Character Disscussion 1: Sonic

[ChaosX3]

I was bored, so I decided to set up a character disscussion. I'll do an new one every week.

This week is Sonic! A good place to start. This discussion covers: Sega Sonic, Sonic Team Sonic, Archie Sonic and StC Sonic.

OK, discuss. I would, but I have a guitar lesson to get to.

Seeyalaterbye...

EDIT: OK, I'm back, so let me start. OK, Sonic's brief Bio:
Born in 1991, Sonic the Hedgehog became an instant hit among video gamers worldwide. His game introduced an aspect called "acceleration", alowwing characters to start at a certain speed and progress into top speed. Sonic the Hedgehog has since starred in over 30 on over 10 consoles, cereals, novelty ties, books, comics, T-Shirts, masks, coffee mugs, posters, novelty ham slices and 4 television shows. Over the 13 years he has been in video games, he has taken world records, including worlds first "character" hot air balloon and most famous character. He is recognised in over 20 countries including India, Africa, Ugoslavia, Uroquay and Czech Republic. He is one of the greatest video game and cartoon characters of the 21st century.

[Blizz]

He also has his own 'Sonic Store' in Japan. I've seen photos of some of the cool stuff in there. I want it but I can't get it....

[Retro]

I also heard something cool, a human gene inside us that makes our hair and nails grow fastwas named after Sonic becuase under the microscope it is blue and spiky! So we all have a piece of Sonic inside us literally, thats one way never to forget!

And dont forget the famous sega world in london a while back that stared him as the main mascot!

[SonicFanatic]

Blizzard said:

He also has his own 'Sonic Store' in Japan. I've seen photos of some of the cool stuff in there. I want it but I can't get it....

Don't forget Sonic Town in Japan as well - my one true home that I've never really been able to visit. God knows I want to so badly....

Great idea for discussion, though. Thing is, there's so much to talk about, I don't even know where to start... let's not get into 'which game is better' or 'more global' and stuff. This is purely the hedgehog himself.

Sonic OWNS the colour blue.

[ChaosX3]

Ohh, SegaWorld... I got my free tickets in issue 119 of StC. And I have been to that exact store in Japan! It is called Sonikku Manya I think. They gave away free demo's of Sonic X-Treme and plushies were, likeY2000! That's a bargain, so I bought a Sonic, Tails and Amy one, plus a Robotnik w/ Eggomatic for my bro. They were sold out of Knuckles ones *Sob*. And Sonic is inside me? Damn, I gotta eat more chilli dogs! I like Sonic so much I named my dog "Chilli". Chilli dog. Geddit? God, I'm hyper...

[Retro]

Haha, cool a dog named Chilli, nice idea man!

Talking on Sonic what was everyones reaction when they first saw him 'die' and then go super.

I loved it, it was kinda like "OH NO he died!" (I was young come on!) but then ZOOM wow, this golden monster brilliantly cool thing emerged and I nearly fell of the chair!
From then on I have always loved the idea of last second before death changes to a more powerful form, it was what got me into DBZ as well.
So how did everyone else like his first super appearance?

[SonicFanatic]

When Super Sonic first turned up, I was like 'whoah'. This was on Sonic The Hedgehog 2, though, as that was my first video game (and, obviously, Sonic game too). It wasn't as cool as his Sonic Adventure appearance though, purely because there were no FMVs then.

[ChaosX3]

My first super sonic appearance was on Sonic R. Back then I didn't even know what happened if you got all the ominous emeralds, since it was my first Sonic game. When I did I went back to Grand Prix to have a jolly good race as Knuckles in Radical City and I was like "HOLY MOTHER OF ALL... MUM! SONIC'S YELLOW! HEEEEEELP!" And now I love him!

[Retro]

I actually forgot to say when I first saw Super Sonic, I'm not actually sure, but I think it was in STC.
The story with Red in it if any old timers care to remember it.
But when I first did it in game it was just not right! I had finally collected all the emeralds, I was wondering what was happening, then suddenly BAM 50 rings and a double jump on Sonic 2 and suddenly I remembered this golden monster, the rest of the level went by in a flash and I was hooked forever to play as SS on another game. Then Doomsday Zone..... Loved it!

[Blizz]

First time I saw Super in a game was either in Sonic 2 or SA2 Battle. When I saw how fast he was I was just like 'Blimey! He's almost going off the screen!' and then in SA2, when my brother was watching it was all like:
Brother- "Super Sonic!?"
Me- "Super Shadow ( ;D)"

But isn't this thread just meant to be about regular Sonic?

[ChaosX3]

Ahem... Yes, back onto topic.

[Retro]

I wouldnt have thought that SS was off-topic. Oh well.
Well what to say, what to say?
Oh yeah heres something;
did any of you buy the sonic merchandise likes bean-bags and stuff?
I did my old room was filled with it, but now I only got the sonic bean-bag left

[Mrcuddlebunny]

Must...stop...thread...from...dying...

Uhm, any opinions on Archie's Sonic vs. Fleetway's Sonic? I know many prefer the Archie version, but I like the Fleetway one personally...

[ChaosX3]

Archie is more of a mature comic- drug abuse, death, war, swearing etc... I'm not traitoring StC, but Archie Sonic is acctually a lot better- StC Sonic has attitude but Archie's Sonic is one of those "Grit your teeth" characters.

