Preview: Sonic Universe #77 (Worlds Unite Part 5)

Worlds Unite enters act two in the latest issue of Sonic Universe!

SonicUniverse_77-0

Comics Alliance has another installment of their weekly recap for the crossover, and alone with the usual rundown of previous events and interview with Vincent Lovallo, there’s a preview for Sonic Universe #77. Due to the shenanigans of act one, Sonic’s and Mega Man’s worlds are now fused together, and the heroes have to set up a unified front in order to take on the new threat. Aside from heroes getting to know each other for the first time, there’s an interesting turn as Xander Payne joins in…with Eggman and Wily in tow, revealing more about Sigma’s plan! But there’s bound to be questions over the situation as we get into “Worlds Unite”: part 5.

SONIC UNIVERSE #77 REG CVR
Script: Ian Flynn
Art: Edwin Huang, Gary Martin, John Workman and Gabriel Cassata
Cover: Patrick “SPAZ” Spaziante
Super-group Variant Cover: CLAUS-Justin Harder
Covers Unite Variant (5 of 12): Ben Bates
The next exciting chapter in the SONIC/MEGA MAN “WORLDS UNITE” crossover event starts here! “Worlds Unite” Part Five: The worlds of Sonic and Mega Man have been joined together by Sigma, and it’s going to take a full-on army of unified heroes to make it right! Actually—scratch that—it’s going to take some heroes AND some villains! When the mysterious and malicious Xander Payne inexplicably arrives with Drs. Eggman and Wily in tow, our heroes get new insight into Sigma’s plans! Featuring cover art from the legendary Patrick “SPAZ” Spaziante and variant cover art from CLAUS-Justin Harder (Thor: the Dark World, SNL) and part 5 of the epic 12-part connecting variant cover series by artist Ben Bates!
On Sale Date: 6/24 | 32-page, full color comic | $3.99 U.S.

Sonic Universe #77 is due to be released next Wednesday, be sure to tune in as the stakes start to build in this next act!

Source: Comics Alliance

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Archie Mega Man Comic Being Put on Hiatus

Yet another round of bad news for Archie comic fans.

Usually this site doesn’t cover Mega Man outside of the crossover shenanigans, but this piece of news is pretty urgent for anyone who follows the blue bomber. Earlier today, comicbook.com released the solicit for September’s issue of Mega Man, Mega Man #53. On top of that, they stated that this arc would Archie would be ending the series in November’s Mega Man #55. Below is the solicit for September’s issue;

MEGA MAN #53
The BLUE BOMBER is BACK from the events of “Worlds Unite” and is ready to fight for justice! That’s all well and good, if there was actually someone to fight! In “Blue Shift,” peace has finally come to Mega Man’s life—but is that a bad thing? Could it be possible that our super fighting robot has come to actually love the battles he was once so opposed to? Meanwhile, Dr. Wily plots something sinister from the shadows, reaching an even newer low for the mad doctor! It’s an extended curtain call as we come to the end of the Mega Man series! Featuring cover art from Jason Piperberg and a BOT UNDER FIRE variant from superstar Thomas Pitilli!
Script: Ian Flynn
Art: Ryan Jampole, Gary Martin, John Workman and Elaina Unger
CVR A Reg: Jason Piperberg
CVR B Variant: Thomas Pitilli
On Sale Date: 9/16
32-page, full color comic
$3.99 U.S

Archie’s Twitter later clarified the news as being a hiatus, not a full on cancellation;

MEGA MAN series to go on hiatus after #55 via @ComicBookdotcom @IanFlynnBKC
http://bit.ly/1GcmUWt

Either way, this isn’t exactly great for those who follow the Mega Man comic. At least there’s still a continuation on the cards, so watch this space to see if Mega Man returns to take on more of Dr Wily’s nefarious plans.

Sources: comicbook.com, Archie’s Twitter

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Preview: Mega Man: Worlds Unite Battles #1

Prepare the fisticuffs, Marquess of Queensbury rules!

MegaManWorldsUniteBattles_1-0-630x484

In the first of two auxiliary books, we’re covering some early battles that just didn’t have space to be covered in the main events. Comics Alliance has another instalment of their weekly recap and interview with Vincent Lovallo, and a preview for Mega Man: Worlds Unite Battles #1. Here, there are three fights to be played out; go back to the start where Mega Man squared up against the Deadly three of Six before capture, find out the stepping stones the Mega Man X cast took from fighting Vile in their world to reaching the Sonic Boom universe, and see the first defence of Mega Man’s world as Dr Light’s Robot Masters attempt to stop the roboticised Sonic Man!

MEGA MAN: WORLDS UNITE BATTLES #1
Script: Ian Flynn, T. Rex
Art: Ben Bates, Jamal Peppers, Brent McCarthy, Rachel Deering and Elaina Unger
Cover: Jamal Peppers, Phyllis Novin and Ben Hunzeker
Sketch Variant Cover: Jamal Peppers
United Variant Cover: Patrick “SPAZ” Spaziante
ALL-NEW DIRECT MARKET-EXCLUSIVE special! There are so many epic battles in the SONIC/MEGA MAN crossover event that the biggest brawls of the bunch have exploded into their very own book! This extra-special bonus issue features exciting duels spilling over from the pages of the much-talked about “Worlds Unite” event, and feature an all-star cast of creators! Watch Mega Man bring the ruckus to the Deadly Six, the Maverick Hunters ultimate showdown with Vile and Dr. Light’s Robot Masters tussle with the unstoppable power of hero-turned-uber-villain Sonic Man! LET’S GET READY TO RUMBLE! Also featuring variant art from Patrick “SPAZ” Spaziante, and a special wrap-around cover and sketch variant by Sonic and Mega Man superstar Jamal Peppers!
On Sale Date: 6/17 | 32-page, full color comic | $3.99 U.S

 Mega Man: Worlds Unite Battles #1 is coming out exclusively to the direct market next Wednesday. Make sure to keep a sharp eye out so you don’t miss this gut-punching action!

Source: Comics Alliance

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Archie Sonic Staff Are Attending HeroesCon

Another year, another chance to meet the talent that make your monthly dose of comic shenanigans! And some guy called Stan Lee.

flag_con-basic

HeroesCon 2015 is right around the corner, and there’s confirmed names from the Archie Sonic comic in attendance! See below for the currently verified stalls, taken from the guestlist;

JIM AMASH | AA-619
Alter Ego magazine, Jughead, Sonic Universe, Archie and Friends

ALEAH BAKER | AA-520
Sonic Universe, Mega Man

TERESA R DAVIDSON | AA-620
Sonic the Hedgehog, Archie

IAN FLYNN | AA-519
Sonic the Hedgehog, Mega Man, New Crusaders

MICHAEL WATKINS | AA-1527
Villains Supreme, Femme Noir, Transformers, Sonic The Hedgehog

TRACY YARDLEY | AA-517
Sonic the Hedgehog, The Adventures of Galaxy Man and Cosmic Girl

So, a pretty varied range of current and past staff on the comic, should be very fruitful for anyone wishing to attend!

HeroesCon is running between the 19th and 21st of June. Shows run from 11am – 7pm on the 19th (Friday), 10am – 6pm on the 20th (Saturday) and 11am – 7pm on the 21st (Sunday). 1 day passes sold on the day cost $20 for the 19th, and the 20th, and $15 for the 21st. A 3 day pass is $40 (sold on the Friday and Saturday), kids under 12 can get in free if you happen to have kidlings in tow. And the address is as follows;

Charlotte Convention Center
501 S. College St.
Charlotte, NC 28202

So if you’re interested in having a bit of an outing next weekend, why not pop by on the day or head to the site to check out advance and discount pass options? In any case, you’re sure to have some fun chatting to the creative minds running the comic!

Source: HeroesCon official website

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Covers and Solicitations for Sonic the Hedgehog #277, Sonic Universe #80 and More Released

Listen out for the cry of the wolf…and robot minions?

Arcade Sushi has an exclusive advance look at September’s Sonic comic offerings, and it looks to be quite wild! In Sonic the Hedgehog #277, Sonic and the Freedom Fighters on the hunt for one of Eggman’s Super Badniks, and they’re assisted by none other than old SatAM supporting character Lupe! But what exactly lies under the sheep’s clothings, and how does destroying the Super Badnik help in the restoration of the world? Find out in “Thunder, Rain and Lightning”. Meanwhile, Sally and Bunnie are on the trail of the last Chaos Emerald they need, but it’s in the territory of Egg Boss Clover the Prongfoot! Discover they’ll attempt to get it out in “Hidden Costs”.

Sonic277

SONIC THE HEDGEHOG #277
Script: Ian Flynn & Aleah Baker
Art: Adam Bryce Thomas, Evan Stanley, Terry Austin, Gabriel Cassata and John Workman
Sonic the Hedgehog #277 CVR A Reg: Jamal Peppers, Rick Bryant and Ben Hunzeker
Sonic the Hedgehog #277 CVR B Variant: Tyson Hesse
SONIC TAKES THE LEAD in the race to fix the planet! “Thunder, Rain and Lightning”: Sonic and the team link up with Lupe to destroy one of Dr. Eggman’s super badniks! How does this tie into fixing the shattered world? And just what secrets does Lupe keep? Then, in “Hidden Costs” Part One, Sally and Bunnie hunt down the final Chaos Emerald—which is in the heart of Egg Boss Clove’s forbidden territory! Featuring cover art from jammin’ Jamal Peppers and a “BATTLE!” variant from Sonic comics all-star Tyson Hesse!
Ship Date: 9/30
On Sale Date: 10/14
32-page, full color comic
$3.99 U.S.

Sonic Universe #80 continues the great conspiracy of the future! Silver’s still out to shut those Genesis Portals alongside Professor Von Schlemmer, but the plan they formulate is being refused to be heard by the council that can put it in action. Why would they turn deaf ears to an end to the danger? And it doesn’t help that Silver’s hearing a voice that no-one else can! Let’s hope Silver can uncover the mystery before he’s driven to madness or, worse still, death! This is “the Silver Age”: part 2.

SonicUniv80

SONIC UNIVERSE #80
Script: Evan Stanley
Art: Tracey Yardley, Jim Amash, Matt Herms and Jack Morelli
Sonic Universe #80 CVR A Reg: Tracy Yardley and Matt Herms
Sonic Universe #80 CVR B Variant: Rafa Knight
The FUTURE is in DANGER, and only Silver the Hedgehog can make things right! “The Silver Age” Part Two: Silver has teamed up with Prof. von Schlemmer and they have a plan for stopping the Genesis Portals! This seems like the solution everyone’s been waiting for—but why doesn’t the Council want to hear it? The mystery deepens as a voice calls out to Silver—a voice that only he can hear! Will our unlikely heroes uncover the conspiracy, or die trying? Featuring cover art from the Sonic comic master Tracy Yardley and a CHAOS CRISIS variant by Rafa Knight!
Ship Date: 9/9
On Sale Date: 9/23
32-page, full color comic
$3.99 U.S

Next up, a new graphic novel has been announced, and we’re revisiting the debut of the Werehog! Sonic the Hedgehog GN #4: Control brings back to Sonic and the team’s efforts to secure a Chaos Emerald and fight off a slew of Super Badniks. Along they way, they encounter Mighty, Ray and their mentor Moss, cross the angry path of Egg Boss Thunderbolt the Chinchilla, and they end up a man down temporarily as Sonic learns to control his unleashed side. Relive the ensuing carnage with the collection of “Control” and “Ambushed”.

STH-GN-vol4

SONIC THE HEDGEHOG 4: CONTROL (TR)
Script: Ian Flynn, Benjamin Bailey, Joey Esposito, Eric Esquivel
Art: Tyson Hesse, James Fry, Jamal Peppers, Evan Stanley, Terry Austin, John Workman and Gabriel Cassata
Cover: Patrick “Spaz” Spaziante
Things are about to get a little HAIRY! Moving at the speed of sound, keeping the world free from robotic tyranny—it’s SONIC THE HEDGEHOG! One of the most beloved video game icons speeds into brand new comic book stories with new friends, new foes and new adventures! It’s Sonic—UNLEASHED! The corrupting energies of Dark Gaia have infected our heroic hedgehog, transforming him into the fearsome WEREHOG! It’s up to his old buddies Mighty and Ray to tame the savage beast! And the race for the Chaos Emeralds grows direr as the Freedom Fighters fight for their lives against the fearsome E-100 killer robots! SONIC THE HEDGEHOG 4: CONTROL collects SONIC THE HEDGEHOG #264-267.
978-1-62738-955-6
$12.99/$14.99CAN
6 5/8 x 10 3/16″
TR
104 pp, Full Color
Direct Market On-Sale Date: 9/30

Finally, we go to a more calm side of things with a new one-off book! The Art of Sonic the Hedgehog Comics looks more at the artsy side of the creative process. Not only does it have galleries with regular and variant covers, but artwork from across various Sonic titles over the years, and a glimpse behind the scenes looking into the step-by-step process of making the pictures you see month by month. Certainly one to get if you’re keen on the creative aspects of the comic!

Art-of-STH

ART OF SONIC THE HEDGEHOG COMICS (TR)
Script: Various
Art: Various
Cover: Patrick Spaziante, Ben Hunzeker and various
SONIC THE HEDGEHOG is the single longest-running video game-inspired comic book series ever! With over 400 issues and over 20 years of adventures, the artists on Sonic comic books have created thousands of pages of show-stopping artwork. Join us in a parade of visual splendor as we revisit the finest pieces of art to come from SONIC THE HEDGEHOG, SONIC UNIVERSE, SONIC BOOM and all the other Sonic titles you’ve come to know and love over the years, featuring an exclusive behind-the-scenes look at the artists and their work, including sketches, pencils and stage-by-stage break-downs of your favorite true blue artwork, plus an extensive variant cover gallery! No Sonic fan will want to be without the dazzling works of PATRICK “SPAZ” SPAZIANTE, TRACY YARDLEY, BEN BATES, JAMAL PEPPERS, JENNIFER HERNANDEZ and many, many more!
978-1-62738-936-5
$39.99/$45.00CAN
8 1/4 x 11 1/4″
TR
304 pp, Full Color
Direct Market On-Sale Date: 10/7

We will have more information on all of these comics closer to their release date. No doubt you’ll be howling when that happens!

Source: Arcade Sushi

 

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Preview: Sonic the Hedgehog #273 (Worlds Unite Part 3)

Sugar, we’re going down (in robotic carnage).

Sonic_273-0

Worlds Unite is kicking things up a notch, and Comics Alliance has another interview with Vincent Lovallo and a recap, this time of part 2, as well as a preview for Sonic the Hedgehog #273. Sonic Man, with his plethora of abilities transferred into roboticised form, is proving too much for the robot masters to handle! And the Freedom Fighters aren’t faring much better against an Eggtech-equiped M’egga Man! With both familiar and unexpected faces showing up to lend a hand, who can come in to save the day? Who knows, but the answer is surely hinted at in “Worlds Unite”: part 3.

SONIC THE HEDGEHOG #273
Script: Ian Flynn
Art: Dan Schoening, Tracy Yardley, Terry Austin, Jack Morelli and Luis Delgado
Cover: Patrick “SPAZ” Spaziante
Villain Variant Cover: T.Rex
Covers Unite Variant (3 of 12): Ben Bates
The ALL-NEW Sonic/Mega Man Crossover sequel explodes onto the shelves with “Worlds Unite” Part Three: It’s a cascade of cross-dimensional chaos! On Sonic’s World, the Freedom Fighters are battling with the terrifying arsenal of M’egga Man! On Mega Man’s World, the Robot Masters can’t keep up with the super speedy Sonic Man! Who can possibly save our heroes? The answer is sure to surprise you! After the history-making “WORLDS COLLIDE” crossover event, Sonic the Hedgehog and Mega Man unite once more—and this time Sonic Boom and Mega Man X are joining the fray! Featuring cover art from the legendary Patrick “SPAZ” Spaziante, villain variant by T.Rex and part 3 of the epic 12-part connecting variant cover series by artist Ben Bates!
On Sale Date: 6/10 | 32-page, full color comic | $3.99 U.S

This next instalment of Worlds Unite is due out this Wednesday. Events are entering the slipstream, so don’t get left in the dust!

Source: Comics Alliance

 

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Preview: Sonic Super Digest #12

I love you baby, but face it she’s…Topaz…Mary Garnet…oh, I don’t know.

SonicSuperDigest_12-0

To break up the flow of Worlds Unite a bit before we inevitably jump into the upcoming fire, let’s take a look at the future that is the past. Newsarama has released a preview for Sonic Super Digest #12. To recap on the crossover event, parts of Worlds Collide are being reprinted in this edition, amongst other tales from the vast library of Archie Sonic stories over the years. Most notable feature of this issue, however, is the Sonic Comic Origins story focused on our resilient traitor Snively. See how he worked with Eggman, turned tail for his own gain and ended up where he is in “The Traitor”.

