A small corner box at the top left of the comic cover.IDW ISSUE 1 COVER A

The word 'Sonic' is in big gold and blue lettering, 'The Hedgehog' is in white on a red backdropSONICTHE HEDGEHOG

Sonic is pictured in front of Green Hill Zone, with Tail flying behind him. Sonic is posed with one leg forward and one arm crossed in front of him, holding up one finger. Tails is gliding with his tails spinning and arms outstretched. Small blue birds fly around the two of them.

SEGA

A render of Sonic pointing forwards poking out of a red and blue star is centered on the page, framed with small golden rings

Written by Ian Flynn Pencils yb Tracy Yardley Inks by Jim Amash & Bob Smith Colors by Matt Herms Letters by Corey Breen Edited by Joe Hughes & David Mariotte Published by Greg Goldstein

Special thanks to Anoulay Tsai, Mai Kiyotaki, Aaron Webber, Michael Cisneros, Sandra Jp, and everyone at Sega for their invaluable assistance. For international rights, contact licensing@idwpublishing.com

IDWwww.IDWPUBLISHING.com

Greg Goldstein, President & Publisher • Robbie Robbins, EVP & Sr. Art Director • Matthew Rozicka, CPA, Chief Financial Officer • David Hedgecock, Associate Publisher • Laurie Windrow, Sr. VP of Sales & Merketing • Lorelei Bunjes, VP of Digital Services • Jerry Bennington, VP of New Product Development • Eric Moss, Sr. Director, Licensing & Business Development Ted Adams, Founder & CEO of IDW Media Holdings

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SONIC THE HEDGEHOG #1. APRIL 2018. FIRST PRINTING. © SEGA. Sega, the SEGA logo and SONIC THE HEDGEHOG are either registered trademarks or trademarks of SEGA Holdings Co., Ltd. or its affiliates. All rights reserved. SEGA is registered in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. All other trademarks, logos and copyrights are property of their respective owners. © 2018 Idea and Deign Works, LLC. All Rights Reserved. IDW Publishing, a division of Idea and Design Works, LLC. Editorial officesL 2765 Truxton Road, San Diego, CA 92106. The IDW logo is registed in the U.S. Patend and Trademark Office. Any similarities to persons living or dead are purely coincidental. With the exception of artwork used for review purposed, none of the contents of this publication may be reprinted without the permission of Idea and Design Works, LLC. Printed in Canada. IDW Publishing does not read or accept unsolicited submissions of ideas, stories, or artwork.

Sonic the Hedgehog has spent years fighting the forces of Dr. Eggman. Within the Final Egg, Sonic faces off with the Egg Viper, an enormous serpentine robot piloted by Dr. Eggman. Time and time again, the mad doctor attacks, Sonic strikes back, then relaxes until Eggman returns. Atop the Final Forretress, Sonic battles the Egg Emperor, a humanoide mecha equipped with a lance and shield. But after their last battle... Sonic stares down the Egg Dragoon, a flying robot with laser wings and an imposing gatling gun arm. ...Dr. Eggman vanished... Against an overcast sky, Sonic fights the Death Egg Robot, a bulbous robot with a single glassy eye-like fixture and numerous tentacle appendages. Within the gutters of the page's other panels, Sonic is framed from the front, running forward with a determined look on his face.

...But his robot army did not! Whuh-oh- That doesn't look good. Sounds like the locals are putting up a fight. I hope they don't mind me lending a hand! Placing one hand on the ground, Sonic starts running in place, his legs becoming a red blur. Sonic speeds into the distance, leaving an elongated dust cloud behind him. It's clear that the doors of the city have been blown wide open.

Run! Get to the storm bunker! A town resident holding a Cube Wispon distressedly directs other unarmed residents away from approaching robots. The resident brandishes his weapon, shaking in fear. An Egg Pawn looms closer. SOK The Egg Pawn knocks the Cube Wispon out of the resident's hands. Numerous Egg Pawns approach the fallen resident, who cowers on the ground. SMASH SMASH Sonic appears as a blue blurring ball, bouncing between each of the Egg Pawns and smashing them to pieces.

