Megathread Archie Sonic Main Discussion

[Toby]

I have a sneaky suspicion that had that manga Sonic reboot had happened, we wouldn't be talking about new comic issues today.

[Delta Starfire]

Huh. Apart from Snively -- who looks like a weird mutated Gollum -- and the female Swatbot -- Robotnik was routinely portrayed as a misogynist, so why would he build female robots (for anything other than dirty old man stuff, that is)? -- I actually don't object to that art at all. But then, I like manga and anime. So sue me. If Spaziante teamed up with a competent writer, it might've been something I'd have dug.

 

Anyways, I just read StH #34. Actually, the story with Robotnik playing dress up in a helmut and demanding that Snively call him "General" wasn't as terrible as I recalled. The art was kinda lame, except for the backgrounds and the Combots, but the story wasn't too bad. A bit episodic, and with Robotnik playing the clown as usual, but that's basically what Robotnik 1.0 in the Archieverse was, it seems -- a clownish enemy who's there as much for comic relief as he is for antagonism. Robotnik 2.0 is galaxies better. I mean, he actually manages to destroy Knothole. Robotnik 1.0, with all of his awesome technology, can't even figure out where it is. Lame. 

 

The Knuckles backup story is more breadcrumbs, and the backstory for Dimitri/Enerjak. It's also a first example of something Penders seemed incapable of resisting:

 

 

THUNDERBIRDS ARE GO!

 

(A good seven years before Sonic X ripped off Thunderbirds with E-90 too. Good show, Penders!)

 

 

Holy cameos, Batman!

 

And it doesn't end here, trust me. ;.;

[Kuzu]

Oh jesus, a Sonic manga. The Rule 34 would SKYROCKET.

[Delta Starfire]

Oh jesus, a Sonic manga. The Rule 34 would SKYROCKET.

 

You've obviously never been on deviantART. Or Fur Affinity. To say nothing of fchan.

[Kuzu]

You've obviously never been on deviantART. Or Fur Affinity. To say nothing of fchan.

 

Pffft, who do you think I am, I've been in this fanbase for over 10 years. I'm just saying, being a manga opens up a whole new can of works. DOUJIN EVERYWHERE.

[Delta Starfire]

Pffft, who do you think I am, I've been in this fanbase for over 10 years. I'm just saying, being a manga opens up a whole new can of works. DOUJIN EVERYWHERE.

 

Ten years, eh? Respectable. 

 

Twenty-two years here.

[biznizz]

I see those echidnas and all I can think of is, wow Ken just ripped of Krypton imagery.

[Delta Starfire]

I see those echidnas and all I can think of is, wow Ken just ripped of Krypton imagery.

 

Very little of what he came up with for echidna society was terribly original, it seems. Which is why I find it so ironic that he he took Archie to court over the rights to his characters. I will be documenting every instance I spot of some ship from Star Wars or Star Trek popping up as I re-read his work on the Knuckles story arc. 

[KingIgort]

I actually don't object to that art at all. But then, I like manga and anime. So sue me. If Spaziante teamed up with a competent writer, it might've been something I'd have dug.

 

Oh, I have nothing against manga or anime (I've been out of the loop in regards to that world for a while though), It's just those Sonic designs strike me as trying a little too hard to ape that style. One could even argue that it's not really manga unless it's actually from Japan, but that's a pretty big can of worms I'm prying open with that sentiment.

[biznizz]

Very little of what he came up with for echidna society was terribly original, it seems. Which is why I find it so ironic that he he took Archie to court over the rights to his characters. I will be documenting every instance I spot of some ship from Star Wars or Star Trek popping up as I re-read his work on the Knuckles story arc.

Good luck! I'm sure if someone compiled a list of EVERY "reference" he ever made during his Archie tenure, it'd be the length of a Stephen King novel.

[KingIgort]

Good luck! I'm sure if someone compiled a list of EVERY "reference" he ever made during his Archie tenure, it'd be the length of a Stephen King novel.

 

I lol'd.

[Zaysho]

Looks like Snively fused with Snake and a Metal Gear.

 

Wonder how that project didn't come out given the freedom they had back then?

 

Snivley here kinda reminds me of Chai from Shenmue.

 

Even though SEGA largely didn't care about the book and what they were doing at the time, they'd occasionally rein in anything that they felt went too far. Shame "Chaos Knuckles" wasn't one of those things, yet they apparently had a fit over references to the OVA.

 

SEGA, I do not understand you.

 

That said, I'm a little mixed. Much as I love Spaz art, Bunnie and Sally just don't look right. I suppose because they never followed Sonic design initially and here this is just further getting them away from that. The proportions and generally humanoid looking bodies, which the comic already had, just don't sit right with me. Seeing them next to Sonic just makes them stick out more. They look cute the way Spaz renders them, but as others have already pointed out, if Penders was at all involved in the production of this, it'd probably be a disaster. Good art can only do so much with a bad script and I would expect his flair for furry drama to be dialed up to 11.

 

I have a sneaky suspicion that had that manga Sonic reboot had happened, we wouldn't be talking about new comic issues today.

 

I like the series and I'm kinda shocked we still have new comic issues to talk about these days, honestly.

[Chauvel]

I'm trying to dislike Spaz' more manga influenced designs for the crew... but I can't! I just can't... I'm ashamed to say that I still like them in some way. Spaz was big influence for me back in the day, I really loved his work.

 

I like the Swat Bots personally but that's because of my love for robots and futuristic machines. Those designs could seriously work for any manga.

 

Ugh! Nostalgia must be hitting me hard today! 