SONIC SUPER DIGEST #12
Get ready for fun & adventure—it’s Sonic Super Digest! As the Sonic/Mega Man WORLDS UNITE crossover reaches a fever pitch, see how it all began with a look back at Worlds Collide, the story that started it all, in a special Sonic/Mega Man spotlight feature! Also in this issue is an ALL-NEW edition of SONIC COMIC ORIGINS spotlighting the insidious G.U.N scientist (and villain?!) SNIVELY! This new story fills in some crucial and never-before-revealed gaps in the new Sonic comic universe, and you can ONLY scope this exclusive new story in Sonic super Digest! But that’s not all! Don’t miss all the classic fun and adventure you love in stories from the comics’ 20+ year history! Plus new cover art from Sonic comic super-star Jamal Peppers!
Script: Ian Flynn & Various
Art: Adam Bryce Thomas, Rick Bryant, Jack Morelli, Matt Herms & Various
Cover: Jamal Peppers, Jim Amash and Matt Herms
On Sale Date: 6/10
128-page, full color comic
$4.99 U.S.

Sonic Super Digest #12 should be out next Wednesday at its regular stockists. Be on the lookout for it then, and read to see if are any other fun cameos in there!

Source: Newsarama

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Sonic’s Heading to the Orchestra with Game Symphony Japan

Ever wanted to hear some classic SEGA tracks with a full orchestra?

0604_01_02

Game Symphony Japan is being held on October 10th, and on this night it’s a SEGA-themed special event! Guests like Takashi Iizuka and Jun Senoue will be in attendance to oversee this celebration of SEGA’s legacy of music. Part one of the full program is dedicated entirely to Sonic, and the current lineup for it is listed below;

Sonic the Hedgehog: Green Hill Zone.
Sonic the Hedgehog 2: Chemical Plant Zone.
Sonic and Knuckles: Sky Sanctuary Zone.
Sonic Adventure: Emerald Coast Zone.
Sonic Adventure 2: City Escape and Live & Learn (both instrumental versions).

Parts 2 and 3 are full of other well-remembered SEGA icons such as Segagaga, Space Channel 5, Fantasy Zone and much more! If you happen to be in Tokyo, here’s the key informations for getting in;

October 10th 2015 (Saturday)
Doors open 15:45, show starts 16:30
Venue is Tokyo Metropolitan Arts Theatre Concert Hall.
Ticket prices: S Seat is 8500 yen, A seat is 7500 yen, B seat is 6500 yen.
Tickets go on sale June 20th.

There’s a dedicated page for the event you can visit for reference too. It’s sure to be a blast to the past (and hopefully not a blast to the ears)! Full programme below:

Act 1

Sonic the Hedgehog: Title, Green Hill Zone
Sonic the Hedgehog 2: Chemical Plant Zone
Sonic & Knuckles: Sky Sanctuary Zone, Title
Sonic Adventure: Emerald Coast
Sonic Adventure 2: City Escape, Live & Learn (Instrumental)

Act 2

SEGAGAGA: Segagaga March
Space Channel 5: Mexican Flyer, Ulala’s Swinging Report Show, Spaceport: Introducing Ulala!!
ニュールーマニア ポロリ青春: ハロハロナリヤンス音頭 (I don’t understand, either)
Sakura Wars: 檄!帝国華撃団
Fantasy Zone: OPA-OPA!
Virtua Fighter 2: Beginning, Akira, Lion, Kage
Daytona USA: Let’s Go Away
Virtual On Force: Conquista Ciela
Feel the Magic XX/XY: Feel the Magic (Full Version)
The Rub Rabbits: Heaven & Hell (Full Version)
Burning Rangers: Burning Hearts

Act 3

NiGHTS Into Dreams…
Fragmented Nights
Gate of Your Dream
Paternal Horn
Gloom of The N.H.C.
Suburban Museum
The Amazing Water
Take The Snow Train
Under Construction
The Dragon Gave A Loud Scream
She Had Long Ears
Deep It Lies
E-LE-KI Sparkle
The Mantle
NiGHTS and Reala
Growing Wings
D’Force Master
Peaceful Moment
NiGHTS, Forever in Our Heart
Sowing Seeds
Dreams Dreams
Fragmented Nights: Epilogue Version

2015-game-symphony-art1

Taken by Yuji Naka (https://www.facebook.com/nakayuji/posts/1195265177167279)
Taken by Yuji Naka (https://www.facebook.com/nakayuji/posts/1195265177167279)
Taken by Yuji Naka (https://www.facebook.com/nakayuji/posts/1195265177167279)
Taken by Yuji Naka (https://www.facebook.com/nakayuji/posts/1195265177167279)

Source: Sonic Channel

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Preview: Sonic Boom #8 (Worlds Unite Part 2)

What’s better than one Sonic and Mega Man universe? You tell me.

SonicBoom_08-0

Perhaps a bit awkwardly tangential in light of recent news, Comics Alliance have held an interview with Archie Action Comics editor Vincent Lovallo, Not only does this recap part one and give us another behind the scenes insight, but it comes with the preview for Sonic Boom #8. After the events of the last Sonic Boom story have unfolded, Sticks gets a real surprise when she runs into some of the cast of Mega Man X! But there’s hardly time to joke about as Sigma makes the two wacky doctors get to work on retooling the main universe heroes into minions of his own. This cannot be good! This is “Worlds Unite”: part 2.

SONIC BOOM #8
Script: Ian Flynn
Art: Dan Schoening, Tracy Yardley, Terry Austin, Jack Morelli and Luis Delgado
Cover: Patrick “SPAZ” Spaziante
“Happy fun-time crossover” Variant Cover: Ryan Jampole, Gary Martin and Steve Downer
Covers Unite Variant (2 of 12): Ben Bates
It slices! It dices! It joins line-wide crossover events: it’s SONIC BOOM! “Sonic/Mega Man: Worlds Unite” Part Two: It was just another day at the races—y’know, the ones with the giant spider-mechs? Things start to get weird, even for the lovable, paranoid Sticks, when X and the Maverick Hunters arrived! Meanwhile, the epic bromance of the century is rekindled as the captured Drs. Eggman and Wily are forced to turn their life-long nemeses—Sonic and Mega Man—into minions for the terrifying Sigma! After the history-making “WORLDS COLLIDE” crossover event, Sonic the Hedgehog and Mega Man unite once more—and this time Sonic Boom and Mega Man X are joining the fray! Featuring cover art from the legendary Patrick “SPAZ” Spaziante, a special “happy fun time crossover” variant by Ryan Jampole and part 2 of the epic 12-part connecting variant cover series by artist Ben Bates!
On Sale Date: 6/3 | 32-page, full color comic | $3.99 U.S

Sonic Boom #8 is scheduled for release this Wednesday. If you’ve already started to read the epic tale of crossover mayhem, remember to set a date for the continuation!

Source: Comics Alliance

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Sonic Boom Comic Confirmed to Be Ending

So hot off the press, it’s on fire.

We reported earlier that a solicit suggested that Sonic Boom #11 would mark the last issue of the comic line. Archie have now officially confirmed this news through their twitter. This isn’t the end of their adventures though; like Mega Man X in the Mega Man comic, the stories and characters will continue being seen through the other books. See below for the full statement;

The SONIC BOOM comic series will end after #WorldsUnite with #11. Fear not – the stories and characters will continue in our other books.

So, how have you found the exploits of the Boom cast in the comic? What’s your stance on this sudden news? We’ll still be covering the previews up to the last issue, so this isn’t goodbye just yet for us!

Source: Archie Comic’s Twitter

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Solicitations for August: Worlds Unite Ends, Sonic Returns to Normal, Sonic Boom Comic Rumour

It’s the end of the line for Worlds Unite…but is it the only thing ending this month?

There’s a new batch of covers and solicits for the taking, and Comicbook.com gives us our look at the end of the crossover, amongst other things. In Mega Man #52, Sonic and Mega Man finally power up to take on Sigma in his deadliest form yet, and the Genesis Portals have taken their toll as reality is starting to fall apart! Can the heroes defeat the threat and fix the multiverse in time? Find out in “Worlds Collide”: part 12.

megaman-52-136430

MEGA MAN #52
The ALL-NEW Sonic/Mega Man Crossover sequel comes to a chaotic close with “Worlds Unite” Part Twelve: The grand finale to “Worlds Unite” sees our super-powered heroes Sonic and Mega Man face off against the evil Sigma in his final, most lethal form! If that wasn’t enough, the Genesis Portal-ravaged reality is falling apart and time is running out to fix it! You don’t want to miss the stunning conclusion to the biggest crossover event of the year! Featuring the worlds of STREET FIGHTER, SKIES OF ARCADIA, NiGHTS INTO DREAMS, OKAMI, GHOSTS ‘N’ GOBLINS, ALEX KIDD and more! Featuring cover art from the legendary T.Rex, a special “SUPER-POWERED” variant by Reilly Brown and the final part of the epic 12-part connecting variant cover series by artist Ben Bates!
Script: Ian Flynn
Art: Tyson Hesse, Jim Amash, Jack Morelli and Matt Herms
Mega Man #52 CVR A Reg: T. Rex
Mega Man #52 CVR B Variant: Reilly Brown
Epic Poster Variant (pt 12 of 12): Ben Bates
On Sale Date: 8/19
32-page, full color comic
$3.99 U.S

In Sonic the Hedgehog #276, Sonic is right back to business as his search for the Gaia Keys takes him to the arctic. But he’ll be hot under the collar when Egg Boss Tundra steps in to put his efforts on ice in “Cold Hearted”! Eggman’s plans aren’t so smooth sailing either as he embarks into territory unknown to find his deadly weapon Metal Sonic in “Back in Business”.

sonic-276-136434

SONIC THE HEDGEHOG #276
The BLUE BLUR IS BACK from the events of “WORLDS UNITE” and ready to save the world! In “Cold Hearted,” Sonic embarks on a quest through the arctic to find and recover the all-important Gaia Keys! Collecting them all is essential for fixing the shattered world. It’s a pretty chill mission until Egg Boss Tundra steps in to put the freeze on Sonic’s plans! Meanwhile, Dr. Eggman is “Back in Business” as he braves the unknown to find his most treasured killing machine Metal Sonic! Featuring cover art by newcomer Adam Bryce Thomas plus a “HERO” variant with art provided by SEGA!
Script: Ian Flynn
Art: Adam Bryce Thomas
Sonic the Hedgehog #276 CVR A Reg: Adam Bryce Thomas, Rick Bryant, Matt Herms
Sonic the Hedgehog #276 CVR B Variant: SEGA
On Sale Date: 9/9
32-page, full color comic
$3.99 U.S.

In Sonic Universe #79, we take our first proper look at Silver’s future. It may be more pleasant than the burning ruins he used to be in, but that doesn’t mean it’s not dangerous too; he still has to deal with the Genesis Portals, but now there’s a whole conspiracy linked to them, and guess who’s going to be dragged along for the ride! It’s our naive hedgehog in “The Silver Age”: part 1.

sonicuniv-79-136438

SONIC UNIVERSE #79
SILVER THE HEDGEHOG RETURNS in an ALL-NEW adventure! Enter:”The Silver Age”: Part One
Silver the Hedgehog’s future may no longer be a terrible burning ruin, but it certainly is far from safe! Mystery and danger abounds as Silver is dragged into a dangerous conspiracy linked to the reality-warping menaces known as the Genesis Portals! Featuring cover art by Sonic comic extraordinaire Evan Stanley plus a “HERO” variant with art provided by SEGA!
Script: Evan Stanley
Art: Tracy Yardley, Jim Amash, Jack Morelli and Matt Herms
Sonic Universe #79 CVR A Reg: Evan Stanley
Sonic Universe #79 CVR B Variant: SEGA
On Sale Date: 8/26
32-page, full color comic
$3.99 U.S.

There’s a new graphic novel due to be released, this time covering Eggman’s attempt to reinstill power over his troops and chasing down the treacherous Snively. Featuring city escapades and rock’em sock’em mechas, this is Sonic Universe Volume 10: Scrambled.

su-vol10-cover-136440

SONIC UNIVERSE 10: SCRAMBLED (TR)
Move over, Sonic—it’s the villainous DR. EGGMAN’s time to shine! For years, Dr. Eggman’s runty underling, Snively, has been sneakily plotting to overthrow him. Now Snively enacts his grandest plan to take over the Eggman Empire—and this time, he might just succeed! It will take all of Dr. Eggman’s cruelty and cunning to maintain his position of power. Is he up to the task? Or will this be the mad scientist’s final defeat? All will be revealed in the egg-celent Sonic Universe vol. 10, collecting stories from Sonic Universe #37-40!
Script: Ian Flynn
Art: Jamal Peppers, Jim Amash, Jack Morelli and Steve Downer
Cover: Jamal Peppers, Jim Amash and Steve Downer
978-1-62738-938-9
$12.99/$14.99CAN
6 5/8 x 10 3/16″
TR
104 pp, Full Color
Direct Market On-Sale Date: 8/19

And finally, we have an interesting development hot off the press today. Sonic Boom #11 sees Eggman getting tired of his robotic assistants failing him so often, so he calls for outside help in the form of Kyle the Gorilla. Can this new baddie make a monkey out of the heroes, or will he be driven bananas like the rest of them? This is what comicbook.com says about “Eggman Gets a Gorilla”;

sonicboom-11-136436

SONIC BOOM #11
Follow up after the “WORLDS UNITE” crossover with a BOOM in this EXPLOSIVE
eleventh issue! “Eggman Gets a Gorilla”: When Dr. Eggman’s regular robotic enforcers just can’t cut the mustard, he hires some additional help! (Because, seriously, how hard is it to cut mustard?) Introducing the mighty, Kyle the Gorilla! Is he really the next APE wonder of the world? Or will Sonic get yet another reason to point and laugh? You’ll be pointing and laughing too-but in a good way! Featuring cover art by rising star Diana Skelly plus a “BOOMTASTIC” variant with art provided by SEGA!
Script: Sam Sandak Freiberger
Art: Diana Skelly, Rick Bryant, John Workman and Matt Herms
Sonic Boom #11 CVR A Reg: Diana Skelly, Rick Bryant and Matt Herms
Sonic Boom #11 CVR B Variant: SEGA
On Sale Date: 9/2
32-page, full color comic
$3.99 U.S.

However, this is not the only version of the solicit out there, as Comics Continuum has an alternate released solicit;

SONIC BOOM #11
Written by Sam Sandak Freilberger, art by Rick Bryant, Diana Skelly, covers by Diana Skelly, SEGA.
Follow up after the “Worlds Unite” crossover with a BOOM in this explosive final issue! “Eggman Gets a Gorilla”: When Dr. Eggman’s regular robotic enforcers just can’t cut the mustard, he hires some additional help! (Because, seriously, how hard is it to cut mustard?) Introducing the mighty, Kyle the Gorilla! Is he really the next Ape wonder of the world? Or will Sonic get yet another reason to point and laugh? You’ll be pointing and laughing too with the concluding issue of Sonic Boom!
32 pages, $3.99.

According to this, the Sonic Boom comic will be ending with issue 11. Is this the finale of the adventures with the Boom gang in comic form? We’ll know for sure with the September batch of solicits.

But as always, we’ll have more information of all the comics closer to their release date.

Sources: comicbook.com, Comics Continuum

The Sonic Stadium may link to retailers and earn a small commission on purchases made from users who click those links. These links will only appear in articles related to the product, in an unobtrusive manner, and do not influence our editorial decisions in any way.

Preview: Sonic Universe #76 (Worlds Unite Part 1)

And now it’s time for our main event!

SU1-noscale

After months of hype, the crossover between Sonic, Mega Man and a slew of other branches is finally on our doorstep! Destructoid have conducted an interview with writer Ian Flynn regarding the behind the scenes of it, and with it a preview for Sonic Universe #76 is also provided. Dreaded Maverick Sigma manages to make his way to the Lost Hex in Sonic’s World, and the first port of call is enlisting the Deadly Six to his side by promising more power than Eggman can offer. This can only end badly for the good doctor, and it’s not much better for our two blue heroes as their heroic duties are halted by a disastrous ambush! It all kicks off in “Worlds Unite”: part 1.

SONIC UNIVERSE #76
THE SONIC/MEGA MAN CROSSOVER EVENT BEGINS HERE! It’s the epic first chapter of the biggest story in Sonic/Mega Man comic book history with “Worlds Unite” Part One! Get ready for cross-world treachery as the wicked Sigma escapes the world of Mega Man X and arrives in Dr. Eggman’s secret Lost Hex base! When Sigma promises new power to the Deadly Six, how long do you think they’ll stay loyal to Dr. Eggman? We’re not betting for long! And just where exactly are our heroes during all this? Looks like Sonic and Mega Man are right in the middle of an ambush! The sense-shattering sequel to “Worlds Collide” starts right now! Featuring cover art from the legendary Patrick “SPAZ” Spaziante, Rafa Knight, and part 1 of the epic 12-part connecting variant cover series by artist Ben Bates!
Script: Ian Flynn
Art: Dan Schoening, Jack Morelli and Luis Delgado
Cover: Patrick “SPAZ” Spaziante
CROSSOVER KICK-OFF Variant Cover: Rafa Knight
Epic Poster Variant (pt1 of 12): Ben Bates
On Sale Date: 5/27
32-page, full color comic
$3.99 U.S

Sonic Universe #76 should be out in all good comic stores and on digital formats tomorrow. Remember that there should be a new comic coming out almost every week (save for five week months where there’s a week of no comics), so we’re going to be accelerating through this story!

