Megathread Archie Sonic Main Discussion

[QuantumEdge]

It's a little disappointing at how predictable these stories are getting.  As for Lost World, I'd be okay if they did it, but it doesn't take more than six months to do it.  If they did a an StH/SU tie in, then an adaption could be done in relatively little time and wouldn't feel overly rushed. 

[Big Panda]

EDIT: ninja'd. ...or I just replied before checking all the replies first P;

[Your Vest Friend]

6 hours ago, Ernest-Panda said:

EDIT: ninja'd. ...or I just replied before checking all the replies first P;

I assume you also said that's only half the page? Well, I knew that because that trail crosses over the other side. But that's not my issue here.

There's lots of space between the characters, which detracts from how hectic it's supposed to be. Plus, all the characters look static, so that only exasperates it. Compare it to, say, the fight scene on page 2 of Sonic Universe 64 (same amount of space, less characters), which makes use of the space and character movement to make it busy.

Unrelated; The hard-light armour Eggman mentions is made out the same material that makes Nicole's holographic form. Nice to see other applications for it.

[KoDaiko]

I do want to believe that the fight scene looks bad because its half of two pages, but I'm not sure.

mostly what Detective Reptiles said,

Spoiler

It looks like they pulled out a pre-drawn background and slapped on the characters over it.

The battlefield is drawn very large and the 11? characters aren't enough to fill it in because they're all drawn so small, even the ones in the front. The majority of the member seem to be fighting in the very back small and in low quality, there is none in the middle, and the front bosses who should be doing something more interesting and eye-catching are fighting only 2-3 smaller badniks. That's so boring. The rest may be fighting in the front on the other page but they need to do real good to fix this. Because I don't think throwing the rest of the Bosses in the front of the other half isn't going to balance it out.

There's just too much empty(negative?) space. They need to do something like draw everyone bigger, spread them out more evenly (its either waaay in the back or right up in the front), or at least add something interesting on the background like more badniks/special effect/destruction of the building. Just make it more visually interesting.

 

[Big Panda]

Got the issue:

...I didn't care for it much at all.

The first story was a standard proceedure: go in, save the old guy, Werehog battles the Gaia Phoenix, which plays out more or less like the game did right up until...oh, Chip purifies it with his powers in a single panel, nevermind then. There's also some very brief fight scenes between the heroes and the Egg Army that really don't amount to much.

As for the second story, a lot of people have been saying the back-up stories have turned out more interesting than the lead story during these last few issues, and I more or less agree...but this one was really just meh too.

Again, very basic, the heroes break into the base and retrieve the shards, while battering TB and some underlings along the way. Knuckles and Mighty have a little banter, but it's the predictable kind of banter (Knuckles claiming Mighty has gone soft, only for him to despose of an underling by crushing his gun, immediatly proving him wrong). There are a couple of amusing moments I guess, like Amy getting into the control room and messing about with the buttons and the intercom, and the part where Mighty tosses the shards out of the base toward Moss who's waiting many miles away to catch them.

I guess the main reason I was so sore about this story is that I was kinda expecting some exposition on Knux and Mighty's history or something (a Knuckles Chaotix callback perhaps). Considering "Special Occassion" and "Homesick" came packaged with some backstory, I was more or less expecting it by this point. But alas, it did not deliver.

The story ends with Amy finding out the reaming Emerald shards are on Westside Island, leading directly into "Shattered".

The bonus feature page talks about the Shijin Warriors and shows off a couple of sketches of various Chun-Nan environments, and the Off-Panel uses Knuckles' theme song as a punchline for the billionth time.

Oh and there's no letters page for some reason.

[Heckboy]

16 minutes ago, Ernest-Panda said:

Got the issue:

 

  Hide contents

...I didn't care for it much at all.

The first story was a standard proceedure: go in, save the old guy, Werehog battles the Gaia Phoenix, which plays out more or less like the game did right up until...oh, Chip purifies it with his powers in a single panel, nevermind then. There's also some very brief fight scenes between the heroes and the Egg Army that really don't amount to much.

