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Sonic the Hedgehog won’t be out of comic books for long — Sega is partnering with IDW Publishing to bring the speedy blue furball back to comics in 2018, the companies announced today during San Diego Comic-Con.
It sounds like they’re just getting started; Sega said in a news release that “creative teams are currently being formed.”
“We’ve been speaking with beloved Sonic fan-favorite creators and new creators alike,” said Chris Ryall, chief creative officer at IDW, in a news release.
The announcement does not come as a surprise, although the timing might be sooner than fans expected. Sega confirmed two days ago that it was ending its arrangement with Archie Comics, which had been publishing Sonic comics for 24 years. That news wasn’t a shocker for longtime readers, either — Archie removed Sonic’s comic book line from its list of subscriptions earlier this year, and replaced its Free Comic Book Day offering featuring Sonic with a different title.
In its announcement on July 19, Sega said, “This does not mark the end of Sonic in comics, but signifies Sega of America’s decision to take a different direction for the series that will be announced at a later date.”
IDW makes sense as Sega’s choice for Sonic’s new comic book home. The company is known primarily as a publisher of licensed comic book adaptations, with current properties including Star Wars, The X-Files and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.
Archie’s first Sonic series, simply called Sonic the Hedgehog, debuted in 1993 and ran for more than 290 issues, making it the longest-running monthly American comic to never be relaunched. For more on Sonic’s history in comics, read our feature from May.