[Tyranno]

reposting my opinion on the Chip debacle from my tumblr here:

 

 

Okay, so. The Archie Sonic fandom is up in arms because of this matter regarding Chip and how his and Sonic’s bond has been “destroyed” and the importance given to Knuckles.

 

Let’s stop right there.

 

In case you hadn’t realized from the parts involving Station Square, Pumpkin Hill, Soleanna, Rail Canyon, and the city full of fish people, this was never going to be a 1:1 adaptation of the Sonic Unleashed storyline.

 

Two, the Unleashed game was a very narrow focused story. For the purposes of game design Sonic only interacts with Chip and Tails; the former is especially important because he is Sonic’s primary companion throughout the story. But Sonic is the only playable character and thus the focus is very narrow; series mainstays like Knuckles don’t get involved for this reason.

 

This doesn’t work for the comic for several reasons. The first being this has always been an ensemble series. The earth breaking up isn’t a video game story where it’s solely the business of one hero, it’s a worldwide crisis with multiple players. Second of all, this arc is being used to set the tone for the new versions of characters while also being used for the sake if world building while SIMULTANEOUSLY introducing and hitting the high points of the Unleashed storyline.

 

One of those “new versions of characters” is Knuckles, and no offense, but establishing who he is and what makes him tick and what drives him is hell of a bigger priority than Sonic right now. We know Sonic; even through the reboot, he’s remained consistent, has a large supporting cast, and what’s more - he has his own book that will continue to focus on him.

 

Knuckles? Had his entire supporting cast and background torn out. Knuckles has NOTHING right now, and Ian needs to build him up again. His world, his friends, where he’s been. We need to see how he reacts to someone in trouble, we need an idea of what makes him tick.

 

Then there’s Chip. No offense guys, but this is coming dangerously close to treating him like he’s Sonic’s accessory. This is, again, an ensemble series, and if Chip is going to be a viable character, he needs to be more than Sonic’s pal. He needs to interact with multiple people and play multiple roles.

 

Lastly, this arc is clearly going to go on for a long while. I find it hard to believe that Ian will never have Sonic and Chip come within a hair’s breadth of one another. Additionally, the Universe arc with Knuckles is halfway over, the next one focus on Eclipse, and Chip has no role in it. Somehow I find it hard to believe that Knuckles will become Chip’s sole life defining friend in the space of two issues. There’s plenty of time for Sonic and Chip to meet and befriend one another, but it will clearly be under very different circumstances.

 

In other words, you’re jumping the gun and you don’t really grasp the reality of how this arc is different and how it NEEDS to be different. Be patient, and if it becomes apparent Ian’a going in a direction you don’t like, by all means complain. But right now, you need to consider all the storytelling factors in play and be patient.

 

 

 

[Sparky]

I like Chip interacting and bonding with other characters. I think it's just the fact that he was named by Charmy and not Sonic and bonded with them first before Sonic is what sparked the negativity among the fandom.

[Tyranno]

Is he really bonding with them? They're certainly friendly with him but I don't know if I'd call this "bonding".

[goku262002]

Maybe not soo much the Chaotix but hes bonding with Knuckles with bothers people I guess.

Has Ian said anything about this yet?

[Tyranno]

which goes back to what I said about Chip needing to be more than just Sonic's pal.

 

if you'll recall, going all around the world, seeing all of these people, meeting them, appreciating their lives was part of Chip's arc too. It gave meaning to his role as Light Gaia to know that it was more than just a cosmic job, it was something he was doing for the people of that world.

 

So I don't see why adding Knuckles to his circle of important people instead of just npcs is an issue.

[Mauro Fonseca]

Fuck's sake.

 

I'm not even going to answer directly because it's really not worth it. Literally everything you said has been argued already. Go back a few pages, it's all there, why it is a problem that Knuckles was added (IE it isn't- it's that Knuckles replaced Sonic), etc.

[Your Vest Friend]

Has Ian said anything about this yet?

You know as well as I that him speaking would be the action of a mad man.

[Tyranno]

Saying he's replaced Sonic is premature. Very premature. And also, again, ignorant of the factors affecting this story and the reasons it's being told the way it is.

[DarkLight]

Just because it's premature, doesn't mean I still have to like how it's starting off.

[Mauro Fonseca]

It's not ignorant of anything. Again, literally everything you've said has been argued already. Knuckles isn't just interacting with Chip, he's actively stealing important moments Sonic had, as is Charmy. There's ways to have an ensemble cast without removing the elements of the story, Adaptations don't get carte-blanche to alter everything. If they just wanted to establish the world and new characters it'd have been smarter to not make an Unleashed adaptation but just a random new arc. You have as much info as I have right now about the arc and thus your judgment that it's worth trusting it'll be good is as worth mine it'll not be worth it. Etc. It's all been said. Literally like 3 pages back.

[Sonictrainer]

If that's the case, how would you guys have done it?

 

Would you have Sonic immediately come in contact with Chip while on a mission?

 

Would there be Ice Cream and sweets involved?

[biznizz]

*Sigh* And here we go again.

 

This is beyond an exercise in futility. The people aren't happy about how Chip was introduced aren't going to be convinced by the people who don't mind and vice-versa. The ONLY way this stalemate is going to break is when we see how the story progresses to the point where Chip actually meets Sonic and/or the Unleashed story is finally finished and Chip most likely does what his game counterpart does and never see Sonic or anyone ever again.

 

And even then, that'll most likely lead to yet another argument about how it all turned out. Seriously, we have a better chance herding a gross of cats than finding consensus about this...