Post by curiousorange on Aug 1, 2016 3:31:04 GMT
Hi Boomers!
It only took me five years to get around to doing this properly.
Here are my ideas for pretend STC paperbacks in CBR format, if you want to enjoy a slightly streamlined (but still extremely baggy) reading experience.
I used old, variable quality scans available online (my comics are on the other side of the world), so they're not perfect. But this is just a guideline for the real books [that will never exist], so it doesn't really matter.
Here's how to fit all the Sonic & pals-related stories from STC into 12 books of 200-ish pages each, and be minimally confusing about it.
Details
(Stories from holiday specials and poster mags are usually slotted in according to publishing date, unless it interrupted a multi-parter or was too distracting. Knuckles' early stories are included in Sonic books until he becomes independent).
Book 1. Enter Sonic
Collects Sonic stories from STC 1-32, Sonic the Poster Mag 3 & 5 and Sonic the Summer Special; Doctor Robotnik from Sonic the Summer Special (1993-94, 253 pages)
Book 2. Enter Knuckles
Collects Knuckles stories from Sonic the Summer Special and STC 39-44; Sonic stories from STC 33-53, Sonic the Poster Mag 6, 8 & 9 and the Sonic Holiday Special (1995); Doctor Robotnik from STC 42; Captain Plunder from STC 47-50 (1994-95, 231 pages)
Book 3. The Brotherhood of Metallix
Collects Knuckles stories from STC 53-58; Sonic stories from STC 54-79 and the Sonic Holiday Special (1996) (1995-96, 242 pages)
Book 4. Tails: Hero of Mobius
Collects Tails stories from STC 16-64, 143-144 and Sonic the Summer Special (1994-99, 121 pages)
Book 5. Running Wild
Collects Sonic stories from STC 80-103; Knuckles, Doctor Robotnik & Sonic's World from STC 100; Super Sonic from STC 102; Chaotix from STC 80-81; Captain Plunder from STC 91-93 (1996-97, 212 pages)
Book 6. Knuckles: The Homecoming
Collects Knuckles stories from STC 52, 65-138 and the Knuckles Knock-Out Special (1995-98, 230 pages)
Book 7. Sonic's World: Enter the Cybernik
Collects all the Sonic's World stories from STC 25-106 (1994-97, 253 pages)
Book 8. Flickies' Island
Collects Sonic stories from STC 104-130; Super Sonic from STC 116-118; Captain Plunder from STC 103-108 (1997-98, 242 pages)
Book 9. Roots
Collects Sonic stories from STC 131-147; Super Sonic from STC 146-148; Chaotix from STC 152-154; Double Sonic from STC 106-134; Sonic & Tekno from STC 150-151 (1997-99, 236 pages)
Book 10. Tails: Fox on the Run
Collects Tails stories from STC 73-151; Sonic's World from STC 118 (really a mislabelled Tails story) (1996-99, 230 pages)
Book 11. Amy's Adventures
Collects all the Amy stories from STC 41-156 (1994-99, 210 pages)
Book 12. Game Over
Collects Sonic stories from STC 148-184 (1999-2000, 258 pages)
Bonus Book 13. Decap Attack
Collects all the Decap Attack stories from STC 10-132 (1993-98, 237 pages)
Notes
Each Sonic book covers about a year of the comic and a major arc, until it gets a bit messy towards the end.
I'm happy with most of this. The glaring exception is book 9, which covers the arcless period between 'Showdown' (issue 130) and Shanazar. I shoved all the Double Sonic stories in there to bulk it out and so they wouldn't spoil books 8 & 12. One of them had to take that bullet!
There are a few inevitable continuity issues, mainly the Agent X story being completely messed up in book 9, but I won't lose sleep over that.
The issue 100 crossover catches up with other character's perspective as quickly as it can. All four parts of 'The Final Victory' were included first time around anyway, so Knuckles part 2 and Sonic's World part 4 are collected twice.
Shortfuse appears in Sonic and Knuckles stories before we see his creation, but he's always happy to fill us in on his origins anyway.
It is a bit odd to have solo Chaotix and Captain Plunder stories tagged onto the end of Sonic books, but they didn't have enough content to get their own books (sadly). They provide some light relief at the end and they fit in for reasons of Kitching.
I'll spare you further tedious analysis, but I went into more detail on my blog.
