Product Description

Picking up where the Sonic the Hedgehog: The Beginning trade paperback left off, Sonic the Hedgehog Archives #1 dives right into the action, starting with the first issue of Sonic's ongoing comic book series all the way up through issue #4. Each story is meticulously restored and printed on high-grade paper-so you can feel like you're zipping right alongside the cobalt crusader as he saves Knothole Village! So what are you waiting for? Put on your favorite pair of sneakers, grab a chilidog, start reading these thrilling collections and let the excitement begin!

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #20417 in Books
• Published on: 2006-12-08
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 112 pages

Features

• ISBN13: 9781879794207
• Condition: NEW
• Notes: Brand New from Publisher. No Remainder Mark.
• Click here to view our Condition Guide and Shipping Prices

Customer Reviews

Somewhere between AoStH and SatAM
Before I begin, this account I'm using is my Mom's because my other account won't let me make reviews until I buy something (it didn't have a problem with it before...). You can check out my other reviews on Teen Titans GO! 1 and 2 and Ape Escape and Ape Escape on the loose under Steve/Saber. Now, on to the review.

I recently came across this about a month ago while surfing the net and being the huge Sonic fan I am I thought I should give it a shot. The comic book contains Sonic the Hedgehog issue numbers 1 through 4, with quite a few storys with filler comics and fun little things between, such as a Robotnick Birthday card ("On this special occasion, I am going to place you in my Robo-Machine, turning you into a mindless robot... And by the way... Happy Birthday!" *Cue him standing over a cake with a huge bite in it*).

The storys are,
Meet me at the corner of hedgehog and vine, parts 1 and 2, where Robotnick unleashes deadly robotick plants all over Knothole.

You bet my life, parts 1 and 2, Sonic checks out Robotnick's Casino Night Zone, as a homage to Sonic 2 and later a homage to Sonic Spinball! Or an episode from SatAM...

Triple Trouble, parts 1 and 2, not to be confused with the game, Sonic has to deal with three "dangerous" robots who fans of AoStH shall recognize quite easily...

Vertigo a'go go! Ever wonder how the special zone in Sonic 2 works? Me neither, but here we get to see an idea from the comic writers and meet 2 new characters that would easily fit into AoStH.

The bomb bugs me, parts 1 and 2, Sonic, Sally, and Boomer (before he's re-named Roter) find out about a new threat from Robotnick who has made a bomb that will "Kill" them all. But a serious twist, as well as some loony toon-ish gags, makes for a fun ending.

Rabbot deployment, parts 1 and 2, during an investagation on the attack of the southern area of Mobius, Sonic and Ro-uh, Boomer come across a rabbit who's in some real trouble. After saving her, a new threat from Robotnick leaves Sonic in need of help from their new team member. Say hello, to Bunnie Rabbot!

Lizard of odd, parts 1 and 2, Robonick creates his own Godzilla like creation while Sonic experiences what its like to go "Super" for the first time.

Tails' little tale, for the last story of the book, we finally get to see what Tails is made of when he goes to take on Robotnick and his army of Swatbots, though he might need just a little help...


Now before you buy, let me tell you that this is not the daker Sonic you would expect from SatAM, or the later Sonic the Hedghog issues. The characters are straight from SatAM, with the exception of a pink and black Sally while the feeling is all around goofy like AoStH (and the addition of the S.S.S.S.S.S., or the Super Special Sonic Search and Smash Squad), even the Swatbots show goofy humor here and there. So, if I had to say... These storys would please the AoStH fans more while the SatAM fans might not care for it as much. Wait for the more darker storys to come out (hope there are more than just two volumes).

I'm more of a SatAM fan myself, but I do enjoy the slapstick humor in these storys, just wish it took itself just a tad more seriously.

4.5 out of 5.

Classic 90s Blue Blur
Back in the good old days of pogs and SNICK, we were introduced to the world's fastest blue superhero with an attitude: Sonic the Hedgehog! What fans see of him today is not the way he began, and these comic books are proof of that. Here we see a lighthearted hero and his friends battling off the evil Robotnik with slapstick humor and plenty of fun along the way.

The review that I'm writing here covers the first several volumes of Sonic Archives, actually. I was thrilled to see they were being re-released, as the earliest issues I have of Sonic are #6 and #13 (and then onward from the mid-#20s). And by being able to compare these to the originals I have, I can assure you that they're not leaving anything out. (Sure, you don't have the joy of seeing an advertisement for a Jurassic Park Tiger handheld game, but all the stories are being reprinted in full.)

Some major differences that I'm sure fans already know include Sally originally being pink with a black ponytail for her hair (and oftentimes with a more demure attitude), and that Rotor's original name was Boomer. (The switch was actually explained in the SonicGrams in the back of issue #6, that his name was changed for the second Sonic cartoon series, therefore they also needed to change it in the comics for consistency.)

Nearly every panel in these early issues is filled with puns. Some of them make me roar with laugher; others make me groan. There are also major signs of the time (one story shows several different superheroes, another panel shows the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles walking by in the background). All in all, I found the writing to be refreshingly clever and reminiscent of cartoon greats, like Looney Tunes.

While I'm a big fan of Sonic X and still keep up with the newer Sonic comics, I miss the fun-loving chili-dog scarfing hedgehog we were introduced to long ago. Today, animators and artists are busy trying to prove that cartoons aren't just for kids, and can provide deep character development and a storyline full of drama and emotion. Sonic, in his animated series and video games, has been pulled into this genre as well, where sometimes the plot seems more like an echo of the next biggest anime series rather than laugh-out-loud fun for the whole family.

I can understand that the fanbase for such things is visibly shrinking, and the bulk of us who still enjoy it are probably those who grew up watching cartoons like Tiny Toons, Animaniacs, Beetlejuice, Freakazoid. But even though the early issues of Sonic comics totally deviate from the Sonic of today, fans should give it a chance. Check out Sonic's roots - not just storywise, but also who he was to kids in the 90s. You might even find yourself grinning at the clever (and sometimes terrible) puns on every page.

I hope we can continue to look forward to the whole series of Sonic comics re-released eventually, and that they'll re-release the Knuckles comics as well!

Memories brought back in a bite sized compilation
Deceitfully small (I was expecting it to be in it's original size), about the size of your average manga volume (with the exception of it's depth in pages), packs a nice collection of issues though (approx. four to each volume (not including the little extra bits here and there)).
It was certainly a blast from the past though (corny dialogue, terrible illustration and all), makes me sad didn't have any appreciation for this kinda stuff when I was little (I believe I only have remnants of issue 3 laying somewhere near), at least now I (and possibly some other old collectors) have somewhat of a second chance for collecting them.
Recommended to Sonic fans of all age and era. (except the ones who don't/can't care for the value of antiquity)