Source: Destructoid

The Sonic Stadium may link to retailers and earn a small commission on purchases made from users who click those links. These links will only appear in articles related to the product, in an unobtrusive manner, and do not influence our editorial decisions in any way.

Review: Champions

I could make a whole Queen playlist to summarise this arc alone.

Smarmic
This is one of the more understated expressions you’ll see

Sometimes, you need to take a breather. Right now, we’re deep into the events of Unleashed as told by the comic, and right on our doorstep is a multi-franchise crossover. So in comes this arc, which is very peculiar when looking at it from the perspective of its placement. It occasionally references the Unleashed events, but it’s ultimately a Sonic the Fighters adaptation, which also adapts Sonic 2 on the Game Gear, and also adapts an episode of Adventures of Sonic the Hedgehog, and even throws in Sonic Heroes for good measure. As you might be able to guess, this isn’t exactly the most serious of premises. But will this tale be picking up the championship belt, or will be a first round K.O? Let’s get to the post-game analysis and find out!

 

The Tournament

We start off Sonic #268 with a flashback to an event in the past which seems like a mix of Game Gear Sonic 2 and the start of AoStH’s ‘Lovesick Sonic’. It goes about the way you expect up until the last panel where Breezie definitely does not look like the same damsel in distress she was in the cartoon. The Freedom Fighters exposit on why only Sonic, Tails and Amy will be in the arc out of the entire team, and we see Breezie in the present, a media mogul who has the sass and forces to be able to have Eggman play to her rules as she finds out that Knuckles has been entered into the tournament (although we aren’t privy to that yet).  Eggman contacts the Hooligans en route to Casino Park to establish the plan, and he calls Metal Sonic as he’s assaulting Gergarios (the vicar person from Unleashed) in Apotos to summon him over there.

After this, most of the action takes place in Casino Park itself, with the rest of the first issue being set-up for the tournament. Sonic and Breezie reunite, exchanging passive-aggressive wit until Sonic uses his status to arrange for him to fight only in the daytime (because of a slight case of Werehog). Amy comes across Honey, who’s an idol to the young hedgehog, and we find out that she’s there to promote her clothing business and is willing to help the heroes in exchange for them promoting her next line. The Hooligans continue on with their primary plan to win the tournament (although Bean can see how that’ll go from a mile away), and Espio exposits to Vector that he was the one who put Knuckles into the tournament, convenient since Knuckles has just arrived with Chip.

Sonic #269, and cue another flashback, this time revealing that Breezie was gathering intel on Sonic all along after he rescued her, but bringing up the fact that she puts a lot of priority on herself as opposed to anyone else, as she sics Silver Sonic onto him. Back in the present, the first fight is already underway, and we get to see Sonic beat Segata Sanshiro (not named in the comic). Before he can bask in the glory too long, Amy reminds him that it’s almost sundown. He runs out of the arena and to his hotel room where he transforms into the Werehog. He watches Amy fight her match against not Jane from Fighting Vipers. He’s not the only one as Espio watches from the ceiling to see how the heroes progress, while wishing he could find Knuckles to tell him about his addition to the tournament.

Switch to Knuckles managing to pull a fast one on a wealthy lady who had a Master Emerald shard as part of her necklace. It looks like he and Chip will be watching Tails fight, but  Scratch comes along to inform him that he has a round coming up soon, which Knuckles decides to go along with because of the Chaos Emerald at stake. The rest of the issue follows three matches and various outside reactions to it. Honey beats Tails, the Freedom Fighters react (Cream being more angry than the others, quite humourously). Honey tries to console him after but it’s not exactly looking effective. Bean beats Espio (with Espio being…eh, see the character section), the Chaotix react. Knuckles beats Bark, Thunderbolt’s faction reacts (although Thunderbolt herself doesn’t seem pleased about them watching it), Axel’s faction reacts and team Dark react (with Rouge being overjoyed). Tails is non-plussed about Honey’s bow tie, Amy finds out she’s been drawn against Knuckles and panics while Honey has Sonic, and the issue closes off with a bit more discussion between the Hooligans and Eggman.

Rock Rose
There was something here, it is gone now.

Sonic #270 has another flashback to begin with, but this one starts with Breezie talking to (or flirting with) Neo Metal Sonic after seeing through his Eggman disguise and encouraging his independence.  Back in the present, Tails is still smarting from his defeat at the hands of Honey, and Sonic acts the big brother figure by cheering him up with his other feats (including a reference to Sonic Adventure). They’re watching Fang and Bean duke it out, which is cut short when Fang orders bean to forfeit. Sonic and Tails get exposition from Espio about the roster change before we cut to Knuckles and Amy’s match. It begins, but Amy is distracted by how Sonic would react if she got to fight him. This results in an out of the ring flying rock and a trip to Amy’s bedside in hospital. But there’s no time to waste as Sonic squares up against Honey. After an impressive show, Sonic tosses her out of the ring. The Hooligans are talking tactics before they face Knuckles, which is in vein as Knuckles makes light work of the remaining mercenary. Eggman watches in frustration, but he’s not dettered. The Hooligans always have a back-up plan, and Metal Sonic is close to the venue for his own assault. As Sonic and Knuckles get into the ring, we see Fang preparing a sniper shot…

Sonic #271 changes things up by being very linear in narrative. The final has started, and Sonic and Knuckles are exchanging memories of old fights while the fists fly. We cut to a flashback of how Breezie came to have the Chaos Emerald in the first place (the SSSSS Squad retrieving it while each trying to claim credit) and her deciding to use it as a prize to lure in the big names. Back in the present, Sonic and Knuckles talk goals and working together to find the Emeralds and shards while still fighting, and we see everyone reacting to the fight between them. Meanwhile, Bean and Bark rig the generator to explode (in typical Bean fashion) and Fang gets his aim set when it does blow up moments later. Just when thing are poised for the Hooligan, who should enter but Metal Sonic himself, ruining their plan but making easy work of stealing Breezie’s emerald from the vault.

From here on, it’s basically a chase action sequence. Sonic tries to ground him, but Metal Sonic quickly recovers. The other fighters each have a go at slowing him down but he dodges them easily. Just as it seems Metal Sonic will fly out of reach, Tails turns out to be waiting on the roff for him and uses the element of surprise to kick Metal Sonic, knocking the Chaos Emerald from his grasp. As if Tails wasn’t champ enough already, he warns Metal Sonic that the back-up generators should be starting at that moment, prompting Eggman to call a retreat despite Metal Sonic seeming to want to fight. We cut to Honey and Breezie working out a deal where Honey designs clothes for Breezie’s robotic staff. Honey uses the opportunity to call out Breezie on her inaction to help the Freedom Fighters, which Breezie refutes and then suggests that Honey takes to heart. Honey leaves, clearly a bit doubtful on what she’s done. Sonic, Tails and Amy meet up with Knuckles and Chip, Sonic trying to convince Knuckles to go back to the Sky Patrol with them.  Knuckles agrees, and introduced Chip to them (while still having banter with Sonic). They talk tactics on the jet (aka the car from All Stars Racing Transformed) before Sonic transforms into the Werehog, surprising the two newcomers. Finally, we cut to Sally, who’s receiving an urgent call from Gregarios, who says that he knows how to fix everything.

In all honestly, it’s a very simple story. The fighters get together, they fight, shenanigans happen in between (aside from the last part where there is one solid story thread). In this sort of situation, that sort of simplicity is pretty essential as you have to balance plot details with the action happening on the page. It’s all about the interaction that happens between the characters here, and that’s a joy to behold. Is this a profound narrative that will have you mulling and thinking about the implications of it on the wider Sonic universe? Not really, but that’s not what it exists for. It’s a serviceable story that lets the focus fall on what it needs to while still having enough to it that it doesn’t become repetitive or tedious to read through.

 

The Spectacle

Diana Skelly, in charge of pencils, is some new blood at Archie, and Champions is her debut full arc. And boy, is she wild with her art. Her strength is evident right off the bat; she can do expressions like nobody’s business, with a crazy one to spot and marvel in almost every panel. The result is a wild and off the wall sight to behold, with the inking from Terry Austin and colours from Gabriel Cassata (who I believe only started with Sonic since Waves of Change) doing well to complement the manic tone the drawing aims to achieve . Sonic #271 is slightly different, as the pencils were actually also done by Ryan Jampole. It sounds like a small difference, but the results are easy to see; the characters look a bit more restrained and on model, save for the times when they really want to exaggerate the looks. This leads to a more professional look, but it also takes some of the edge off the style. In this case it isn’t that detrimental since #271 is the most controlled part of the arc by far, but it would have been nice for consistency.

This page has about a dozen different things to process.
An example of Diana’s fantastic expression work.

As always, there’s also a cover review for each issue and its variant (glad I’m not doing Sonic Universe #75 and its eight variants, with that in mind);

-Sonic the Hedgehog #268; Evan Stanley, Austin and Ben Hunzeker are responsible for the main cover. It’s lovely to look at with all the characters and details, and I especially like the colouring, but the characters behind do seem a bit blurred together, and I’m not sure what’s up with the random fireball effect behind them, it looks out of place. The variant, from Jon Gray working with Austin, Casseta and Jack Morelli, has me conflicted. On the one hand, it’s nice and eye catching, with the casino motif very well communicated and Breezie’s nature just apparent from her gaze. On the other hand, I question the sensibility of putting a character who’s literally new to the comic as the focus of the first part’s variant. Maybe the second part would have been better. Ah well, see if you can spot the fun cameo.

-Sonic the Hedgehog #269; The main cover sees Austin and Cassata together again, this time with pencils from Jamal Peppers. On a technical level it’s really nicely done with wonderful lighting and shading, but it does come off as a bit plain with it just being a cropped profile view of Sonic’s head. T. Rex’s variant cover almost has the opposite problem. The image is interesting and hilarious, but technically it’s a bit off. Amy looks a bit strange, I’m not keen on the fuzz additions, ad Eggman is just off-model in the arms.

-Sonic the Hedgehog #270; This issue sees Jennifer Hernandez (who also debuted with Waves of Change), Austin and Matt Herms on the main cover. This one is stylised like fighter selection icons, and I’d call it my favourite cover of the arc (although it’s a difficult choice this time). The characters are cute and bold, and the layout and pattern choices for this one are particularly striking. Brent McCarthy, the sole artist for the variant cover, is not a name I recognise, and his style is nothing like I’ve seen before. It’s unique to be sure, but a tad on the static side as well. Then again that might be intention, as the cover is apparently homage to another famous comic cover.

-Sonic the Hedgehog #271; Tracy Yardley, veteran who mostly works on Sonic Universe these days, teams up with Hunzeker for the last of the main covers. It has Yardley’s trademark of managing to make a dynamic group shot without making it a mess, always appreciated for ensemble pieces. While it has a similar faded effect to #268’s main cover, the colour choices make it less of an issue. Rafa Knight brings us the last variant cover, going with emulating the arcade experience while still utilising 3D art (as well as some stock Sonic the Fighters character art). I don’t think the text adds anything, but I can’t hold it to the artist, and the overall result a nice throwback.

I’d say there wasn’t a cover I thought was bad during this arc. Certainly I had my preferences, but that’s more because I gravitate towards certain styles.

 

The Challengers

This arc boasts a huge number of central players. It’s almost to be expected when you have an arc based on a fighting game, but there’s plenty more on top of those. This section will be a pretty long one this time, so buckle in;

Sonic: Sonic may be sharing the spotlight with a huge cast of characters, but he manages to stay afloat and stand out as a highlight. First and most obvious is the fact he plays well to the camera, what with his ego and his natural ability to fight. But there’s more to him in this arc than that, he has an air of intelligence, or at least quick thinking. His manipulation of Breezie into giving him the day-only slots he wants was masterful and in character, and not something I think he’d get to do if the Freedom Fighters weren’t forced to stay out of the fight. His other shining moment is comforting Tails after all that Honey had put him through. Even with how jam-packed this arc is, the fact that it set aside a breather moment to let Sonic act the big brother to Tails was appreciated.

Tails: This arc is all about Tails suffering, but in the hilarious way. His interactions with Honey are great, both when they first meet and she wants him to model her clothing if she wins, and during the fight where she wins by sleight of hand (also known as telling someone to look behind them).  But this misery isn’t left as a punchline. In the second half of the arc, we get a great moment of brotherly love as Sonic reassures Tails of his own ability despite the loss, and him being the one to ultimately beat down Metal Sonic long enough to obtain the Chaos Emerald from him is a crowning moment for him. Really great show here (especially off the back of his passive role in Spark of Life).

It's like if Pinstripe and Tawna fused together and the resultant turned hedgehog.
All that money and still only a cheese board?

Breezie: Breezie has proved a pretty divisive character upon her revamp reveal.  Within the context of the arc itself, she does absolutely fine, nothing too spectacular in the wake of others. Her history with Sonic makes for a golden opportunity for Sonic to show his wit, although after that her presence falls by the wayside with more focus being about her past, and the flashback to her talking with Metal Sonic is an interesting way to give a basis for her owning Casino Park and act as setup for the game events. Otherwise, it’s a lot of setup for future appearances she might make, as there’s still an apparent mystery as to what her origin truly is, not to mention her deal with Honey. So why is she so divisive? Essentially, she’s very different to her original incarnation in Adventures of Sonic the Hedgehog. There, she was an agent for Robotnik before being swayed to the good side and eventually starting her life anew. Here, she starts out the same, but takes a very different road when she breaks off from Eggman once she’s got what she needs and becomes her own villainous force. Whether you like the drastic change or not seems to be a big element of how much you’ll enjoy her character.

Knuckles: In my last review, I mentioned how Knuckles seemed to be just a means to bounce off comedy as opposed to being a source of it himself. Not so this time; Knuckles is every bit as fun to watch as any other in this arc and really gets to be a highlight. Whether it’s him tricking his way to a Master Emerald shard, being oblivious to Amy’s moral deliberation which ends in her booking a new bed (in the hospital), or the on-going rivalry between him and Sonic, it’s just great to see him banter, while also being able to dish out the slapstick.

Honey: Another debut for the comic, Honey gets a lot more time to stretch her (literal) wings and stand out as a brilliant new addition. Devious and mischievous, she’s out for self-promotion and she’s not afraid to let it be known (with Tails being on the butt end most often). But vanity is not all her character, as she’s also feisty, a very capable fighter, graceful in defeat (in fact finding it great if the opponent used awesome moves to do so), and has more of a moral fibre than you might first suspect. The last scene with her calling out Breezie while doing deals cements her as a multi-faceted character, and I look forward to seeing what she’s got herself into.

Amy: Not exactly as much of a standout as some of the best, but she brings consistent entertainment nonetheless through supporting Sonic (and Tails when needs be). Her complete fangirling at the beginning towards Honey is both understandable and enjoyable, while her utter defeat at Knuckles’ gloves and the subsequent stay at the hospital draws some great reactions out of her. There may be some questions as to whether she would deliberate that much (since she’s shown no hesitation to fight Sonic in this sort of setting in the games…or even outside of this setting given Heroes), but it’s not a big point.

Chip: While he is in the arc, he doesn’t exactly have much of a presence. His main is to provide Knuckles someone to bounce off, and he’s serviceable in that role with his naivety and genuine caring for him. In the end, he finally gets to meet Sonic, and that’s when he reveals that Knuckles hasn’t exactly been telling Chip everything about Sonic honestly. That’s a nice moment for him.

The Super Special Sonic Search and Smash Squad: Comprised of Scratch, Grounder and Coconuts as always, here they’re acting as staff for Breezie’s casino. Comparatively speaking, they’re very underplayed. They do get to show their bumbling antics as they fumble over a roster change and (in flashback) argue over who found the Chaos Emerald, but otherwise they’re there in small bursts and rather reserved (except in the very early flashback where they were still working for Eggman and doing actual schemes to catch Sonic), which is surprising. I’m also kind of iffy on how Grounder looks in this arc, although a cover revealed after this arc (Sonic #275 Villains variant) is much more appealing so I don’t know if it’s down to artist interpretation.

Metal Sonic: Technically the biggest threat of the arc, although he’s not actually there for most of that time. He does what you’d expect Metal Sonic to do; wreak stuff, cause havoc and carry out Eggman’s orders of getting the Chaos Emerald. This last part does get to show off Metal Sonic as a force to be reckoned with as he manages to avoid every other fighter and only gets stopped by a surprise attack from Tails. We also get little bit strewn about showing Metal Sonic’s subtle independence from Eggman, with him showing hesitation to follow Eggman’s orders presumably because he’d rather keep fighting. Not only is this fleshing out his character, it gives the flashback to his stint in Heroes, where he’d gone fully independent of Eggman and was doing his own thing, some contextual link to the present events.

The Hooligans: There’s actually a rather big difference in character utilisations amongst them. Fang was the one focused on the job as usual, so he’s obviously the one who gets to suffer most. His banter with Bean is great, and he actually gets a shot at being a legitimate threat for his troubles, only being stopped with Metal Sonic literally entering the picture. Bean continues his streak of good writing in the wake of the reboot, his humour far more fitting for the setting he’s in. He’s also given a bit of depth as it’s shown that he can be quite the deceiver when given the opportunity and is creative when it comes to his demolitions role, giving him a legitimate root in the villain status. I’d say this is his best outing yet.  Bark doesn’t really do anything, but with the Hooligans he comes with the package so he can’t help it if he has no purpose…unlike the next character.