Hey! You hurt? N-not really. You're...You're Sonic! Sonic extends a hand to the resident, picking up the Cube Wispon too. The one and only. Here you go. Try swinging it at the robots next time. I knew somebody who put it to good use. N-not really. You're...You're You're...THE Sonic! Sonic hands the Wispon back to the resident, who stands nervously. Maybe get inside, buddy. Nice chat! Need to save your town. Bye! O-okay! The resident watches as Sonic dashes around a corner. Sweet! The town militia! Bots coming in from the north! You've got a guy holding his own out there! O-okay! We're on it! Sonic dashes past three armed animals, a cat, a dog (?) and a rabbit, who appear worried.

Hurry up! They're closing in! I'm trying! It's stuck! A blue bird strugles to open a hatch on the ground while a red fox (?) panics, watching a line of Motobugs drive closer. WHOOSH Sonic runs through the Motobugs, knocking them all aside. As he skids to a stop, Sonic strikes a pose, winking and flashing two finger guns. The residents stand in awe. FASSSH Sonic dashes off the right side of the panel, throwing up dirt behind him. ...All this terror might be worth it if I get to say Sonic winked at me! I hope we survive long enough to get his autograph! The residents, much calmer now, are very impressed by Sonic.

WHAM REEEEEEEEEEEEEEEECH An enormous hammerhead slams into the ground right in front of Sonic, as he screeches to a stop, looking disappointed. Oh hey, another hammer-guy. I liked the earlier one better. Sonic stands in front of an Egg Hammer, an imposing robot the size of a building, with a hammer just as tall. SMASH SMASH SMASH SMASH Sonic spin dashes into the Egg Hammer multiple times, forcing him to step back. More Egg Hammers lurk behind the corner. Where ya goin'? SMASH Jumping off of a window ledge, Sonic launches himself at the Egg Hammer, who begins to raise their hammer.

SMASH Sonic tries to attack the Egghammer by spin-dashing into him, but the Egghammer deflects Sonic with the handle of his hammer. C'mon, big guy! Swing batta-batta-batta-- Sonic stands on top of a manhole cover, the Egg Hammer behind him --Swing? Sonic is surprised that he is surrounded by more than one Egghammer. Yeah, okay, this one's on me. Four Egg Hammers surround Sonic, who stands crossing his arms.

WHAM WHAM WHAM WHAM The four Egghammers pound their hammers onto the floor. ♫ Sonic lifts up a manhole and whistles, getting an Egg Hammer's attention. "Hedgehog." Noun. A burrowing animal. Sonic pokes his upper body out of the manhole. Whoa! You guys can really move when you want to! The Egghammers chase down Sonic as he runs away. One of the Egghammers is drops its hammer down onto Sonic.

Tails! Could you not risk your life for five minutes? Sure, but where's the fun in that? Tails saves Sonic from the Egghammer's swinging attack, flying the two of them away. Seriously though, thanks for the save. My pleasure! Tails drops Sonic on a rooftop What's the status of the town? A bunch of small-fry Badniks. I took care of most of them, and the town's militia can handle the rest. Tails looks into the distance, Sonic, standing next to him, rubs his nose. Those Super Badniks are another story. The Egghammers are proceeding across the town. Those are better left to the professionals! Let's show 'em how it's done! Sonic grins as he takes Tails' hands.

Sonic and Tails roll off the roof of a building, charging up their spin dashes. SMASH SMASH Sonic and Tails' spin dash carves through the ground, then into an Egghammer, snapping its hammer. FASSSH Sonic and Tails destroy the Egghammer by spin-dashing through the Egghammer's armor. K-ZZOTTTT Sonic and Tails detatch from eachother and fall towards the ground as the Egghammer gets ripped in half. Sonic and Tails strike an epic pose as they look at each other. The Egghammer explodes in the background.

Sonic and Tails find another Egghammer, and they chase it down. While the Egghammer swings its gigantic hammer at Tails, Tails flies low and reaches to pick Sonic up. Tails throws Sonic into the Egghammer, bending the Egghammer's nose. SMASH Tails whacks the Egghammer's hammer out of its hands, and Sonic takes the Egghammer's nose off of its face.

