Megathread IDW's Sonic the Hedgehog - Megathread

[DaMan]

Wow guess I’m wrong thankfully. This will probably last like 1 page though.

[Red Hot Jack]

I noticed there is a Shadow sucks in IDW campaign or something like that on twitter. I am fine with that, I get why people are upset but I stand by my opinion, he was great in season 1, in fact issue 6 is still my favorite for the morality confrontation. It was nice as intro for his character and his clash with Sonic and Eggman. In season 2, I want to point out that the madness with Shadow happened all in a single issue, as for the rest, he was always a zombot. There isn't much to say, yeah he wasn't perfect in season 1 either but still great, in issue 19... idk, but I definitely would have been still disappointed if Shadow went out with an heroic sacrifice, because everyone else did the same exact thing, and Shadow is not just another hero, I'm really not sure how I would have made him go out. But still I would have been disappointed if it was another boring death.

[bingboomer]

aw sheesh. in that case i am banning myself from this forum. i had no right to spoil even by accident. im sorry. 

[MetalSkulkBane]

For me all Shadow appearances in the void are fine. It's string together  they paint image of a impulsive looser who never gets things done. Sonic got tricked by Eggman several times (Lost World, Unleashed, etc). But because he does a lot of other things, no one calls him stupid like with Knuckles. Shadow got Knuckle-headed.

Now I'm not really angry, I'm sure it's coincidence. But I do hope that in his next appearance Shadow can, crazy idea, win in some way. Not get broody and try/succeed in screwing things over.

As for #19... it's hard to pin point what went wrong. I guess it's all about subtleties. I think I would be fine with Shadow going down like this if his plan wasn't moronic. There is SLIIIIIIIGHT implication that he assumed he's immune, but blink and you miss it. "Metal Virus can't infect Ultimate Life Form" sounds just like vague boast. (at least they could spare implication that he doesn't care for civilians. He might be a jerk, but a jerk that wants to save people, dang it).

[Shadowlax]

Damn knuckles mandates kinda funky too, so sega whats up

[Kuzu]

Can we stop talking about Shadow please. 

[Shadowlax]

1 hour ago, MetalSkulkBane said:

For me all Shadow appearances in the void are fine. It's string together  they paint image of a impulsive looser who never gets things done. Sonic got tricked by Eggman several times (Lost World, Unleashed, etc). But because he does a lot of other things, no one calls him stupid like with Knuckles. Shadow got Knuckle-headed.

Now I'm not really angry, I'm sure it's coincidence. But I do hope that in his next appearance Shadow can, crazy idea, win in some way. Not get broody and try/succeed in screwing things over.

As for #19... it's hard to pin point what went wrong. I guess it's all about subtleties. I think I would be fine with Shadow going down like this if his plan wasn't moronic. There is SLIIIIIIIGHT implication that he assumed he's immune, but blink and you miss it. "Metal Virus can't infect Ultimate Life Form" sounds just like vague boast. (at least they could spare implication that he doesn't care for civilians. He might be a jerk, but a jerk that wants to save people, dang it).

I think with issue 19 there are a few things at work. First his motivations. So like shadow not wanting to listen to sonic or rouge given in his eyes he justifiably see's their input as problems and the cause of the horrific shit he's dealing with , tracks. Heck him saying sonic deserves this for being stupid and not listening tracks. Harsh, but given the current situation, warranted. Its a bit more aggressive than normal shadow , that's not inherently bad. The issue comes in is why, later in the story. Its more so pride than him genuinely caring about how fucked the world is, which given ... the entirety of his background is contradictory to what we know to say the least. And invalidates and paints his anger as self centered rather than someone who actually cared enough to make the "eggman should die " argument in issue 6. That context retroactively makes all his previous appearances worse.

The other issue is, is that the story scenario in general in retrospect just ended up kind of bad. As fun as the emotional beats were ( at least some of them at the time ) the lack of any coherent narrative or actual conflict besides the zombie mass turns it into generic zombie fiction misery porn which is just... kind of uninteresting. The potential of shadow serving some sort of pragmantic opposite of sonic as they figure out how to deal with the issue who would stand his ground was effectively robbed from us. So that secondary morality plot ends up going nowhere sonic confirms his biases unchallenged, and its uninteresting for everyone. So it isn't just bad for shadow, its the point in the narrative where everything stopped mattering.

I think the reason many feel as though shadow has done nothing. Is because Ian Flynn took shadow for granted. Shadow's a popular guy he will be around, we can set him up for future things. Its very clear what sega intended threw him for a loop and in not letting shadow be a character to set up future narratives in the wake of sega's weird mandates has effectively robbed him of having actually show the audience who he is or what he's about. This is ontop of Ian flynn due to sega having the constancy of programmed rng not having a clue.