If his singing is anything like in Heroes, his rendition of the song would hurt.
Adam Levine would like a word.

Espio: Espio feels like he’s literally only here because he was in Sonic the Fighters. His only plot contribution was signing Knuckles up, which to be honest I don’t think was that necessary (Knuckles could have signed up himself if he sensed a Master Emerald presence there, or Breezie could have put him in if she figured he was there too). After that, he fights and then hangs around to react (and has one panel throwing a shuriken at Metal Sonic, when others were trying to stop him as well), and even in the fight Espio came off as a bit out of character. He’s supposed to be cautious and wary, but here the Sonic the Fighters persona (which did not follow that in the slightest) is forced into play to keep up the reference, right down to the tornado attack. At the very least, him being made too rash for his known personality makes Vector’s rant at him later seem very justified. Speaking of, aside from fighting with Bean, the most interaction he gets is with a payphone. At least his reactions are top notch, and some of the things they do to compare his habits with Vector’s are interesting, but I don’t think the arc would have missed him if he were gone (especially with how many key players there are already). Still surprising that Espio didn’t get to meet with Knuckles and tell him about the change despite expressing a desire to do so.

And even with all these characters directly affecting events, there’s still some callouts to be made to characters who weren’t there. Cream, Antoine and Sally all get small moments to cement themselves as great periphery cast (Sally being embarrassed by her reliance on the bank of dad, Cream’s anger at the result of Tails’ fight, and Antoine playing the rival to Sonic by supporting Knuckles in the last fight). Vector gets a lot of time to bring in his brand of comedy; in fact, he’s the only periphery character with a presence in every issue of the arc, impressive since he’s not physically there. Finally, the last issue shows us a random fish character amongst the double spread of Knuckles fighting Sonic. This is, in fact, not random, and is very likely to be a character mentioned in passing in an earlier part (the character wasn’t designed by Diana, and Diana’s fanart of her shows that the comic drawing is actually erroneous in missing something that would make her identity obvious).

 

The Underdog Story?

This arc aims for one very specific emotion; pure, unadultered fun. And to that end, it does its job with flying colours. The action is frenetic and the art complements that to a tee. There’s references abound that will garner at least an amused smile; Segata Sanshiro makes an appearance as a fighter, as does a animal version of Jane from Fighting Vipers (the same series with the character that Honey is an animal version of, Candy). There’s also fictional adverts interspersed like a real sports event, each showing some humorous reference to Sonic games past and present (Sonicman from Sonic the Hedgehog (2006) does shows at Casino Park in this comic, and Chao Boom is a pretty obvious reference to the other Sonic branch currently active now [except it doesn’t have a Chao Sticks since SEGA don’t want the branches mixing outside of the crossover]).

Right in the kisser.
Sweet, sweet retribution.

The real meat of the emotional draw come in the form of character interaction, as the arc is packed to the hilt with personalities bouncing off each other for comedic effect. Right at the start you have Breezie and Sonic’s passive aggressive manipulation of each other, Amy and Honey freaking out over fashion choices, and Tails being completely suspicious of both new introductions. This maintains throughout, whether in the ring (Bean playing up his oblivious façade to do some hilarious deception, any time Honey’s in the ring) or outside of it (the ending with Knuckles and Sonic, the gambling parallels of Vector and Espio). Surprisingly, it’s not as if it’s only kind of interaction we see. The scene with Amy in hospital shows how much cares for Amy’s well being and is uplifting to have right after she got crushed into a wall. And the aforementioned scene of Tails being bummed about his loss and Sonic reassuring him that he has plenty of ability and capability plays two functions; it shows us the brotherly dynamic between the two best friends, and it plays an instrumental role in setting up Tails’ victory against Metal Sonic in the climax.

On top of this, the arc an underlying sense of mystery to it. For something so straight forward, there’s a lot of little hints left vague. There’s the whole issue of Metal Sonic seeming to have a mind of his own in regards to Eggman’s orders, which will no doubt work against the good doctor later. There’s also the obvious cliffhanger with Breezie’s deal, and how that will affect Honey in the future. Then there’s the mysteries the arc doesn’t even put on the page and require you to have a more rounded memory to figure something is amiss. Breezie in her original incarnation wasn’t just an agent of Robotnik, she was a robot built for the purpose of luring Sonic. So while the flashbacks suggest she’s just a hedgehog, the sense of media control and some statements made outside the comic still leave It as something to be seen. And then you have the fish girl, who seems like a non-factor, but Waves of Change wasn’t that long ago.

 

The Results

All said and done, this arc is a real winner. It’s definitely the most complete story of the stories following the reboot thus far. The plot is fairly simple but has enough hooks to create interest, the art is appropriately zany and vivid to match the tone of the arc, most of characters are on point and at their best and there’s just this overall sense of fun that the comic has with the material its using. Any issues I have with the arc are minor at best, and aren’t enough to really alter the fact that this is one of the best that Archie Sonic has put on the table. I’d say this is pretty much a must-read; you don’t need it to understand the ongoing plot since it’s mostly detached from the overarching narrative, but it’s a fantastic display of what makes an entertaining comic tale.

See you Air Kitten
This is pretty much the summary.
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Preview: Sonic the Hedgehog #272

We finally get the missing piece of the story puzzle for this week’s comic preview!

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This is the last Sonic issue before we unite for the worlds crossing over, and Arcade Sushi delivers a hint of the story that lies between Sonic Comic Origins #6 and Sonic Universe #75. In Sonic the Hedgehog #272, Sonic and the Freedom Fighters finally make it to Apotos with Knuckles and Chip in tow. Sonic and the light Gaia head off to find their first Gaia Gate to figure out how to restore their shattered planet. But there’s plenty of signs that a certain metal somebody is back for revenge against the blue blur! And the Freedom Fighters aren’t exactly throwing tea parties for Knuckles when they come face to face with a titanic force…dare I say of a Dark Gaian nature?  This is ” A Ray of Hope”.

SONIC THE HEDGEHOG #272
Script: Ian Flynn
Art: James Fry, Evan Stanley, Terry Austin, John Workman and Gabriel Cassata
Cover: Edwin Huang
Metal Sonic Game Art Variant Cover: Provided by SEGA
Time is up—the WORLDS UNITE crossover event is almost upon us! “A Ray of Hope”: As Sonic and the Freedom Fighters continue their journey to save the shattered planet, Sonic and Chip journey to Apotos to uncover the secrets of the Gaia Gate! Meanwhile, Knuckles and the Freedom Fighters take on a TITANIC challenge of their own! Does Sonic have a hope in saving the world? Will battle tear the freedom fighters apart first? Find out the answers to these and more exciting questions as our heroes journey to the much-awaited crossover event of the year—WORLDS UNITE! Featuring new cover art from Edwin Huang (Uncanny Skullkickers) and a crazy-new Metal Sonic game art variant provided by Sega!
On Sale Date: 5/13 | 32-page, full color comic | $3.99 U.S.

Sonic #272 is scheduled for release this Wednesday. Enjoy the calm calamity while you can, because it all kicks off in the next Sonic comic release!

Source: Arcade Sushi

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Preview: Sonic Boom #7

It’s a race to rescue…the fourth wall.

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Sonic Boom is revving straight towards the crossover, and Comic Book Resources has a preview for it. Following on from last issue, Sonic is in peril as Eggman sprung a trap on him when that is cheating, who’d have thunk it. After being helped out, Sonic makes it his mission to win fairly and show up the doctor, but he has to survive the rest of the course in order to do that. And while we’re here, what will Sticks come across away from the races? This is “Everybody’s Super Sonic Racing”: part 2.

STORY BY: Ian Flynn
ART BY: Ryan Jampole, Jennifer Hernandez, Rick Bryant, Jack Morelli , Matt Herms
COLORS BY: Matt Herms
LETTERS BY: Jack Morelli
COVER BY: Jamal Peppers, Rick Bryant, Matt Herms, Erik Ly
PUBLISHER: Archie Comics
COVER PRICE: $3.99
RELEASE DATE: Apr 29th, 2015
A multi-part story? In MY Sonic Boom comic?? You got that right! It’s wacky-racin’ adventure in “Everybody’s Super Sonic Racing” Part Two: Dr. Eggman’s fun and “friendly” go-kart challenge has turned deadly! But, really, who didn’t see that “twist” coming? Can Sonic salvage the race and prove to the bad doctor he can win fair and square? More importantly—can Sonic survive long enough to return to the race course?! Discover the fate of life, limb and ego in this super-fast story with cover art from Sonic comic fav Jamal Peppers, and an all-new “insubordination” variant cover from painter Erik Ly! …And BOOM goes the dynamite!

Sonic Boom #7 is already out in comic stores and on digital formats. As long as your commute to the shops isn’t as deadly as Sonic’s you should be fine.

Source: Comic Book Resources

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Covers and Solicitations for Sonic #275, Sonic Universe #78, Sonic Boom #10, Mega Man #51 and More

The ante is upped as we roll into the summertime!

Comic Vine has a collation of all the solicits from Archie in July, and we’re on the last bulk batch of instalments for Worlds Unite already! To close out act 2, Mega Man #51 sees our heroes fight against the Mavericks while Sigma has seized control of the Genesis Portals. The only solace for our weakening force is Sticks bringing in back-up, but something tells me the cross-over only gets more cross from here! This is “Worlds Unite: part 8”.

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MEGA MAN #51
IS ALL LOST?! The evil Sigma unleashes an unstoppable army in “Worlds Unite” Part Eight: Sonic, Mega Man and X lead the unified army against Sigma’s horde of resurrected Mavericks! Sigma has now taken command of the Genesis Portals, threatening to fuse together even MORE worlds! With our heroes’ time and strength running out, Sticks returns with reinforcements—and you’ll never believe who she recruited! Featuring cover art from the legendary Patrick “SPAZ” Spaziante, and variant cover art from Sonic rising star Diana Skelly and part 8 of the epic 12-part connecting variant cover series by artist Ben Bates!
Script: Ian Flynn
Art: Edwin Huang, Gary Martin, John Workman and Gabriel Cassata
Mega Man #51 CVR A Reg: Patrick “SPAZ” Spaziante
Mega Man #51 CVR B Variant: Diana Skelly, Rick Bryant and Gabriel Cassata
Epic Poster Variant (pt 8 of 12): Ben Bates
On Sale Date: 7/15
32-page, full color comic
$3.99 U.S

Act 3 begins with Sigma starting to use to portals to take over all worlds, with our expanded roster starting to band together to take on his menace. This means more franchises coming into play to help! But danger is still imminent as Sigma turns his attention to elsewhere in “Worlds Unite”: part 9.

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SONIC UNIVERSE #78
The third and final act of the EPIC SONIC/MEGA MAN CROSSOVER EVENT begins here! “Worlds Unite” Part Nine: Sigma has begun his conquest of ALL the worlds. Now it’s up to Sonic, Mega Man and X to unify those worlds AGAINST Sigma! It’s a “who’s who” of SEGA and Capcom heroes answering this important call to arms! But with Sigma still active on the unified world, he turns his gaze upon those left behind..! Featuring the worlds of STREET FIGHTER, SKIES OF ARCADIA, NiGHTS INTO DREAMS, OKAMI, GHOSTS ‘N’ GOBLINS, ALEX KIDD and more! Plus cover art from the legendary Patrick “SPAZ” Spaziante, and variant cover art from “Worlds Collide” penciling star Jamal Peppers and part 9 of the epic 12-part connecting variant cover series by artist Ben Bates!
Script: Ian Flynn
Art: Tyson Hesse, Jim Amash, Jack Morelli and Matt Herms
SONIC UNIVERSE #78 CVR A REG: Patrick “SPAZ” Spaziante
SONIC UNIVERSE #78 CVR B Variant: Jamal Peppers, Jim Amash and Matt Herms
Epic Poster Variant (pt9 of 12): Ben Bates
On Sale Date: 7/22
32-page, full color comic
$3.99 U.S.

The next part continues the efforts to bring in even more heroes from more worlds, expanding out into even more franchises. But there’s something that they seem to be overlooking; Xander Payne is unchecked, and who knows what Eggman and Wily are up to. Find out in “Worlds Unite”: part 10.

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SONIC BOOM #10
The SONIC/MEGA MAN Crossover event explodes beyond the worlds of just our two blue heroes! “Worlds Unite” Part Ten: Sonic, Mega Man, X and Sticks continue to rally heroes from across the wide expanse of the SEGA and Capcom universes! Who will be brave and join the unified assaulted against Sigma? PLUS with all of the heroes busy, who’s keeping an eye on the malicious Xander Payne and Evil BFFs Drs. Eggman and Wily? The villains MUST be plotting something now—but what? Featuring the worlds of VIEWTIFUL JOE, GOLDEN AXE, BREATH OF FIRE, PANZER DRAGOON, BILLY HATCHER, MONSTER HUNTER and more! Plus cover art from the legendary Patrick “SPAZ” Spaziante, and variant cover art from Reilly Brown and part 10 of the epic 12-part connecting variant cover series by artist Ben Bates!
Script: Ian Flynn
Art: Tyson Hesse, Jim Amash, Jack Morelli and Matt Herms
SONIC BOOM #10 CVR A REG: Patrick “SPAZ” Spaziante
SONIC BOOM #10 CVR B Variant: Reilly Brown
Epic Poster Variant (pt10 of 12): Ben Bates
On Sale Date: 7/29
32-page, full color comic
$3.99 U.S.

For the last main part of the July selection, things all come to a head when the heroes army take Sigma and his legion of future bots head on, across multiple universes and dimensions. But is Sigma too much for them all now? This landmark issue is extra-sized, so on top of the regular 20-page story that is “Worlds Unite”: part 11, there will be more features to celebrate Sonic reaching another 25-issue milestone in his extensive run!

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SONIC THE HEDGEHOG #275
CELEBRATE 275 ISSUES OF SONIC THE HEDGEHOG with his good buddy Mega Man and the worlds of STREET FIGHTER, BILLY HATCHER, NiGHTS INTO DREAMS, MONSTER HUNTER and more in this DOUBLE-SIZED ISSUE! “Worlds Unite” Part Eleven: It’s pan-dimensional pandemonium as the unified army begins their attack on Sigma! Sonic, Mega Man and X lead an all-star roster of heroes from across the SEGA and Capcom universes in an all-out assault against the villainous robot from the future! Will they be enough to save all their worlds, or has Sigma already become a god? Featuring a wrap-around cover from the legendary Patrick “SPAZ” Spaziante! PLUS 5 variant covers from Edwin Huang, Lamar Wells, Tracy Yardley, Rafa Knight and part 11 of the epic 12-part connecting variant cover series by artist Ben Bates! Don’t miss the penultimate chapter to the biggest crossover event in Archie Action history!
Script: Ian Flynn
Art: Tyson Hesse, Jim Amash, Jack Morelli and Matt Herms
SONIC THE HEDGEHOG #275 CVR A REG: Patrick “SPAZ” Spaziante and Matt Herms
SONIC THE HEDGEHOG #275 CVR B Wrap-around Variant: Edwin Huang
SONIC THE HEDGEHOG #275 CVR C Wrap-around Variant: Lamar Wells, Rick Bryant and Matt Herms
SONIC THE HEDGEHOG #275 CVR D Wrap-around Variant: Tracy Yardley, Terry Austin and Steve Downer
SONIC THE HEDGEHOG #275 CVR E Wrap-around Variant: Rafa Knight
Epic Poster Variant (pt11 of 12): Ben Bates
On Sale Date: 8/12
48-page, full color comic
$4.99 U.S.

For the last book revealed for Worlds Unite, we have another Battles side-feature. This time the focus is on Sonic and there’s a slew of fights to be had! Sonic runs through Sonic Lost World again (which hasn’t happened in continuity yet just to stress) to take on the Deadly Six, Knuckles dukes it out with the still villainous Break Man (a team which was teased with Proto Man in the Worlds Collide promo material but didn’t really happen in-story), and Sticks, as the main female protagonist on the Sonic side, gets ready to rock against Roll…but why?

