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“Sonic the Hedgehog: Tangle and Whisper” #1

By | August 1st, 2019
Posted in Reviews | % Comments

The Sonic Universe supporting cast has grown surprisingly large thanks to the installments of the Sonic the Hedgehog videogames since the Blue Blur’s debut in 1991. In addition to people like Tails and Knuckles, Sonic now hangs out with heroes like Shadow the Hedgehog and Rouge the Bat. However, comic book creators Ian Flynn and Tyson Hesse created a brand new character unique to the comic books in the form of Tangle. While the video game series features a large cast of characters, it is interesting to see relatively new Sonic publisher IDW Publishing craft a new duo of characters with Tangle and Whisper. So far, Tangle and Whisper seem to carry character designs and personalities in line with the larger Sonic cast of characters. IDW is giving the duo a mini-series where they get the chance to strike out on their own and establish their personalities outside the context of the main Sonic the Hedgehog ongoing series. Will writer Ian Flynn and artist Evan Stanley be able to craft a narrative giving the duo a distinctive identity?

Written by Ian Flynn
Illustrated by Evan Stanley
Colored by Matt Herms
Lettered by Shawn Lee

Tangle the Lemur’s got a problem: there’s not enough action in her life! Whisper the Wolf’s also got a problem: she’s hunting down an incredibly dangerous enemy named Sonic the Hedgehog! Can Tangle and Whisper help each other solve their problems, or will they just make things worse?

It is interesting to consider how Flynn was able to craft a story embedded within the Sonic the Hedgehog narrative that served the Whisper and Tangle duo. Flynn utilizes the first couple pages of the story to flesh out the character of Tangle. The Sonic the Hedgehog comic book series already has a dense continuity which Flynn economically recaps within the first couple pages. Flynn wisely introduces the duo in a brand new context. When Tangle and Whisper come together, they do so under interesting circumstances that hinges on the very last few pages of the issue. Flynn does an excellent job establishing a conflict while showing what brought the two characters together in the first place.

Artist Evan Stanley draws iconic character poses that make each cast member stick out. The issue centers around Tangle and from the visuals alone, readers can establish a solid idea of her powers. Stanley’s pencils have a solid anime influence giving the issue an impressive level of polish that matches up nicely with the art direction from the videogames. Stanley makes sure that every character is showing emotion in any given scene while ensuring there is a lot of detail in the background art. Stanley seems to understand the craft of sequential artwork in the context of comic books surprisingly well. Flynn also does an excellent job giving readers interesting scenarios for Stanley to craft.

The visuals are slightly less interesting when Flynn has to slow the plot down and catch readers up to speed with Whisper. While I appreciated that Whisper is bringing some plot with her, I was disappointed to see Flynn’s script rehash previous plot points in an exposition-heavy last couple of pages. Comic books are a visual medium. The sequence where Whisper and Tangle rehash plot information with very little in the way of new information really serves to slow the plot down. This final sequence with the two characters is incredibly long and even comprises the cliffhanger of the issue on a very sour note. While “Sonic the Hedgehog: Tangle and Whisper” #1 starts readers off with a couple thrilling action sequences, Flynn’s subpar second act derails some of the tension within the issue.

IDW is taking a huge risk with letting Flynn spin his own narrative and spin-off series for two characters introduced in the comic books. I enjoyed how Tangle and Whisper showed their relationship with Sonic from the beginning of the chapter. Flynn depicts how these characters intersect with the videogame star while showing how they differ from Sonic. “Sonic the Hedgehog: Tangle and Whisper” #1 is off to a solid start, but Flynn now has the difficult task of picking up the momentum right from the start of the second chapter.

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Due to the limited information from the main series and setup of the mini-series, “Sonic the Hedgehog: Tangle and Whisper” #1 seems to be establishing a noir tone. I would love to see Flynn attempt to push the Sonic Universe in that direction and show how malleable the property is. Before getting any farther in the series, more clarification on the current status quo of Whisper seems both inevitable and required. Flynn already establishes a reason for Whisper’s brawl with Sonic, but I want to see a more clear explanation of where Whisper has been and where she is going next.

Even though the plot for “Sonic the Hedgehog: Tangle and Whisper” #1 can be uneven, it still entertaining to see how these characters fit within the Sonic Universe. The first portion of the story also contains a thrilling brawl that is explained well enough towards the end of the story. The chapter does a solid job recapping previous information and letting new readers in on what they are trying to know. While it is unsure if Tangle and Whisper have a future within the Sonic property, “Sonic the Hedgehog: Tangle and Whisper” #1 advocates for the existence of both heroes. I hope Flynn and Stanley continue to show what makes these cast members different from some of the other Sonic characters.

Final Verdict: 6.8 – “Sonic the Hedgehog: Tangle and Whisper” crafts an engaging narrative centered around the two newest heroes of the Sonic Universe!


Alexander Jones

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