Sonic the Hedgehog (IDW Publishing)
| Sonic the Hedgehog | |
|---|---|
 Cover A of Sonic the Hedgehog #1 by Tyson Hesse | |
| Publication information | |
| Publisher | IDW Publishing (Licensed by Sega of America) |
| Schedule | Monthly |
| Genre | |
| Publication date | April 4, 2018–present |
| No. of issues |
|
| Main character | Sonic the Hedgehog |
| Creative team | |
| Written by |
|
| Artists |
|
| Pencillers |
|
| Inkers |
|
| Letterers |
|
| Colorists |
|
| Editors |
|
Sonic the Hedgehog is an ongoing American comic book series based on the Sega video game franchise, published by IDW Publishing.
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 game series, beginning after the events of Sonic Forces.
Publication history
On July 21, 2017, IDW Publishing announced a deal with Sega of America to produce a new series of Sonic comics after the cancellation of the Sonic the Hedgehog 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 the 2017 New York Comic Con, 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] 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.[7][better source needed]
On September 2023, Lore Manager Chris Hernandez confirmed that the comics are canon to the games.[8]
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.[9]
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.[10] 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 DC x Sonic the Hedgehog book began publication in March 2025 and lasted until July of the same year.[11]
On April 25, 2025, IDW Publishing began releasing the comic series on Webtoon.[12]
In July 2025, IDW teased the debut of Sage from Sonic Frontiers in issue #84.[13][14] Evan Stanley confirmed that this issue would take place after Frontiers.[15] She later said that it would not be the first post-Frontiers issue and the best place to put Frontiers "without causing major continuity hiccups" was before issue #68, however she acknowledged that there were unavoidable continuity issues with any placement.[16][17]
Synopsis
Following the war over Eggman's global conquest,[a] the doctor is found by the Chaotix to have lost his memory and ended up in a remote village where he has taken on the more friendly moniker of Mr. Tinker. Sonic meets new allies Tangle and Whisper, and 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. Considering the war's last loose end tied, Knuckles disbands the Resistance, which Amy reorganizes into the Restoration.
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", with several heroes succumbing to the infection. It quickly mutates beyond Eggman's control, and 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 an infected Sonic and his friends cure the world. Tangle's childhood friend Jewel subsequently assumes leadership of the Restoration, relieving Amy.
As the world rebuilds in the Metal Virus' wake, Sonic and company set out to fix E-123 Omega, whose body was destroyed by zombots. 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 group and Shadow come 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 Mimic 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. Upon learning how they were created, and not finding any trace of their past, Surge and Kit begin plotting against everyone. Starline, oblivious, tries conquering the Eggman Empire's new ever-expanding capital, Eggperial City, 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 Tangle, Whisper, and Jewel's aide-de-camp Lanolin.
Clutch, seeking to revive his criminal empire, hires Rough, Tumble, Mimic, Surge, and Kit to infiltrate the Restoration so he can take it over. After conning Jewel into a business partnership, Clutch sponsors an Extreme Gear tournament to build publicity. His plan is foiled with secret help from Eggman, provoked by the tournament's mocking advertisements, and unexpected help from Surge and Kit, having second thoughts after experiencing heroic acclaim. Publicly exposed, Clutch endangers Central City out of spite and tries to escape, but is stopped and defeated. The Restoration sacrifice their own headquarters to save the city, while the other villains scatter as Eggman captures Clutch. In the aftermath, Jewel resigns as leader of the Restoration and the Diamond Cutters disband. Tangle, Whisper, and Silver try to recapture Mimic, but he dies in a failed suicide attack against them. Unknown to everyone, Eggman enslaves Clutch and seizes his assets, allowing Eggman to profit off his own waste.
Characters
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. She 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, later becoming the leader of the second iteration of the Diamond Cutters. She has a Wisp companion named Maggie.
- Doctor Starline: a platypus scientist who admires Eggman, later creating Surge and "Kit" to oppose Sonic. 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 dies in a failed suicide attack against Whisper, Tangle, and Silver when they try to recapture him.
- Nite the Owl: an owl who is a radio host and is in a relationship with Don.[18] He and Don are friends with the Chaotix and sometimes help them with their cases.