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SONIC: WORLDS UNITE BATTLES #1
ALL-NEW DIRECT MARKET-EXCLUSIVE special! There are so many epic battles in the SONIC/MEGA MAN crossover event that the biggest brawls of the bunch have exploded into their very own book! Twelve issues just isn’t enough to contain all the frantic action of “Worlds Unite!” The action spills over into this second special stand-alone issue where an all-star cast of creators bring you an extraordinary all-action issue! Watch as Sonic battles the Deadly Six, Knuckles throws down with Break Man, and Sticks… goes after Roll?! LET’S GET READY TO RUMBLE! Also featuring variant cover art from Roger and Idalia Robinson, and a special wrap-around sketch variant by Sonic and Mega Man superstars Evan Stanley & Jamal Peppers!
SCRIPT: Joel Enos, Ryan Jampole, Aleah Baker
ART: Tracy Yardley, Ryan Jampole, Diana Skelly, Rick Bryant, Terry Austin, Rachel Deering and Elaina Unger
SONIC: WORLDS UNITE BATTLES #1 CVR A Reg: Evan Stanley, Jamal Peppers, Phyllis Novin and Ben Hunzeker
SONIC: WORLDS UNITE BATTLES #1 CVR B Sketch Variant Cover: Evan Stanley and Jamal Peppers
SONIC: WORLDS UNITE BATTLES #1 CVR C Variant Cover: Roger and Idalia Robinson
On Sale Date: 7/15
32-page, full color comic
$3.99 U.S

Stepping away from the crossover, but still not done with universe hopping quite yet. In the latest Sonic Saga to be released, volume 8, we’re revisiting the conflict between the Freedom Fighters and the Suppression Squad of yesteryear. It’s all hands on deck as both make assaults onto each others’ worlds, and there’s even a few surprise combatants thrown into the mix!

4521921-sonic+saga+series+vol8+cover

SONIC SAGA SERIES 8: HEDGEHOG HAVOC! (TR)
The hit SONIC SAGA graphic novel series returns! This volume collects Sonic’s struggle against the villainous dopplegangers from the twisted mirror world of Moebius! The Suppression Squad already conquered their world, and now they’re out to conquer Sonic’s! Leading them is Sonic’s evil double, Scourge! How can our heroes overcome—literally—themselves? It’s an uphill battle as the forces of darkness throw their lot in with the Eggman Empire. Dr. Eggman adds insult to injury when he creates a Metal Scourge to join Metal Sonic! And when Sonic and Amy take the fight to Moebius, everything goes wrong! All this plus bonus stories tying into the SEGA games! Collects select stories from Sonic the Hedgehog #s 190 – 193.
Script: Ian Flynn
Art: Tracy Yardley, Jim Amash
Cover: Tracy Yardley and Jason Jensen
978-1-61988-969-9
$12.99/$14.99CAN
6 5/8 x 10 3/16”
TR
112 pp, Full Color
Direct Market On-Sale Date: 7/29

And finally, a bit of a wind down with Sonic Super Digest #13. No new stories this time, but the digestible format is convenient for new readers once we know which stories will be reprinted this time around.

4521924-sonicsuperdig#13

SONIC SUPER DIGEST #13
Get ready for fun & adventure—it’s Sonic Super Digest! Don’t miss all the classic fun and adventure you love in stories from the comics’ 20+ year history as Sonic and his friends embark on daring adventures, face evil villains and save the day one chili dog at a time! Spin into the fun that only Archie Comics and Sonic Super Digest can bring! Featuring awesome cover art from Sega and story & art from the biggest names in Sonic comics history!
Script: Ian Flynn & Various
Art: Various
Cover art provided by Sega
On Sale Date: 8/5
128-page, full color comic
$4.99 U.S.

And that’s already pretty much the end of Worlds Unite! Next month will see the Sonic comic go back to the regular story (although part 12 is Mega Man so that will be included one last time). We will have more information on all the comics closer to release.

Source: Comic Vine

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Free Comic Book Day is May 2nd, Plus a Free Advanced Preview of Worlds Unite

Worlds Unite creeps ever closer with the free prelude AND a sneak peek at part 1.

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Remember to set your alarms for early; Free Comic Book Day is tomorrow, and no doubt people will be snapping at the heel for free goodies. In honour of the occasion, IGN have interviewed new editor Vincent Lovallo regarding Worlds Unite. Lovallo speaks at length about the behind the scenes of getting so many familiar faces together, the prelude story included in the FCBD issue, how some thing will be running down in the crossover itself, and even hints at the wake that follows!

If that wasn’t enough to get your appetite going, there’s a preview for the Free Comic Book Day issue for both sides of the book, where we reflect on the path worn for Mega Man to reach this point and begin to learn about the Genesis portals that are so integral to the events of Worlds Unite. Not only that, but there’s a sneak peak at part 1 of the main event with some pages from Sonic Universe #76!

We will have even more on the start of Worlds Unite closer to its release in about three weeks time. In the meantime, plan according to snag your copy of the FCBD issue. Me, I’m already routing my bus times to compete with the comic runner in the Roebuck for my issue.

Source: IGN

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Preview: Sonic Universe #75

Sonic and Metal Sonic duke it out in this milestone issue of the side comic!

SonicUniverse_75-0

Newsarama is where we’re looking to for the preview for this occasion, and we’re rushing into the crossover head-first! Sonic is on the pursuit as Metal Sonic comes with attack on the mind and a Chaos Emerald in his possession. But this mutual beatdown can’t stay within the confines of just one place; thanks to the Genesis Portals, it’s going all over, to places unknown! Teaming up with Silver, who has made it his quest to close the portals, can the two bring down Metal Sonic long enough to get that Chaos Emerald back? And what sinister forces are at play while Eggman isn’t looking? Find out in “Fury”.

SONIC UNIVERSE #75
Sonic Universe has reached 75 thrilling issues—and we’re celebrating in style! “Fury”: The race is on as Sonic chases down Metal Sonic for one of the sought–after Chaos Emeralds! But when their chase takes them to a very unexpected place, Sonic’s worth as a hero may be put to the test! Can Sonic win the day, secure the emerald and retain his sense of self by the end? As our journey to WORLDS UNITE crashes to a close, join us in celebrating the longest-running Sonic the Hedgehog spin-off comic in history with 7.5 variant covers from your favorite Sonic artists! Featuring cover art from Patrick “SPAZ” Spaziante, Tracy Yardley, Ben Bates, Tyson Hesse, EGA Studios, Patrick Thomas Parnell, Lamar Wells, Evan Stanley and Jonathan H. Gray! To name a few!
Script: Ian Flynn
Art: Tracy Yardley, Jim Amash, Jack Morelli and Matt Herms
Cover: Patrick “SPAZ” Spaziante
Variant Cover 1: Tracy Yardley
Variant Cover 2: Ben Bates
Variant Cover 3: Tyson Hesse
Variant Cover 4: EGA Studios
Variant Cover 5: Patrick Thomas Parnell
Variant Cover 6: Lamar Wells, Gary Martin and Gabriel Cassata
Variant Cover 7: Evan Stanley, Jim Amash and Matt Herms
Variant Cover 7.5: Jonathan H. Gray, Gary Martin and Matt Herms with Patrick Spaziante
On Sale Date: 4/22
32-page, full color comic
$3.99 U.S

Sonic Universe #75 is already out at all good comic stores and digital formats. Engage thrusters to enter Worlds Unite on high velocity!

NB: Sonic Universe #75 is set after both the Free Comic Book Day issue story and Sonic the Hedgehog #272. Just for those keeping track at home.

Source: Newsarama

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Preview: Sonic the Hedgehog #271

I wonder if Ant and Dec would have been up for doing some of their schtick for Breezie.

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 The final round of the current arc is about to commence, and Comic Book Resources is providing pre-match commentary. It all boils down to the final two competitors, Sonic and Knuckles. Both have good reason not to lose this match, but they’re not going to hold back for this spectacle! While they fight for the fate of the world though, the Hooligans are still at large and set on carrying out Eggman’s orders, and Metal Sonic is en route to become a wild card in the fray too! Can the heroes finish the match and fend off the attack? Find out in “Champions”: part 4.

Grab a front row seat for the finale to the brawl-iest, punch-iest, contest-iest Sonic comic saga yet! “Champions” Part Four: It’s the battle you’ve all been waiting for (again!): Sonic versus Knuckles—for the title and the Chaos Emerald! The old rivalry blazes to life as the True Blue and Rad Red throw down for glory—and for the fate of the entire world! But with the vengeful Hooligans waiting in the shadows, and Metal Sonic en route, will they even get to finish their fight, or will their foes beat them to the punch? Featuring new cover art from Sonic art legend Tracy Yardley and a super-special new ARCADE VARIANT by the latest Sonic art superstar RAFA KNIGHT!
STORY BY: Ian Flynn
ART BY: Ryan Jampole, Diana Skelly, Terry Austin
COLORS BY: Gabriel Cassata
LETTERS BY: John Workman
COVER BY: Tracy Yardley, Terry Austin, Ben Hunzeker, Rafa Knight
PUBLISHER: Archie Comics
COVER PRICE: $3.99
RELEASE DATE: Apr 8th, 2015

Sonic the Hedgehog #271 is slated for release later today, don’t get beaten to the punch for this knock-out finale!

Source: Comic Book Resources

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Preview: Sonic Boom #6

I much prefer Reactive Factory’s music, thank you.

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Comicbook.com has the preview for Sonic Boom #6 (not the first issue as the cover would lead you to believe), and it’s a quaint day at the races for our heroes…on paper. But when Eggman challenges Sonic to a race in go-karts, no amount of rules like no powers and no robots or weapons will shake off the feeling that there’s something off about this particular drive. And where is Sticks going exactly? Perhaps the answers will lay in “Everybody’s Super Sonic Racing”: part 1.

SONIC BOOM #6
What…What is that sound? No, really—what on earth is that noise? Waitaminute… is that the sound of go-karts??? IT… IT—IS! LET THE RACE BEGIN IN “EVERYBODY’S SUPER SONIC RACING” PART ONE! (IS THE CAPS LOCK STILL ON, OH WAITAMINUTE, there we go. Much better.) When Dr. Eggman sponsors a go-kart race around Sonic’s Island home, you know that dude is up to no good. The rules are as follows: no special powers, no weapons, and everyone has to drive a kart to keep things fair. Since when does Eggy care about “fair”? What will happen to throw this race into a SPIN? How many rhetorical questions can we ask in one paragraph of solicit text?? Find out in this hyperbole-packed issue! Featuring cover art from Sonic comic extraordinaire Tracy Yardley, plus a new BOOM-Crew Sega art variant!
Script: Ian Flynn
Art: Ryan Jampole, Jennifer Hernandez, Rick Bryant, Jack Morelli and Matt Herms
Cover: Tracy Yardley, Rick Bryant and Matt Herms
BOOM-CREW Variant Cover: Art provided by Sega
On Sale Date: 4/8
32-page, full color comic
$3.99 U.S.

Sonic Boom #6 is scheduled for release later today, although I don’t think you’ll have quite as much of a perilous commute for it.

Source: Comicbook.com

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Preview: Sonic Universe #74

What better way to bring us back to the present than with the finale of the technological terror!

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Comicbook.com has the preview for Sonic Universe #74, and there’ll certainly be sparks flying! Sally, having subjected herself to the digitiser, is now fighting alongside Nicole against Phage for the fate of the Digital World. But it’s not just data in peril as Tails, Big and Dr. Ellidy are all under attack from Phage’s influence from the outside. To beat this monster will require wit, strong friendship and something a little extra, otherwise they’re doomed to be done in by the past. See how it all comes to a close in “Spark of Life”: part 4.

SONIC UNIVERSE #74
The final showdown for the fate of the digital realm is HERE! “Spark of Life” Part Four: It’s pandemonium aplenty in this conclusion to the stunning “Spark of Life” story arc! Who, or what, is Phage? Introductions aren’t necessary—she’s creating havoc for our heroes anyway! Tails and Big—menaced by badniks and Dark Gaia Monsters alike! A Chaos Emerald—about to fall into enemy hands! Nicole—on the brink of deletion! Will Sally sacrifice it all to save her friends and the world? Only the dramatic conclusion to SPARK OF LIFE can tell! Featuring cover art from Sonic comic artist extraordinaire Tracy Yardley, and a special SEGA-art TAILS variant cover!
Script: Aleah Baker, Ian Flynn
Art: Tracy Yardley, Jim Amash, Jack Morelli and Matt Herms
Cover: Tracy Yardley, Jim Amash and Ben Hunzeker
TAILS Variant cover art provided by SEGA
On Sale Date: 3/25
32-page, full color comic
$3.99 U.S.

Sonic Universe #74 came out today in comic stores and on digital formats. Get it today and complete the story circuit for yourself!

Source: comicbook.com

The Sonic Stadium may link to retailers and earn a small commission on purchases made from users who click those links. These links will only appear in articles related to the product, in an unobtrusive manner, and do not influence our editorial decisions in any way.

Covers and Solicitations for Mega Man #50, Sonic Universe #77, Sonic Boom #9, Sonic #274 And More

Once again a big media blowout for Worlds Unite with the June solicits.

Continuing with the updates that happened in March, we continue the story of Worlds Unite through comicbook.com providing covers and solicits for June. Resuming from part 3, act one of the crossover comes to a close with Sigma’s plan of fusing Sonic’s world with Mega Man’s world seeing fruition! It’s going to take a lot of man power to try and stop it, and with our main quartet for the crossover being joined by the Freedom Fighters, the Mavericks and Robot Masters, there’s a lot to draw from! Along with “Worlds Unite”: part 4, there’s a little side story about the first meeting of Mega Man classic and Mega Man X. Fitting for Mega Man hitting it’s 50th issue.

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MEGA MAN #50
Celebrate 50 issues of Mega Man with the latest chapter in the globe-smashing SONIC/MEGA MAN crossover event! “Worlds Unite” Part Four: Act One comes to its mind-blowing conclusion! Sigma’s plan reaches its first stage, and the worlds of Sonic and Mega Man have fused! It’s definitely going to take more than one hero to stop the threat from the future—maybe even ten! Sonic, Mega Man, X, Sticks, the Freedom Fighters, Robot Masters and Maverick Hunters—UNITE! PLUS: Stick around for a special bonus anniversary story as Mega Man and X meet for the first time! Featuring a wrap-around cover from the legendary Patrick “SPAZ” Spaziante! PLUS 5 variant covers from Edwin Huang, Irvin Rodriguez, Patrick Thomas Parnell, Roger & Idalia Robinson and part 4 of the epic 12-part connecting variant cover series by artist Ben Bates!
Script: Ian Flynn
Art: Dan Schoening, POWREE, Rick Bryant, Jack Morelli and Luis Delgado
Mega Man #50 Wrap-around CVR A Reg: Patrick “SPAZ” Spaziante
Mega Man #50 CVR B Variant: Roger and Idalia Robinson
Mega Man #50 CVR C Variant: Edwin Huang
Mega Man #50 CVR D Variant: Irvin Rodriguez
Mega Man #50 CVR E Variant: Patrick Thomas Parnell
Epic Poster Variant (pt 4 of 12): Ben Bates
On Sale Date: 6/17
48-page, full color comic
$4.99 U.S

Sonic Universe #77 sees our heroes still fighting to stop Sigma’s fusion of worlds, but heroic forces alone are not enough. Enter Xander Payne, with Dr. Eggman and Dr. Wily in tow. They provide new insight into Sigma’s insidious plans, but how much can it help? This is “Worlds Unite”: part 5.

sonicuniv-77-126993

SONIC UNIVERSE #77
The next exciting chapter in the SONIC/MEGA MAN “WORLDS UNITE” crossover event starts here! “Worlds Unite” Part Five: The worlds of Sonic and Mega Man have been joined together by Sigma, and it’s going to take a full-on army of unified heroes to make it right! Actually—scratch that—it’s going to take some heroes AND some villains! When the mysterious and malicious Xander Payne inexplicably arrives with Drs. Eggman and Wily in tow, our heroes get new insight into Sigma’s plans! Featuring cover art from the legendary Patrick “SPAZ” Spaziante and variant cover art from CLAUS-Justin Harder (Thor: the Dark World, SNL) and part 5 of the epic 12-part connecting variant cover series by artist Ben Bates!
Script: Ian Flynn
Art: Edwin Huang, Gary Martin, John Workman and Gabriel Cassata
Cover: Patrick “SPAZ” Spaziante
Super-group Variant Cover: CLAUS-Justin Harder
Epic Poster Variant (pt5 of 12): Ben Bates
On Sale Date: 6/24
32-page, full color comic
$3.99 U.S.

Sonic Boom #9 sees the heroes go to war with the mechaniloids, led by the souped-up Deadly Six! It should be a united front, but Sticks isn’t always one to stick around if she gets distracted. But she didn’t intend to fall off the Sky Patrol and go through a Genesis Portal, we’re pretty sure, and who knows where she landed! This is “Worlds Unite”: part 6.

sonicboom-9-126990

SONIC BOOM #9
The SONIC/MEGA MAN crossover event GOES BOOM! “Worlds Unite” Part Six: The war against Sigma has been waged! Sonic, Mega Man and X lead their unified friends against hordes of mechaniloids led by the armored, super-powered Deadly Six! That sounds pretty scary and exciting, and now is definitely the time for everyone to work together and pay close attention. Especially Sticks. She tends to do some distracting stuff, like falling off the Sky Patrol and landing into a Genesis Portal or something—wait? Did she really? Well, where did she land? No way! Is that – -?! You won’t believe where Sticks lands, but what you BETTER believe is that this issue sports some awesome cover art by Patrick “SPAZ” Spaziante and the return of the EVIL FRIENDS FOREVER (E.F.F.) variant by Brent McCarthy! Plus part 6 of the epic 12-part connecting variant cover series by artist Ben Bates!
Script: Ian Flynn
Art: Edwin Huang, Gary Martin, John Workman and Gabriel Cassata
Cover: Patrick “SPAZ” Spaziante
Evil Friends Forever E.F.F. Variant Cover: Brent McCarthy
Epic Poster Variant (pt6 of 12): Ben Bates
On Sale Date: 7/1
32-page, full color comic
$3.99 U.S.

