A small corner box at the top left of the comic cover.IDW ISSUE 4 COVER A

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

Sonic is depicted in Green Hill Zone jumping in the air while holding Tangle the Lemur's tail. Tangle is shown in a fighting stance with a confident look on her face. Blaze the Cat is shown engulfed in flames behind the two, also with a confident look on her face.

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 Art by Evan Stanley 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 Jo, and everyone at Sega for their invaluable assistance. For international rights, contact licensing@idwpublishing.com

IDWwww.IDWPUBLISHING.com

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SONIC THE HEDGEHOG #4. 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 Design Works, LLC. All Rights Reserved. IDW Publishing, a division of Idea and Design Works, LLC. Editorial offices: 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.

Whoever is organizing Eggman's robots is really stepping up their game. I hope I'm not too late! Sonic is seen running toward a town that is under attack by a giant Buzz Bomber aircraft that is dropping Egg Pawns. Sonic has a worried look on his face. There is smoke rising above the buildings in the town.

It's going to be tough fighting off this army on my own. Maybe Amy was right...I could use the Resistance's help on this one. Sonic continues to run along the path that leads to the town's entrance, leaving behind a cloud of dust behind him. Then again, the Resistance isn't already here. Maybe word hasn't reached them yet? In that case, if I was with them, I never would've known about this attack. As Sonic enters the town, he notices some militia soldiers shooting from their Red Burst Wispons at some Egg Pawns. Some of the town's civilians are seen watching the soldiers from balconies. More Egg Pawns are seen dropping into the town from the Buzz Bomber aircraft. No time for second-guessing. Bash the bots. Save the town. Keep it simple. Sonic slides past two of the Egg Pawns, destroying them as the two militia soldiers watch him. ...Somebody's here? Sonic peeks from a corner of a wall, with parts of a destroyed Egg Pawn flying past him.

Ha! Tangle is shown attacking an Egg Pawn with her tail and kicking another. Yet another Egg Pawn is shown behind her. Tangle's tail grabs an Egg Pawn's face. Tangle's tail extends and wraps around some more Egg Pawns as they approach her. Hngh! Tangle tightly grips her tail and and pulls it toward herself. Tangle yanks her tail toward herself, with some Egg Pawns wrapped around it. BOOM The Egg Pawns that are wrapped around Tangle's tail explode in front of her.

Woo! And ow. Woo and ow! As Tangle pumps her fists in the air victoriously, she looks at her tail that is partially burnt from the explosion. Two destroyed Egg Pawns are shown behind her. Watch your back! Whoops! Thanks! Tangle turns around and sees Sonic performing a homing attack on one of the destroyed Egg Pawns. Welcome to my hometown! Sorry for the mess. We've got a bit of a robot problem. Problem? What problem? A group of Egg Pawns surround Tangle and Sonic. Sonic begins running toward one of the Egg Pawns. Ha! You're sweet not to notice. Nice one! You're a natural. Do this a lot? Sonic performs a homing attack on an Egg Pawn, while Tangle pushes another to the ground with her tail. You could say that. Sonic the Hedgehog. Oh, sweet! Always wanted to meet you. Tangle the Lemur. Charmed. Likewise. Sonic shakes Tangle's tail and prepares to attack the Egg Pawns surrounding them.

I've been fending off the odd raids for a while now, but this is nuts. Tangle runs toward some more Egg Pawns with her tail extended and about to wrap it around two of the Egg Pawns as Sonic watches. Pull! Tangle's extended tail is straightened as she looks behind her. We see a closeup of Sonic's face as he grins with confidence. POW POW POW As Tangle retracts her tail, Sonic performs homing attacks on the Egg Pawns Tangle she wrapped. Yeah, the random gangs are starting to get organized. Dunno why. I'm looking into it. Sonic lands on the ground with Tangle running alongside him. Sonic and Tangle notice a group of Egg Pawns and a giant Motobug approach the two while more Egg Pawns are seen in the background dropping from the sky. Tangle looks frightened.

RAKKA- RAKKA- RAKKA- Sonic and Tangle leap onto two of the Egg Pawns as they dodge shots fired by the giant Motobug that is being piloted by another Egg Pawn. As Sonic and Tangle land, they notice another giant Motobug approach them. The two giant Motobugs and a large group of Egg Pawns surround Sonic and Tails from an aerial perspective. I don't suppose you're the advance guard for the Resistance? Pretty sure they're all busy with similar attacks elsewhere. Lovely. So...split them 50/50? If you can keep up, sure. Sonic and Tangle are shown back to back with each other, with sweat dripping down from both of their faces.

FWWHOOSSH Sonic and Tangle look behind to see a massive fiery cyclone engulf four Egg Pawns, incinerating them. As the fire dies down, we see Blaze the Cat above two destroyed Egg Pawns. Blaze the Cat lands on the ground and looks behind her, with the destroyed Egg Pawns surrounding her.

