In July, SEGA ended their decades-old deal with Archie to publish “Sonic the Hedgehog” comics, awarding the license to IDW Publishing. Now at New York Comic Con, IDW have announced the new comic will begin in April.
Ian Flynn, who wrote the Archie series from 2006 until it ended this year, will return to write the reboot. Flynn is still writing for Archie, overseeing the forthcoming revivals of “Mighty Crusaders” and “Cosmo the Merry Martian.” Despite his presence, the comic will be a reboot: editor Joe Hughes acknowledged it was tough the Archie comic had been unable to resolve any cliffhangers.
No artists are currently attached, though a press release stated they will be announced soon. Tyson Hesse, another Archie Sonic veteran, created the promotional art exhibited at the panel, indicating he may be one of the interior artists.
“Sonic the Hedgehog” #1 will be released April 4, 2018. The first four issues will be released weekly, before the series settles into a monthly schedule.
Press release: San Diego, CA (October 8, 2017) — Sonic the Hedgehog™ and IDW Publishing are excited to reveal today that fan favorite scribe, Ian Flynn, has come on board to take the blue blur and his friends in a fresh, exciting direction.
“I’ve been a SEGA® kid for life, and Sonic has been my career for over a decade,” said Flynn. “I’m overjoyed to keep running with the little blue hedgehog, and especially excited to be expanding my relationship with IDW at the same time. I can’t wait to show you what I’m made of as we reach for the stars and explore the endless possibilities!”
“Ian has a strong connection with both the character and the fans so there was no hesitation in bringing him on to launch this new Sonic series,” said Sonic the Hedgehog editor Joe Hughes. “Not only is he a great writer, but he genuinely loves these characters. His pitches have been nothing short of amazing and we are very excited to get this out to the Sonic community who have been supportive from day one.”
“When we partnered with IDW a couple months back, Ian was undoubtedly our first choice to take the helm and scribe the new comic series,” said Michael Cisneros, Licensing Specialist at SEGA of America. “His uncanny knack for capturing the spirit of Sonic is evident not only in his work, but in the hearts of our very vocal and devoted fan base. We couldn’t be more pleased to have him setting the stage for many years of compelling storytelling.”
A new era of Sonic comics will begin next April with a four-week event. IDW will be moving at Sonic-like speeds to publish the first four issues of the new series in the span of four weeks. Those issues will be written by Flynn with a team of artists joining him to be announced at a later date.
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