For the last of the chronological Worlds Unite stories, Sonic the Hedgehog #274, we’ve lost the unite part of the title as Mega Man, X and their compatriots have turned on Sonic and the Freedom Fighters. Why would they do this? Eggman might have the answer, or he might have something more sinister up his sleeve. This is “Worlds Unite”: part 7.

sonic-274-126985

SONIC THE HEDGEHOG #274
The heroes of the SONIC/MEGA MAN crossover event: AT WAR?! “Worlds Unite” Part Seven: The unified army is not so unified anymore! What has driven Mega Man, X and their robot companions to attack Sonic and the Freedom Fighters? Drs. Eggman and Wily may have the answer! Or a weapon. Could a weapon be the answer? Or is it more trademark treachery? Meanwhile, Sigma grows in power, preparing for the next phase of his master plan! And speaking of masters, this issue features cover art from master-artist Patrick “SPAZ” Spaziante, a CG-SLUGFEST Variant cover from Rafa Knight and part 7 of the epic 12-part connecting variant cover series by artist Ben Bates!
Script: Ian Flynn
Art: Edwin Huang, Gary Martin, John Workman and Gabriel Cassata
Cover: Patrick “SPAZ” Spaziante
CG-SLUGFEST Variant Cover: Rafa Knight
Epic Poster Variant (pt7 of 12): Ben Bates
On Sale Date: 7/8
32-page, full color comic
$3.99 U.S.

But there’s one more thing to add to the Worlds Unite overload! There’s just so much action in this crossover that the main books alone just can’t contain it. That’s why Archie are bringing out two market-exclusive battle books just for the occasion, promising exciting duels between the various forces of Mega Man and Sonic’s universes. Not only that, but there’s a wealth of new blood on board for both art duties and writing! And the first one has a solicit right here.

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MEGA MAN: WORLDS UNITE BATTLES #1
ALL-NEW DIRECT MARKET-EXCLUSIVE special! There are so many epic battles in the SONIC/MEGA MAN crossover event that the biggest brawls of the bunch have exploded into their very own book! This extra-special bonus issue features exciting duels spilling over from the pages of the much-talked about “Worlds Unite” event, and feature an all-star cast of creators! Watch Mega Man bring the ruckus to the Deadly Six, the Maverick Hunters ultimate showdown with Vile and Dr. Light’s Robot Masters tussle with the unstoppable power of hero-turned-uber-villain Sonic Man! LET’S GET READY TO RUMBLE! Also featuring variant art from Patrick “SPAZ” Spaziante, and a special wrap-around cover and sketch variant by Sonic and Mega Man superstars Evan Stanley & Jamal Peppers!
SCRIPT: Ian Flynn, Howard Mackie, T. Rex
ART: Ben Bates, Jamal Peppers, Brent McCarthy, Rachel Deering and Elaina Unger
Cover: Evan Stanley, Jamal Peppers, Phyllis Novin and Ben Hunzeker
Sketch Variant Cover: Evan Stanley and Jamal Peppers
United Variant Cover: Patrick “SPAZ” Spaziante
On Sale Date: 6/17
32-page, full color comic
$3.99 U.S

And finally, for a bit of a breather, Sonic Archives #25 reprints more classic stories from days past in the Sonic comic. As the series gets closer to reaching the milestone of #100, there’s treachery afoot as Sonic gets involved in a web of lies, attempts to subdue Knuckles only end in chaos, and there’s a throwdown with Monkey Khan for the cherry on top!

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SONIC ARCHIVES 25 (TR)
Treachery and mystery abound in the next exciting installment of the SONIC ARCHIVES graphic novel series! Sonic finds himself caught in the middle as heroes and villains alike plot and plan their own agendas—what’s a super-speedy hedgehog to do? Dr. Eggman draws his wayward people into a city-sized trap! The power of the kingdom is snuck out from under Princess Sally by a double-sleeper agent! Sonic faces down his super-powerful cyborg rival! SONIC ARCHIVES VOLUME 25 collects SONIC THE HEDGEHOG #92-95.
Script: Ken Penders, Karl Bollers
Art: Ken Penders, Patrick “SPAZ” Spaziante, James Fry, Ron Lim, Michael Higgins, Jim Amash
Cover: Patrick “SPAZ” Spaziante
978-1-61988-964-4
$7.99/$8.99CAN
5 x 7 3/8”
TR
112 pp, Full Color
Direct Market On-Sale Date: 7/15

We’ll have more details on all of these comics closer to their release. Isn’t it weird that we’re already halfway there!

Source: comicbook.com

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Previews: Sonic the Hedgehog #270 and Sonic Boom #5

Worlds apart, they couldn’t be more opposite if they tried.

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Well, haven’t the last few weeks been interesting. SSMB has been down (and undergone a slight time warp), and a few technical hiccups have delayed these comic updates. But now we’re aiming for the right track with a catch-up on what’s gone down. And as luck would have it, we got a very rare occurrence; two comics came out on the same day!

Comic Book Resources has the preview for Sonic #270. The Chaos Emerald Championship draws on, and more big names bite the dust. Amy takes on Knuckles as he goes about his mission, Sonic tackles the mischievous Honey, and the Hooligans are still running about like loose cannons. But things aren’t as straight forward as they look on the surface, there’s treachery afoot, and it has Eggman all over it, and there’s more shade about Breezie’s past than one would think! All this fights its way into “Champions”: part 3.

“Champions” Part Three: The battle for the Chaos Emerald is reaching a fevered pitch! Hero versus hero! Villain versus villain! Will Dr. Eggman be content to play by the rules? Will Metal Sonic come in and shake things up? And what exactly is the secret history between Metal Sonic and casino mogul Breezie?! All of the answers await you in this thrilling, penultimate chapter! Featuring all-new cover art from one of the newest Sonic superstars Jennifer Hernandez, plus a special “Marvel at the Showdown” variant cover by the incomparable Brent McCarthy!
STORY BY: Ian Flynn
ART BY: Diana Skelly, Terry Austin
COLORS BY: Gabriel Cassata
LETTERS BY: John Workman
COVER BY: Jennifer Hernandez, Terry Austin, Matt Herms, Brent McCarthy
PUBLISHER: Archie Comics
COVER PRICE: $3.99
RELEASE DATE: Mar 11th, 2015

Meanwhile, we trade fighting garb for Lederhosen for Sonic Boom’s latest offering.

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Arcade Sushi are the ones with the preview for Sonic Boom #5. Eggman wants to manipulate the village for his own sick amusement, but how can he take advantage of them with a zero publicity rating? The solution to try and get into their good graces, and the answer for that to him is to throw an event for them. But he’s not going to get far with that unless he calls in the help of our heroes. Join in the ‘festivities’ and make a trip to the fair in “Eggtoberfest”.

SONIC BOOM #5
Script: Bill Freiberger
Art: Steven Butler, Rick Bryant, Jack Morelli and Matt Herms
Cover by Patrick “SPAZ” Spaziante
X-RAY Variant Cover by Diana Skelly, Rick Bryant and Matt Herms
SONIC BOOM is your antidote to comics that lack AMAZE-MA-TUDE! The NEW ONGOING SONIC COMIC BOOK SERIES keeps on BOOMIN’ IT UP with Sonic Boom #5: Eggtoberfest! Dr. Eggman’s sick and tired of no one trusting him! How on earth can he take advantage of people if they don’t trust him to begin with?! The answer? Easy—EGGTOBERFEST! Just one small problem: the mechanical master forgot to hire ride operators for his carnivorous carnival creation! So it’s Sonic to the… rescue?! If a good guy helps a bad guy, is that “helping” at all? Ponder this and other philosophical queries in the latest action-packed issue of Sonic Boom, written by Sonic Boom TV Series writer Bill Freiberger! Featuring cover art from Patrick “SPAZ” Spaziante and an X-RAY variant from the newest sonic superstar Diana Skelly!
On Sale Date: 3/11 | 32-page, full color comic | $3.99 U.S.

Both of these comics are already out. If you haven’t picked up a copy already, make a date to do so. Just have it more like a nice day trip and not a fighting match.

Sources: Comic Book Resources, Arcade Sushi

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Preview: Sonic Universe #73

The danger in the digital world is all too real in this month’s issue of Sonic Universe!

Sonic_Universe_-73

Comic Book Resources has the preview for Sonic Universe #73, and the truth hurts as much as physical pain as we see quite plainly here. Sally uncovers Nicole’s tragic origins, and her friendship with her brings her at loggerheads with Dr. Ellidy considering the pain it’s wrought on him. Meanwhile, Nicole herself is besieged on by the monster of megabytes, new villain Phage. What’s her place in all of this malarkey, and can Sally and Ellidy agree to something before Nicole can be deleted? Find out in “Spark of Life”: part 3.

It STARTS with a SPARK! “Spark of Life” Part Three: Shocking truths are exposed as Dr. Ellidy reveals the tragic origin of the beloved A.I., Nicole! Meanwhile, Phage erupts from the shadows of the Digital World to sew chaos on the island! Can our heroes rally to save Nicole and drive off this new threat? Night is falling, and terrible monsters are closing in! Don’t miss this exciting next chapter in the latest Sonic Universe epic, featuring all-new cover art from Sonic artist supreme Tracy Yardley, and a special new “EXTREME BFFs” variant cover from My Little Pony artist Agnes Garbowska!
STORY BY: Ian Flynn, Aleah Baker
ART BY: Tracy Yardley, Jim Amash
COLORS BY: Matt Herms
LETTERS BY: Jack Morelli
COVER BY: Tracy Yardley
PUBLISHER: Archie Comics
COVER PRICE: $3.99
RELEASE DATE: Feb 25th, 2015

Sonic Universe #73 is out now, so be sure to pick it up to discover the next part of the digital dilemma!

Source: Comic Book Resources

 

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Worlds Unite News Blast: Covers, Solicits and Teasers Abound

Covers and solicitations for May are in, but there’s more surprises in store for this crossover.

For the next three months, we’re on a Worlds Unite binge for the solicitations going from the end of spring to mid-summer, and we’re starting off big, folks! Archie has a slew of new covers and solicitations to start off the crossover, so let’s get right into it.

The 12 part story begins in Sonic Universe #76. Sigma, a deplorable villain from the Mega Man X universe, has managed to escape his space and reach the Lost Hex in Sonic’s World. Those Deadly Six have a history of backstabbing Dr Eggman, so what happens when they’re offered more power than the good doctor can give? Meanwhile, Sonic and Mega Man are too caught up in an ambush to be able to do anything! This is “Worlds Collide”: part 1.

SonicUniv76

SONIC UNIVERSE #76
THE SONIC/MEGA MAN CROSSOVER EVENT BEGINS HERE! It’s the epic first chapter of the biggest story in Sonic/Mega Man comic book history with “Worlds Unite” Part One! Get ready for cross-world treachery as the wicked Sigma escapes the world of Mega Man X and arrives in Dr. Eggman’s secret Lost Hex base! When Sigma promises new power to the Deadly Six, how long do you think they’ll stay loyal to Dr. Eggman? We’re not betting for long! And just where exactly are our heroes during all this? Looks like Sonic and Mega Man are right in the middle of an ambush! The sense-shattering sequel to “Worlds Collide” starts right now! Featuring cover art from the legendary Patrick “SPAZ” Spaziante, Rafa Knight, and part 1 of the epic 12-part connecting variant cover series by artist Ben Bates!
Script: Ian Flynn
Art: Dan Schoening, Jack Morelli and Luis Delgado
Cover: Patrick “SPAZ” Spaziante
CROSSOVER KICK-OFF Variant Cover: Rafa Knight
Epic Poster Variant (pt1 of 12): Ben Bates
On Sale Date: 5/27
32-page, full color comic
$3.99 U.S

Next, our focus turns to Sonic Boom #8, where Sticks is just enjoying a normal beating robots in the Sonic Boom universe before it’s a bit disrupted by X and the Maverick hunters! Even worse, back in the main universes, Sigma is forcing Dr Eggman and Dr Wily to do the worst thing you could imagine; making Sonic and Mega Man into his own minions! The stakes heat up in “Worlds Unite”: part 2.

SonicBoom8

SONIC BOOM #8
It slices! It dices! It joins line-wide crossover events: it’s SONIC BOOM! “Sonic/Mega Man: Worlds Unite” Part Two: It was just another day at the races—y’know, the ones with the giant spider-mechs? Things start to get weird, even for the lovable, paranoid Sticks, when X and the Maverick Hunters arrived! Meanwhile, the epic bromance of the century is rekindled as the captured Drs. Eggman and Wily are forced to turn their life-long nemeses—Sonic and Mega Man—into minions for the terrifying Sigma! After the history-making “WORLDS COLLIDE” crossover event, Sonic the Hedgehog and Mega Man unite once more—and this time Sonic Boom and Mega Man X are joining the fray! Featuring cover art from the legendary Patrick “SPAZ” Spaziante, a special “happy fun time crossover” variant by Ryan Jampole and part 2 of the epic 12-part connecting variant cover series by artist Ben Bates!
Script: Ian Flynn
Art: Dan Schoening, Tracy Yardley, Terry Austin, Jack Morelli and Luis Delgado
Cover: Patrick “SPAZ” Spaziante
“Happy fun-time crossover” Variant Cover: Ryan Jampole, Gary Martin and Steve Downer
Epic Poster Variant (pt2 of 12): Ben Bates
On Sale Date: 6/3
32-page, full color comic
$3.99 U.S

For the last new chapter in the crossover, Sonic the Hedgehog #273 sees M’egga Man pack his terrifyingly varied arsenal against the Freedom Fighters in Sonic’s universe, and Sonic Man gives the runaround to the Robot Masters in Mega Man’s universe. There must be something that can save them…and it may be something that you wouldn’t expect. This is “Worlds Unite”: part 3.

Sonic273

SONIC THE HEDGEHOG #273
The ALL-NEW Sonic/Mega Man Crossover sequel explodes onto the shelves with “Worlds Unite” Part Three: It’s a cascade of cross-dimensional chaos! On Sonic’s World, the Freedom Fighters are battling with the terrifying arsenal of M’egga Man! On Mega Man’s World, the Robot Masters can’t keep up with the super speedy Sonic Man! Who can possibly save our heroes? The answer is sure to surprise you! After the history-making “WORLDS COLLIDE” crossover event, Sonic the Hedgehog and Mega Man unite once more—and this time Sonic Boom and Mega Man X are joining the fray! Featuring cover art from the legendary Patrick “SPAZ” Spaziante, villain variant by T.Rex and part 3 of the epic 12-part connecting variant cover series by artist Ben Bates!
Script: Ian Flynn
Art: Dan Schoening, Tracy Yardley, Terry Austin, Jack Morelli and Luis Delgado
Cover: Patrick “SPAZ” Spaziante
Villain Variant Cover: T.Rex
Epic Poster Variant (pt3 of 12): Ben Bates
On Sale Date: 6/10
32-page, full color comic
$3.99 U.S

Continuing the Worlds Unite theme, Sonic Super Digest #12 has more reprints as usual, as well as a spotlight feature on Sonic and Mega Man looking back at Worlds Collide. In addition, there’s a new Sonic Comic Origins story focusing on Julian Snively!

SONICSuperDig12

SONIC SUPER DIGEST #12
Get ready for fun & adventure—it’s Sonic Super Digest! As the Sonic/Mega Man WORLDS UNITE crossover reaches a fever pitch, see how it all began with a look back at Worlds Collide, the story that started it all, in a special Sonic/Mega Man spotlight feature! Also in this issue is an ALL-NEW edition of SONIC COMIC ORIGINS spotlighting the insidious G.U.N scientist (and villain?!) SNIVELY! This new story fills in some crucial and never-before-revealed gaps in the new Sonic comic universe, and you can ONLY scope this exclusive new story in Sonic super Digest! But that’s not all! Don’t miss all the classic fun and adventure you love in stories from the comics’ 20+ year history! Plus new cover art from Sonic comic super-star Jamal Peppers!
Script: Ian Flynn & Various
Art: Adam Bryce Thomas, Rick Bryant, Jack Morelli, Matt Herms & Various
Cover: Jamal Peppers, Jim Amash and Matt Herms
On Sale Date: 6/10
128-page, full color comic
$4.99 U.S.

Sonic Super Special Magazine #15 also has a look back at Worlds Collide along with the normal range of articles and features. As part of a tie-in with the Upcoming graphic novel collection of Waves of Change, there’s also a Sonic Comic Origins story spotlighting Razor the Shark!