Whoa. Awww yeah... Sonic rubs his nose as he grins confidently, while Tangle looks surprised from what she saw. Hey, Blaze! Sonic waves one hand rapidly while Tangle looks at him with a worried look on her face. Sonic! You are here. I assume these are Dr. Eggman's robots? Sonic, Tangle, and Blaze are shown as sillouhettes with visible eyes and mouths (except for Tangle, who only has visible eyes). Sonic runs toward Blaze as Tangle watches with a confused expression. You know it. The village needs our help, so if you don't mind... We see closeups of Sonic's palm and Blaze's hands cracking her knuckles. Behind them, Tangle anxiously looks back and forth at the two while sweat drips from her head. It would be my pleasure. Blaze holds up her fists that are engulfed in flames with a determined look on her face. Sonic gives a thumbs-up while making a cute-looking face.

While Sonic runs, Blaze runs toward a group of Egg Pawns while wrapping them in a large ribbon of flames. Tangle is seen with her hands on her head with a frightened expression on her face. Part of the giant Motobug is seen in the background. SMASH SMASH SMASH Blaze leaps onto some more Egg Pawns with some flames surrounding her body. Blaze casts a fire spell onto one group of Egg Pawns, engulfing them while another group approaches her. One Egg Pawn is shown piloting the Motobug, aiming its turret at Blaze. As the Egg Pawn fires the Motobug's turret, Tangle's tail extends toward the Egg Pawn. Blaze looks behind her with a confused look on her face. Tangle winks as she proceeds to wrap her tail around the Egg Pawn while the Motobug's turret continues to fire. Blaze watches Tangle attack while her hands engulf in flames.

RAKKA- RAKKA- RAKKA- Tangle lands on the Motobug's turret, aiming it at the Motobug's face while it continues firing. The blasts destroy part of the Motobug's face. Tangle wraps her tail around one of the Motobug's claws. Tangle pulls her tail toward herself, lifting up the Motobug's claw. Tangle uses her tail to toss one Motobug's claw at the other as Sonic watches. Some Egg Pawns are in the background. A silouhette of Sonic speeds toward the other Motobug as the destroyed Motobug's claw crashes into it.

Sonic slides past the Motobug's claw as it falls and the rest of the Motobug catches on fire. Sonic runs to the other side of the Motobug, which has some Egg Pawns beside it. FASSSH Sonic spin dashes into some Egg Pawns. POW POW Sonic, Tangle, and Blaze all attack more Egg Pawns as they go up in the air.

I'm afraid the three of us are not enough. The town militia's out there too. Regardless, they're refilling their ranks faster than we can dispose of them. Behind Blaze the Cat, Sonic lands on the ground and Tangle runs toward her. Remains of destroyed Egg Pawns surround the three of them. They're all coming from that battleship. Not long ago, it flew in and has been dropping robots since. Tangle points to the Buzz Bomber aircraft that is in the sky. A little beefier than the drop ship Amy and I took out. Blaze, can you make it up there? It's too high. It's completely out of range for me. Sonic and Blaze look up into the sky while Sonic rubs his chin and Blaze squints, crosses her arms, and lowers her tail. I know we all just met, but... Sonic and Blaze look at Tangle, who is nervously grasping her tail. ...hop on? Tangle holds up her tail while Sonic and Blaze look at each other. Sonic smiles while Blaze looks confused.

Ready? Sonic holds out his hand toward Blaze while Tangle's tail goes behind the two. Ready. We see a closeup of Sonic and Blaze holding hands with part of Tangle's tail in the background. Bon voyoage! Tangle makes a salute gesture with one hand while tolding her tail with the other. Tangle continues to hold on her hands with Sonic and Blaze stretching it as if it is a slingshot. Sonic and Blaze launch into the air as Tangle falls over with her arms flailing and her tail loosens.

Silouhettes of Sonic and Blaze approach the bottom of the Buzz Bomber aircraft as they fly through the sky. Blaze holds Sonic as he spin dashes and flames surround her. SOK Blaze throws Sonic towards one of the craft's open hatches in the Buzz Bomber aircraft as more Egg Pawns drop from them. ? An Egg Pawn looks up in confusion as Sonic, partially engulfed in flames, flies above it. Sonic lands on a steel beam between two Egg Pawns while partially engulfed in flames. He grins nervously.

KABOOOM Blaze, with flames blasting from the soles of her shoes, watches the Buzz Bomber aircraft start to explode. BOOM Blaze continues to watch the aircraft explode as it falls toward the village. Blaze starts to form a fiery blast with her hands. BOOM KABOOOM Blaze fires a blast at the aircraft, destroying it.

That was amazing... Tangle runs toward Blaze as she drifts to the ground with flames on her hands and feet. ...but is Sonic going to be alright? He will be. Tangle looks concerned, while Blaze looks confident. THUMMP THUMMP THUMMP Sonic lands on the ground and spin dashes toward Tangle and Blaze. That was so much fun, you guys... Sonic in front of at Tangle's feet and feels dizzy, with images of Flickies, rings, and Chaos Emeralds circling his head in a cartoony manner and his eyes looking like spirals. Is your life always this exciting? If I can help it? Yeah! Tangle helps Sonic up while Blaze watches.