If I can get a bit ahead of myself its why I think the next bit has him in it. He hasn't got to do much, to say he was robbed is not inaccurate and I can see the people writing wanted to do something with him. Some people say it will be people telling him how bad he was acting, but I don't think and I hope that's not the case. The whole point of that past narrative as much as it fumbled it into dust is that you were supposed to interpret who was right, and to dedicate a narrative that defeats the purpose. It also wouldn't help shadow's who has looked bad the entire time.

I think what happens, and I could be deadass wrong, by the end of it you get a more clearly defined look at who shadow is and maybe that resembles more of what people love. But it requires sacrifices to appease the corporate overlords, and I think those sacrifices are his relationships. I think shadow fixes omega he feels like he owes him that. And basically says " we clearly have two different versions of what heroism is , i'm gonna do my own thing " and sort of solidifies what sega wants shadow to be. A lone wolf. But instead of acting like a dickhead in the middle of a zombie apoc story. Its narrative justified his grievances and desires make sense. And he still cares about people, but he's gonna do what he wants to do.

or I dunno maybe he yells at chao all day.

2 minutes ago, Kuzu said:

Can we stop talking about Shadow please. 

*sees twitter*

No

Sega doesn't want us to stop apparently, maybe they think this engagement is good. Also more on a serious note I dunno man he's a popular ass character being treated kinda weird and folks talking about him. Dunno what you do about that

[bingboomer]

well he may be a badass sourpuss version of sonic but sometimes he needs to be in comedic situations. 

[SBR2]

45 minutes ago, Kuzu said:

Can we stop talking about Shadow please. 

Boy do I wish we would.

[Kuzu]

1 hour ago, Shadowlax said:

 

*sees twitter*

No

Sega doesn't want us to stop apparently, maybe they think this engagement is good. Also more on a serious note I dunno man he's a popular ass character being treated kinda weird and folks talking about him. Dunno what you do about that

No you can do it, it's called just don't fucking do it and focus on something else. I like Shadow and I'm  tired of talking about him. 

[PublicEnemy1]

4 hours ago, Shadowlax said:

Damn knuckles mandates kinda funky too, so sega whats up

What's that about?

[Zaysho]

I get Shadow discussion is tiring and circular in this topic (I honestly don't give a shit anymore) but I'm honestly way more tired of people posting in here telling people to stop because it isn't what they want to see when they open the topic. Put users on ignore and direct the conversation wherever the hell you want it to go.

Who knows, maybe it'll stop being a hot topic when Sega stops choking out the book's creativity.

[DabigRG]

Wonder what the deal with hood ornament Omega is gonna be?

[PublicEnemy1]

7 minutes ago, DabigRG said:

Wonder what the deal with hood ornament Omega is gonna be?

Tails DID say that he has to created a new body for him in a previous issue due to Omega's weird infrastructure, but I think they're somehow gonna get his old body back, because SEGA hates change to the status quo.

[DabigRG]

2 hours ago, PublicEnemy1 said:

Tails DID say that he has to created a new body for him in a previous issue due to Omega's weird infrastructure, but I think they're somehow gonna get his old body back, because SEGA hates change to the status quo.

Oh yeah, he did say that.

Of course, I was referring to a cover.EDIT: This one.

Spoiler

 

 

[Shadowlax]

1 hour ago, PublicEnemy1 said:

What's that about?

Knuckles legit just can't leave the island apparently. So him not knowing what was going on wasnt a plot convient thing. He just isn't allowed.

Also apperent knuckles would never allow anyone to use the m.e even though thats happened

Also the m.e can only make robots go super. Weird

39 minutes ago, DabigRG said:

Wonder what the deal with hood ornament Omega is gonna be?

His body after shadow and his zombie buddies tore him up were scattered to the wind and i dunno maybe thats why they race to get the parts back

I get the feeling the omega details ain't gonna be that important and hes gonna moreso be a vehicle for a narrative

 

 

[Pengi]

2 hours ago, Shadowlax said:

Also the m.e can only make robots go super. Weird

That's how it's always been in the games.

[DabigRG]

2 hours ago, Shadowlax said:

Knuckles legit just can't leave the island apparently. So him not knowing what was going on wasnt a plot convient thing. He just isn't allowed.

Really now? Guess Sonic Team is cracking down where they actually can.

Hopefully, that means his next appearance will be a major one.