SMASH Sonic proceeds to attack another Egghammer, launching himself towards its head. SMASH SMASH Sonic bounces off the Egghammer's hammer, making it trip itself, while Tails watches from above. SMASH Sonic and Tails land the coup-de-grace to the Egghammer, felling it. Sonic flashes a double thumbs-up pose. This would be going a lot faster if we had Knuckles with us. Naaaah, we're doing fine! Tails is visibly tiring above Sonic, who seems calm and relaxed.

The remaining robots are making a run for it! Tails points at the fleeing Egg Hammer, Motobugs, and Egg Pawns We can't risk them attacking another town. You cut them off! I'll handle the Super Badnik! On it! Sonic and Tails charge toward foward, determined expressions on their faces SMASH Sonic smashes into one of the Egg Hammers' ankle, crushing it. SMASH Sonic dodges the Egg Hammer's attack by bouncing off a rooftop. Sonic runs up the Egg Hammer's hammer's handle

SMASH Sonic speeds through the Egg Hammer's head, breaking it in half. As the destroyed Egg Hammer falls, Sonic starts to land on the ground unharmed. Sonic sticks his landing as the Egg Hammer impales its deactivated body through its hammer. Tails flies to the top of a chain lift system that is conected to a massive door. They're almost out! C'mon, Tails! Hurry up! Sonic yells to Tails to close the door. Oh ye of little faith... Tails begins to pull a lever.

The door swings shut ahead of the fleeing Badnicks Three Motobugs crash into the door as it slams shut in front of them. Sonic runs past some Egg Pawns ad Motobugs as he watches them fall apart from running into the shut door. Well? Tails hovers smugly as Sonic approaches the destroyed Badnicks Expertly done. Bonus points for dramatic timing. Thank you, thank you. Sonic praises Tails for helping him destroy the remaining Badniks, clapping as Tails bows.

Another day saved thanks to Sonic and Tails! These rogue robots are more like pests than anything. Normally I'd agree... Sonic stretches proudly while Tails crosses his arms concernedly. ...but this was a much more coordinated attack. At least compared to anything we've seen lately. Tails gestures to a broken Motobug. Really? I hadn't noticed. Sonic grins at Tails while picking at his teeth. Tails stands with his hands on his hips. Tails looks frustratedly at Sonic because Sonic still does not understand what went on. Okay--FINE--the Egg Hammers were new to the mix. That's not what I mean. Sonic shrugs while Tails glares at him

After we beat Dr. Eggman and his forces, we broke the Eggman Empire's control over our world. As Tails explains to Sonic why the Badnik attack happened, in the background, we see a view of the fortress town with a sepia tone to introduce a flashback. "The Badnik army remained, but not as a unified threat. Any attacks seemed more like accidents than aggression." We see a sepia-toned flashback of two Motobugs bumping into each other and an Egg Pawn walking on a cliff. But today--unified troop movements? Super Badniks being deployed? Setting up ambushes? Something is making Eggman's army more cohesive. Tails gestures behind him while raising an eyebrow. Points taken. Do you think Eggman is back? Without so much as an angry vlog? No way. After that last defeat, he'd make sure we knew he was back. The lack of fanfare is spooky. Sonic taps his foot while Tails paces, both thinking.

In that case, I'll just keep doing what I've been doing. Those Badniks are a threat to everyone, organized or not. I'll keep traveling around, smashing every one I see. Sonic stretches his arm while smiling confidently. Yeah, but if they are getting orders from someone... Then it'll make it more fun! J-Just...be careful, okay? As Sonic stretches, Tails scratches his head while looking concerned. If you get caught off-guard again...get hurt... Tails turns away from Sonic. Sonic looks surprised. Sonic notices Tails feels worried. Hey. Sure, we've had some close calls. But we've come out of it fine in the end, right? Yeah, I guess. I'll be careful. I promise. ...Okay. Thanks Sonic. Sonic puts his hand on Tails' shoulder. Tails looks calmer.