As for the second story, a lot of people have been saying the back-up stories have turned out more interesting than the lead story during these last few issues, and I more or less agree...but this one was really just meh too.

Again, very basic, the heroes break into the base and retrieve the shards, while battering TB and some underlings along the way. Knuckles and Mighty have a little banter, but it's the predictable kind of banter (Knuckles claiming Mighty has gone soft, only for him to despose of an underling by crushing his gun, immediatly proving him wrong). There are a couple of amusing moments I guess, like Amy getting into the control room and messing about with the buttons and the intercom, and the part where Mighty tosses the shards out of the base toward Moss who's waiting many miles away to catch them.

I guess the main reason I was so sore about this story is that I was kinda expecting some exposition on Knux and Mighty's history or something (a Knuckles Chaotix callback perhaps). Considering "Special Occassion" and "Homesick" came packaged with some backstory, I was more or less expecting it by this point. But alas, it did not deliver.

The story ends with Amy finding out the reaming Emerald shards are on Westside Island, leading directly into "Shattered".

The bonus feature page talks about the Shijin Warriors and shows off a couple of sketches of various Chun-Nan environments, and the Off-Panel uses Knuckles' theme song as a punchline for the billionth time.

Oh and there's no letters page for some reason.

 

Oh boy. Pretty much what I expected.

Spoiler

Though I guess that confirms that the Hidden Palace in Shattered isn't on Angel Island. 

 

[Toby]

I don't know if it's true, of course, but part of me can't help but think the opening stories were supposed to be full 20 pagers, ot at the very least 15 with 5 page backups but we're changed to get the adaptation over with.

[Heckboy]

Eh, maybe. Either way, I hope they stop doing these 10 page stories after Panic in the Sky.

[QuantumEdge]

20 minutes ago, Mister X said:

Oh boy. Pretty much what I expected.

  Hide contents

Though I guess that confirms that the Hidden Palace in Shattered isn't on Angel Island. 

 

My guess is that Shattered opens with Knuckles and Amy in Westside Island retrieving the shard, only to find the last ones are at Hidden Palace in Angel Island because Naugus is gathering them there.  After all, Troll culture once lived there.

[Heckboy]

8 minutes ago, QuantumEdge said:

 

  Hide contents

My guess is that Shattered opens with Knuckles and Amy in Westside Island retrieving the shard, only to find the last ones are at Hidden Palace in Angel Island because Naugus is gathering them there.  After all, Troll culture once lived there.

 

 

Spoiler

I don't think the trolls lived on Angel Island. I think Relic was just saying that the computer-thing was kind of similar to technology that the troll civilization used. Plus it'd make sense if the Sonic 2 Hidden Palace (which is what it appears to be) is on Westside Island, since that was the setting for Sonic 2.

I could be wrong, though.

 

[Toby]

3 minutes ago, Mister X said:

 

  Hide contents

I don't think the trolls lived on Angel Island. I think Relic was just saying that the computer-thing was kind of similar to technology that the troll civilization used. Plus it'd make sense if the Sonic 2 Hidden Palace (which is what it appears to be) is on Westside Island, since that was the setting for Sonic 2.

I could be wrong, though.

 

That makes the most sense to me as well.

[QuantumEdge]

4 minutes ago, Mister X said:

 

  Hide contents

I don't think the trolls lived on Angel Island. I think Relic was just saying that the computer-thing was kind of similar to technology that the troll civilization used. Plus it'd make sense if the Sonic 2 Hidden Palace (which is what it appears to be) is on Westside Island, since that was the setting for Sonic 2.

I could be wrong, though.

 

 

Actually I'll be honest here and say I kinda forgot about the Sonic 2 Hidden Palace   That's what happens when you hardly get to play the classics.  And looking at screenshots, I think I might have to readjust my theory, if you don't mind.

[Toby]

Just finished reading the issue, I thought it was pretty good. Peppers' pencils were much better this time, story was more eventful. My only problem was Cassata's colors, I actually forgot it was supposed to be nighttime as light as it was.