2 hours ago, Shadowlax said:

His body after shadow and his zombie buddies tore him up were scattered to the wind and i dunno maybe thats why they race to get the parts back

I get the feeling the omega details ain't gonna be that important and hes gonna moreso be a vehicle for a narrative

Okay, see, that's how long it's been--I forgot that was in the solicit.

Still doesn't explain that cover though.

 

[Sparity]

Between runs with Archie comics and currently IDW Comics, The "Zombot" Arc (as of 7/22/2020) has/will clock in as the 3rd longest Sonic Comic Arc right behind the "Iron Dominion" Arc (2nd longest) and the "Mecha Sally" Arc (The Longest Arc Ever...So Far). Several fans including  Megabeatman  are happy/thrilled (in their own way, IMO) that this arc is finally coming to an end after nearly a 1 1/2 year of (from what I've heard and somewhat seen) what is a repetitive rinse and repeat storytelling issue after issue.

[calamityCons]

There were four issues detailing how all the characters failed to prevent the infection from getting worse all in a row, and canonically taking place on the same day. It’s possible to feel a lot of fatigue after you hear what happened to Amy from the end of Tails’ issue, and then the next month you get all the tragic details of it. It definitely got exhausting when the light of hope kept getting dimmer and dimmer. 

[Sparity]

4 minutes ago, calamityCons said:

There were four issues detailing how all the characters failed to prevent the infection from getting worse all in a row, and canonically taking place on the same day. It’s possible to feel a lot of fatigue after you hear what happened to Amy from the end of Tails’ issue, and then the next month you get all the tragic details of it. It definitely got exhausting when the light of hope kept getting dimmer and dimmer. 

And that's the point, it's just rinse and repeat, and I feel many (IMO) have had enough of it. Especially coming off what did in Archie with the Mecha Sally Arc, which believe it or not, combing both the main and Universe comics, span a total of 34 issues, which from a year's standpoint was almost 3 years in near 2 year span.

[calamityCons]

I was never under the impression Mecha Sally was an ‘arc’ but rather a permanent change that would never actually be reversed, at least at the time. I don’t really mind the length of an arc as a rule, it can last as long as it needs to. However, I totally understand the other side of my position and can agree that the zombot arc is long and sad. It REALLY doesn’t help that the whole thing is taking place within the context of the real life pandemic making the losses in the story hit really hard, and the delays the comic suffered as a result of real life circumstances beyond anyone’s control. 

[PC the Hedgehog]

Yeah, I don't really consider the Mecha Sally storyline as an "arc" either since there was so much other stuff going on. That's kind of like calling the first 50 issues featuring SatAM Robotnik the "SatAM Robotnik" arc.

I am in the camp who feels the Metal Virus arc has dragged on too long, even without the delayed issues, and am really looking forward to something new. This is a storyline I feel would lend itself better to being read in big chunks instead of monthly 20-page installments, which is what I plan to do after it wraps up.

Ironic, since the Iron Dominion Arc has been one of my favorite Ian-penned storylines, yet many feel that IT dragged on too long.

[calamityCons]

Iron Dominion was pretty cool, my only real issue with that arc was Espio’s subplot took such a long time to resolve when it had a PHENOMENAL side story with him and Knuckles really early that was so tense and engaging I was on the edge of my seat for it... then Espio disappears for like, most of the storyline and doesn’t return until Sonic Universe. 

[CrownSlayers Shadow]

Mecha Sally was more of a “Status Quo” from where I look at it. It was clear to me that Ian wanted to get all the mileage he could out of it before resolving it, and I don’t blame him one bit cuz I’d want to do the same thing in his position. With her being Eggman’s most potent weapon against the Freedom Fighters, second only to the Death Egg Mk.II, who wouldn’t want to take full advantage of that shift in status quo to the fullest extent?

As for the Iron Dominion, it was one of my favorites too—I loved the Iron Queen, and I’m upset we’ll never have her again (she’s definitely give the D6 a run for their money). I will say some parts could’ve been left out to streamline it, namely the Sally/Khan romance, as they clearly weren’t going to let that be a thing that stuck.

Also, as far as Knuckles staying on his island being a mandate. If that’s true—first, ABOUT FUCKING TIME YOU ACKNOWLEDGED THAT HE SHOULD BE DOING THAT INSTEAD OF BRUSHING IT OFF, SEGA! Second, you can still make heavy use of his island and Master Emerald. Ian’s been consistent about this and has found various workarounds to allow him to be more involved in adjacent events that affect Knuckles and his island, so I don’t see this as being too strict—In fact, I swear Ian’s been reading my posts on Knuckles over this very matter.