Comic Review: Sonic the Hedgehog #6

Sonic the Hedgehog #6

IDW Publishing

Writer: Ian Flynn

Artist: Tracy Yardley

Going into this review, I’d like to make one thing clear: I love Sonic. I’ve been playing the games since 2002, when a friend and I wandered into our local EB Games and, with the money I’d been saving my entire 8 years of life, bought a Gamecube and Sonic Adventure 2 Battle. From then on, there’s always been a soft spot in my heart for the blue blur, and despite the many terrible editions to the Sonic the Hedgehog gaming franchise (I doubt I need to name any, but I still think about how he kissed a human in Sonic ’06) my fond memories of the older games and my love of the characters kept me from growing cynical over the years. So, when I heard that IDW was getting the rights to do a Sonic the Hedgehog comic that wasn’t affiliated with the previous long-running series published by Archie Comics (a series that I have indeed read a lot of) I knew I had to jump on it.

IDW’s Sonic the Hedgehog is a series that’s done a lot right so far in crafting an interesting story as well as bringing to life the many characters that fans of the series know and love, and issue #6 is no exception. Coming off the last issue, Sonic and Team Chaotix managed to track down the elusive Dr. Eggman only to find him supposedly amnesiac and turning over a new leaf. However, Shadow the Hedgehog and Rouge the Bat suddenly arrive and a speedy fight between the two hedgehogs ensues.

The writing in this issue, as well as every issue so far, has been stellar. Ian Flynn knows exactly how each character sounds and feels, and the dialogue is fun without feeling like it’s trying too hard to be quirky or funny for the kids. Sonic is carefree, and Shadow is still dark and brooding, but these traits aren’t played up to the extreme for comedic effect like they often are in many of the later game titles in the series.

Tracy Yardley is also the returning artist from issues #1 and #5, and I have to say it’s a pleasure to have him back. His art really makes each of the characters pop on the page, and all the action scenes feel dynamic and fast-paced (just like the Sonic series is known for) without putting too much on the page so everything still looks clean and easily digestible. These two creators working together create an amazing experience on the page that almost feels almost like I’m watching a Sonic cartoon series rather than reading a book.

Sonic the Hedgehog continues to charm each month, and issue #6 gives us even more to love. With its fun writing, amazing artwork, and attention to detail that, as a lifelong Sonic fan, I can really appreciate and enjoy, this issue keeps the series moving on the right track. And with the twist given at the end of this issue, I can’t wait to see where the creative team goes with this story in the coming issues.