Backup story was cute. Always great to see more Amy. More Mighty. Thunderbolt was fantastic as always. Good stuff.

[Your Vest Friend]

 

No, Amy says there's a bunch on Westside Island, probably all of the rest (ala Blaze getting her Sol Emerald search compressed).

Anyway, Panda basically has my thoughts on this one, except I find Wings of Fire part 2 somehow worse than part 1 (probably because nothing whatsoever happened, not even world building, also Conquering Storm is still an idiot, and other things), and I'm not bothered at the lack of backstory for Knuckles and Mighty but moreso how it feels like a retread of Sonic and Mighty's dynamic all over again. On the plus side, Thunderbolt was in full intimidating mode when fighting Knuckles (save for one panel where she flinches from Knuckles), and it's nice to have this to contrast her almost purely comedic take in Eggman's Dozen.

Oh well, at least Dulcy has one more story around now to show off her stuff and get better art of h--

*Sonic #283 is Peppers as well*

Oh.

[MetalSkulkBane]

Spoiler tags... they everywhere.

Ok, then Sonic 282.

Spoiler

SNOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOORE.

Welcome to the comic Dulcy, join our  "contribute damn nothing" party. For one sec I though we'll get Connie/Dulcy duel, but story is 10 pages long, so screw any tension. We need space for equally boring back up. It will sure get people exited to buy "Shattered",

Flynn is lucky that I'm addicted to that hedgehog, because I can't remember when I was so bored reading Sonic.

That creepy Big looked fun though.

One question: group stand on page 3: is there any reason why Cream, Cheese and Cinder have exactly same pose? Is that a joke I don't get?\

Also, someone asked about Mighty earlier: He's fine, but I can take him or leave him. He's similarity to Sonic/friendship with Ray works perfectly with strength of Knuckles: by that I mean he feels a bit redundant. He's most important aspect is his kindness purity of soul, but his kindness is never put to the test. Take Steven Universe for example, he's adorable kids, but he really shines when his goodness is put to the test, like when he opposed Gem or during "Lars and the Cool Kids". Mighty doesn't really have that moments, since he's a background character.

[Toby]

Hah! I guess I'm the only one who really liked the issue. I didn't find it boring at all.

As far as Cream, Cheese, and Cinder go, wouldn't surprise me if it was just Peppers bring lazy.

[Arranos]

30 minutes ago, Toby said:

Hah! I guess I'm the only one who really liked the issue. I didn't find it boring at all.

As far as Cream, Cheese, and Cinder go, wouldn't surprise me if it was just Peppers bring lazy.

Well, I haven't read the issue yet, so there's hope that you may not be the only one.

[Kaotic Kanine]

Just read 282...

Spoiler

This issue pretty much confirms to me that the 10/10 page split between stories is one of the worst ideas ever implemented to the comic thus far. This was supposed to be an awesome three-way battle between the Freedom Fighters, the Egg Army, and the Dark Gaia Phoenix but it doesn't feel awesome in the slightest. The Dark Gaia Phoenix barely, if at all, did anything to the other two parties before being purified, Conquering Storm didn't even get to do any actual fighting herself, and very few of the Freedom Fighters were shown doing anything... Clearly, this story needed more pages to it but thanks to the 10/10 thing it was cut drastically short and something that should've been climactic became the exact opposite. I was also very excited to see Cream actually do something after finally being allowed to participate in missions. But we don't see her do anything at all! She yells "Get them, Cheese" but we don't see Cheese "get" anyone. I swear to the cosmos, if 283 better not disappoint in this department because I'm sick of waiting month after month to see nothing happen with my favorite Sonic character of all time!

The backup story was a bit better. I loved how Mighty tossing Amy's hammer pretty much obliterated that watch tower, as well as that "mis-toss" with the Emerald Shards to Moss, and this story pretty much redeemed every bit of criticism I had with Archie!Amy, as small as they were. Though I can't help but find it very bad how the back-up stories are consistently being better than the main stories, the stories that the comic issue focuses on. I mean, did you read this specific comic issue for the Dark Gaia Phoenix battle, which is advertised on the cover, or did you read it for the "side-story" that is barely mentioned?