- Don the Rooster: a rooster who is the custodian at Nite's radio station and is in a relationship with him. He and Nite are friends with the Chaotix and sometimes help them with their cases.
- 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. He, too, is 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.
- Soleil the Sugar Glider: a sugar glider jester who hails from the Celestial Troupe, a family of acrobat circus performers, and idolizes Sonic. Stress related to failing to meet the Celestial Troupe's standards have caused Soleil to develop a mischievous split-personality alter ego called "Lunar".
Publications
Series
| Title | Issue(s) | Start date | End date | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sonic the Hedgehog | 1– | April 4, 2018 | N/a | Began weekly publications in April 2018, then became monthly in May 2018. Features Sonic, Tails and friends battling the forces of Doctor Eggman and other foes. The series is set after the events of Sonic Forces, with the events of Sonic Frontiers taking place between issues #67 and #68. |
| Sonic the Hedgehog: Tangle & Whisper | 0–4 | April 24, 2019 | December 11, 2019 | Miniseries featuring the adventures of two original characters from the main series, Tangle the Lemur and Whisper the Wolf. |
| Sonic the Hedgehog: Bad Guys | 1–4 | October 7, 2020 | December 16, 2020 | Miniseries centered on Dr. Starline and his crew consisting of Zavok, Mimic and Rough & Tumble. |
| Sonic the Hedgehog: Imposter Syndrome | 1–4 | November 17, 2021 | May 11, 2022 | Miniseries focusing on new antagonists Surge the Tenrec and Kitsunami "Kit" the Fennec, as well as their creator, Doctor Starline. |
| Sonic the Hedgehog: Scrapnik Island | 1–4 | October 19, 2022 | January 18, 2023 | Psychological horror miniseries focusing on Sonic and Tails trapped on an island full of disused Badniks, including Mecha Sonic and Mecha Knuckles. |
| Sonic the Hedgehog: Fang the Hunter[b] | 1–4 | January 17, 2024 | May 1, 2024 | A mini-series set in the classic era featuring Fang the Hunter and his mercenary group, the Hooligans. This miniseries takes place before the game Sonic Superstars.[19] |
One-shots
| Title | Publication date | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Team Sonic Racing | December 5, 2018 | A prequel to the 2019 game Team Sonic Racing. |
| Sonic the Hedgehog Annual 2019 | May 1, 2019 | An annual edition comic which contains 5 new stories. |
| Sonic the Hedgehog Halloween ComicFest 2019 | October 26, 2019 | A Halloween ComicFest special edition comic which contains a reprint of #1. |
| Sonic the Hedgehog Annual 2020 | July 8, 2020 | An annual edition comic which contains 6 new stories set during the events of the Metal Virus saga. |
| Sonic the Hedgehog 30th Anniversary Special[b] | June 23, 2021 | A one-shot special in celebration of the 30th anniversary of the Sonic the Hedgehog series. |
| Sonic the Hedgehog Free Comic Book Day 2021[b] | August 14, 2021 | A Free Comic Book Day special edition comic. |
| Sonic the Hedgehog 2: The Official Movie Pre-quill[c] | April 5, 2022 | A prequel to the 2022 film. |
| Sonic the Hedgehog Free Comic Book Day 2022 | May 7, 2022 | A Free Comic Book Day special edition comic. |
| Sonic the Hedgehog Annual 2022 | August 17, 2022 | An annual edition comic that contains 6 new stories about odd pair-ups. |
| Sonic the Hedgehog: Tails' 30th Anniversary Special[b] | November 16, 2022 | A one-shot comic book special celebrating the 30th anniversary of Miles "Tails" Prower. |
| Sonic the Hedgehog: 5th Anniversary Edition | April 5, 2023 | A one-shot comic book special celebrating the 5th anniversary of the IDW Sonic the Hedgehog comic series. It reprints #1 and adds a new story based on it. |
| Sonic the Hedgehog: Endless Summer | August 30, 2023 | Part of the "IDW Endless Summer" event. |
| Sonic the Hedgehog's 900th Adventure | September 13, 2023 | A one-shot comic book special celebrating the entire Sonic the Hedgehog comic book run, including the Fleetway and Archie comics. |