SONSS15_Cover

SONIC SUPER SPECIAL MAGAZINE #15
Sonic Comic Origins continues this month with an ALL-NEW story featuring Razor the Shark! This special tie-in to the Sonic the Hedgehog vol3 graphic novel showcases EXCLUSIVE back-story to the underwater side of the new Sonic Comic universe with one of the most popular new characters to debut in the series! The SONIC SUPER SPECIAL MAGAZINE gives you the world of Sonic the Hedgehog comics as you’ve never seen it before, with tons of comic stories, special features and exclusive articles on the latest and greatest in the world of everyone’s favorite blue hedgehog-hero! Along with the all-new Sonic Comic Origins mini-feature, this issue also features a special look back at the history-making Sonic/Mega Man crossover “WORLDS COLLIDE” storyline, as the sequel, WORLDS UNITE, heats up across the Archie Action Comics line! All this plus the extra features you love, an interview with Sonic/Mega Man Worlds Unite penciller Edwin Huang AND a super special cover featuring art by Sonic comic superstar Tyson Hesse!
Script: Ian Flynn & Various
Art: Adam Bryce Thomas, Rick Bryant, Jack Morelli and Matt Herms
Cover: Tyson Hesse
On Sale Date: 5/27
128-page, full color comic
$9.99 U.S.

To round out the solicitations, we have the more down to earth Sonic Boom graphic novel (Sonic Boom, down to earth, who’d have thought?). The first not-arc of the newest comic series in the Sonic the Hedgehog range is collected right here. Relive Sonic and co’s efforts to take down Eggman’s Big Boy, all while running into problems within the team along each step of the way.

SBOOM_VOL1_COVER

SONIC BOOM VOL 1: THE BIG BOOM (TR)
Here comes the BOOM! Sonic the Hedgehog and his friends are back and ready to do battle with the evil DR. EGGMAN and his mechanical minions and diabolical death-machines! This ground-breaking new chapter in the Sonic the Hedgehog franchise puts a different “spin” on all your favorite heroes and villains—plus brand new faces and hilarious stories chock-full of action. Written by bestselling Sonic comic scribe Ian Flynn, the comic series will reside in the same story universe as the TV series and games, featuring a different take on the Sonic the Hedgehog universe, with a new look and feel. Sonic and his friends Tails, Amy, Knuckles and new member Sticks, must come together as a team to explore a new world full of comedy and adventure. SONIC BOOM Vol. 1 collects Sonic Boom #1-4.
Script: Ian Flynn
Art: Evan Stanley, Ryan Jampole, Jennifer Hernandez, Rick Bryant, Jack Morelli and Matt Herms
Cover: Patrick “SPAZ” Spaziante
978-1-62738-983-9
$12.99/$14.99CAN
6 5/8 x 10 3/16”
TR
112 pp, Full Color
Direct Market On-Sale Date: 6/3

We’ll have more information on all of the comics closer to their release. In addition, for the duration of Worlds Unite, we’ll be covering the Mega Man solicits and previews too!

And finally, a mystery is on the horizon. IGN has announcements to make about even more SEGA and Capcom franchises making an appearance in Worlds Collide, and it’s looking to be a massive amount! Right now we have Alex Kidd, Billy Hatcher, Nina (Breath of Fire) and Viewtiful Joe confirmed, and there’s more to be confirmed over the coming days. See if you can try to guess who’s who from this initial teaser;

Check with IGN often to see if your favourite SEGA and Capcom franchises show up!

Sources: Archie Comics, IGN

The Sonic Stadium may link to retailers and earn a small commission on purchases made from users who click those links. These links will only appear in articles related to the product, in an unobtrusive manner, and do not influence our editorial decisions in any way.

Preview: Sonic the Hedgehog #269

The fighters are assembled, so it’s time to get round one underway!

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Archie Comics themselves have a preview for Sonic the Hedgehog #269, and the fists sure are furious in this months issue! With the fighters all gathered, the tournament can commence and the blows can be dished out by the second! But who will triumph and progress to the second round, and who will crash out at the starting gate? Whatever the answer to that, the baddies working in the shadows won’t let it affect their game plan. This is “Champions”: part 2.

SONIC THE HEDGEHOG #269
The contestants are BRAWLIN’ and the SAGA continues in “Champions” Part Two! The fighting tournament for the Chaos Emerald is in full swing! Tails vs. Honey! Espio vs. Bean! Knuckles vs. Bark! But it’s a sure bet that if a competition’s going down, something’s fixed with thugs like Breezie and Nack involved. Sonic will need some inside info—and he finds it from some surprisingly familiar faces! Featuring new cover art from Jammin’ Jamal Peppers and a Wrestling Entertainment Variant cover by the indomitable T.REX!
Script: Ian Flynn
Art: Diana Skelly, Terry Austin, John Workman and Gabriel Cassata
Cover: Jamal Peppers, Terry Austin and Gabriel Cassata
Wrestling Entertainment Variant Cover: T.REX
On Sale Date: 2/11
32-page, full color comic
$3.99 U.S.

Sonic #269 is out today in stores and digitally. Now the time isn’t for talking, let’s get ready to rumble!

Source: Archie Comics

The Sonic Stadium may link to retailers and earn a small commission on purchases made from users who click those links. These links will only appear in articles related to the product, in an unobtrusive manner, and do not influence our editorial decisions in any way.

Preview: Sonic Universe 72

The mystery runs deep as we continue to explore Isolated Island in this month’s Sonic Universe.

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Comic Book Resources brings us our second preview for the month, this time for Sonic Universe #72. Things are getting creepy over on Isolated Island; Dr Ellidy reveals his latest research to be the mysterious Red Star Rings, but equally mysterious is the spate of Badniks going offline for no discernable reason. While Sally and Big look into the Red Star Rings, Tails and Nicole look into the systems to try and get a fix on the Badnik situation. There’s more to be learned about the past, more looming danger within the digital world, and more Big shenanigans, in “Spark of Life”: part 2.

STORY BY: Ian Flynn, Aleah Baker
ART BY: Tracy Yardley, Jim Amash
COLORS BY: Matt Herms
LETTERS BY: Jack Morelli
COVER BY: Tracy Yardley, Jennifer Hernandez, Jim Amash, Matt Herms
PUBLISHER: Archie Comics
COVER PRICE: $3.99
RELEASE DATE: Wed, February 4th, 2015
What monsters lurk on the mysterious isolated island?? Find out for yourself in “Spark of Life” Part Two: Things are getting very creepy in the lab of Dr. Ellidy! His badnik defenses are going offline—which is bad news when there are Dark Gaia Monsters prowling the shores at night! Sally and Big investigate the mystery of the Red Star Rings as Tails and Nicole debug the system—where something, or someone—is waiting for Nicole! Featuring new cover art from Tracy Yardley and an interactive MATCHMAKER variant cover by rising Sonic star Jennifer Hernandez, where you can “ship it yourself”!

Sonic Universe #72 came out yesterday in stores and digitally. Make sure to pick up a copy yourself for the whole story…but watch out for monsters if you choose to go with the digital route!

Source: Comic Book Resources

The Sonic Stadium may link to retailers and earn a small commission on purchases made from users who click those links. These links will only appear in articles related to the product, in an unobtrusive manner, and do not influence our editorial decisions in any way.

Preview: Sonic Boom #4

The first not-arc concludes in the latest issue of Sonic Boom.

SonicBoom-04-0-384c6

Comic Book Resources has a preview for Sonic Boom #4, and it’s the end of the beginning for our heroes. Eggman is back with his Big Boy, and this time it’s new, improved and more than capable of standing up to the old tactics of the last few fights. What can overcome the meaner threat? Sticks thinks she has the answer, but who knows what would happen when she puts her ideas to the table. Let’s hope they don’t lose their heads as we get to “Sticks and Stones”.

STORY BY: Ian Flynn
ART BY: Ryan Jampole, Jennifer Hernandez, Rick Bryant
COLORS BY: Matt Herms
LETTERS BY: Jack Morelli
COVER BY: Tracy Yardley, Rick Bryant, Matt Herms
PUBLISHER: Archie Comics
COVER PRICE: $3.99
RELEASE DATE Wed, January 28th, 2015
The NEW ONGOING SONIC COMIC BOOK SERIES from Archie Comics keeps on BOOMIN’ with Sonic Boom #4: Sticks and Stones! Dr. Eggman’s Big Boy mech has been refined into its final, deadly form. Sonic and his friends are on the ropes—but have no fear! Sticks has brought her secret weapon! It’s a… wait, seriously? This thinks THAT’s going to help?! Find out what her secret weapon is in the weird and wacky conclusion to the first story arc of the brand-new series SONIC BOOM! Featuring cover art from Sonic art guru Tracy Yardley and an all-new “Sticks-with-stones-being-chased-by-bones” variant cover from rising Sonic star Diana Skelly!

Sonic Boom #4 is already out in stores and on digital formats, so rock the boat and roll out to get a copy for yourself!

Source: Comic Book Resources

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Worlds Collide Available As Part of Humble Archie Comics Bundle

Sonic’s charity is on show once again, this time for the comic industry.

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For those who don’t know what Humble Bundle is, it’s an initiative where companies offer packages of digital content as a pay-what-you-want model for a limited time, often with the aim of supporting charities of their choosing. Archie Comics have thrown their hat into the ring with the Humble Archie Comics Bundle, which includes content from the Sonic the Hedgehog line of comics in the form of (presumably digital versions of) the Worlds Collide trade paperback graphic novels.

  • Pay anything you want and you’ll get Worlds Collide Volume 1 along with other Archie books in the bracket.
  • Pay over the average (which is $7.76 as of writing) and you’ll get Worlds Collide Volume 2 along with other Archie books in the bracket and the previous selection.
  • Pay $15 or over and you’ll get Worlds Collide Volume 3 along with other Archie books in the bracket and both previous selections (provided the average isn’t over $15, which is unlikely).
  • There’s more comics to come during the time the bundle is available too, there might be even more Sonic content up for grabs along the line.

Archie Comics are putting all proceedings towards two charities; the Comic Book Legal Defence Fund and Hero Initiative. As of writing, there are just under 12 days left to get involved and buy a bundle. So if you want to catch up on the crossover, want a way of reading it on the go, or just want to grab it to support the cause, now is a great opportunity to do so!

Source: Humble Bundle

The Sonic Stadium may link to retailers and earn a small commission on purchases made from users who click those links. These links will only appear in articles related to the product, in an unobtrusive manner, and do not influence our editorial decisions in any way.

Preview: Sonic the Hedgehog #268

The die have been cast for an adventure in pandemodium!

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Comicbook.com has a preview of Sonic #268, and we’re starting a new arc at Casino Park! Breezie the Hedgehog; a woman with a sordid past and the Chaos Emerald that Sonic and the Freedom Fighters. As they put their most favourable forward to earn the emerald fairly at her Fighting Tournament, plenty of other factions are in on the fight as well for numerous reasons, both noble and nefarious. We can already tell that there’ll be adaptations of Adventures of Sonic the Hedgehog and Sonic the Fighters abound, including a first appearance that’s simply sweet as candy! This is “Champions”: part 1.

SONIC THE HEDGEHOG #268
TEST YOUR MIGHT with the first chapter in an all-new 4-part SAGA! “Champions” Part One: Sonic is in for the fight of his life! Casino Park is holding an epic fighting tournament, and the grand prize is a much sought-after Chaos Emerald! How many fighters will answer the call? Which champions will make the roster? The knock-down, drag-out battle for the world starts right here! Featuring new cover art from Sonic rising star Evan Stanley, plus all-new variant art introducing Breezie the Hedgehog by Sonic artist Jonathan H. Gray!
Script: Ian Flynn
Art: Diana Skelly, Terry Austin, John Workman and Gabriel Cassata
Cover: Evan Stanley, Terry Austin and Ben Hunzeker
Breezie Variant Cover: Jonathan H. Gray, Terry Austin, Jack Morelli and Gabriel Cassata
On Sale Date: 1/21
32-page, full color comic
$3.99 U.S.

Sonic the Hedgehog #268 came out today in stores and digital platforms, so don’t leave things to chance and make sure you check it out!

Source: Comicbook.com

The Sonic Stadium may link to retailers and earn a small commission on purchases made from users who click those links. These links will only appear in articles related to the product, in an unobtrusive manner, and do not influence our editorial decisions in any way.

Solicitations for Sonic the Hedgehog #272, Sonic Universe #75, Sonic Boom #7 and Worlds Collide The Complete Epic Revealed

For Sonic Universe hitting another milestone, we get…a counting lesson?

IGN has an exclusive look at the latest solicitations, and it’s all building up for Worlds Unite! First off, in Sonic the Hedgehog #272, Sonic and Chip have made it to Apotos, and their port of call is checking out the Gaia Gate in the area. Meanwhile, Knuckles is hanging with the Freedom Fighters in a typical session of fighting off titanic threats that could potentially destroy them before Sonic can get any closer to his goal. This is “A Ray of Hope”.

Sonic272-195x300

SONIC THE HEDGEHOG #272
Time is up—the WORLDS UNITE crossover event is almost upon us!
“A Ray of Hope”: As Sonic and the Freedom Fighters continue their journey to save the shattered planet, Sonic and Chip journey to Apotos to uncover the secrets of the Gaia Gate! Meanwhile, Knuckles and the Freedom Fighters take on a TITANIC challenge of their own! Does Sonic have a hope in saving the world? Will battle tear the freedom fighters apart first? Find out the answers to these and more exciting questions as our heroes journey to the much-awaited crossover event of the year—WORLDS UNITE! Featuring new cover art from Edwin Huang (Uncanny Skullkickers) and a crazy-new Metal Sonic game art variant provided by Sega!
Script: Ian Flynn
Art: Diana Skelly, Terry Austin, John Workman and Gabriel Cassata
Cover: Edwin Huang and John Workman
Metal Sonic Game Art Variant Cover provided by SEGA
On Sale Date: 5/13
32-page, full color comic
$3.99 U.S

In Sonic Universe #75, Sonic steps up to the plate again as Metal Sonic has a Chaos Emerald and chasing him down leads Sonic to a place that’ll test his heroics out. THere may possibly be some moonlight and madness involved as Sonic attempts to get that Chaos Emerald in “Fury”. And to celebrate 75 issues of Sonic Universe, it’s going to have seven and a half variants (how do you have half a variant?).

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SONIC UNIVERSE #75
Sonic Universe has reached 75 thrilling issues—and we’re celebrating in style!
“Fury”: The race is on as Sonic chases down Metal Sonic for one of the sought–after Chaos Emeralds! But when their chase takes them to a very unexpected place, Sonic’s worth as a hero may be put to the test! Can Sonic win the day, secure the emerald and retain his sense of self by the end? As our journey to WORLDS UNITE crashes to a close, join us in celebrating the longest-running Sonic the Hedgehog spin-off comic in history with 7.5 variant covers from your favorite Sonic artists! Featuring cover art from Patrick “SPAZ” Spaziante, Tracy Yardley, Ben Bates, Tyson Hesse, EGA Studios, Patrick Thomas Parnell, Lamar Wells, Evan Stanley and Jonathan H. Gray! To name a few!
Script: Ian Flynn
Art: Tracy Yardley, Jim Amash, Jack Morelli and Matt Herms
Cover: Patrick “SPAZ” Spaziante
Variant Cover 1: Tracy Yardley
Variant Cover 2: Ben Bates
Variant Cover 3: Tyson Hesse
Variant Cover 4: EGA Studios
Variant Cover 5: Patrick Thomas Parnell
Variant Cover 6: Lamar Wells, Gary Martin and Gabriel Cassata
Variant Cover 7: Evan Stanley, Jim Amash and Matt Herms
Variant Cover 7.5: Jonathan H. Gray, Gary Martin and Matt Herms
On Sale Date: 4/22
32-page, full color comic
$3.99 U.S

The crossover may be on the horizon for Sonic Boom #7, but that isn’t going to distract Sonic from resolving unfinished business! The friendly little race that Eggman is hosting turns out to be not so friendly and more like a lethal trap. Sonic wants to stick it to the Eggman by winning the rigged raced with his good ways, but he has to make it back to the track in one piece first in “Everybody’s Super Sonic Racing”: part 2.

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SONIC BOOM #7
A multi-part story? In MY Sonic Boom comic?? You got that right!
It’s wacky-racin’ adventure in “Everybody’s Super Sonic Racing” Part Two: Dr. Eggman’s fun and “friendly” go-kart challenge has turned deadly! But, really, who didn’t see that “twist” coming? Can Sonic salvage the race and prove to the bad doctor he can win fair and square? More importantly—can Sonic survive long enough to return to the race course?! Discover the fate of life, limb and ego in this super-fast story with cover art from Sonic comic fav Jamal Peppers, and an all-new “insubordination” variant cover from painter Erik Ly! …And BOOM goes the dynamite!
Script: Ian Flynn
Art: Ryan Jampole, Jennifer Hernandez, Rick Bryant, Jack Morelli and Matt Herms
Cover: Jamal Peppers, Rick Bryant and Matt Herms
Insubordination Variant Cover: Erik Ly
On Sale Date: 4/29
32-page, full color comic
$3.99 U.S

And finally, with Worlds Unite right on the doorstep, one might want to catch up with the previous crossover to get up to speed with the shenanigans of the combined Blue Brunt. Well, Archie has you covered with a complete graphic novel, over 300 pages in length, with every comic of Worlds Collide as well as contextualising issues from before and after the crossover itself. You won’t need another resource for Worlds Collide again with this hefty thing!

