First “Archie Restoration” Release Coming Wednesday

When Sega pulled the plug on Archie’s nearly 25-year run of the Sonic comics after the Ken Penders lawsuit, it left a series of stories and storylines unfinished. Officially, they could never see the light of day. But members of the community have worked hard behind the scenes to seek closure on the Archie era, and this week for the first time, the fruits of that labor will be seen thanks to an effort headed up by Rik Mack.

That first “lost issue” is Sonic Universe #95, intended for release in April 2017, but canceled when the license was pulled. It was to begin the Freedom Fighters arc on the Universe side. A team has spent the last several months working to bring the pages back to life:

The restoration team has their work cut out for them after this week’s release. Planned Sonic Universe issues went up to #97 and presumably #98 given the four-part structure, and the main Sonic series’ final solicitation was at issue 294 before the plug was pulled.

As a refresher, here’s what the official solicitation of SU #95 was:

It’s SONIC’s SUPER TEAM, the “FREEDOM FIGHTERS”: They’ve been Sonic’s closest friends in the comics for years! Now it’s their time to shine! Antoine takes the stage, traveling to his homeland to find some closure to his past. But he and Sonic find a new foe in the empty halls of Castle D’Coolette, and the beginning of a mystical new adventure! Featuring cover art by jammin’ Jamal Peppers and a “Team Blast” variant by Lamar Wells!