Issue 13 of IDW’s Sonic series kicks off season two for the comic, but is it running at top speed, or slouching into a new arc? Let’s find out.
- Sonic the Hedgehog #13
- IDW Publishing
- Story: Ian Flynn
- Art: Adam Bryce Thomas
- Colours: Matt Herms
As always, I’m starting with the cover, and this time around I got Cover B by Kieran Gates. It’s really nice, with lots of colour and some thick linework on Sonic and Tails. I love it because it feels kinda classic. To me, this one and Cover A by Adam Bryce Thomas stand out the most. Speaking of Adam, his work is really great in this issue. Tails, in particular, is gloriously over the top in terms of facial expressions this month, and it just fits so well.
From a story standpoint, this was easily one of the best issues. It’s not like we move what I’m expecting the season-long arc to be miles ahead, but there were a lot of little things that all add up in the long run. For one, we do get to see what Dr. Eggman is up to, and it’s done in a way that makes him seem thoroughly evil. At the same time, it also gives us a potential weakness and plants the seeds of a potential clash between him and his new ally Dr. Starline. We get to see what the rest of the core team are currently up to and set up next month’s clash between the aforementioned Starline and Sonic and Silver. Given that we got a snippet of Starline’s abilities too, there are plenty of possibilities in play.
This is where Ian Flynn really shines as a Sonic writer, I think. He’s continued to put together a story that is perfectly suitable for children – as a Sonic comic should be – but exciting enough for adult fans to enjoy. His character work is great, especially when it comes to capturing the essence of the long-term franchise characters, and he knows exactly how to drip-feed information in a logical way. Oh, and the humour is also on point. So much so that, while reading a particular panel involving Sonic and Tumble the Skunk, I laughed out loud in the middle of a coffee shop. That led to some odd looks, so cheers for that Ian.
I praise him every issue, so I’ll keep it brief this time around, but Matt Herms is a fantastic match for the series in terms of colour. This issue gets an additional four pages too, which I’m hoping becomes a regular thing because it opens up some extra space for the team to work with. The appears definitely feels glossier compared to the early issues too, which I absolutely love.
So, all in all, this is a great start to season two. We get a much clearer set-up for what’s to come than we did in the first season, and the new characters being firmly in place helps with that. If this quality remains consistent, 2019 is going to be an even better year than 2018 for the Blue Blur and co.’s comic run. 5 out of 5.