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SONIC/MEGA MAN: WORLDS COLLIDE THE COMPLETE EPIC (TR)
It’s the crossover of a lifetime! The team-up you’ve been dreaming of! Two of videogame history’s most iconic heroes come together for the greatest action story ever told! SONIC THE HEDGEHOG and MEGA MAN unite in WHEN WORLDS COLLIDE! It all begins with a meeting of the minds–EVIL minds! Dr. Wily makes contact with Dr. Eggman, and the two malicious mechanics conspire in a plan that will reshape entire worlds! Using the power of the Chaos Emeralds, they build themselves an unstoppable army of Robot Masters and Roboticized Masters–Sonic’s corrupted friends! It’s pan-dimensional panic as Sonic and Mega Man race to uncover the doctors’ diabolical plot, save Sonic’s friends, and brave the nightmarish landscape of the Skull Egg Zone! Along the way they gain new allies, Mega Man gains all new powers, and the stakes keep getting higher until two universes hang in the balance! You CANNOT miss this critically acclaimed crossover! Celebrated by old and new fans alike, beloved by critics and casual readers, this is one big love letter to all things SONIC and MEGA MAN! WORLDS COLLIDE collects the entire crossover event, containing SONIC THE HEDGEHOG #247-251, SONIC UNIVERSE #51-54, MEGA MAN #23-27 and material from SONIC THE HEDGEHOG #252 and MEGA MAN #28.
Script: Ian Flynn
Art: Jamal Peppers, Tracy Yardley, Ben Bates, Ryan Jampole, Evan Stanley, Terry Austin, Gary Martin, Jim Amash, John Workman, Jack Morelli, Thomas Mason, Dustin Evans, Matt Herms and Steve Downer.
Cover: Patrick “SPAZ” Spaziante and Matt Herms
Previews-exclusive Variant Cover: Patrick “SPAZ” Spaziante and Matt Herms
978-1-62738-951-8
$29.99/$34.99CAN
6 5/8 x 10 3/16”
TR
336 pp, Full Color
Direct Market On-Sale Date: 5/6

We’ll have more on all of these comics prior to release. And next month, we’re diving into the next foray of Mega Man and Sonic joining forces!

Source: IGN.com

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Preview: Sonic Boom #3

Stop! We can’t do hammer time without the Hammer!

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For the final Sonic comic update for December – and the last comic update of 2014 – Arcade Sushi has a preview of the newest instalment of the newest comic series on the shelves. In Sonic Boom #3, after the fight with Eggman in the last issue, Amy has lost her trusty hammer, and the boys are put up to the task of locating and retrieving it for her. While this is going on, Stick decides to see if Amy could try out some new weapons to bring to the fray…but given Sticks’ ideas of weapons, this is bound to go a bit awry. This is “Hammer Spaced”.

SONIC BOOM #3
Script: Ian Flynn
Art: Ryan Jampole, Jennifer Hernandez, Rick Bryant, Jack Morelli and Matt Herms
Cover: Tracy Yardley, Rick Bryant and Matt Herms
Team Sonic Variant Cover: Art provided by SEGA
ARE YOU READY FOR THE BOOM?! The NEW ONGOING SONIC COMIC BOOK SERIES from Archie Comics continues its frantic fun with Sonic Boom #3: Hammer Spaced! Amy’s most precious possession, her piko hammer, has gone missing! And if she can’t find it, her hammer won’t be the only thing she’ll lose! While the boys are on a hammer-hunting quest, Sticks tries to show Amy a new arsenal—but will she survive the experience?! Don’t miss the exclusive tie-in comic to the new TV Show and Video Games from Sega, featuring cover art from Sonic comics legend Tracy Yardley and a special “TEAM SONIC” variant edition!
On Sale: 1/7
32-page, full color comic
$3.99 U.S.’

Despite how fitting Sonic Boom would be for a fireworks event, it actually isn’t out until next week, making it the first comic of the year. Regardless, the comic aspect of Sonic has gone pretty far in 2014. With Worlds Unite on the agenda for the future and other untold surprises, I hope you enjoyed this year’s offerings, and look forward to what 2015 has to bring. Happy new year, folks!
Source: Arcade Sushi

The Sonic Stadium may link to retailers and earn a small commission on purchases made from users who click those links. These links will only appear in articles related to the product, in an unobtrusive manner, and do not influence our editorial decisions in any way.

Preview: Sonic Universe #71

There’s danger lurking in your gadgets for this Christmas time.

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The initial spark has been lit for Sonic Universe #71 to kick off its new tale, and Comic Book Resources has a preview of it. When Nicole is suddenly summoned to the digital world, Tails, Sally and Big head to Isolated Island to get the low-down. Meeting with one Dr Ellidy, he appears to have quite a connection to Sally and Nicole’s lives. But they’re not there for tea and biscuits; there are monsters afoot, perhaps more than they anticipated, and one in particular seems to have its eyes on the AI Lynx. This is “Spark of Life”: part 1;

STORY BY: Ian Flynn, Aleah Baker
ART BY: Tracy Yardley, Jim Amash
COLORS BY: Matt Herms
LETTERS BY: Jack Morelli
COVER BY: Tracy Yardley, Ben Hunzeker, Rafa Knight
PUBLISHER: Archie Comics
COVER PRICE: $3.99
RELEASE DATE: Wed, December 24th, 2014
ALL-NEW STORY ARC! “Spark of Life” Part One: Nicole detects a distress signal from the Digital World—but how can that be if nobody is supposed to know about the Digital World?! Sally, Tails and Big must travel to Isolated Island to answer the call for help! Who is Dr. Ellidy? And in what way does he link the lives of Sally and Nicole? Featuring a stunning new cover by Tracy Yardley and “Web Lynx” Variant cover art by rising Sonic star Rafa Knight!

Sonic Universe #71 came out on Christmas Eve. With the presents and the turkey out of the way, now would be a great time to pick it up if you were too busy preparing for the big day!

Source: Comic Book Resources

The Sonic Stadium may link to retailers and earn a small commission on purchases made from users who click those links. These links will only appear in articles related to the product, in an unobtrusive manner, and do not influence our editorial decisions in any way.

Solicitations for Sonic the Hedgehog #271, Sonic Universe #74, Sonic Boom #6 and More

I don’t know if there will be saints with this particular band of March.

To send off the last few days of 2014, it’s time to look at Atchie updates that have come throughout December. For today, we have solicitations for March/April courtesy of Arcade Sushi. First off, the Blue Blur and Rad Red are facing off for the final round in Sonic the Hedghehog #271, and the prize is a Chaos Emerald and the world’s safety. But with several baddies also around for a scrap, this probably isn’t going to be a fair in “Champions”: part 4;

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SONIC THE HEDGEHOG #271
Script: Ian Flynn
Art: Diana Skelly, Terry Austin, John Workman and Gabriel Cassata
Cover: Tracy Yardley, Terry Austin and Ben Hunzeker
Arcade Variant: RAFA KNIGHT
Grab a front row seat for the finale to the brawl-iest, punch-iest, contest-iest Sonic comic saga yet! “Champions” Part Four: It’s the battle you’ve all been waiting for (again!): Sonic versus Knuckles—for the title and the Chaos Emerald! The old rivalry blazes to life as the True Blue and Rad Red throw down for glory—and for the fate of the entire world! But with the vengeful Hooligans waiting in the shadows, and Metal Sonic en route, will they even get to finish their fight, or will their foes beat them to the punch? Featuring new cover art from Sonic art legend Tracy Yardley and a super-special new ARCADE VARIANT by the latest Sonic art superstar RAFA KNIGHT!
Ship Date: 3/25
On Sale Date: 4/8
32-page, full color comic
$3.99 U.S.

Another Sonic story is reaching its final level in Sonic Universe #74. With Phage still at large and dangerous, Tails and Big still under assault from mooks, and Nicole’s artificial life on the line, the weight of the situation falls on Sally to save the day, but what cost will that bring? Find out in “Spark of Life”: part 4;

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SONIC UNIVERSE #74
Script: Aleah Baker
Art: Tracy Yardley, Jim Amash, Jack Morelli and Matt Herms
Cover: Tracy Yardley, Jim Amash and Ben Hunzeker
TAILS Variant cover art provided by SEGA
The final showdown for the fate of the digital realm is HERE! “Spark of Life” Part Four: It’s pandemonium aplenty in this conclusion to the stunning “Spark of Life” story arc! Who, or what, is Phage? Introductions aren’t necessary—she’s creating havoc for our heroes anyway! Tails and Big—menaced by badniks and Dark Gaia Monsters alike! A Chaos Emerald—about to fall into enemy hands! Nicole—on the brink of deletion! Will Sally sacrifice it all to save her friends and the world? Only the dramatic conclusion to SPARK OF LIFE can tell! Featuring cover art from Sonic comic artist extraordinaire Tracy Yardley, and a special SEGA-art TAILS variant cover!
Ship Date: 3/4
On Sale Date: 3/18
32-page, full color comic
$3.99 U.S.

Next in Sonic Boom #6, we go karting with Eggman as he sponsors a race around the island. The rules are simple and fair, but rules are made to be broken, especially when there’s probably an evil plot to break! Ponder if there really will be Sonic R references in the story in “Everybody’s Super Sonic Racing”: part 1;

SonicBoom6

SONIC BOOM #6
Script: Ian Flynn
Art: Ryan Jampole, Jennifer Hernandez, Rick Bryant, Jack Morelli and Matt Herms
Cover: Tracy Yardley and Matt Herms
BOOM-CREW Variant cover art provided by Sega
What…What is that sound? No, really—what on earth is that noise? Waitaminute… is that the sound of go-karts??? IT… IT—IS! LET THE RACE BEGIN IN “EVERYBODY’S SUPER SONIC RACING” PART ONE! (IS THE CAPS LOCK STILL ON, OH WAITAMINUTE, there we go. Much better.) When Dr. Eggman sponsors a go-kart race around Sonic’s Island home, you know that dude is up to no good. The rules are as follows: no special powers, no weapons, and everyone has to drive a kart to keep things fair. Since when does Eggy care about “fair”? What will happen to throw this race into a SPIN? How many rhetorical questions can we ask in one paragraph of solicit text?? Find out in this hyperbole-packed issue! Featuring cover art from Sonic comic extraordinaire Tracy Yardley, plus a new BOOM-Crew Sega art variant!
On Sale Date: 4/1
32-page, full color comic
$3.99 U.S.

In Sonic Super Special Magazine #14, the upcoming crossover Worlds Unite gets a prequel story to lead us into it. A strange energy signature crops up on Sonic’s World, and it seems like suspicious news for the heroes’ efforts to resolved the shattered world crisis, and could even have a big impact on Worlds Unite itself! Along with “The Genesis Portal”, there’s a slew of other features and stories, including a selection from the first crossover, Worlds Collide;

SONSS14

SONIC SUPER SPECIAL MAGAZINE #14
Script: Ian Flynn
Art: Lamar Wells, Rick Bryant, Jack Morelli and Matt Herms
Cover: Ben Bates
As Archie Action Comics races toward the WORLDS UNITE crossover event, prepare yourself with an all-new prequel tale: THE GENESIS PORTAL! When a strange energy signature appears on Sonic’s shattered world, what could it mean for our heroes and their fight to save the planet? And what ominous implications will this have for the WORLDS UNITE event? Featuring new story and art from the superstar Archie Sonic team! The SONIC SUPER SPECIAL MAGAZINE gives you the world of Sonic the Hedgehog comics as you’ve never seen it before, with tons of comic stories, special features and exclusive articles on the latest and greatest in the world of everyone’s favorite blue hedgehog-hero! This issue also features a special encore selection from the history-making “WORLDS COLLIDE” storyline, and much, much more! All this plus the extra features you love, an interview with Sonic newcomer Diana Skelly AND a super special shiny foil-enhanced cover featuring art by Sonic comic superstar Ben Bates!
On Sale Date: 3/11
128-page, full color comic
$9.99 U.S.

Finally, Sonic the Hedgehog graphic novel #3 covers Waves of Change. Dive back under the waters to see the complete tale of how Sonic, Amy and Rotor cleared the name of the local priestess and saved Meropis from the grasp of Dark Gaia’s influence;

STHGNvol3

SONIC THE HEDGEHOG 3: WAVES OF CHANGE (TR)
Script: Ian Flynn, Aleah Baker
Art: Jennifer Hernandez, Tracy Yardley, Ryan Jampole, Evan Stanley, Terry Austin, John Workman, Matt Herms and Gabriel Cassata
Cover: Ben Bates
The new Sonic comic universe is here! Moving at the speed of sound, keeping the world free from robotic tyranny—it’s SONIC THE HEDGEHOG! One of the oldest, most beloved video game icons speeds into brand new comic book stories with new friends, new foes and new adventures! In this volume of this new graphic novel series, Sonic is on the hunt for the seven Gaia Temples. Only their mysterious power can restore his world to normal! His quest takes him to places he’s never been before—such as the bottom of the ocean! Join Sonic, Amy and Rotor as they encounter a whole new undersea world full of new friends, foes and monsters from the deep! SONIC THE HEDGEHOG 3: WAVES OF CHANGE collects SONIC THE HEDGEHOG #260-263.
978-1-62738-939-6
$12.99/$14.99CAN
6 5/8 x 10 3/16”
TR
104 pp, Full Color
Direct Market On-Sale Date: 4/8

We will have more on all of these comics closer to their release. Stay tuned in the next couple of days for comic previews of December releases.

Source: Arcade Sushi

The Sonic Stadium may link to retailers and earn a small commission on purchases made from users who click those links. These links will only appear in articles related to the product, in an unobtrusive manner, and do not influence our editorial decisions in any way.

Preview: Sonic the Hedgehog #267

Christmas in a tropical jungle? That’s this month’s issue for you.

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The festive season may be upon us, but this climax is set to be electrifying, and Comicosity has a glimpse into the pages. In Sonic the Hedgehog #267, Sonic has just about learned how to use his furry (furrier, anyway) new form to his advantage. And not a moment too soon either; Sally, Antoine and Bunnie have found themselves in a spot of bother with not only three E100 series models on their tails, but an angry and vengeful little Egg Boss in the shape of Thunderbolt the Chinchilla! Not only will the heroes have to pitch in to stave off the situation, there’s some nasty surprises still around the corner in “Ambushed”: part 2.

SONIC THE HEDGEHOG #267
Written by: Ian Flynn
Art by: Jamal Peppers, Evan Stanley, Terry Austin, John Workman, Gabriel Cassata
Published by: Archie Comics
Release Date: December 10, 2014
The THUNDEROUS conclusion to the latest Sonic story arc crashes to a close at LIGHTNING speed! “Ambushed!” Part Two: Sonic’s gotten himself into a hairy situation! The savage Werehog threatens to erupt from within, and the vengeful Egg Boss Thunderbolt attacks from without! What’s a cursed hedgehog to do? Unfortunately he won’t get by with a little help from his friends—the Freedom Fighters are far too busy fighting for their lives against three killer E-100 robots! Don’t miss the explosive ending featuring cover art by Stanley, Austin and Hunzeker, plus a hilarious new “Holiday Havoc!” variant cover with pencils by the latest Sonic artist extraordinaire Jennifer Hernandez!

Sonic #267 is out now in comic stores and on digital formats. Swing by your preferred source to catch the action…and watch out for trees.

Source: Comicosity

The Sonic Stadium may link to retailers and earn a small commission on purchases made from users who click those links. These links will only appear in articles related to the product, in an unobtrusive manner, and do not influence our editorial decisions in any way.

Preview: Sonic Boom #2

It was a friction between friends waiting to go…uh, boom.

SonicBoom-02-0-d0a95

Comic Book Resources has a preview for the latest issue of Sonic Boom, and there is treachery afoot! Following from the debut issue’s hijinks, Sonic and the team are out again for some old-fashioned Dr. Eggman beating good times. But there’s traitorship amongst the team that’s going to halt them in their tracks if they can’t get it resolved. And they’ll need to be more diplomatic if they ever hope of doing that. This is “Knuckleduster”.

Get ready for the BOOM, baby! The NEW HIT ONGOING SONIC COMIC BOOK SERIES from Archie Comics continues here with Sonic Boom #2: Knuckleduster! Race along at Sonic speed with the blue blur and his pals Tails, Knuckles, Amy Rose and the newest edition to the team—STICKS! But is there a traitor in our heroes’ midst? Say it ain’t so! Find out in this sensational second issue, featuring explosive new cover art from Sonic art legend Patrick “SPAZ” Spaziante, and a super-special “SONIC SPOTLIGHT” variant cover by artist T.REX! Be sure to pick up this next exciting chapter and own a piece of Sonic comic history!
STORY BY: Ian Flynn
ART BY: Evan Stanley, Rick Bryant
COLORS BY: Matt Herms
LETTERS BY: Jack Morelli
COVER BY: Patrick Spaziante
PUBLISHER: Archie Comics
COVER PRICE:: $3.99
RELEASE DATE: Wed, December 3rd, 2014

Sonic Boom #2 is out in stores and digitally later today. Pick up a copy of the newest addition to the brand new comic line for yourself!

Source: Comic Book Resources

The Sonic Stadium may link to retailers and earn a small commission on purchases made from users who click those links. These links will only appear in articles related to the product, in an unobtrusive manner, and do not influence our editorial decisions in any way.