A new Sonic the Hedgehog miniseries was announced by IDW Publishing.
The new series titled Sonic: Bad Guys comes from writer Ian Flynn and artist Jack Lawrence. It will be a four issue miniseries.
According to a press release from IDW, the book will ask the question, “What happened to Dr. Starline, former evil assistant and life-long fanboy to Dr. Eggman?”
Not only will it ask that question, but it will provide the answer, “The shadowy scientist is back to his evil antics… and what better place to concoct new nefarious plans than one of Eggman’s abandoned bases? With badniks guarding the entrance, Dr. Starline must recruit some familiar and not-so-friendly faces for help!”
Flynn discussed the series first detailing his appreciation for fans embracing the original characters created in the comic series, “It’s been a thrill to see fans embrace the comic’s original characters, and one of those fan-favorites is Dr. Starline.”
He added, “We’ve known him up until now as a die-hard Eggman fanboy, but what happens when your idol outright disses you? After exploring the power of trust and friendship in Tangle & Whisper, Bad Guys is going to be a completely different type of adventure.”
Lawrence added, “Actors often say they most enjoy playing villains, and I have to be honest: I feel the same way about drawing them!”
He continued, “There’s just something so fun about drawing a sneaky look or evil grin, hands rubbing together in greed or anticipation of some nefarious deed. Sonic’s villains are some of the worst people you can possibly imagine, so I’m super excited to show just how vile some of them can be!”
Changes to Sonic The Hedgehog
Not only did IDW announce the new Sonic the Hedgehog series, but they also detailed a pretty big change to the ongoing Sonic the Hedgehog series.
Evan Stanely will take over both writing and artistic duties for the series beginning with Sonic the Hedgehog #33.
His creative duties on the series will take place after the Metal Virus is gone. IDW explains, “The Metal Virus is gone, but things aren’t quite back to normal. Tails and Sonic try to solve how to fix their damaged ally, Omega.”
They add, “Elsewhere, Rouge and Shadow team up with Cream to win replacement parts for Omega through… Chao races.”
Stanley’s first arc will be titled “Chao Races and Badnik Bases.”
Sonic the Hedgehog editor David Mariotte indicates the new miniseries and the ongoing series will tie into each other.
He explains, “We’re so excited to have Evan stepping up on the main book. She has an amazing sense of storytelling as an artist and it definitely translates to her writing.”
Mariotte adds, “Meanwhile, we get to have Ian cut loose and write his ‘bwa-ha-ha’-iest baddies in a fantastic companion miniseries that closely ties into Evan’s story.”
He concluded, “Everyone involved on the IDW Sonic team is coordinating super-hard to make both series a vital Sonic reading experience!”
Sonic the Hedgehog #33 will feature multiple covers. There will be covers by Stanley, Gigi Dutreix, and Nathalie Fourdraine.
There will also be multiple covers for Sonic: Bad Guys #1. Those covers will be done by Aaron Hammerstrom, Diana Skelly, Jack Lawrence, and Bracardi Curry.
Both Sonic the Hedgehog #33 and Sonic: Bad Guys #1 are expected to be released sometime this summer. Although IDW did not provide specifics as Diamond Comics, the main comic book distributor has still shut down their operations when it comes to new comics.
Are you looking forward to the new miniseries and the creative change on the ongoing series?