| Sonic the Hedgehog: Amy's 30th Anniversary Special[b] | September 27, 2023 | A one-shot comic book special celebrating the 30th anniversary of Amy Rose. |
| Sonic the Hedgehog: Halloween Special | October 11, 2023 | A Halloween one-shot comic book special focusing on the Chaotix. |
| Sonic the Hedgehog: Winter Jam | December 13, 2023 | A Winter one-shot comic book special focused on Sonic and his friends competing for a Chaos Emerald. |
| Sonic the Hedgehog: Spring Broken | June 26, 2024 | A Spring one-shot comic book special. |
| Sonic The Hedgehog Annual 2024 | October 9, 2024 | An annual edition comic that contains 3 new stories about varying worldviews. |
| Sonic the Hedgehog: Knuckles' 30th Anniversary Special[b][20] | November 20, 2024 | A one-shot comic book special celebrating the 30th anniversary of Knuckles the Echidna. This one-shot takes place after the events of Sonic Superstars. |
| Sonic the Hedgehog: Chaotix's 30th Anniversary Special[21] | October 22, 2025 | A one-shot comic book special celebrating the 30th anniversary of the Chaotix. |
| Sonic the Hedgehog: Sonic Racing CrossWorlds[22] | March 4, 2026 | A one-shot comic book tie-in to Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds. |
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, Vol. 5: Crisis City (February 11, 2020): Reprint of #17–20
- Sonic the Hedgehog: Tangle & Whisper (April 14, 2020): Reprint of Tangle & Whisper issues #1–4 and the 2019 Annual
- 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, along with the Sonic Superstars: Fang's Big Break digital comic
- 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 7, 2026): Reprint of #79-83, and originally set to include Chasing Shadows prior to its cancellation.
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 #1-4
- 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
- Sonic the Hedgehog: On The Go, Vol. 3 (June 9, 2026): Reprint of #21–32 and the 2020 Annual
Compilations
- Sonic the Hedgehog: Sonic & Tails: Best Buds Forever (February 23, 2022): Reprint of stories from #1, #13, #34 and #35
- Sonic the Hedgehog: Knuckles' Greatest Hits (October 24, 2023): Reprint of stories from #3, #10, #11, FCBD 2022, and the 2022 Annual featuring Knuckles
- Sonic the Hedgehog: Best of Shadow (January 22, 2025): Reprint of stories from #6, #36, #59 and #61 featuring Shadow
Art 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: The IDW Comic Covers, Vol. 1 (October 7, 2025): Hardcover collection of cover art from the first 75 issues, plus annuals, specials, and miniseries.
Boxsets
- Sonic the Hedgehog Boxset (June 27, 2018): Contains #1-4
- Sonic the Hedgehog Boxset, Vol. 1-3 (October 15, 2024): Contains trade paperback volumes 1-3
Other
- Sonic The Hedgehog: Sonic Prime, Vol. 1 (May 13, 2025): Contains adaptations of Sonic Prime season 1 episodes 1-2
- Sonic The Hedgehog: Sonic Prime, Vol. 2 (October 21, 2025): Contains adaptations of Sonic Prime season 1 episodes 3-5
- Sonic The Hedgehog: Sonic Prime, Vol. 3 (April 7, 2026): Contains adaptations of Sonic Prime season 1 episodes 6-8
- Sonic The Hedgehog: Sonic Prime, Vol. 4 (September 8, 2026): Contains adaptations of Sonic Prime season 2 episodes 1-4
Cancelled
- Sonic the Hedgehog: Tangle & Whisper Boxset: Would have contained issues #1–4 in a collectible slipcase
- Sonic the Hedgehog: Chasing Shadows: One-shot comic book featuring Shadow the Hedgehog. After multiple postponements of the release date, its author, Kiel Phegley,[23] announced that it had been cancelled.[24]
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."[25]
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.[26]
In other media
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,[27][28] with them doing so next month.[29] Surge the Tenrec would also join Speed Battle on November 21, 2023.[30][better source needed] Merchandise, including a plush toy, of the former two has also been released.[31][32] Tangle was also briefly mentioned in the 2022 Sonic game Sonic Frontiers.
