Main Sonic Comic Issues Delayed To April/May, French Comic Publisher/Translator No Longer Selling Sonic Comics

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1. I’m really worried about this since I like the comics a lot, but if this really is the end of the Sonic Archie comics I just hope that when this door closes another one opens, hopefully Sega plans to start a new comic after this (with a new publisher).

   1. Maybe IDW Comics will take over the rights? 🙂

      1. I would totally approve that, IDW seem to do a fine job with their licenses.

      2. It’ll just be another retcon, plus more Sonic x Sally teasing.

         Do. Not. Want.

         1. Well, at least you were honest. But actually, SonAlly is NOT the main focus of the books anymore, much to some fan’s dismay. I don’t the comics are cancelled, just delayed. I’d prefer Archie to publish, since they’ve done it for so long.

         2. It wont be a retcon, it would probably be more of a completely new story cause I highly doubt that IDW would want to waste time and research the entire story lines and try to continue from there.

            And while its fine if you dont like Sonally, pairing I like it.

2. First the Sonic Boom TV series being screwed by Cartoon Network, and now this. Does SEGA really care this little for it’s own franchise. Guess that’s why they’ve have produced so many mediocre/shit games XP

   1. It’s not a matter of them not caring. They had their Sonic brand licensed to Cartoon Network and Archie Comics respectively so they can distribute it however they can, and it just so happens that they are doing a poor job doing so. There’s not much control SEGA has other then letting it run its course.

3. Delcourt said they stopped publishing Sonic comics in February 2016.

4. Well folks, it was fun while it lasted. Even tho I’ve only read the first 50 issues thru Sonic the Hedgehog Archives, some misc. stuff from those Super Specials, and the highly occasional recent issue, I liked the series. But it looks like it’s over. It was nice having one facet of Sonic we could rub in the public’s face for being good/successful, and to have the title of “longest and most successful comic book based on a video game” in our grasp, but oh well.

   Yes, I am being highly cynical and pessimistic, buy that way it hurts less when it finally happens.

   1. I wouldn’t jump to conclusions just yet.

5. Nothing lasts forever folks. I’m pretty certain the comic series will be canceled soon.

6. I think now Archie’s just trying to delay the comics as long as they can to not announce the cancellation. If they say it’s cancelled, I’ll probably just sit back and watch DeviantArt, TSSZ, and the Archie Sonic fans go at it.

   1. and then sega will hire the fans and do it mania style. kek.

      1. You do realise most of the current Sonic comic team is made of ex-fan artists, right?

7. If the comic does end i would be both Penders and Sega’s fault, but mainly Penders.

   1. Blame Archie for their incompetence in legal matters in the first place, but certainly not Penders which have simply used his legal right like every citizens could do, and espeicialy since Penders was not an isolated case, simply the one with the biggest mouth in this story.

      1. While yes I would agree that Penders should of been paid royalties for the work and characters but the reason why archie gutted the old universe and replaced it with the new is because of Penders demands of what Archie have to follow just to use his characters and if Archie did go with his ridicules conditions then other creators would think that they could make conditions as well and if taken in by archie it would clash with everyones direction and the comic would of ground to a halt.

         So it was better to destroy the old universe and begin anew but alas it did not help that Sega was strangling Archie and force them to follow their new mandate after the lawsuit was settled.

         1. I do believe Penders is responsible for a lot of this, but I also believe that SEGA is responsible too. The whole Sonic ”canon” debate on whether American Sonic or Japanese Sonic is the ”true canon” is another thing, but not necessarily aimed at Archie. I have heard SEGA of Japan sent Archie a cease and desist order as well. Therefore, if the comics are cancelled, the true people to blame would be SEGA of Japan. Those are just my thoughts, though.

         2. @Paramount Piglet Sega could also simply try to find a new editor for the comics and cancel the licence agrrement with Archie.

            And honestly at their place it’s something I would have done directly after the Penders case, the fault of Archie is extremely heavy in this story and I honestly don’t understand haven’t try to find another publisher for the comics after this failure.

            The case of Fulop might been in fact the drop of water that has made the vase overflow.

         3. Actually, I don’t think it’d be bad to blame a combination of the reboot itself and the lack of decent brand reputation as the problem children.

            It’s certainly not Pender’s fault beyond being his court case that caused the need for the reboot; and the initial reboot point was selling quite well compared to the months before it, but the current book is only at half the sales it was back then with the decline being fairly consistent throughout.

            On the other hand, you’d think that, because Sonic Mega Drive is 100% Classic-era-nostalgia-based and much more simple, that it’d get much better sales, but the truth is, it hasn’t been much of a shot in the arm. Sure, the first issue did slightly better than the main book was doing at that point, but only slightly, and the sales went immediately down afterwards for the other specials. Considering the broad appeal that Classic Sonic supposedly has among non-gamers, you’d think the sales would’ve seen a significant spike of some kind, maybe one that brought it more in line with other comics for once. So there’s clearly something going on with the appeal of Sonic in general, and not just the continuity-laden nature of the main book.

            On a third hand, the sales were already decreasing for almost a year before Sonic Boom: Rise of Lyric came out, and there was no significant drop after it did. The Boom comics sold quite close to the main books – and reasonably for a TV show on top – and went out at a higher sales than the main book is currently getting. So hanging the -entire- thing on the brand rep would be misleading as well.

            Especially since it’s a Boom-related book that has the actual upwards sales spike.

8. Man what is going on over at Archie? Is SEGA cutting them loose or are they just tired of Penders’ armada attacking them for selfish reasons? Either way I hope the comic at least gets a proper conclusion.

9. I had the opportunity to ask Evan Stanley about the matter. While she couldn’t say anything directly about it, she is sure that whatever’s going on will probably work out okay, and she still has plans for future storylines, involving Silver at least. That much tells me that they aren’t at a creative standstill, they can still plan and write things out, so whatever this is is most likely publishing related only. That said, there’s still a chance it could be tied in to the court case or there’s some other corporate goings-on at play here, but point is that as far as one of the writers are concerned, things might not be as bad as we think.

   1. I really hope that it’s true.
      … and yet we STILL don’t have any official word from ACP – this is just ridiculous. I would really like to hear from all the creative team how do they feel about this, does it affect their work, do they want to continue their work on this series, etc.
      Flynn making some slight changes really looks like a bad sign for me, as a reader, but still – I wish him all the best.
      I’d like to hear some reassuring words coming from him too.

10. Well, if the comics are cancelled, I think some ”SatAm Purists” would react like this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_il7O3EzLt8

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