Right, so introductions! Blaze, this is Tangle. She's a local. Tangle, this is Blaze. She's a princess from another dimension and guardian of the Sol Emeralds. They're like Chaos Emeralds, but fiery. Sonic extends his hand toward Blaze to introduce Tangle to her. ... Tangle is speechless, with her mouth wide open. Haha-yeah, okay. Tangle smiles nervously. Thanks for saving my home, your highness. You are welcome. And please, just call me "Blaze." Tangle and Blaze shake hands with each other. I'm always happy to see you, but what's the occasion? I felt the will of the Sol Emeralds. I've come to prevent a terrible event on your world. Ha! No offense, but you're about seven months late. Sonic puts his arms behind his head, while Blaze has her hands behind her back.

What do you mean? Eggman locked me up and took over the world. ...WHAT? S'cool. My friends busted me out and we kicked his butt. Sonic shrugs while Blaze appears to be shocked. Hold on--you said the left-over Badniks are getting organized, right? Yeah. So far it doesn't seem like it's Eggman, but... Doesn't matter. The point is they're getting dangerous. Sonic and Blaze see Tangle walk toward the two. What if the war was just the beginning? What if there's something even worse on the way? The Sol Emeralds are not... chatty. If they directed me here, it was for a purpose. Tangle looks concerned, and Blaze crosses her arms. And I will remain here until that purpose is made clear. I know I can count on you. Sonic winks and flashes his finger-gun pose at Blaze, and Tangle smiles.

But first--many parts of your village are burning. I will do what I can to calm the flames. Show me where you need me. You. Are. Amazing. Follow me! Blaze talks with Tangle, who is excited. I'll leave the hunt for the ringleader to you for now! Bye, Sonic! Thanks for every-thing! Ciao! White silouhettes of Blaze, Tangle, and Sonic are shown. Blaze walks, Tangle jumps excitedly, and Sonic makes a peace sign. Whew!Man, after all that, I need a breather. Sonic puts his hand on his head while he looks exhausted. Sonic crosses his arms and smiles. That'll do! Sonic prepares to run out of the village. Sonic spin dashes out of the village, with a close-up of the destroyed Buzz Bomber aircraft in front.

Elsewhere... It's late. It's time to come in. Buh-Buh-But it's busted! I c-c-can't carry it inside! Dr. Eggman peeks through a window's blinds and sees a mother wolf talking with her child, with a broken wagon between them. Oh-ho-ho... Don't you worry, little one. I'll fix your little red wagon. We see a closeup of Dr. Eggman's evil smile. Soon, I'll be fixing EVERYTHING! NEXT TIME: The Doctor is IN! Dr.Eggman continues looking through the blinds.

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 Sonic fans! No letters this issue because we have a very special message from writer Ian Flynn! Shout out to Ian Flynn, Evan Stanley, Matt Herms, and Tyson Hesse for their amazing work on Tangle's debut issue! AND, we have a ton of fan art of everyone's new favorite lemur! Check it out!

Fanart of Tangle in flat art style in a gray background.

Art by Nadja Omerovic

Fanart of Tangle tangling from a bridge from her tail, with her hands reaching out in front and baring her teeth

Art by Arielle Martinez (Sonicsis)

Fanart of Tangle reclining while balancing on her tail, with a white background with red clouds and red Egg Pawn silouhettes behind her

Art by Ron McCullough

Fanart of Tangle in the modern Sonic art style, with a golden-colored shadow behind her and a light green checkerboard background

Art by Nicole Righton

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 Group to see even more amazing art and keep up-to-date with all the latest info on your favorite comic! We'll see you back here with more letters and more fan art next month! -Joe Hughes and David Mariotte

Digital artwork of Tangle the Lemur. The image has a signature reading "Deven H! Jan/2018."

Art by Deven Harris

An image of Tangle in the style of the 90s Sonic the Hedgehog video games.

Art by Mauro Fonseca (The KKM)

Hello Sonic Fans! Here we are at the end of an unprecedented four week mad dash of Sonic! I had a blast writing it all, and my hat's off to the phenomenal production team that pulled off a monthly endeavor four times over. It'll make the regular once-a-month feel boring, right guys? ...guys? Tough crowd-moving on! I hope you all have enjoyed our first four issues into Sonic's brand new comic adventures! I'm so excited for you to see what we have in store for the long run--pun unapologetically intended. It's going to be great to see some fan-favorites show up, and we've got some new faces who will spice things up as well! And! AND! I can barely contain my excitement, but I don't want to spoil it for you either. As a life-long Sonic fan--and what feels like a lifetime spent writing the little blue hedgehog--you have my sincerest thanks for reading and supporting us as we get this new series underway. I couldn't be happier returning to Sonic's world, and I hope you enjoy it enough to stay with us for a long, long time. Cheers, Ian Flynn