[Omega Wants Cake]

Dunno really, From what I've read of the American Comics, Archie Sonic seemed kind of plain and dull to me, as well as being lost amongst a sea of random comic created characters.

I prefer the STC Sonic more. While there where times I wanted to strangle the fella for his arrogant attitude, there are certain things that make me feel more sympathetic to him, one of them being his relationship with Robotnik, whom ironically he was responsible for creating. Another aspect is Super Sonic, while all the other versions of Sonic get a power boost (and are practically invincible) Sonic turns into a chaotic demon who does more damage to the planet then good.
His reaction to Johnny's death finelly earn't my respect. He admits to his stupidity and does his best to correct the situation. In short while Stc Sonic might not be the most Popular Sonic, he is certinely the most troubled and sympathetic in my book...

[harryhatman]

I’m sorry for the length, and I think I may start a new topic with this as the starting post, but I feel very strongly about this STC Vs. Archie argument.

Let me start by saying that I am biased but I have read a lot of Archie Sonic, on and off issues 50 to 75 and then solidly from 75 to 130. I must say I have stopped reading it now, as it was a waste of my money. It’s a complete child’s comic. Sonic was a perfect hero, without self-doubt, angst or anything else, flawless. And it was boring. He has no character, there’s nothing mildly 3 dimensional about him. I know STC didn’t do much, but he had something, he was short with his friends, easily angered. At least he was represented in a way that was non-cliché.

There where times when it picked up, like a part where Mina the Mongoose sacrificed her life to save sonic, diving in front of a bullet. It was very emotional, but then, no, she wakes up in hospital and everything is exactly the same as before. After that she disappeared, only returning in cameo appearances. You say it deals with death, but after a character ‘dies’ it turns out they are fine a couple of issues later. I know that STC finished just after Johnny died, but you knew he wasn’t coming back. It was emotional. And where exactly does it have drug abuse and swearing, ChaosX3? Not that these make a comic adult, or even interesting, I just want an example.

Sonic recently ‘died’ but actually fell through a wormhole created by aliens and transported to the other side of the galaxy. This returning home saga was actually handled well, but when he returns to his planet to find his friends, and knuckles alive this is how they react, and remember, this is the FIRST PANEL, this is their initial reaction.

Now, please say you see something wrong, or I might cry. I’m not going to even explain it, but you wouldn’t have that reaction if you friend had returned from beyond the grave. Now later, he meets up with his girlfriend Sally, this is handled well, with emotion and thought, quite realistic. This made me think ‘wow, they can do good comics when they try,’ but too little too late.

Also, they have no originality, they built up to this big answer and revelations and guess what it was…? ‘Aliens did it’ ALIENS! WHAT! It would be okay if they were part of the plot, but they’re not, its just that ‘a wizard did it’ stuff… The whole plot is cliché after cliché. Everything’s so straight forward, nothing has depth. Every plot is ‘Bad guy threatens world; bad things happen; sonic/one of Sonic’s friends in life threatening danger; Sonic saves the day; everything is fine’ and at the end of each story arc, nothing has changed from the beginning. I mean, its big fan base is actually commending it on better and better stories, but they are still making ones like this, I mean…. What, I’m just worried about ‘writers’ these days.

The way Archie Sonic portrays Robotnik: He’s so 2-dimensional. In fact, he’s worse than that, he’s a cardboard cutout. All he wants to do is take over the world, but it appears this goal is completely random; it’s as if he has no motivation for it at all. In STC, his drive to take over the world, although perhaps not fully explained, seemed something just a little more realistic – he came across as complex, he was slightly mentally unstable and you feared him for it, rather than being there for comedy. He just makes little sense and has no motives.

The art however is brilliant, people like J.Axer and Dawn Best are some of the best sonic artist out there, but pretty pictures alone does little to redeem a desperate situation.

Any comic that allows this as a way of defeating armies worries me deeply.

[SonicFanatic]

Good God, that last strip sucks. A very valid argument, my man.

[lileh]

^ I helped him write that essay. Ok, I wanna wrap up how I feel about Archie breifly.

Good things about Archie Sonic:
- The artists Axer, Dawn Best, and Spaz. (The others are all terrible).
- The fact that the heroine [Sally] is not a blonde. (Although this is not strictly true - she was to start off with).
- The Knuckles-centred storylines (excepting the one where he comes back from the dead).

Bad things about Archie Sonic:
I could write a novel about the bad things concerning Archie. In fact, I could write a trilogy - no, series of chronicles on the subject.

[ChaosX3]

- The Knuckles-centred storylines (excepting the one where he comes back from the dead).

WHAT? Come off it, Chaos Knuckles was the best series ever made! Anyway, what does the Knuckles story line have to do with Sonic *Evil eye*

Anyway, like I once said, brilliant find, great job!

[lileh]

ChaosX3 said:

WHAT? Come off it, Chaos Knuckles was the best series ever made! Anyway, what does the Knuckles story line have to do with Sonic

When I said 'Archie Sonic', I was referring to the series as a whole, rather than Archie's portrayal of Sonic as a character.
The reason why I didn't like the 'Knuckles returning from the dead' storyline is simple. It's not that it wasn't done well, I just hate the concept of people coming back from the dead that Archie keeps using.
They played out the whole scene where Sonic dies and it turned out he wasn't even dead...same goes for Mina and Lupe, now I come to think of it.

[Ben2k9]

completly off topic: just like DBZ....

on topic: never really read any archie, have a few images but on the whole it just seems, well, meh.