 

[CrownSlayers Shadow]

K, so my thoughts?
 

 

Well, it's passable. But seriously lacking.

Let me start with bae here. She comes off as very one-track minded when it comes to combat that, yeah, she comes off as a moron. I can understand the point being to give her flaws, and there's nothing wrong with having her make an error of rushing into the fire without knowing what she's dealing with. But she was a lot more clever than this in the old universe, even when things blew up in her face, and I'd like to see that brought back out. Her rushing to attack the Witchcarters in Eggman's Dozen without knowing what she was dealing with didn't come off as forced as her rushing to attack the FF and Shinjin Warriors here in Wings of Fire, and her dialogue to Dulcy makes her a lot more simplistic in characterization that it doesn't do her any favors. Someone like her should know that combat isn't strictly about fighting - even if the other clans are divided, I find it hard to believe she'd have conquered her part of Yurashia with just direct assaults alone.

I recommend that, if they're going to worf Stormy like this, they should at least let her do A LOT of damage before flinging her into a defeat. This would show her as a capable Egg Boss where her strengths make up for her weakness of rushing into the fray while ill-prepared. She doesn't have to make things pyrrhical for the Freedom Fighters, but she should give them a run for their money and make things more troubling for them. Basically, I'd imagine her almost like Sonic in mentality, except replace her abilities with martial prowess instead of speed - she'll make some rushes to judgement, but she can still make due and hold her own before being forced back.

Not sure how that would work given the amount of pages they were working with, although having her set off some bombs hidden around the Phoenix shrine would likely give her more credit in capability even if she lost.

Aside from that, I don't have anything else to add here that others haven't already said. It's rushed like the previous post-WU issues, and while it manages to be coherent and stable, it's just full of missed opportunities as it hurries to the end and be done with. And I found it to be a waste that they had the Phoenix torch Stormy's base/dojo so easily after purifying the Phoenix, especially given the sketch they had for it in the editor notes. And this is where I will beat in that they should Show rather than Tell us where Storm's base is before destroying it, but they'll live to rebuild.

Just waiting for Panic in the Sky at this point. But I will say that Big is as entertaining as ever. I'd never say this for the games given their narrative direction and problems, but I want to see even more of him now. Hell, put him a main character in the upcoming Lost World adaptation! That'll be something.

As for the other half, it does far better than Wings of Fire. Thunderbolt isn't my favorite Egg Boss, but you gotta give the pikachu wannabe electric chinchilla credit in guts and valor for taking on Knuckles, even if their fight was short. She was as menacing as you'd expect despite her size.

[Your Vest Friend]

At this precise minute, Conquering Storm seems to be coasting on the good will of her pre-reboot popularity. I mean, seems pretty suspect that when Wings of Fire part 1 came out, the comic made a huge fanfare out of it being her first issue back (Eggman's Dozen had started nearly two months prior so that's not even true), while Akhlut was shown on a cover and we were left guessing about whether it was him, and Mordred just showed up in #254 like "Oh hey, that's Mordred, neat I guess". 

And yet they've both had good opportunities to show off how they roll, while Conquering Storm (in more pages) is still kinda just...not that defined? Especially when it ends up with a ninja, who states that she knows that Sally doesn't like sending Sonic in alone which hints at some awareness of how the Freedom Fighters work (and that they exist), not considering the thought of an ambush, which is the sort of tactic a ninja would be very familiar with.

[King Scoopa Koopa]

I liked the Knuckles story in the new issue, and the first part was alright, except the fight scenes didn't seem very dynamic, like with Antoine sword fighting. Just lacked energy.

[Heckboy]

Why was Antoine even there?