If you're so worried, you can always come with me. Yeah! Just like old times and-! Sonic and Tails' silouhettes are shown, Sonic's gesturing explainedly. Tails looks behind him, at the vista's destruction and two residents crying while holding each other. Tails looks down, thinking to himself. Tails closes his eyes and smiles confidently. There's too many Badnik gangs out there. You'll find them faster on your own. I'll stay here and help the locals rebuild their town. You're a class act, buddy. We'll bash bots some other time. Deal! Tails gestures to the damaged town. Sonic gives him a thumbs-up.

As Sonic runs away from the vista, an Egg Flapper is seen hovering above. In a close-up of the Flappers face, a red cross-hair appears on its visor. "So...he survived the first trial. Unsurprising." Sonic is highlighted in a red crosshair, his picture being zoomed into focus. Deploy a battalion to the next nearest town. He'll be drawn to it like a moth to a flame. A large chair is shown from behind, bearing Dr. Eggman's signature symbol. Sonic is being observed on the monitor in front of the chair. Amy is visible on another monitor to the left. Make sure word of Sonic's latest success reaches the Resistance. I want to crush both hedgehogs in one strike. Next time: Can LOVE hammer it out ON THE BATTLEFIELD? A picture of Amy is shown zoomed in on a monitor.

A render of Sonic standing and gesturing in a presenting fashion

Sonic is in blue and gold lettering, Letters Squad in white, all on a red backdropSonic Letters Squad

Hello to all the Sonic fans new and old and welcome to the first issue of Sonic the Hedgehog from IDW publishing! It's a monumental issue as your favorite blue blur and his best buddy Tails race into a new adventure... with the ever-capable Ian Flynn, Tracy Yardley, Jim Amash, Bob Smith, Matt Herms, and Corey Breeen bringing you our stellar first issue. But enought talk! Let's get to what you came here for. We asked and you delivered, so here are some fan letters nad the first batch of fan art!

Fanart of super sonic charging up an energy blast against a space backdrop.

My boyfriend and I have been huge fans of Sonic since we were young! We collaborate on artwork often and this is one of our proudest creations, and would love to see it in print. an't wait to buy and read the comics! Lourdes M.

Fanart of Sonic, Shadow, and Rouge drawn in the style of the 90's Sonic cartoon

Hi, Looking forward to the new series. I've attatched a piece of fan art I've done. Peace! Billy Kurtz

This one's extra special as Billy's piece is the first one to arrive when the call went out on the IDW Sonic Comic Squad Facebook group!

Good Evening, guys! I'm Rena Rose, I'm a cosplayer from Argentina! I belong to Sonic Team Argentina, one of the most important Argentinian pages reqarding Sonic news and content. Cosplaying Sonic characters is super FUN! I hope to cosplay more characters! I learned to sew 5 years ago to make my own costumes and I've won many cosplay

competitions in Argentina. My favorite character to cosplay is Amy Rose. She's so cool! <3 I submited photos for publication. I'm looking forward to reading the new Sonic comics! Thank you for your time. Best Wishes, Rena Rose

A picture of a woman is shown cosplaying Amy Rose, complete with a giant hammer.

And Rena was the first cosplayer to send in some pictures! If you'd like your fanart, cosplay pictures, or letters to show up in this very space, send them to letters@idwpublishing.com, include your name, and mark them "OKAY TO PRINT!" Also, don't forget to join the IDW Sonic Comics Squad Facebook roup to see even more amazing art and keep up-to-date with all the latest infor on your favorite comic! We'll see you back here with more letters and more fan art... NEXT WEEK?!? WHAT?!? -Joe Hughes and David Mariotte

Top: Art by Chase Connolly. Bottom: Art by Abel Muniz, Jr.

A drawing of a robotic Big the Cat is displayed, with red eyes and sharp claws and ears. The picture is captioned: 'Metal Big the Cat!' and the robot has a balloon saying: 'Sonic and friends, I will conquer you and everything below the sun!'

Art of Sonic in his classic double finger-gun pose is shown, in a stylish matte-colored rendition.