IDW Sonic Fang Goes Hunting in Newly Announced IDW Mini Series

[nuckles87]

IDW has been teasing us with glimpses into what a Classic Sonic book for years now, but next January we're finally going to be getting something meaty, centered on a most unexpected character: Fang the Hunter is getting a mini series!

That's right, the purple jerboa that SEGA barely acknowledged for decades until this year is going to be the focus of IDW's first proper lengthy Classic Sonic comic! The series will be written by Ian Flynn, with art by Mauro Fonseca, and is set to start in January. It'll feature Fang, Bean and Bark on the hunt for the mysterious 8th chaos emerald, alluding to the extra emerald that appeared once in Sonic the Fighters (Bean and Bark's first appearance), before disappearing in the annuls of Sonic lore forever. Until now. Maybe. Probably not, I'm sure this is a wild goose chase.

In any case, check out the covers and solicitation below. The covers are by (from left to right) Aaron Hammerstrom, Mark Hughes, and Mauro Fonseca.

Quote

Long have legends swirled of the mysterious and fantastic power of...the eighth Chaos Emerald! At least, that's the rumor Fang the Hunter has heard. And he's going to track this treasure down with a little help from his gang, Bark the Polar Bear and Bean the Dynamite! First stop: that Chaos Emerald expert himself, Sonic the Hedgehog!

The first Classic-era Sonic the Hedgehog miniseries from IDW featuring the jerky jerboa from Sonic Superstars: Fang the Hunter! A Fang 30th anniversary special event!

 

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[SolidSurgeTT]

Fang goes sniping in his newly bought APC...

[MetalSkulkBane]

Well, the premise is eye catching. I'm a bit shocked it's about Fang and not, you know, Trip.

I do hope they make new characters. Classic-verse is getting a little to small for so many stories. (unless the twist is Heavies are behind this. That would be kinda neat).

[joe_schmoe99]

THE BOYS ARE BACK IN TOWN

[TangleTangerine]

Confirmation of a release date being the 17th of Jan '24 

hopefully this explains the lack of quality in some of the other comics and returns to normal soon

[Ratchet25tx]

YES! I need this comic!

[Ratchet25tx]

wait a second, eight chaos emerald? What the heck?

[Kuzu]

6 hours ago, MetalSkulkBane said:

Well, the premise is eye catching. I'm a bit shocked it's about Fang and not, you know, Trip.

I do hope they make new characters. Classic-verse is getting a little to small for so many stories. (unless the twist is Heavies are behind this. That would be kinda neat).

They had already planned for a Fang series before Superstars announcement 

[The Swordsman]

While there for sure isn't going to be a 8th Chaos Emerald, I'm surprised they are even humoring the possibility. If I was into gambling I'd bet we'd see the fake emerald concept make a appearance in the book.

[Johnny2071]

So if Bark and Bean are canonically part of Fang's group, then are they despised as the worst people imaginable, like many of Sonic's enemies?

I've seen how the Freedom Fighters respond to the Destructix (with many of them seen in jail cells and even threatened by the guards in question). Sleuth, Drago, Mogul, and Naugus go without saying, then there the "Fearsome Foursome" (Simian, Hawk, Frog, and Lynx), but what did Bark and Bean (two SEGA characters) do that's so bad that they'll lump them in with Fang and treat no differently (aside from appear on a fighting game character select screen, and get ignored by SEGA for ten years until Flynn showed up)?

At least Classic!Amy was nice to Bark, before becoming the close-minded aggressive hammer muscle we know her as today (and since Sonic X).

Also:

https://info.sonicretro.org/Sonic_the_Fighters#Story

[Gruffin]

The reference to the 8th Chaos Emerald in Fighters is an interesting angle for sure. I'm liking how they've been finding ways to roll old oddities and trivia like this into new stories, as well as the tendency to put side characters in the spotlight for mini series.

Happy to see Classic getting more love and definitely checking this out once it releases.

[ShadowForever]

On 10/20/2023 at 6:45 PM, Ratchet25tx said:

wait a second, eight chaos emerald? What the heck?

It once appeared in Sonic the Fighters, guess cause in Classic days they couldn't decide how many Emeralds are there. I even remember a game with sixteen Emeralds! (Forgot the name)

[Ratchet25tx]

 ya i guess that would be a good reason why tbh

[sonicclaasic]

I'm glad Fang's got his own mini series and his turn to be In the spotlight as well. I am looking forward to It next year.

[BountyHunter]

I'm confused. Haven't read a Sonic comic since it was taken away from Archie, and am only now starting to pick up the IDW title.

What is Classic era? Is it stuff set in the Archie continuity or something else? 

[MetalSkulkBane]

1 hour ago, BountyHunter said:

I'm confused. Haven't read a Sonic comic since it was taken away from Archie, and am only now starting to pick up the IDW title.

What is Classic era? Is it stuff set in the Archie continuity or something else? 

Um, same as games? Seems self-explanatory.

The period pre-SA1. Everyone is chibi-er, Amy wears green. Mighty and Fang are on the table, Shadow or Sage don't exist.

Zero relation to Archie, no one wants to get sued.

Edited October 28, 2023 by MetalSkulkBane

[Shiny Gems]

This should be interesting! I have always wondered what an eighth Chaos Emerald would be like. It is good to see Fang, Bean and Bark be used in the IDW Comics here.

[BountyHunter]

14 hours ago, MetalSkulkBane said:

Um, same as games? Seems self-explanatory.

The period pre-SA1. Everyone is chibi-er, Amy wears green. Mighty and Fang are on the table, Shadow or Sage don't exist.

Zero relation to Archie, no one wants to get sued.

Thanks for the reply. As for self explanatory, not everyone knows everything about Sonic. I play the games occasionally, watch the odd TV episode, and read the occasional comic. Not up on all the codes for different eras and when  exactly they take place. 

[MetalSkulkBane]

8 hours ago, BountyHunter said:

Thanks for the reply. As for self explanatory, not everyone knows everything about Sonic. I play the games occasionally, watch the odd TV episode, and read the occasional comic. Not up on all the codes for different eras and when  exactly they take place. 

Fair enough. I just assumed people on Sonic Forum know more, but I see I was jumping to conclusions.

Then FYI Sonic Adventure 1 (1998) was first trully 3D game and all characters got redesigned. Sonic, Tails and Knuckles got a bit taller, lankier, their pupils got colors, stuff like that, while Eggman and Amy full redesigns.

Since then there has been an unofficial split into Classic Sonic (Sonic 1,2, 3 & Knuckles, CD) and Modern Sonic (Adventure 1-2, Heroes, Unleashed, etc...) And in Sonic Generations (2011) two meet in a time travel adventure, making the split officially acknowledged. Since then few games (Mania, Supertars, sorta 4) took place in the past of the "classic" days and so do some IDW stories (30th anniversaries of Sonic, Tails and Amy, one FCBD)

For a short time, Classic Sonic was considered a separate timeline/dimension (as said in Sonic Forces), but this was dropped for being needlessly confusing.

(Some also split Sonic into smaller eras like Adventure/Dark Era, Boost/Legacy, etc but those are unofficial and not everyone agrees on them)

Edited October 29, 2023 by MetalSkulkBane

[BountyHunter]

Cool. Now I know. 

And knowing is half the battle. Lol