IDW has announced Sonic the Hedgehog’s summer plans, which include a new writer for the main title and a spinoff series featuring several Sonic bad guys.
Beginning with issue #33, Sonic illustrator Evan Stanley will take over both writing and drawing the main title.
“Sonic the Hedgehog comics have been a constant source of joy and inspiration for me for well over 10 years, and the truth is, this opportunity is a dream I didn’t believe could come true,” said Stanley. “The world of Sonic has a truly amazing creative legacy, and I’ve always pushed myself to make my contributions as meaningful and worthwhile as they can be — and that’s more important than ever now. I hope I can deepen the world of IDW’s Sonic The Hedgehog comics, exploring new places and characters while continuing to deliver exciting adventures about Sonic and his friends!”
Here’s how IDW describes the arc she’s writing:
The Metal Virus is gone, but things aren’t quite back to normal. Tails and Sonic try to solve how to fix their damaged ally, Omega. Elsewhere, Rouge and Shadow team up with Cream to win replacement parts for Omega through… Chao races! Debuting in issue #33, the “Chao Races and Badnik Bases!” storyline serves as the perfect jumping-on point for new readers!
While Stanley writes the main title, longtime Sonic writer Ian Flynn will write a spinoff miniseries featuring Dr. Starline and “some familiar and not-so-friendly faces.”
“It’s been a thrill to see fans embrace the comic’s original characters, and one of those fan-favorites is Dr. Starline,” said Flynn. “We’ve known him up until now as a die-hard Eggman fanboy, but what happens when your idol outright disses you? After exploring the power of trust and friendship in Tangle & Whisper, Bad Guys is going to be a completely different type of adventure.”
He’ll be joined by artist Jack Lawrence.
“Actors often say they most enjoy playing villains, and I have to be honest: I feel the same way about drawing them!” says Lawrence. “There’s just something so fun about drawing a sneaky look or evil grin, hands rubbing together in greed or anticipation of some nefarious deed. Sonic’s villains are some of the worst people you can possibly imagine, so I’m super excited to show just how vile some of them can be!”