On November 11, 2025, Tangle and Whisper were announced as free post-launch characters in the video game Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds.[33] Tangle and Whisper are featured in the 2026 podcast Sonic the Hedgehog Presents: The Chaotix Casefiles, voiced by Ashlyn Madden and Anairis Quiñones respectively.[34]
Notes
References
- ^ "SEGA® and IDW Publishing Dash Forward with Partnership Deal". IDW Publishing. July 21, 2017. Archived from the original on September 30, 2017. Retrieved November 24, 2017.
- ^ "New Sonic the Hedgehog™ Series Will Launch in April 2018 with a Four-Week Event". IDW Publishing. October 8, 2017. Archived from the original on February 13, 2019. Retrieved November 24, 2017.
- ^ Thurmond, Joey. "Writer Ian Flynn Discusses Giving The Sonic Comic Series A Fresh Start". Game Informer. Archived from the original on February 17, 2018. Retrieved January 2, 2024.
- ^ Johnston, Rich (October 9, 2017). "Sonic Finds A New Home In IDW At NYCC With Ian Flynn". Bleeding Cool. Archived from the original on June 13, 2021. Retrieved June 13, 2021.
- ^ Bonomolo, Cameron (January 22, 2018). "New 'Sonic The Hedgehog' Comics Revealed". Comicbook.com. Archived from the original on August 7, 2018. Retrieved June 13, 2021.
- ^ Marnell, Blair (January 23, 2018). "Sonic The Hedgehog Returns to Comics in 2018". Nerdist. Archived from the original on June 16, 2018. Retrieved June 13, 2021.
- ^ Jennings, Collier (April 14, 2020). "Sonic the Hedgehog Gets New Writer, Miniseries". Comic Book Resources. Valent Inc. Archived from the original on April 20, 2020. Retrieved April 15, 2020.
- ^ "Sonic Official - Season 7 Episode 7". YouTube. Archived from the original on September 27, 2023. Retrieved September 27, 2023.
- ^ "IDW's Sonic the Hedgehog Going On Break in Early 2024". Sonic Stadium. November 19, 2023. Archived from the original on December 11, 2023. Retrieved December 11, 2023.
- ^ "Sonic Letters Squad" Sonic the Hedgehog, no. 70, p. 25 (July 3, 2024). IDW Publishing.
- ^ "DC'S JUSTICE LEAGUE AND SONIC THE HEDGEHOG TEAM UP FOR GLOBAL COLLABORATION ACROSS COMIC BOOKS AND CONSUMER PRODUCTS". DC. Retrieved December 1, 2024.
- ^ "Sonic the Hedgehog". webtoons. Archived from the original on April 26, 2025. Retrieved April 25, 2025.
- ^ IDW Publishing [@IDWPublishing] (July 22, 2025). ">IDW-SYSTEM v84.00 > Initializing... > SYSTEM ERROR. > UNKNOWN SIGNAL DETECTED IN ISSUE #84. > JANUARY 2026. #SonicTheHedgehog #SonicComics #SDCC #SonicComics #SonicTheHedgehogComics #SDCC2025 #ComicCon #IDWComics IDW" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
- ^ IDW Publishing [@IDWPublishing] (July 23, 2025). "She's back. And she's watching over him. SAGE arrives in #SonicTheHedgehog #84 – only from IDW. Visit IDW Publishing at #SDCC #2729 to pick up a free exclusive poster! #SonicComics #SonicComics #SonicTheHedgehogComics #SDCC2025 #ComicCon #IDWComics #IDWPublishing #Sage" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
- ^ Stanley, Evan (August 22, 2025). "You don't have to give away too much or really..." Tumblr. Retrieved December 24, 2025.
Yes. But since Frontiers is more or less a self-contained adventure (with the exception of Sage), don't expect some grand adaptation or status quo change (again, other than Sage)
- ^ Stanley, Evan (December 23, 2025). "Evan, a big question…so the mystery villain..." Tumblr. Retrieved December 24, 2025.
Frontiers does not take place after #83. #84 is Sage's first appearance in the comics, which is different. Because of how Frontiers handles the Emeralds, it can only take place some time shortly before issue #68. Even that placement's not perfect, but it's the best place to put it without causing major continuity hiccups.
