Sonic the Hedgehog: Bad Guys Issue 1
IDW Publishing
Story: Ian Flynn
Art: Jack Lawrence
Colours: Leonardo Ito
The mastermind behind the Metal Virus isn’t done yet. Ian Flynn returns to answer: What happened to Dr. Starline?
The Shadowy Scientist is back to his evil antics in Bad Guys! And what better place to concoct nefarious plans than one of Dr. Eggman’s abandoned bases? But that is easier said than done when badniks are guarding the entrance! Dr. Starline knows he can’t do it alone, so he decides to recruit some familiar and not so friendly faces.
In terms of covers, Bad Guys is off to a good start. All five are fun, but my favourite is the one I ended up with: cover A by Aaron Hammerstrom and Reggie Graham. I like the heat-like colouring on it, and it gives a nice look at who is involved in the arc. The interior art is decent too. While not as detailed in either line work or shading as issue 33 of the mainline series, it still feels on brand. The thick lines and solid shading capture the cartoon feel of the franchise and fit well with the story.
The story itself is off to an interesting start too. What we have here is Dr .Starline creating his own merry band of villains, including Zavok, Rough and Tumble, and Mimic. Interestingly, the only of these characters to appear in a game is Zavok, so this is an almost entirely IDW exclusive cast.
The star of the show is undoubtedly Starline himself. I really enjoyed the way Ian revealed one of the Dr.’s weaknesses too: he doesn’t learn. The villain notes early on that he was sloppy and failed in his initial mission due to arrogance. Yet, later on, we see him underestimating Zavok too. I’m looking forward to seeing how this lack of self-control affects Starline’s role in the story moving forward.
I like the group of villains too. They each have their own clear strengths but are weakened by their natural personality traits. Of course, they aren’t going to win any major battles, but they should offer up some chaotic fun.
Overall, this was a good start to the mini-series, and I’m looking forward to seeing where it goes next. I score this 4 out of 5.
Matt Doyle Media 
Nice! Another winner it seems! And you are right, you ended up with a great cover! Glad to hear that the Sonic comic (hey that rimes) is still going strong! 😀😀
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It is for me, definitely! I know a lot of fans of the old Archie imprint writer, Ken Penders, have been against Ian Flynn’s work for years now, but I just find him far tighter a writer. Which also rhymes :p
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Wait… Starline’s a GUY?! Man, those eyelashes could’ve fooled me. (Seriously, for the longest time, I thought he was a girl. XD) Also, is this like Universe and so, will be covering lots of different character stories? If so, I hope they bring back Scourge.
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Fabulous lashes, aren’t they? I believe this is a 4-part special the same as the Tangle and Whisper spin-off. I expect they’ll do more spin-offs too though. Sadly, I think Scourge falls under the Ken Penders lawsuit characters. If so, they won’t be able to use him.
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NOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!
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Sadly, confirmed here: https://archiesonic.fandom.com/wiki/Category:Characters_introduced_by_Ken_Penders
It sucks, but a lot of characters were lost as a result of the case.
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D: That is the saddest thing I’ve ever heard.
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Goodbye, Scourge (and other lost characters). We will forever hold you in our hearts.
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I just looked at a character profile for Scourge, and apparently his appearance on the cover of Best Sonic The Hedgehog Rivals contradicted his removal from the comics. So… it’s slim, but I think there’s still a chance we can get him back at least.
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Then again, that comic wasn’t released. But still, maybe.
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I think it would come down to Ken Penders allowing it to happen, but yes, that does leave a slim chance. I’d love to see Scourge and Fiona come back, to be fair.
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Wouldn’t that be great? *sighs wistfully*
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