style, which makes those Retail Incentive covers look so amazing, is allowed to shine here. The colors are soft but with lots of depth. It's just such a rich looking story.

WORST STORY ART:

“Zeti Hunt Part 3” - Jamal Peppers (Sonic the Hedgehog (IDW): Issue 43)

Part three of “Zeti Hunt” was split between Jamal Peppers, Bracardi Curry, and Thomas Rothlisberger. Rothlisberger and Curry both did fine work but Peppers'.... Well, in my original review, I pointed out that this was his first piece of “Sonic” art in a while and I suspected he might have been a bit rusty. The characters all look a little too stationary, their body movements and facial expressions lacking a sense of realism or weight. Everyone looks like balloons or CGI models or something. It's weird, because Peppers has done fine work in the past, but this definitely something lifeless and off-putting about his art here.

BEST NEW CHARACTER:

Kip the Capybara

The minute I finished reading the 30th Anniversary Special, I knew this guy was my pick for Best New Character of the year. There's so many smart alecs and goofballs in the “Sonic” series but have we ever gotten a really good straight man before? His deadpan reactions to Sonic's inability to understand braking or speed limits were hilarious. The way he sweats, grits his teeth, or sighs got honest laughs out of me. Who knows when Sega will permit IDW to return to the Classic-Verse and, even if they do, it seems unlikely Kip would make a reappearance. It's not like Sonic will ever have cause to learn to drive again. But I sincerely hope there's some excuse to fit him into a future story because I need more of a stuck-up capybara driving instructor responding to the wackiness around him in my life.

WORST NEW CHARACTER:

Hippy Mechanic Orangutan

Once again, IDW is pretty skimpy with introducing new characters. Aside from ol' Kip above, the Classic characters making their debut, Surge and Kitsunami, and a few random citizens in the “Trial by Fire” story arc, there were no new named characters introduced in 2021. I didn't love Surge in her initial appearance but it's also her only appearance thus far. I don't want to make the same mistake I did in IDW's first year, where I gave Whisper the Worst New Character award only for her to become lovable not long afterwards. So I'm playing the game of “wait and see” with Surge and Kit, especially since it's obvious Flynn has some definite plans for them.

So who is my choice for Worst New Character of the year? Once again, I have to go with a character who doesn't even have a real name yet. In issue 37, Belle descends into Restoration HQ. She's introduced to a orangutan mechanic who wears tie-dye, has little Jerry Garcia glasses, and says shit like “groovy” and “far out.” But just like all hippies, his peace-loving shenanigans actually hide prejudice and conservative values. After Belle makes a couple of understandable mistakes – including, for fuck's sake, making bad coffee – he threatens her with violence. Hippy Mechanic Orangutan – the script apparently calls him “Chief Mechanic,” which is just as catchy as what I call him – would later get something like a redemptive moment a few issues later. When he attempts to defend Belle from Starline. But I don't buy it. This guy was an ass to sweet, adorable little Belle so I don't like him. Fuck off back to your commune, you damn dirty ape.

BEST IDEA:

Focus on the Supporting Cast

A couple of times while reviewing the comic in the past year, I commented on how Sonic himself barely appeared in a couple of issues. But don't mistake this for a criticism. We all know who Sonic is, what his deal is. And we also all know that Sega is sometimes resistant to actually growing him as a character. So the comic making the collective decision to focus most of 2021's character development on Belle, Jewel and Tangle wasn't just sound. It was practical. And I can't say I'm complaining, as Belle and Tangle were the life blood of the book in 2021. It's notable that the arc that featured them the least was also the weakest of the year.

WORST IDEA:

Is there a plan?

For a while, it seemed like IDW was breaking the “Sonic” comic down into “seasons.” The first season was devoted to the Neo Metal Sonic arc. The second revolved around the Metal Virus Crisis. That ended over a year ago but the comic, it seems, is still struggling to establish a new direction for itself. Belle's development and Starline's simmering schemes have mostly been happening in the background of shorter arcs devoted to the Deadly Six, forest fires, or half-assed new plans from Eggman that hardly seem like concrete ploys. One hopes the series is building towards something bigger – and the introduction of Surge and Kit might be it – but it seems, for the last year, that IDW “Sonic” has been spinning its wheels a bit, unfocused and uncertain of what to do next.