- ^ Stanley, Evan (December 23, 2025). "So, if the nebulous placement for Frontiers is..." Tumblr. Retrieved December 24, 2025.
Yeah, Rouge having an Emerald from Rough Patch is the basically unavoidable continuity hitch I eluded [sic] to in my earlier answer.
- ^ Stanley, Evan (December 13, 2022). "I'm actually really curious about what you said..." Tumblr. Retrieved December 26, 2025.
In the pitch doc for them I basically said "these two are gay and a couple, are y'all ok with that" and my editors and SEGA all said yeah that's fine– so they canonically are together.
- ^ Flynn, Ian [@IanFlynnBKC] (October 20, 2023). "Classic Era Post-Fighters Pre-Superstars G'nite!" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
- ^ "SDCC 2023: Knuckles & Fang 30th Anniversary Special Coming 2024". Sonic Stadium. July 23, 2023. Archived from the original on January 22, 2024. Retrieved January 22, 2024.
- ^ "Sonic the Hedgehog: Chaotix's 30th Anniversary Special Cover A (Lawrence)". Penguin Random House Comics Retail. Archived from the original on July 29, 2025. Retrieved August 30, 2025.
- ^ "Sonic the Hedgehog: Sonic Racing CrossWorlds Cover A (Jampole)". Penguin Random House Comics Retail. Retrieved December 24, 2025.
- ^ "Sonic the Hedgehog: Chasing Shadows Cover A (Fourdraine)". Penguin Random House Comics Retail. Archived from the original on February 14, 2025. Retrieved June 28, 2025.
- ^ Kiel Phegley [@kielphegley.bsky.social] (November 18, 2025). "Should probably make it official for folks asking: Chasing Shadows won't be happening. As I understand it, while we were waiting for final approvals, some folks on the SEGA team left the company, and it was decided that the book just didn't fit the schedule and workflow of the line" – via Bluesky.
- ^ Davison, Joshua (April 5, 2018). "Sonic the Hedgehog #1 Review: Creative Action Scenes Make Up for an Annoying Lead". Bleeding Cool. Archived from the original on June 13, 2018. Retrieved April 6, 2018.
- ^ Holland, Dustin (November 23, 2021). "IDW's Sonic the Hedgehog: Imposter Syndrome #1 Comic Review". Comic Book Resources. Valnet Inc. Archived from the original on January 14, 2022. Retrieved January 14, 2022.
- ^ Deschamps, Marc (June 28, 2020). "Sonic Fans Are Thrilled That Two IDW Characters Are Coming to the Video Games". Comicbook.com. Archived from the original on August 3, 2022. Retrieved June 29, 2020.
- ^ Lada, Jenni (June 29, 2020). "Sonic Forces Tangle and Whisper Event Announced". Siliconera. Enthusiast Gaming. Archived from the original on August 29, 2022. Retrieved February 25, 2022.
- ^ Musgrave, Shawn (July 13, 2020). "Best iPhone Game Updates: 'Sneaky Sasquatch', 'PUBG Mobile', 'Retro City Rampage DX', 'Homescapes', and More". TouchArcade. TouchArcade.com, LLC. Archived from the original on August 19, 2022. Retrieved February 25, 2022.
- ^ Reyna, Leo (November 15, 2023). "IDW Sonic Character Surge the Tenrec To Make Her Video Game Debut". CBR. Archived from the original on November 17, 2023. Retrieved November 27, 2023.
- ^ Brown, Tom (May 12, 2021). "IDW's Sonic comic characters Tangle & Whisper get official merchandise". Nintendo Wire. Archived from the original on February 25, 2022. Retrieved February 25, 2022.
- ^ Brown, Tom (August 31, 2021). "New Sonic franchise plush wave featuring Mephiles, Whisper, Chao, more announced". Nintendo Wire. Archived from the original on May 26, 2022. Retrieved February 25, 2022.
- ^ Nightingale, Ed (November 11, 2025). "Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds is getting another three free characters, and yes one of them is NiGHTS". Eurogamer. Retrieved November 11, 2025.
- ^ "The Chaotix Casefiles - Credits". Sega. Retrieved February 10, 2026.
External links
- Sonic the Hedgehog on the IDW Publishing website
