San Diego Comic-Con has come and gone for 2017, and this year’s gave attendees the world over a lot to look forward to in forthcoming entertainment. Superhero movie aficionados got an early peek at a number of highly anticipated films for the upcoming year (Black Panther, Justice League, and Avengers: Infinity War to name a few), bitesized previews were shown off for new seasons to Stranger Things and Steven Universe among other hit shows to whet eager fans’ appetites, and in Sonic’s case?
Well, whether you’ve fallen out of the loop or just enjoy a quick summary of last week’s events, allow me to bring you all back up to speed!
in the brief moments that remain to you.”
- Enter Infinite: Day One of the convention kicked off with a brand new Sonic Forces trailer, featuring Infinite! After the tease from E3, we finally get to know the imposing new villain fighting alongside the likes of Metal Sonic, Shadow, Chaos, and Zavok.
- Also, new music preview! Very reminiscent of Shadow the Hedgehog‘s own soundtrack, “Infinite” stars Tyler Smyth and Andy Bane from Dangerkids on vocals, and dare I say it, the lyrics are very catchy! I am the tallest of mountains, I am the roughest of waves…
- The End of Archie’s Sonic Universe: After nearly seven months of silence, missing solicitations, and “We’re still in talks with SEGA,” the long-running Archie Sonic comics have come to an unceremonious end. SEGA of America and Archie Comics part ways, and it is still not known if those still subscribed to the comic publisher for their Sonic serials will be refunded for the last year. Will Sonic MEGA DRIVE: Overdrive ever see the light of day?
- A Live Sonic Musical Extravaganza: Comic-Con attendees got to enjoy a live performance of Sonic music at the San Diego Hilton Bayfront, starring Video Game Orchestra creator Shota Nakama and Crush 40’s Jun Senoue. The concert held live renditions of fan favourites such as “It Doesn’t Matter” and “Live and Learn,” as well as surprises like “Lights, Camera, Action!” from Sonic Mania.
- [UPDATE] Here’s Jason’s review on the show itself, complete with a highlight reel!
- Jonesing on Sonic: After hours of waiting in line for high-profile panels, running all over the city in costume under the blazing California sun, or being plain burnt out from San Diego’s offerings, you could sure use a nice cold, refreshing drink, right? Jones Soda produced a limited range of branded Sonic Mania-themed sodas for SDCC, although comments from the company are possibly pointing to wider availability in the future.
Fun fact: did you know Jones Soda was actually founded in Canada in 1987?
- Sonic Rebirth: The end of Archie Sonic did not spell the end of Sonic in comics after all! SEGA of America has partnered with licensed comic book giant IDW Publishing for a new series of Sonic comics premiering in 2018. Creative teams are currently being formed, and the publisher is reportedly in talks with fan-favourite artists and writers.
- We already have a new editor for the comics! Meet Joe Hughes, a DC Vertigo alumni and former Editor-in-Chief from ComicsAlliance.
- By the Mania, For the Mania: SEGA held a Sonic Mania developer panel at San Diego, giving fans an inside scoop on the behind-the-scenes workings of the game! The panel featured your host and social media madman Aaron Webber, series director Takashi Iizuka, lead programmers Christian Whitehead and Simon Thomley, composer Tee Lopes, and artist Tom Fry.
- There was no livestream for the event, unfortunately, but our man Jason Berry recorded the whole thing. Get the full scoop on Mania there and see some funny glitches!
- Here’s our breakdown of the panel itself, with details on the game’s story, special features, and newly revealed Special Stages.
- Speaking of, you can listen to the Special Stage theme “Dimension Heist” right here!
And so wraps up our coverage for all things Sonic at San Diego Comic-Con 2017. Did you manage to attend SDCC? What were your highlights for this year’s convention? Share your thoughts and sentiments with us in the comments below!
Dimension Heist somehow keeps sounding better each time I listen to it.
The more I see about Sonic Forces the more I’m falling in love with it, the music, the graphics, the new features and the villain roster, I have waited years for another Sonic game like this.
I have to say this has been an excellent year for Sonic news so far, with the exception of Archie Sonic continuity being axed, I’m still excited for Sonic at IDW, for Sonic Forces and Mania, I’m even pumped to try Sonic Runners Adventure.
Hype is Infinite