If you don't like these totally illegal download links being here, I can remove them and just keep the suggested reading order.
It only took me five years to get around to doing this properly.
Here are my ideas for pretend STC paperbacks in CBR format, if you want to enjoy a slightly streamlined (but still extremely baggy) reading experience.
I used old, variable quality scans available online (my comics are on the other side of the world), so they're not perfect. But this is just a guideline for the real books [that will never exist], so it doesn't really matter.
Here's how to fit all the Sonic & pals-related stories from STC into 12 books of 200-ish pages each, and be minimally confusing about it.
Details
(Stories from holiday specials and poster mags are usually slotted in according to publishing date, unless it interrupted a multi-parter or was too distracting. Knuckles' early stories are included in Sonic books until he becomes independent).
Book 1. Enter Sonic
Collects Sonic stories from STC 1-32, Sonic the Poster Mag 3 & 5 and Sonic the Summer Special; Doctor Robotnik from Sonic the Summer Special (1993-94, 253 pages)
Book 2. Enter Knuckles
Collects Knuckles stories from Sonic the Summer Special and STC 39-44; Sonic stories from STC 33-53, Sonic the Poster Mag 6, 8 & 9 and the Sonic Holiday Special (1995); Doctor Robotnik from STC 42; Captain Plunder from STC 47-50 (1994-95, 231 pages)
Book 3. The Brotherhood of Metallix
Collects Knuckles stories from STC 53-58; Sonic stories from STC 54-79 and the Sonic Holiday Special (1996) (1995-96, 242 pages)
Book 4. Tails: Hero of Mobius
Collects Tails stories from STC 16-64, 143-144 and Sonic the Summer Special (1994-99, 121 pages)
Book 5. Running Wild
Collects Sonic stories from STC 80-103; Knuckles, Doctor Robotnik & Sonic's World from STC 100; Super Sonic from STC 102; Chaotix from STC 80-81; Captain Plunder from STC 91-93 (1996-97, 212 pages)
Book 6. Knuckles: The Homecoming
Collects Knuckles stories from STC 52, 65-138 and the Knuckles Knock-Out Special (1995-98, 230 pages)
Book 7. Sonic's World: Enter the Cybernik
Collects all the Sonic's World stories from STC 25-106 (1994-97, 253 pages)
Book 8. Flickies' Island
Collects Sonic stories from STC 104-130; Super Sonic from STC 116-118; Captain Plunder from STC 103-108 (1997-98, 242 pages)
Book 9. Roots
Collects Sonic stories from STC 131-147; Super Sonic from STC 146-148; Chaotix from STC 152-154; Double Sonic from STC 106-134; Sonic & Tekno from STC 150-151 (1997-99, 236 pages)
Book 10. Tails: Fox on the Run
Collects Tails stories from STC 73-151; Sonic's World from STC 118 (really a mislabelled Tails story) (1996-99, 230 pages)
Book 11. Amy's Adventures
Collects all the Amy stories from STC 41-156 (1994-99, 210 pages)
Book 12. Game Over
Collects Sonic stories from STC 148-184 (1999-2000, 258 pages)
Bonus Book 13. Decap Attack
Collects all the Decap Attack stories from STC 10-132 (1993-98, 237 pages)
Notes
Each Sonic book covers about a year of the comic and a major arc, until it gets a bit messy towards the end.
I'm happy with most of this. The glaring exception is book 9, which covers the arcless period between 'Showdown' (issue 130) and Shanazar. I shoved all the Double Sonic stories in there to bulk it out and so they wouldn't spoil books 8 & 12. One of them had to take that bullet!
There are a few inevitable continuity issues, mainly the Agent X story being completely messed up in book 9, but I won't lose sleep over that.
The issue 100 crossover catches up with other character's perspective as quickly as it can. All four parts of 'The Final Victory' were included first time around anyway, so Knuckles part 2 and Sonic's World part 4 are collected twice.
Shortfuse appears in Sonic and Knuckles stories before we see his creation, but he's always happy to fill us in on his origins anyway.
It is a bit odd to have solo Chaotix and Captain Plunder stories tagged onto the end of Sonic books, but they didn't have enough content to get their own books (sadly). They provide some light relief at the end and they fit in for reasons of Kitching.
I'll spare you further tedious analysis, but I went into more detail on my blog.
If you don't like these totally illegal download links being here, I can remove them and just keep the suggested reading order.