[CrownSlayers Shadow]

51 minutes ago, Detective Reptiles said:

 

  Hide contents

At this precise minute, Conquering Storm seems to be coasting on the good will of her pre-reboot popularity. I mean, seems pretty suspect that when Wings of Fire part 1 came out, the comic made a huge fanfare out of it being her first issue back (Eggman's Dozen had started nearly two months prior so that's not even true), while Akhlut was shown on a cover and we were left guessing about whether it was him, and Mordred just showed up in #254 like "Oh hey, that's Mordred, neat I guess". 

And yet they've both had good opportunities to show off how they roll, while Conquering Storm (in more pages) is still kinda just...not that defined? Especially when it ends up with a ninja, who states that she knows that Sally doesn't like sending Sonic in alone which hints at some awareness of how the Freedom Fighters work (and that they exist), not considering the thought of an ambush, which is the sort of tactic a ninja would be very familiar with.

 

Which is the kinda thing that has me confused as to what the heck they're portraying her as: either a ninja, or an honorable kung-fu master-ish kind of character.

She talks about honor in Eggman's Dozen, which a ninja shouldn't give a damn about, but she's portrayed as a ninja. I mean, worse inconsistencies have happened, so it's not a big deal. But regardless of which she is, first and foremost she's a military commander - any commander (or even a low ranked soldier) worth their experience should know to be familiar with an ambush. Heck, she was planning one herself. And if she's even remotely familiar with the Freedom Fighters (and quite frankly, who isn't?), then she should know that they tend to commit a lot of ambushes, so she really should have seen that coming.

Really, I'm chalking this up to rushed pacing that ended up flanderizing her. If that weren't the case, we'd probably see a lot more definition of her character. Probably.

21 minutes ago, Mister X said:

Why was Antoine even there?

Because he's a friend and Freedom Fighter who wanted to (or was chosen to) help out, and they needed his help to deal with Conquering Storm's mooks. Kinda the same reason Big was there.

[DabigRG]

6 hours ago, Conquering Storm's Servant said:

K, so my thoughts?
 

  Hide contents

I recommend that, if they're going to worf Stormy like this, they should at least let her do A LOT of damage before flinging her into a defeat. This would show her as a capable Egg Boss where her strengths make up for her weakness of rushing into the fray while ill-prepared.

 

And I found it to be a waste that they had the Phoenix torch Stormy's base/dojo so easily after purifying the Phoenix, especially given the sketch they had for it in the editor notes. And this is where I will beat in that they should Show rather than Tell us where Storm's base is before destroying it, but they'll live to rebuild.

 

As for the other half, it does far better than Wings of Fire. Thunderbolt isn't my favorite Egg Boss, but you gotta give the pikachu wannabe electric chinchilla credit in guts and valor for taking on Knuckles, even if their fight was short. She was as menacing as you'd expect despite her size.

I've only read the issue once, but yes, I do agree that Connie should have contributed a little more. They go through the trouble of showing that, yes, she is in fact a member of a direct strike team, so the fact that she is an Egg Boss with martial arts skills would have been a noticeable threat. Her singling out Dulcy of all people was a step in the right direction, in that it shows off her previous pettiness when it comes to what she percieves as overzealous weaklings, but it seemed rather odd that that was the only noteworthy thing she did. 

 

Yeah, I was confused about that when I got to the editor's note. Signs of what could have been?

 

I was pleasently surprised when TB attacked Knuckles and Mighty( you know, a survivalistic martial arts expert and the 'strongest' there is) head on without some sort of extra weapon or battle armor. It made me take her threat at the end of the story legitimately serious, a huge contrast to most of her previous appearances.

4 hours ago, Mister X said:

Why was Antoine even there?

I was wondering this since last issue and I was proven right for doing so. I expected him to play some role in fighting Storm or something, but no he's just here, making Rotor and Nicole's complete absence all the more baffling. All he really contributes is a few funny punchlines and a connection with Jian: I don't mind humor nearly as much as the next guy, but if you absolutely had to include him, you'd had might as well cut out Cream's contribution and use him instead.

[Heckboy]

Quote

And keep your  open tomorrow...

Please be a Mega Drive mini-series or something

EDIT: Unless they're referring to the Lego thing

Edited June 9, 2016 by Mister X