Issue 1

Published: 29th May 1993 · Cover Art: Unknown

An excellent Sonic starter strip, introducing the reader into the world of Sonic. Dr. Robotnik’s new invention, for which there seems to be no name, is sucking up the gold rings in the zones. This will give it unlimited power… unless someone stops him. Sonic: Enter Stage Left. After freeing his buddies, they warn Sonic of the danger Robotnik has set for him. Sonic slams into the machine like a cannonball, completely destroying it. After a quick celebration, Sonic goes searching for Tails…

The art is very good for an opening comic, but the king of Fleetway, Richard Elson, does a immensely better job than Anthony Williams. The story is slightly straightforward, but at the time, just seeing Sonic on a comic was enough to get us kids salivating over the next issue. Ah, those were surely the days. Those were the days…

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SEGA Comic Strips not related to Sonic:
• Shinobi: The Fear Pavilion – Part One
• Golden Axe: Citadel of Dead Souls – Part One

Issue 2

Published: June 1993 · Cover Art: Unknown

Info by JDogg: Sonic returns to The Emerald Hill Zone where he left Tails to keep an eye on things. When he arrives, no-one is there apart from a rabbit who was hiding from badniks behind some bushes. He tells Sonic everyone was captured by Dr Robotnik, including Tails. Sonic decides that this is a time to use his new super speed grip trainers, which double the speed at which hr travels. He leaves to go find Robotnik smashing some badniks along the way. He arrives at a dead end where he calls out for Robotnik to give up and give him back Tails.

Suddenly he is attacked from behind by something – as he looks up he sees Tails has been turned into one of Robotnik’s badniks! Robotnik takes over from where Tails left off and starts attacking Sonic in his Egg-O-Matic with the ball and chain and laser guns. While this is going on, Tails snaps back and gains back his memory, then suddenly jumps into the air crashing into the Egg-O-Matic. This frees Tails from his metal suit. Robotnik escapes in what’s left of his Egg-O-Matic as Tails apologises to Sonic for attacking him. Sonic, as always, forgives him and points out that his new trainers are worn out from all the running he’s done. He decides to stick with his old, original red and white trainers seeings as they can keep up with him.

Issue 3

Published: 26th June 1993 · Cover Art: Unknown

Tufftee, a young squirrel who idolises Sonic, attempts to free his pals in the Marble Zone. After getting captured however, it’s up to his hero to rescue him, after his sister Sally Acorn gets worried about his whereabouts. Travelling through the Special Zone (akin to the Sonic the Hedgehog 2 Special Stage), Sonic takes a short cut to the baniks who hold Tufftee captive.

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Issue 4

Published: 10th July 1993 · Cover Art: Unknown

This is the issue that begins to set up future storyline settings for the Fleetway verse. A Sonic look-a-like has been wrenching off all the Star Posts in the Emerald Hill Zone, and the true blue blur sends himself to investigate. The plot thickens when the robot faker captures Sonic as an organic battery. Out steps fat old Robotnik, who reveals the reason for the vandalism – his new base of operations happens to be the Special Zone, of which only the Star Posts allows entry into.

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Issue 5

Published: 24th July 1993 · Cover Art: Unknown

Tails gets kidnapped and taken to the Labyrinth Zone to be turned into a robot! After Robotnik already tried this several times in the past, he’s gotten his latest badnik, Arachbot, to help take Tails and do the honours for him. Sonic follows the badniks, but the Labyrinth Zone is a complex and dangerous place! Arachbot doesn’t exactly become a very happy robot when Sonic quashes it’s plans either…

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Issue 6

Published: 7th August 1993 · Cover Art: Unknown

Considered a direct tie-in with Sonic 2, although really the story takes place after the game’s events – after Robotnik’s failed attempt to take over Mobius with the Death Egg satellite in Sonic 2, the fat egg’s abandoned it – and it’s soon to crash into the Emerald Hill Zone if nothing is done! Cue Sonic and Tails’ attempt to re-visit Wing Fortress and Death Egg Zone to save the space satellite from crashing into the planet. Very impressive artwork, very close to the Sonic 2 promotional artwork, and scripted perfectly for a one-strip game tie-in.

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Issue 7

Published: 21st August 1993 · Cover Art: Unknown

This issue marks the first exciting (and quite disturbing) appearance of Super Sonic in the Sonic the Comics. Sonic and Tails are called to the Oil Ocean Zone to help the firefighting crew cleaning up the zone. An Aquis badnik crashes the party though and causes Sonic a whole load of trouble. The next thing Tails and Red see is an area going up in flames. Although it would have been silly of the badnik to think that he could get rid of Sonic that easily, as he transforms into Super Sonic! After doing good by destroying the badnik however, things take a turn for the worse as we see an evil side to the hyped up hedgehog…

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STC Pinup:
• Sonic the Hedgehog: A special ‘STC Stars’ series of pin-ups, readers could pull out an image of a certain star from the comic and stick it onto their bedroom walls to marvel at for ages. Naturally, Sonic made the first one.

Issue 8

Published: 4th September 1993 · Cover Art: Unknown

The beginning of some very very good comic-style lovin’ from Nigel Kitching and Richard Elson… this issue begins by covering Sonic’s roots (the USA and European storyline). The story is well written and very humourously based around the western storyline, and also introduces us to some new Fleetway characters – Porker Lewis, Johnny Lightfoot and the Omni-Viewer. Any of those complaining about this issue being “wrong” because the Western storyline is “wrong” compared the Japanese story, you are wrong and you need a life. In addition, you need to read this, the most logical thing I’ve read about the subject this side of the millennium.

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Issue 9

Published: 18th September 1993 · Cover Art: Unknown

Omni-Viewer finally dumps Sonic into the future by six months – this was to obey Robotnik’s order to get rid of the blue blur, but also to help Sonic (he is his mate after all) out by only putting him six months forward so there is still time for Sonic and co to undo all the damage Robotnik has done to Mobius. The result is Robotnik reigning over the Emerald Hill folk and the rest of the planet, and strict rules being set. This is the turning point of the comic where the Freedom Fighters are set to be created. Watch this space…

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Issue 10

Published: 2nd October 1993 · Cover Art: Unknown

Sonic’s task to free his animal friends from Robotnik’s rule of Mobius has begun in earnest, as he disguises himself as Bob Beaky to infiltrate the Chemical Plant Zone complex. After busting in, the gang try to bust out via the sewage ducts, but all is not what it seems when a mutant scientist combined with the Mega Mack substance comes out of hiding to kill the blue blur!

From this point onward the Sonic strips truly feel like huge adventures packed in seven pages, as you’re taken from the start of a rescue mission all the way to a boss battle and an inventive plan to beat Megatox. Kitching’s writing, Elson’s artwork and Fell’s lettering prove to be an awesome combination, and after a mixture of artists and writers to test the water, Fleetway had finally found its stride in this new exciting canon.

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